Genre: Friendship, comedy, school, rivals

Word Count: 3,000 not including the information (max 3k)

Contest: A Choice to Be by YARomance -> https://www.wattpad.com/1368685969-school-competitions-contest-collaboration-a-choice

Prompts: 

1. a renowned university or a town high school?

2. a local food truck or a music concert?

3. Best friends or academic rivals?

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I scowled at Kevin from across the room. We had just gotten back our results from last week's science test and both of us failed but that wasn't anything new. I wasn't upset about failing, I was upset that he got a higher score than I did. He only beat me by one point which only added insult to injury.

For as long as I can remember Kevin and I have been battling over our grades. We didn't need to be the best, we just wanted to be better than each other. We're both at the bottom of every class because neither of us was gifted academically. We're dumbasses. We know it and our classmates know it.

Neither of us wants to take the title of dumbest kid in class, though. It feels like we keep taking turns with it - one week, he'll be at the bottom and then the next, I am. It's frustrating as hell, but it's the endless loop we've been caught in for years.

"Listen up." Miss Maria's eyes scanned the room, waiting for everyone to stop what they were doing. "As you all know, the Autumn festival is right around the corner."

The class erupted with cheers.

"Now that you're all seniors, you'll be helping to run the festival."

"Eh~?" cried Daniel as he sat back in his chair. "We're gonna be working instead of enjoying the festival?"

"That's no fair," complained Cicily as she folded her arms over her chest.

"I think you'll all learn a valuable lesson from this," Miss Maria replied with a smile. "You'll be paired up and assigned to a station."

The kid sitting in front of me leaned toward his friend. "Fuck that, I'm skipping."

"She's gonna be pissed," whispered his friend with a frown.

"Nah, she'll never even know."

"Not only will I be checking on you, but all of the teachers and the festival employees will be watching you so I will know if you don't show up." She put her hand on her hip, eyes scanning the room again.

The two boys groaned in frustration.

"When I call your name, please come get your packet. It contains your schedule, the station you'll be working at, the partner assigned to you, and other valuable information. Please keep in mind that this will account for 60% of your grade."

Another round of groans shot through the room but she ignored them, settling back down at her desk.

I hummed, folding my hands behind my head. To be honest, I didn't really feel one way or another about this. I like the Autumn festival and, though it's probably gonna suck working during it, it wasn't the worst thing. Maybe I'll get assigned to a position where I don't have to do much.

My eyes slid over to Kevin. He wasn't paying attention as usual, eyes on the window beside him. He was a chronic daydreamer, after all. This could be my chance to finally pull far enough ahead of him that he can't catch up. I'll finally be able to secure my position and ensure that I won't be at the bottom of the class!

I shot up from my seat. "Teach, I would like to request my packet first."

She quirked a brow, peering at me from over her glasses. "While I admire your enthusiasm, they are sorted alphabetically. Sit down and wait your turn."

The others giggled as I fell back into my seat with a scowl. When it was finally my turn, I hurried up to her desk, resisting the urge to snatch it from her because I knew that would earn me detention. Let's see here... I was assigned to work one of the food trucks. I'm definitely gonna sell tacos. I'm working Thursday and Friday from noon to eight. That's not too bad. Now, who is my partner? My eyes scanned the page before widening in shock.

My partner was Kevin.

With a scowl, I shot up again but before I could speak a word, Miss Maria cut me off, her eyes sharp. "No, you cannot change your partner."

Damn it, she knew! She knew what she was doing when she paired us up but she did it anyway. How cruel is that? My narrowed eyes landed on Kevin. Something I couldn't decipher flashed through his eyes before he turned his attention back to the window. Man, this was gonna be fun but now it's just gonna be hell.

I fell back into my seat with a groan, letting my head fall to my desk with an audible thud.

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"Have you decided which food you'll be serving?" John sat across from us, pen in hand as he waited for our response. He was one of the festival organizers as well as the librarian and a police officer. It was a small town, after all.

"Tacos." "Subs."

Kevin and I glared at each other.

"Tacos?" scoffed Kevin, running a hand through his shoulder-length brown hair. "That's so basic."

"If they want subs, they can go to Metilda's!" I scowled, folding my arms over my chest. "You can't get tacos around here unless you drive 30 minutes to the next town!"

"Yeah, because they're nasty and no one wants them."

"How dare you!" I shot up from my seat. "Get up, I'm gonna beat your ass."

He stood up, easily towering over my short frame, a smirk on his lips. "We both know you couldn't hurt me even if you tried."

"You wanna bet?"

John pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling sharply. "Sit down. Or would the two of you rather spend a night at the station? Again."

"Well, I have no plans tonight," replied Kevin nonchalantly, eyes dancing with amusement. "But little miss Rae here has a hot date, doesn't she?"

