The Nerd Has A boner: Chapter One

"First the impact of admiration. Lastly, the top of the roller coaster to feelings."- Anonymous

Sarah Hill

"Oh, shit." People gasp and watch.

Their phones come out snapping photos from every angle. Meanwhile, I'm sitting in a rustic chair leg open, and an embarrassed boy standing in front of me. This is as close as I am going to get to seeing a penis.

Would the principal take me off newspaper duty if I wrote a headline about this?

Turns out, people are getting the news on me. This would be hilarious if I wasn't the one in the crossfire. You are probably wondering how I got into this predicament. It all started when my best friend Juliet Anne Foster dragged me to this party.

Quite literally.

A few Hours Earlier...

"This will be the big breakthrough of Juliet and Sarah for Falcon High Newsletter!" Juliet waves her hands in the air as if she can see it physically. This is my best friend Juliet Anne Foster. She's watching my every move like a hawk with no actual intelligence.

Juliet believes that I would make a run for it. Which in this case, I would. Juliet is an energetic ball of mush. Anything she plans, she will make it happen. Juliet wants me to throw out my introverted mindset to socialize with brain-dead people. That's not going to happen.

"Imagine winning the title of the best newspaper. Not only that but being approved by the most famous writer. I can practically imagine a winning smile from him," Juliet swoons in her made-up fantasy.

While she's in her wonderland, I wondered if now would be perfect to burst her bubble.

"Other people are working for Falcon's newsletter. We have a minimal percent rate at winning," I sulk. The sound of her feet against the hard pavement made a slapping noise when she halted her steps. Her hands push my sulking shoulders up.

"Your such a buzzkill sometimes. The color blue for sadness and depression is you." Juliet continues to walk.

"I'll pretend like you didn't say that," I say with my eyes looking ahead of me. The night has come to a start.

"Sarah, you can't keep hiding from everyone in your little dollhouse. You have to go out and meet humans and not just the ones you read about."

"Does the pizza man count?" My fingers are crossed. I hope she'll take that answer so I can head back home in my bed and write all night.

I called a delivery service for pizza the other day when Mom and Papa couldn't make it home to cook. I don't depend on them since I have a little brother. The young boy and I talked for a good minute. We talked about how much the total was for the pizza and the weather that day.

I asked about the pizza on special and what drink I wanted. That much talking can hold me over for more than a month without socializing.

I had to meet him in person to receive the pizza from him. I don't know what Juliet is talking about because to me, I think I've made friends with the pizza guy.

That was until I got the wrong order. That's the last time I buy from them!

"No, it doesn't." Juliet deadpans, crossing her arms at me.

"Honestly, you are more of a party girl than I am that is for sure," I grumble.

My ears can hear the music in distance. Just because I'm being forced to attend a party doesn't mean I didn't come unprepared. I have pepper spray, toiletries, my phone. I don't know what else I would need at a party. I've only ever gone to one once.

"You got that right bitch," Juliet answers with a goofy flick of her tongue out. Here is what I'm talking about. Juliet enjoys being seen and heard.

I am Sarah Hills, the second of my family, which consists of my younger brother Max and my older sister Sandy. My brother has matted brown hair that's more noticeable than mine. Sandy has a hair type like mine. It was a literal copy and paste.

We used to live in a broken-down apartment. The apartment resided in Brooklyn. My Mom and Papa married as high school sweethearts. They have photos of their last prom and graduation. It is the origin of relationship goals.

We call the home in Brooklyn 'The Happy box" and since then, we had an attachment to it. Once my dad's work plummeted, there was more pressure on Mom to pay bills and work night shifts.

It never helped her debt of payments due either.

We couldn't afford to stay there anymore. Mom came home one day and found an eviction notice in bold red print. In the nick of time, Papa got a job.

Mom and Papa were ecstatic. The rest of us didn't want to leave. This is the first place they owned as a family. It felt weird moving out of here like it never happened. We packed in sadness and my parents packed in happiness. I packed a separate box that has a latch and is painted blue.

It was made specifically to put all memories of this house in there. Whatever else was to come would stay in there as a memory. Two split emotions over one day. The car loaded with our things. Sarah and I had cried a river from and to the new home.

