Waking Up As The Bullied Nerd

CHAPTER 5

It has been two days since I woke up inside the body of a teenager. In all honesty, the one thing I’m actually thankful for about this experience is the relief from the constant back pain that used to plague me day and night. This was the only good thing I was happy about in this situation. It might sound a bit insignificant but trust me, once you feel it, you’ll be addicted to it forever.

But if you’ll ask me if this relief was worth the mental toll I’m experiencing, then no. This is not worth all the headaches I’m facing right now. Even what was in front of me was testing my patience.

I couldn't help but feel repulsed at the sight of the two middle-aged adults, Salome and Felipe, looking utterly depressed about a small thing. Sure, I'm an adult too, but I don't let my emotions get the best of me. Dealing with one emotional person is already a handful, let alone two.

A few hours ago, I had a memory test with Felipe, the husband of Salome and the uncle of the body's original owner. As expected, I failed to answer all of his questions. But then again, have I ever excelled in any test in my life? No. Should I be proud of that fact? No. But what I can't understand is why they don't grasp the concept of amnesia.

Even if I had real amnesia, my lost memories won’t kick in right away because of the efforts they were doing. Besides, the attention they were giving me was making me feel uneasy. No one has ever paid me that much for years.

Their crying sessions have already pushed me to my limits. I've had to summon all my self-restraint to avoid showing my irritation towards the couple. Couples can be so overly dramatic, which is one of the reasons I can't stand most of them.

Today, the reason for their depression is that I accidentally addressed them as "sir" and "ma'am." The worker in me couldn't help but surface and address the wrong people. Felipe ended up sobbing in a corner, refusing to listen to my explanations. It's exhausting to deal with their emotional rollercoaster.

They were desperate for me to remember them, but what could I, a total stranger, do? I can't help but feel a little guilty. A lot has happened in the past few days and it’s too much to take that someone has completely forgotten you. It was mentally draining for me, as well. Keeping up with everything and that. The only good thing I heard about during the past few ways was I’m all right to be discharged after the doctor performed a few tests.

The driver who ran over Olivia paid me a visit the day after I woke up. There wasn't much interaction between us. He was a young man, probably around 21 years old, much younger than me. The accident wasn't his fault; the car unexpectedly broke down due to the weather conditions.

I'm not particularly concerned about it. My main concern right now is dealing with Ritch, a wealthy young master, who joined the sobbing trio. I had no choice but to kick all three of them out of the room because the noise was becoming unbearable. Three people are already quite a crowd, especially when they're all crying.

Today, Salome, her husband, and I are going home. Our home. Felipe will be driving, with Salome seated beside him in the front seat. I'll be sitting alone in the backseat, which suits me fine. They told me that our apartment is located on the outskirts of Ashford.

"Honey, I bought some fresh ingredients this morning at the market before I came here. Let’s cook Via’s favorite food, hmm?” Felipe whispered in a hushed tone in an attempt to relay the message secretly. But it still reached my ears, blowing everything out. It was a good thing I pretended to be oblivious about their whispering.

"That’s great, hon. I’ll whip her up with the best dinner to celebrate her recovery!" Salome replied with cheerfulness, her voice also reaching my ears as well.

Go ahead and do whatever you want.

I decided to let them carry on with their plans to avoid the emotional mess that I was already tangled in. The entire car ride to the house was not particularly quiet. Salome kept pointing out various stores and places that we passed by, attempting to jog the memory of the girl who had lost all recollection.

"That there is the..." she started, pointing at a shop that I pretended to be interested in.

"And that place is where we went..." Salome's eyes began to well up with tears as she reminisced about the memories we had supposedly shared together. Meanwhile, Felipe kept his gaze fixed on the road, but I could hear a coarse sniffle emanating from him, indicating that he, too, was tearing up for the third time that day.

If they were going to cry again, I was going to have to beg them to stop.

Ashford was a city far from where I had lived when I was burdened with debt. The passing establishments were all unfamiliar to me. I had never been to this city before because I was always too preoccupied with earning money or rather than wasting it on anything.

But the towering buildings, bustling stores, and crowds of people everywhere confirmed that we were indeed in the capital city. Before I realized it, the car came to a stop and parked in front of a clean and pleasant-looking apartment complex. It was a far cry from the run-down building I had managed to scrape by in, using less-than-ethical means.

