"A Summer To Remember" contest winner - Summer Confessions by Junie_Grey

For some people, competition is fun, especially having an academic rival, until it turns into a game of love with a sudden confession. Well it happened today after Xavier smirked at me when I got the answer to every question right.
Usually, seeing him smile annoyed me a whole lot. Xavier always had the top scores in every test and after he had teased me about my grades last year, I had vowed to be better than him. And so it had began, what had started as an innocent game of trying to outsmart each other in class had turned into a grueling competition over time.

We had moved on from trying to get the highest scores to fighting for almost everything. We had heated debates about the smallest things and even had a scoreboard for each time one of us got the upper hand. It didn't matter if it was the last Science textbook or who had to tutor more students, we fought for everything. Last month when I applied for a job at the library, I was told that they'd employed someone else. I wasn't even surprised that it was him. Somehow he'd gotten notice about my wanting to apply and got there ten minutes before I did. When I got to school the next day, he'd changed the scores on the notice board from the 12:12 we had to 12:13.

Mr. Donovan, our math teacher smiled at me and although it should mean everything to me because he never smiled at just anyone, my eyes didn't stay long on his face as I turned to look at my rival.

"I guess you've won this round, May," Xavier said, his lips lifting into that annoying smirk. I wanted to punch that face. He just made my massive win into something less.

The obnoxious sound of the bell broke my trance and before I could even say something equally annoying to him, he was grabbing his bag and walking away. Chairs scraped on the tiled floor as my classmates grabbed their bags. I could feel the excitement in the buzz that traveled round the classroom; it was Friday and officially the end of the school year.

While my classmates made plans to meet up for parties and drives to the beach, my heart sank. I didn't know why exactly, but the thought of not seeing him for so long made me feel strange.

"May? We have to get going so we don't miss the bus," Ava, my best friend yelled from the door. I shook my head as I grabbed my things. She threw an arm around my neck as we walked out of the door, talking about the bonfire she wanted us to attend. My mind was elsewhere so I didn't say much. Ava is used to me being quiet, the only person who ever affected me enough to talk much was Xavier King and I'd long stopped questioning why it was so.

I pulled out my handy whiteboard marker from my bag as we neared the score board. The staff and students of Redhill high had given up on removing the white board after we kept on replacing it. Now they just watched us and sometimes cheered when we changed the scores. I cleaned my side that had 45 and wrote a huge 46 in it's place. Xavier's side still had the 45 of yesterday.

"Score one for May Davidson," someone whooped and the halls erupted in loud cheers. I gave them a small bow before laughing and pulling my friend away.

"She's my best friend," Ava announced, like the entire school didn't already know that. But it was tradition now and she never failed to say it whenever I topped the score board.

When we made it out, we saw the bus pulling away. "Oh God!" Ava turned and gave me an annoyed look. "I knew we should have come out sooner."

"Hey! I topped the scoreboard. That's more important than the thirty minutes walk home," I said to her as I watched her try to keep a straight face. She failed though, pulling me into a tight hug as she laughed.

"Yeah, it really is," she said. We both broke apart from the loud blaring of a car horn. I turned to see him smiling at us.

"Need a ride?" His left eyebrow lifted as he watched us. My stomach dipped as I stared back at him.

"I think we'd walk," Ava slowly said, her eyes moving from my face to his.

"I have something to say to May Davidson and it can't wait," Xavier said. I turned to my friend and gave her a reassuring smile.

"I topped the scoreboard, he really should be driving us home." I shrugged. Xavier stepped out of the car and pulled the back door open for Ava. I followed but was stopped by his fingers wrapping around my wrist. In all the years I've known him, we've never touched. I felt a sudden rush that made my skin tingle where our skin touched. Alarmed, I snatched my hand back and shot him a look.

Xavier stared at his hand for a few seconds before he shook his head and opened the front passenger door for me. I slid in, avoiding his gaze. The entire ride was made in silence and after a few minutes, we were at Ava's place.

"Call me, okay?" she said as she grabbed her bag. "Don't do anything to my friend," she said to Xavier who laughed.

"Don't worry, if I do anything to May, it would be because she wanted it." My cheeks heated and Ava only shook her head before turning and walking away.

"How do you know where we live?" I asked as he pulled away. My house was just at the end of the street and soon this uncomfortable ride would be over.

"How do you think?"

"Did you follow me home?" My eyes widened as I turned to stare at him. His lips pulled up in that familiar smirk and I was sure that I wouldn't be able to stop myself from hitting him. "Why aren't you saying anything?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"One of my friends lives on this street. When I dropped him off, I saw you walking home from the bus stop."

I watched him for a few seconds to ascertain if he's lying to me, but he has a poker face and I couldn't read it. "What did you want to tell me?" I asked, curious about what he said earlier.

"Its about the scoreboard. If I get to fifty before you, I get to ask you out on a date. If you top it before me, I will do anything you want," he said just as he pulled to a stop in front of my house.

"What?" I croaked out as I stared at him in confusion.

"May, you heard me."

"Why?"

"Because I like you," he shrugged. I stared at him, wishing for him to turn and look at me. When he did, I felt tiny butterflies take root in my stomach.

"I don't understand."

"I'll explain when I top the scoreboard," he grinned, then leaned in. My eyes flew shut as I felt his breath fan my face. Was this it? My first kiss? I thought. My heart beat so loudly, it was a wonder that he didn't hear it. Or maybe he did but didn't want to say anything to take away from this moment.

"We're at your place," he said, pushing the door open for me. I opened my eyes slowly and turned to look at him. He did nothing to hide the giant grin on his face.

Asshole!

I felt mortification wash over me as my cheeks heated. I couldn't believe I had thought he'd kiss me, but what shocked me more was that I wanted it.

"You're on," I snarled as I hurried out of the car. I would win and make him pay for what he just did. I didn't know what I'd ask for when I won, but I just knew that I had to win. I guess I had the rest of summer to figure that out. The velvet smoothness of Xavier's laugh followed me as I ran inside my house.