Vying For Your Affection-

Paired Couple: Bradley UppercrustXMax GoofXOmar Le Mat/SLASH!/Lemon

A/N: All characters within belong to their rightful owners. Now we're on to another exciting segment! Perhaps we'll be able to glance more into what Omar is all about…

Bradley sat down in his seat, opening his bag with a rough jerk of his hands.

He was still in a sour mood from witnessing the confrontation in Classical Literature. Just seeing that transfer student going toe-to-toe with Goof boy put him on edge. He wanted to strike down the Canadian for the audacity to engage Maximilian in so much as a short, brief fight. Although he didn't feel more than a grudging, respectable resentment of Max, he felt protective at the same time.

It was an odd feeling.

…No matter.

There was no way that this Omar Le Mat was going to get anywhere near Max. He'd make sure of it!

Just then, Dr. Alexandre walked in, stifling all conversation from the surrounding crowd. Bradley was sort of glad he managed to get into this exclusive class; he didn't think he could stand being around Tank some days longer than he had to.

Alexandre, a diminutive woman in her prime, with steel gray hair pulled up in a tight, no-nonsense bun, a shrewd manner, and an impressive air of command stood at the head of the class room. After she finished adjusting her business casual skirt, she cleared her throat and began addressing the class.

"Good afternoon, class. Now before we begin to delve once again into the complex patterns of thought and the murky waters of the psyche, let me give out a couple of notices. First and foremost, your end-of-term exams are quickly approaching, so we will be heading into the topic of neuron pathways and cognitive processes next week. Secondly, we have a new student on campus that comes from Quebec, Canada…"

What? This guy, again?

"Please welcome Omar Le Mat to our class." She turned to the door, where sure enough, stood the apathetic red-headed college Junior. "As I understand it, you were taking a Psychological Studies class at Rockland University, when you first came into America, is that correct?"

"Yea."

"Well, I'm sure you'll be able to catch up with us as we discuss personalities that are more prone to develop diseases. You may take your seat anywhere that's free."

The Canadian made his way up the steps to the atrium-like seats and sat at the nearest desk that was empty.

Unfortunately for Bradley, it was the seat in front of his.

~/~/~/~/~/

As Alexandre proceeded into a lecture, the class rapt with attention, the brunette kept glaring at the back of Omar's head with utter dislike. This was the guy that got into a confrontation with Max, and despite whether it was a good or bad, Bradley automatically detested him, wanting to only put him in a world of pain.

He knew he shouldn't care, considering Max was his ultimate rival that usurped his title as X-Games King last year, but somehow, seeing this ginger challenge the Goof boy set his teeth on edge. Bradley realized that he didn't want Omar anywhere near him—

The realization of that stunned him.

Was it because of power? Did he need to have some sort of control? Did he truly believe that he had to have this power over his rival in order to feel he had control, and without this power, he would feel incomplete?

The former X-Games King turned back to the lecture he was supposed to be paying attention to, not willing himself to think about those questions.

But it was just then that Alexandre spoke directly to him. "Mr. Uppercrust, could you please sit with Mr. Le Mat in front of you until he has purchased his own text book, so that he may follow along with us?"

Not wanting to upset one of his favorite professors, Bradley scowled and unwillingly uprooted himself from his seat and sat next to the insufferable red head. Dropping his book bag onto the floor, the Senior opened the book once again to page 209 and held out the other side of it to Omar so that they could both hold it up and read from it, since their desks were immovable.

Neither spoke as Dr. Alexandre read from a passage, but Bradley had the strangest feeling that Omar kept looking at him, much like how he spied him doing so with Max earlier this morning.

When he believed he caught Omar's eye a tenth time, Bradley cleared his throat and turned his attention to him, keeping a tight leash on his temper. "Something wrong?"

"No, not at all." Omar replied. "I just recognized you from class earlier this morning."

"I see." Bradley left it at that, finally figuring out why the guy had been looking at him.