"It's not a date, it's a gathering."

"A gathering is three or more people, idiot."

"Why do you even know what I'm doing, huh? Stalker!"

"Enough!" John slapped his hand on the table, eyes narrowed. "Do you kids want to repeat the 12th grade? Because that's what's gonna happen if you don't work together and pass this assignment."

We exchanged a weary look before slowly sitting back down.

"Since you can't agree, I'll be choosing for you." He scribbled something on the paper and I squinted at it, unable to read his handwriting. "Now, let me tell you this - I'll be watching you two very closely. If you don't behave, I'll make sure points are deducted from your final grade. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good." John scribbled something onto a sticky note, sliding it over to us. "Take this over to Metilda so she can get everything prepared."

We reached for it at the same time, each taking a corner and glaring at each other.

John sighed. "I don't get paid enough for this."

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I was the first to arrive at the truck. Old man Jenkins was inside, making sure everything was ready for us. This truck belonged to him and he had bought it a few years ago after his wife died. Knowing that it was his truck filled me with the resolve to do a good job while keeping incidents to a bare minimum.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Jenkins."

He smiled at me, the wrinkles on his face becoming more prominent. "Good afternoon, Rae. I was wondering who would be taking over for me."

"I'll do my best to make you proud!" I grinned, helping him out of the truck.

"I'm sure you will, dear. Who were you partnered with?"

My grin immediately turned into a scowl. "Kevin."

"Oh, my. I suddenly don't feel quite as confident," he chuckled.

"Don't worry, I won't let him ruin your business!"

"Don't be too hard on him, now. Having a crush at such a young age can be hard."

"What are you talking about? I don't have a crush on him," my brow furrowed in confusion.

"You don't." His eyes twinkled mischievously as he patted my hand. "I'll leave the rest to you."

I watched him walk away with a frown. What the hell did that mean? Does he not believe me? God, I hope people don't think I have a crush on him. Shaking my head, I entered the truck. The items John had chosen for us were funnel cake and corn dogs. I was hoping he would cave and choose tacos, but he's a total sell-out, giving that to the mayor's son.

An hour later, Kevin finally showed up, looking as if he had just crawled out of bed.

"You're late," I scowled. "We open in two minutes."

He sat on the stool beside me, stifling a yawn as he ruffled his hair. "My alarm didn't go off."

"You're such a -" I bit my tongue, taking a deep breath. Stay civil, get through the day. "Whatever, just go wash your hands."

His brow furrowed, a frown tugging at his lips. For a moment, he just watched me before finally doing as he was told. As soon as I opened the window, people started to line up, requesting our food. I focused on the corn dogs since it was easier while Kevin focused on the funnel cakes.

Honestly, I figured he would make mistakes or have to consult the recipe but he didn't. He was completely at ease as he worked, mixing the ingredients carefully. On the other hand, I couldn't get Mr. Jenkins's words out of my head. What did he mean?

It seemed as if he agreed that I didn't have feelings for Kevin, so then, why did he mention having a crush? Ugh, this is driving me nuts! I scowled, dropping the corn dog into the fryer. I wasn't paying attention and dropped it too high, causing some oil to splash onto my hand.

I cried out in pain, jumping backward and cradling my wrist.

Kevin's eyes widened and he immediately set down the bowl, rushing over to me. His grip was firm but gentle, leading me over to the sink and turning on the cold water. "Keep your hand under the water," he ordered before turning to look through the cabinets and then the fridge before cursing.

I pulled my hand back to inspect the damage, my skin turning bright red. I winced as pain blossomed from the area.

Kevin pushed my hand back under the water. "I told you to keep it there, idiot."

"You're not the boss of me," I retorted but it lacked its usual bite.

"Wait here, I'm going to see if the other trucks have honey."

"Wait! What about the customers?" I motioned toward the line with my other hand, the customers looking on with confusion and concern. "We can't just leave them."

He bit back a sigh before approaching the window, putting on a customer service smile. "I'm sorry, but we need to close due to an accident. Sorry for the inconvenience." And then he pulled the metal cover down before anyone could utter a word.

"It's not that serious," I scoffed, pulling my hand away only to wince as the pain returned again.

"Jesus christ, you're so damn stubborn!" He pushed my hand back under the water before gripping my shoulders, leaning down, and staring me straight in the eye. "Do not move."

"Whatever."

"Promise me, Rae."

I was surprised by how serious he was being and his eyes baring into my own made me uncomfortable. Whatever snarky comment I wanted to reply with died on my tongue and I could only nod in agreement.

"I'll be right back," he promised before rushing out of the truck.

I leaned over the sink, hanging my head. We're totally gonna lose points for this, damn it. Not only that but, since I was the reckless idiot who got distracted and ended up hurt, I'll be the one losing points.

