The Nerd [BXB]

39 𖠇 "I Didn't Know You Were So Talented With Balls"

"See! She's not talking to you because she can't, not because she doesn't want to," I try to give him a little optimist view on his situation.

"She could talk to me if she wanted to," he admits. "All she has to do is come look for me and, well, we both know that hasn't happened."

I chew the inside of my cheek and we remain in the hallway in awkward silence.

"Thanks for trying to make me feel better, though," Harvey tells me. "I appreciate it, Theo." Just like that, he heads to his class with the thrill he had for today's game replaced by a feeling of loneliness he had grown accustomed to by now.

With a swirling in my guts, I find myself entering first period. Sure enough, Oscar is already in his seat with his phone out, too enthralled on a game to notice my first appearance after our last conversation. Gathering all the courage I can find, I walk to my seat with the hope that the trembling in my legs isn't caught by anyone staring.

He puts his phone down as soon as I take a seat.

I can feel his gaze on me, but I try to avoid even glancing at him in fear that his eyes will make me remember the future we've lost together. Thankfully, or maybe not so much, the silence does not last for long as soon as he speaks.

"I'm glad you're back."

I reach for my backpack to keep my eyes distracted as I talk. "Yeah. Uhm, thanks."

I find my sharpener and place it on my desk.

"Since when do lead pencils require sharpeners?" Oscar asks, looking at my yellow lead pencil in my hand.

"Ever since I needed a distraction from a guy that rejected me a few days ago," I confess, sighing and throwing my head onto the table. "I can't do this, Oscar."

He almost reaches for my shoulder for comfort, but quickly plants his hand back on his lap. "I was hoping I could talk to you about that."

His words grab my attention, making me raise my head and face him for the first time in days. "About?"

He ignores my question. "When can we?"

"Well, today I have Harvey's soccer game to attend to—"

"Great!" he interrupts me. "I'll be there."

"Ok," I say, sucking in my lips. "Cool."

The door shuts behind Mr. Feller, announcing that class has begun.

𖠇

The weather is perfect after school with its bright sunlight and a light breeze. Harvey had feared that it would rain and the grass would get slippery, but the odds were in his favor. This did not come as a surprise to him, but my mother and I were the first to sit on the bleachers with a poster on hand that had his name and uniform number on it. I wave it around, catching Harvey smile at me.

   His smile makes me smile.

   The game has not even started and my mother is already puncturing my eardrums by yelling, "Let's go, Harvey!"

   With the blow of a whistle, the game begins half an hour later.

   Harvey owns the ball, kicking it through the field as if it was him against no one else. He can hear Mrs. Walker's advice in his head telling him to take deep, slow breaths. Her words are soon gone and a new one erupts over hers.

"It's just you and the ball, son. You win when the ball becomes more than a game, but your entire future. And I can't wait to see where it will take you, Harvey. Great places for sure."