Rivals

Chapter One: Second Place

"I don't know what it is that you've done to me,
but it's caused me to act in such a crazy way"
- "Weak", Larissa Lambert

"Hey, second-place."

I rolled my eyes and slammed my locker shut. I could recognise that voice from anywhere. And of course, that title I didn't deserve.

"What? And stop calling me that."

My next-door-neighbour grinned his million-dollar cheeky smile, the one that melted every girl's heart. But growing up with him, I was only too used to the different variations of Noah's Smiles. This one didn't mean anything good.

I recognised it as Variation No. 2 of Noah's Smile - a gloating-over-Lexi's-misery smile.

What's Variation No. 1, you might ask? An actual pure, genuine smile that comes from the bottom of his heart.  A real smile. Don't think I've actually really seen that from him. Except that time when he won the art contest.

The guy I hated and had been competing with since I was seven grew up to be everything anyone would have expected him to be - hot, popular, football captain. Typical.

Unfortunately for me, Noah Evans also wasn't some dumb jock - nope, he was consistently ranked first place in our school for the school exams. I, second. As always. Ugh. 

Perhaps the only thing I could say I won him at was...reputation? That should mean something. I mean, his popularity meant that girls were constantly throwing themselves at him, and he was known as Harrington High's playboy.

I, on the other hand, was the student body vice-president ("Nerd," he said when I'd suggested we compete for the position a while back. "I'm not interested in boring ol' good-girl stuff. Count me out for this one.") who earned the respect of people. Everyone except Noah, of course.

Noah's green eyes twinkled like always. Had he gotten tanner? "But it's the truth," he said with a smirk and a shrug. "You are second-place."

"Whatever. What are you gonna tell me now?" I knew he wouldn't come over to find me for no reason.

He scratched his chin and glanced toward my locker. "Not sure if you've seen the latest charts yet."

"I was just making my way there." I knew he was talking about the most recent Maths Olympiad exam we'd taken in the summer. If he came over, that could only mean one thing.

"Saved you the trouble, second-place." He returned his gaze to me with a smirk and ruffled my brown hair. He had this bad habit of doing that to me since we were little, like I was his pet dog or something.

Talk about annoying.

Like my usual reflex, I slapped his hand away immediately and my eyes turned to slits. "Don't be too full of yourself just yet. And I'm going to verify it myself."

"Sure."

I hastily walked over to the school notice board where the results were put up, with him following closely behind me to gloat over my misery. My eyes scanned the board for the Maths Olympiad results and ranking list and upon finding it, went straight up to the top of the list and - yup, there it was. Our names right at the very top of the list, with mine below his. Again.

I sighed under my breath, my heart sinking. How could this be? I worked my ass off for this all summer.

"Don't be disheartened," Noah put a hand on my shoulder which I quickly shrugged off. "You'll still have plenty of chances. To be second-place, of course."

I felt anger boiling within me and was just about to retaliate when my eyes landed on a particular something - or someone - and I paused. At that moment, everything around me - all the murmurs and laughter and motions of people walking along the hallway - slowed down.