When will people stop seeing me as the nerd of the group?

I narrow my eyes to slit as my economic teacher started to pair us into groups. Just when I was about to tell her I wanted to work by myself, someone had to invite himself while being uninvited.

"Thanks Danielle for letting me be your partner." Jordi grinned and sat next to me.

"Excuse me? I didn't invite you." I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Yeah I know." He had his goofy grin still on.

"I work solo bub."

"And?"

By the time I could say more to his face, the teacher noted us down as partners.

"Too late." He smirked.

Of course...

"Now this week's project is to create the next big thing. Something that could help improve the economy and sell lots of money. I want you and your partner to create a small 3D model and present it to the class. This will due by Friday and count as three grades for the semester." The teacher informed us.

Great just great. And I'm stuck with a kid who is expecting me to do all the work while he just sits there and flirts with the other girls in class.

Just great.

I was about to tell the teacher to let me work by myself when suddenly Jordi grabbed the edge of my jacket.

"And where do you think you're going?"

"Hey watch it bub," I pulled free from his grasp. "I don't want to work with you."

"But why?! Please Danielle I need to pass this grade or else I will never graduate."

"Your problem not mine."

"Danielle..."

"No."

I hated saying no to people but this year I wasn't going to let anyone abuse my intelligence and just use me to do all the work.

"Why are you so mean to me?" He pouted.

Let me see here...

You're a nosy little junior who wants to be nosy about my past exes and not to mention you keep brining my enemy back up. Including how last time I was partnered with him, I did all the work while he flirted to a bunch of senior girls behind me. What's not to be mean about?

"I am not going to do all the work and get partial credit." I frowned.

"Dude I swear I will help. Please just let me be your partner. You are so smart and so-"

"Okay fine!" I groaned. "But one mistake and you're out."

"Deal!" He shook my hand so fast I thought he was going to snap it off.

Why do I have to be so good...

*****

Every single corner of the highschool had to remind me of some freaking past mistakes of mine. As much as I try to forget, the simple things keep coming back. For instance, that one corner? My first kiss. That one hallway? My first break up. That one specific classroom? The first I love you. That one table? My once best group of friends.

But that is all in the past.

I got better things to remember. I got better memories now.

Now I have the best group of friends that I could ever ask for, all of my enemies far away from me, and best of all...no more boys to worry about.

I am done with highschool boys.

Especially from Princeton.

I strutted down the hallway confident than ever and headed to my sixth period class which was music production. Lately my teacher has been absent so the class was moved to the band hall. My favorite class of the day. Free time! No teacher. No substitutes. No work to be done. Legit my best class. And my friend Rose had it with me so it was even better.

Just when I was arriving to class, I was so caught up in how happy I was that I didn't see the glass door almost crashing into my face. Luckily I moved away in time but ended up tripping. I quickly gained my balanced and felt my eyes go red in anger at the person who almost slammed the door in my face.

"Oops sorry." The guy shrugged and walked off.

That's it?! Geez! I could've gotten hurt and that's all he says??? Seriously sorry???

I marched right behind him and followed him inside to where all my other classmates were located. Apparently he had this class all along and I never noticed him. I was about to give him a piece of my own mind when I suddenly coward.

He was dressed all in black and had a bandana on his forehead. Spiked bracelets on his wrists and black combat boots he wore. Odd looking fellow. Definitely someone I wouldn't mess with. He had bad boy screaming all around him. I decided best to let him slide and sauntered over to where Rose was sitting was a random Asian kid.

"Hey." I took the seat next to her.

"Oh hiiiii," She waved. "Dani, Kalvin. Kalvin, Dani." She introduced me to the kid.

I never seen him before probably a freshmen. He had glasses and was tiny and skinny the poor thing. He looked friendly though.

"Hi," he said.

"Hey." I gave him a small smile.

I couldn't help but to look across the room at the guy who almost hit me with the door, beating up some freshmen. Since the freshmen were laughing and all, I assume they were just playing around.

