LOGINShare
Prologue
publish date:
2026-01-18 04:42:26When I was in fifth grade, I got cast as the female lead in a school play. Yes, you guessed right… Romeo and Juliet.
At first, I was totally shellshocked. I kept wondering why I was picked because, at the time, I was fully rocking what can only be described as the Annie-from-the-80s-but-with-less-charm look. Frizzy hair that defied gravity, buck teeth that announced my presence before I even opened my mouth, and an overall aura of someone who had never met a hairbrush she liked. To the best of my knowledge, Juliet did not come with frizz or orthodontic ambition.
Still, I convinced myself this was my moment. My glow-up arc. My destiny. This could have been one of the silver linings of my life. If only my Romeo had not completely chickened out.
There was a kiss scene, of course, the scene every girl secretly dreams of. Lights dimmed, hearts pounding, stage magic and all that nonsense. I had been counting down to it with the enthusiasm of a kid who just discovered that chocolate exists.
And then it happened. I puckered my lips. Heart racing. Eyes closed. Ready to step into my leading-lady era.
He screamed. Not politely. Not quietly. He full-on screamed.
Then he ran. Right off the stage. Claiming that my “unfortunate appearance” reminded him of the Big Bad Wolf.
As if I was supposed to shapeshift into a swan mid-scene. As if he had not known exactly what he was signing up for when he auditioned. And to be fair, he was not exactly a Renaissance painting himself. His head was as huge as Thor’s butt. Picture that.
That moment marked the beginning of my tragic relationship with Romeos, or rather, the lack thereof. From then on, love and I reached a quiet understanding: it would appear, wreak havoc, and leave me emotionally naked on a metaphorical stage while everyone watched.
Still, I refused to give up. I genuinely believed I would become one of those windblown, utterly adored girls. The ones who get love letters, flowers, loyalty, and lifetime warranties on happiness.
For a short while, I actually had it all. Popularity. Designer clothes. A boy who absolutely loved me like his life depended on it.
And then poof.
Popularity, gone.
Friends ditched.
The boy, history.
The life I thought I had evaporated.
I still own a pair of Louboutins and an issue of A Lady’s Guide to Not Messing Up Twice. That counts for something, right?
My name is Annalise McDermott. And for the record, I am a nerd. A hopeless romantic. A person who believes in love even when it clearly hates me back. This is my playbook, a chronicle of terrible timing, questionable decisions, and the kind of love that shows up when you least expect it, usually right after you've sworn you’re never falling in love again.
So here is a little friendly advice: do not follow my advice. At least not until the very end.
Latest chapter
The Nerd's Playbook |14| Night Walks
The rest of my shift passed in fragments. Orders blurred. Conversations overlapped. I caught flashes of Dean’s profile when I wasn’t looking for him, which annoyed me more than I cared to admit. He barely touched his food. Ruby ate in huge chunks, as if she was not savoring the meal but the situation.When the terrace finally thinned, Antonia waved me over. “Take a break, Lisa.”I slipped into the narrow corridor near the storage room, pressing my palms against the cool wall. My chest rose and fell unevenly. I wasn’t upset, I told myself. Just unsettled. When I returned from my break, Dean and Ruby were nowhere to be found. I breathed a sigh of relief.I clocked out as fast as Antonia would allow.She pressed some leftover churros into a paper bag like contraband, and told me not to work myself thin. I promised I wouldn’t and stepped outside before she could read my face too closely.The evening air was cooler than I expected. The streetlights along the driveway hummed softly, illumin
The Nerd's Playbook |13| Restaurants and Disappointment
Monday afternoons dragged longer than they were supposed to.But as I crossed the street toward Antonia’s grill, my steps slowed without my permission. The bell from Newton Prep still rang faintly in my ears, a reminder that yesterday hadn’t been a dream. The stadium lights. The roar of the crowd. The way one boy had found me in a sea of faces like I’d been standing alone under a spotlight.I tightened my grip on my bag and exhaled. Work was work. By the time I pushed through the swinging doors of the restaurant, the familiar warmth wrapped around me like a second skin. Garlic, olive oil, and something sweet lingered in the air. Antonia looked up from behind the counter and smiled, the kind of smile that settled your nerves without asking questions.“Querida!” she shouted excitedly, wiping her hands on her apron. “Good to see you. How was your weekend?”“Pretty exhausting,” I sighed. “Newton Prep is nothing like my old school.”Her eyes softened. Antonia had that way about her. She w
