Popular Nerd

Chapter Four// His House

"Just go to his house." Lacy suggests as she speaks down the phone. It's now eight thirty at night and I decided to ring her about my dilemma of how to return Nathan's phone to him.

"I don't know where he lives," I say, lying down on my bed whilst picking the loose thread off my fluffy socks. I kick my legs in the air as I wait for her reply.

"Does Josh know? Like, where he lives?"

"Josh hates him, he only uses him to do his homework. All the football team don't like him really, that was clear when they made fun of him today at lunch."

"Oh, really? What happened?"

I sigh heavily down the phone.

"They took his phone from me and went through his personal stuff. You didn't notice because you were too busy going googly eyes over Jace, again, drooling your mouth dry as he flirted with you!" My voice gets louder but I don't mean to sound angry. I am actually about to start laughing. The scene of Lacy obsessing over Jace is sort of funny, her flicking her hair and batting her eye lashes at him all of the time.

"Wait!" She shrieks. "He was flirting with me? Result!" We laugh in unison before I break our giggles with a long exhale of air.

"But seriously. I don't want that to happen again. How do I give it him back?"

"Leave it on his desk with a note?" I contemplate her idea for half a second however decline it with the shake of my head almost instantly after.

"Umm I don't think that would work. What if someone else picks it up?" I glue my hand to my forehead, thinking whilst scraping back the hair that falls into my eyes.

"I don't know then. How about you check his phone to see if his address is on there somewhere? Hey, I gotta go. Dad wants me downstairs... Coming dad! Bye Paige." The line goes dead. Her idea wasn't that bad actually. It isn't like I will be using his phone for a bad purpose.

So, following her suggestion, I unlock the phone and stare down at the home screen. He really needs to put in a password.

I eventually find what I am looking for. On a recent picture he has taken of a black Labrador, the destination is tagged at the top. He seems to live  only a street away from mine. I wonder why I never saw him pass my house before?

I double check that the address is his house by selecting another photo in his gallery. One particular photo stands out, my eyes instantly dilating at the the image of a boy- looking a little bit like Nathan- with messy brown hair, muscled arms, a charming smile, and drop head gorgeous abs. His toned body entices me in, making me want to see more. And there are more...

Who is he?

Due to the fact he has the same hair and eye colour as what I recall Nathan having, I assume that the hot guy in the picture is his brother or another close relative. I stare back down at the phone whilst licking my dry lips, my eyes transfixe on the image as I try not to fall unconscious. Damn this boy is gorgeous!

I mentally slap myself for checking out a guy who isn't my boyfriend and someone I don't even know. None the less, I keep staring. Then eventually, after minutes of ogling the multiple pictures of the hot mysterious boy, I turned the phone off to stop distracting me.

In my head I plan out what I am going to say to Nathan, even reciting it in front of the mirror. I know that by tomorrow I will have forgotten my little speech, but at least I'm prepared to explain myself.

So with the draw of my curtains, I turn off my light and decide to get an early night's sleep. I drop Josh a good night text then drift off into a peaceful sleep, the image of the boy on Nathan's phone spinning around in my head.

***

"You want to come with me and some mates to Starbucks after school?" Josh leans against the locker beside me as I place my books into it that I don't need to take home for the evening. I decide on going home, dumping my school bag and grab a snack, then go round to Nathan's house.

"Sorry but I can't," I tell him truthfully, closing the locker door to face my pouting boyfriend. "I would. But just not today."

"How come?" His eye brow raises with a suspicious twitch of is lips. "What's so important that you have to miss spending time with your supper hot and sexy boyfriend?" I smack his chest as a cocky grin appears on his face. I let out a small giggle then stare at my feet.

I can't exactly tell him the real reason I can't go, he wouldn't understand and quite frankly, he would try to talk me out of it and go a different day. But I want to go today. So without lying, I gave him a brief kiss on the cheek, turn on my heels and say I have to go home before any further questions.

"See you tomorrow," then before he can argue or pull me back, I speed walk down the corridor on my way to the student exit. He may have called my name a few times but I choose to ignore him.

Nathan's house really is in close proximity to mine.

The street is familiarly recognisable and I am sure I have drove down on this route before however I have never noticed that Nathan lives here. To be honest I never even knew he existed until the other day.

Turning the corner onto the pavement, I am now outside Nathan's house. I hold his phone tight in my grasp. My eyes scan the rows of houses before landing on his. It is quite big. There is a moderately big front yard leading up to the door with flowers planted around the fence.

I step up onto the porch and press his door bell, waiting patiently with my hands tied together in front of me. A whistle escapes my lips as I hear footsteps approach the other side of the door. It then opens.

A middle aged women with dark flowing hair holds the door open ajar, smiling down at me with a welcoming expression on her face. "Hello dear, how may I help you?" She widens the door some more so she can fully see me.

"Hello, I'm Paige. Umm, I'm in Nathan's class at school and I wanted to return his phone. He had left it in English the other day," I hold the phone out in the centre of my palm as evidence. The sides of her lips turn up into a pleased smile, a light laugh slipping out of her mouth.

"Oh he was going crazy looking for that," she thanks me multiple times then motions me inside. "He's up in his room, first door on the left."

For a moment I stand there frozen. Has she invited me in? She keeps smiling down at me whilst holding the door open. So I enter the house with a hesitant step and wipe my feet on the mat. I turn my face towards the women and her head tilts toward the stairs.

Once I reach the top, I make my way to the door she had described: first one on the left. My hand shakes slightly as I place my knuckles on the wooden door, about to knock. Sweat builds up in my palms unknowingly.

Why am I so nervous?

Maybe I am afraid he will be as shy towards me as he was yesterday. I don't want him rejecting my gesture of coming to give his phone back personally and run off. Not that there is anywhere to run as he is in his own house.

 Taking in a deep breathe of reassurance, I turn back towards his door and knock.

"What is it mom?" A deep male voice calls back.

I tilt my head in puzzlement. That didn't sound like Nathan. Footsteps stomp towards the other side of the door. I suck in some air as the door whips open.

"Mom? What do you... oh, hi. Paige right?" His flexed arm relaxes as he combs back his brown messy hair. His eyes divert to mine and our eye contact locks. With my lips parted, I gape at the way his sweat pants are low enough to show off his perfect V line, shirtless with his muscles shining with a gloss of sweat as they rise up and down with his every breathe.

"Nathan?"