"I just don't think that 'music producer' is a very plausible career choice for the future." My guidance counselor said for just about the hundredth time this year. I just sigh and lean my cheek onto my hand, already exhausted from this conversation. The counselor can clearly see this and her expression just gets even more stern. "Please, take this seriously Amya!"

"I am taking it seriously."

"You quite obviously are not." I sigh once more and stand from the chair.

"No, I am. I've taken your input and have already dismissed it. I understand your perspectives and points, but I have a goal and a dream and I plan on achieving both." With that I turn on my heel and walk out of the office, leaving my counselor speechless once again.

"Let me guess, the same old talk about your future job?" Corrine asked as I walk past her. She falls into step beside me easily enough and I just nod.

"Yep. It's really getting old, you know? I mean, I understand that everyone has their own opinions, but that doesn't mean they should just completely tell kids that their dreams are impossible."

"Maybe, to them, they just see it as giving you a reality check." I glance over at Corrine with an expression that clearly says to back off of that topic. She does and I relax a tiny bit.

"Sorry, it's just a touchy topic this late in the game." Corrine nods in understanding at this.

"I get it. Not everyone believes in an Astronomy major either." As we stop at my locker I pat her on the back and smile as I say,

"We've sure got it rough, don't we?"

"Yeah, we do." I look towards the person who's decided to make himself a part of this conversation and roll my eyes as Jacob drapes his arm around Corrine's shoulders. She just blushes and shields her face with her dark hair.

"You don't even know what we're talking about, Jacob. Get lost."

"Amya!" Corrine scold and I just ignore her.

Geez, is everyone dating at this school?

I question as my eyes scour around us and spot couple after couple.

Clearly, I missed some type of memo.

"Hey, do you mind if I cancel tonight? I want to get my project done and out of the way." I asked as turn towards my locker.

"Yeah, that's fine with me. I've got some things I still need to finish for mine, anyway."

"You mean perfect? You had your whole project done the first week it was announced." Out of the corner of my eye I catch Corrine blush more and my lips twitch upwards in a smile. I grab a hair tie from my locker and pull my shoulder length black hair into a messy bun before gathering some of my music notebooks and my beats headphones.

"Not everything's done." Corrine tries to save herself and I snort as I close the locker door and turn back towards her and Jacob.

"You could show that project as it is now and I'd be surprised if you got anything below an A-. Hell, I'd be surprised if you even got an A-." Corrine blushes more and I laugh as I pat her on the shoulder. "It's not something to be embarrassed about. It's something you should be proud of. Anyway, I'll catch you later." I smile at her as I pass by and glower at Jacob who only smiles at me with the innocence of a child.

Yeah right.

***

I get permission from the music teacher and the principle to use the music room after school lets out. Since there's no practice for the band or orchestra I've got free reign and I walk into the room like I'm the Queen and it's my kingdom.

"Alright, let's do this." I grin widely as I set my things down on a chair and hurry over to the music soundboard. It's the only one in the whole school and what's generally used for the plays and musical put on throughout the year. Ever since I became a freshman this soundboard has been my best friend.

That sounds pretty pitiful.

I flip on all of the switches and, as the board comes to life with lights, I hum in delight. My beats slip over my ears and I plug them into the board before inserting my usb drive.

I'll knock the socks off the teachers who doubt me with this project.

My fingers begin flying over the board at a rapid speed as I start adjusting the sound of my microphone before I start in on my remix of Don't Worry Child.

Hours on top of hours must pass before I actually take a break and push my chair back. I stretch my arms high above my head and sigh as my back pops.

"That's the stuff." I mumbled as I lower my arms and remove my beats.

"I don't think I've ever seen anyone as into music as you." I spin in the chair towards the voice, my heart beating a mile a minute. "Well, outside of myself anyway." A guy with a cheshire's grin said. He hops off of the teachers desk he'd been sitting and makes his way over to me. "You really know your way around the soundboard, don't you? I thought I was the only one." He places his hand on the table the soundboard sits on and leans his weight onto his arm.

Way too close.

I find myself thinking as my nose twitches with the smell of cologne that comes from him.

I don't mind him that close if he smells this good.

I find myself leaning just a inch closer to him as I say,

"Is that a problem?" His smile widens and he leans even closer to me.

"No, I like a little competition." For a moment I think that this stranger is actually going to kiss me. Instead, in a flurry of a move, he takes my beats from around my neck and puts them on.

"Hey, wait-" It's too late, though. He's already hit the play button and my remix instantly starts playing through my beats. I can only hear a murmur of it from where I sit.

"This isn't too bad." He said as he moves the beats to rest around his own neck. I scowl at him before turning towards the soundboard.

"Thanks, but if I wanted your opinion I'd have asked for it. Now, get out of here before I call security on your ass." The guy snorts and I jump when my beats appear in front of my face. I take them and look back up into the strangers vivid blue eyes. His brown hair falls into his face and my heart stutters at his smile.

"Sorry, sweetheart, but I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. I'm a student here and I have second claim on this soundboard to work on my own project." He perches on the table now and I hate how small he makes me feel in comparison.

"Do you now?"

"That I do." He continues smiling and there's amusement dancing around in his eyes at playing around with me.

"Well, you're out of luck. I'm only about halfway done with my project and I want to at least finish the remix tonight before going home. I'll be at least another hour or two." The guy shrugs and looks around the room like it's the most interesting thing around.

