The Nerdiest Bad Boy [UNDERGOING EDITING]

ᏟᎻᎪᏢᎢᎬᎡ ᎢᏔᎬNᎢY-ᎢᎻᎡᎬᎬ

I picked up my cell phone and dialled the number I was dreading to call. The bell rang a few times before the call was answered.

"Nicholas?" Arden greeted, surprise evident in her voice. "Why are you calling me?"

"You always have the best pleasantries," I said sarcastically.

"As do you," Arden joked. "I hope you know that sarcasm is the lowest form of wit."

"If someone as smart as I am, uses sarcasm, then imagine how stupid you must be."

"Ha ha," Arden said dully. "So what's up? It isn't like you to call me, well, ever."

"I wanted to know if you could do me a favour," I said, cutting right to the chase.

"Sure!" Arden said a bit too eagerly. "I mean, depending on what the favour is, of course," she quickly added.

I chuckled at her keenness. "Here's the thing: Amanda's going out on a date tonight and I wanted to chaperone it, you know, to make sure the guy's not an asshole or anything of that nature."

"That's so sweet," Arden cooed.

"Anyways, Amanda said we could turn it into a double date, so that she can still have her date and I can chaperone her," I continued.

"So what're you calling me for?" Arden questioned curiously.

I grounded my teeth together. Here came the hard part. "I wanted to know if you could accompany me."

I heard Arden gasp softly. "You want me to go out with you?"

"I just need someone to go with so it isn't obvious that I'm chaperoning Amanda's date." I paused. "It's not a date, I promise," I quickly added.

"Oh," was Arden's reply. It seemed as if the eagerness in her voice had drained away. Girls were so weird.

"Do you think you could help me out?"

"I really wish I could, Nick, but I have to go to a dinner party with my dad and Gavin," she said apologetically. "I'm really sorry."

"Don't sweat it," I reassured her. My ears perked up at the mention of her brother. "How's Gavin? Is he doing okay?"

"Gavin's the same old," Arden answered. I breathed a sigh of relief. So he didn't tell anyone. "Did something happen?" she asked quizzically.

"No, nothing happened. I just wanted to know, is all," I elaborated.

"Okay, good." Arden paused for a moment. "Now that I think of it, he seemed way too happy last night. But every time I asked him, he said it was nothing. Do you know anything about that?"

"He's probably got a crush or something," I supplied, although I knew the real reason.

Arden laughed lightly. "I think he'll like school before he likes girls. Gavin has such a hatred towards females."

"It's probably because his sister ruined the reputation of females worldwide," I teased.

"You never fail to humour me, Nicholas," she said sarcastically.

"I hope you know that sarcasm is the lowest form of wit," I mimicked, from what she had said earlier.

"You truly are something else," Arden said with a small giggle.

"I'll take it as a compliment."

"By all means," she encouraged. "It's not like you get compliments that often, anyways."

I shook my head. "Even I have to admit, that was a good one. I think I'm finally starting to see Arden Daniels for the true monster she is."

"You sure know how to carve your way into a girl's heart," she said monotonously.