Reasons To Love A Nerd Like Me (Sample)

Chapter 6 - Taylor's Next Attack

Some people in life are creative, whilst others are more logical. Someone like Olive for example is a great lover of words and creative writing, which is why she chose to study subjects such as English language and critical thinking (where all she does is debate with other classmates, so naturally she is in her element). I am one of those crazy people who actually has a knack for both. I love languages of any kind and I have often been praised for my eloquence in situations that leave others tongue tied. At the same time, I also find maths incredibly rewarding and somewhat therapeutic. Numbers, patterns and problem-solving all give me a great sense of satisfaction and really help me unwind. This is why I always looked forward to my maths lessons and found them the most enjoyable of all my classes.

At least, I used to look forward to my maths lessons. Before I started thinking they were cursed.

The last time I'd been on my way to maths, I'd had a horrible run-in with Taylor Raven. Now the following lesson it would appear that the same thing was about to happen again. Perhaps it was a statistical coincidence, but I was beginning to suspect a pattern was emerging.

This time it happened after my lesson had finished. I was heading over to Dungeon Adventure Club, which was held in the opposite end of the building to Mr. Bicknam's classroom. I always liked to go the long way round, heading outside across the courtyard to get a bit of fresh air on the way.

If only I had decided to go the regular route that day. Then perhaps things would have turned out so differently.

I had just walked past the school tennis court when Taylor appeared round the corner quite suddenly. I assumed he hadn't been playing on the pitch himself as he didn't have on his tennis uniform for once. Instead, he was wearing tight cut jeans and a thin white t-shirt that just about stretched over his toned torso. You could tell with one glance that he loved himself and the body he worked so hard to sculpt. He sauntered toward me with an arrogant smile on his lips.

"Well hello Scotty, fancy seeing you round here. I didn't think you were a sports fan?"

I stopped in my tracks, not sure how to respond. Had he seen me coming and been waiting for me? He didn't have the rest of his posse with him this time, but somehow it made him even more intimidating.

He came closer to me. "What's up, cat got your tongue? Or have you got something to say?"

I swallowed hard. My heart was hammering in my chest, but I tried to muster up some small morsel of courage.

"What do you want from me, Taylor?" I was looking at him directly in the eye, challenging him. Trying not to show fear. I don't think it worked. He could probably smell the terror rolling off me.

"You know what I want," he hissed in my ear. "I want you to keep your mouth shut."

I wrenched my head away from his. "I haven't said anything to anyone!"

We stood face to face, his expression a scowl and mine somewhere between fear and determination. I'd had enough of this awful treatment and now was my chance to try and put a stop to it once and for all.

"You've made your point OK? You and your horrible friends can crush me at any given moment. I get it!" I clenched my fists into angry balls, feeling the fury from months of torture building up inside me. "I don't know why you've suddenly made it your life's mission to humiliate me all the time, but I've never said a word and I don't intend to. So just leave me alone!"

Taylor ran a hand coolly through his mess of spiky blonde hair. "I'm sorry Scotty, but I just can't take that chance. We're not at school anymore, this is sixth form. This is the time to really prove myself in my field." He was sounding more and more frantic with every sentence. "I've got some big competitions coming up soon and I can't let anything fuck them up for me!"

"Taylor, I don't give a damn!" I shouted, surprising both Taylor and myself. "Your life and your stupid tennis have got nothing to do with me. Why would I try and cause trouble for you? I don't care! So just stop projecting all your pathetic issues onto me!"

This seemed to strike a nerve. Taylor suddenly grabbed my face hard, squaring up to me. "I know you haven't forgotten about it and I don't want you getting complacent. You give the slightest hint to someone and my career is ruined. Especially that stupid blonde-haired freak you hang out with who can't keep her mouth shut to save her life."

I tried to force myself away from his vice-like grip, but I was pinned to the spot. I wanted to protest and explain I had never breathed a word to Olive, as much as it killed me to keep such a massive secret from her. But I couldn't say or do anything. My face was stinging and I could feel tears threatening to spill from the corner of my eyes.

"This is the most important year of my life," Taylor continued. "It's the year everything is going to change for me. I haven't got to this point for some little nerd like you to ruin it all."

Finally, he let go of me. My hands instantly went to my face, rubbing my sore skin that was throbbing painfully. I looked around trying to catch anyone passing by who could help me, but there was no one there. Most people had gone home by now and would have no reason to be hanging around the tennis court. No wonder Taylor had decided to be so brave in his attack, knowing full well no one would be about to witness it. I just wanted to run away crying, but I pushed that instinct away and decided to fight back instead.

"You know what Taylor? I'm beginning to wonder what I've got to lose anymore. I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't. I had absolutely no intention of spilling your little secret, but seeing as how things can't get much worse for me, maybe I should just throw caution to the wind?"

Taylor looked visibly rattled and for once was lost for words. Feeling like the power was falling in my favour, I decided to carry on, my voice laced with pent-up anger.

"You might not like me, but at least I'm honest about who I am, which is more than can be said for you. What would all your friends say if they knew what happened between us? I'd have great joy in telling Billy and Bobby for you. But it would be even better telling Patricia about her lying scumbag of a boyfriend. No, better yet... I'd love to see the look on your Dad's face when he finally finds out!"

With that, I felt Taylor's hand grip me round the throat.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

I struggled as hard as I could to escape his hold on me. My words came out sounding strangled, but still understandable. "Let go of me or I'll tell everyone! They deserve to know the truth!"

Taylor let out a cry of rage and then grabbed a massive handful of my dark, curly hair. It felt like he was going to rip my scalp clean off my head. Before I knew it, I was being dragged around the corner of the tennis court and over to the temporarily deserted P.E. cupboard that resided just to the side of the pitch. Taylor fumbled in his pocket with one hand whilst keeping his other hand tightly wound in my hair. My head was bent back towards his shoulder and tears of pain were now freely flowing down my face.

"Believe me Scotty, if you think things can't get any worse then you are sorely mistaken. What I've done up until now is child's play." He pulled a set of keys from his pocket. Of course, being the school's golden sports star he had access to the cupboard. "If you dare say a word then I will ruin you. I'll make your life a living hell and not just for you, but for everyone you care about. Your friends, your family. I'll destroy the fucking lot of you. Don't think I'm not capable."

With a slightly trembling hand, he tore open the cupboard door and literally threw me inside. The rucksack on my back fell to the floor whilst my body fell heavily into a box of sports equipment. On the way down, I banged my head so hard against a bundle of hockey sticks that my whole vision blurred before my eyes.

Taylor followed me inside. No sooner had I hit the ground when he gave me three heavy, hefty kicks in the stomach which left me weeping in anguish. He loomed over me as I lay curled up crying on the floor, unable to even drag myself up. His voice was a vicious hiss, barely audible over the sound of my own sobbing.

"For the record, you were the biggest mistake of my life."

He slammed the door shut, leaving the whole cupboard shaking and immersing me in total darkness.

It was all too familiar a scenario. He and I together in this very cupboard with no one else around.

Only the last time, Taylor Raven had been making love to me.