The next day in school Kimberly was talking with Melissa and Heather while she got her books out of her locker for her next class.

"I went over to Theodore's house last night. I told him it was to work on the project, but I didn't tell him WHICH project! He just assumed it was the biology project for Grody Brody's class!"

The girls all giggled knowing what she meant. "Yeah, I got all dolled up and I wore my slinky red minidress and my black CFM's."

"You didn't!" Heather gasped. They giggled again.

"So what happened?" Melissa inquired.

"Well, that's where it gets really weird. I was doing the whole seduction thing–you know telling him how sorry I was that I had mistreated him all these years and how I wanted Todd and the guys to stop picking on him.

"I asked him to forgive me for acting like a bitch to him. He said he forgave me so to put the seal on it, I gave him a little kiss."

"Eww gross! You kissed that?" Heather commented.

"Yeah, I did. At first, I thought the same thing. But then as I was kissing him I realized that guy is a hell of a kisser!"

"EEEWWW!" Heather and Melissa squealed together.

"No, I'm serious. He can really kiss. In fact, as I was kissing him, I... well I kinda got turned on!"

"NO WAY!" Melissa said her eyes wide as dinner plates over her girlfriend's revelation.

"Yeah. Anyway, I had already decided to go through with Todd's challenge so we made out for a bit then went into his room..."

The girls were standing there practically salivating at this juicy gossip.

"Girls, that nerd has got a cock on him that would make a horse jealous! Oh my God, can he use it too!" Kim said.

Heather and Melissa were too stunned to make any kind of comment at that point. They stood there like a couple of zombies, just listening to Kim go on about Theo's performance.

"Yeah, he fucked me last night and made me cum two or three times. But what's more, he actually cared about me having a good time over his own enjoyment!

"He made me cum once and then as we cuddled–yes, he actually wanted to cuddle and hold me afterward–I noticed he hadn't cum.

"He had told me going in that he was a virgin, and after that performance... well I felt kinda obligated, I guess, to help him get past that. So we did it again and he made me cum a second time–this time with him as well."

"H-how was it?" Melissa asked, still trying to wrap her head around this news.

"Oh my GOD, girls, he is fantastic! I'm not just saying this as part of the whole challenge thing–I mean it.

"Feeling that cock inside me, spreading me open further than anyone ever has, it was incredible! Okay, so he's not the most handsome or most popular guy around.

"I'm not saying I have any feelings for him or anything. But one thing is for damn sure–he can outfuck anyone I've ever been with and that includes Mr. Todd Peterson!

"And what's more, he cares about my feelings and my pleasure... something Todd has never done, even when we first started going together. Todd is all about Todd and what makes him happy.

"But Theo... he cares about me, even over himself. It's... nice. Nice to be appreciated, and nice to be taken care of for a change."

Melissa and Heather were dumbstruck that their girl would be talking like this. After all, she was the head cheerleader and the most popular girl in school.

Kim could have her pick of any guy in WHK. And she was going on about a nerd! It was not only not heard of... it was unnatural! It was as if the whole order of the universe had been flipped on its ear!

Then the class bell rang, shaking the girls from their dazed bewilderment. With a "We'll talk later!" the girls broke up to go to their respective classes. 

It didn't take long for Todd to get wind of what had happened with Theo and Kim. Gossip like that travels through the "grapevine" like lightning through the night sky. And the very next day, Todd and his two cronies came walking down the hall towards Theo while he was at his locker.

"Hey, nerd. I heard what happened between you and Kim. Looks like I owe her $200.00!"

The look on Theo's face was exactly what he wanted to see and he grinned maliciously. 

"Oh, that's right–you didn't know about the little challenge I gave her! Well, a few days ago she told me to lay off picking on you. She said she was bored with it and that you never did anything to me.

"I accused her of being sweet on you and told her I would give her $200.00 if she would have sex with you. So I guess she earned her money!"

Theo was crushed. He slammed his locker shut and ran off before he burst into tears, but not before he heard the cruel and heartless laughter from Todd and the others as he ran down the hallway. 