Felipe was the first to step out of the car, quickly making his way to the other side to open the door for his wife. I didn’t even notice a small smile come right out of my mouth. I shook my head lightly and reached for the door, but Felipe was one step ahead of me.

"And for Via too," he said with a genuinely kind smile, opening the door for me as well. I paused for a moment and absentmindedly stared at Felipe as a flicker of familiarity sparked in my chest. Felipe seemed to sense my weird behavior and spoke to cut the awkwardness around us.

“Is everything fine, Via?” He asked, with concern mixed in his voice. That made me snap back to reality. “I…uh…everything is okay. You don’t need to do that for me,” I fumbled over my words. I got out of the car and tried my best to act as normal as I could.

“A man should treat a lady with chivalry unless she says she doesn’t want it,” Felipe simply smiled and ruffled my hair, creating a mess out of it. So much for chivalry. “Don’t be so stiff around me, Via. I’m your fun and cool uncle. relax baby doll, okay?”

I clutched my hands in a tight ball and forced a smile out of me. He left and went to the back of the car to retrieve the luggage. I was standing, gazing at his back and felt my throbbing inside my chest.

He's like him.

I started to follow him to help out with carrying the luggage, but before I could take another step, a pair of arms wrapped around mine. Turning around, I saw Salome giving me a warm smile and tugging me away from.

"Let's go inside, Via. Leave the heavy lifting to your uncle, okay?" I was a bit hesitant at first since I’m not very used to people doing me a favor. I tried bargaining with her but ended up nodding in defeat. As she said: let the man do the hard work.

As I made my way toward their place, every step felt like an eternity. The path stretched out before me, seemingly endless, as doubts began to creep into my mind. An unsettling feeling settled in the pit of my stomach, and I couldn't help but question whether this was the right thing to do.

Thoughts raced through my head, each one questioning me to let things happen. Would I be seen as an intruder, disrupting the harmony of their happy family life? The weight of uncertainty bore down on me, causing my heart to beat faster with each passing second.

"This is where you started living after Mom died, Via. I know it feels new and strange to you, but I want you to know that this house is yours, and you're always welcome here." Salome, observing my confused expression, declared while gripping my hand tighter.

That sense of belonging made me feel conflicted. This was not my home. I should not be welcomed here. The warmth of a family was something that abandoned me years ago.

Salome opened the door and entered first. The first thing that caught my eye was a spacious yet cozy interior. From my perspective, it seemed lavish and luxurious. The apartment's interior boasted cream-colored walls and dark mahogany wooden flooring. I walked inside with unsteady steps, my inner demons collaborating to remind me that this wasn't my place, and I didn't deserve it.

I hoped they were mistaken about something.

As I ventured further into the apartment, I found myself in the living room, with a large television positioned directly across from the entryway. Taking a quick glance around, I noticed that the kitchen was adjacent to the living area, without any partition separating the two spaces.

"Dinner will be ready soon, so let's eat first. You can rest in your room in the meantime, honey." Salome suggested, and I mustered an indifferent look before nodding.

I silently surveyed the unfamiliar house I found myself in. It was a place very different from my previous living situation. It felt like I had been transported to a different universe. Everything seemed foreign to me, someone who had grown accustomed to a rundown lifestyle.

The front door swung open, signaling that someone had entered. I didn't need to guess, but I turned around to see who it was. Felipe dropped the bags he was carrying onto the carpet. He noticed my gaze upon him but quickly shifted my eyes elsewhere. Salome forgot to tell me where Olivia’s room is.

"Via, your room is over there," Felipe spoke as if he read what was going on inside my head, smiling at me and pointing towards a door with an auburn hue a few steps away from where we stood. I mumbled a quick 'thanks' and left him there to join his wife, who already started preparing the ingredients for dinner.

I grasped the shining doorknob, feeling the cold metal against my hand before twisting it, and pushed the door open. I needed to distance myself from the couple somehow. My conscience was suffocating me to the maximum.

The room I entered was small, with a modest table positioned in the middle, a single bed, and a small nightstand. Apart from a stack of books piled in a corner and a stuffed bookshelf, there wasn't much else that caught my attention. Surprisingly, despite the owner being away for two months, the room remained clean.

However, my eyes were drawn to that corner of books, and it overwhelmed me because I had never been a fan of reading. This was the second time I found myself in someone's room surrounded by such a large collection of books.

Driven by curiosity, I approached the piles of books and started reading the titles.

"Pre-calculus and Analytical Geometry."

"Einstein's Greatest Mistake. Newton's Law of Gravitation."

