Popular Nerd

Chapter Six// Please

"Nathan? In the football team?" Josh scoffs in disgust. "No way!" His exclamation is so loud it disrupts the librarian, now sending us a warnful hush from her desk.

"Please," I insist in a low, harsh whisper. I am trailing him around the library, weaving through columns of book shelves, Josh stopping now and again to pick up a book then chuck it behind his shoulder. "Josh please. Give him a chance." I lash my hand out and grab his wrist so he can't walk away again. I pull him towards me so we can converse without the annoyance of getting told off by the old hag that is the school librarian.

"Why should I give him a chance?" Josh retorts, his voice thick woven in a deep rasp.

"Because he deserves to prove to everyone that he's not just a nerd," my hands glue to my hips. Josh curls his lip at the book currently in his hands so he drops it to the floor. I couldn't help but compare him to Nathan- he would never do something so careless as that.

"But he is just a nerd. What else is there to him? Anyway, have you even seen him play sport before?" My bottom lip quivers for a moment, not knowing how to answer his question to my benefit. "See..."

"Doesn't mean he can't play!" I snap back at him, maybe I little too loudly. The librarian's head shoots up in attention and scans the room with her beady eyes. I lower my head in attempt the hide my guilty face.

"Sorry miss, it was her," Josh nods down at me. I glare up at him, unsatisfied by his childish behaviour.

"What is up with you?" I hiss at him after apologising to the librarian. She doesn't forgive me and I have a feeling I won't forgive Josh either.

"Nothing," he grumbles, making his way over to the corner where he sits down on a chair behind a desk. I take a seat on the other side to face him. Over here our voices are private.

"You're a hopeless lier," I shake my head.

"Fine," he bashes his fists down on the table with a book wedged between his hands. "I'm in this mood because Nathan refused to do my homework. It's due in next lesson and he decided he would tell me this morning that he never did it. That prick doesn't know who he's messing with! So please, don't come interrupting me to talk about that twat."

"Fine," I mumble, scurrying to my feet. "I'll leave you to it."

I realise Josh isn't in a good mood this lunch time to talk sensibly. I'm not going to mention that I had been the one to persuade Nathan to stop doing his homework for him. But still, Josh needs to give Nathan a chance and no matter what I do, I will get him a spot on the football team.

My second opportunity I have to fulfil my promise to Nathan is before Math class.

"Ugh I hate math!" Complains Lacy as we drag our feet down the long corridor to our next period.

"Same. I mean who actually likes it?" But Lacy is no longer listening to me. She has stopped dead in her tracks and is currently ogling over the view in front of her. Trailing her line of sight, I soon figure she is gaping at none other than Jace Chesterman. What a surprise.

Like usual he is wearing his football jersey, everyone on the team owns one with their number and initials embroidered on.

That is when I get an idea. "Come on," I tug on her wrist. "I need to go speak to Jace."

"What, why?" But before I could answer her question, we are already standing beside him. He ends his conversation with some other guy and focuses his attention on us.

"Hi Lacy," he grins, enjoying the satisfaction of Lacy going crazy over him. He smirks some more as he sends her speechless.

"Um, hi Jace," I cut in, standing directly in front of all six foot of him. "Can we talk?"

"Sure, what's going on?" He asks.

"I was wondering if there is a spot left on the football team?" I ask him, watching him think for a moment with a thoughtful gaze.

"I think so. Yeah, yeah there is. Dan Roberts broke his leg last week so we are down a player." Yes! Not good for Denial though. "But, no offence Paige, the football team is for boys only."

I crack into laughter. "Not for me silly," I giggle as he chuckles along too. I feel Lacy punch my back, evidentially not amused at the way I am sharing a laugh with her devoted crush. I whisper an apology to her then Jace speaks.

"So, who are you asking for?"

"Um, I'd rather keep that a secret," I say starting to back up. "He'll be by the locker room after school for a trail. Thanks Jace. Bye!" Then I pull Lacy inside the classroom as soon as the bell rings. I didn't want Jace to ask any questions, or have the chance to change his mind.

How come I can analyse Shakespeare but I don't understand simple mathematics? That revolves around my head for most of the lesson. Fifteen minutes left.

With my pencil half chewed in my mouth, I soon have to spit it out as the eraser on the end flakes off onto my tongue. Blankly staring down at my worksheet, all the numbers seem to merge in my head, all blurry in my mind, not being able to process it all. So when the teacher slips out to watch the class next door, I take it as an opportunity to message Nathan about his trial for the football team I have gotten him.

There, sat at very back desk in the room- wearing his usual school attire of a shirt and tie- is Nathan. He's only two rows behind me. With the note I wrote on a page I had ripped out of my workbook, I fold the paper into an airplane and aime it over in his direction. It flies through the air then lands on his desk.

"Back to work everyone!" Snaps our teacher, Mr Egbert, re-entering the classroom whilst demanding silence. I turn back around in my seat obediently. I hope Nathan is pleased with the fact I've got him a trail to join the football team.

I am able to sneak a quick glance over my shoulder once Mr Egbert is on the other side of the classroom assisting another student. I see Nathan and he is smiling back over at me, his shy expression currently a confident grin. He mouths me a "Thank you."

I reply with "It's ok."

I can't describe how joyful it makes me feel to help someone out. I can't even understand my own emotions. There is something about Nathan that entices me in, making me what to find out more about him. Josh has never made me feel this way. It is strange.

So with my pencil blunt on my paper, I began to daydream. Not of my boyfriend, but of Nathan.