*~COMPETITION~*

CH. 1: Austin Flipping Moon!

It's just one of those days, you know? The clock ticks louder than usual, making time go slower. The teacher's dull voice seems to make the skeleton in the science department more alive than she is. The lack of concentration from my classmates only adds on to the illusion that I AM in a prison.

To be honest I thought my junior year would be more... captivating. I expected it to be more amusing. Instead I'm still trying to figure out why people think that getting drunk is cool. I mean what's the fun in that? Waking up with hangover the next day?

"Wait, so where did the number four come from again?" The same person asks for the hundredth time.

I roll my eyes as I take my iPod out. I don't understand why calculus gets compared to a foreign language. If these people would pay attention for at least five seconds, they would understand that the number four was given to them in the word problem.

I look through my playlists until I reach my favorite one. As soon as I hear the first beat of the song my foot starts tapping along with it. Suddenly I feel like I can survive this prison for at least one more day. I just need to hang in until I get my acceptance letter from MNYU.

Nobody knows this but I applied for early admission. Which means I get to leave school one year earlier to attend my university. Of course I'm terrified at the thought of being rejected, but I've worked too hard on this that rejection is not an option.

I close my eyes as I lose myself completely in Adele. I love her music. From the lyrics to the beat, she's just amazing. I'm humming to the tune when my relaxation comes to a halt as an obnoxious voice mutes my music, "Sorry for being late but I had to drop off my little sister at her school."

I open my eyes to see what the world would consider the golden boy. With the looks of a movie star, the voice of an angel, and let's not forget his talent in hockey, everyone falls on their knees for him. I don't hate him. I really don't. After all, I've only shared one word with the boy. But he's not the gullible boy from freshmen year. He's completely changed. And I don't blame him at all for wanting more from life, but did he have to get so damn annoying?

I get slightly irritated as the teacher excuses him from another tardy once again. If it was anybody else she would have totally given them a detention but our school's pride depends on our hockey team. And what's our hockey team without their captain? Nothing; this makes her excuse him from whatever punishment he should be getting. I roll my eyes in frustration as I see a cocky smile form on his face. He knows the effect he has on people and uses it to his advantage. He doesn't care if he hurts them or not. As long as he gets what he wants, everything is fine.

And this is another reason why he irritates me so easily: he's just too conceited. I mean I'm not going to lie. He does have a few things to brag about, but after a while, hearing him talk about himself all the time isn't really an interesting conversation to have.

"Hey there Freaky Genius Girl!" he impudently shouts to the girl in front of me while taking the seat behind me.

I have no clue why he picks on her. All I know is that it always ends up frustrating the hell out of me whether he knows it or not. I mean is it really necessary for him to be so cruel to her? I guess it had to do something along the lines when the opinions of everyone else seemed to matter more than his. I let out an inaudible groan before I go back to my music, turning up the volume twice as loud.

I'm just glad that I have never been teased by him. In fact I thank the lord for only letting me cross paths with him one time in these past three years. I wonder if he ever found out that I am actually smarter than anyone in the school, if he would treat me the same way he treats that poor girl, Adrianna. Of course Austin has to find someone to make fun of. It just goes with his personality as he gets people to join his game of teasing. It wouldn't be hilarious if he was the only person doing it.

I'm tapping obnoxiously on my desk to the beat of the song. With nothing better to do, I might as well entertain myself. Normally I would be writing in my songbook but something about the idea of writing my most intimate thoughts in the same room as Austin Moon doesn't seem right. Instead I lose myself in my music when I feel something hitting my head. I try to ignore it but when I feel it again and again and again, I can't help but be annoyed. I turn around to look at him and all he does is tell me to duck so he can hit Adrianna with his paper airplane.

I look at him with disbelief. He doesn't even stop to acknowledge me besides giving me a three second warning before aiming at Adrianna's head again. Shaking my head I try to mind my own business for as long as I can but then he does it. I feel something wet and gooey on my head. And when I reach up to take it out, I cringe from knowing that it's a paper spit ball. I know he can tell that he's hit me but as soon as I'm done taking out the spit ball that he misplaced on my head, I know that the next spit ball is aimed at my head... on purpose. There's only so much I can handle. I can hear him get ready to hit me again when I turn around to grab the straw out of his mouth and yell in an enraged voice, "Will you leave me the hell alone?"

