"Nerd!"
The boy standing in front of me threw his fist down on top of my books. The force was so strong that my hands fell beneath my binders, and I dropped them all. Papers flew out from them, and they flew everywhere. I slowly bent down and began picking them all up, wanting to cry, realizing that everyone was staring at me as I did so.
My heart sped up as the bully kicked one of my binders out from my hand. I gasped, pulling my hand away quickly. I looked to my right. My binder hit a tall silhouette. He turned around, picking up my binder, then he began walking over to me.
Link? I thought to myself. I snorted, rolling my eyes. The most popular boy in school, helping a poor little girl that can't defend herself. He probably just wants to make himself seem like a better person. What a snob.
I averted my eyes from him, avoiding eye contact. I continued to pick up my papers, even when he kneeled down beside me and began to pick up my papers as well.
"So, what's your name?" Link asked me, looking down. However, I was too focused on picking up the rest of my papers and books.
"Zelda," I answered quietly, pushing my glasses up my nose. "Why are you helping me?"
"Well, if no one else is kind enough to help a victim of a bully, then I must step in. Isn't that the right thing to do?" He stopped and looked at me, like he was waiting for me to look at him and agree with what he was saying.
"I would have been better off picking up my things on my own, thank you very much," I retorted, taking my binder from his hands.
Too harsh? I thought to myself. No, this pretty boy has probably gotten worse comebacks from someone else than a poor, ugly girl like me.
Surprisingly, Link didn't leave. Instead, he just smiled. "Well now, that would take a lot more time to do so, wouldn't it?"
I rolled my eyes and laughed. "Okay, whatever you say."
Link sighed. "No one takes me seriously anymore."
I looked up at him finally, with a bit of a sad expression on my face.
He smiled, looking back at me. "Ha! You finally looked at me!"
I grunted and went back to picking up papers and stuffing them back in my binders. "You're unbelievable."
Link beamed. "I know, aren't I?"
I couldn't help but smile just a little bit. "Guess so."
Link handed me a few papers, and I took them from him. I stuffed them all in a random binder, hoping to get out of this situation as soon as I could. The bully who booked me was still standing in front of us, completely in awe that a popular boy was helping out a nerdy girl. Link stood up and poked his chest.
"C'mon, man," Link began, "leave her alone next time, alright?"
The bully began to shake. "Yes sir."
Link smiled. "Good! See you in Chemistry later!"
The boy laughed nervously, then ran away. I giggled, pushing my glasses up my nose again. I stood up, finally organized once again. I looked at Link and smirked. "Thanks, jock."
Link smiled, and bowed. "My pleasure, Zelda."
He didn't call me a nerd? I questioned. I was sure he would have fired back with something rude.
Link spun on his heels and wandered off to his group of friends. He immediately started talking to them. He laughed, slapping one of his friends on the back. He flipped his blonde hair out of his blue eyes, and put his hands in his pockets.
I smiled, turning around. I was immediately stopped by Ilia, the most popular girl at my high school.
"You think you can get with Link, huh?" She asked, her hands sassily on her hips. Her two friends, each standing on her sides, nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, girl, there's no way a hottie like him would get with an ugly like you!" Another girl, Lana fired at me.
I held my books closer to my chest. "That wasn't at all my intention-"
The second girl, Midna, interrupted me. "Whatever! Just back off of Link!" She looked over at Ilia, then back at me. "He belongs to Ilia."
I shook my head. "A person cannot belong to another. That's not right."
Ilia plastered an angry look on her face. "What are you trying to say, ugly?"
I lifted my chin up. "Link does not belong to anyone."
Midna elbowed Ilia's arm. "Oh, girl, you've got some competition!"
Ilia stomped her foot. "She's not much of any competition! Look at her! She's a complete ugly nerd!"
Even I looked up and down my body as the other girls did. I was wearing black glasses, a grey sweatshirt and blue sweatpants. The other girls erupted in laughter. They all high-fived one another. They sounded like witches, cackling endlessly.
I walked away. "Whatever."
Ilia gasped. "Did you just turn away from me?"
Midna gasped, too. "Girl, you're crazy for turning away from such a princess."
Ilia flipped her blonde hair. "Oh, thank you, darling."
Lana nodded. "Exactly! So get back over here!"
I turned around, smiled, and simply replied: "No."
I turned around and walked up to the third floor of the school, making my way to my locker in the very back of the last hallway. I shoved my binders in my locker, hoping no one heard me. I stood up and pulled out my phone, seeing my reflection in the glass.
Was I crying?
Oh no, I could not be crying. I wiped away any trace of tears and threw my phone into my locker. A loud bang echoed throughout the hallway, and everyone looked at me. However, I just stuck my face into my locker, praying that the day would just end already.
___________________
"She what?!" My best friend Agitha almost yelled.
I held a finger over my mouth and shushed her. "Yes! She told me to back off Link. I don't even like him, though."
"Or do you?" Agitha smirked.
I shrugged my shoulders. "Doesn't matter. Even if I did, he would never love an ugly nerd like me."
Agitha moaned. "Come on, Zel! Don't be like that! Don't let those snotty girls bring you down because you like someone!"
I quickly turned my head toward her. "I do not like that jock!" I countered. "I never will!"
Agitha shrugged her shoulders. "Ah, it was worth a shot trying to get it out of you."
I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, Agitha. Plus, I have too much work to be doing rather than fancying some boy."
Agitha nodded in agreement. "Preach, girlfriend."
I laughed. "I mean, seriously? Work, plus video games. I couldn't handle having a boy on my shoulders, too!"
Agitha clasped her hands together. "Preach!"
I snorted. "Okay, okay." I sighed, looking down at the sidewalk. "Thank gosh it's Friday. Are you still coming over tonight?"
"Yup!" Agitha answered cheerfully. "Us nerds have to stick together!"
I nodded. "Yeah, we do." I gave her a hug, looking up at my house. "Well, I'm home. I'll see you tonight?"
Agitha nodded with the brightest smile on her face. "I'll be here around six. I have to finish all of my homework, first."
I smiled. "Okay, then, I'll make the food by then."
Agitha waved to me as she walked off.
I turned the key in my door, then spun back around. I held my hands to my lips. "Oh, hey!" I called to her. She turned around. "Don't bring any bugs tonight, or I swear I'll kill you!"
Agitha laughed. "Fine!"
Walking into my home, I sighed heavily.
Thank god the day was over.