How to date a Nerd

Chapter 12

My mouth fires off without me thinking. "Did you wear that shirt to school today?"

"Yeah." She pulls her hands out of her pockets and folds her arms, covering the words. "Is that all you want?"

Throwing her a sheepish grin, I pull up my hoodie so she can see my shirt. I'm ready for her mouth to upturn in that irresistible smile, but instead she goes blood-orange red and tugs my sweater back down.

"If you don't need anything else, I've got a lot of stuff to do."

"Lauren, I..."

"You can save it." I startle back from her tone. "Save what?" I ask. "Whatever you want to say. It doesn't matter."

"Why do you say that?" I'm trying to keep the hurt out of my voice, but I don't know how successful I am.

She glares at me, like I should be smart enough to figure it out. "I really do have a lot of crap to do." She rubs her eyes with her forefinger and thumb. "So, if that's all you want, you should go."

"I-I'm sorry," I sputter.

She shakes her head. "I don't want to hear it, Camz." I'm beaming at her. She used the nickname.

"It's not like that with me and Brad. I... he wanted... I can't..." Argh! I can't get the words out because I don't know what the right ones are.

"You think I'm upset because some guy was all over you?" I nod-lying to her. Again. I know it's much deeper than that.

"Guys are always all over you. At least the ones you talk to." I'm not sure what to say. She's right, so I can't argue. So I say the only thing I can. "I'm sorry."

She sighs, dropping her hands back into her pockets. "Don't worry about it. Like I said yesterday, it's not like we're friends or anything."

I really wish she'd stop saying that.

"Will you still give me a driving lesson today?" I know I'm pushing hrt limits. But I can't help myself. I want to spend time with her. I have to do something to clean up the mess I made, even though I'll probably end up making it worse.

But it's like I'm addicted to her or something.

"I don't know."

I gulp, and dig up the courage to say something I haven't in a long time. "Please?"

Lauren raises her eyebrow again, probably surprised I asked nicely. She seems to argue with herself, chomping her teeth and running her hands through her hair, interlocking her fingers behind her neck. I play with my ring underneath the pocket of my hoodie, trying really hard not to blow out my cheeks as I wait.

Finally she opens the door and steps outside. "Let's go. But it's gonna be a short lesson today."

I nod, forcing back the wide smile that wants to glue itself on my face as I follow him to my car. "Thanks."

Lauren doesn't open my door for me, but it sure looks like she wants to. She stops halfway up the drive and stares at the car like it's giving her a pop quiz. Then she slumps her shoulders and climbs into the passenger seat.

Guess I'm not as forgiven as I thought.

I strap the seatbelt on, my hands shaking like the paint mixer again. Lauren's not paying attention to me though. She's picking at the stray fabric on her jeans, not a word passing her lips.

"Okay, so I just need to keep my foot on the clutch and the brake to start the car?" I ask, trying to lighten the tension in the air.

She nods.