Nerd-Alert {Muke}

3 - I Want To Be Down

Everything comes to us that belongs to us if we create the compactly to receive it. ~Rabindranath Tagore

Luke's POV

Why am I so smart? One of the few questions I could never truly answer or understand is why am I so smart? If I was not so smart then I could have friends, I would not find enjoyment in books. Hell, I would give anything to find Michael's jokes comical.

Michael was just another subject I did not understand. Why was he so nice to me? Why did he try so hard to be friends with me? Does he not know that is the worst possible decision ever.

And another one, why do I always get so flustered when I do not understand something? It is literally one little bit of knowledge and yet, I am raised to know everything so it bothers me incredibly.

I was currently sitting at my desk scribbling away at papers furiously. I could never think when I was frustrated or angry, or even flustered. So of course I was staring at my math textbook without understanding.

"Dammit!" I screamed as I swooped everything off of my desk onto the floor as I began to cry. I was so..Upset.

"Luke?" My mother said downstairs. "Luke, are you alright?"

"Yes mother!" I called back as I wiped my face and began to pick up the materials. This was simple calculus, a topic I usually zoomed through. But not today, no not today.

I could not stop and 'take a break' though. I did not take breaks. Ever. I worked until I finished, and never anything less and usually more.

I sat down again and stared down at the book. I bit on my lip and then discovered the answer, which I scribbled down until I finished the sheet. I then showered and then went to bed, in satisfaction of solving the problem.

•••

I walked through the halls towards my locker as I read on my phone. In a flash I was on the ground, glancing up at Victor, Terri, and Winston.

"Look, it's egghead!" Terri laughed. "Get him up, boys." Winston and Victor pick me up and slam me into the locker before Terri laid one hand on me.

"So, what's twelve times twelve?" Winston asked.

"One-hundred-and-fourty-four." I said and he twisted my arm.

"So, smarty, what's twenty-seven times fourty-two?" Winston asked as he held my arm behind me.

"One-thousand one-hundred and thirty-four!" I squeaked as he twisted my arm and dropped me to the floor as Vincent kicked me and left.

I laid there for a moment before I saw on my right a girl with large square black framed glasses surrounding dark brown -almost black - eyes. Her hair was a dark purple and she wore a dark blue unzipped hoodie and black leggings.

"I'm sorry." She whispered as she helped me with my belongings and got me off the ground.

"Do not apologize. You did not do anything." I said as I dusted off my black skinny jeans.

"I should have said something, and I did just the opposite." She sighed as she handed me a book. "Stephen King is an incredible author, don't you think?"

"Yes, I know so. Do you like his books?" I asked, no one really talked books with me, so this excited me.

"Yes, I saw his book 'UnderTheDome' when it first came out and his writing style and story lines attracted my interest." She said. "That was before the television show came out, I heard the show was good, but I don't have time for television. I prefer a book any day."

"Agreed." I nodded.

"Oh, my apolgies, I never introduced myself." She held out a hand to me. "Ettie Adams."

"Luke Hemmings." I shook her hand and she smiled politely as we walked down the hall.

"Anyways, what was your first encounter of Stephen King?" Ettie asked.

"'The Darkest Evening Of The Year'" I said.

"Oh I did enjoy that one very much." She nodded. "You know Luke, you strike me as someone who is fond of Harry Potter?"

"I will admit it. It was a good series to read about eight years ago, now it is -"

"Far too easy for me." Ettie and I said together before laughing lightly.

"I will admit that I have always wanted to be part of Slytherin, rather then Gryffindor. I liked a good..Mischief. The darkness was attracting." She shrugged.

"I agree, everyone was soaking over Gryffindor house, but not I. I just did not want Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw." I said.

"No soul ever requested those houses." Ettie said and I gave an agreeing nod. "A few reads I did enjoy very much though was much of Sophocles work."

"Very much so, Homer did well also." I said and she nodded in agreement and noticed I was at my classroom. "It is so nice to meet an enlightened lady, but this is my classroom." Ettie nodded.

"It has been a pleassure, Luke. I shall see you around." Ettie waved goodbye as I entered my classroom.

Ettie was a charming girl, she was defiantly someone I could talk to, because she was on my level. Unlike Michael, who just told bad jokes. But for the oddest reason, Ettie's knowledge made me see how much I actually like Michael's bad jokes.

Add that to the list of topics I don't understand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR'S NOTIFICATION

That's that. And I realize that Ettie and Luke have a very.. Odd sounding conversation and that's purposeful. Because they're awkward human beings.

Anyways, it's late, I'm tired.

Okay goodnight.

Hugs, Kisses, Cuddles and Serenades xX