Reedited on 12/12/20. Update on 12/25/20, and 11/19/21 more shipping views:
Nate x Gina: Okay, who even STARTED this? They are ENEMIES! And it REALLY shows in the books and comic strips just like Nate x Jenny. UGH!
Chad x Gina: Yuck! No! Not going to happen...
Chad x Maya: Make a great item as evidenced in "In the Zone!" Though I hope the comic strips pick up this couple soon since they aren't shown at all...
Chapter 2: Standing up to an arch rivaled classmate.
The next day, Nate got up really early in the morning and packed up his backpack with his previous assignments and overdue library books school and made his way to PS 38 alone. He didn't want to be bothered right now. He had to change since he had bad grades in school and attends peer counseling.
So Nate made his way through the school entrance, in the first thing he did was returned his overdue library books (much to Mrs. Hickson's delight), and made his way to his very messy locker. He then proceeded to clean up whatever junk he had in that locker and threw most of the unwanted garbage away and collected whatever homework assignments he had in it.
Soon a little bit of time passed, most of PS 38 classmates begin pouring into the school. But luckily for Nate, the boy was able to ask for extra assignments to redo his homework, much to the confusion from most of his teachers. Nate then made his way to social studies class. There was Mrs. Godfrey, one of his arch rivals, who gave Nate the usual glare. Nate didn't mind this, of course, mainly due to how much Nate really is a bad student.
Nate then approached Randy, who seemed pretty bitter about yesterday.
"Hey," Nate says to Randy.
"Hi," Randy replied back.
"That was something yesterday."
"Sure was."
"Um, Randy?"
"Yeah?"
"...never mind."
"I know you wanna say something, so say it."
"...I didn't have a great day yesterday."
"Why's that, Nate?"
"When I got home from school yesterday, two things occurred. One: I might be moving to California. And two: When I tried to talk to my friends, they didn't listen, so I had to shout at them to listen. Then all of the sudden, Dee Dee starts playing a game called 'I'm not talking to you until you calm down' on me."
"...is that right?"
Nate nodded.
Randy then asked, "Why are moving to California?
"Because there is some company wants to hire my dad there," Nate replies.
"I see. Is there anything I can do?"
"Not really, no. It's a fifty-fifty chance that I might be moving because Dad has one more job interview lined up. If that never succeeds, my next stop will be in California."
"Yikes. I'm… I'm sorry that you have to endure this. I don't mean to be a little off, but does that I get to have Ruby? For myself?"
"...sure. Knock yourself out."
"Thanks," Randy said and hugged Nate. Nate was surprised by this but then later returned the favor. Until a voice suddenly comes in.
"No hugging in school."
Nate and Randy pulled away from each other to the see who it was that spoke to them.
It was Principal Nichols, the school principal. And he was pretty happy, to be honest.
"Though I am pretty happy that you two are finally getting along with each other. So that's something."
"Sure is," Nate replies to the principal, who then walked away to the teacher's lounge.
Nate then turned to Randy then said, "One more thing. If you want to Ruby to love you, at least put the bullying persona behind you, okay?"
"Okay," Randy replied then suddenly looked at the strange object in Nate's pocket.
"What is that?" Randy asks.
"A taser," Nate replied.
Randy was stunned then said, "You better have a good reason why you brought that to school. Otherwise, you're gonna be in BIG trouble."
"But it will be worth the shot," Nate replied again.
"What are you going use that for?" Randy asks.
"I got just the thing."
After that, the conversation ended. The pair their separate ways. And little did Nate knew that his friends were actually watching Nate hug Randy in person.
And so, class eventually begin. The bell rang and sooner or later, Mrs. Godfrey was at the chalkboard, doing her usual teaching thing (about social studies class, of course).
Several minutes later, this is when… well… um… we'll let it describe it.
Nate was minding his own business following along in class with the teacher when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He ignored it because he didn't want any trouble right now. But then a whisper came along with it.
"Nate?"
