Larry wasn't always a cool, smooth-talking guy. In fact, he was a huge nerd, and he looked like one too when he was about nine years old. He wore a white button-up shirt, dark blue jeans that were pulled up to his waist, and black sneakers. His red hair was longer and shaggier, long bangs shielding his dark green eyes. But you couldn't really see his eyes. Because of his poor eyesight, he was stuck wearing thick black-rimmed glasses, drawing attention away from his eyes. And with his inhaler, Larry Nepp once looked like the biggest nerd in Peaceville Elementary High.

So what changed him? It all started when the new girl showed up in school...

As Larry was taking some books in his locker, he saw a flash of blue in the corner of his eye. Turning around, he saw what he believed was the hottest girl in the world. Her outfit was tight and she wore a rather short skirt. But what really interested him was her brown eyes, a deep contrast with her shoulder-length light blue hair.

Without warning, the school's welcome committee, twin sisters Kim and Konnie Kagami, ran over to the girl. Well, Konnie was the one who ran. Kim was rushing to keep up with her larger sister. "Welcome new girl!" Konnie exclaimed. "Let me and my sister be the first ones to say 'hello'!"

The girl scoffed. "You're the welcome committee?" she bitterly asked. "A chubby blonde girl and a pale Asian?" She walked past the sisters. "This school must have a terrible budget."

Seeing it as the opportunity to make a good first impression, Larry breathed into his inhaler and walked over to the girl. "I'm Larry Nepp," he said, blushing.

The girl took a good look at Larry. He was shaking and grinning nervously, as if he could pass out any second. But for some reason, she smiling. "The name's Carrie Beff," she said. She took out a slip of paper, wrote something down, and gave the slip to Larry. "We should hand out after school, cutie," she said with a wink.

As Carrie walked off, Larry looked at the slip. Just seeing her cell phone number was enough for him to use his inhaler again.

That afternoon, as Larry was walking home from school (as his doctor wouldn't let him sit on the school bus due to so many people talking), Carrie rushed over to him. "Hey Larry!" she called out.

"Oh... Hi, Carrie..." he muttered.

"What's wrong?" Carrie asked. "Cat got your tongue?"

"No..." Larry quietly answered. "Y-You're the first girl who called me cute."

"Oh, I am?" Carrie asked. "I'm sure there are tons of girl who think you're cute."

"I wish," Larry said with a nervous. "Not even the girls in the local math team like me."

"Guess they're missing out," Carrie said. She lifted her hand and started caressing Larry's hair. "You're cute for a nerd."

The two nine-year-olds stopped walking. "R-Really?" Larry stammered.

"Yeah," Carrie answered. "Sure you have big glasses and your dress sense is tacky, but you're still cute."

Larry breathed into his inhaler. "Th-Thanks," he stammered.

The next day, Larry couldn't stop thinking about Carrie. He wasn't sure why, but her words were giving him the urge to change his look. But what would the new him look like?

A bunch of squealing girls answered the adorable nerd's question. Those squeals were for thirteen-year-old heartthrob Nick Mallory, who was leaning on nothing.

Carrie walked over to Larry, looking at Nick. "Who's that guy?" she asked.

"Nick Mallory," Larry bitterly answered. "All the girls love him, but I heard he secretly has a thing for Trina Riffin, the most popular girl in school."

"I can see why the girls love him," Carrie observed. "He has rad hair."

Larry's eyes widened. "What did you say?" he asked.

"I think he has rad hair," Carrie repeated.

That single sentence changed Larry. Looking back the lovable jock, only one thing came to his mind: he wanted to be just like Nick Mallory.

After completing all his homework, Mrs. Nepp brought Larry to the mall for clothes shopping. Once he bought a new wardrobe, he planned on donating his old outfits. But unfortunately, the only clothes that had his size was in Unjustice, the only store for goth preteens.

Eventually, Larry found a signature look: a lime green and black striped t-shirt with yellow sleeves, red jeans, and black rainboots. Upon seeing his reflection, the red-haired boy's eyes widened behind his glasses and he breathed into his inhaler, all while thinking about how awesome he looked.

But then, a girl with long, curly red hair and no makeup on her face walked out of the dressing room wearing the exact same outfit, except she switched the rainboots for black leather boots. She noticed his presence, and they stared at each other before the girl panicked. "This isn't what it looks like!" she squealed before she ran back into the dressing room.

The next stop was LensShop, a store for glasses. Larry, now wearing his new outfit, was getting his eyes checked, hoping to get some contacts.

After the eye inspection, the eye doctor gave Larry a small case containing his new contacts. "Thanks," he said, taking off his glasses. "You can throw these out."

"But Larry, what if you need your glasses again?" Mrs. Nepp asked.

"Relax mom," Larry said as he looked at his reflection and put in his new contacts. "I have no need to wear glasses ever again."

The last stop was Quicksnips, the local barbershop. Larry could cut his own hair, but he didn't want to screw up his new look.

"Want me to give you the usual trim?" the barber asked.

"Not today," Larry answered. "I was thinking something similar to this..." He took out a picture of Nick for a reference. "...but with my own personal touch."

"Okay," the barber said. "One new look coming right up."

Larry watched the barber do his work through the mirror. The young boy was proud to see red locks fall to the floor, especially when his bangs were cut short. When the barber was done, he applied some styling cream to the back, resulting in four spikes pointing upward. "What do you think?" he asked.

Larry simply smiled at his reflection. He no longer resembled his old self, for he had blossomed into a handsome boy. "Perfect," he answered.

The next day at school, Larry walked through the doors, feeling very confident about himself. He could even hear the girls in his grade talk about him.

"Is that Larry Nepp?"

"He actually looks good."

"Doesn't he look like Nick Mallory?"

"Oh, I'll show you how much I'm like him," Larry thought. He then proceeded to lean on nothing...only to fall flat on his back. Thankfully the girls laughed at him. But it wasn't in a mean way. They were actually laughing at him for being funny.

As Larry got back on his feet, Carrie walked over to him. "Well well well," she said with a smile. "Larry Nepp went and changed his look from cute to adorable."

"Do you like it?" Larry nervously asked.

Carrie inspected the red-haired boy. "Not bad," she said. "Your hair looks cool."

Larry's eyes widened. "Really?" he asked.

"Really," Carrie answered. "I can see your eyes without the long bangs and glasses interfering."

Larry smiled and blushed. "Thanks..." he said shyly.

And that was the day Larry went from the biggest nerd in school to the coolest guy in the grade. Well, he looked like the coolest guy in the grade. His personality didn't change. He was still a nervous guy with an inhaler. But that was only baby steps. He hoped that in many years, he would be confident enough to stop being a shy guy. Until then, Larry Nepp would have to deal with being an adorable nerd.