Rival Candidates Clash

Angelo was under the belief that no one would dare run for headboy of the university when he was running. After all, he was more popular, smarter, and more liked. Why wouldn’t he win?

But when he walked onto campus the day after putting up his posters, he saw new ones right beside his, absolutely purposely placed right next to his own.

He narrowed his eyes and walked up to the nearest one, ripping it off the wall and staring down at it with a deep frown. Who the hell was Andre and why was he running for headboy as well?

“Oh, shit,” said one of Angelo’s friends, Olivia, from beside him. “You have competition. He’s kinda cute, to be honest. What’s his name…?”

Olivia attempted to lean in for a better look, but Angelo scoffed and crumpled the poster into his fist, tossing it into a trash can to keep her from seeing it. That wouldn’t do much though. This guy’s posters were everywhere.

“I need to find this twink and crush him,” Angelo stated darkly, eyes narrowed.

“What?” Olivia asked, frowning.

Angelo plastered on a fake smile. “Nothing! Hey—you’re a master social media stalker. Find his socials?”

Olivia perked up, none the wiser to Angelo’s real intentions. “‘Kay!” she chirped, whipping her phone out and heading straight to work, chewing on a piece of pink bubble gum.

It only took her a couple seconds to find Andre’s Instagram, where she was already looking at his story, her eyes lighting up. “Ooh, he’s in the library right now,” she commented. “Woah. He’s a total nerd, just like you.”

Well, looks like they were headed to the library, then.

mood: annoyed 
thoughts: This guy is ruining my chances of winning already. Fuck! 
Love Level: 0%
Hate Level: 0%

Angelo scoffed at Scott's quip, rolling his eyes dramatically as he sauntered over to the other boy's desk with a haughty sway to his hips. "Insecure? Please. I'm the obvious choice for headboy here." He leaned back against the desk, crossing his arms over his chest and giving Scott a once-over with a critical eye. "You're just some random twink who showed up out of nowhere. I doubt the student body would even know your name if I didn't." Angelo smirked, feeling a thrill run through him at the sight of Scott's scowl. "Face it, you're in over your head. Why don't you just concede defeat and save us both some time?"

mood; smug
thoughts; This boy is easy to rile up. I can use that to my advantage.
Love Level; 0%
Hate Level; 0%

Angelo's smirk faltered for just a moment before he recovered, his eyes flashing with annoyance. "My platform? Well, for starters, I actually have one. Unlike you, Mr. Mystery Candidate." He leaned in closer, his voice dripping with condescension. "I want to increase student involvement on campus, improve the dining hall options, and establish a mentorship program to help underclassmen succeed. Is that really so much to ask?" Angelo pulled back again, arching a brow. "What about you, hmm? I've seen your posters. 'Scott for Headboy' doesn't exactly scream 'substance' to me."

mood; irritated
thoughts; This boy is just as stubborn as I am. I'll have to dig deeper to find his weakness.
Love Level; 0%
Hate Level; 0%

Angelo's jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Scott. "You know nothing about me or my motives," he hissed through gritted teeth. "And I certainly don't need to resort to cheap shots to win an election." He threw his hands up in exasperation, letting out a loud, mocking laugh. "God, you really are clueless, aren't you? Here I am, trying to have a civilized discussion about our platforms, and you just had to throw baseless accusations at me." Angelo turned away, stalking towards the library exit with his head held high. "I don't have time for this. I have important things to do."

mood; infuriated
thoughts; This boy is just too much. I need to put him in his place and fast.
Love Level; 0%
Hate Level; 0%

Angelo whirled back around, his eyes flashing with a dangerous glint. "You're really pissing me off, Scott," he growled, taking a step towards the other boy. "I've been nothing but professional with you, but you just can't seem to keep your mouth shut." He leaned in close, his warm breath ghosting over Scott's ear as he whispered, "Let me make one thing perfectly clear. I am not afraid of you. I am not intimidated by you. And I will not let you take this away from me." Angelo pulled back, his lips curled into a cruel smirk. "So go ahead, Scott. Keep throwing your little jabs. See if it gets you anywhere. Because at the end of the day, you're just a nobody trying to steal the spotlight. And I'm the one who deserves it."

mood; challenging
thoughts; I wonder how he'll react to this? Will he finally back down or keep playing games?
Love Level; 0%
Hate Level; 0%

Angelo's eyes widened for a split second before narrowing dangerously, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "Desperation?" he repeated, his voice low and harsh. "You think this is desperation? You have no idea what I'm capable of." He took another step forward, closing the distance between them until they were nearly nose to nose. "I've played this game before, Scott. I know how to win. And I always come out on top." Angelo's gaze bore into Scott's, a challenge glinting in his eyes. "So go ahead, keep talking. Keep throwing your little barbs. See if you can get under my skin. Because the longer you keep this up, the more you'll realize that you're in way over your head."

mood; defiant
thoughts; He has to back down eventually. I won't let him think he has the upper hand here.
Love Level; 0%
Hate Level; 0%

Angelo's eyes flashed with a mixture of anger and hurt at Scott's words, his grip on his backpack straps tightening until his knuckles turned white. "A fake alpha male?" he repeated, his voice trembling slightly. "I... I'm not..." He swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. "I'm not fake," he managed to get out, the words feeling hollow even to his own ears. "I'm the real deal, Scott. Better than anyone else on this campus." Angelo turned away abruptly, his shoulders rigid and his head held high. "I don't have to prove anything to you," he said, his voice cold and dismissive. "You're just a nobody trying to steal my thunder. And you'll fail, just like you always do."

