How to date a Nerd

Chapter 18

"Sorry, I didn't think to set my alarm." It still amazes me her first reaction is always worry. Is it wrong to think someone can be so perfect for me? But of course, I'm not perfect for her so it doesn't really matter.

"Did you still want to go?" she asks, her face falling a little. "Or is last night's party still giving you headaches?" No. There's a bit of a throbbing between my eyebrows, but it's nothing a few Advil won't cure. And I'm not sure if I want to go anywhere. I want to stay here and hide out with her if I'm being honest. I can't do that though if I'm going to prove to her I want to be her friend again.

Crap. I'm so gonna mess up tonight. "Yes, I still want to go. But can I take a shower first?" I still feel all party dirty and I need some heat to loosen the knots in my chest. She nods, that smile that sets my heart on fire planted on her face. I smile in return, allowing myself to enjoy this moment before I turn into insecure mulch.

"I'll be quick," I promise. "You can wait here."She raises her eyebrows, but plops down on the bed next to me, stretching across the pillows. She doesn't look comfortable though, and she shoves her hand under his back and pulls out the WoW book.

"Ah!" she exclaims, waving it by her face. "This book is awesome." I laugh, punching her in the shoulder. "Good, at least you'll be entertained." As she flips open the pages, I suddenly have the urge to kiss her again. To knock the book out of her hands and replace them with me.

I hold the breath in my cheeks and try to calm down. Get a freakin' hold of yourself, Camila! Tucking her jacket around my body, I skip to the bathroom as quickly as I can. I know I have no right to think it, but I kind of hope she checked my ass out as I left.

I give myself another pep talk as I scrub off all the sweat from my dream. Lauren seems like she's in a good mood, and so far I haven't managed to screw anything up. But the real test will be out there. In front of people. Possibly running into kids from school, or their parents or siblings.

My stomach twists like it's wringing itself out, trying to get rid of all the excess emotions in my body. Leaving only nerves. These kinds of nerves I can handle. The ones right before you go out with your crush. Better these nerves than those stupid ones about being spotted doing something embarrassing.

Camila! It's not embarrassing! Stop thinking like that! The water shuts off with a squeal. The steam that fills the room makes it hard to see as I fling the curtain open and reach for the towel rack.

But my hand only grabs air. You've got to be kidding me! And of course, the only way to get to a towel is through my room. If this was any other guy, coming out naked would be fine, expected even. But Lauren doesn't want that girl. She wants the real me. And the real me wishes I was invisible right now.

Panic mingles in with my nerves as I search for an alternative. My eyes land on the toilet paper, which won't work and makes me shake my head laughing. Don't be ridiculous, Camila. There's nothing under the sink. I consider taking the shower curtain down, but then the bath mat catches my attention. That should work. Wrapping it around my body, rubber side out, the cushy side clings to my wet skin and I send praises that I washed the dang thing the other day.

I look ridiculous, but at least I'm not walking out stark naked. "Uh, Lauren?" I say through the door "Mmm?" Her tone tells me she's totally absorbed in the book. Good. "Can you not look? I forgot to grab my clothes." I hear her laugh. "I've seen you in less than a towel, but yeah. I won't look if you don't want."

"Well, I forgot a towel too." I'd pay to see her face. The silence makes me wonder what she's thinking, and I open the door a crack to get a glance of it. She's not there. She's disappeared. Like she's some sort of superhero, like The Flash, which would be awesome. "Lauren?"

"I-I'm in the hall. Just let me know when you're dressed." I drop the bath mat on the floor, relieved I don't have to come out in it. Though funny, it would be mortifying.

The towels I haven't folded yet are at the bottom of my hamper, so I have to dig around to get one, drying off on the other clean clothes in the process. When I finally find two, I wrap one on top of my head and quickly pat down the rest of my body with the other.

I toss the towel on the bed, grabbing a bra and panties. My hands shake so bad I can't put my underwear on without falling on my face. I plummet to the floor with a loud thud.

"Are you okay in there?" Lauren asks, laughing. "Yeah! I'll be done in a minute, sorry."Why can't I find anything to wear? All the short and slutty crap doesn't seem to fit the situation, and all the dorky shirts are a little too much for me right now. Why do I not own anything in between?

I settle on a pair of jeans and a low cut yellow top, wearing a cami underneath it, though I normally wouldn't have. But Lauren isn't impressed by boobs or how much skin I show. I braid my hair quickly, and skip makeup, being all too aware she's waiting for me. Taking a deep breath, I open the door and Lauren falls back in between my legs. I burst out laughing.

"Sorry," I say through my giggles. She rubs her head, chuckling along with me. "Ow."

"Get up." I kick her. "I'm starving." Her whole face brightens with my enthusiasm to get going. Maybe this will be easier than I thought.

"Okay," she says, hopping to her feet. "Where do you want to go?"My voice gets stuck in my throat as I try to think of places we'd be less likely to run into people. Damn it, Camila! Stop with the insecure bullshit.

Maybe this won't be easy. She saves me from answering, gauging my eyes. "How about we wing it?" I nod and imitate a chipmunk storing nuts for the winter. She smiles and squeezes my cheeks together, then lets her fingers trace down my neck, my shoulder, my arm, landing in my hand.

"Okay, let's go." I tuck into her arm and shout to myself. Do not mess this up!