Senior Standoff | RETIRED VERSION

Season 1 - Episode 6 | NOT REVISED

All throughout high school, I'd found it difficult to talk to people. But now, I didn't have a choice. People recognized my face in the hallway on Monday, all because they'd seen me kissing Hailey. I lost count of how many guys were telling me how hot it was. With each one, my mind slipped back to what Asher told me, and I desperately hoped that he wasn't right. I didn't want any of them touching themselves while thinking of me.

The only silver lining was that it had launched Asher and I to the Top Five.

The post had come out this morning, telling everyone that the polls were now active. All year, anyone could come in and vote for their favorite team. Hailey and Ben were in first, which came as no surprise. Meanwhile, Asher and I had come in at number five. It was better than I had hoped.

Asher, on the other hand, didn't seem all that interested to know. Instead, he shifted the conversation to inviting me to eat lunch with him and his friends.

We hang out under the stairwell during lunch. You can come sit with us.

It sounded a lot better than sitting alone in my corner of the cafeteria. Ky would be sitting with his popular friends. Despite the fact that he had sat with me on the first day, he wouldn't be now. It was different. He had a game to play.

While I was leaving the cafeteria, grasping onto a bottle of tea and a bag of chips in my left hand, Hailey came running up to me.

"Aspen!" she called out before I could put my other hand on the door. I turned and looked at her. What could she want?

"What's up?" I asked.

"Do you and Asher want to come sit with us? You guys are in the game, after all," she said.

I almost laughed. I wasn't sure I wanted an entire lunch period listening to Hailey talk, and I couldn't imagine Asher would want to sit with Ky. But, I made a show of asking him anyways.

With one hand, I sent a text to Asher (which was full of typos, because I always had trouble typing on a touch screen with one hand).

Hsiley invited us yo sit eith them. Ypu wanns?

His reply came by a second later and pulled a laugh out of me.

Jesus even auto correct isn't saving you today. Ill be up in a minute.

He couldn't be serious. I followed Hailey over to their table and sat in one of the empty seats. Ky looked up to me, surprised. But then he smiled. At least he was happy I was here.

Just as promised, Asher slid into the seat next to me with nothing but a can of Red Bull. Apparently we were both packing light today. I looked over to him, wondering if he'd lost his mind. But all I found were a pair of brown eyes shadowed under nearly black hair. They were nothing short of gorgeous. No wonder he had such an easy time getting girls in the sack.

"Did I miss anything interesting?" Asher asked, taking a sip from his drink.

"Nope," Ky said, his mood having shifted dramatically.

I picked up my vibrating phone, finding another text from Asher.

You look confused, Princess.

Yeah. Why the hell are we here?

I think it's a good way to keep our eyes on our opponents, don't you?

He wasn't wrong. I looked up at him, and he winked. All he got back was me rolling my eyes. I didn't want to be a part of this secrets crap. It was just going to get ugly.

"So," Ben said. All the attention shifted towards him. "Looks like they just announced the next event. Friday. They're doing another race."

"Just like last year," Scarlet said.