Mom is pleased he has a job that helped regain what we lost. All the cold winters with no hot water accumulated as bad memories. Being a realtor like my Papa, you are constantly on the go. We moved when Papa got the job as a realtor. It was tragic that the previous worker died of old age.

I went into my growing stage from then on. I've had my first fight and first crush in elementary school. The fight happened during recess and my Papa came. I fought a girl for pushing me and making a donut fall out of my hand.

That was a fun day to see my Papa scolded for something I did by the principal. Since then, he put my Mom in charge of that job.

Then neither of them show up anymore. Whether it was a school project or play, they were too busy to come or can't make it. Mom wouldn't come to see me perform at tryouts for the dance team. She never showed up for my science project in freshman year. She had other things to be busy with.

The neighborhood was very rough in Brooklyn and mostly everyone handled their business with violence. If you didn't look on the outside then you would see why we cherished it. Max was born between the move.

We were officially in Los Angeles when he turned one year. We live in a town called 'Oceanside.' Sandy had gone off to a big debut job. She was chosen after finishing her college courses. Mom told her that it wasn't a good idea.

The best place we thought for us was California due to the better weather and amazing landmarks. The new beginning brought fresh adventures we used to visit new places all the time.

Every day we made new memories to keep. It was only Max, Mom, Papa. Sandy rarely visited and it was never in person but by calling. I hang a wall of photos of every trip and exciting retreat. I took them with my Polaroid camera.

I used to love the weather here in California since it is rarely ever cold, everyone here knows each other and any news or rumors spread like wildfire in a small area like mine. At least, we are safe here.

The town celebrates big every Holliday season. The streets filled with kids in costumes and decorated homes for Halloween. Christmas is the battle of the seniors. Whoever can carol the best to every door. It's funny to see a group of old ladies fighting over who sang better.

In the summertime, there is lemonade stands on every corner with little kids willing to convince you to buy their drinks.

I learned the only person I had was myself. I never fit in with anyone. I was always left out and I never was a part of the popular crowd.

Papa taught me that you could not trust anyone and anybody that comes off too nice. I guess he is right when I lost a lot of my friends, they never wanted to be my friend at all. That quote stuck to me.

Falcon high, where Juliet had sneaked into my life and somehow made it even better. This High school isn't like the musical, sadly. I'll never find my beloved Troy.

At first, Juliet came off as a quiet person when we met on a trip to the aquarium freshman year. We used to be the weirdos of the school. Juliet had the nickname in school 'Cowgirl' for shooting milk out of her nose during lunch.

She'll never live that down.

I had the nickname 'Dirty Mirty' for stumbling in reading the explicit section of the school library and of course, the seniors used it to be a school joke. I was just curious what Fifty shades of Grey were.

Time moved and we move along with it. Moving on, we changed seeing how different the 'older kids' acted. The school upgraded to be a walking gentlemen's club with several girls sleeping with anything and anyone. They seemed to be too grown to wait for marriage or a stable relationship.

The most I have seen in the pleasure world are porn videos that left me perplexed. A bunch of people screaming and they're going at it. I have no idea how I'm supposed to moan and enjoy slamming onto someone else's body. The internet never saved my eyes and neither did high school.

My Senior year has come. I have had no action with anyone yet. It's not like I wanted any. It would make this year go out with a bang. When you are the quiet girl in school you feel like every day is the same.

The same classes and the same lunch food. I could have been ruled an angel if it wasn't for my nickname. This is only the Summer kick-off to being seniors in high school. September is like a new sheet of paper from a crinkled one.

I'm out of my thoughts when I hear the loud bumping of rap music blaring from Fredrick's home. Many cars flood the street leading up to his home as some were decked out in style. The colors and tinted windows yelled money.

The door opened for two drunk girls around my age to stumble out.

How could those girls already be drunk and the party only just started?

The clothing on the girls seems to be stretching to tear apart. The red plastic cup of booze is slanted ready to fall out of their hands. The brunette-haired girls giggle at two guys that flirted with them. Their booty shorts rise when they walk and get into the guy's car.