"Miss Dawson!" I hear my teacher gasp.

The room gets silent as I feel everyone's stare burn a hole in my head. A few seconds later, hushed whispers are coming from all over the room and I can only start imagining the rumors. The joy of being Austin Moon's victim, guaranteed to be disturbed by everyone who worships the ground he walks on.

I want to shove him out of his chair as I see the same, overconfident smile playing across his mouth. I want to smack the dimples off his face, but from the teacher's tone, something tells me that I'm already in a deep hole.

I slowly undo my grip on the straw and turn around to face my consequence. Usually I can control myself... and I have never once in my life misbehaved like this. But from the look on the teacher's face it seems like she's just seen me murder someone cold heartedly. I'm biting on my lip, hard, as I try to slow down my heart rate.

"Yes Mrs. A," I use the sweetest, most gullible voice I can make; hoping that it will get me out of the consequence that she's thinking of.

The kids are starting to snicker and all of them are waiting for Mrs. A to say something. Her face is full of surprise as she tries to form words. This is the first time I have crossed the line in this class per say.

"We do not talk to our peers this way. Apologize and go to the principal's office!" She says in horror as if she just saw a delinquent preform a crime.

My mouth falls wide open. In my entire high school career I have never, ever, been sent to the principal's office. I'm Ally Dawson for God Sake! I'm the girl who people automatically assume has never told a lie. I have a GPA of 4.3 and I am in charge of our Community Service Honor Society. I've had threats to be sent but I have always managed to avoid going.

"Mrs. A, I apologize for my outburst but don't you think it's a little too much to send me to the principal's office?" I ask in a worried voice.

I can hear a soft chuckle come from Austin as he sees me break down. I glare at him through the corner of my eyes, but something tells me if he could, he'd be eating popcorn with a medium sized coke as he watches the show. He just smirks at my direction as he sees me fumble with my words as I try to find a way out. He even chuckles at my reaction and all I can think besides the fact that my goody- two shoes reputation went down the drain is that Austin Moon is a selfish, conceited, jerk!

"Ally, I do not tolerate that kind of behavior. Please do as told and don't forget to apologize before you go," with that she turns her attention back to her lesson as I stay frozen in my desk.

I try to swallow down her words but they burn my throat. I'm going to my first meeting with the principal where I am not getting a prize. My mouth is slightly open from the situation and my eyes are a little bit bigger. I'm only brought back to reality when I hear his cruel voice whisper in my ear, "Cat got your tongue Darling?"

His tone sounds so sinister. Who needs scary movies when having him in your life is enough horror to give you a heart attack and make you go straight to heaven! I stay paralyzed and instead try to calm myself down. I know that all he wants to do is frustrate me more to make the consequence worse. That's his favorite thing to do… frustrate people.

I'm gathering my belongings when I hear him say, "Mrs. A, I am sure that Ally had no right to disrupt your class, especially when the lesson was getting so interesting…"

I freeze as the words escape from his mouth. I don't even think I can breathe as I hear him continue. Really, I had no right to disrupt? I am interrupting her so called "intense teacher skills" with my screeches? I am being selfish as I only think about myself?

I keep listening to the absurdities that Austin tells the teacher as he continues on with the list of me being an uncivilized person in society that was raised by a pack of wolves in a cave! For the love of pickles! He knows very well like anyone else that I have always been the one to enforce law and order. Since kindergarten I have been telling people to behave rules. If you don't believe me, since five years old I was telling people that eating in the classroom was not allowed.

He finally finishes his little speech of my life story with, "But I am pretty sure that, despite the fact she rudely disrupted your class, we should be good people and give her a second chance."

My mouth drops wide open as I hear his last comment that everyone seems to be in love with. The students all look at me with pity as they just nod in agreement with Austin. I turn to look at Mrs. A from Austin and when I see her agreeing with Austin I feel my temperature boil. Even more so when she says, "I suppose since you are of a caring soul, and one of the most respected students. So, on your behalf I will leave Ally free of her punishment."

