Deconstructing the Nerd Ch. 08

The comforting gesture moved her, but didn't fully quiet her thoughts. "I... yeah -- I think I'm fine," she muttered.

"Cool," Josh nodded. "Oh and hey..."

He held out his hand, motioning for her iPhone. Reema apprehensively passed it to him. She struggled to imagine what he could be doing. Her pictures still included many images from high school, and her recent call history was mostly Cassie, but Miguel was in there, too. She watched Josh's thumbs at work, and was relieved to see that he wasn't scrolling through her files.

"Gonna put my number in here," he explained. "You know, under my proper name..." He nonchalantly returned the phone. "Let me know if you're ever not feeling so good."

"Uh, OK," Reema said, taking back her phone.

She saw Josh grin before turning to walk away. For the next few seconds -- other than realizing she was now standing alone beside a tree -- Reema struggled to come up with specific thoughts. She stared at the contact screen of her phone, where the 'J' section was now populated with a new name.

Reema read the entry: 'Josh Big One'.

Not lucid enough to draw any conclusions from it, she gazed back at the front lawn. He was gone. Or at least her foggy mind and tired eyes couldn't pick him out.

For a second, she thought he might be coming back, when she saw a guy his same height walking toward her. But as this tall guy approached, his skinnier build, dark hair color and less flattering clothing made it clear he couldn't be Josh.

The lanky stranger handed Reema the cup he was holding and made a comment about also coming outside for some air. She just gave him a half-smile, along with a curt "thanks". She took a sip of the drink, which actually tasted pretty good. The guy said something else, which she couldn't really understand, so she just continued to drink in silence.

"Well, take care now," he excused himself, disappearing almost immediately. Without thinking any further about him, Reema returned to her phone, staring at Josh's name.

'Josh Big One'. She would have to text him so he could have her number, too. That's how people exchanged numbers, right?

Her thumbs circled unsteadily over the keypad as Reema decided on the right thing to say. Her brain labored to choose the words. Writing an elaborate message wouldn't even be possible, given the state that her head was in. She eventually settled on:

Thanks -- Reema

With that, she dropped her phone back in her purse. As she did, some loud and rowdy guys leaving the party hollered in her direction.

"Ohhhhh mannnn - DAT ASS!!!"

"Hey Dorothy, leave the red slippers on when we're back at my crib!"

Reema tossed her hair back glanced in their direction, showing slight irritation. She then promptly turned her body away. A moment later, a familiar girly voice was calling her name. "There you are! Where's Josh," Cassie exuded as she strutted closer.

"He --" Reema started, before realizing she didn't actually know his whereabouts. "He, um... went somewhere..."

"Oh thanks, I understand," Cassie chuckled as she rubbed Reema's arm, switching gears to show concern for her wellbeing. "You must be freezing out here in this little hoochie top."

The accurate description of Reema's wardrobe completely went over the brown girl's head. Instead, she just voiced her agreement about the temperature. She really was cold.

"It's alright," the Blomshell continued, "We're done with this place anyways. Let's get you out of here before more random pervs try to creep on you, OK?"

Without waiting for Reema's affirmation, which she knew was going to be another blank faced 'yeah', she fetched her phone and opened the Uber app. As Cassie typed in their location, she watched Reema finish her drink, and then confusedly wonder what to do with the empty container. She smiled at the drunken nerd's cluelessness, then took a break from typing to help her out.

"Just leave it there, Ree," she pointed to the grass, and watched Reema drop the big plastic cup on the lawn. Returning to Uber, she finalized their pickup details, "33 Birch Street."

Cassie stowed away her phone and put a comforting arm around Reema, stroking her hair as they walked to the curb. She was pleased by Reema's swaying and staggered steps. The girl couldn't support herself. While they stood at the curb, a few loud boys passed behind them.

"Looking good, ladies!!"

Cassie didn't need to turn around. Despite being the quintessential blonde beauty, she knew Reema's skimpy attire tonight would attract the most attention. Their Uber vehicle arrived with impressive speed, and Cassie opened the door with one hand while ensuring her extremely intoxicated friend didn't fall over.

"You first, Princess," she guided her. One of the last moments of comedy Cassie experienced was watching Reema crawl into the back seat with her skirt riding up and her thong showing.

Cassie climbed aboard next and confirmed their destination. She repositioned Reema so that her drunk friend sat propped up against her. "The University. Crawford Residence."

The cabbie squinted into the rear view to get a better look at his passengers. "Sure," he said in a thick African accent. "Good night for having a party, huh? You leave early, though..."

It was some time between 1 and 2 A.M. and Cassie was not up for having a conversation with an ugly old man. She felt the alcohol-scented chin on her shoulder begin to move. A sequence of slurred vocals came next.

"We're going...to, her dorm," Reema babbled, with her eyes not even fully open.

The driver didn't know what to say, so he just got on with his job. Cassie's face wrinkled into a smile as the car pulled onto the street and a completely wasted Reema dozed off beside her.