Enemies with Benefits by KiKi XoXo (ebook reader web .txt) 📕

Paige's POV

I take a deep breath, letting out all my nerves. Relaxing my shoulders and cracking my back, I wave to Robbie who is in line behind me now. We're both trying out for the musical Hercules for drama club, it's based off the disney movie. I look down at my sign up paper, looking at the part I circled, I have one of the five goddess's circled. The way Mrs. Olver explained it was, these five girls will sit on a bench at the bottom of the stage through out the whole musical and sing when one of there songs comes on. Nothing to big, but nothing to small either. Peeking through the curtains I see that the girls before me, are just getting started so I'm going to be waiting a while. 

Glancing at Robbie again, I see him and his red hair and tall and skinny physique. He reminds me of a skateboarder dude, and I know that is total stereotyping of me. It's true though, even the way he dresses make me think skateboarder... and everyone knows to stay away from skateboarders. Robbie is different though. First he is my best friends. Second, he is in drama class and he can sing ans dance. Third, he plays baseball. Fourth he is well liked and doesn't really have people who don't like him. Fifth, and I'm being honest with myself here he is pretty good looking, but I myself have been put in the friends zone. I remember back in our sophomore year, I had a huge crush on him, but it never went anywhere. Now, I just think of him as my very good looking best friend. 

"Paige why are you staring at me? Do I have something on me?" He asks, and I mentally shake myself out of La La Land. I smie at him panicing about his audition, I remember him saying something about Pain or Panic the two workers for Hades, but I don't know if that is what he circled or not. 

"No, you're fine. Quiet worrying... it gives you wrinkles you know." I smirk at him, and narrows his eyes at me. Then his face softens, and a smile spreads across his lips.  "So.. what part ya trying out for?" I ask, raising my eyebrow. I figured out I'm really good at facial expressions, and being able to control my eyebrows. He chuckles, and hands over his paper, looking at it, I see he has Pain circled.  "You know...you could do better then that. Like Phil... or Hercules even." I hand it back, and he scoffs. 

"Like you? Wanting to be one of the gospel singers.." He smiles triumphantly, I let out a breath he has a point. We sit a little longer and chat about who we think is going to get what parts. Talking about how Georgia is most likely to get Megera, she is Mrs. Olivers little teachers pet and she can sing but her acting could use some work. After another fifteen minutes, my name gets called. I stand up relaxing myself again. "Good luck, and break a leg." Robbie says behind me as I push through the curtains. 

"Hello, Mrs. Oliver!" I great handing her my paper, she smiles warmly and she starts in on her questions on what role I want to play and if I'm okay with a speaking part.  Once we have all of that done and sorted through, she plays the keys on the piano to one of the songs from the musical and I sing reading of the sheet music she gave me.  

"Great job!" She applauds,  as she plays the last note. "Thank you, Paige. We will have the final parts posted at the end of the week."  I nod, heading out as she calls Robbie in. I smiles at him giving him a thumbs up, he roles his eye and giggle grabbing my school, bag and heading back to study hall. This was the first audition time, and I'm happy to have gotten it out of the way!  Sliding back into my seat next to Carmen, another one of my friends, I inform her on how it went. She congradulates me, and then she skips back to before I left and continues explaining to me her theory on Wyatt and Anne's break-up. I barely keep up, not really caring either. She is of course taking about Wyatt Drewmoore and Anne Wilson. They we're together for a couple of months, but everyone knew that relationship was going knowwhere. Anne has a thing for Jake, Wyatts best friend, but he isn't interested in her. So to make Jake more interested in her she went out with Wyatt. 

Anne is the schools slut. Wyatt and Jake are the school players. Easy as that, they will never be in actually real relationships. I try to stay out of all of there drama, which is hard to do with Carmen who always some how knows whats going on. I could careless, I have school and college to think about. Hence why I'm boyfriendless! I'm proud of it though, for being a junior and not having  one relationship in high school.. or ever for that matter. I'm sure I've set some kind of record here! I've had crushes don't get me wrong, but I've never acted on them. 

Once the bell rings, I head to American History, it's my favorite class next to drama. I take my seat in the front row next to the window, and wait for Mr. Parker to come in. He is alwasy late for this class, because he has lunch break during the period before this. I look at the rest of the class counting how many are here today, and I realize it's not even a class. It's just me. There are only eight of us in here, yeah small class, and today it seems the other seven are all gone. It's happened before, it's mostly the other really smart kids like the chess club people and the mathlets.  Both those groups are gone today for bug tournements. When Mr. Parker does come back, he roles his eyes seeing how it's just me. The two of us go way back, he is my brothers friend. They meet in college, and have been friends since, including he did just get out of college last yeah. I'm partly sure he is only twenty-one, but I know Patrick is twenty-two. 

