We're Still Nerds

22~ Venting Machine

      "Why are you even here?" Trent inquired sullenly. I sighed dramatically but didn't respond, distracted by the doll being shoved into my hands. The little girl, christened Sofia, gazed up at me with hopeful eyes, the same dark chips as her big brother's. My lips quirked up and I accepted the doll, my fingers nimbly braiding its blonde hair.I handed it back to Sofia, who made a cute happy sound before adding the doll to the line in front of her. 

        "Having trouble?" I said to Trent, who continued to sulk. "No." I giggled, a sound quite abnormal for me, and snatched the doll from his irritable fingers before fixing the tangled mess he had made of its hair. "Here you go, sweetie," I said, momentarily forgetting that she wouldn't understand me as I handed the last doll to Sofia. She made a little hand gesture that most likely meant 'Thank you' in sign language before scooping the dolls up in her little arms and running off down the hall. 

        "You're really good with her," Trent admitted, staring off at where she had departed. "I think she's fascinated by you since she doesn't get to be around girls a lot-- at least, not older girls. Not since..." he trailed off, his eyes glazing over as he faded into his own thoughts. Not since Darcy, I mentally finished his sentence. I elbowed him in the arm to shake him out of his thoughts, smiling, and replied, "Well, I'm not used to being around little girls, so it's mutual." 

        Though our project was long over, I still visited Trent fairly often to help him study, since he spent so little time paying attention in class. Though he wouldn't admit it, I could tell that he enjoyed my company. He spent too much time in solitude. And while I knew that alone time was good for everyone, it turns negative as soon as one starts to get lonely. He was too embarassed to try to make any other friends, and I had a feeling I was the only one he trusted enough to enter his house since Darcy after he confided in me about his past. 

        "Are you ready to study? We have a test on Friday, so we should get a move on so that you at least get some of this beforehand," I reminded him. "I guess," he said reluctantly. I rolled my eyes at him before reaching behind me and grabbing my backpack, pulling out my binder. As I flipped through my notes, Trent grumbled, "It's only Tuesday. Can't we save the studying for the day before?" 

        "No, you won't get all of this in time. It's an eighty question test that's going to take up the whole class period. You can't rely on your memory," I answered, and he groaned. "I can try. It's not like I'm trying to get a one hundred." 

        "You really should set your standards higher, Trent," I admonished. "You never know what could happen if you really tried. You could end up at Harvard. Okay, maybe not after the drugs in your locker, but you could still go to a good college. There's no point in giving up before you ever try." 

        "You really think that, after everything that's happened, my father's going to put any money towards my college," Trent said in disbelief. "I think that with enough effort, you could at least get a partial scholarship to a state college. You'll get your inheritance when you turn eighteen, which you can use to pay some and put the rest in your savings, and you already have a job. You could save up instead of buying Sofia a new doll every week," I said gently. 

        "Well, maybe I can get off of the coffee. Still, I just don't know if it's worth it. I don't think I could just leave Fia here," he said, glancing over at the door of her bedroom as he opened his textbook. "You won't be leaving her here. She will have her father, and your sister is coming back next year, isn't she?" 

        Trent finally met her gaze, his eyes sad. "You really think college is an option for someone like me?" I put my hand on his wrist and squeezed it in an attempt to be comforting. "You're intelligent, you work hard when you want to, and I know that you have ambition buried under there, Trent. Everyone deserves a chance, and you deserve it most."