As soon as the last school bell of the day rings on Monday, every senior makes their way to Music Room #1, the only room big enough to fit the senior class into it. Partner lists are scheduled to go up now, and everyone wants to know who they'd been paired with. 

Noise scatters in all directions as I walk into the giant room, and I estimate at least three quarters of the senior class is already here. I look around for my friends but only see Ethan hovering at the front of the room. He is standing with a few of his mates and Ainsley, who is hugging him around the waist and smiling up at him adoringly.

Ainsley's audition took place on the second day of auditions, and she'd outright asked the teachers to pair her with Ethan. I honestly don't care whether the teachers indulge her or not. The only thing that matters right now is who been partnered with.

A partner who will challenge me and make me a better songwriter is ideal, and I hope I like the person and get along with them. Writing and composing a duet as well as rehearsing will take up a lot of the first semester, so it's going to be awkward if I don't know my partner very well or we don't get along. That said, I don't plan on fighting with my partner. I'll do everything I can to make sure this assessment goes perfectly because it's essential this is my best work yet.

Finally, a shout goes up from the front, and I see Mrs Reiner pinning the list to the board. As soon as she steps out of the way, the seniors push forward in one wave, and I feel myself take a step forward with the momentum. I want to rush to the front of the room, too, but I hold back, unwilling to be crushed.

Impatiently, I watch other people reacting to the list. There is a lot of squealing, a lot of hugging, and a lot of people who look disappointed as they step away from the board. At least the line seems to be moving quickly. Ainsley and Ethan are already getting their turn. They move forward until they are enveloped by the crowd around the list, and I can't see them anymore.

With them out of sight, my gaze rakes over the rest of the crowd, taking in how many people are still in front of me. Mason is a few rows back from the board, his arm around Bri. I didn't see them before, and the desire to push through the crowd and join them is nearly overwhelming, but I force myself to wait my turn.

Several minutes later, Kennedy walks into the room and joins me. I want to ask her where she's been, but I don't because Ainsley and Ethan are walking towards us. The fact Ainsley looks so happy makes me wary. Maybe she got her wish and was partnered with Ethan.

"Congratulations, Lilah," Ainsley says sweetly, surprising me. "You got the partner that brought out the best in you."

"What?"

"Ainsley," Ethan says darkly, shooting me a worried look. His concern does nothing to loosen the sudden ball of nerves tightening in my stomach.

"Who is she paired with?" Kennedy asks.

He shakes his head, his expression concerned and unhappy. "She's not going to like it."

"It can't be that bad," Kennedy says.

"It's worse," he whispers to her, but I hear it anyway.

On the spot, I try to think of the worst person I could be paired with. The moment the name comes to me, my stomach stops fisting into a ball and plummets to my feet, as if I've just jumped out of an airplane without a parachute. And when I look into Ethan's eyes, I know my worst fears are true.

"No," I say, shaking my head. "Not Asher."

"It can't be him," Kennedy says. "They wouldn't."

Her panicked expression contradicts her.

Ainsley puts her hand on Ethan's and smiles. "You know I got the partner I wanted, too."

I can't think about Ethan and Ainsley right now. My brain is paused, nothing else registering other than Asher's name in my head, surrounded by red flashing lights. Out of all the people I considered I might be paired with, I never imagined I'd be partnered with Asher.

Done with hanging back now, I push through the throng of people, hoping to confirm my worst nightmare isn't true. The universe wouldn't be that cruel, surely. There is no way I sat down in front of my entire senior year and poured my heart and soul into a song, bled for my art, and declared war on my stepbrother only to be partnered with him.

Surely.

But as I run my finger over the list, searching for my name, my lunch curdles in my stomach. My name is there in bold beside Asher's. My enemy, my stepbrother, the person who hates me and who I hate above all others.

How? How am I going to write, compose and sing with Asher?

I turn around and see him standing against the back wall, watching me. From the stony expression on his face, he knows. It's no consolation he appears just as unhappy as I am.