Wait a minute... is that why Kevin's stepping up? If Miss Maria knows that he took care of my injury, he'll get extra points while I lose points. He's trying to beat me, that sly bastard! Like hell am I gonna lose to you!

With a huff, I turned off the water and patted down my hand with a paper towel, wincing at the pain shooting up my arm. I found a first aid kit under the sink, grabbing some bandages and quickly wrapping my hand. It was poorly done, rubbing against the injury whenever I moved my hand, but it would do.

Taking a few deep breaths, I slid the metal cover up, scanning the area. Our customers had shifted to the taco truck, making me scowl. I cleared my throat, calling out to them and letting them know that we were open again.

They exchanged confused looks before heading over. Beverly, the little old grandma who ran the flower shop, looked at me with concern. "Are you okay, hun? There was an accident, yeah?"

"Just a small one," I forced a smile, trying to ignore the throbbing of my hand. "What can I get you?"

She didn't look entirely convinced but placed her order for funnel cake anyway. Thankfully, the one Kevin had been making just needed to be dropped in the oil. I was much more careful this time, keeping my injured hand as far from the oil as possible.

About ten minutes later, Kevin appeared at the back of the truck, a plastic bag in his hand. He was out of breath, having to take a moment before finally speaking.

"What the hell, Rae?" he scowled as he climbed into the truck, eyes narrowed at me. "You promised not to move!"

I scoffed, folding my arms over my chest. When my hand hit my arm, I winced in pain but tried to hide it by looking away. "I almost fell for it. You're real sly, Doherty."

"What are you talking about? Why are you suddenly using my last name?" He shook his head, reaching for me. "Let me see your -"

I slapped his hand away, standing up quickly. "You think I don't know what you're doing? You're trying to get bonus points for helping me! Well, I won't let you. You won't beat me so you can stop pretending to care, it's weird."

"Pretending to -" he scoffed in disbelief. "You can't be serious..."

"You really thought I was dumb enough to fall for your scheme. Well, I'm not!"

"Jesus, you really are an idiot, Rae."

"What did you just-"

My words were cut off when he grabbed the back of my neck, pulling me closer until his lips met mine. My eyes widened, body stiffening up in shock and confusion. He's kissing me... Kevin is kissing me...

He slowly pulled back, looking vulnerable as he watched me closely. "I don't care about the points. I care about you. It's always been about you, Rae."

I blinked dumbly a few times, trying to process what he was telling me. "I... huh?"

"I like you," he confessed softly, his fingers rubbing against the back of my neck. "I've liked you for a long time."

"Like?" I repeated, unable to believe what he was saying. "But... you hate me!"

"I've never hated you. You're the one who hates me," he muttered with a frown. "You're always glaring at me, refusing to work with me. Every time we get paired up, you get so upset... you even try to pay the others to switch with you."

"You knew about that?"

"It's a small school," he deadpanned. "Everyone knows everything."

I scoffed. "Oh yeah? Then why didn't I know you liked me, huh?"

"Because you're stubborn as hell and blinded by whatever hatred you have for me." The pained look on his face startled me, tugging at my heartstrings. "What did I do to make you hate me so much?"

My lips parted, but no sound escaped. Why couldn't I answer that? For as long as I can remember, I've always been butting heads with him, but... when did it start? Why did it start? I lowered my head, brow furrowed as I thought back. The more I thought about it, the more I remembered, as if the memories had finally been unlocked.

Kevin was an A student throughout elementary and the beginning of middle school. When had that changed? I'm not sure, but I remember by the end of middle school, he was at the bottom of the class with me. Passing him in 8th grade was the first time I hadn't been at the very bottom of the class.

It was the first time that the teachers looked at me with hope rather than disappointment. I guess I've just been desperately clinging on to that all this time... I didn't hate Kevin, I was just too busy chasing my own happiness that I never stopped to consider his.

"I don't hate you. I never did." I told him softly, biting my lip. My pride was yelling at me not to apologize, but I knew I was in the wrong. An apology was the least he deserved. "I'm sorry for being such a bitch, Kevin."

"It's okay," he replied, a bright smile on his lips. "Can we start over?"

"Yeah."

He pulled back, holding out his hand. "My name's Kevin, nice to meet you."

I smiled, sliding my uninjured hand into his. "My name's Rae. It's a pleasure."

"Finally!"

My head snapped to the side, seeing a group of people watching us.

John was the one who spoke, hands on his hips and a grin on his lips. "Now, can I get my corn dogs or what?"

I clicked my tongue, turning to do as he asked but Kevin stopped me, pushing me gently backward.

"Let me do it. Pour this honey on your burn, it'll help." He held up the plastic bag, pecking my cheek before getting back to work.

I couldn't fight the smile that took over my lips as I did as I was told.

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