Waking Up As The Bullied Nerd

CHAPTER 9

His hold on my arm was tight, yet it caused me neither pain or discomfort. He was holding my arm, stopping me from going anywhere which was odd since people usually drag me to someplace and commit their bullying there. I had a hard time processing what happened because it was the first in a very long time that someone looked at me with so much fascination and interest.

"Seems like you're not busy today," the blue-eyed guy commented. He seemed to be looking for someone behind me since he kept on glancing there. Seems like he confirmed no one was there, the guy released my arm.

His words caught my attention, and I couldn't help but furrow my brows in confusion. What did he mean by that? Why would my level of busyness matter to him? I stared at him a bit more and noticed a faint flicker of recognition in his eyes, but I couldn't quite place where I had seen him before.

Without missing a beat, I decided to play it cool and shrugged him off like nothing happened. I continued walking towards my classroom, determined to carry on with my morning. After all, I had no reason to engage myself with him since he didn’t feel like Olivia’s friend. As an outsider in this school, I had learned to keep my guard up and focus on my own business.

But deep down, a spark of defiance ignited within me. If this guy dared to bully or cause trouble for me, I was more than prepared to defend myself in more ways that anyone could imagine. The thought of delivering a swift punch to his handsome face brought a small, determined smile to my lips.

“Hey, I was talking to you,” seems like he had no plans of leaving me alone. I turned around to get him off my tail, but he had a pout going on his face that had me stop where I was going and stared at him.

I need to raise my resistance to pretty faces. I think I wavered.

I managed to contain the internal chaos that was happening inside of me due to the face he was showing. I am not going to embarrass myself in front of this handsome because it’s shameful. I faked a cough and put on my poker, acting cool as if his attempts at looking cute were not effective. However, they were, and I hate myself for that.

"Shouldn't you be in your class right now?" I ask in turn to get him to stop following me, but his brows only furrowed, forming a wrinkled line on his face.

"I am, and it’s here,” he answered pointing at the classroom right beside us, which happened to be the classroom where I was planning to go. I didn’t even notice I was here.

But wait. If his classroom was here too, does that mean the two of us are in the same class? If we were classmates, I would have remembered a face like his.

My eyes scan down his whole appearance. He was wearing the same uniform as me but for the guys. However, he topped it with a hoodie jacket that was on the darker side. Now that I think about it, I did notice someone who always wears the same get-up as him. He sleeps through class though, so I didn’t get to see his face. Not that I care…

“Liam, you’re here!”

I shifted my gaze to where the noise came from, and it happened to be someone from the classroom. The guy who was with me looked at where I was staring and waved back to the person who yelled. Ah, so his name is Liam. Got it.

The way she called Liam got the attention of everyone present in the room directed at us. I could see the look on their faces that they were surprised to see me with this guy. Some of them were giving me dirty looks and the others were indifferent about it. And there’s Sage, who didn’t even spare a glance in my direction. Which was a good thing. The last thing I want right now is to get involved in his affairs. As much as I want, I want to avoid him at all costs.

“Oh, you have company.”

I wouldn’t exactly say I’m company.

I felt two hands against my back, pushing me to go into the room. I tried going against him, but the guy was too strong for me. I ended up inside the room, in front of the redhead that had Sage right beside her.

As she stood there, her mere presence seemed to elevate the atmosphere, infusing the room with a sense of ethereal grace. I would be lying to myself if she didn’t make my heart into an erratic mess. The way her light blue eyes stared right into my soul got me to stop breathing. I was standing there, looking at her, mesmerized at her beauty when the person right beside her moved a little, causing me to shift my attention to him.

I may sound absurd for saying this, but at that moment, my heart seemed to skip a beat, as if caught off guard by some strange force caused by his presence. The way the sunlight filtered through the window, casting a gentle glow upon his face, accentuated the captivating hue of his violet eyes. They sparkled like precious gemstones, radiating a mesmerizing brilliance that drew me in, completely enraptured. It was almost like I was seeing a scene in a movie, but the thing is, this was even better. My eyes were refusing to leave even for a second as if they were captivated by the sight in front of them.

“Oh, look who’s here. Standing right in front of me is the famous ‘Smiling Mad B#tch?’” I was snapped out of my thoughts. She immediately had my attention and honestly, the way she mentioned that tacky nickname the people here started made me frown instantly.

To whoever started calling me that, I want to give them a nice punch in the face. It was the most unappealing, cliché, and remorseful nickname you could give to someone. Every time someone mentions it right in front of my face, I feel as if I could die any minute.

“People started calling you that after you unmercifully trampled them,” Liam, who was right behind me said in an excited voice which made me feel even worse.

“Please stop,” I pleaded, my face buried in my hands to hide the shame I was feeling.