Out of all the titles, the last one caught my eye because it contained a word I was familiar with. I decided to open it, but I regretted my decision almost immediately.

Is this a math book or some other language? Why are there so many symbols?

I pondered in frustration as I closed the book. It was clear that I wouldn't be able to understand its contents. I placed it back where I found it and spent the next 30 minutes examining the other books in Olivia's collection.

Unfortunately, they all gave me a pounding headache. I grew increasingly concerned about how I would manage to convincingly be Olivia. I knew that both of us shared certain traits, such as being reserved and diligent in our work, or at least I hoped so.

But despite those few similarities, Olivia Grace and I were quite different.

Olivia, as far as I know, is a clever person who thoroughly analyzes a situation before taking action. Unlike me, who tends to act on impulse when my patience wears thin. I don't give much thought to the consequences and simply do what I want. While I may be cautious at times, my recklessness often gets the better of me. That's the kind of person I am.

The fact that Olivia is an honor student is my biggest concern. She consistently ranks at the top of her school, which, from what I've heard, is a prestigious institution that only admits the brightest students. I had heard about this school even before the switch; its entrance exam was notoriously difficult, ranking second among the toughest schools to get into. The first being the renowned university also located in Ashford.

Can I survive in such an environment?

I wasn't putting myself down, as I am well aware of my own intelligence.

I dropped out of high school and spent my time getting into fights around the neighborhood. I barely scraped by my subjects during my first year, and I remember it vividly. As I grew older, I deeply regretted my past choices, but what can regret do when the damage has already been done?

Now to think that I'll be skipping to the third year of high school in a prestigious institution full of students far brighter than I could ever be. I spent nearly an hour contemplating how I could survive high school under these circumstances.

"Via, come out now and let's eat!" I was pulled out of my thoughts by the sudden call. Initially, I wanted to ignore it, but then I remembered that I was now supposed to be Via, so I had to stand up.

The kindest couple I had ever met was already seated at the dinner table, with delicious dishes spread out before them. The aroma of the food overwhelmed my senses. It made me pause and stare at the table.

It’s been a while since I had a home cooked meal.

The thought crossed my mind, but I quickly brushed it aside when I noticed the worry forming on Salome and Felipe's faces. I tried to put on a reassuring smile, but it must have been a feeble attempt.

I took a seat next to Salome, who was already serving food on my plate. The kindness they were showing me stirred something uncomfortable inside me. I wasn't accustomed to being served; I was used to doing everything on my own.

"Let's eat!" Felipe exclaimed cheerfully.

We finished our meal, but the three of us remained seated at the dinner table. Salome had been the one to come up with the whole plan. She didn't want to bring up the topic of school while we were still in the hospital, knowing that it might distress me. She believed that I should focus on my recovery before discussing education.

"Dear... I don't want to rush you or anything, but how about we talk about your school?" Salome finally broached the subject. "I know you got discharged and you're dealing with amnesia, but knowing you, you hate being held back when it comes to school. If you want to go back to school, it's fine, but you can also take some time to rest. We know how eager you are to become a physicist, but your well-being should always come first."

A physicist.

Fortunately, I knew what a physicist does.

It's a career path that would never be suited for someone like me. Why? The answer is simple. It's because the job of a physicist requires a lot of intellectual capacity, and I know the limitations of my own brain.

Olivia, please come back!

I couldn't provide an answer. When I decided to live as Olivia until we switched back, I never anticipated that my life would become so complicated. My mind was in turmoil, and the headache was intensifying.

Salome observed my inner conflict with a pained expression. Her guilt was eating her alive. I could see her husband looking at her with a reproachful look that seemed to say, "I told you it was a bad idea."

How could I have asked such a question?

"Vi—via! You don't need to be so troubled! I was thinking that since you're in your last year of high school, you might want to graduate as soon as possible—" Salome was interrupted before she could finish her sentence, as I already responded.

"I'll do it."

The couple was taken aback by my answer. They wanted to protest, to tell me that I didn't have to force myself, but I had anticipated their thoughts and answered quickly.

How bold of me to do this.

"I'm not forcing myself to do it. Salome, your suggestion was for my benefit, right? I believe that attending school might help me regain some of the memories I've lost," I explained to them.

I know I’m gaslighting myself into thinking I can do this but what harm can high school pose? How hard could it be to attend school, right?

Two days later.

Science and Technology Education Center of Ashford.

F#ck