"You also wouldn't happen to be the Bradley Uppercrust the Third, would you?"

"Yea. That's me. What about it?" His curiosity piqued, he abandoned pretending to read the text book in favor of trying to figure out what this line of thought was about.

"Well, I also recognize you from the ESPN special from last year…"

Bradley's rage skyrocketed through the roof, but he kept his expression calm and collected. He always tried to pretend that his Junior year had never happened. He thought that everyone had finally forgotten about it.

"So you were part of the Gammas that won the X-Games for five years, until Team 99 took over, huh?"

"What's your point?" Bradley hissed, ready to punch that smirk right off of Omar's face.

"I just don't understand how you could have lost against that Max Goof, despite his sorry brain capacity!"

Bradley stood from his seat, enraged as Omar laughed. He wanted to tell this red head to shut up; to never bring up those horrible memories ever again. Instead, he managed to grind out, "You stay away from him! You hear me?"

"Hmmm… What an odd thing to say. 'Stay away from him'?" Suddenly, Omar grinned. "Why would you care, if I didn't? What's so special about him?"

Bradley was at a loss for words. He couldn't answer that question, mainly because he wasn't so sure himself.

Whatever level of rivalry he and the Goof boy were at now, it was something he didn't look at too closely. All he knew was that they went from almost killing each other in the locker room showers a couple of months back, to an awkward relationship of domination and sexual tension bordered on lethal violence. It was like a drug he just couldn't quit. An adrenaline rush that was too sweet to let go of.

He ignored the question, but relentlessly threatened. "Don't you ever bring up the X-Games. And I warn you now: stay away from Max Goof, if you know what's good for you."

"Or what?" The Canadian taunted. "Is he your boyfriend, or something?"

Before he could explode and disrupt the lecture, Bradley took his seat again and merely stated. "He's nothing of the sort! He will always be my rival, so long as I live! And there just isn't enough room for three!"

Omar lifted an eyebrow questioningly and sneered, "Yea, sure. Whatever gets you off."

"What is your problem?"

"I've haven't got a problem. I just find entertainment in seeing you riled up." At this, his smile faded and he got up in the Senior's face. "Now, I think we should make things interesting, don't you? How about we have ourselves a little competition, just me and you?"

Bradley sat back in his seat, contemplating. "What sort of competition, Mr. Le Mat?"

"How about we see who can become Max's biggest rival?"

"…Is that really your idea of a competition?"

"What? Don't think you can beat me?"

"Of course I can! While I'm blind folded, no doubt! But why a competition on who can be his enemy?"

"Why not? You seem to get something out of being his rival and I want to know what that is…"

Uppercrust sat there, stunned. He couldn't let anyone know who was lying in his bed almost every night, especially this guy. To compete against that, it was only inviting the potential that Omar would find out about his and Max's depth of rivalry-

If you can call it that, he thought sarcastically.

Then again, Bradley was confident that it wouldn't go that far. He would just simply have to keep that side of his rivalry under wraps. But who was he kidding? The more he thought about this "rivalry" with Max Goof, the more he was slowly admitting that it wasn't rivalry. Something happened between the two of them, something that was growing into-No! He wasn't going to start thinking in that way.

"What are the terms?"

"None." Omar stared back. "The only goal is to be his biggest rival by any means necessary."

"What would you consider the fulfillment of this competition? How do we know if one of us wins?"

"Oh trust me, you'll know if one of us has." Omar promised softly.

"And if one of us wins?"

"The loser has to transfer to another school."

They grasped hands tightly, as if they were both trying to break one another's hand.

"Until then, Mr. Uppercrust."

The bell signaled the end of the lesson. Omar picked up his acoustic and book bag, leaving Bradley Uppercrust the Third behind to contemplate the implications of the bet.

He wasn't sure exactly what he got himself into, but he would see it to the end. He silently vowed to come out of this bet on top.

A/N: So! Another chapter on this very intriguing fanfiction! What do you think will happen next? Next chapter is going to be intense! ;P