“Not to mention the fear you inflicted upon the people who try to harass you!” The redhead whose name I think is Coreen cheerfully added to what Liam said.

“How ‘bout you quit it and leave me alone?” I retorted, hoping they would take the hint and back off, but I accidentally slipped.

Sh#t.

I didn’t even notice I spoke with the accent I had in Hessen. It didn’t disappear from my system since I don’t talk too much, and the accent was too strong to forget. I make that slip up a lot when I’m with Salome and Felipe since they kept on talking to me. They wondered where I got my way of talking and I made an excuse that it was from the show I watched. Luckily for me, they believed it. I need to add the way I talk with the city folks.

Suddenly, an intense gaze made the side of my face feel like it was burning. I turned to my side only to see that he was staring at me, his eyes wide open like he was surprised about something.

There was something in them that got me stuck staring back. Was it how he was fixated on me or the way his pupils were slightly shaking for unknown reasons. But there was something in his eyes that showed momentarily. It was a faint recognition and well, I think there was longing too along with regret and anguish.

That was dangerous.

I was the first one to break eye contact, my gaze veering away from his piercing violet eyes. If I were to continue staring into those depths any longer, I feared I would be completely consumed by the whirlwind of emotions that surged within me.

“I'll go first,” I didn’t waste time and ran away from them. I don’t care if I seemed rude for leaving so abruptly. I needed to get away from Sage.

The constant stares I received from others paled in comparison to his penetrating gaze. I felt an overwhelming urge to escape the intensity of his eyes, not because I felt threatened, but because there was something in the way he looked at me that stirred a sense of familiarity deep within. This might sound stupid of me to say but I’m scared that he’ll find out it’s me.

Ridiculous of me, right?

* * *

That short encounter between Olivia and Sage didn’t escape Coreen's keen observation. She couldn't help but notice the subtle details: the strange accent Olivia used, the moment of realization when she recognized her mistake, and most of all, the profound effect it had on Sage.

The surprised look in his eyes, as he gazed at Olivia, seemed to convey an intensity, almost as if he had plans to bore holes into her very being. It was a rare sight to behold, for in that fleeting moment, Sage appeared truly alive, awakened by an unexpected spark. The curiosity stirred within Coreen, for she had rarely seen him display such vivid emotions in months.

"Hey," Coreen turned to Sage, her tone more of a statement than a question. "Let's invite Olivia to eat with us later." It was clear that she wasn't seeking permission or approval. Coreen had always marched to the beat of her own drum, unyielding and unstoppable.

"That's a good idea," Liam replied, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I've been wanting to ask her where she learned those moves."

Throughout the morning classes, Coreen's eyes remained fixed on Olivia. She couldn't believe that the once timid and meek Olivia Grace had caused such an uproar. The quiet honor student, who had been subjected to relentless bullying, was now fighting back, standing up against those who belittled her.

It was as if Olivia had transformed into an entirely different person, a beast in hiding, unleashed upon the world. Coreen couldn't help but question the extent to which a person can change. Her first encounter with Olivia had left her with a distinct feeling, a sense that there was more to this enigmatic girl than met the eye. As rumors swirled around Olivia, some exaggerated and others outright false, Coreen had made it her mission to keep a watchful eye on her over the past week.

People often concocted stories to camouflage their embarrassment, altering the facts to suit their own narratives. Olivia's experience was no exception, but it was a chapter better left forgotten, as the victim herself had no recollection of the events that transpired.

Coreen vividly recalled their freshman days, when she, Sage, and Liam, being childhood friends, made the decision to enroll at the same prestigious high school. Fortunately, fate smiled upon them, placing them in the same class. It was there that Coreen first laid eyes on Olivia Grace.

From the very beginning, a silent rivalry unfolded between Olivia and Sage for the coveted top spot. They were constantly vying for first place, their academic prowess fueling a competition that seemed to transcend the boundaries of mere grades. It all began with their entrance exam scores, where Sage consistently triumphed over Olivia by a significant margin. While Olivia's abilities were impressive, Sage's intellect was simply on another planet altogether. Yet, that didn't diminish Olivia's achievements in Coreen's eyes.

On that fateful day, however, Olivia's fortunes took a turn for the worse. There was an air of gloom and foreboding that seemed to envelop her, rendering her a prime target for bullying. Despite the adversity she faced, Olivia persisted in her pursuit of the top spot, but Sage stood as an immovable mountain, resolute in maintaining his position.

The bullying escalated, and the weight of not securing the top spot may have pushed Olivia to the brink of suicide. That incident, which became the tipping point, gave rise to suspicions among their peers. No one in their year believed that what had befallen Olivia was a mere accident. The timing was too uncanny to dismiss as mere coincidence.

