How to Date a Nerd

Chapter 3 - I Think I Want To Marry Your Daughter

I knew straight away that it was Arthur. With one heave, he hoisted my arms on to his big shoulders and piggy-backed me while we ran away from the orphanage as fast as we could.

“I’m so sorry, Leon,” said Dad in between the strenuous breaths. “Change of plans. No more vacation for you. You and I, we’re going to have to stick together. Deal?”

We spent the night inside the cold four walls of St. Mary’s church after that. Dad laid my head on his lap and told me, “Sleep now, Leon. You’ve been a brave boy.” When he thought I was already asleep, Dad cried silently.

 

The small slivers of sunlight passing through the gaps between the curtains woke me up. Cold sweat trickled on my forehead. My whole body shook.

I didn’t like remembering those things. Sarah often said that I dwell too much on the past. Why did she have to be always right? It wasn’t like I enjoy those stupid flashbacks. If amnesia was real, maybe a dose of it won’t be a bad idea.

Turning on the faucet, I gripped on the edge of the sink and stared at my reflection in the mirror. Unruly black hair, eyes like blue glass, pale face. Nothing much had changed, except for the sparse stubble on my chin and the couple or more inches additional to my height courtesy of growth spurt. I splashed cold water on my face to open my eyes the right way.

I wanted to calm down but the memories seemed to have all my defenses crumbling. I’d been working since I was eight to avoid those things from happening again. My mother left us because Dad couldn’t give her the comfortable life she wanted. Dad had spent most of his life doing odd jobs just so we could get by. Life was hard.

It still is. And because of that I’d have to work even harder, for my Dad, for Sarah, for me. Cursing under my breath, I murmured, “It won’t happen again, Leon. It won’t happen again.” The fear was somehow irrational but I didn’t want to take any chances.

I was in my middle of throwing a shirt on when Sarah barged in.

“I… w-was just,” she stuttered, instantly dropping her stare to the floor.

With a smile, I pulled down the T-shirt over my head. “Good morning to you too,” I greeted her.

She didn’t meet my eyes and started to fidget with the hem of her sweater. With that, I took her hand, towing her down the stairs, into the kitchen.

“Coffee?” I asked, seating her on a stool in front of the kitchen table.

Sarah just nodded, a light blush coloring her pale cheeks. I turned on the coffee maker, a grin making its way to my face. She was definitely staring at me back in my room but she totally didn’t want me to notice. Heck, why would I spend hours working out if it wasn’t for her?

“I… just want to remind you that… that the wedding’s at five,” she mumbled blinking as I set a cup of coffee in front of her.

“Gotcha,” I sipped from my cup, feeling the warm surge of caffeine in my system. “I’m heading off to work out. You wanna come?”

A smile slowly pulled up the corner of her lips like she just remembered a good joke. “No, thanks. I don’t want your new treadmill to get all bloodied up when I trip and break my nose on the speed regulator.”

Morbid.

I held back a laugh when I realized she wasn’t joking. “It’s okay. I’m sure the treadmill won’t mind.”

She didn’t answer and kept staring at the cup of coffee in front of her. There was a quiet pause before she uneasily lifted her gray eyes to look at me. If they had a hint of blue or green on them, I still couldn’t decide. Every time I gazed into her eyes, an unnerving feeling kept creeping in the pit of my stomach. Like I was expecting for a frightening and at the same time, wonderful thing every time she looked at me.