It was Ruby, Nate's latest crush, and would-be girlfriend. Nate really disliked the idea of hurting Ruby's feelings by saying he's not interested in starting a relationship with her. But because of the California plan, Nate knew at one point he had to spill the beans.
For now, Nate didn't respond to Ruby and tried his best to follow along in class. But she kept bugging Nate so much and just as he was about to burst with anger, Mrs. Godfrey suddenly called on Nate for a question.
"Nate?"
Nate jumped, as he immediately feared he was gonna get the sledgehammer from his teacher, but ended up crashing onto to the ground, much to everyone's amusement.
"You ok, Nate?" Mrs. Godfrey asked.
"I'm fine, but a fly kept bugging me and wouldn't let me answer your question," Nate responded.
Then with narrowed eyes, Mrs. Godfrey said, "Well tell that fly to leave you alone for the rest of the class time, okay?"
"Okay," Nate replied.
Then Mrs. Godfrey turned back to the board. Nate took a quiet breath of relief and turned to look back to his textbook. Then, a whisper came along again.
"Nate."
It was Ruby.
"Not now," Nate whispered quietly to his would-be girlfriend.
"Um, Nate? Are you oka-" Ruby whispered but was suddenly got cut off by Nate snapping back-
"Not. NOW!" Nate snapped back, immediately shocking Ruby.
Mrs. Godfrey immediately turned to see what the problem was.
"What's going on?" she asks.
Nate didn't want detention, so he then replied to Mrs. Godfrey's demand.
"Something's bothering me."
Mrs. Godfrey raised an eyebrow, then asked.
"Something….or someone?"
"...someone," Nate replied back to his teacher.
Mrs. Godfrey nodded her head slowly then asked, "Would you like to sit somewhere else?"
Nate really hated to do this, especially to Ruby, but he knew he was getting rallied up again. So Nate agreed.
"...with pleasure," Nate replies to Mrs. Godfrey, and then (believe it or not) actually begins pulling his desk away from Ruby, much to his friends' shock (and Dee Dee letting out a gasp), and Mrs. Godfrey's immediate confusion.
"Where... are you going?" she asks her student.
Nate ignored this question and placed his desk close to Mrs. Godfrey's desk, and then pulled out his redo assignments and finished and questions he missed. Mrs. Godfrey then slowly walked over to Nate's desk and put her hand on Nate's redo assignments. Nate looked up to his teacher who then asked, "Please answer my question. Why are you moving your desk over to MY desk?"
"To avoid trouble," Nate replied back.
Mrs. Godfrey then switched Nate's assignments to her direction and looked at it a bit. Few moments pass, then…
"Not one sight of cartoons. Not one."
"The only other cartoon there is is in my backpack," Nate chimed in.
"Is that a one-way ticket to detention?"
"No."
"May I at least see it so I know you're not lying?"
"Sure."
And Mrs. Godfrey looked at the comic. Here's how it went:
Mrs. Czerwicki: Put your head on your desk. And no talking!
Nate: What a sensible suggestion! I'll consider the consequences of my actions!
After several minutes of introspection…
Nate: That cartoon I drew was so MEAN! How could I have been so cruel? I must apologize to Mrs. Godfrey IMMEDIATELY!
Mrs. Czerwicki: Run! Run like the wind!
But…
Nate: Where's Mrs. Godfrey?
Random Sub: She was so devastated by your cartoon, she had to be HOSPITALIZED!
*Shame Cam Close-up!*
Nate: Oh No!
Soon, at the hospital…
Nurse: Her heart is broken! She's on life support!
Nate: What have I done? Mrs. Godfrey! Can you forgive me? I promise to NEVER draw mean cartoons again!
Nurse: Look! She's waking up!
Mrs. Godfrey: Even in a coma, I heard what you said! Did you mean it?
Nate: I meant EVERY word! I've seen the error of my ways! And it's all because you sent me to detention, you caring person, you!
Mrs. Godfrey: Give me a hug!
Mrs. Godfrey looked at the comic then looked straight into Nate's eyes and asked, "Are you trying to change for real, this time?"
