The Nerd Who Rules The School

Chapter 26

"Do you think this time he is genuine?" I asked Maya for the hundredth time. I knew I shouldn't be overthinking this, but I couldn't help it.

What if all of this is a lie, it could all be a joke. How will I ever know if this isn't just one big stupid act. I could never know what he really is thinking.

I knew I sounded paranoid, but better safe than sorry.

"Yes. Hundred percent sure." She said without missing a beat. Her confidence loosen the thoughts that were strangling me; her voice always reassuring and soothing me.

"Okay, Okay." I sighed in relieved, pushing those thoughts away.

After the awkward talk Asher and I had, he left, promising to drive me to school tomorrow. I sprinted inside my house as soon as he was out of my driveway and called Maya immediately, telling her what had happened.

"But I thought he was going to confess!" She groaned, subtly changing the topic.

Although she couldn't see me, I couldn't help but roll my eyes, "Why are you so hell bent on him liking me? You do know that guys and girls can just be friends right?"

"Yes I know, but I am pretty sure he likes you. My gut feelings are never wrong." She repeated again.

I rolled my eyes again, "I am not even going to waste my energy arguing with you about this. Now tell me about the date you had with Tom last weekend."

"Fine, I will let this slide, but remember I knew it from the start. I am so going to say I told you so." She said gleefully.

"Don't sound so cocky, he won't confess."

"So you are going to confess first?" I could just imagine the look she had on her face right now; the twinkle in her eyes, the try-not-to-laugh face.

"Aren't you going to talk about your date?" I said exasperatedly.

"Whatever, of course it was great..." and we started to talk about other random things.

"... and we are done." He finished.

"Wow, that was quick." I couldn't believe it, Asher said he ended things with Catherine last night and today he did drive me to school and sat with us during lunch. He seemed to be back to the old Asher.

"Yup, she is too blonde for my taste anyways." He said dismissively.

"You prefer brunettes?" I asked as I took a bite of my pizza. We were in my house, sharing a large pepperoni pizza we ordered from Dominos, liked the good old times.

"Yeah."

"Why?" I asked curiously.

He shrugged, "I don't know. What about you then?"

"I don't care about the hair, as long as he has Herondale blood then I'm fine." I said as seriously as I could.

He rolled his eyes.

We ate comfortably in silence, until I broke it and asked, "Can I ask you a question. A kind of personal question."

"Shoot."

"If in your old school you acted like a bad boy why did you change when you came to this school?" I added hastily, "You can not answer if you don't want to, it's none of my business anyways."

"No it's fine, you deserves to know. You are my best friend." he finished chewing.

"In my old school I acted like that because that's how my brother acted. I was hoping to follow him so he can finally see that I'm trying. But I guess that never works right?" He chuckled darkly, "You know why I transferred school but not why I punched that kid." He took a deep breathe and continued, "It was because he said something about my brother being in jail."

I managed to not have my jaw on the floor and asked casually, "Why was he in jail?"

"He was in a gang."

"Like, like really a gang? A real gang?" I was surprised, but not too surprised. There was something off about his brother. The vibe he gave was just wrong, I still remembered how it made my skin crawled.

"Did you joined too?" I asked, hoping it wouldn't offend him.

"No, I was too young to. Luckily." His jaw clenched and something flashed in his eyes, as if he was remembering something unpleasant, probably something about his brother.

"Okay." I had no idea what else to say, none of the replies seemed right.

"Why did you decided to change your ways when you transfer to this school?" I asked again.

He shrugged, "Maybe because I saw how it was wrong and wanted a fresh start?"

"Okay." Why do I feel like he is not telling the whole truth? I didn't press on, knowing that he would tell me if he did want to.

He said nothing and stared into space, his eyes unfocusing, but the corner of his lips curved upwards. Why did I noticed his lips?

I'm just observing him, nothing more.

Oh great now I'm having a conversation with myself

"... brother came back." He said something, I was daydreaming but I managed to snap back on time.

"When?"

"Recently, that was maybe why I went back to my old ways."

"Oh." I mustered a reply, trying to gather my thoughts.

"So basically, you were a 'bad boy' because of your brother influence and then when you came here you changed back but when your brother came back you fall back into your old ways that's why you were with Catherine? And acted the way you were?" I spoke my thoughts out loud.

"Yup, that's pretty much my whole 'life story'" he rolled his eyes.

"That's so cliche." I couldn't help but say it.

"I guess so, yeah." He said nonchalantly.

"I am sorry Laura." He apologized a few seconds later, looking at me with those blue eyes that seemed opened for the first time, not closed off liked in school.

"It's okay, I forgive you, I get why you did it." I said sincerely, I did get it, although I had never been through it, I could understand his perspective.

"After this snappy talk can we continue watching Thor? It felt like it had been ages!" He exclaimed.

Just liked that we were back to normal.

I think.

I hope.