The Nerd Had Fallen

CHAPTER 3

"God, Portia! Why are you crying?!" Portia scolded herself as she wiped her tear-filled face but her tears flowed non-stop.

It was almost dark and she's still inside the school's comfort room crying and she knew that in a few moments her parents would come to fetch her. Of course, she can't show this posture of her to her parents, they will just worry about her and she doesn't want to add to their burden, she knows that her parents are both tired from a whole day of working.

She forced herself to stop crying, she washed off her face to remove any sign of tears and looked at herself again in the mirror. She took a deep breath while closing her eyes trying to calm her emotions. Breath in, breath out, that's what she did.

When she was finally satisfied with her appearance, finally dome checking her face, that's just when she decided to go out of the comfort room and walk out of the school's gate to wait for her parents.

Exactly, just in time when she got outside her parents' car also arrived.

"Hello, darling," her father greeted her when she got inside the car.

She kissed her momma and dada's cheeks before she greeted her back, "Hello, momma and dada." She smiled like usual.

"You look tired," her momma noticed, "Are you hungry? What do you want to eat for dinner? Are you okay, huh?"

She nodded and smiled, "Of course, momma. I'm okay. I just had a rough day but I'm fine."

Who would be happy with all that happened today anyway? I need to move on because it is not good for me to be distracted by anyone. She said to herself.

"Let's go," her father had already started driving. Their trip on their way home was quiet, she did not even bother her parents because she knew how tired they are from a long day of work.

"I'll just change my clothes, momma."

"Alright, I'll prepare dinner. Don't take too long, alright?"

"Yes, momma."

Portia went straight to her room and sat down on her bed. She sighed before she tiredly chooses her clothes in her closet and change.

"With your posture, you can't be loved by someone like him, Portia," she said softly to herself while she is in front of the mirror. Truth hurts but she needs to wake up, she had to stop dreaming of King Luther Daniel because he can't reach him, it's impossible to reach the sky when you do not have wings to fly and reach it.

"Reaching your dream to become a great doctor is more possible than being noticed by him, Pors. So please... wake up! You do not belong in his world!"

She laughed emotionlessly. "Why am I so different anyway? Is it bad to be who you are? Is it bad to stay in your comfort zone? Is it bad to have your style? Your own... choice." Her voice broke and her tears started to form in the corner of her eyes. "Is it... is it bad ... to be unique? Is it bad... to be me?"

She looks like a madman talking to herself in the mirror. She stopped and think a little, trying hard to collect herself and boost herself. She wiped her tears and confidently looked at herself in the mirror again.

"Of course, it's not bad to be unique, it's not bad to be different... I guess... I'm just in the wrong environment. I know ... someday, someone will come into my life, someone who can love me because I am me, because... I am true to myself." She smiled sweetly and patted her chest, the side where her heart is placed. "You just need to wait, Portia. You need to be patient. You need to focus on your goal... and that is to become a great doctor. I love you self and you don't have to change to please anyone else, even King Luther Daniel."

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and repeated it three times, and after a while, when she opened her eyes she finally felt better.

"Why should I be affected? King Luther is not my boyfriend, my momma and dada love me, I love myself and that is what matters... That's right! Fighting! " she said convincing herself more and that worked.

She glanced at her face in the mirror again before she finally left the room.

She finds her momma and dada in the kitchen talking, they seem to be waiting for her to have dinner.

She was about to sit in her seat when she stilled at the moment she saw the food on the table, unlike the usual that they have only one to two kinds of the dish served at the dining table every time they eat, now it has become five but it doesn't look like it was all cooked by her momma, it looks like it came from their restaurant.

"What's up?" she asked, laughing and wondering, "Why do we have so much food today, momma?"

"Sit down, darling," her father stood up and even pulled her chair for her to sit.

She looked at her parents curiously, she knew there was good news even though her parents had not yet spoken.

"Darling, this serves as our little celebration," her momma excitedly said.

"Celebration?" She repeated, "F-for what?" she said smiling. She's now happy even though she still doesn't have any idea.

Her dada cleared his throat before he speaks, "Darling, we just want you to know that... we now have enough budget to extend our restaurant and that means, our restaurant will be wider to accommodate more customers."

Her eyes widened and a smile immediately flashed on her lips, "Really?! That's great, dada!"

Her dad raised his hand for a high five which she immediately responded. "We're so blessed, darling. Our restaurant has a lot of customers now and your momma and I noticed that the income of our restaurant is increasing."

"And if that continues, we will not worry about your pre-med and med school," Her momma added.

She felt like something just touched her heart, "Thank you, momma and dada for all your efforts just to support me," she said emotionally.

"Thank you too for studying hard, darling. Just do your best, me and your momma are here to support you."

