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Chapter 10
Matt
Every time I see Izzy at school the nerves start twisting my stomach. It’s not that I don’t trust her, because I do. That small chat we had had somehow put me at ease for the rest of the day. But the very next day, I was worried again. And I worry for the rest of the week. I can’t even bring myself to check out her YouTube channel, for fear that I’ll hear my name in one of her videos. Of course, if she had, I no doubt would’ve heard about it already. The chatter and rumors would be all over the school.
By the time the weekend rolls around, the nerves are starting to get to me. I want to check out her channel just in case she said something. Just in case she made some kind of comment that I have to be ready for. After playing video games for a couple hours with Isaac on Sunday, I retreat back to my room. Flipping open my laptop, I venture to her channel. She has a couple updates throughout the week that I click on and she talks a little bit about the convention.
I’d be lying if I said I don’t notice how attractive she is. She doesn’t have to wear revealing clothes to show off extra skin. She liked jeans and comic book T-shirts, and it worked for her. Her raven hair fell over her shoulders in the video, and she spoke in this excited tone about all the cool things she saw at the show.
I watch a second video and at the end, she promises everyone her next video she’s going to go over everything she enjoyed about the convention. The next video’s longer, about ten minutes, and my fingers are literally shaking as I click play.
I start watching the video, and it’s peppered with different video clips and pictures she took from the show. It’s obvious how much she loved it. It reminds me of how I felt about the show before I saw her. Watching her, I wish I could be braver than I am. I wish I could be as open and comfortable about who I really am as she is. That confidence just adds a new level of attractiveness to her.
As the video plays, a small clip rolls and I see the room the cosplay contest was held in. I realize I’m holding my breath and have to let it out, stretching my fingers, trying to calm myself. The video cuts from the contest to her.
“It was amazing, you guys.” She smiles. “So, I’ll show you some footage here. The Marvel booth had some awesome props from the movies, and wait until you see the footage from the cosplay contest. Side note, Iron Man was the hottest. That probably factored into him winning.”
Um, what?I rewind the video a few seconds and listen again. Yep. She did say that. Not to be cocky but I do try to keep myself in good shape. But something about how she says it, it almost looks like she starts to blush. Then the video switches back to more of the contest and shows other cosplayers. Afterward, it switches back to her, and she goes on about other things from the show. The video ends, but I go back to the part of the video where she said I was hot. Well, okay, not me but Iron Man. Same thing, right?
At school the next day, I’m in my first class as we finish up a list of prom court week functions. With a couple minutes before the bell rings, I pull out my phone and start scrolling YouTube videos. Honestly, I try not to go back to her channel, but I can’t help it. I want to hear her say I’m hot again, so put in an earbud and start the video.
Oscar is our student council commissioner. He handles organizing functions at our sports games. He’s also about just as big of a douche in school as Jeremy McCormick, though I would have to give Jeremy the edge in that category, if only by a thin margin. Zipping up his backpack, he leans over my desk, looking at my phone.
“What’s that?”
“Just some video,” I answer.
I don’t try to hide the fact that it’s Izzy’s because most of our class knows she has her own YouTube channel. Some watch it because they like it, others watched it to hate on her and make fun of her. Either way, I know just watching the video isn’t going to out me.
“Oh, that’s that nerd chick, right?” he asks, and I nod. “She’s a freak.”
“What?” I pull out the earbud and shoot him a look.
“What? I’m not saying she isn’t hot because she is. But she’s a hot nerd freak.”
“Dude, she’s not a freak.”
“Oh, come on, Hillard.” He gives my shoulder a light punch. “She’s into all that comic book and Japanese animation crap. Lame.”
“Just because she like’s something, doesn’t make her lame. What do you like?”
He takes another look at my phone; the video is still playing. “Well, I like her. More specifically, her nice–”
“I got it.” I cut him off and hit the power button on my phone.
“Don’t get your panties in a bunch, Prez. What, calling dibs?”
“Shut the hell up.”
“All right.” He laughs. “She’s fair game then.”
“You’d ask her out?” I give him an unbelieving look.
“I didn’t say that, but I’d definitely hook up with her.”
The bell rings as he chuckles. We both grab our bags and head out of class.
The rest of the day goes by smoothly and by the time my fourth period class starts, I’m actually a little excited about it. Fourth period is sociology, and it’s the class Izzy and I have together. I want to thank her again for keeping my secret, but I also kind of want to push the whole ‘Hot Iron Man’ comment. Because why not?
