SCOTT'S POV
With the job finished, I put on my clothes and went out to enjoy the party. I had a few drinks, got together with some other girls from college and went home. I walk in slowly so as not to make any noise and go to my room, take off my clothes, strip down to my boxers and fall into bed like a stone.
I wake up the next day with a hell of a headache. I shower, put on some clothes and head off for another day at my lovely college. As I walk in, I see Penny smiling at me.
- Hi, Scott. Do you want to go for a walk with me later? - She says, approaching me and putting her hands on my shoulders.
- No, I don't. - I say, taking her hands off me and going into my living room.
When I get to the classroom, I see none other than the strange nerd reading. She doesn't seem to notice me because she never takes her eyes off the book. Time to put the plan into action, I walk up to her and take the book out of her hands.
- Hey, give me back... - She stops talking as soon as she sees me.
- What is it? Do you want your book? - I say and she nods.
- Come and get it. - I lift the book as high as I can.
- Give it back, now. - She speaks full of anger but at the same time her gaze seems frightened.
- And if I don't give it back to you, what are you going to do? - She looks thoughtful and opens her mouth to speak, but the bell rings and everyone starts to enter.
I leave with her book in my hands and go and sit in the last chair, so I can sleep without anyone bothering me. I slept through the whole class, but with the headache I had and with one subject more boring than the next, it was impossible not to fall asleep. The bell rings and I'm about to leave when the teacher stops me before I can get a foot out of the room.
- What is it? - I ask without any patience. I'm already dying of a headache and I still have to put up with these annoying teachers with their usual complaints.
- Scott, here's the thing, your grades are getting worse every year, there's just one more thing you need to fail my subject and if you carry on like this it's not just my subject you're going to fail, but all the others too. You need to dedicate yourself more, your future is at stake. - He says seriously.
- It's okay, teacher. - I leave the room without looking back. As if this were my dream future. I've got to improve my grades, otherwise goodbye vacation at the end of the semester and I know who's going to help me. The weird nerd has always been the best in the class, now I just have to convince her to tutor me and combine the useful with the pleasant. I see her going into the library and run after her. I enter the library and don't see her again.
- I wonder where this girl is hiding. - I ask myself mentally.
I wander among the bookshelves and find her at a hidden table at the back, reading as usual. I approach her.
- Can I sit down? - I ask and she takes her eyes off the book and gives me an indecipherable look.
- No. - She says, short and blunt.
- Thank you. - I sit down and she rolls her eyes, then fixes her glasses and goes back to reading.
- What's the book about? - I ask, feigning an interest that I'm sure I didn't have.
- Read it and you'll know. - He says without taking his eyes off the book.
I felt like snatching the book out of her hands and making her look at me while I talked, but I stopped myself and tried to make conversation with her again. _
- Do you come here every day?
- Uh-huh. - She answered without even looking me in the face.
- Who in their right mind comes to read every day after having to sit through all those boring classes? - I ask and she looks at me with a more ugly face than usual and goes back to reading.
- What's the book about? - I ask again.
- I told you, read it and you'll know. - She sounds a little annoyed.
- But what's the point of telling me, so I save myself the time and don't read it. - Tell me, what does it cost? - I say it to annoy her and she gets up and starts packing her things - Hey, where are you going? - I ask her as soon as she mentions turning her back on me.
- Somewhere you don't care about. - She replies and leaves. I let out a frustrated sigh and walk after her.
- Don't tell me the book is so bad that you couldn't read to the end? _ I ask with a smile as I catch up with her and she leaves without answering me.
m starting to like it.
I get home and go straight to my room, pick up my cell phone and call Leo
- Scott speaking. - He picks up and speaks in a despondent tone.
- What's all this excitement? - I ask laughing.
- I've got nothing to do and it's killing me.
- Your problems are over, big boy. Are we going to a club that's opening tonight? - I ask, even though I know what his answer will be. Of course he would, Leo, like me, never misses an opportunity to have fun and I think that's why I identify with him more than the others.
