THE BAD BOY'S NERD

‎Chapter 1 ‎ ‎ It’s 8:02 AM, and I’m already late to advanced calculus class. I sighed and reached for my glasses, not like i really need it but i needed it for early sleepy eyes, I thought I was seeing double right now. ‎ ‎"I’m what my mate would call a nerd, and you’re probably wondering why I’m late to a very important class. Well, it’s because I’m doing as much as I can to avoid Clara Reyes and her gang."I washed up and threw myself into a blue tank top, baggy jeans, and an oversized jacket. Lastly, I put on a pair of sneakers. Call my dressing lame, I really don’t care. I brushed my hair and parted it into a ponytail. I grabbed my bag, headphones, phone, charger, and power bank, and then left without checking myself out on the mirror. I hurried out of my tiny apartment and literally ran to the school. ‎ ‎Since it wasn’t far from my apartment, it was worth the run.I breathed heavily as I stood in front of the gigantic Kingsley High . The place for all the rich, spoiled brats, humble rich, elite, and perfect goody-two-shoes all stuck together the types that I honestly couldn’t stand. ‎ ‎"It’s my second week here. I got in through a scholarship. I applied for it with my smartest score, and I was given a fully funded scholarship."My first week was a complete hell, all because Clara found out I was here on a scholarship. She made my life a living hell.I knocked at the door to my class, and I heard a faint "come in" from inside. The teacher won't be mad, please, I prayed silently as I walked in. All eyes were on me, and I tried to walk nonchalantly to the front seat. The other empty seats were at the back, which was exactly where Clara and her team resided. ‎ ‎"Miss Chen, care to explain why you are late, or solve this equation?" asked the teacher, Mr Wilson. He was trying to play angry, but he was actually a really good teacher. ‎ ‎ ‎ He made calculus so much easier than it normally was.I looked at the equation. I remembered studying the topic, and luckily, I had solved about ten similar equations the night before. I grabbed a piece of paper and my pen, dug into the equation, and before long, I called out the answer confidently after solving it. ‎ ‎"That's correct. Don't show up late again, Miss Chen, even though you are smart." Mr Wilson smiled and continued teaching. ‎ ‎I listened carefully and took note of anything necessary. Later, the period was over. I started arranging my stuff back into my bag.I froze as I heard the chuckle of the most annoying person in Kingsley High. ‎ ‎"If it isn't the only scholarship student in our class," Clara mocked, laughing. I sighed and proceeded to zip my bag when a jock grabbed it from me. ‎ ‎ ‎"You should sign up for a teacher position. I think that suits you better," Mara Whitman, Clara's best friend, laughed. Her whole gang followed after. ‎ ‎ ‎The gang includes Ryler James, Knox Reid, Ivy Dawson, Mara Whitman, and Clara Reyes herself.The jock who took my bag was Knox. He threw all my stuff on the floor. ‎ ‎"Stop!" I yelled as I tried preventing my power bank, headphones, and phone from falling. I could only catch my phone and headphones. ‎ ‎"It gives me the creeps to know this poor brat has the audacity to stay in the same room with us," Clara spat. I looked at her, my eyes filled with distaste. Is it just me, or does she hate all scholarship students? ‎ ‎"Clara, guess who just showed up!" Some girl ran into the classroom screaming. "Oh no, what again?" ‎ ‎"Who?" Clara seemed interested, and I couldn't be more grateful. This girl actually saved me. ‎ ‎"Easton Shaw!!!" she screamed. ‎ ‎ ‎"Oh my God, is he actually here?" Ivy gasped, practically running out the door after Clara. Mara followed closely behind, and Knox trailed right after them. ‎ ‎"Who is that?" I asked myself aloud. ‎ ‎ ‎Ryler, who was just about to leave, stopped in his tracks and turned to look at me. ‎ ‎"You don't know Easton Shaw?" He scoffed, and the sheer arrogance present in his voice. "Not only are you completely clueless in school, but even in the real world" he insulted and i frowned. "Easton Shaw is like the most successful person in this city and his dad literally owns the school," Ryler sneered. and walked away. ‎ ‎"He's successful or it's his father that is successful" I muttered under my breath, gathering my scattered belongings and heading out the door.My next period was English, which started in about ten minutes. ‎ ‎ When I reached the hallway, it seemed like half the school had already gathered there. Everyone was lingering around, watching and waiting expectantly. My mind inevitably drifted back to the so called Easton Shaw. Was he truly that influential?. ‎ Spotting my locker, I was relieved to find that the immediate area wasn't completely swarming with students yet. I quickly swapped out my old books, grabbed everything I needed for English, and hurried off to class. ‎ ‎I stepped into the English classroom, shutting the door quietly behind me.Why on earth was the entire school obsessed with just one guy? They didn't even worship Clara to that extent. Besides, who coordinates a grand arrival after an entire class period is already over? ‎ ‎"Glad to know I’m not the only one who isn’t obsessed with Easton Shaw," a voice chimed in.I whipped my head around, startled to find a girl sitting on the middle sear in the empty Class , I had assumed