The Nerd and Ms. Perfect

Chapter 1 - Heart-Shaped Box

Danielle: Help

Me: What's wrong, where are you!?

Danielle: Can you just come get me, I'm down the street from jackson's house

Me: Sure. On my way.

I hopped up from my bed, threw on a hoodie jacket and ran out my room then down the stairs.

 I jogged to the door and my mom started "Where are y-".

"Be back soon." I quickly replied as I slammed the door shut.

As I got in my old truck and stuck the key in the ignition I wiped a nervous sweat from my forehead, "What the hell happened?" I mumble as I begin to back out the driveway.

When I near Jackson's house I see Danielle sitting down on the curb with her head in her hands. I slow down and reach over and open the door, "Get in" I yelled over the loud engine.

When she stands up I can see makeup had began to run down her face from her eyes.

She's been crying

I grip the wheel tightly and turn the truck around. "Where to?" I ask.

"Narnia..." she whispers.

When we were little we used to play in the woods behind my house and we loved the movies so we named it Narnia, because when we go there we can just forget everything around us.

The whole ride back to my house she doesn't say a word and she pulls the neck of her hoodie over her face so I can see her crying.

God damn it, Jackson.

When we arrive I get out and walk around and open the door for her as she slides out with her hood up making sure to hide her face from me. Whether it's for her sake or mine she really doesn't want me to see her cry. I begin walking around to the back of my house and into the woods with her soft footsteps following close behind. We make it to our favorite fallen over tree and we sit down on a huge flat-topped rock. After a few moment of silence I know she doesn't want to talk about it so I pull out my phone and start playing Black - Pearl Jam. It's a sad song, but we both love it, though I began to regret playing it when I heard her begin to lightly sob. She leaned against me and I turned up the music so I didn't have to hear it. 

After a couple songs she broke her silence and I turned the music down, "We fought again..." she said.

I nodded with a sigh, "You do that a lot now, it seems."

"Whenever he drinks he acts so much differently." she sniffles.

"He keeps throwing parties and getting completely wasted." she continues.

Matthew can't help but think to himself, "It's not only when he drinks that he becomes an jerk."

"But, what can I do? I like him so much when he's so caring and nice." she sniffles again.

"He's not so nice and caring when he jerks me by my backpack strap." I mumble.

"What...?" she whispers.

"Nothing..." I reply.

Now the sun was going down and it began to get colder, "Want me to take you home?" I ask.

"Not really, can we hang out for a little longer? I hardly see you nowadays" she says wiping her face with her hoodie sleeve.

"Sure..." I say turning up the music.