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The Uninvited Nerd

"Poor Leah 😓 don't forget to comment and vote, please❤️"

I plopped down in my seat at the dinner table, and suddenly the room fell silent. It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Or a mouse fart. Either way, it was unnerving.

My heart was pounding like a drum solo at a rock concert. It was doing the weird stuff inside my chest, desperately trying to break free. I swear, if hearts could talk, mine would be screaming, "Get me out here!"

I tried to play it cool, but I must have looked like a deer caught in headlights. Or a cat trying to pretend it wasn't the one who knocked over the vase.

"Luke why don't you take Leah to the beach party tonight, I'm sure she would love to dip her toes in the ocean and find some friends." Mr. Anderson decided to play matchmaker and suggested that Luke take me to a beach gathering. Like, seriously? Me, hanging out with a bunch of strangers at the beach? No thanks.

I mean, sure, it could be fun to meet new people and all that jazz, but have you seen the size of those waves? And don't even get me started on the possibility of a shark attack. I've seen Jaws one too many times to be comfortable with the idea of swimming in the ocean.

Luke looked at me like I was some sort of alien when I declined the invitation. Chill out, dude, I'm not interested in becoming shark bait.

"Dad, I'm sure she would want to go unpack and have a good night's rest," Luke said, trying to save himself from what was sure to be a cringeworthy situation.

But of course, my mother had to swoop in like a superhero with a vendetta against me. "Oh nonsense. She will love it," she declared, with a gleam in her eye that spelt trouble for yours truly.

Shit!

Luke's eyes shifted from my mother to me. scanning me up and down, probably making a decision if I was worth introducing to his friends.

I do consider that breaking a leg now. seriously, find me some stairs!

"Fine," Luke said and my mother clapped her hands together like a preschool child.

what? I silently said to myself.

"Well go on, Leah,!" My mom urged her head bobbing like she was auditioning for a headbanging competition. I was glued to my seat, unable to budge. It was like my body had been super-glued to the chair, and no amount of headbanging signals from my mom could pry me loose.

I could feel the eyes of the entire room on me. my legs felt like jelly, and my brain was screaming at me to stay put. Maybe if I just pretended to be a statue, no one would notice I was still sitting down.

"Leah!" my mother said in a rushed tone. I swear, I jumped out of my skin.

my dress got snagged on a stupid nail from the chair. Next thing I know, my dress is ripping right down the middle, leaving me standing there in my skivvies. Thank goodness I was wearing some trusty sports shorts underneath, or it would have been a real show for everyone.

Thank you, Mother!

I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks as I tried to quickly fix the situation by covering my legs with my arms. Smooth, Leah, real smooth.

Luke swooped in like a knight in shining armour and saved the day. He must have seen the panic in my eyes because he immediately took off his jacket and handed it to me to wrap around my middle. As if the situation wasn't embarrassing enough, now I was standing there looking like I had stolen my crush's clothes.

I wanted to say thank you, I really did. But at that moment, I was so flustered that I thought I swallowed my tongue. I probably looked like a fish out of water, gasping for air and trying to form words that just wouldn't come out. So instead, I just mustered up a shy smile and hoped that it conveyed my gratitude.

And there I stood, in Luke's oversized jacket, feeling a strange mix of embarrassment and gratitude. Who knew a torn dress could lead to such a moment of chivalry? Well, at least now I know that Luke is not only cute but also a gentleman.

"I will stop at the house, and then you can change into different clothes," he said. I didn't know whether to feel grateful or embarrassed when I noticed him eyeing the green dress that was now torn in two pieces.

Actually, I'm glad that the dress got ripped apart. Now, I don't have to wear it again.

Luke said goodbye and all the fancy billionaire ladies who were practically throwing themselves at him. I mean, really, they were practically lining up to kiss him on the cheek.

As Luke made his way down the line of ladies, he skipped right over my mother. I mean, he literally went from kissing the last lady on the cheek straight to saying goodbye to his father. What was up with that?

I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in confusion. Was there some hidden drama between Luke and my mother that I didn't know about?

"Are you coming?" he said, looking at me impatiently as I stood next to my mother, who was giving me the death glare. I quickly gave her a big, sloppy kiss on the cheek, just to make her feel better.

Luke was leading the way out like some kind of fashion-forward bodyguard. His jacket was covering my bare midriff, but apparently, that was enough to make me the centre of attention in the restaurant. And let me tell you, all eyes were on me. I mean, they live on the coast, where people practically live in their swimsuits, so I thought my beach attire was totally appropriate for any setting. But apparently, these diner-goers were not having it.

Urgh! I slap my tongue in annoyance.

"Can you hurry up?" Luke whined as I struggled to make sure his oversized jacket covered my ass. I mean, priorities, right? But before I could even finish adjusting, he pressed a button and the lights of a shiny new Audi R8 sports car lit up the night like a Christmas tree on steroids.

"Wow!" The sheer excitement and amusement written all over my face was probably enough to make a circus clown jealous. Luke just shook his head, a small smirk playing on his lips.

I mean, come on, who wouldn't be impressed by a sports car? It's like riding a unicorn through a rainbow-filled wonderland, except with a lot more horsepower. And let me tell you, I have never driven in a sports car before, so this was a big moment for me.

Luke revved up the engine, I couldn't contain my excitement. I was practically bouncing in my seat, ready for the ride of a lifetime. The wind in my hair, the roar of the engine, the adrenaline pumping through my veins - it was like a rollercoaster

Yeah, dude! I have never driven in a sports car before, like never. I silently said in my mind.

We cruised along in Luke's fancy car, I was mesmerized by all the buttons and lights flashing in front of me. It was like being in a spaceship but with the added bonus of comfy seats and air conditioning. Luke, on the other hand, seemed to be completely focused on the road, giving off serious "I'm the captain of this ship" vibes.

I couldn't resist the urge to press one of the buttons that looked like it controlled the radio. I mean, how hard could it be to figure out, right? But before I could even get a good look at which one to press, Luke's voice cut through the silence like a knife.

"Don't touch that," he said, with a touch of rudeness that made me regret ever thinking about pushing a button in the first place. I quickly withdrew my hand, feeling like I had just committed a crime.

"I will drop you off at the house, and when my father comes back you can just tell him that you didn't feel well and decided to stay," he said with a straight face.

Oh, that's why he suggested going home first. He was never planning to take me with him to the beach party.

"Okay," I muttered to myself, trying to sound nonchalant, but deep down I was half sad that he didn't want me to go with him. But who was I kidding? I never fit in anyway.

I mean, let's face it, I'm the nerd that everyone talks about, and not in a good way. I'm the one who knows all the answers in class, who spends Friday nights curled up with a book instead of out partying. I'm the one who gets excited about science experiments and calculus equations, while everyone else is talking about the next party.