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Chapter 3 — Hotshot Matt

“Hey, Nerdy!” Matthew Adams slid next to me as I opened my locker after the second period.

I didn’t notice him immediately. My thoughts still lingered on what happened last night – trying to make out if it really happened or was it just a chunk of my mischievous imagination?

“Nerdy!” he grunted, stroking his black hair which waved at the sides of his head. It had been a requirement for football players for several years now to have decent hair, and as the team captain, he must set a good example to his team mates, but Matt Adams wouldn’t be someone you would want to be in the same room with when talking about morals and responsibility.

“Hey, is that my biology report there?” He smiled delighted and snatched the folder from my hands sending pieces of paper flying in all directions.

There goes my report.

I kept my gaze down and nodded. Resistance would just cause more nuisances for me. “I… have to go now,” I mumbled as I shut my locker close.

“What’s with the hurry? Won’t you let me thank you?” A sarcastic smile curved the corner of his lips. “Hmmm… Lunch it is!” he said slapping me hard on my back before he swaggered his way through the crowd of students beaming arrogantly.

Stooping, I rubbed my shoulder where he hit me and coughed. I shook my head in frustration. As much as I hated being bullied and making his reports from time to time, it was quite difficult to assert myself without facing trouble.

Sighing heavily, I headed to my Biology class and sat without so much as a glance to anyone who stared at me. I kept my head down all the time. It was easier that way although I would prefer it if I could pretend to be invisible. Anyone lend me their invisibility cloaks!

The Biology room was all gray and white with two rows of sleek workbenches about a yard and a half long that was supposed to be occupied by two people. Most of the time the experiments were done in two’s. Leonard Dunn, also known as Leon Walden sat silently next to me. Unfortunately, my last Bio partner Chris Robson had just moved to Colorado. Consequently, the teacher thought I needed someone to irritate me or the class would not be much fun. For example, Leonard Dunn. Sigh.

I could see at the corner of my eyes that he was uneasy though he concealed it rather well. But I didn’t dare look directly. I resolved to forget everything so we could both carry on with our not so nerdy lives.

“Sarah,” Becky tapped my back. “Are you okay? You seem to be spacing out a bit.”

I managed a wry smile. “I’m fine.” Lying was never my thing so I averted my gaze from hers—I was worried my eyes would sell me out.

Class went slowly. I don’t know if it was just me or did the clock just seem a bit sluggish than usual? I was so absorbed musing about the encounter with my fraud seat mate, I gawked at Mr. Collins for a while before realizing that he was calling me for recitation. The teacher shook his head in disappointment and muttered under his breath.

The bell rang. It was lunch break. Hurriedly, I gathered my books intending to go to the only place Matt Adams would hopefully forget to search for me—the library. But before I could walk away, Becky caught me and tried to interrogate me once more.

I was tempted to tell her about Leonard’s secret but I knew all too well that she couldn’t keep this a secret even if it meant my life… or hers.

“I’ve been reading a novel last night I hadn’t noticed the time. I slept like two in the morning, that’s why.” I lied again but I could see that she wasn’t all that convinced.

“Really? What book?” She tried me.

“Lord Loss,” I said instantly.

“Author?” Becky added dryly as she watched the lunch lady scooped yellow stuff that was supposed to be our lunch onto her plate.

“Darren Shan,” I replied almost annoyed and hoping I said correctly, though I was sure I’ve read all of Darren Shan’s book before. My hands are all sweaty and shaking but with that I thought she finally believed me and nodded as we seated ourselves at the rearmost table where no one else wanted to sit.

The revolting stuff on my plate churned my insides. How could they serve something like this? I sighed helping myself with the apple and the canned coffee I managed to snatch from the trays before the hungry students came in and devoured them.

I was almost thrown off my seat when Matthew Adams hauled himself beside me. Hotshot Matt, as he was known to most was quite a rough guy. He wouldn’t normally notice if people are getting hurt because of his sheer inhuman strength. Let’s put him between categories four (amazing sports) and six (extremely lucky). I smirked at the thought. He had to be lucky or that tiny brain of his would have hemorrhaged long time ago with the number of times he crashed his head during football games.

