#Nerd

“Ladies,” Braeden said, taking the last empty seat at the table. If he was surprised to see me sitting there, he didn’t show it.

“Hi,” Missy said, giving him a smile. He leaned over and kissed her.

“So, like, are you two dating or what?” Ivy said.

Missy gasped. “Ivy!”

Braeden laughed. “We’re having fun.”

Missy nodded, but I had to wonder what she thought of the “having fun” label. Judging from the way she looked at him, she really liked Braeden.

Braeden took a sip of his monster soda and glanced at me. “Tutor girl,” he said.

“Football boy,” I shot back.

He grinned. “I didn’t know you guys knew each other,” he said, gesturing between the three of us.

“We didn’t know you knew Rimmel,” Ivy said.

Braeden shoved a huge bite of pizza in his mouth and said something no one understood.

“Ivy and I are roommates,” I told him as he chomped.

He gave me a thumbs-up and kept eating.

All three of us sat there and watched in awe as he housed his food. When I was sufficiently grossed out, I turned back to my salad.

“You ladies going to the Omega party tomorrow night?” he asked a few minutes later.

“Of course!” Ivy and Missy replied at the same time.

When the conversation didn’t continue, I realized they were waiting for me to reply. “Uhh, I don’t think so.”

No one tried to talk me into it, so I figured they also agreed that me and a frat party didn’t mix. I finished my salad and munched on fruit. Braeden was really entertaining and pretty much kept all of us laughing. I was glad because I wasn’t good at conversation.

We were sitting near a window that seemed pretty drafty and every time the wind blew outside, some of the cold air would seep in and wrap itself around me. I finished eating and reached for my coffee, grateful it was still warm enough to heat my fingers.

Braeden’s phone rang and he grabbed it up and answered. My stomach fluttered a little, wondering if it was Romeo. “Where you at, man?” Braeden said into the phone.

He listened for a few minutes and made a few sounds that I had no clue what they meant. After several minutes, his eyes slid to me. “Funny you should ask,” he said. “She’s actually sitting right here.”

Ivy and Missy both looked at me. I shrugged. Beneath my ribcage, I felt like there was a ball bouncing around inside me, causing everything beneath my skin to vibrate. There was only one person Braeden and I both knew that could be asking about me.

“Uhh.” He looked at me again and then said, “Nope.”

He listened for what seemed like forever, and I knew Ivy and Missy were just as curious as I was about what Romeo was saying on the other end of the line. Braeden leaned up out of his chair and looked down at me. He smiled. “Yep.”

Braeden’s eyes narrowed slightly as he listened some more. “Yeah, I got it. Okay. Later.”

“Rome wants you to turn your phone on,” he said, setting down his cell.

I’d completely forgotten I’d turned it off before classes this morning. I fished it out of my bag and powered it on, setting it on the table beside my cup.

A few minutes later, it beeped with a Buzz notification and a text. I picked it up and looked at the text.

GOING HOME AFTER MORNING CLASS 2 SLEEP. TXT U LATER.

I felt everyone watching me and I knew they saw the small smile on my lips and the redness in my cheeks. I cleared my throat. “I need to get to class.”

I rose out of my seat, and at the same time, so did Braeden. He came around the table and took the hoodie out of my hands.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

He shook it out and stuffed it down over my head. I gasped, but it was muffled by all the fabric going over my head. When my face finally popped out, I gaped at him. “What the hell are you doing?!”

“Romeo said he told you to wear it,” Braeden said with a straight face.

“To the game,” I protested.

Ivy gasped. “You didn’t tell me that!”

I gave Braeden an evil look, promising him payback. He grinned.

I started to take it off, but he shook his head. “He just told me to make sure you put it on.”

“What the hell for?” I demanded, putting my hands on my hips. The sleeves were too long and they covered my hands and the shirt fell way past my butt.

“It’s cold out.”

Was he serious right now?

“I don’t want to wear this,” I growled.

He smiled. “I know.” He hesitated, then went on to say, “Mad respect for that.”

I wasn’t entirely sure what that meant, but he didn’t elaborate.

“Just wear it.” He sighed.

“You don’t understand,” I said low so only he could hear.

His eyes flashed with understanding and something else I didn’t really know. “I understand more than you think,” he replied equally as low. Then in a louder voice he said, “If Rome wants you to wear it, then you should.”

Ivy leaned around Braeden to say. “If you don’t leave that on, I will beat you.”

I rolled my eyes.

People were staring. A couple girls walked by, and I heard Romeo’s name on their lips. Everyone saw. This place was no better than a high school. It would probably be on the Buzz later.

“Fine,” I muttered. I wasn’t about to draw even more attention to myself by making a scene and refusing to wear it.

Braeden grinned.

I hoisted my bag up and over my shoulder and went to gather my empty lunch containers. Ivy shook her head. “I’ll get it.”

“That’s okay.”

She touched my arm, and I looked up. “That’s what friends do.”

I nodded. “Thanks.”

“See you later,” Missy said. I gave the table a wave and then left the building. People actually stared as I went.

I was grateful for the cold air when I got outside, though it wasn’t nearly as cold now that I was wearing this sweatshirt.

Too bad I was going to have to take it off.

My phone beeped and I pulled it out and looked down.

LEAVE IT ON.

I wanted to laugh. How the hell did he know I was going to take it off as soon as I left Braeden’s sight? I quickly typed my reply and hit SEND:

IT HAS YOUR NAME ON IT.

YEAH, I KNOW.

I pictured his crooked smile when I read what he said.

BUT PEOPLE WILL THINK WE’RE TOGETHER.

THAT’S THE POINT.