What A Fucking Nerd

"Ugh, can you really believe that?" the voice came from beside me, "I mean could you get any lamer?"

"I don't know," I stammer, "It's... Yeah you're probably right."

I was going to fight. I was going to protest. I mean I was just going to state my opinion but then I looked over and they just fixed me with this withering glare and I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

I just kind of froze. You'll have to forgive me for that.

But I just can't help myself for it. It's just so hard for me to speak up, to make myself heard. And sometimes the path of least resistance is just to appealing to pass up.

"Yeah," I heard myself agreeing, "I mean who would actually want to spend their weekends doing something so fucking lame."

"Right?" they nodded beside me, agreeing, "It's going to be hard enough to be taken seriously here. Who would really want to make it harder by getting a reputation as a gigantic fucking nerd?"

At a glance there was nothing I could really dispute in that statement. I mean putting myself in the shoes of the average kind of person, well gigantic fucking nerds was a pretty perfect description of what was happening over there.

How else would you really describe a booth currently staffed by wizards and rogues. Literally.

The LARP Society.

That was the name plastered across the top of the booth and it was the clearest indication of what you would get from signing up to it. I mean I didn't have any of the specifics of it, but really who needed the specifics.

And, when faced with booths staffed by handsome atheletes and cute little artists, joining that booth didn't really seem like it would have any draw to it.

The thing was, though, that it kind of did.

I mean most of the booths at the fair were staffed by single individuals, but not this one. This one had a whole group of them there, standing and chatting and having fun. And sure they looked kind of nerdy in their outfits and their fake accents, but there was a certain amount of courage that came from putting yourself out there like that.

"Well..." I started, half-stuttering, "Maybe..."

"Maybe what?" they sneered next to me.

"Maybe it could be... I don't know... I mean I like fantasy stories, so maybe it could be a little... fun."

There was silence and I was practically wincing, waiting for the snort of laughter and derision that would come from them. But to my surprise they were very, very quiet.

"I like fantasy novels too."

I turned to look at them and realized that, in spite of the fact that we'd kind of gravitated to each other, this was the first moment that we could really acknowledge having something in common. That maybe there was something more to this, some kind of potential here for something deeper.

And then they gave a rakish half grin and a shrug and leaned in a little closer, almost laughing as they got a little reckless.

"What the hell, why not?" they said, "I mean the Kim's will have our asses if we don't sign up for something so why not this. That'll teach those preppy fucks. LARPing? I think I could handle that."

I watched them step forward, striding forward with their shoulders back and their head high and I wondered how they had such confidence. I wondered whether I could ever find that kind of confidence myself.

"You coming?" they shot over their shoulder as I stumbled to follow.

"Yeah Eddie," I reassured him, "I'm right behind you."

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