I own nothing.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, favorited, and/or alerted this story. As any writer does, I appreciated it all. You guys are amazing and I hope that this next installment is up to par with what you were expecting. To any future readers, thank you for reading this as well. :)


"Hey," Austin offered as Sam sat down next to him.

His smile was genuine, something that surprised Sam if just a little. Austin was meant to be a jerk. He was not supposed to be nice. It threw the entire high school stereotypical image completely out of proportion.

Sam nodded towards him, without comment.

Her lack of response took him by surprise, not because he was, in Sam's words, a "jerk" but because he was so used to the attention.

"So I'm Austin," he said, in a tone that assumed she didn't know.

She did. Anyone who didn't was living under a rock. "I know who you are," she muttered back, trying to keep an open mind. The truth was that she didn't want Ames as her partner.

With him, he was bound to screw things up for her.

"Oh." Confused, and unsure of what to say next, Austin merely sighed. "And your name would be...?" he asked jokingly.

Sam locked eyes with him, her inner annoyance fighting its way to her expression. Her rational side lost. "We're in three classes together. You eat at my stepmother's diner quite often. Your friends refer to me, so eloquently I should add, as 'Diner Girl'. And yet, here you sit, not knowing my name."

Austin narrowed his eyes at her. "Look, I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sor -

She cut him off. "Don't say you're sorry."

"And why not?" he shot back, fed up with her blatant dislike of him.

"Because you don't mean it."

"Have I done something to offend you in the recent past?"

Sam laughed sarcastically. "No, you haven't, your highness."

Austin glared at her, his body stiffening. "You know, maybe I'm not the nicest guy in the world, but I've never been an ass to you. What's your problem?"

"Miss Montgomery, Mr. Ames," Jones voice cut the pair off, "would you care to share what you two are so heatedly talking about?" The kink in his eyebrow suggested that he was amused, but the firm smirk on his face told them otherwise.

"Uh, sorry," Sam said lamely, a faint blush rising from her neck to her cheeks.

"Don't be sorry Sam. I just want to see some effort put into this project." He turned to the rest of the class. "As you now have your partners, it's about time I explain what you all will be doing, correct?"

The class nodded. "Yes."

Jones clapped his hands together once. "Good. Each pair of you guys will be writing a paper," at the negative feedback the class gave him, Jones sighed. "Shut up, will you?" At their silence he continued, "You will be writing a paper on one another. Simple, easy, no? Wrong. You will be doing extensive research on one another. I want you to dig deep. Deeper than you ever imagined you could get. I don't want papers about favorite colors and favorite whatevers. Originality, creativity, that, that will get you an A."

Sam sighed. Digging deep within Austin Ames? Not on her to-do list.

"Alright, you may begin."

Austin turned to her. "Well Mary Sunshine, how's life treated you?" he asked sarcastically.

"Oh absolutely fine, thanks for asking," Sam responded, just as sarcastic.

Austin hung his head. "Can we please stop with the," he paused, "whatever this is? I'm not trying to be an ass. I need an A on this paper."

"Fine." Sam turned to him, suddenly curious. "Why would YOU of all people need an A on this paper? You're going to get a football scholarship. Everyone knows it."

Austin winced. "Can we not talk about that right now?"

"Hey, Jones said we're supposed to dig deep. So tell me, all-star, why do you of all people, student body president, captain of the football team, need an A?"

"You think that just because I'm a football player that I don't care about my GPA?"

"Honestly, I'm surprised you know what a GPA is."

Austin glared. "I'm not incompetent. And you know, for someone who seems to hate stereotypes, you've got a lot of prejudice in you."

Sam's jaw dropped, just as the bell rang. Before she could get another word in though, Austin had already gathered his things. The last thing he said to her was, "Later Sam."

Sam's eyes widened further as she realized that Austin Ames, glorified golden boy, knew her name.


"Haha, you've got Austin Ames as a partner," Carter declared, sitting at the counter of "Fiona's".

Sam set a cup of coke next to him. "Do you have to keep reminding me?"

Carter, still, couldn't keep the delirious smile of glee off his face. "This is so great." Shaking his head, he took a sip of the soda.

"How is it great?" Sam asked, skeptical.

"Because! If you get close to Austin, and I get close to Shelby, it's a win-win situation."

Sam stared. And then she laughed. And laughed. And laughed. When she was done laughing, she placed a hand on Carter's shoulder. "The day that Fiona acts like a decent human being is the day that Austin and I will hook up."


Reviews, suggestions, nitpickyspellcheckers, are all very appreciated. :)