Nerd

XVI

"Any way I can help?" the question earnest when she looked over at me, her left hand resting on my cheek.

"You already do enough," holding her pride above her head when I let out a small sigh, pressing her lips against mine once more when the bell rang to commence attending your tutor room for registration.

Begrudgingly we both stood up to walk towards the lockers to grab the books we needed for the first two lessons, hoping that they would be quick. Amanda kissed me on the cheek when she walked towards her homeroom when we parted ways. I knew that something was going on with her but I knew she didn't want to speak about it, her lips sealed shut while she would continuously shrug it off and change topics.

When I told her that she looked exhausted, I wasn't saying it lightly. Sure she does overtime now and then but nothing to this extent, she was running herself into the ground until she does pass out from exhaustion.

I tried to push the worry to the back of my head when I saw Chrissy and her lapdogs glaring at me once again while they walked down the corridor, something nagging in the pit of my stomach but I couldn't put my finger on it as I tried to shrug the feeling away, leaving behind an unsettled feeling that I couldn't seem to shake.

As the first two lessons came along, they did not go by quickly, finding myself clock watching, a single minute feeling like ten. Maths has always been my worst subject, not understanding how or why I was in a high set. Maybe I was a little annoyed that it was mandatory and you had to learn it regardless.

When the bell rang, I couldn't escape quicker than I tried without bulldozing people over to get through the door. I just wanted to see how DeCeno was getting on and if she was okay and staying awake, I could become her prodder to keep her awake, or I could try to talk her into leaving early to go get some sleep.

I walked back down the same corridor I just walked up and down a hundred times a week to put my maths textbook away, that book must seriously weigh the same as a small child, an added weight that I didn't need.

That is when I saw her. Chrissy. She was slumped up against my locked while I stood frozen in my tracks like a deer caught in headlights. My eyes darted around the corridor for the other two but she was alone. Finally understanding why my stomach was in knots and feeling uneasy. I knew this time was bound to come where she finally gets her payback, having managed to avoid it this long was still shocking.

Other than a couple of students walking in drips and drabs I couldn't help but feel like it was me and Chrissy. We just looked at one another like we were about to have a showdown as she took a few paces to stand in the middle of the hallway so she was directly in front of me several feet away. There was no way I would be able to walk away from this, it's been held off long enough, This is going to be the cherry on top of my shit cake.

I mumbled okay then as I threw the books in my hand across the floor towards the wall, somehow trying to mentally prepare myself for this. I was wishing, wanting and waiting for my adrenaline to kick in but I felt the same. No burst of energy, no instincts, no fight or flight.

Nothing.

All I could do was brace for the impact when she charged my way and lunged herself at me, the force of her body weight taking the both of us to the floor when her shoulder landed in my diaphragm knocking the air from my lungs, my head bouncing off the floor.

A groan fell from my mouth while Chrissy positioned herself on top of me with one of her hands against my throat underneath my jaw, the other trying to restrain my arm when I couldn't help the laugh that broke free, always finding the worse possible situations to find amusing.

"What's so funny," she growled, her face a few centimetres from mine when I felt her nails digging into my jaw.

"Just ironic, first you kiss me and now this," arching an eyebrow up towards her, her nails digging deeper when I took a sharp breath in through my teeth.