Marching up to him, I ignore his foreboding expression and the fact we hardly ever speak at school or at home unless it is to trade barbs.

"Did you hear? We're partners."

"Partners," he repeats, tossing the word out as if it disgusts him. He laughs, but it is a cruel sound, meant to threaten me. Ice slides down my spine as he glares at me.

"You asked for a partner who brought out the best in you."

His tone is accusing. Yes, I did ask for that, but...

"Why they would think you're that person is beyond me."

"I'm pretty sure you told everyone that it was your best song. And that song was about me. What did you think was going to happen?"

Okay, yes, my song had been about Asher, but the lyrics were full of my hatred, hurt and resentment. I don't want to work with the person who makes me feel all those things.

"Will they let us switch?" I ask.

"You can ask," he says, shrugging. "The last time someone did that, though, they were told they had to forfeit their spot in the showcase if they insisted on a different partner. Part of the music biz is collaborating with other artists; you don't always choose who you collaborate with."

"I know that," I grit out, fear and dread mixing with irritation over his superior attitude.

I'm not ignorant, but Asher is enjoying talking down to me.

"So, what are we going to do?"

"We aren't going to do anything."

"You're going to work with me?"

His laugh is harsh and sharp, his grin cruel and merciless. "Fuck no."

"Asher," I scold. "You screw me over on this, and it screws you, too."

He steps towards me, dropping all pretence of being amused. "You think I need this duet to get into the showcase?"

His dark eyes lock with mine as he waits for his words to sink in.

"You're the one who needs this duet, not me."

He's right, of course, and the realisation makes me sick. He doesn't need this, not the way I do. There's no doubt in my mind M.O.D. will end up on stage in the showcase. They're the best band the Academy has ever seen. Not to mention Jesse Cassidy gives this school so much money, it's unlikely they'll leave his sons out of the most prestigious and important event of the school year.

I swallow hard as he looks down at me, smug in the knowledge he is right.

If I switch, I'll be penalised. Asher won't work with me if I don't.

Essentially, I'm screwed.

Asher has always hated me, but this is by far the worst blow he's dealt me. Does he have any idea he is crushing my dreams right now? With his familiar cruel smirk back in place on his face, I know he does. And he's enjoying every moment.

He leans into me, and even though there is still a foot of space between us, my whole body vibrates with the tension of holding myself rigid, so he doesn't see just how much his proximity bothers me.

"You said you'd come at me if I came at you, so what are you going to do, Lilah?"

He's right. We are at war – a war I declared. Did I expect he'd begrudgingly go through with being my partner? For a moment I did.

I'm an idiot.

And his dark eyes are filled with mirth at my expense. Maybe this is some joke to him, but it isn't to me. Asher holds my fate in his hands, and he is willingly destroying it.

Fate is a cruel and fickle bitch. I poured everything I had into my audition, and they gave me Asher as a partner. One of the most talented singer-songwriters, admittedly, but my sworn enemy.

With one final cruel grin aimed to drown the last of my hope, he steps back. I can't even feel relief he isn't in my space anymore.

Then he walks away, leaving me with my dream of getting into the showcase in tatters.

***

As soon as Jesse drops Ethan and I at school the next morning – Asher is having another driving lesson – I head for the music room where I hope I'll find Mr Watkins. Ethan tails me the whole way, believing he can persuade me not to do what I've decided I must do this morning.

"Lilah, wait! You don't want to do this."

I look at him over my shoulder briefly, continuing to march onwards.

"Wrong, Ethan. I do want to do this. I thought about it all night. If Asher won't help me, I have to see whether what he said is true and whether I will be penalized if the teachers switch me."

"But I can already tell you that you will be. It will screw everything up for you."

No more than it is already.

"I need to know for sure."

This morning I woke up resolved that I can't let Asher ruin my year, not without a fight. I've worked too damn hard, come too far, to lose this opportunity.

I breathe a sigh of relief when I get to Music Room #1 and see Mr. Watkins writing something on the whiteboard.

