Nerds Rule!: A Nerd At Any Age

Ryan Keely spots her student Eliza Ibarra looking miserable in the classroom and asks what’s wrong. Eliza blurts out that the other kids bully her for being a “nerd.” Ryan’s face softens with real understanding. “Kid, high school ends in a blink. You’re eighteen already—you’re gone in a few months,” she tells her. Then Ryan smirks and confesses she was a full-blown nerd too, and still is. The two trade favorite comics, programmers, and filthy fan theories; by the week’s end Eliza’s panting after every lecture. One afternoon the girl makes her move, hands shaking on Ryan’s thighs. Ryan hesitates a beat, then grabs Eliza by the jaw, hauls her into a sloppy, open-mouthed kiss and growls, “Nerds fuck just fine, babe—let me prove it.”