"Hey guys." Another guy came to us.

His name is Owen and he was the biggest band geek I've known and a senior like me. I remember seeing him in first grade playing as a moose in the spring play we had back in elementary. I was a deer with just a single line while he was the main protagonist of the show. All those years and now he is speaking to me.

"Hey Danielle," He smiled. "Long time no see."

It's not like I could be seen when I was invisible years back.

"Hey there." I greeted him back.

He suddenly gasped out of nowhere and made his eyes go wide.

"Oh my gosh you actually speak."

"Huh?"

"I've never heard your voice before."

Oh yeahhhh I was mute as well.

I couldn't help but to giggle at his discovery.

"Yup I talk. Always have." I joked.

"Nice," He smiled. "This is like the first time I hear you in many years. It's like what since first grade?"

"Yeah been a while." I laughed.

"A while? It's been forever."

"Oh you should have seen when I met her." Rose intervened. "It took me forever to make her talk."

Ah yes. Those were the good old days...

It felt nice that someone remembered me. At least this time it was better.

"Anyways so I was like in the nurse office before lunch and stole those latex gloves that the nurse had in a box," Rose babbled on. "And I turned it into a balloon and drew a chicken face." She searched in her bag and pulled it out.

"Oh my gosh it's so cute." Kalvin squealed.

"Cute? I'm mentally cringing now." I shook my head.

"You're a butty hole." Rose stuck her tongue out.

"Yada yada whatever." I rolled my eyes.

Owen just laughed at Rose's creation.

Kalvin in the meanwhile though started to play with the glove balloon when out of nowhere that one guy from earlier came from behind him and slapped his back real hard.

"Kalvin buddy how are you," he grinned and smacked the back of his head.

Great he was done with his other victims and now was after Kalvin.

He tried running away but the guy started to play wrestle him aggressively. Kalvin was being used like a ragged doll while the guy kept smacking him and shizz. Kalvin just remained quiet and played along as the guy was getting harder and harder on him.

"Hey! Leave him alone!" Rose got in between them.

"Hey I'm just playing around." He glared at Rose. "Right Kalvin?"

"Yeah he likes to play rough." Kalvin fixed his glasses which started to slip from the bridge of his nose.

"No need to be hard on him." Rose got in defense mode and stood in front of Kalvin.

Meanwhile I just sat there with Owen and watched the whole thing.

Yeah I wouldn't mess with him if I was Rose. Rose didn't care though. The guy kept smacking Kalvin. Rose got in front but ended up being smacked as well. This guy has no respect whatsoever! I stood up knowing the bell was about to ring and got next to Rose.

"No need to be mean." I finally spike to the guy.

"I'm not mean. I just playing around with these fresh meat." He laughed.

Suddenly he grabbed Rose's glove balloon and started to squeeze it in his hands.

"Hey that's mine!" She tried snatching it away from him but he started to run with it. "Please don't pop it!"

POP!

Too late.

The guy started laughing and ran off as the bell rang, leaving it latex pieces on the floor for Rose to carry it in her hands.

"Oh no." Kalvin took the remains in his hands.

"Ugh! I hate him!" Rose yelled.

What the actual fuck?!

I felt my blood boil. How dare he do this to my friend. One thing is me doing it but him??? A total stranger and rudely take something that it is not his? That is too much. Oh how I wanted to chose after him but I was to scared at the same time.

"You should have kicked him in the balls!" I felt the anger going through me.

"I know I should have. Oh well..." Rose sadly looked down at the popped glove balloon. "Oh well rest in pieces."

I hated how I just stood there and watched and did nothing. It should have been me the one to kick him in the balls. But like always I was too shy to do it. Probably for some reason the guy intimidated me. Just his look screamed trouble maker.

Just wait until I find him...

I'm going to get him alright.

Just let me find him.

"Oh that Juan." Owen rolled his eyes with a sigh and walked off to his next class.

Juan...

So the guy has a name? Lovely.

Wait until I find Juan again...

He about to meet bitchy Dani.