Love-Hate [COMPLETE]

Chapter One

"Nerd!"

The boy standing in front of me threw his fist down on top of my books. The force was so strong that my hands fell beneath my binders, and I dropped them all. Papers flew out from them, and they flew everywhere. I slowly bent down and began picking them all up, wanting to cry, realizing that everyone was staring at me as I did so.

My heart sped up as the bully kicked one of my binders out from my hand. I gasped, pulling my hand away quickly. I looked to my right. My binder hit a tall silhouette. He turned around, picking up my binder, then he began walking over to me.

Link? I thought to myself. I snorted, rolling my eyes. The most popular boy in school, helping a poor little girl that can't defend herself. He probably just wants to make himself seem like a better person. What a snob.

I averted my eyes from him, avoiding eye contact. I continued to pick up my papers, even when he kneeled down beside me and began to pick up my papers as well.

"So, what's your name?" Link asked me, looking down. However, I was too focused on picking up the rest of my papers and books.

"Zelda," I answered quietly, pushing my glasses up my nose. "Why are you helping me?"

"Well, if no one else is kind enough to help a victim of a bully, then I must step in. Isn't that the right thing to do?" He stopped and looked at me, like he was waiting for me to look at him and agree with what he was saying.

"I would have been better off picking up my things on my own, thank you very much," I retorted, taking my binder from his hands.

Too harsh? I thought to myself. No, this pretty boy has probably gotten worse comebacks from someone else than a poor, ugly girl like me.

Surprisingly, Link didn't leave. Instead, he just smiled. "Well now, that would take a lot more time to do so, wouldn't it?"

I rolled my eyes and laughed. "Okay, whatever you say."

Link sighed. "No one takes me seriously anymore."

I looked up at him finally, with a bit of a sad expression on my face.

He smiled, looking back at me. "Ha! You finally looked at me!"

I grunted and went back to picking up papers and stuffing them back in my binders. "You're unbelievable."

Link beamed. "I know, aren't I?"

I couldn't help but smile just a little bit. "Guess so."

Link handed me a few papers, and I took them from him. I stuffed them all in a random binder, hoping to get out of this situation as soon as I could. The bully who booked me was still standing in front of us, completely in awe that a popular boy was helping out a nerdy girl. Link stood up and poked his chest.

"C'mon, man," Link began, "leave her alone next time, alright?"

The bully began to shake. "Yes sir."

Link smiled. "Good! See you in Chemistry later!"

The boy laughed nervously, then ran away. I giggled, pushing my glasses up my nose again. I stood up, finally organized once again. I looked at Link and smirked. "Thanks, jock."

Link smiled, and bowed. "My pleasure, Zelda."

He didn't call me a nerd? I questioned. I was sure he would have fired back with something rude.

Link spun on his heels and wandered off to his group of friends. He immediately started talking to them. He laughed, slapping one of his friends on the back. He flipped his blonde hair out of his blue eyes, and put his hands in his pockets.