How to Date a Nerd (16 page)

I grab the back of my head and pull it to my knees as I struggle with all my guilt, bawling until there’s no liquid left in me. Somewhere between confidence and insecurity, I finally drift off to escape my jumbled mind.

Chapter 19

Good thing my bath mat is clean.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see in a minute.”

Zak has one hand over my eyes and the other clasped in my fingers as he stands behind me, whispering in my ear. It feels so good to have him this close, I can’t help but giggle and grin like one of those Twi-hards whenever they see a poster of Taylor Lautner.

He moves me forward, pressing against my back and keeping his face tucked by my shoulder. At this point, I don’t care where the heck we’re going. I kind of hope we never get there.

“Okay,” he whispers, and goose bumps crawl everywhere his breath hits, “you ready?”

I nod so fast he laughs at my enthusiasm. Then he drops his hand from my eyes.

Major nerdgasms. I’m standing in the middle of what looks like a movie set. There’s no one around. Dead quiet, but I know exactly what movie set he brought me to.

“
Transformers
?”

“What do you think?”

“I thought they would’ve torn it down already. The movie’s been out for a few years.”

Zak smiles and turns me so I can look at him. “I called in some favors.”

“Wow. You did all this since this morning?”

He nods and tucks his hand into mine. “Of course. I knew you’d like it.”

Holy hell I like it! This is frakking amazing! I lean up to kiss him, because I just have to, but before I get there, someone calls out from behind me.

“Hey!” Keira pops out from behind the huge replica of Bumblebee waving to someone behind her. “They’re over here! I
told
you she wanted to deflower Dork Lord.”

Crap. It’s not just Keira. It’s everyone. Even teachers. Everyone at my school swarms behind her, throwing out awful names and laughing at us.

Zak doesn’t even do anything. He’s still smiling at me, waiting for me to kiss him, or respond somehow. Like he’s totally oblivious to the girls making fun of his lack of abs, and his plaid overshirts and
Star Wars
keychain. I mean all the stuff they say about him pisses me off because Zak is so much better than what they see, but what they say about me hurts so much I can’t find the strength to defend him.

I try to block it all out, slamming my hands over my ears and closing my eyes. But it still hits me. Like the volume turns up when I do and their faces are more focused.

My chest is so tight, and my stomach churns as I shrink to the floor. I want it to stop. Everything. What they’re saying and how it affects me.

Zak leans down and cups my face.

“Zoe?”

I don’t answer him. I can’t.

“Zoe!”

I open my eyes, but things blur, and he releases his hold on me. He smirks and then starts tapping on my face.

What the crap?

“Zoe!”

My eyes pop open, and I shoot upright. My hair is matted in sweat, and Zak’s jacket hangs loose off my shoulders exposing Indiana in all his mighty glory across my chest. I hear a chuckle from the side of the bed.

“I know I’m early, but I can’t believe you’re still asleep.”

I rub my eyes and shake my head, making sure I’m actually awake this time. “Sorry, I didn’t sleep well.”

“Yeah. You looked like you were having weird dreams.” His eyebrows pull together. “You okay? Do we need to do this another time?”

No. I’m not really okay. But how can I tell him what I’m so worried about without screwing up this chance I have to make things good between us? Yeah, I can’t. So I lie.

“I’m totally fine. Just waking up.” I attempt a smile. “How did you get in here?” Even if my parents were home, there’s no way they’d let a boy go to my room.

That perfect smile stares at me as he stands. “You’re not the only one who can jump the distance between our windows. When you didn’t answer your front door, I got worried.”

“That I was ditching you?” I accuse, narrowing my eyes and pulling the sheets tight around me.

“No, silly girl. I worried maybe something happened. You didn’t answer your cell either.”

I glance at my nightstand where my phone is plugged in. Guess I forgot to take it off silent.

“Sorry, I didn’t think to set my alarm.” It still amazes me his first reaction is always worry. Is it wrong to think someone can be so perfect for me? But of course, I’m not perfect for him so it doesn’t really matter.

“Did you still want to go?” he asks, his face falling a little. “Or is last night’s party still giving you headaches?”

