Chapter 1

Slap. "You're a jerk Skyler Tate." Ann tried slapping him again but he grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Let me go you prick!"

"Jerk? Prick?" He let her go. "Your words hurt me Ann. If I remember correctly this relationship is over because you slept with my best friend."

"I hate you! Jared wanted to sleep with me."

"He was drunk and you took advantage of him. Hell he was passed out for most of it! You're nothing but a slut Ann."

She reached over and grabbed her jacket. "You think you're something special Skyler. But you're nothing but a wannabe jerk."

"There are plenty of girl's that want to be with me."

She opened his front door. "You're never going to find this dream girl Sky, no matter how hard you look. And if by some miracle she does exist she'd be stupid to fall for someone like you." She walked out the door.

He ran after her screaming "I can have anyone I want Ann. Anyone."

---

"She actually slapped you?" Jared said as he sat with Skyler at their private lunch table. "The bitch had balls after all. I wish I was sober when she screwed me.

"You're a fuckin moron Jar. If you had been sober you'd be in the hospital; my steal toed boot still stuck up your ass."

"Yeah, yeah. Why'd you go with her again? Everyone knew she was a slut, even before she screwed me. You can have anyone here you want."

"Yeah, so I keep telling myself. But you know who I want."

"Tall blonde and handsome. Look he doesn't exist, he's nothing more than a dream. But that doesn't mean you have to screw every cheap slut that comes along."

"You know why I date them, I'm supposed to. Remember? Stupid popular jock always dates blonde bimbo cheerleading sluts."

"You should just go right out and date a fuckin guy Sky. Popularity is highly overrated anyway. There are plenty of guys here who are willing to jump your bones." Sky looked at him strangely. "Remember? School known for its advanced arts. Hello?"

"Why do you go here again Jar?"

"Band." Jared mumbled. "And why are you here?"

"Creative writing."

"And does anyone at this school actually know this? No. Big dumb jock actually knowing how to write a complete sentence? Not in this country. You're just talented."

"So what were we talking about again?"

"You dating one of Corbin Academy's finest young men."

Skyler scoffed. "Like whom?"

Jared looked around for a few minutes. His eyes finally lighting up as he saw him. Sitting in the back of the lunchroom alone. "That one."

"Where?"

"Geek boy, far left corner of the lunchroom."

"Who the hell is that?"

"His name is Daniel, Devin, Justin, Kevin... something like that. I was forced to take him on as lab partner in Chem the other day. Quiet, likes to do things his own way. No one here seems to know him. The perfect specimen for a boyfriend. He'd never go around bragging about it."

Sky looked at the boy. He was slouched over in his chair, hiding his face in a book. His shoulder length brown hair hung limply around his head. "Him? You're joking right?"

"You're right Sky, not even you could get him to fall for you."

"Wanna make a bet on it?"

Jared grinned. "$100. If you get him to fall for you, the money's yours. If he turns you down you owe me, big time. $10 up front says he doesn't even talk to you."

"For that kind of cash I'm gonna need a little help, you tell me the name of one of his friends and the bet's on."

Jared looked over his shoulder at the boy. "Kailei Smith." Sky raised his eyebrow. "Her number was on his Chem notebook." Sky raised it higher. "She's hot man. I gotta get off somewhere."

"Sick man. She's a witch, isn't she."

"That's the talk around the hallways; which makes this bet a little more interesting."

---

"Hey Kailei." The girl clad entirely in black with the thick makeup stared up at Sky strangely. "Mind if I sit here?" She shrugged. "How are you feeling today?"

"I'd be doing much better if jerkoff popular boy wasn't seated next to me trying pathetically to make small talk."

"Ouch."

"What can I do for you?"

"I need to talk to you about a friend of yours."

She laughed, "I have friends who would be interested in you? Skyler, I didn't think you stooped this low."

"Are you going to help me or not?"

She stood. "Maybe." She started to walk away. "Come and join yearbook committee today and we'll talk."

---

"Dustin, get your head out of that book and pay attention to me." The boy slowly set his book down. "Skyler Tate is coming to yearbook." His eyes lit up. "Yeah, I'm amazing aren't I?"

"You didn't...?"