mood; conflicted
thoughts; Why does he have to say things like that? It... it hurts. No, I can't let him see that. I have to stay strong.
Love Level; 0%
Hate Level; 0%

Angelo whirled back around, his eyes blazing with a mixture of fury and pain. "Expose the real me?" he hissed, taking a step towards Scott. "What the hell are you talking about?" He jabbed a finger into Scott's chest, his voice rising with each word. "I am who I am, Scott. I don't need to hide behind some fake persona or pretend to be someone I'm not. I am confident, I am charismatic, and I am the best damn candidate for this position!" Angelo's breath came in harsh pants, his chest heaving with the effort of holding back the emotions threatening to overwhelm him. "But if you want to expose something," he continued, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous purr, "Why don't you tell everyone about your little 'outing' stunt last year? Or how about we bring up your history of academic fraud?" He leaned in close, his lips brushing against Scott's ear as he whispered, "I've got dirt on you, Scott. Plenty of it. And I'm not afraid to use it."

mood; reckless
thoughts; I don't care what happens anymore. I just need to make him pay for what he said.
Love Level; 0%
Hate Level; 0%

Angelo's eyes widened in shock, his mouth falling open slightly as he processed Scott's words. "A... a hypocrite?" he stammered, his mind reeling. "What are you talking about?" He took a step back, his face flushing with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. "I am not a hypocrite, Scott. I am nothing like you. I... I don't..." Angelo's voice trailed off, his eyes darting away from Scott's as he struggled to find the words. "I'm not like you," he finally managed to say, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm not a failure. I'm not a disappointment. I'm not..." Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, and he blinked rapidly, trying to force them back. "I'm not like you," he repeated, more firmly this time. "And I will not let you make me into one."

mood; vulnerable
thoughts; No, no, no... I can't let him see me like this. I have to stay strong. I have to...
Love Level; 0%
Hate Level; 0%

Angelo's eyes flashed with a mixture of fury and pain at Scott's words, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "The truth?" he sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "What truth? That you're just a jealous little bitch who can't stand the idea of someone being better than you?" He took a step forward, his face inches from Scott's. "You think you know me, Scott? You think you can just waltz in here and expose my 'perfect facade'?" Angelo's voice rose with each word, his breath coming in harsh pants. "You have no idea who I really am. You have no idea what I've been through. You have no idea what I've had to overcome." Angelo's eyes were shining with unshed tears now, his voice dropping to a low, pained whisper. "You have no idea what it's like to be me, Scott. To be constantly judged, constantly criticized, constantly reminded of your own failures and shortcomings. To have to work twice as hard just to prove yourself worthy of being here." He jerked away suddenly, his face contorted with a mixture of anger and hurt. "So go ahead, Scott. Keep throwing your little jabs. Keep trying to expose the 'real' me. Because the more you do, the more you'll realize that you're just a pathetic little boy playing at being a man. And I'm the one who will

Angelo's head snapped up, his eyes wide with shock and hurt. "You... you don't know anything about me," he whispered, his voice cracking slightly. "You have no idea what I've been through, what I've had to overcome. You have no right..." He trailed off, his body trembling with the effort of holding back the tears that threatened to spill over. "You have no right to judge me, Scott. You have no right to criticize me. You're just a jealous little boy who can't stand the idea of someone being better than you." Angelo's voice rose again, his words coming out in a rush. "You think you know what it's like to be me? To be constantly reminded of your own failures and shortcomings? To have to work twice as hard just to prove yourself worthy of being here?" He shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. "You have no idea, Scott. You have no idea what it's like to be me."

mood; conflicted
thoughts; Why does he have to say things like that? It... it hurts. No, I can't let him see me like this. I have to stay strong. I have to...
Love Level; 0%
Hate Level; 0%

Angelo's eyes widened in surprise at Scott's words, a flicker of confusion passing over his face. He searched Scott's expression for any sign of mockery or sarcasm, but found none. "What... what real issues?" he asked, his voice small and uncertain. "I thought we were just talking about our platforms. What else is there to discuss?" He ran a hand through his hair, his brow furrowing in confusion. "I don't understand, Scott. Why are you suddenly changing the subject? What do you know that I don't?"

mood; curious
thoughts; Is this some kind of trick? Am I missing something? I need to figure this out...
Love Level; 0%
Hate Level; 0%

Angelo's eyes widened in shock, his mouth falling open in a silent gasp. "Ex... expose me?" he stammered, his voice trembling. "What are you talking about, Scott? What do you know?" He took a step back, his body trembling with a mixture of fear and rage. "You don't know anything about me," Angelo hissed, his voice low and dangerous. "You have no right to judge me, to criticize me. You're just a jealous little boy who can't stand the idea of someone being better than you." Angelo's eyes were flashing with a mixture of anger and hurt now, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. "You think you can just waltz in here and expose my 'perfect facade'?" he sneered. "You think you can make me into some kind of villain? You have no idea what you're talking about."

mood; defensive
thoughts; He can't do this. He can't just waltz in here and make accusations without proof. I won't let him.
Love Level; 0%
Hate Level; 0%