Very proud of himself, Todd went to tell Kim all about how he humiliated the nerd. "You should have seen the look on his face! It was priceless! Even Scott and Randy were impressed!"

"YOU DID WHAT? I could KILL you, Todd Peterson! I can't believe you could be so fucking heartless! I never ever want to hear from you again and if I do I will tell everyone all your little secrets–and believe me, I know enough about you to make for some very juicy gossip!"

Kim stormed off, too pissed off to even look at her now ex-boyfriend. She went to find Theo and try to explain what happened but she was unable to find him anyplace.

Frantically, she walked up and down the hallways, checked in rooms she thought he might be in and everywhere but there was no sign of him. As she walked around she asked everyone she passed if they had seen him but no one knew where he might be. 

Kim was desperate and enlisted the help of Melissa and Heather. After explaining what Todd had done, they readily agreed to help look for him. The three girls scoured the school top to bottom to try to find him.

They began to think he might have left the school altogether and was getting ready to call his mother when Melissa spotted a shadow under the staircase at one end of the main hallway. She went around the corner and called Kim on her cellphone. 

"Kim, it's Melissa! I found Theo. He's sitting under the stairs at the end of the hallway in front of the cafeteria!"

"Oh thank god! Okay, I'll be right there. Keep your eyes on him!"

Kim showed up less than a minute later and Melissa pointed to the shadow still under the stairs.

Kim approached the stairs And Theo saw her coming. He crawled out and started to run off again. "Theo, wait! Please wait, Theo!" He ran into the cafeteria and she caught up to him just as he got inside. 

"Theo, please, let me explain! Please!"

Theo whirled around at that point. "Yes, why don't you explain. Why don't you explain how you tricked me, how you lied to me, and how you embarrassed me in front of everyone.

"Kim, I have never been so humiliated in all my life. You do realize that by now I am probably the laughing stock of the whole school. So explain to me just what I did that was so wrong you felt you had to do this to me!"

"I am so sorry, Theo, I never meant for this to happen. All this started out because I was tired of the way Todd was picking on you. It had gotten old and I wanted him to stop.

"But he accused me of being sweet on you and when I denied it, he told me he'd give me $200 if I would give you a blowjob or have sex with you.

"So I took him up on his bet to teach him a lesson. I figured that if I did it and then played you up to be some big stud, he would realize that he could lose me and maybe he should treat me better. 

"My plan backfired, though, when you kissed me. Theo, I meant what I said about never being kissed like that before and when you and I had sex–wow! 

"I never wanted to hurt you, Theo. In fact, I was tired of Todd hurting you. But I guess I did anyway and for that, I am truly sorry."

"Kim, this all sounds like a very good movie plot and maybe someday, someone will make the 'Poor Geek Wins The Girl' movie you describe. But I don't want any part in it.

"So why don't you go back to your vapid, plastic, perfect life and leave me and the rest of us nobodies the hell alone!" 

He stomped out of the cafeteria leaving Kim crying at the table. Melissa and Heather had been at the doorway of the cafeteria and when they saw Theo leave, they came to the aid of their heartbroken friend. 

"Kim, let him have a couple of days to cool off and then maybe you can talk to him and work things out" 

"Yeah, Todd was a jerk and you are better off without him. But Theo seems like a good guy. He'll see things more clearly when he cools off."

"I hope you are right, Heather, I really like him. I hope we can get past this." 

For the next two weeks, Kim tried over and over to call him. But Theo was either not home or the answering machine picked up and he didn't return her calls.

She tried to catch him at school, but he ignored her or walked the other direction when he saw her. He didn't want to talk to her or anyone else. 

Kim also became something of a recluse. She missed the biology class that they had together. She skipped cheerleading practice and even a big football game because she didn't have the heart to be cheerful and she certainly didn't want to see Todd.

When the head of the cheerleading squad started talking about replacing Kim as head cheerleader, the girls knew they needed to take action. 