Portia couldn't stop herself, she stood up and went in between her parents and she hugged them both.

"We're proud of you," her momma and dad whispered.

"I'm proud of the both of you too."

Her momma and dada smiled heartily, "Thank you, darling."

"Alright, too much for the drama. Let's eat," her mother said. They started eating when she remembered something that can surely make her parents happy.

"Momma, dada, before I forgot, I have something to tell you." She can't hide her excitement to tell them.

"What is it, darling?" her dad curiously asked.

"Well, we all know that I am running for valedictorian since my adviser before told me that."

"Ah-huh."

"Well, the vice-principal called us for a short meeting ... and you know what did he say to us?"

"What is it?"

She cleared her throat, "If I will become a batch valedictorian, great universities here and abroad will offer great opportunities for me and that will include full scholarship in my chosen school. God! Can you imagine that?" she said dramatically because of happiness.

"Wow!" her father exclaimed, "That's so nice, darling."

"I hope I can make it to the top. Do you think I can, momma and dada?" she asked.

"Of course, darling," her dad encouraged her, "Whatever will be the result is, we will always be proud of you, darling. Just please don't cheat to reach the top, alright?"

Her smile widened, "Right."

She is really lucky to have her parents. She may not be accepted by everyone but the love and acceptance of her parents are enough to keep going. They are her inspiration, they are her strength, her success is also the success of her parents.

She is lucky indeed. She may not be born with a golden spoon in her mouth, but she is pampered with love and care.

She can never exchange her parents for any amount of wealth because, for her, her parents are great treasures.

She volunteered to wash the dishes, she let her parents rest. After doing the chores, that's just when she decided to go to her room to prepare everything that she needs tomorrow.

After preparing everything, she went to her study table and review her lessons right after reviewing, she opened her fiction book about a nerd and a bad boy.

Her love for medical books never changed but now, she added romance books to her favorites especially those with nerd and bad boy characters. Science and fiction are very different, but here she is loving both books.

After reading few pages, she decided to sleep because she still has classes tomorrow and she can't be late.

She prayed before going to sleep.

She woke up early in the morning and immediately does her daily routines, taking a bath, dressing up her uniform, putting on her shoes, having breakfast with her parents, and kiss her parents goodbye before she walks her way to the school gate from their car's door.

Her day seems usual. She just focused on discussions. She writes her notes, passes her activities, reads books when she has a vacant time, that's what she does always and she is not tired of doing it always. She loves what she is doing and that makes it different.

During lunchtime, she saw Deshna Rachel Mejares and King Luther Daniel dining together again. It hurts to see the scene but she just refused to take it as a big deal, it's not good for her.

The more she cares, the more it hurts.

She got used to it as days passed by. Slowly, she's accepting the situation and just decided to give her full attention to her studies.

"Portia!" She was shocked when someone suddenly called to her in an angry voice. "Why did you tell the teacher earlier that we have an assignment?! You are so selfish! You always want to be the hero! You want to be at the top! You want to be the best! Did you know we don't have an assignment?!"

Shyrene is harassing her together with Shyrene's friends.

"S-Shyrene ... I just informed---" she did not have the chance to explain.

"Informed your face! I thought you were smart? Why do you have no consideration ?! You always want to win! Because only your intellect can make you proud! You are so full of yourself!!"

"Yes, indeed! Get out of here in reinbert! You don't fit in here. Wake up!"

"Yes, you are so absorbed! Attention seeker!"

Portia just chose not to speak because it would only increase the anger of her classmates. She is also used to it. Five women are working together to fight her, she has no chance to win against five.

"Slap that ugly one, Shyrene! I'm annoyed with her."

She saw Shyrene raised her hand and she just ready herself to receive it on her face. She got used to it, physical and emotional abuse.

"What do you think you're doing?" a manly voice stormed off.

They all turned to the owner of that voice. Her heartbeat doubles its usual speed when she saw that King Luther.

"Luther---" Shyrene did not finish her sentence.

"Why are you bullying her?"

"She is selfish! She reminded our teacher that we have an assignment and we did not have---"

"And you are blaming her?" King Luther's voice sounds mad and sarcastic, "Isn't it your responsibility to make your assignment and pass it right on time?"

"But---"

"Shut up! I think you should leave her alone before I think of doing something that you will never like."

The mean girls listened to King Luther, they were shaken off by his authoritative voice and that made them left silently.

King Luther looked at her and she was surprised when he walked in her direction.

"Are you okay?" King Luther asked like he is concerned.

She shyly smiled, she couldn't look at him back for long, she can only glance at him, she just nodded while she is looking at the floor. "T-thank you."

"You're welcome." King Luther smiled at her and she felt like her whole system was just sent to heaven.