Ethan stands in the doorway, blocking me. "Please, Lilah. Don't do this," he begs. "We can talk Asher around."

I stare at Ethan. "You said you'd tried."

"I did. I'm still working on it." Ethan looks at the floor and then back at me. "It doesn't help that you declared war on him."

With that, I breathe out an exasperated sigh and push past him.

Mr Watkins glances up as I approach. "Lilah, how are you this morning?"

"I'm good. I'm just wondering, well, why you paired me with Asher."

Mr Watkins' smile slips a little. "You wanted a strong partner. I agreed with you that your song writing has improved. It's come a long way since your final assessment last year. I felt that Asher will provide the most tutelage to help you improve further."

"But we don't get on. He's my stepbrother. It's bad enough that we have to see each other at home all the time and now we're working together..."

Mr Watkins stands straighter, frowning. "I actually thought that that would help. You'll have access to each other around the clock."

That is true if one doesn't consider the fact that Asher didn't want to spend time with me at all and will do anything to make sure we aren't in the same room unless he is trying to screw me over.

"Is it true that you penalize us if we switch?"

Mr Watkins frowns disapprovingly. "Lilah, no one else has asked to switch, which means I don't have any individuals for you to partner with. But even if I did, yes, you would be penalized. You say you want to be in that showcase. This is the opportunity for you to make it happen."

"But what if he won't work with me? I mean, he said he won't."

As I say the words, the hair at the back of my neck prickles and I feel the moody and dark presence that Asher always bring to the room.

I'd hoped I'd have this conversation with Mr Watkins over and done with before Asher finished his driving lesson and got to school. I'd counted on it. Truthfully, I don't know why he's here before class, unless he knew I'd try and switch. Did Ethan tell him?

"Asher," Mr Watkins says, his disapproving expression aimed over my shoulder. "Lilah is just explaining to me that you won't work with her."

"I don't know where she'd get an idea like that. You partnered us, and I told her that partners don't switch and that we'll need to work together."

My mouth drops open as he pours his lies all over my request, extinguishing any hope I had of getting Mr Watkins to agree. And the worst part is, he's making me look immature and difficult. Once again, I look like the evil step-sister. I hate him much.

"So, you don't want to switch?" Mr Watkins asks Asher.

Forget being a musician, Asher should be an actor. The look of confusion and bewilderment on his face twists my stomach as he plays his hand perfectly, sabotaging me once more.

"It won't be easy working together, but I understand that collaborations take work, and I'm willing to do that work."

"You said-"

"Lilah, I suggest that you take Asher's help and work with him on this one. You could help yourself by adopting his attitude."

Asher's eyes are now filled with amusement as Mr Watkins turns his back to me. He's ruining my life and enjoying every moment of it.

"Yes, thank you, Mr Watkins," I grumble before walking out, glaring once at Asher.

I hear his footsteps behind me and feel him following me. And as soon as we're out of the music room, I whirl around, facing him. "Are you insane?" I ask him. "You won't work with me; I was trying to switch so we don't have to be partners."

He leans in. "I know what you were trying to do. You think I'm going to let you out of this that easily?"

He wears the same smirk he wore at dinner the night after our auditions, playing me perfectly, enjoying the point he's scored in our ongoing battle. A battle I'm about to lose.

I look up at him and shake my head, dropping my confrontational tone and straight out pleading with him. "Asher, this isn't a game to me. This is my life, and this is my chance to get into the showcase. You can't take that away from me."

"All is fair in love and war, Lilah."

And with that, he steps back.

"I know you hate me, but you're being so unfair right now."

He shrugs. "Life isn't fair, didn't you know?"

I swallow hard, blinking back my tears. Yes, Asher had a shitty childhood and obviously has demons that still haunt him. But why must he take those demons out on me? His attitude towards me has always been unfair and over the top, but nothing he's done before now compares to his refusing to work with me.

Speechless, angry, and feeling a sense of hopelessness riding me hard, I turn and walk away from him wondering if my senior year is over before it's even started.