Then she goes back to writing on the white board and I am left dumbfound thinking about what just happened. But he just had to push my button again. He just had to do it. I sit still as I try to organize my thoughts when I feel his breath on my skin and his lips brush my ear as he whispers, "So I saved you from going to the Principal's office. I will take your gratitude in the janitor's closet."

My eyes grow big from hearing the words of 'janitor's closet.' The combination of these two words and Austin only means one thing. And it's something that makes me blush like a tomato and stutter as if I am still learning how to talk. A blank expression is on my face when I turn to get a better look at him, I still doubt the absurd offer he proposed to me, but when I see him wink at me I feel like all hell broke loose.

I roughly grab my belongings, and my blank expression has changed to irritation as I stare Austin down. I am still at disbelief at his proposal. I even feel my cheeks getting a little bit warm as his words run through my head again. Standing up abruptly in the class, I say as best as I can, "I'd rather get punished by the principal than get saved by Austin Moon!"

I take firm steps as I make my way to the door. The teacher stares at me dumbfound as my classmates look like I just broke an unspoken law. Some girls even glare at me. I shake it off as I reach out to open the door. But as I'm about to turn the doorknob, Austin disrupts the class once again to tell me, "Ally, Darling, aren't you forgetting to tell me a heartfelt apology?"

I can already see the smug look on his face even though I have my back towards him. I can imagine his cheeky smile as he finds amusement with every little thing I decided to do. I slowly turn around to face him and when I see him wink at me with a smirk I know that I might possible become another victim of Austin Moon's childishness.

"Mrs. Dawson," I hear Mrs. A warn me in an edgy tone.

I ignore her as I take the image of Austin in. He looks victories as he waits for his apology. He even leans forward on his desk as he silently challenges me to say something. As I glare at him all I know is that I am going to give him his apology. But it's not any apology he wants to hear. Opening my mouth, I start to say, "Austin I am terribly sorry."

He runs his fingers through his hair as he indirectly tells the rest of our class that he's the boss. He looks like the king he thinks he is as he believes he's gotten me exactly where he wants me; acting like one of those zombies that are willing to do anything for him. Too bad he got a little bit too comfortable a little bit too soon.

"I am so sorry that you will never be mature for your age and most likely will have trouble functioning in the grown up world. But most of all, I am sorry that your ego is too big for you to even realize anything. Oh and next time, don't save me from any punishment you caused. Because I'd rather go down to the principal's office any day than spend a second with you in the janitor's closet!" I tell him in a fake cheery tone with a phony smile. I bat my eyes innocently at him and before I can get into any more trouble, I make a run for it.

As soon as I'm far away from the class room I slow down to catch my breath. I'm pissed off at Austin. Who the hell does he think he is to demand me to go to the janitor's closet with him? I mean, he does have a lot of experience with girls. I think he should know by now that his moves don't always work.

I walk down the lonely hallway slowly and wonder why the hell the school doesn't let me graduate already. I already have my graduation requirements done, and the entire faculty knows that I'm the next Einstein. Why do they make me suffer in this hell hole when I can be living life to the fullest at college?

As I turn the last corner that will lead me directly to the principal's office I see all the awards that the school has gotten. My picture and name are at least on half of them and there's my answer. The reason why they don't let me graduate right now is because I help their academic stats go up... Let's not forget the numerous awards that I give them too.

I roughly run my fingers through my hair as I look at the print in the door. What am I going to do now? I take a long look at the golden printed word that spells, "Principal's Office." I hope for the best and expect the worst as I take the last three steps to my doom.

I fight the urge to slam the door of the principal's office. It didn't go as bad as I expected but still, I'm not happy. He promised not to record this little incident but said that he couldn't let me go off with a warning because according to my record, I have never done anything out of hand so he thinks the school needs to discipline me now before I become a "wild" child.

Being easily fooled by Austin, I have a new duty to perform in school: team manager of the hockey team. I can remember the way that he told me this news. He sounded proud and boastful as he gave me my new job. He even explained to me the great honor I had of being able to support the school in one of its most amazing accomplishments. He went in every little detail from the fact that I will become more active with our school activities to the fact that I will have a new friend at the end of the season.

I literally had to stop myself from gagging at the idea that hockey is a great accomplishment. Let alone when he started talking about Austin. I'm stomping my way to my second period when I bump into the person that I least want to see.

"Well look what we have here."