No. There’s a bit of a throbbing between my eyebrows, but it’s nothing a few Advil won’t cure. And I’m not sure if I want to
go
anywhere. I want to stay here and hide out with him, if I’m being honest. I can’t do that though if I’m going to prove to him I want to be his friend again.

Crap. I’m so gonna mess up tonight.

“Yes, I still want to go. But can I take a shower first?” I still feel all party dirty and I need some heat to loosen the knots in my chest.

He nods, the sexy grin that sets my heart on fire planted on his face. I smile in return, allowing myself to enjoy this moment
before
I turn into insecure mulch.

“I’ll be quick,” I promise. “You can wait here.”

He raises his eyebrows, but plops down on the bed next to me, stretching across the pillows. He doesn’t look comfortable though, and he shoves his hand under his back and pulls out the WoW book.

“Ah!” he exclaims, waving it by his face. “This book is wicked awesome.”

I laugh, punching him in the shoulder. “Good, at least you’ll be entertained.”

As he flips open the pages, I suddenly have the urge to kiss him again. To knock the book out of his hands and replace them with me.

I hold the breath in my cheeks and try to calm down.
Get a freakin’ hold of yourself, Zoe!

Tucking his jacket around my body, I skip to the bathroom as quickly as I can. I know I have no right to think it, but I kind of hope he checked my ass out as I left.

I give myself another pep talk as I scrub off all the sweat from my dream. Zak seems like he’s in a good mood, and so far I haven’t managed to screw anything up. But the real test will be out there. In front of people. Possibly running into kids from school, or their parents or siblings.

My stomach twists, like it’s wringing itself out, trying to get rid of all the excess emotions in my body. Leaving only nerves.

These kind of nerves I can handle. The ones right before you go out with a guy you really want to go out with. Better these nerves than those stupid ones about being spotted doing something embarrassing.

Zoe! It’s
not
embarrassing! Stop thinking like that!

The water shuts off with a squeal. The steam that fills the room makes it hard to see as I fling the curtain open and reach for the towel rack.

But my hand only grabs air.

You’ve got to be kidding me!

And of course, the only way to get to a towel is through my room. If this was any other guy, coming out naked would be fine, expected even. But Zak doesn’t want that girl. He wants the real me. And the real me wishes I was invisible right now.

Panic mingles in with my nerves as I search for an alternative. My eyes land on the toilet paper, which won’t work and makes me shake my head laughing.
Don’t be ridiculous, Zoe.
There’s nothing under the sink. I consider taking the shower curtain down, but then the bath mat catches my attention.

That should work.

Wrapping it around my body, rubber side out, the cushy side clings to my wet skin and I send praises that I washed the dang thing the other day.

I look ridiculous, but at least I’m not walking out stark naked.

“Uh, Zak?” I say through the door

“Mmm?” His tone tells me he’s totally absorbed in the book. Good.

“Can you not look? I forgot to grab my clothes.”

I hear him laugh. “I’ve seen you in less than a towel, but yeah. I won’t look if you don’t want.”

“Well, I forgot a towel too.”

I’d pay to see his face. The silence makes me wonder what he’s thinking, and I open the door a crack to get a glance of it.

He’s not there. He’s disappeared. Like he’s some sort of superhero, like The Flash, which would be awesome.

“Zak?”

“I-I’m in the hall. Just let me know when you’re dressed.”

I drop the bath mat on the floor, relieved I don’t have to come out in it. Though funny, it would be mortifying.

The towels I haven’t folded yet are at the bottom of my hamper, so I have to dig around to get one, drying off on the other clean clothes in the process. When I finally find two, I wrap one on top of my head and quickly pat down the rest of my body with the other.

I toss the towel on the bed, grabbing a bra and panties. My hands shake so bad I can’t put my underwear on without falling on my face. I plummet to the floor with a loud thud.

“Are you okay in there?” Zak asks, laughing.

“Yeah! I’ll be done in a minute, sorry.”

Why can’t I find anything to wear? All the short and slutty crap doesn’t seem to fit the situation, and all the dorky shirts are a little too much for me right now. Why do I not own anything in between?

