Popular Nerd

Chapter Eight// Football Practice

It is mind blowing how things have changed in only on day. It is like the whole world has spun in a different direction.

I look back over to Josh and he slowly makes his way over to the bench at the bottom of the bleachers. No one pays any attention to him. Everyone is too occupied with Nathan. I observe Josh as he wipes his palms over his face, throwing his head forward wearily. Even from all the way up here I can detect his groan.

The practice is soon over. Josh has stayed off for most of it. Nathan won all the touch downs and everyone doesn't seem to hesitate to applaud him at the end. I rise to my feet and make my way down the steps.

"Hey," I speak softly, approaching Josh with steady movements so I don't startle him. His head levitates gradually and his eyes peer up into mine. His face is dropped with no expression, his emotions blank. "You okay?"

"Do I look okay?" He grumbles after a tiresome sigh. My eyes grow big as he barges past me.

"Umm ok. You played well," I bite down hard on my lip. Josh turns back around to face me, the wind gliding through his hair, not as sweaty as it normally is after practice.

"Cut the bullshit Paige. I thought you came here to watch Nathan play." His tone is bitter and by the way his hands are clenched I can tell he hasn't changed his mood all day.

"I came to see you, actually." I step forward so we are closer, not wanting him to storm away. Not again.

"You came to see me play?" His eye brow raises. He snorts with the roll of his eyes. "Or did you just come as you need a ride?"

My lips part and my heart freezes. He may be partially right, I only watched the game as his car is my only hope of getting home, but I watched the game especially for him.

"That's what I thought," he grunts and makes his way up the steps, two at a time.

I don't bother calling after him; he is already gone.

"You two fallen out?" A voice speak. I whip my face to the left and my heart flinches at the proximity of Nathan standing right beside me. He has been staring at me this whole time.

"Sort of. I don't know. But what I do know is that I don't have a ride home so I've got a forty odd minute walk ahead of me," I grip the strap of my school bag with a sigh of reluctance.

"You want me to give you a lift?" Nathan shrugs, guiding us up the steps back to the car park. My eyes catch onto Josh's car as he pulls out and speeds away, probably wanting to get as far away from me as possible.

"You have a car?" I suddenly blurt out. Our eyes lock and Nathan lets out an amused chuckle.

"Of course I do. How else do I get home?" I forget he lives only a street or two away from my house. I nod in realisation.

"Sorry, I've just never noticed it before," I admit, following him through the jungle of cars that are presumably owned by teachers or students staying late to study. The showers are still broken so it's not like I have to wait for him to freshen up.

But I feel bad for judging Nathan, assuming he doesn't have a car. I don't want to be like everyone else who categorised him and thought someone as intelligent as him meant not being rich- which doesn't even make sense if you think about it.

"Umm Paige? We're here." I stop in my tracks and turn towards Nathan. He is standing by the driver's door of a bright red Mercedes, his hand clutching the handle and opening it to gesture the fact it belongs to him.

"This is yours?" I nearly lose my balance walking towards it. A wide grin grows across Nathan's face with a light shake of his head.

"You never expected a nerd like me to own a car like this, huh?"

"No, its not like that." I say defencelessly.

Another humorous laugh slips from his lips. "Well, it is mine so get in." Without any further instructions, I hop into the  car and relax into the leather seats, moulding against my back. "You like it?" Nathan starts the engine and plugs in his belt. I nod with a satisfied smirk.

"Not even Josh's car is as fancy as this and he has a BMW." For the second time this week I have compared Josh to Nathan. Is that being a good girlfriend, saying that another guy owns better things than your boyfriend does? I shake it off as Nathan cranks up the heat for the heated seats. For the middle of October it is pretty cold. I moan in delight as my bum toasts up. "This is amazing."

Nathan turns up the radio and for the next ten minutes we drive in the intoxicated air of our horrendous singing.

"IS IT TOO LATE NOW TO SAY SORRY!" I burst into giggles at how awful Nathan is at singing. He may be good looking but whenever he tries to hit them high notes I nearly haul myself out of the car window. "What? You don't like my singing?" Pretending to be offended, he clutches his free hand on his heart and gasps like a dramatic actor preforming Lady Macbeth's death scene.

"No it's beautiful," I hold back a giggle. "Do you like Justin Bieber?" I laugh at how he nods his head to the song.

"Not really," he replies simply.

"Oh, well, I think you look a bit like him," I reach over and run my fingers though a tuft of his hair.

"I look nothing like Justin Bieber!" He protests, flicking my hand away.

"How do you know what he looks like then if you don't like him?" I laugh, rising a playful eye brow in his direction. I see a flicker of nerves wash through his chocolate brown eyes.

"I... I have a sister," he coughs, returning his eyes back on the road.

"Oh, do you now?" I giggle as I cross my arms.

"Yeah! I do actually," he says matter of factly. I look at him skeptically.

"Then how come I didn't see her the other day?" I challenge.

"She was at her dance rehearsals," Nathan turns the corner down his street.

"Dance rehearsals?" I know he is telling the truth as I'd seen a picture of his sister from his home screen, but it is fun tormenting him, in a funny way.

"Yes! God Paige," I laugh in amusement at how annoyed he is getting. It is clear he is joking and not being serious. He is acting so cute. "How about you come round my house for dinner?" He suggests out of no where. "You can see my sister then."

I kindly accept his offer. "I'd love to. If that is ok with your family that is." I don't want to intrude.

"It will be perfect!" He stops the car on his drive. "We're here."