Once Maddie got into the class behind Johnny, she knew they were safe; safe from all nerd-haters. Bullies don't take Spanish classes. Hence, in here, there could only be those neutral students who were neither nerds nor nerd-haters. Not that they liked nerds, but they didn't hate them either. Yeah, there were such sorts of students.

Sadly, Maddie soon discovered that the beasts outside had positioned their King in the classroom.

Dylan!

He sat, mischievously grinning at Johnny, Jerome and her when they walked in. He didn't take his eyes off them for once. He just kept staring and waiting like a lion would for it's prey. Maddie reaffirmed that there was a huge problem when she realised that Dylan was sitting at the table behind Johnny's. How terrible can things ever get? She asked herself.

Maddie wrenched her eyes off the unsavoury bulky football player who seemed to be waiting for nerdy Johnny to walk to his chair. She flicked her gaze to Johnny who had been quiet all along. He was studying Dylan with his cute gray eyes, but Maddie could see through the composure that Johnny was scared.

She wanted to speak, but then, her twin brother began, "Don't pay him any attention. If he troubles you, tell on him."

Having made his point known, Jerome started walking to his chair, fixing Dylan with a deathly glare. Not so cool, brother, Maddie said in the back of her mind.

Disregarding the fact that he was chiefly choleric, Maddie felt that her brother should have added more sympathy when he was talking to Johnny and not sound like a cold-hearted jerk, but yes, he could be like that sometimes. Once you are not family, you are not family to him.

Maddie took her eyes off her brother; there was nothing passionate about looking at him. Not when a handsome lad was standing beside her. She clutched Johnny's right hand. It was hard and firm, just as most boys' hands would be. However, she knew it couldn't possibly be as hard as the hands of that husky quarterback who was still waiting for Johnny.

Maddie was happy that Johnny let her hold her. She felt tempted to caress, but on a second thought, she knew she didn't have to ruin this moment; this one moment they stood hand-in-hand. She focused her gaze on him, but he kept staring at Dylan, possibly considering what his fate would be if he walked to his chair.

In an effort to quell his fears, Maddie said, "Mr. Javier will soon be here." She knew she sounded very horrible; even worse than Jerome. She was never actually a good comforter, or maybe that's what she believed.

Still void of any romantically comforting words, Maddie said, "Just go and sit." It was more of a suggestion than a command. She, however, felt that her actions betrayed her words-she was still holding nerdy Johnny firmly, and was unwilling to let go.

Johnny's silence injured a very delicate part of her soul. She knew he was deep in thoughts about what terrible things that smirking flibbertigibbet-Dylan-had in stock for him. He was distracted, totally distracted from her, and that felt like a thousand pins pierced into every sinew of her muscles.

As much as she hated looking at that rattlebrain, she returned her gaze to Dylan. Annoying and brawny thing the football player was! Had it not been for the latter, she would have walked to Dylan's table and smack him in the head with her textbook. He would have to explain why he was freaking her man out. What man? Johnny wasn't her man and will probably never be. He was always busy with studies and definitely won't spare a second for love.

Maddie discovered she had turned nerd after she became friends with Johnny, but definitely not as nerdy as he was. Johnny, Maddie chose to believe, had gained a mastery of durability. He was able to sit at a spot for hours, peering into the leaves of his textbooks, but she knew she couldn't and was never planning to. Maybe that's why she still had not just seconds, but years in her boringly nerdy life for love. In her opinion, life turns boring without love.

Maddie kept her gaze focused on the smirking Dylan, she said to Johnny, "In fact, go to my table. I will sit by yours."

She watched Dylan's lips press into a thin line. He didn't look happy with the kind of suggestion she was making.

"No," Johnny said, fixing her with worried gray eyes. Well, everything about him seemed cute to her. "You shouldn't do that."

Yeah, of course, she knew that would be the most irrational, reckless and dangerous decision she would ever make. To sit in front of that beast who seemed to be leering at her now would be no good for her. Yet, she wanted to prove her point. She felt something indescribable for Johnny. And if by doing the deadliest things in his stead, he would understand what he felt, she was on her mettle to do so.

"I am not kidding," Maddie said with incertitude, her blue eyes boring into Johnny's gray ones.

Johnny wouldn't have it. He probably didn't want her to stand in for him. He still wanted to act all brave and tough. Fixing Maddie with a suggestive look, he asked, "Are you sure about this?"

She wasn't sure. How could she be sure when she had been blindfolded by the stupid thing called love? There was nothing to be sure of, but for one moment, Maddie wanted to know what she was doing.

You are insane! A part of her mind cussed. No, I am not, she retorted, I am only in love.

You are a nerd and nerds don't fall in love. Her conscience, determined to shake her off her buffoonery, snapped. You are wrong. Nerds are also created with a heart. The heart is made for love and the brain for books. There can't be harm letting the two perform their functions. Maddie added.

You are the wrong one here. The heart is made for the function of blood circulation and there is no proof that you will get his love, her mind mused.

At once, Maddie closed the shutters of her mind. She had had enough of the annoying gospels of that conscience of hers. How could that darn thing suggest she wouldn't get even a pint of Johnny's love? That was very harsh! After all she was good-loo... No, no, no. She wasn't good-looking; she chose to believe so.

Managing a smile, she told the brown-haired nerd who had been fixing her with the most visibly worried look during her mindful consultations, "I am sure."

Even though that was the last thing she ever wanted to do, she let Johnny go, turned around and headed for his table. For her own doom.

~~••~~••~~

As soon as Maddie made herself comfortable on his chair, Johnny headed for her table which was beside Jerome's. He knew so well that the comfort which Maddie seemed to think she was enjoying wouldn't last. Dylan, especially when he was thirsty for nerdblood, would spare nobody-not even a brave nerdy lady. He hated everything nerdy. However, Johnny wanted to hope against hope that Dylan still had a bit of nobility in him, and would refrain from hurting Maddie.

Only when Johnny was done with making impossible wishes was he able to detect Jerome's glare. And that is trouble, he said to himself as he plopped down on the chair that was supposed to be Maddie's.

"Why did you let her go to your table?" Jerome asked, his lightly blue eyes flaring. His eyes were blue as his twin sister's. Just only lighter.

"I didn't let her," Johnny said defensively, "she made the suggestion and you know how stubborn your sister is."

Jerome, now glaring, seemed like he was going to use the 'F' word on Johnny. He said nothing more, but his eyes wandered from Maddie who wasn't looking back at him and to Johnny who seemed very scared of what he would do and back to Maddie again.

There was a reason to be thankful when the door swung open and Mr. Javier, the Spanish instructor, walked into the class with a smile as wide as the sky on his lips. At last, a reason, Johnny thought, for Jerome to be distracted from Maddie and Dylan.

~~••~~••~~

Mr. Javier, on his usual outfit-a black suit and black pants to match-was looking ever handsome and Spanish. He was going to offer his salutations to the class like he always did. However, a wild, unpleasant, girly "Aww" and a loud smack came from the corner.