I settle on a pair of jeans and a low cut yellow top, wearing a cami underneath it, though I normally wouldn’t have. But Zak isn’t impressed by cleavage or how much skin I show.

I braid my hair quickly, and skip makeup, being all too aware he’s waiting for me.

Taking a deep breath, I open the door and Zak falls back in between my legs. I burst out laughing.

“Sorry,” I say through my giggles.

He rubs his head, chuckling along with me. “Ow.”

“Get up.” I kick him. “I’m starving.”

His whole face brightens with my enthusiasm to get going. Maybe this will be easier than I thought.

“Okay,” he says, hopping to his feet. “Where do you want to go?”

My voice gets stuck in my throat as I try to think of places we’d be less likely to run into people.
Damn it, Zoe! Stop with the insecure bullshit.

Maybe this won’t be easy.

He saves me from answering, gauging my eyes. “How about we wing it?”

I nod and imitate a chipmunk storing nuts for the winter. He smiles and squeezes my cheeks together, then lets his fingers trace down my neck, my shoulder, my arm, landing in my hand.

“Okay, let’s go.” I tuck into his arm and shout to myself.
Do
not
mess this up!

Chapter 20

Let the battle of the Zoes begin!

I start the car all by myself. Like a big girl. But I kind of wish he would’ve helped.

“What is this?” he says, making a face at the radio.

“Jason Derulo,” I sing as Jason sings it. Zak laughs and promptly turns off the music.

“Not a fan?”

“Ugh, no.”

I raise an eyebrow, but I’m sure it doesn’t look as awesome as when he does it, and he stumbles over his words.

“I mean,
you
have a good voice. I-I just meant mainstream totally sucks. N-not to bash on your taste in music, but… what is so funny?”

My hand claps over my mouth, stifling all my giggles. “I’m sorry,” I say, bringing my hand down. “It’s like you’re trying to dig yourself out of a hole, when I didn’t feel offended in the first place.”

He pokes my side, tickling me. “Get the car to the street, silly girl.”

I love it when he calls me that. Mental note: be dorky. “Will you help me?”

“I thought you did pretty well without it last time.”

I know I’m pushing my luck, but I don’t care. So far I haven’t done anything wrong. I’m going to take advantage of it. Grabbing his hand with my left, I force it on top of my right hand on the shifter.

“Please?” I say as I tuck his fingers in between mine. His face flushes and I see his Adam’s apple move up and down as he gulps. I can’t help the strings tugging my lips, and he smirks at my goofy grin.

“All right,” he says in defeat. “But you
will
have to learn to do it all by yourself.”

I roll my eyes, and he moves my hand into reverse.

Instead of being nervous, Zak actually has a calming effect on me. I don’t stall the car once. Score!

“Wow, have you been practicing?” he asks after I get going on a hill without plowing into the person behind me.

I roll my eyes and pretend like his compliment totally didn’t just make my freaking day. “Hey, do you mind if we stop somewhere?”

 “Whatever you want. You’re driving.”

Stopping the air that wants to fill my cheeks, I pull into the Walgreens parking lot and shut the car off.

His eyebrow shoots up, but he doesn’t say anything. Just fumbles around with his seatbelt before bolting around the car to open my door for me.

Cute.

Now let’s not screw this up.

I so want to hold his hand, so I keep it nonchalantly at my side waiting for him to “accidentally” bump into me.

No such luck.

“What are we here for?” he asks, shrugging his hands into his pockets, his lightsaber keychain lighting up as he hits it.

I tug him by the overshirt to the oral hygiene section. Running my finger through all the different selections, I finally land on a toothbrush and wave it by my face. “Is green still your favorite color?”

He chuckles. “You’re buying me a toothbrush?”

“I thought you needed a new one. You know, ’cause I got yours all nasty.”

That darn sexy smile creeps on his lips. The one I don’t ever deserve and yet he still gives me. “I’m surprised you even remembered using it. I thought you were too wasted to remember anything from last night.”

I shove the toothbrush against his chest and nearly pass out because I touched him.

 “Well, going into the wrong house and walking in on you in the shower has been burned into my brain.” Holy crap! Did I really just say that? I know I’m flaming red now. How do I take it back without making it worse?