One day, the two girls came over to Theo's house to talk to him. His mom had gone to work a couple of hours prior, and Theo was just holed up at home watching TV. It was raining that day, so when there was a knock on the door, Theo saw who was at the door and wasn't going to answer it at first. 

"Go away! I don't want to talk to anyone!"

"Come on, Theo, we need to talk to you. It's important! C'mon, you aren't going to leave two girls out here in the rain to catch pneumonia!"

He opened the door. "Come on it then. By the way, you don't catch pneumonia from getting wet! Now, why are you here? And how did you get my address anyway?"

Melissa began explaining...

"Heather and I went to the school office and when the secretary had to step out of the office for a second, Heather looked your name up on the school records. It had your address and phone number. We wrote it down so we could come here to talk to you."

"You know you could get in a lot of trouble for doing that!"

"Whatever. Listen, Theo, Kim is really hurting. She has stopped hanging with us–with anyone. She has missed some classes, especially the biology class you and her have.

"She has even missed cheerleader practice and one big game. The coach is thinking about cutting her from the squad." 

Then Heather piped up.

"Theo, I completely understand and agree with you about Todd. I told Kim I thought he was an arrogant, self-centered asshole. I don't like the way he treats her, and I don't like the way he thinks the whole school is there to serve him. But to be completely honest with you, Kim isn't entirely to blame in this mess.

"Yes, Todd bet Kim $200 to have sex with you, but me and Melissa encouraged her to go through with it to teach Todd a lesson. We knew what she was doing and went along with it. No one expected things to turn out this way."

Melissa began again trying to get Theo to understand.

"Theo, Kim really cares about you. Sure maybe at first, it was all a big joke in order to get Todd to straighten up. But then she realized that he wasn't what she thought he was and she started having feelings for you. Now she is devastated that you and her are fighting like this.

"Theo, let me be straight here. Kim cares for you, honest she does. Heather and I have nothing to gain or lose by telling you this - we just want our friend to be happy. You make her happy. We have seen how happy she has been with you. 

"But it's up to you. You can go to her and talk this out, forgive her for making a stupid mistake and the two of you can get back to being happy. Or you can continue to hold this grudge and not speak to each other, be miserable and wind up lonely and separate. 

"If that is your choice, just know that it's going to keep spiraling down until you both have lost any chance at being happy. Think about it, but don't think too long, or it might be too hard to come back.

"You have a chance to have the girl of your dreams, the head cheerleader. All you have to do is go to her. She's waiting for you to take her back."

Then Heather and Melissa left Theo to his thoughts.

A couple of days later, Kim was standing in the school hallway with Melissa and Heather talking. Theo came up the hallway towards them and approached the girls.  

"Come with me, Kim." That was all he said and it wasn't a request, but a command. He began walking down the hallway towards the cafeteria and went inside with Kim walking right behind him. They sat at a table in the middle of the room all alone.

"Kim, what you did to me was terrible. You hurt me worse than I've ever been hurt before. But I understand that it wasn't really directed at me, I just happened to be a pawn in your game.

"I also have been told by a couple of little birdies that you just might have some kind of feelings towards me. Is that true?"

Kim hung her head. "Yes."

"I see. Well, I have thought about this a lot in the last couple weeks or so and the circumstances being what they are, I don't want to fight anymore.

"I forgive you, Kim... but don't do anything like this again. I am not a chess piece and I am not a trophy to be won. I have feelings too, believe it or not, and I don't like having my heart stomped on."

"You forgive me? You mean you want to get back together?"

"Well, actually, Kim, I didn't realize we were together to begin with, but yes."

"Oh, Theo! Oh, thank you, yes! Yes, I want to get back together–or together–with you!" She jumped up and threw her arms around his neck and hugged and kissed him.

He turned her slightly and she saw Heather and Melissa peeking around the corner of the doorway. She mouthed a silent "Thank you" to them. The girls left quietly, happy that they had their head cheerleader back.

For the rest of their days in high school, Theo and Kim were THE item in the school. Kim took to "un-nerding" him– she took him shopping for new, more fashionable clothes, got his hair cut and styled better, and made him look more together than he had been.