"Of course," Nate replies then, believe it or not, actually gets up and HUGS Mrs. Godfrey in front of everyone in the classroom.
For real.
Everyone was stunned. No one has ever seen Nate hug Mrs. Godfrey. Then the student stopping hugging Mrs. Godfrey, knowing she would ask to stop being hugged then the teacher on why Nate would change for real, this time. But before Nate could answer, the intercom comes on.
"Mrs. Godfrey. Your coffee's ready."
"Coming," Mrs. Godfrey replies to the intercom. She then turns back to Nate saying, "I'll cross that bridge when I get back."
Mrs. Godfrey then leaves the room. As soon as the door closes behind her, all eyes in the room begin landing on Nate. At first, he tried to deny it by looking behind him and asking:
"What are we supposed to be looking at?"
"You," a voice says.
It was Gina Hemphill-Toms, Nate's worst arch-enemy. EVER.
"This is almost like the one time you were hypnotized to try to stay neat. You're onto something again. Tell me this instant!" Gina angrily demanded.
"Nothing," Nate replied.
"Talk!"
"No."
"I mean it. You're faking again. Start talking!"
"Says a girl who won't shut up about A pluses and nonstop homework."
"I care about studying. All you care about is your stupid little comics."
"I've seen the error of my ways, Gina. I have nothing to hide from you. I'm coming out as a changed man."
"Says the guy who yelled at a girl and pulled his desk away from her!"
"I didn't want detention again, sweetheart. I get into trouble about every day."
"...did you just call me sweetheart?"
"Yes, I did. Thank you for noticing."
"Why?"
"Because…"
"Because why?"
"Because...I'm madly in love with you."
Stunned silence. Then everyone went:
"Ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhh."
Gina looks at Nate with a very shocked look on her face.
"You...WHAT!?"
"You heard me," Nate says quietly.
"Well just for the record, Nate, just so we are perfectly clear on this (even I have already said this the one time the 'Nate likes Gina' rumors were around at the time)...I. REALLY. HATE. YOUR. GUTS!"
"Hey, calm down, sweetheart. Just calm d-"
"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN, YOU LITTLE BRAT! COMICS ARE JUST OF TIME IN MY OPINION AND I THINK IT'S BEST THAT YOU SHOULD BE IN BIG TROUBLE IN FACT I THINK YOU SHOULDN'T EVEN EXIST!"
Those words out of Gina's mouth struck cold on Nate. And the classroom was silent and still, not even making a single move. But this didn't stop Nate from prevailing by saying this after a few moments of silence:
"Well get over it, Gina. Oh wait, I take that back. That 'Nate likes Gina' rumors, they're actually not real at all. I don't actually love you. I despise you."
"Then why did you say it in the first place?" Gina growled through clenched teeth.
"Just to let you know that Mrs. Godfrey doesn't actually like you and to get your sinister smirk off your face for once!"
"And what does that mean?"
"My sister was Mrs. Godfrey's favorite student, so you're not the only one who is Mrs. Godfrey's favorite students and stop being Mrs. Godfrey's toy. You're not her toy to play with. She doesn't love you! And another thing is that not everyone in the world likes you, so don't try to justify yourself, because it's not going to work and that you get people into trouble and you repeatedly do it just for your own benefit. You might be right too. Comics are a waste of time. And the last thing I want to tell you is that I'm trying to change for real, this time, so try not to stop me or set me up for reason, okay?"
Gina wanted to explode with anger so much on Nate, but unfortunately for her, tears were slowly pouring down her cheeks. The class looked at Gina in surprise. No one has ever seen Gina close to crying like this. Until a few seconds later, she DID cry.
"You're WRONG!" Gina cried, immediately wiping her now-damped face with ongoing tears. "Mrs. Godfrey does love me. She DOES! You're the problem. And I'm going to dispose of you and make everything right!"
Gina began laughing like a crazed maniac with tears still coming down her cheeks and slowly made her way towards Nate, who began to panic.
"What are you doing?" he asks Gina.
