Page 54 of The Nerdy Girl

He released me then. I took a step to the door. I could see he was looking across the street. I looked there too. “What is it?” I asked.

“That’s Aiden’s house,” he pointed out. “And that,” he pointed two houses down, “is Luke’s house. These boys have been friends since they could walk. I’m disappointed in how they have treated you.” He looked back at Aiden’s house. “There’s a lot of hostility bottled up in Aiden, Abby. He’s hurting because of how his father treats him. He’s like a bomb ready to explode and I don’t want you to be caught in the middle.”

I looked at the house then at Dan Cooper. “I won’t be. I’ll encourage Cal to make up with him.”

He nodded. “I’ll see you later.”

I got into the car when Dan Cooper opened the door for me. “See you later son,” he said.

“Yes sir,” Cal replied.

He shut the door and immediately Cal wanted to know what that was about. I laid my hand on his thigh and reassured him it was fine. “He likes me.”

Cal shook his head in disbelief then he started up the vehicle and backed out of the driveway, heading towards my house, late as usual but not as bad as the day we went to Rhonda’s.

Chapter 12

I sh

owered and let my hair air dry which is why I needed more time. In my bathrobe, I faced my mother, sitting on the bench at my mom’s vanity. She applied the paint which made her happy while it made me cringe. I was not a make-up kind of girl, I realized. A little mascara sometimes. A lip gloss or Chapstick but not this war paint routine she was going through.

Contouring here and there. Highlighting too. Bronzer. I did have Dad’s skin tones which was good, she told me. She was paler in the winter and hated it while I had Dad’s olive complexion. Tyson wasn’t as pale as Mom but not as dark was me. We really didn’t look like twins.

Then she started on my hair. Two different kinds of product. Then she attached a diffuser to her hair dryer to prevent my wavy/curly hair from frizzing. I would have just straightened as always but she had something in mind.

I played with my phone while Mom did her magic on me. This was the happiest day of Kat Gardener’s life. Her daughter, Abigail was becoming a girly girl if only for one day.

When she was done drying. She fluffed and puffed my hair. Then she began strategically pulling pieces away from my face and pinning them on top of my head. Just a few not too many.

She had given me a bump. I hate bumps. I rolled my eyes. She curled a few pieces tight to frame my face. Then Mom sprayed Misty Shine Hairspray on my hair which I discovered when she turned me around gave me a glittery glowing after effect.

Hopefully I didn’t leave any behind on Cal.

It was now three-thirty. Cal would be here in half an hour for gobs of pictures. “I’m going to my room to get my dress on.”

“Need help?” Mom asked.

“Nope, I’m good.”

“Abby,” Mom said my name when I got to the door. I turned. “Tyson told me about last night. He usually tells me about everything that goes on in his or your life that he feels is important. Are you okay?”

I could tell that she was concerned. I walked back to her and slid my robe down past my shoulder showing her the bruises that the apples hitting me had caused.

“I’m sorry Abby. Why didn’t you say anything?”

I chewed on my lip. I didn’t want to cry and ruin my make-up that Mom had worked so hard on creating. I didn’t know why. I was embarrassed. I wasn’t Tyson. He was the golden boy at school. I was the Nerdy Girl.

Die Nerdy Girl had been written on my locker room in red lipstick more than once. The maintenance tech Mr. Wilkes had washed it off for me.

“He told me. Abby, don’t you listen to them. You’re going to go far honey.”

I just nodded at Mom with tears in my eyes. What else could I do? “I don’t know,” I finally said.

“Talk to me Abby. I’m here,” Mom said.

She meant it. She loved me. I put my arms around her and held her. She needed this as much as I did. “I’ll help you zip your dress,” she offered.

“That would be nice.”

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