In an ironic twist of fate, Olivia's amnesia seemed like a blessing in disguise. It shielded her from the painful memories and allowed her to escape the torment that had haunted her. Yet, there was a lingering sense of unease among those who knew the truth. They couldn't help but wonder if the amnesia was a merciful escape or a deliberate defense mechanism, blocking out the horrors that had pushed her to the edge.

Lost in her thoughts, Coreen was oblivious to the passage of time. Her mind wandered, traversing the corridors of the past, as she grappled with the weight of their shared history. The chime signaling the end of classes failed to register in her consciousness. Lunchtime arrived, yet she remained entranced by the memories that swirled within her, oblivious to the present moment.

Perfect timing.

* * *

“Ugh. . .” Perfect timing, indeed.

I have no idea how many groans of agony I let out since classes had started.

Because of today's lectures, the imaginary fuse in my head blew up, much like any other day in this hellish school. It felt like the longest day of my twenty-four years of existence. Should I really be studying calculus instead of delving into the world of witchcraft? The school library is vast enough. Perhaps a lost book on magic to be discovered...

"Hey, where did you learn those moves?"

D#mn it. Why can't these kids leave me alone?!

I refused to lift my head from the table, utterly drained of energy, even though I knew it was only halfway through the day. This persistent guy kept pestering me about what I did on my first day. If I had known that fighting back would lead to this, I would have simply escaped from those puny teenagers. Or perhaps unleashed my fury in a place where there were no prying eyes. I should have let my temper run wild.

Poke. Poke. Poke.

Poke. That's it.

In a moment of frustration, a shrill shriek escaped my lips as I abruptly pushed my chair back, causing it to scrape against the floor. I paid no mind to the gazes of those around me as I simply walked away. My head was a swirling chaos that seemed beyond saving. Any more triggers and I feared that the wild storm within me would unleash itself uncontrollably.

Since I was sitting at the back, the nearest escape route was through the back door. I quickened my pace, taking long steps to get to the door real fast. I want to go to the nearest vending machine and drink something refreshing to cool my head a bit. If those books in Olivia's room belonged to me, they had likely been reduced to firewood by now. I tried my best to concentrate on listening to the teacher, but what the actual f#ck, I don’t understand a single thing and my head hurts!

My mind briefly wandered to the thought of grabbing a delicious sandwich for lunch. It was an affordable and light on-the-stomach option and I could eat it in a place where people won’t see me, and I won’t be the subject of their rude staring. Sometimes I think teenagers should mind their own business.

However, the universe seemed determined to ruin my day, as someone grabbed my arm out of nowhere. A familiar voice echoed behind me, causing my head to slowly turn back. Instinctively, my eyes narrowed halfway, anticipating the sight that would meet them—a dazzling display of glamor that could rival the sun itself.

What do they want?

I frantically searched through my memories for any instance in which I might have crossed paths with Coreen Christine Auclair and did something to attract her attention. But no, there had been no interaction between us whatsoever...

Did I accidentally bump into her?

No, that couldn't be. If such an encounter had taken place, I would never have forgotten it. I mean, look at that face!

"My ar—" I tried pointing out the hand on my arm that was preventing me from leaving but I was rudely interrupted by someone.

"Can we go?"

And then, another breathtaking presence made its entrance. Sage, with his tall stature and shining pale blonde hair, effortlessly commanded the attention of everyone around, even the passing students who couldn't resist stealing glances at his captivating features.

With Coreen's firm grip on my arm, I avoided making eye contact with Sage, who seemed fixated on that very spot. I tried to free myself from Coreen's hold, but her grasp only tightened, preventing me from escaping. Frustration welled up inside me, causing an unintended frown to crease my brow. It was as if my own mannerisms had been imprinted onto this borrowed body, an unsettling realization that left me searching for an explanation.

If that's not the reason, then what is?

"Can you let—"

"How could you run off like that!?"

Why does everyone keep cutting me off!?

I couldn't pinpoint the exact reason, but as I caught sight of Coreen's beaming smile, an ominous feeling crept over me. There was something unsettling about that joyous expression, something that hinted at impending bad news. Coreen's smile only widened as she pulled Liam closer to her side. It was a sight to behold, but there was an undertone that sent shivers down my spine.

"How about the four of us having lunch together? You know, the more the merrier!" Coreen exclaimed, her voice brimming with enthusiasm.

I was about to turn down her offer, but before I could say anything, two imposing hands landed on my shoulders, forcefully guiding me to leave the room with them following from behind.

With each passing day, it seemed like I was only causing more trouble in Olivia’s life. While I had made a conscious decision to stand up against all the immature nonsense, it was primarily to stop the people who were now becoming a constant annoyance to me.

Heh, so much for living a low profile.