The Summer I Became a Nerd - By Leah Rae Miller Page 0,18
what he’s doing because every time he looks up and I’m looking at him, his eyes dart back down. It gets quiet, so I go back to my book.
We spend the next few hours thumbing through different issues. He’ll show me a particular series of panels that are well done. I’ll show him a classic ad for Sea-Monkeys or x-ray glasses. We have a couple of conversations about the importance of this character or that event. He checks on Dan every once in a while, which always ends with Dan saying something like, “What the hell are you doing back there anyway?” or, “Dude, you know I’m not getting paid for this shit, which is probably against the law. Child labor going on right here in the heartland of America!”
“Is he really that upset? I can go if you need to be up there,” I say after the third time Logan comes back from up front.
“He’s fine. He doesn’t do anything else but hang out here anyway. Plus, I let him read all the books he wants when he watches the register.”
Just then, my phone goes off. My ringtone is a song about this guy who wishes he would have said something to this girl he has great chemistry with. I love how the singer sounds like he’s speaking from the heart.
I jump up when I see it’s Eric calling.
“I should…” I glance from the screen of my phone to Logan. His brow is furrowed.
For a moment, I contemplate not answering. It’s hard to let go of this place, but Eric is considerate even if he isn’t the smartest dog in the hunt. He might call my parents and say he can’t get in touch with me. Then they might call Terra, who wouldn’t know anything about going swimming today. I’ll be in super-duper trouble before the summer even gets started.
I put one hand over my other ear to block out the grainy music. “Hello.”
“Hey, babe, sorry I didn’t answer this morning. Where did you go last night?”
“I, uh, just wanted to get home. I was tired. Just wanted to sleep in my own bed.”
“How’d you get home?”
I cut my gaze to Logan and catch him staring. He quickly becomes immersed in another cover. “My brother was in town. I just called him.”
There’s some yelling in the background, and Eric says, “All right, dude, I’m coming! I have to go, babe. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
“Okay, bye.”
“Was that the quarterback boyfriend?” Logan asks when I hang up, not even looking at me.
“Yeah, he’s on vacation in Florida.”
“Must be nice.” He finally looks at me and crosses his arms. “So, I’m your brother, huh?”
All that camaraderie and all the awesome comic and radio talk…gone, as all the comfortable leaves the situation
“He can get jealous.” I start putting the books back into their boxes because it is definitely time to go.
“Just leave them. I’ll get it.”
And now I’ve hurt his feelings. Great going, me. I gather my things and remind myself how bad of an idea this was. I really shouldn’t be jerking this guy around. He doesn’t deserve my brand of crazy messing up his life.
“Well, thanks for all of…this. I’ll see you around, maybe,” I say before unlocking the door and stepping out into the boiling heat.
I swear he says something under his breath behind me. Something that sounds like, “Yeah, right.”
Man, I suck at life.
#7
That evening, after hamburgers, Tater Tots, and Brussels sprouts—Mom lives by the “something green with every meal” rule—I watch a couple of shows with Dad. There’s a teen drama on I would normally be watching at this time, but the only reason I watch the show is so I can keep up when Terra and the other girls talk about it. But since it’s summer and Dad’s home, we’re watching reruns of a science fiction show.
For the record, sci-fi is infinitely more dramatic than those prime-time soap operas. So what, your boyfriend’s dad is having an affair with your mom? That’s nothing compared to a love triangle between two guys and a girl in the middle of outer space while there’s a psycho bounty hunter hiding somewhere on their ship. Why they ever canceled this show is beyond me.
When one of the two guys dies valiantly by sacrificing himself for the other guy and the bounty hunter is finally sucked out into the void, I stand to head to my room.
“We still having our anime marathon tomorrow night?” Dad calls after me.