"This is not a free for. That drinking isn't doing them any good." If I was caught coming home drunk, my angry parents wouldn't be there alone waiting. That's a rare chance with them never being home.

The girl's eyes are low and red in a daze. I think they're high too. The car sped off at great speed from the corner of the street.

"That's nothing compared to inside. You should loosen up and enjoy it tonight. Sarah, the night has only begun." The voice I recognize is Fredrick giving me a grin, welcoming us inside with a wink.

"Whatever you say, Fred," I sing out. I step up the porch and walk through the doorway and everyone is in their world.

Some are sitting on the flight of stairs and others are drinking booze. My eyes adjust to the different color lights and I'm able to spot many of my classmates from homeroom and English.

I am close enough to call Fredrick, Fred because I have seen him when he wasn't as cheerful as he is now. He's a soft one on the inside.

At a party a few years ago, he broke down and I was there when everyone was gone and the dude cried real tears. I never knew why but he shrugged it off. Although, he acts like a laid-back party boy.

The dude has mega street cred too.

Fredrick Gonzalez is the life of the party which brings the wrong attention to him from around the town according to the gossiping parents. He has this charm that brings out the slut in every girl that falls head over heels for him.

This is his home. The drinks and food are just brought by friends. He only spreads the word. I heard he used to have a hard time living here with his father.

When I was a sophomore, he had a party and at that time his father seemed to never be around & always gone from home. For instance, I was sitting on the couch. There were scattered papers expired for payments on the home below my feet. I could see the words clearly from my heavy glasses. I shouldn't have been so nosey but the partying is still not my thing and wasn't back then. Younger me questioned why couldn't he just pick up a decent job.

Fred is not a bad guy with the obvious dimples and shaggy blonde hair topping off with a cap, he's a golden boy. The block says he has connections for 'The good stuff.' Everyone down to crackheads would know what he does and runs.

He may even have the old people on something too.

I would not know what he is selling or holding, whatever he's does bring the cash and the status.

The sad part is the Falcon Newsletter does not cover harmful substances or we would have our asses on that headline.

Now if being we snitched and told something we shouldn't have, Fredrick would have his friends after us. It's not just Fred that knows this secret he has. Many more people that we don't know keep that secret on the streets.

The walk-in is accompanied by the smell of every girl's cheap perfume and barf making me slightly gag, feeling disgusted.

"Sarah, I am going to get a little something to get me going, do you want anything?" Juliet asks.

In my head, I know she was hoping I would nod and accept the nasty substance. I shake my head since drinking is not my thing either. She blows a kiss in my direction. I close my hand as I catch it. The other people here are jocks and cheerleaders with their friend groups.

I feel out of place when I am around people I don't know. I was known for my sister before she fled for her job. I had no reputation in freshman year.

Sandy has many followers on Instagram. Those followers didn't know me until she told them. It took a couple of clicks for them to know everything.

The body and the looks she possessed are what everyone envies. And so, they stalk her on social media. Her followers judged if I would turn out the same way.

What a sister I have to share the fame I don't want.

Besides that, I am a nobody but a newspaper girl. I would like it to stay that way. A newspaper girl has to do newspaper things that don't include mingling with high-class people.

I make my way through the clutter of guys. Red drinking cups are cluttering the floor. An opened stack of cups on a table was laid for beer pong. Another area of the spacious living room has dancing happening.

The crowd is not big for a day like today. The Friday before the first week of school. I tried to stay out of people's way but they came to me. I would draw this moment with a fish out of water. That's how I feel. The last resort I come to was is sitting on the island. I watch the night unfold.

Most of the girls and guys are grinding on each other or drinking their thoughts away. You may ask why did I come to this party. The peer pressure and wonderful Juliet got me here. Making use of being here, the newspaper this Friday can be about the dangers of socializing. I'm sure this party is clear evidence.

Ever since I knew I could start writing, practicing on Wattpad. I tested the waters by signing up for the journalist club. I was lucky to get a small spot in the school newsletter. People enjoyed hearing current events and not just the next fight.

Every day spent coming up with ideas and finding ways that both Juliet's and I's perspectives can be heard on paper. She got into the club automatically with my help of me. Juliet wanted to try it out and I invited her to try it with me. We started from there and this is where we are.