Edging slowly, I leaned closer to Becky who threw me a bewildered look as if asking have we done something wrong? I shook my head at her, shuddering and took one nervous bite on my apple.

“Food here’s gross,” Matt shifted his buff built which made the bench wriggle a bit. Beaming, he set three small packages on the table and opened each one. The first paper bag contained two large chocolate banana muffins, the second an abnormally larger fruit tart and the last have croquettes in it. “So here’s lunch as promised.”

I gave him a perplexed look and half-expected him to hand me a list of new reports he had to submit on a deadline. Perhaps that was why he was bribing me but he needn’t do that. The mere thought of being in his bad books terrified me inside even though I find rather difficult to admit it. To my relief, the list didn’t appear.

“It’s yours.” He shoved the food to me as he grabbed a croquette and munched like there’s no tomorrow. “I didn’t bring enough for your friend. You didn’t help doing my report, did you? Err… Bonnie right?” he asked Becky sounding genuinely worried.

Becky shook her head almost amused with Hotshot Matt’s weird thoughtfulness. “It’s Becky and no. It’s all Sarah.” She teased me with a strange smile.

“Thanks, but… I’m not that hungry—“ My stomach grumbled. Argh! I smiled sheepishly.

Becky giggled beside me. I gave her a blunt nudge. She half-giggled again then gawped when she saw who was coming. About half of the football team led by the Vice Captain, Mike Sullivan came heading to our direction. Oh great, the category four people—the populars.

Most of them were tall (but not taller than Matt) that when they finally stopped in front of our table, a big shadow was cast on us.

“We were looking for you, Captain,” Mike said with unmasked sarcasm.

Matt continued to gobble up the last of his slice of the fruit tart as if he heard nothing then sighed. “I’m so full! Thanks for the lunch and bring some more for me tomorrow okay?” he said as he rose to his full towering height so the he could look at Mike on the level. “You know how I hate cafeteria food, good thing these two have extra. Is it time for practice already?”

Lie then change the subject. I’ll be sure to remember that one strategy.

Matt went on with his team mates without so much as a glance at me and Becky, discussing about some tactics in football which were pretty much gibberish to me.

When they disappeared from our sight, we simultaneously let out a sigh of relief. “Weird, isn’t he?” I said.

“Very much,” Becky agreed.

The last few periods have passed uneventfully. The whole time I prevented myself from looking at Leonard and even denied the fact that he was sitting beside me. Everything will go smoothly, I hope.

I was gathering my things when I saw Leonard go. Good. Perhaps he saw it my way and decided to pretend I didn’t know the truth about him. I headed home alone since Becky had to leave earlier to help her Dad close their pet shop.

It was a lazy late afternoon; the streets were empty since they became slippery with the puddles of melted snow. I rubbed my hands together and breathed on them to keep them warm. When I reached the next block heading to my house, I saw a black car pull over. Passing guardedly, I tried to see who the passengers were through my peripheral vision but to my dismay, the windows were tinted heavily.

“Sarah Littman?” A voice of a man called me and I instinctively turned to see who it was.

Before I could comprehend what was about to happen, the car door in front of me swung open. A pair of big firm hands clasped on my shoulders, then yanked me into the car. With all my might, I tried to thrash and wriggle free of the man’s grip but I was too late to react. The car’s engine revved then sped to the streets.

I opened my shivering mouth to shout for help but no words came—all I could manage was a pathetic croak. So I writhed with all the effort I could muster to free myself off his grip.

“Don’t waste your energy,” the man said without looking at me. Because of the dimness inside the vehicle, I could not see clearly who it was. His grip loosened a bit. “We would not hurt you if you cooperate. Let’s have a little chat, shall we?”

My head hurt from thinking and my heart was racing out to my throat. I was determined to show off that I’m not a wee bit afraid but my emotions betrayed me. “P-please… let me go,” I begged.

“We will… after we settle our matters at hand,” the man said encouragingly and suddenly my brain sent sparks to my spine.

Gerald!

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What would happen to Nerdy in the hands of some psycho talent manager?

Will Matt Adams play a big role in her now tangled, chaotic teenage life? Please keep posted! and don't forget to comment and vote please :) and do let me know if I made some errors or anything that concerns you

xoxo--shim