"Well, Paige what should we do today?" he asks, leaning against his desk glancing at the clock. He scratches the top of his head toulsing his brown slightly curly hair, he never remembers these plans so he never knows what to do when everyone is gone.

"Hangman." I stand up grabbing the market for the board. "It's your turn." I smile, and he smirks and starts making the lines for the saying. We have a little tournement like thing of our own going on, challenging each other with history topics in hangman.  "R"  I begin, and we get started.  I finish his puzzle, and I begin my puzzle as he check his email. We're in the middle of mine when the door opens, we both stop and look towards the door. 

"Mr. Parker... Ms. Easton." the Principle, Mr. Wilson... yes Anne's father. "I'm happy to know you to take class seriously. 

"She is my best student, and I'm not going to teach a full lesson with the whole class gone." Mr. Parker greets him.  I set the marker down seeing this might be a conversation that takes a while.  "Can I help you with something?" He asks, looking at the papers in Mr. Wilson's hands. 

"Not you, but Ms. Easton can." He indicates me. He holds out the papers to me, and I see they're papers. A students papers, and they're both F's. I look at the name, and I don't understand. Jake Lincoln? What do I have to do with his papers? "As you can see, history is not one of his strong subjects. I'm looking for a someone to tutor him. Mr. Parker was right when he said you were his best student."

"You want me to tutor Jake? Are you kidding he wont listen to me!" I laugh, handing the papers back to him. 

"Oh I bet he will. He has been told the stakes of what could happen if he doesn't get this grade up. He said he would prefer a tutor.. I didn't say who it would be either, I chose you. Of course you don't have to." Mr. Wilson begins with the guilt tripping. I close eyes, thinking long and hard about it. "You also will get the volunteer hours,  you're not doing it for free." Volunteer hours? I need those, and tutoring will looking good on an application for a teaching degree! 

"Fine, but I deicde what days and for how long." I agree. 

"Deal." He smiles, and hands me back the papers. He leaves without another word, and I look at Mr. Parker. 

"How bad is he?" I ask, setting down the papers. I walk back to the board grabbing the marker. 

"Second lowest in the class." He says, and that's the end of the conversation. We get back to our hangman tournement.  When the bell does ring, we say our goodbyes and he notes it that I'm now two points ahead of him. We were tied and now I'm in the lead. I take Jake's papers with me, glancing at his work I see potential. He knows what the information is he just has a hard time writing it down I guess. Stopping at my locker, I see Connie and she is packing her things?

"Hey... you leaving?" I ask, putting in my code for my own locker. Connie and I have lockers next to each other, since highschool start.  I stuff Jake's papers into my book bag, I'll look throw them more later. 

"Yeah, parents want me to go to some private school." She sighs, and I get confused. This is a private school. No uniforms, but we live on campous year round. Getting out for the big holidays and a month in the summer. That's how Anne's family is rich, her ancestors started the school. Although I do wonder where the smarts went because she got none of it.

"Oh.. that sucks." I sigh, it's not my place to ask anything more. We aren't very close, we really only know each other from having lockers next to each other. 

"Yeah, today is my last day. I'm actually leaving now." She says, and we say our goodbyes. I have a locker open next to me. This could be good, new kids are always fun. Grabbing all my stuff I head out the doors, going to my car, I drive back to my dorm. It's a big campous, like a 10 blocks walk from the actual school buildig to my dorm. There is a lot to do here though, equestrain training, mechanicals for vehicles, labs for multiple things, two big gymasiums, and three  weight rooms. Then including the two pools and football field and the field for track. There is also a dinner and a library from students to work at. I don't have a job, I don't really need one. My family pays for my schooling, but they said once College comes I'll have to help out which is understandable. 

Once I'm back at my dorm, I head straight up to my room the dorm cat Fiddle following me. I'm partly sure I'm the only one here who feeds him, and that's why I'm his favorite. Tossing my stuff to the floor, I pull my phone out of my pocket and grab Jake's papers. He is the normal stereotype, smoking hot,  rich family, fantastic sports player, and dumb as a box of rocks. 

I'm free on Wednesdays and Thursday for