Now that I am committed one year in with a possible cash prize this time going around, I am not backing out. The nights I stayed up to type or write it by hand are not going to waste. I felt like giving up on doing things but I kept pushing. New headlines came out one after the other. We have our own office and supplies.

The loud music blocked any chance of me hearing anyone behind me. I felt a hand wrap onto my back with a hard grip. I whipped around in a fighting stance to meet Juliet doubling over in amusement. She laughed at my hands up and my legs ready to kick.

"That wasn't funny. I could have karate chopped you," I said, glaring at her still laughing.

"Sure, like you have taken defense classes. The most defense I saw was history class when you kicked a chair." She holds the counter for support from her previous laughing.

"The chair kicked me. I'm not going to stand there and let that go." I pick the cuticles on my nail. Juliet changes the subject as she picks up her cup of booze. I scoot some to clear my nose of the smell.

"I just went for a drink and guess who I saw," Juliet shouts over the music. Her eyebrows wiggle.

"Who did you see? Oh, wait, Michael B Jordan?" I reply sarcastically. I wish he was here though. That man could whisk me away any day with those grocery arms.

"No way, you have high standards. It was that geek boy named toilet, or was it, Olive?" Juliet puts on a thinking face. That joke came off cruel but she has good intentions.

The fact that I was close to chuckling made me pinch myself. A born genius is what Oliver is. He could put anyone to shame with any subject and his quizzical thinking.

The way he stood like a wise man to the world. Every time you caught him off guard, he's studying or reading. We have come across each other multiple times but it only was mere seconds.

The way his face is made is pure heaven, with sculpted jaw structure, and brown chestnut hair completing his baby face. The only imperfect thing about him is the acne on his forehead.

Nobody would interact just because of his lower-class status in school. His family is not rich nor poor as he is adopted to an African American family here in Oceanside, California. He used to be the new kid last year. That awkward smile and a head of tousled hair. The strands fall effortlessly to the front of his head. Each strand has its shade-

"Earth to Sarah, Hello?"Juliet yells, fanning over my face creating cold air to hit me, stopping my thoughts to a halt.

"Yes, did you say something?" I hiss in annoyance. I may have been daydreaming about a stupid boy but he's nothing I would go for in a guy. I moved out of my seat to see what drink Juliet has. I don't know any expensive drinks by heart. This one looks like Vodka poured in fruit punch.

"Everyone knows that golden boy never drinks. Booze is something I would never imagine him doing," I remark. Juliet continues to finish her drink. She burps after seconds of putting down the cup. I scrunch my face and move to the dance floor.

My eyes follow a couple assaulting each other's mouth. Their tongues and saliva swap between each other as they look in a trance.

Disgusting.

I'm starting to feel like this was a waste of time coming here.

"He was grabbing a large amount of Vodka. Then he went back to chilling on the side when I came over here," Juliet recites. We stand and watch people pass and boogie down. Juliet dances for two songs before urgently pointing behind me.

My eyes are on a guy having another girl suck lime and something else off his nipple. I look at her with a confused expression. When I do turn my eyes on the guy, I see a huge group of people form ahead of us.

What is going on right now?

The fact I had not realized that Fredrick is making a public service announcement troubles me.''Aye guys, truth or dare upstairs. Only join if you're willing to show a good time if you know what I mean people," he hollers into the crowd that cheered to any noise like a robot.

"We should go upstairs, Sarah, maybe, we will catch something scandalous." Juliet nudges my arm while she grabs some guy's cup of booze. He drunkenly smiles at her. Who knows where that guy's mouth has been. Juliet pulls my arm around her own guiding me to the set of stairs.

"I am not sure about this Juliet. Upstairs is like a whole new arena." I want to protest but Juliet keeps forcing the action of me hanging with these people and it bothers me.

Should I stay or should I go?

"Don't be a sucker, go for it," Juliet insists. This was where I feels something is going to go down.

Am I going to risk this? Fuck it.

"Fine, if anything happens, I will not hesitate to attack with the boyfriend in my purse," I warn, walking up the stairs to something I would regret.