Have you ever known someone SO annoying, SUCH of a total jackass, that you actually, deep down, kind-of-sort-of…like them?

Well, I have.

And believe me. It's WAY more complicated than it sounds.

His name is Richard.

He's the snobbiest, jerkiest, most sarcastic piece-of-crap I've ever met.

And, like most girls when they like someone, I don't care.

But it feels like he's the one thing I can't have. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of things I've wanted that I couldn't have.

And I'm not talking about the new skirt at the mall.

When I was two, my parents died in an airplane crash. My uncle came and took care of my sister Komi, my little brother Ryan and I.

I always wanted a mom and dad…

…more than anything.

But I couldn't have them.

And this is just another thing I can't have. It's no biggie…

…right?

Chap. 1.

Kori felt the refreshing autumn breeze wisp by her and down the street. She wasn't to excited about the new school year. Probably just another year of the popular bimbos babbling on about heartbreak, drama, and god knows what! She was going to try to ignore it all this year, and maybe even ignore Grayson, who CONSTANTLY taunted her.

But of course, that NEVER works.

Kori was approaching the school and could see her friends sitting on the front steps. Racheal was reading a book, Gar was trying his hardest to "push her off the edge" (and he was doing a good job!) Vic was talking to some girl, probably Karen Beecher (he had been talking to her a lot lately). They called her Bee because after she kicked your ass in two seconds flat, it stung for at least two weeks…yea. She was tough!

"Hey guys," Kori said, adding a morning yawn to the end of her sentence.

"Hey Kori," Racheal smiled, which she only did for her friends. Then her smile quickly turned into an annoyed frown. "PLEASE put on his shock collar," Racheal said, obviously implying Gar, who immediately stopped whatever he was doing.

"C'mon Guys! Please! Not the collar!" Gar begged.

" Hey Kor," Vic said looking over at her from him and Bee's spot. Bee gave a wave too.

Everything was okay. Kori actually had a feeling that this year would be relatively okay.

But then, the trouble started.

Kitten, the biggest bitch in the universe and her little army of slutty skanks walked over and got in their little cheer leading formation. (they were the school cheer squad). Kori and Kitten had always hated each other. Ever since 1st grade.

"This one's for you Kori. Ready girls? OKAY!" Then everyone cheered.

"U-G-L-Y! You aint got no alibi! You UGLY! HEY HEY! YOU UGLY!"

Yea…and the little crap sticks continued.

"2,4,6,8! Who's the girl we love to hate? KORI! KORI! LOOOOOOOO-Ser!" They all started giggling, along with the whole school out on the front lawn. Even though they were giggling, to Kori, Racheal, Vic and Gar, they were maniacal snickers.

"Yea…anyone have an AK47?" Racheal clenched her fist. Kori stood up and walked over to Kitten.

"Yea, real mature, Kitten. When'd you learn that one? 3rd grade?" The crowds of people ooed.

"Well, Kori, FYI, I only say that to the biggest loser in school! And, like, guess what? It's you! " Kitten's little posse giggled along with her.

Before Kori could think of a response she heard the bell ring. She had 5 minutes to get her stuff from her locker and get to her 1st class, which according to her schedule, happened to be Language Arts. She just looked at the smirking Kitten and walked away. Racheal, Vic, Bee and Gar followed. Racheal took one look at Kitten and gave her the "shove it" sign.

Kori gave a quick wave to her friends as they all walked to their lockers. Kori arrived at her locker and spun her locker combo.

And WHO walks up? None other that Richard Grayson!

"Well, if it isn't Kori Anders," he said with a chuckle at the end.

"Save it, Grayson. I've been humiliated enough. No reason for you to rub it in my face." Kori said dryly.

"God, Anders. Forget to take your happy pill this morning?" Richard said with the smirk still on his face.

"Well, maybe I did!" Kori said in her mind as she imagined slamming her locker door in his face. "But a whole bottle of happy pills couldn't stop you from being a total S.O.B.!"

Kori snapped back into reality as she realized that Richard was looking through her notebook. Kori quickly shut her locker door with her books in hand and attempted to snatch the book from his hand. And she couldn't reach it. Fate wasn't on her side…how shocking.

"GIMME THAT BACK!" Kori said hopping up to get her private notebook out of his grasp.

"Fine, but only cuz you looked so pathetic trying to get it." He "graciously" gave it back to Kori who snatched it out of his hand and fast-walked to Language Arts.

And, again, Fate hated her. Richard obviously had the same class, because he was following her to Language Arts.

Kori arrived in the classroom with Richard behind, who took a seat in the back of the classroom with his jock friends. Great…no friends of hers in this class.

"Miss Anders? Would you care to explain why you and Richard are late?" said the teacher, Ms. Rouge, who was obviously implying something. The class snickered.

"It wasn't like that, Ms. Rouge." Kori said angrily. Actually he's the one who made me late. He was practicly stalking me! Kori wanted to say, but her being the wimpy, respectful person she was, she held herself back.

"Whatever your excuse is, I don't care." Ms. Rouge said with squinted eyes. "Now, class. As I understand, you studied Plays last year. This year we will be reading various works of Shakespere and comparing them to other works," she said with her heavy accent. "Instead of jumping into a lesson on the first day, we're jumping into a project. I will choose your partner. Each partner will draw a famous play out of this jar. You must write a 5 minute script, combining the two plays. You must do research in the play if you do not know the plot. It is due Friday."

She then started assigning pairs for the project. When she came to Kori, she looked across the room and said, "Richard. You and Richard." Kori clenched her fist under her desk where no one could see it. Richard started hitting his head on the desk.

WHY me? They both thought.

"Richard, Kori? Come and draw your plays, I do not have all day." Kori and Richard walked to the front of the classroom and drew two pieces of paper out of the jar.

The Phantom of the Opera and Hairspray.

Great. As if being Richard's partner wasn't hard enough.

30 minutes went by, with Ms. Rouge blabbing on about stuff that Kori didn't care about. She just wanted to get out and see her friends.

"Class dismissed," Ms. Rouge said, flipping her short black hair and walked out of the room.

Kori snapped out of her boredom to realize that everyone was leaving the classroom. Richard walked up behind her and stopped her by her shoulder. "Show up at my house this afternoon for the project." He refused to take no for an answer.

"What if I don't?" Kori said back, with her bitchy attitude that every girl has.

"Then get an F, moron." Grayson snickered.

No. He SO didn't just call me a moron! Kori could feel the steam shoot from her ears.

Kori, though, wasn't a whimp. There was an imaginary jar inside her that had all of her back-biting, ass-kicking attitudes, and she wasn't gonna let Grayson win. Fuck ignoring him, she was gonna solve the Grayson issue. Starting now.

See, told you it was complicated.

ILLNEVERTELLILLNEVERTELLILLNEVERTELLILLNEVERTELL

So, what do ya think? Good, crappy? I dunno, ive been pondering this idea, for a while.

By the way, starting in the next chapter, it'll be from Kori's point of view and then occasionally switch to Richard. Sorry if its confusing.

PLEASE REVIEW!

-Melody