Popular Nerd

Chapter Nine// Dinner

"You seemed to be enjoying all that attention from them cheerleaders earlier," I wiggle my eye brows teasingly at Nathan. He shuts the front door and hangs up his bag, untying his shoes and placing them by his door mat.

"Was it that obvious?" He glances at the floor then meets my eyes with a slight laugh, a hot blush flushing his cheeks.

"Sorta," I giggle. "But you were right, you are good at football."

"Aww thank you," he pulls me into a quick hug, my head resting on his broad shoulder, the tips of his messy hair stroking against my cheek bone.

"No problem," I blush as we pull away. If only it had lasted longer.

We run up to his room as Nathan's mom informs us we have around twenty minutes until dinner is going to be ready. "Are you sure it's ok for me to stay?" I ask when we enter his room. I don't want to intrude on their family meal at last minute.

"Yeah it's fine." Nathan jumps onto his bed. "My family have been wanting to meet you anyway."

"How come?" A small smile forms on my lips. They wanted to meet me?I perch next to him and giggle as he rolls over like a puppy.

"They want to meet the girl who gave me the confidence to be myself. So thank you for that." His eyes sparkle and my heart melts.

"You're very welcome," I want to cry. That is so sweet!

"Nathan!" A rather high pitch girly voice travels through the slit between the door, soon replaced with a young girl around twelve or thirteen. "Oh, who is this? Your girlfriend?" The girl doesn't hesitate to presume our relationship.

"No, no, this is Paige. She's not my girlfriend," Nathan leaps to his feet and crosses the carpet over to the girl. "Paige, this is Bailey, my sister." He emphasis the sibling relationship to make a point from when we were in the car earlier. "Bailey, this is Paige," the girl glances towards me with an open smile. "She is a friend."

Yeah, a friend.

"Hi," I wave back in her direction, smiling sweetly as she grins back. I'm not sure she is convinced that me and Nathan are not a couple, however that's better than her thinking I've been friend zoned- which Nathan keeps giving the imprecation of.

"Nathan, dinner is ready soon," says Bailey then he shews her out of the room. She leaves unwillingly and waves me good bye.

"Do you know what's for dinner?"

"I think it might be chicken, I'm not sure." He grins over at me, flashing a pearly white smile.

Just then, the door bangs open and a large black Labrador bounces into the room. It is a big dog to say the least. His tag jungles as he jumps around with Nathan trying to calm him. I know the dog is a male because, well, you know.

"Hey boy, what's the matter?" Nathan strokes behind the dog's ear to settle him down. Scratching the dog's back, I can sense the love between the two companions. It is rather sweet. "Paige, this is my dog. Buddy." A small bark comes from the dog's mouth at the mention of his name. I kneel down on the carpet to pet him.

"I think he likes me," I giggle whilst Buddy thumps his tail hard on the floor as I rub his fur up and down.

"I think he does too," Nathan meets my gaze and time stops as we exchange smiles. Our eyes glue to each other's and it is as if our hearts are beating to the same rhythm. But I am soon snapped back to reality by the stench of dog slobber wafting up from my cheeks.