Page 4 of Beauty and the Nerd
“Stay with me for a bit?” she asked, and he nodded kissing her temple.
He stayed holding her until he knew her dinner would likely be coming around, then slipped off the bed gathering his bag. He heard the door open and made it look like he was restacking her books as her mom came around the curtain.
“Mrs. Watkins, she just fell asleep.” He lied with ease not about to admit the truth to anyone just yet. “I was putting her books where she could get them easier when she wakes.”
“Thank you for stopping by, she’s been in a strange mood all day,” Nicole stated, walking over to brush some stray hairs from her face. “I think her finally remembering someone other than me is a good sign though. The doctors said they couldn’t see anything on the scan that would indicate a head trauma severe enough to explain her lapse of memory, so that likely had a lot to do with it.”
“She seemed less stressed as we went through part of the work. Can you let her know to give me a call whenever she wants to go over more of it? I’ll bring what we have tomorrow by and leave it at the nurses’ desk if she isn’t up for it yet.”
“I’m sure she’ll be happy for you to stop by any time, but hopefully the doctor will let us go home tomorrow. They kept her in here for concussion monitoring protocols and then to run the tests to rule out brain bleeds and swelling that might be keeping her from remembering things. The doctor thinks it’s probably just a temporary blip and she’ll remember everything soon. I’m going to try to get the others to leave her alone for a few days once she’s home. I think the less she deals with them right now the better it will be, but you’re welcome to come by the house anytime. You’ve been a good friend to her this year, and I know you won’t stress or agitate her while she’s healing unlike most of the others that snuck in here,” Nicole reassured him, and he headed home to do his work and think—mostly about how much Emma meant to him and how badly he wanted Carter to pay for what he did to her.
He moved down the hall at school as the day slid towards eighth period, a new message from Emma that let him know she was home on his phone, and her homework for the day in the folder he carried. He spotted Carter heading his way and wanted to break something over his head for the jerk’s treatment of his girl. That’s who Emma was,his, not Carter’s. He and Emma both knew it, and he wasn’t about to let the guy hurt her again. This was too much as it was.
Ben went to move past the guy to reach his last class, but Carter’s arm shot out, knocking the folder and his book for class from his hands. Emma’s papers scattered all over the floor and people laughed as he moved to start picking them up, not about to get into it right now, not with the knowledge of what really happened running through his brain.
He went to get the last few papers and Carter stepped on them, water puddles on the floor from the fountain nearly disintegrating the paper as he did. He straightened, glaring at Carter as the guy laughed.
“Really?” he said shaking his head at him. “You do realize that you’re not hurtingmeright now, don’t you? Those are Emma’s, not mine, moron.”
“What did you call me?” Carter demanded stepping towards him with a glare on his face.
“I called you a moron. Why don’t you go to class and learn something instead of being a jerk and hurting someone else? Now since you’ve ruined half of Emma’s homework I’ll have to go back and see if her teachers will get me new sheets for her. I’m sure she’ll just love to know that yet again, you only did something to screw with her.” Ben didn’t back down when Carter advanced further on him. He was done letting the guy get by with his crap. Before Emma, he’d have let it go, but no more. Yeah, Carter might be bigger, but he was smarter and angrier—enough to not back down any longer, not even against his old bully.
“Is there a problem here gentlemen?” Ben heard the question come from behind him and turned his face to see their vice principal walking their way.
“Someone dropped Emma’s homework all over the floor,” Carter said trying to turn it around on him.
“I’m certain that’s not the true case Mr. Donovan. Not whenyourwet foot is standing on what appears to be several pages,” Ms. Bentley stated. “Get to class Mr. Donovan, now.”
Carter shot Ben a glare as he stalked past, and Ms. Bentley bent down to pick up the last of the pages from the floor. “I’ll get these replaced for you Ben. Mrs. Watkins called to say that…”
“Emma’s home?” he guessed, and she nodded in surprise that he was aware of that fact. “Emma texted me to let meknow.” He didn’t care that others were still listening into the conversation. Let them know that Emma would text him. It wouldn’t upset him in the least.
“Her doctor doesn’t want her coming back to school until at least next Thursday after a follow-up on her head injury. I’ve asked her teachers to gather her homework through then, so she can work on it as her recovery allows. It will be at the office, and I hoped you’d be willing to take it by again?” Ms. Bentley said, and he nodded.
“I was going to stop by with today’s either later tonight or tomorrow depending on what Emma felt, so that’s fine Ms. Bentley. I’ll stop by for it after school?”
“Perfect, thank you Ben,” she said moving down the hallway and he headed to his class as his phone pinged with a text back from Emma. Her answer of‘Yes tonight PLEASE!’was enough to put a smile on his face but he held it in not wanting the others to see what was between them yet.
“Man, did I hear right? You’re going to Emma Watkins’ house?” Greg asked as their teacher turned them over to free time for the last twenty minutes of class.
“Yeah, with her homework to help her with it,” he stated, with a nod. “You know I’ve been helping her through the tutor center.”
“There’s a huge difference between that and going to her house. I bet she wears tiny little outfits there too, doesn’t she?” Greg questioned as his eyes glazed over irritating him. “Man, she’s one of the hottest babes in this place. I’d so love to…”
“Enough,” he said, a little more forcefully than he’d intended, but he wasn’t going to listen to his friend treat Emma like some sex object, especially not in front of him, but especially not with the shit that Carter attempted to pull running through his head nonstop. He got up, moving to the front of the room and askedthe teacher if he could head out to the office to see about getting Emma’s homework.
“Of course, here’s everything up through next Wednesday for her,” Mr. Timmons said handing over the stack. “If she has any questions tell her to send me an email.”
“Will do, Mr. Timmons,” he agreed before heading to the office to see about the rest in order to get to Emma sooner.
Everyone but Mrs. Miller had the work already at the office and he headed down towards her classroom to get it and let Mrs. Johnson know that he was going to see Emma. It should get him a check-in for the books and would ensure that he stayed within the necessary range to get the credit for it.
He slowed when he spotted Crystal heading his way with a stack of papers when he was nearly to Mrs. Miller’s room. She had the woman for last period, and he stopped her to take them.
“Those for Emma?” he asked, and Crystal nodded.
“Must be nice getting so much special treatment. Who else would get an advance on the homework but little miss cheer-head, huh?” Crystal said, as he took the stack.
