The Nerd has a Secret (GxG)

Chapter Two

C H A P T E R T W O
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D Y L A N

By the time the school day was over, I was already prepared to commit mass murder or another heinous crime. People tend to get on my nerves, not just for the bullying and blatantly disliking me, but also because teenagers are inconsiderate people. They crowd the halls and walk in lines, they're loud and eat noisily and are always off in their own little world, one they think revolves around them. I'm only eighteen, so it's not like I'm wide beyond my years or anything, but I've worked with plenty of adults before, and even seasoned criminals are more polite and conscious of themselves.

I begin to make my way to my dorm room when I feel someone's hand around my upper arm. Pushing down the urge to lock their arm and flip them over me, I turn, expecting to see one of the kids who usually bully me. Instead I see a certain girl I hadn't wanted to see again. Aurelie. Bloody hell. Why the fuck is she here? Why is she paying attention to me?

Aurelie gives me one of her multi-million dollar smile. "Danielle! I know we have a lot of time to do our project, but I think it's safe to say we're both overachievers. You wanna get started today?" She asks, her cheerful tone the same as this morning.

My brain goes a million miles per hour, processing the question and trying to figure out a response Danielle Blake would give: something shy, submissive. Honestly, I don't want her working with me or even near me, and I'm sure a girl like her has better things to do than hang out with me and do some stupid science project.

"O-oh," I mumble, looking down and adjusting my glasses. "I-uh...". My face flushes, not because I'm actually embarrassed or nervous, but because I've managed to develop the skill to redden my face almost on command. Plus, I redden easily, so just holding my breath and thinking of certain things can go a long way.

"I was thinking we could do something with frequency dependent sound absorption," she says with a smile. "Do you have anything in mind?"

"No-uh, that's...that's fine," I mumble. "I'll, uh, take care of it." She frowns in confusion but before she can say anything, I quickly turn on my heel and walk off. I don't feel like dealing with her now. Besides, I can just do the project on my own—I don't give a damn if she takes credit for it.

I manage to exit the school building without anyone else catching me by surprise and make my way to the dormitory buildings. Thankfully, thanks to my aunts' money, I've been able to live alone for two and a half years, going on three. Once I graduate high school as a 'normal kid' I'll be long gone.

If I'm not dead by then.

I make my way up the stairs and go to open my dormitory door, but I pause when I go to put the key into the lock. Bloody hell, it's already open.

I push the cracked door further open and frown, glaring accusingly into my room. There are bags on the bed that's been empty for so long, and the mess of papers usually scattered everywhere are now in a neat pile on my desk. I never clean. Ever.

I clench my fist and then release it, trying to think of what Danielle Blake would do in a situation like this. Cool, calm, collected, maybe a little nervous or shy. Yeah, shy. I can do that.

"H-hello?" I call out anxiously, carefully stepping into the room. The bathroom door opens abruptly and I'm greeted with the smiling face of one girl in particular I hadn't wished to see moving in. Delilah Fucking Sanchez.

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D E L I L A H

I've had a crush on Danielle since my junior year. Nearly three years, which is a long time for me to be interested in someone. Sure, I've slept around a ton in the past couple years, but I do it mainly because I haven't been able to get into her pants. That sounds bad, for sure, but I want to because I like her, not because I see her as disposable, like everyone else I've slept with.

"Surprise!" I say cheerfully, throwing my my arms around the shy brunette. "I'm your new roomie!" Danielle freezes up under my touch, turning into what I can only describe as 'stiff-as-a-board'. I pull back, admiring the shy beauty in my arms.

"I-what?" Her cheeks are flushed and her body is stiff, but to my surprise, her eyes look calm. Annoyed, even.

"Well, my old roommate moved, so they decided to put us singles together!" I say with a grin, hoping my word choice will send at least a subtle message. "And don't worry, I'm a great roommate! I cleaned up everything and put all your stuff on your desk! Plus I've put all my stuff on one side of the sink, so I won't take over the entire bathroom. Ooh, and look!" I pull one of the scented candles from the top of the toilet. "Smell!" She hesitates, but does so. "Lavender, my absolute favorite! But if you don't like it I can get others!" She looks down, crossing her arms uncomfortably.

"O-oh, no, that's fine, Delilah. I'm sorry, I just, uh, wasn't expecting this," Danielle says softly. "Aren't you supposed to be notified of things like this?" I chuckle.

"They left you a note, but I'm not surprised you couldn't find it. You're a lot more disorganized than I thought you'd be," I tease. "I was going to talk to you this morning, but you ran off before I could say anything." My stomach twists when I say it—this morning. Her bloody lip and tear-stained face, the agitation in the skin around her eye that I'm sure will bruise soon. I desperately want to ask what happened, but I don't want to push it. I need to convince her she's safe with me first. I also want to convince her there's nothing wrong with gay people, maybe even convince her to date me, but I'll need to take baby steps for that.

"Right. Let's, uh...just forget about that, okay?" She says, stuffing her hands into her pockets. "I have a project to work on, but if you need any help unpacking—"

"Project? Can I help?" I ask with a smile. "What subject?"

"Oh, that's fine, Delilah," Danielle replies. "It's not a big one, just a little something for physics." I nod, trying not to let my surprise or shame show. I failed physics both semesters last year, and right now I'm only in chemistry. I couldn't help her even if she wanted me to.

"Okay, well, I guess I'll leave you to it. I'll be in the library if you need me," I say, smiling again. She glanced away.

"Alright. Thank you." She looks back up at me. "But there's no need to pay me any mind. It's better if you pretend I don't exist at all." I frown, but before I can say anything she grabs her laptop and leaves.

What the hell did she mean by that?

A/n: lmao, short chapter, I know. My bad. (￣▽￣;)