"I'm going to KILL you!" Gina snapped at Nate as she got closer and closer to him. Just then, a voice intervenes.
"And what is all this commotion about?"
Everyone turns to the source of the speaker. It was Mrs. Godfrey, who had just returned in a nick of time with her coffee.
"Uh...nothing!" Gina says, turning from monstrous to super sweet in one millisecond.
"Didn't sound like it to ME," Mrs. Godfrey said, immediately frowning in the process. "You sounded like you were THREATENING the boy's life with certain death."
"But...but…" Gina started to protest, but the damage was done.
Immediately, Mrs. Godfrey puts her coffee on her desk and pulls out a pink pad and begins writing on it. Afterwards, she hands the pink slip to Gina saying, "Report to detention after school today."
Gina gasped. "D...detention?"
"That's your second time you got detention, Gina," Nate whispered quietly to Gina.
"You should be the one to go to detention!" Gina snapped at Nate, pointing directly at the spiky haired boy.
"Calm down," Nate replies quietly.
"I am calm. What's with you people?"
Gina immediately regretted what she just said, because of the next few seconds later...
"...you people?" Mrs. Godfrey repeated, jumping into the argument.
Everyone looked at Gina with shock.
"What? No no no no no no no no. No. I don't mean you people. I mean you people," Gina responded back.
Mrs. Godfrey was furious now.
"Gina, I will NOT tolerate any disgusting behavior in this classroom! This is a very difficult time for our country as of right now!"
"But...but I'm not disgusting! I'm just saying that-"
Nate immediately cut off Gina and unbeknownst to anyone, began pulling out a taser saying:
"I'm only gonna say this one more time, Gina," Nate says to Gina. "Calm. Down."
"I'M CALM!" Gina screamed at Nate. And at that very moment, Nate went for the kill and tased Gina right on the chest and knocked her to the ground cold. Bullseye!
The crowd was stunned by the event. Seconds later, everyone began saying things such as-
"Nate tasered Gina!"
"OMG. Did you see that?"
"He just stood up to her."
"She'll feel THAT in the morning."
And yes, the tasering left Gina twitching like crazy too.
"Ugh, she was getting on my nerves," Nate mumbled to himself.
Nate then went back to his seat. Then he heard someone clear her throat.
"Ahem!"
Nate looked up. It was Mrs. Godfrey. She didn't look happy. And knowing that she will want the taser immediately, he hands it over to her, who said:
"Can you give one good reason why I shouldn't tell the principal about what you did just now?"
"...because I have all my make-up work done for you," Nate replied, handing not one, not two, but ALL his make-up work to his teacher effective immediately.
Mrs. Godfrey took all the assignments and looked at it and was stunned that there were no cartoons in sight. She then looked at Nate in surprise and asked:
"You...did all this?"
Nate nodded.
"Sure did," he responded.
"And where did you get that taser?"
"From my Dad's room."
"Did he say you could bring it to school?"
Nate didn't want to lie, so he told the truth.
"No."
"Then that's not quite enough to save you from getting suspended, or expelled."
The classroom went silent. Nate didn't want to lose the argument against his teacher, so he had to go all out instead of backing down now.
"You look like a beauty queen," Nate replied.
"...still not enough."
Nate didn't want to tell anyone else (besides Randy) that he might be moving to California, especially when everyone is in the classroom present and in earshot (except for an unconscious Gina).
Instead, Nate whispered the news to Mrs. Godfrey's ear.
After a few moments, Mrs. Godfrey then said, "I see. I'll ask your dad if that's true then. One more thing if you don't want big trouble:"
Mrs. Godfrey then pointed at Nate's desk close to Mrs. Godfrey's desk. "Move that to where it originally was, and I'll consider not telling the principal what you did."
"Okay," Nate replied. He then moved his desk back to where it belonged to. And for the rest of the class time, it was all too quiet for anyone to talk.
And soon, the bell rang. Social Studies is over (For now).
*Phew! That took longer than expected. Please comment on what you think of this chapter, and see you all next time! ;)*