The Nerd's Playbook |12| The Stranger Has A Name
He stood slightly apart from the others, taller than I remembered, broader in the shoulders. His jersey stretched across his chest, white and unforgiving, the bold black number one stamped against his back like a declaration. His hair was darker under the floodlights, curls damp at the edges, enhancing his boyish features. He laughed at something a teammate said, head tipped back, utterly at ease.My breath caught.No.No, no, no. “That’s Dean?” I whispered faintly.Sally didn't answer.And for a split second, he was the only person I saw on the field. He was my central focus. Every other person was blurred in the background. The stadium noise dimmed, like someone had turned the volume down on reality. My heart slammed once, hard enough to hurt.The announcer called his name.The crowd surged to its feet, sound rising in a violent wave, but I didn’t move. My fingers tightened around the edge of the bench as if it might drift away from me. I forgot to breathe. I forgot Penny and Sally
The Nerd's Playbook |11| Game Night
I flicked the gum from my mouth into the small bin beside my study desk and raised my fist weakly.“He shoots. He scores.”Penny laughed without looking up from the tub of ice cream balanced on her knee. It was chocolate chip cookie dough, already half gone.“This is what happens when you grow up surrounded by boys,” I added, preemptively defensive.“No further explanation needed, Lisa,” she said, shoveling in another spoonful. “I see you.”I leaned back against my pillows, staring at the ceiling. The dorm room smelled faintly of laundry detergent and sugar. Outside, the late afternoon sun slanted through the windows, warm and lazy, as if even the day had decided to take a break.“This is the laziest Saturday I’ve ever had,” I said.Penny hummed in agreement, licking chocolate from her thumb. “This is so good. Are you sure you don’t want some?”“I’m sure,” I said, as my eyelids drooped. Exhaustion clung to me in layers. Newton Prep had a way of draining you without ever raising its vo
The Nerd's Playbook |10| The New Girl
The bell rang like a dismissal and a warning all at once.Conversations resumed, louder than before, as if everyone had been holding their breath and finally remembered how to breathe again. Chairs scraped. Trays shifted. Laughter burst out in uneven pockets. Brianna Kendricks was already halfway across the dining hall, but her presence lingered behind her like a spicy fragrance.Penny leaned toward me. “I don’t like her.”“She might be a good person for all you know.” I murmured sweetly, ever the optimist.“I don’t like people who insult my clothes without making eye contact.”I almost smiled, but the knot in my chest refused to loosen.Shirley checked her watch. “Come on. You’ll miss first period if we don’t move.”As we stood, I felt it again. That strange awareness. As though something had been pressed into me and left a mark I couldn’t see. Brianna hadn
The Nerd's Playbook |09| The Mini Devils
Brianna slid into a seat near the center table. The chair beside her remained empty. No one questioned it. She crossed her legs, lifted her chin slightly, and only then did she smile. It was beautiful. Polite. Empty.“She doesn’t look real,” I said before I could stop myself.Shirley dramatically grabbed my hand. “She isn't real.”“Why does everyone look like they’re holding their breath?”Shirley leaned closer to us, lowering her voice. “Because Brianna doesn’t compete. She eats people alive.”Penny raised her eyebrows."She has influence, attention, money, and connections. ”Brianna laughed at something someone said. It wasn’t loud, but it carried. I watched as two girls leaned in closer to her, nodding eagerly, their smiles tight at the edges.“She’s Oswald Kendricks’ daughter,” Shirley added.
You may also like
A Virgin For The Player
Veliciah174.6K viewsStranded with My Stepbrother
M. Francis Hastings38.0K viewsIm -perfect
Zoumi51.5K viewsThe Bad Boy Thinks I'm Suicidal
Miss Sarcasm30.4K viewsHER: Secrets I carried alone
Tori358 viewsMy billionaire boss saw my gangbang video
Ariawrites1.1K viewsFake Dating The School's Most Dangerous Boy
The Butterfly Mind466 viewsToo Big to Fit.
Generis10.0K views