"I'll wait. My project is just as important, plus there's only a few more days to finish them so I don't really have much choice."

"Ah, a fellow procrastinator I see." The words leave my mouth before a I can stop them and I silently curse myself for saying such a thing.

"So it would seem. My name's Anthony, by the way." I nod at that and don't say anything as I slip the beats back over my ears. I remove it from my right ear so that I can still hear everything going on around me. Anthony notices this and I catch him smirking.

"You know, after someone introduces themselves it's generally custom for the other person to do the same."

"I don't really see how my name concerns you in any way." I said as I slightly turn the volume up.

"What if I want to ask you out?" His question startles me into turning the volume up full blast. My remix instantly explodes in my left ear and I jump and flinch at the pain. As I hurrily remove the beats from my head I notice Anthony losing himself in a fit of laughter.

"Don't say things like that. Jesus that was loud." I rub my left ear and sigh as it continues to ring.

Great, how am I supposed to work like this?

"Thanks a lot, asshole." I muttered the last part as I stand up from the soundboard and remove my usb from it. "Go ahead and use the soundboard." I continue to rub at my left ear, seriously hoping I didn't get any lasting damage from excess of noise.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I seriously didn't think you'd get that startled from a joke. My bad." Anthony said as he stops me from leaving. I shrug his hand off as I meet his eyes.

"Kind of late for that, isn't it?"

"I guess so." He hold his hand out to me, then, and I look between it and him. "Let me help with your project to make up for it." I raise an eyebrow at that.

"What about your project?" Anthony shrugs.

"I'll work overtime and get it finished in the time I have." He winks at me and I can feel my cheeks heat at it. "Believe me, I want to graduate and move onto the next big thing just as much as you. I'm tired of the counselors and their opinions."

"They've been hassling you too?"

"Relentlessly. Let's just say they don't believe too much in music producers." I look down at the floor bitterly.

"Yeah, I know." After a moment of silence between us I sigh and pull the usb from my pocket before placing it into his outstretched hand. "This better not be a ploy to sabotage me." Anthony looks at me with a shocked and hurt expression. It's so obviously fake that I can't help but smile.

"I'd never do something like that. At least, not to such a cutie." My cheeks burn hotter at that and Anthony just grins and winks before walking back over to the soundboard.

"My name's Amya." I said as I take up his original perch beside the soundboard. Anthony's grin just widens at my name.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Amya." He plugs the usb in and instantly gets to work with helping me. We discuss different outcomes and sounds for the background so that it really immerses the listener in sound. While we work we also discuss stupid things that aren't in the least relevant to the project. Things like classes and grades and teachers. We compare music schools and which ones we think are the best. Surprisingly, I find myself agreeing with Anthony more often than not.

Another two hours pass in the blink of an eye and I have to stretch out my muscles more as they begin to complain for sitting so long. A yawn escapes me and I check the clock only to find that it's going onto nine at night.

"Geez, look at the time." Anthony raises an eyebrow at that and looks up at me.

"Is that some cheap excuse to get away from our date?"

"Date? This isn't a date." I snort and Anthony pushes away from the soundboard, stretching like I had earlier. He rests his arms behind his head as he studies me with humorous, blue eyes.

"Two people alone and working on a project late into the night while discussing likes and dislikes is exactly a date." I roll my eyes at that and get off of the table.

"Whatever you say. I need to start heading home."

"Awww, but I was having so much fun." His voice is pouty like a child's and he gives me adorable puppy dog eyes that have me chuckling. He smiles at this. "Admit it, you like me." I narrow my eyes at him as I reach over and take my usb drive.

"You....aren't all that bad. Like is a bit much though." Anthony seems to think on what I said before nodding.

"I'll take it, for now." With that he turns back to the soundboard and plugs in his own usb drive. I raise an eyebrow, surprised that he's actually getting to work on his own project. My eyes go back to the late time before moving to Anthony.

My gut twists in guilt and, before I can stop myself I perch back on the table. Anthony looks at me with an expression that's as surprised as I feel.

"I...owe you one for helping me so the least I can do is hang out for another hour and help you with yours. Besides, I'm a pro at this by now. I'm sure you could use my expertise." A huge grin starts spreading across Anthony's face and my heart seems to speed up in my chest at it. I look away from him and, the moment I do, I'm being pulled from my perch and placed in his lap.

"I knew you would fall for me." I sputter at that and it takes me a minute to actually be able to form words.

"I did not fall for you!" He spins us towards the soundboard and pulls in so close to the table there's no escape for me.

"Whatever you say, sweetheart, but you can only sing that song of denial for so long." I cross my arms over my chest at that and Anthony chuckles at my pouting.

"What, you're a poet now?"

"Nope." Anthony said as he begins working on his project. Music bounces throughout the empty room that I saw as my kingdom earlier. He rests his chin on my top of my head and I can practically sense his smile.

I sigh and look around the room once more.

I guess it's not just my kingdom, now.

Despite the thought I find myself smiling.

"It's ours."

ONE MORE DAY!!!! Can you all believe that! 17 days ago I started this short story collection and gave myself the challenge to upload one short story a day for 18 days straight and, now, it'll all come to a close tomorrow. I'm shellshocked, how about you? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! Also, don't forget to vote if you enjoyed the story this time around. Until the epic final tomorrow, Bookoholic's!