Chapter One
“Come on Lil, you’ve studied every single afternoon this week!”
Lily’s expression set into a deep frown as she glanced up at her friend in exasperation.
“I need to get the top score this semester!” Lily admonished, glaring up at the desperate eyes of her best friend, Amber.
“What you need is a break! This is our last exams ever, you’re going to get full marks already!” Amber whined, wrapping her hands around her brunette friends arm, attempting to tug her out of the chair.
“There will be exams in college… and I said no” Lily grumbled, scowling.
At this the library goers turned to the pair who were arguing loudly and shushed them with annoyance.
Lily looked around the room in embarrassment, batting her friends hand off her arm with a disgruntled whisper, “Fine! But after this afternoon, you have to let me study! The exams are in three days!”
“Yay!” Amber cheered a little louder than she should have, resulting in another loud shushing and an exasperated expression from Lily.
Lily stood from her seat, brushing an unruly strand of frizzy brown hair behind her ear as she began to pack up her various books and belongings. As each of the heavy books slid into her bag she regretted having let Amber get the better of her. This was the final year that she could get the top mark, she had been in second her entire high school career and this would be her final chance to prove that she was the best.
_____
The pair of girls walked down the hallway of the school towards their lockers.
“So the bonfire tonight, are you coming?” Amber bounced excitedly, turning to walk backwards down the empty hall.
Lily gave the freckled red-head a roll of her eyes, “You know that I’m not”.
Amber gave a dramatic sigh, stopping in her tracks and rolling her eyes in frustration. “You realise this is your last chance to go to a high school event, right?”
Lily stopped walking for a moment and a small smile curled her lip. Here it comes. She had heard this rant a million times before and she had yet to concede. What made Amber think this time would be any different?
“Come Monday, we have exams and then after that we’ll graduate!” Amber raised her hands dramatically in front of her, “You’ve spent this entire time studying and doing absolutely nothing else. You’re gonna miss out on some of the best high school moments ever!”
Lily’s smile hadn’t wavered as she watched the red-heads hands drop with a slap to her thigh, hoping that her speech had made the brunette reconsider.
Those hopes were quickly crushed when Lily pursed her lips together, “I’ll have plenty of time in college to go to events and have ‘moments’. I agreed to come shopping with you, not to go to the bonfire” She retorted, continuing her stride and passing Amber.
Lily had only taken a couple of steps when her smile faded, replaced with a displeasured frown and a crooked eyebrow.
Ryder Griffin pushed his locker closed with a soft clank as his light green eyes flashed toward Lily, a smirk curling his lips. He leant his body against the locker, letting his eyes wander down the brunettes body and back up to her eyes.
“Lillian” Ryder began, pressing his tongue to the inside of his cheek and crossing his arms, he knew that she hated being called that.
“Ready to get second place yet again on your exams?“.
The tall blonde boy tilted his head to the side mockingly, anticipating a reaction from the conservative frizzy haired girl.
Lily’s frown twisted into an angered scowl as she stomped over to the locker in front of the arrogant blonde. With a rough twist of the dial and tug of the pin the locker swung open in the boys face.
“Are you ready to get second?” She retorted coldly.
A low chuckle escaped Ryder’s lips as he peaked around the locker door, finding the action of throwing a door in his face more amusing than someone typically would.
“I’ve never been second” He asserted, quirking his eyebrow at her.
Lily hastily pulled the many thick books from her bag, throwing them into her locker roughly, ignoring his purposely provocative response.
“I dunno Rye...” Amber interjects, walking over to Lily and tapping on her shoulder, “Lily’s been studying every single afternoon for the last couple of weeks. I’m trying to convince her to come with me to the bonfire”.
At this information the blonde boy scoffed.
“Lillian? At a social event?” He mused mockingly, “I couldn’t even imagine it”.
With a loud slam Lily’s locker door was thrown shut, causing Ryder to startle at the sudden crash.
“What’s so strange about me being at a social event?” Lily argued, turning to the boy as her nose scrunched, bringing her arms up to crossed over her chest.
“Well… first of all” Ryder began, eyeing her choice of clothing and gesturing to the long skirt, “You look like an eighty year old librarian”.
Lily had always dressed in loose, long clothing. She hated the way that skinny jeans and tight shirts felt and she didn’t see why she should be forced to conform to society’s standard of beauty.
Her choice of a long white ankle length skirt, lavender long sleeve button up and thick cotton cardigan was not currently trending.
“Secondly, you’re too obsessed with trying to beat me. Watch while I go to the bonfire and still score higher than you on the exams” He grins, watching fumes begin to rise from Lily’s frizzy hair.
“I’m going to the bonfire AND I’ll beat you on the exams on Monday too!” Lily growled, glaring up into the light green gaze of her greatest rival.
“Great” he grins, “I look forward to seeing you there then”.
With that Ryder looked up at Amber and gave her a quick wink before turning and beginning down the hall.
Lily huffed as she watched the boy retreat.
Amber was beaming ear to ear, she was glad to have run into Ryder. If anybody was going to convince the stubborn Lily Hampton to attend a social event it would be him. Although, she did wish that the pair could put their rivalry aside sometimes and just be friends.
Lily was always the kind of girl to strive to be the best at everything that she did. However, over the last three years there had been one person she was never able to beat. Not in any assignment, exam, test or even a simple game of rock-paper-scissors.
Ryder always managed to beat her. Even worse than that, he was never seen studying, instead he spent his time out with friends or on dates with half of the schools population.
That was precisely why Lily loathed him. He didn’t even try, yet even with hours of study she still couldn’t beat him.
“I can’t believe his nerve” Lily muttered angrily as she hoisted her bag over her shoulder, “Just wait until the exam marks come out and we’ll see who’s laughing”.
Amber was struggling to keep her giggles from being heard. Ryder was the only person that could ever make Lily this angry. The only person who could ever work her up so quickly.
“Why do you let him get to you like that? You know he’s only teasing you, right?” Amber comments with a smile. She enjoyed seeing the pair have their daily back and forth, even at the expense of her best friends sanity.
“I can’t help it” Lily sighs as she turns around to face her freckled friend, “He just makes me so mad”.
“Well I’m glad he did, because now you’ve coming to the bonfire with me!” Amber cooed as she wrapped her arm around Lily’s and began to pull her towards the exit of the school.
"Yaaay…” Lily answered sarcastically and rolled her eyes. Just as she had in the library, she was quick to regret her anger induced decision, but she couldn’t back down now; not when Ryder had practically challenged her to show up.