She laughed. "Um.. No, but I wish I had. We worked out a deal. I need someone popular to help with the sale of yearbooks this year; he needs information from me." Dustin sighed. "Nerd boy, I didn't hurt the poor little thing."

"How do you know he'll show?"

"He has to. Which one of my friends actually has more than me for a friend?"

"Just promise me you won't fuck him next time he needs a favor?"

"C'mon Dustin, I'm not THAT easy."

---

"Is this yearbook?" Skyler said stepping into the large room. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him. Some whispered, "I can't believe she did it," to each other as he sat down.

"Welcome Mr. Skyler Tate. We're just about ready to begin for today." Kailei stepped out into the middle of the room. "Since someone opened the darkroom door last week we need to retake some of our pictures of the extracurricular and around the campus shots. We'll need to pair off..."

"Before we do that do you think we could elect a new darkroom assistant? Quiet geek boy over there is the one to blame for the picture mishap."

"Erik, I think I seem to remember that Dustin was sick that day and it's your job to watch over the darkroom when he's not there."

"How am I supposed to notice when he's not here? He could fall off the earth and no one would even know he was missing."

"Look, Erik..."

"Kai?" Kailei looked to the back of the room where Dustin hid in the corner. "It's okay, I don't want to do it anymore. Give someone else the job."

"Maybe pretty boy over there..."

"Erik, shut up. You are now the new darkroom assistant. Anyone object? No? Okay. Now on with the meeting."

"Hey wait."

"Shut up Erik. Okay, pairings. Same as before with the exception Katie and Matthew who will be working together. I shall now be working with Dustin and we'll take Skyler with us for a while and then find a permanent place for him. Same extracurricular activities as before. Matthew you'll do your old one and I'll do mine and Katie's old one. Any objections on that? No? Dismissed." Students began to noisily leave the room. Kailei turned to Sky, "You do know how to work a camera, right?"

"Look, I'm just here to..."

"Zip it. You want info, you'll have to earn it. You know Dustin, right?"

"Who?" Kailei pointed to the boy still seated in the back of the room. "No, not really."

"Not surprising, if you'd take your head out of your ass once in awhile."

"Look, I'll do your little yearbook thing, but I don't think I'll be needing your assistance any longer." He said looking over at Dustin.

"Whoa, whoa." She turned him around and whispered harshly. "You're telling me the person is Dustin?"

"Maybe."

"I won't let you touch him. Leave, I don't need you here."

"Isn't this club voluntary?"

"Yes, but as club president I get to say who goes and who stays. And I say you go."

Sky laughed at her. "We'll see." He headed towards the door he stopped near Dustin, "I'll see ya around Dustin." He left.

Dustin's eyes got really big, "He talked to me."

"He's a jerk Dustin. Don't deal with people like him."

"I thought we needed him?"

"I was wrong, no one needs jerkoffs like him. Let's go."

---

"You got kicked out of yearbook?" Jared started to laugh, "And after only 10 minutes, that has to be some school record or something. This is going to be the easiest hundred bucks I've ever made."

"Oh you think so?" Skyler looked around the room until he found what he was looking for, sitting at the same empty table as before. Sky stood, "Let's make it $200."

"You got a deal."

Skyler shook Jared hands and walked across the lunchroom to where Dustin was sitting and took a seat. "Hey." Dustin looked up around trying to figure out who he was talking to, "Dustin, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Skyler Tate." He said extending his hand. Dustin hesitantly took it. "But I guess you already knew that."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Dustin went back to his book thinking, hoping he'd go away. "So, how long have you been going to this school?"

"Skyler," Dustin said, his voice barely over a whisper. "I've been going to school with you since the fifth grade."

"No you haven't."

"I have too. I've been in at least one of your classes every year since you moved here."

"I don't believe it."

The bell rang.

"It's time to go to class. Senior English, Mr. Issac Dezmond."

Skyler was shocked. "You're not in my English class."

Dustin stood. "Skyler, you only see who you want to see." He walked away leaving a stunned Skyler staring at him as he walked from the lunchroom.

---

That's it for chapter one! Hope you enjoyed it.. remember squirrel@stopstabbingme.com