-What time? - He spoke quickly and with a cheerfulness that made him sound like a child getting candy.
- What's that, Leo? Don't tell me you got excited just hearing my voice? Dude, I told you my business is women - I say to annoy him and hear him snort on the other end of the line.
- Fuck off, Scott. Are you going to say the time or not? - He speaks angrily and I let out a laugh.
- I'll call Jack and Mark, and I'll call you back to make an appointment. - I explain, still laughing.
- Okay. - Speak and hang up on me, you son of a... mother.
I call Mark and Jack and they agree, so I go downstairs to get something to eat.
- Hi Mary, how beautiful you look today. -I say to the woman who has been part of my life since I was born. Mary is like a second mother to me and Hanna, she's always looked after us while my parents were at work and so, for as long as I can remember, she's always done everything I've asked. Okay, not every time, but with a little emotional blackmail she'd give in.
- What do you want, boy? - She asks suspiciously.
- Will you do me a very small favor? - I said, hugging her.
- It depends on what it is. - She lets go of me and goes to get some fruit.
- It's just that I have to leave soon and if my parents ask for me, tell them I've gone to do some college work at a colleague's house. Okay? - Say yes, say yes, say yes. - I beg her.
- What I don't do for you, kid, one day you're going to get me into trouble. - She says it at last and I smile.
- You're the best person in the world. The best! - I kiss him on the cheek.
- What can we eat? I'm starving. - I ask, changing the subject.
- You never change, it's the same every day. You get home from class and go straight into that room and only come out to eat when you can't stand it any longer. I've already told you that you have to eat at the right time, Scott. - He begins his sermon as he takes a lasagna dish off the stove and puts it on the table.
- All right, I'll try to eat it on time. Put it on for me, Ma?
- But you're really sloppy. - He says, picking up the plate.
- Ma, where's Hanna? - I asked to find out about my lovely little sister, I didn't want her to try and stop me going out with her little sister blackmail.
- She went to buy a present for a friend. - She says, holding out the plate.
- Thank you. - I say it as kindly as I can and start eating.
After I've eaten everything, I put the plate in the dishwasher and go to sleep until it's time to get ready for the party. I wake up to my cell phone ringing and answer it when I see that it's Leo.
- What is it, Leo? - I ask, annoyed that he's woken me up.
- Scott, don't tell me you forgot? - His voice was similar to mine and I didn't know why he was angry.
- Forgot what?
- That we were going out today, you idiot.
- Wow, I completely forgot. - I hear other voices on the other end of the line and I assume that Jack and Mark were already at Leo's house.
- Wow, I completely forgot. - He says imitating me - Try to get up from that bed immediately or I'll come and do it myself. - He says and hangs up without even letting me answer.
-Idiot. - I look at the time on my cell phone and it's already 9:30 pm. I run to the bathroom, take a quick shower, put on black pants and a white shirt, white sneakers, put on some perfume and finally grab my wallet, cell phone and car and house keys. I go downstairs to find Maria and Hanna watching television.
- I'm leaving, Ma. I'm going to do some college work at a colleague's house. - I say, winking at her.
- For someone who's going to do an assignment at a colleague's house, you look very well dressed. - Says nosy Hanna.
- Now, just because I'm doing an assignment at a friend's house, I have to go disheveled? Maybe he has a hot sister.
- I kiss each of them and leave without giving Hanna time to open her mouth again. I stop in front of Leo's house and see Jack's car. I ring the doorbell and Leo opens the door with a frown.
-I thought Sleeping Beauty wasn't coming.
- I got home and fell asleep, I didn't even see the time go by. - I say, stepping inside and closing the door behind me.
- Come on, we've wasted enough time waiting for the little princess to arrive. - Jack emphasizes the word princess.
- Son of a...
- Watch your mouth, Scott. - Mark interrupts me.
- Let's go before I regret it and go home.
- Can I have a lift? Mark asks, leaning out of the car window.
- Sure, get in. - He gets in and I start the car.