Once she had his appearance taken care of, she began teaching him how to act "cool". The transformation was nothing short of miraculous. Before long, the kids in school couldn't believe it was the same gawky teenager.

Theo had a new air of confidence and style that made him part of the "in crowd". But even though he was no longer part of the masses like he once was, Theo did not forget what it was like to be amongst them.

He made it a point to treat everyone the same no matter what crowd they ran with, unlike his predecessor Todd.

Theo and Kim had a wonderful last couple of years at high school and became very close. But soon it was graduation day. Then the summer of their graduation also slipped away and it was time for Theo to head off to college.

The college, Theo was going to be attending was about seven hours away by driving, so it would be possible for him to come home for Christmas vacation, spring break, and summer vacation.

On occasions, when they had a three-day weekend, Kim could drive up to see him. In addition, they could write emails back and forth and Skype to keep in touch. Kim promised to wait for him and he promised to come back as often and as soon as he possibly could.

The four years went by and the two did stay close. They enjoyed their times together very much and tolerated the times they had to be apart. And although sometimes it was hard to say goodbye, the welcome homes made up for it.

Soon, graduation time was near. Theo was about to be the first person in his family to graduate college and he wanted both his mother and Kim there when he got his diploma.

They drove up to the college a couple of days before and got a hotel room close to the university. The big day came and the girls were seated when the graduating class came in to the familiar tune "Pomp and Circumstance".

After the Valedictorian had given his speech at the start of the program, the graduates got their diplomas and were all seated again. Now it was time for the Salutatorian speech and the closing of the ceremony.

Theo didn't quite make Valedictorian, but he was the Salutatorian and he came up to deliver the closing speech. Many of his remarks mirrored the Valedictorian speech, except when at the end, he decided to go off script!

"Ladies and Gentlemen, fellow classmates, distinguished guests. If you will allow me a brief moment, I would like to send out a special personal thank you to a person who has shown me that there is more to life than textbooks and test scores.

"This college, for all its grandeur, is but a small sidenote when compared to the rest of our lives. And finding happiness and fulfillment in that life should be our top priority because, without it, all the education and degrees won't mean much.

"The person I would like to thank has shown me that happiness and that fulfillment. Kimberly Daniels would you please come up on stage with me?"

Kimberly began walking up to the stage embarrassed to be called out in front of everyone but still doing as he asked. When she got to the top of the stairs, he was there to take her hand and walk her to the center of the stage.

"Kimberly, you have shown me that love can overcome anything. And you have taught me the meaning of belonging to something greater than myself.

"Before I met you, my life was dull and meaningless, but you have brought a purpose to it that I would not have known otherwise.

"But the really amazing thing is that you didn't step down from your pedestal as head cheerleader and the most popular girl in school to do it. Instead, you reached down and pulled me up to you.

"You pulled me out of the darkness I had been living in and showed me a light and a warmth that I would never have seen trapped in the faceless masses.

"Kimberly, for these things and so many more I will never be able to thank you enough..."

A collective gasp came forward from the audience as Theo pulled his gown up a bit and knelt down on one knee, pulling out a small box from his pocket and opening it up for her.

"... but if you will accept me one more time, I will spend the rest of my life trying."

Kimberly stood there with her hand over her mouth for several moments, crying too hard to speak. "Yes! Yes, Theo yes!" He stood up and she threw her arms around him in a huge kiss. 

The crowd erupted in a roar that threatened to tear the roof off of the building. Theo turned and Kim stood next to him still shaking.

The girls were all crying, the parents, grandparents, and older audience members were smiling proudly, and the guys were clapping and cheering.

"Class of 2018, meet the future Mrs. Theodore Franklin!"

The whole graduating class then threw their mortarboards in the air in a triumphant shout and Theo and Kim shook the hands of the Deans and then went down the stairs to the floor below.

Theo's mom came forward and Kim ran to her hugging and crying as the class gathered around to congratulate the couple and see that engagement ring!