Page 62 of Nerdy or Nice
From the driver's seat, Drake gave me a long sideways look. "Who Ireallyam? What do you mean?"
"Oh, don't pretend to be clueless," I said. "You know exactly what I mean."
In a tight voice, he replied, "No. I don't."
"Yeah, right." With a bitter scoff, I muttered, "I know wherethisroad ends."
"Meaning?"
I sat up straighter. "Alright, even ifyouwon't be honest, I'll tell you flat-out, I'mnotfollowing in my mom's footsteps."
His profile clouded with confusion. "Okay…?"
"I meanyouheard what happened this morning. One minute, she's hiding in some bathroom, and the next minute, she's going out for freaking pancakes."
From the other side of the vehicle, he flicked me a quick, confused glance. "Pancakes."
"Yeah, well…I guess you didn't hear that part. But one minute the guy's a total loser, and thenextminute he's her dream guy."
Judging from his face, he still wasn't getting it. As he shifted lanes, he asked, "And this haswhatto do with us?"
"Nothing." I struggled to find the words. "Not directly. I'm just saying, sometimes it's really hard to tell between a really great guy and, well…you know, a total dud."
His hands stiffened on the wheel. "So I’m a dud."
"No. I mean, you're loads of fun, but what if you're…" In spite of everything that I'd just heard from the wizard, I didn't have the heart to complete the thought.
But Drake, as if reading my mind, finished it on my behalf. "A loser."
I hated the way that sounded. "I never said that."
"But you're not denying it."
I sighed. "The truth is, I don't knowwhatyou are. That's the whole point."
He gave a low scoff. "Right."
"Like, for starters," I continued. "I'm not even sure of your real name. Are you Murphy? Or Drake?"
"I’m both, just like I said. What, you've never had a nickname?"
"No." But then I paused. "I mean, not really. My full name's Gwendolyn, but nobody calls me that – at least not anymore."
"So Gwen's your nickname."
"No," I said again. "It's a shortened version of the name on my birth certificate. Isyourfull name is Drakeous?"
"No. It's Murphy. Obviously."
"It's not so obvious to me," I said. "And here's another question. Have you ever spent time in jail?"
He looked insulted by the question. "No. Haveyou?"
"Sure, every weekend," I said. "I mean, hasn't everyone?"
The longer we talked, the more angry he looked, which made me want to kick myself for not sticking with my twenty-minute plan.
We rode in silence for several awkward minutes before Drake said, "Tell me something. You make a habit of dating losers?"