I was completely alone. ‎ ‎"Huh?" I stammered, thoroughly confused as I made my way toward the front row. ‎ ‎ ‎"Girl, you're obviously not under his spell if you're not out there as part of the mindless mob escorting him down the hallway," she clarified and i finally understood. ‎ ‎ ‎"Oh," I muttered softly, finally sitting down."I'm Audrey Park," she introduced herself, getting up from her desk to come sit next to me. I looked up to see her extending a hand toward me. ‎ ‎ ‎"Eliza Chen," I responded, shaking her hand. ‎ ‎"I actually thought you were of Korean descent rather than Chinese," Audrey noted curiously. ‎ ‎"My grandmother was Chinese, my dad is Korean, and my mom is American," I explained, breaking down my heritage. ‎ ‎ ‎"Wow, that's quite a mix! So, did you grow up here?" she asked, her eyes lighting up with genuine interest. ‎ ‎ ‎"Yeah, I did. I only visit Korea rarely to see my grandparents," I replied. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎"Do you live alone?" she asked, looking surprised. ‎ ‎ ‎"Yes. I used to stay with my aunt, but ever since she remarried, I moved out," I answered, already growing a bit tired of her questions. ‎ ‎"Damn. I can never stay alone; I'm scared of the dark," Audrey murmured. ‎"As for me, I was born here, even though both my parents are Korean. They prefer it here, so I've never actually been to Korea."Audrey continued talking as if she thoroughly enjoyed sharing details about herself. At the very least, we had our Asian heritage in common, and neither of us was obsessed with the new guy. ‎ ‎ ‎Audrey gave off a wealthy city-girl vibe, but she seemed like the humble kind. ‎ ‎ ‎"Clara is a total b***h, isn't she?" Audrey asked suddenly. I zoned out for a moment, I didn't even notice when Audrey switched topic ‎ ‎"Huh?" My brows furrowed as I tried to figure out what to say."Clara, the girl who bullies you," Audrey clarified."Oh, yes, I guess she is," I stated. ‎ ‎ ‎"Now her boyfriend has arrived. Literally, our last year couldn't get any better," Audrey complained, rolling her eyes. I just stared at her in awe. She was so incredibly easygoing, and I didn't even know her yet.I couldn't help but ask, ‎ ‎ ‎"Are you a scholarship student too?"Audrey chuckled and shook her head. ‎ ‎ ‎"Nope, my parents are rich, but I just don't fit in with the stupid, rich spoiled girl category" ‎ ‎ ‎"That's good to hear," I said after an awkward silence settled between us. ‎ ‎"What do your parents do?" she suddenly asked. I froze instantly, and she noticed my sudden change in demeanor. "Oh, forget I asked," she quickly added.% ‎1 ‎"It's okay. I lost both of my parents years ago," I muttered, fighting to keep the painful memories from resurfacing. ‎ ‎ ‎"Oh, I'm so sorry..." ‎ ‎ ‎"You don't have to be," I reassured her, forcing a small, tight smile. ‎ ‎ ‎"I actually really like you, Eliza, and I want us to be friends." I looked at her, weighing her words. It usually wasn't a good idea for me to have no friend in this school," Audrey said, and I just shrugged. ‎ ‎ ‎"Do you have any other friends?" It was a silly question. Why did I always ask stupid questions? ‎ ‎ ‎"Of course! I will introduce you to them during lunch," Audrey beamed. ‎ ‎ ‎"Them?" I echoed. I wasn't a social person by any means, and I was definitely not the type to maintain a large circle of friends. ‎ ‎ ‎"Yes!" Audrey smiled, looking entirely too excited. Was she always this happy?Before we could talk any further, the classroom door swung open, and students began pouring in to fill the vacant seats. ‎ ‎ ‎The teacher walked in a short while later. English was a deeply interesting subject to me. In fact, all subjects were my favorite except Spanish class; I could never understand that language. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎The teacher spoke and explained points to us, announcing that we would have a quiz in the next class. Suddenly, the door swung open. It was almost the middle of the period, and someone walked in. I could hear gasps echoing across the entire room.I observed the guy who had just walked in. Clara was clinging tightly to his arm. ‎ ‎ ‎So, this was the famous Easton Shaw. He was undeniably handsome, the most striking guy I had ever seen. I couldn't deny it, and it suddenly made sense why everyone liked him so much. He was tall, athletic, and leanly muscled. He had jet-black hair and a sharp, defined jawline. I could see prominent Asian traits in his features. He was absolutely perfect , and perfectly spoiled. ‎ ‎ ‎I didn't know why, but I felt instantly annoyed and fought the urge to roll my eyes. Seeing Clara irritated me enough; now, I silently hoped her boyfriend wouldn't join in on her acts of bullying me. ‎ ‎ ‎"Welcome, Easton," the female teacher greeted, smiling widely. I wasn't surprised to see that his charm had the exact same effect on the teachers as it did on the students. ‎ ‎ ‎"Thank you," he replied smoothly to the teacher, and then proceeded to move toward the back row. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎"Don't be deceived; he may seem polite, but he is a total jerk," Audrey whispered to me. I was a bit startled by her comment; I really wasn't used to having someone look out for me or talk to me like this. ‎ ‎ ‎The class went on and not everyone was paying attention, most were trying to get Easton attention or Clara's ‎