AN: This is my first story I'm posting here so please tell me what you think of it. Before this, all I had really written was songs and poetry, so writing a story, even if a one-shot, was a step for me. I hope you like it and please review when you're done!

(By the way, this was beta-less, so forgive me for stupid errors.)

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Rituals

"Good morning, princess. You didn't get you're beauty sleep did you? I can tell."

"Well, I must have gotten more than you. At least my mirror didn't break."

"Is that the first time this month?! Well, congratulations Ang! You must let me buy you a coffee to celebrate this happy occasion."

"I wouldn't touch anything you gave me with gloves, much less drink something you're hands have been near. Although, if you feel so inclined as to give me a gift, you going away would be enough."

Uuurg! Keith never fails to get on my nerves. Don't get me wrong, I'm usually pretty calm... or at least in control enough to appear calm. It's just.... uuuurg! It's like there's one weak spot in my control and he finds it and pushes that button until hell breaks loose and I'm upset. Really upset.

"Dreaming about me, Louis?" He said with trademark smirk in place. Most girls find it cute. How, I have no idea, as it only provokes me to yell at him.

"Only in you're dreams, Anderson."

If you're going to be following this you're going to have to understand, this is a normal everyday occurrence. Often I find myself wishing a day would pass where we didn't fight, but honestly, who am I to ignore the ritual?

Everyday I, Angela Louis, wake up at 6:30, hit snooze until my roommate shows me off my bed, and take a hot shower. By the time all my morning necessities are over its 8:00 and I need food. Bad. So, I end up walking a couple dorms over to the only place on campus where they sell food, Campus Cafe. (I know. How original is that? You'd think a college made up of mostly English majors would be able to think of a better name than that. Geez.)

It's when I arrive there that my day is graced by the radiant presence of Keith Anderson, the guy almost every girl on campus dreams of. (The first part is sarcastic at least, but sadly, I have yet to find a girl here who wouldn't want to be with him. I mean, not every girl is chasing him, but as far as I know I'm the only one that would actually turn him down.)

Slouched in his usual corner, latte in hand, with the usual crowd of followers surrounding him, he instantly makes my day a bad one. What probably annoys me the most is not that he's good-looking (even I have to admit that) and popular, but that he knows it and flaunts it every chance he gets.

For example, his brown, seemingly sun highlighted hair is mussed up, perfectly so, as if he doesn't care. But every now and then he glances to his right into the mirrors decorating the walls as if to check and make sure everything is in place. Plus, he's always wearing clothes that show off his best features, his arms, which he probably spends half his week toning in the gym. And now that I think about it, he must wear colored contacts, because there is no way that the deep emerald shade of his eyes is natural.

Anyway, after about 15 minutes of "conversing" with that jerk I finally get my food and he "escorts" me to the door, where I promptly tell him to lost and leave for my first class. He on the other hand, doesn't have anything until noon so he goes to the library in order to "study" (aka sleep, the lazy ass).

And after reading that it probably sounds like I'm some stalker, but really, I just detest him so much that I notice the little things that end up getting on my nerves.

Like right now, how he's slowly standing so the girls can check out his muscles and starts walking towards me with a confident swagger.

Do you see why I get annoyed? I mean, honestly, the cafe is crowded enough without his ego taking up all the room. It's nearly suffocating thanks to that damn show-off and I can't help thinking that...

Wait a minute; he's walking towards me?!

But it's not times for me to leave, I mean, I haven't even bought my food yet!

He's supposed to stay in his corner and talk to me across the room until I'm done, only standing up then in order to further annoy me as I leave. What's he doing?! This isn't... Oh no, he's almost here. Think of something...

"Life in your corner kingdom wasn't picture perfect, now was it?" I said while slowly inching backwards. That was not quite what I wanted to say.

"You have no idea." he replied still walking closer. Geez, has this guy every heard of something called personal space? And what was that response supposed to mean?

"So you decided to come over here?" Damn. My back hit a wall.

"Yup" he said. Now that I can't retreat anymore he is definitely too close for this girl's comfort.

"Decided to annoy me up close today instead of over a distance?" What the heck am I saying?! For some reason him being so close is screwing up my thinking. Maybe I'm claustrophobic. Yeah, that must be it.

"Are you annoyed?" he whispered huskily while peering down at me. For by now even he couldn't come too much closer and I could feel the heat radiating off his body.

And the truth was, at this point I didn't know how I was feeling. I know I should be annoyed, but in reality all I am is turned on. And that scares me.

So I turn to the normal defense against my fears, anger.

'Think of all he's done to you. Think of how much he has bugged you over this past year. Following you in between classes, interrupting all your promising dates, not to mention this ritual every morning. Come on girl, get angry. You can do it.'

And now I was. Seeing my reflection in his eyes I saw the anger flowing from mine and snarled, "Go to hell."

If anything Keith's smirk only grew larger and he leaned down to breathe into my ear, "Only if you lead me, princess. I hate you."

And next thing I knew his lips were on mine and despite my mind's protests, mine were responding. As the kiss heated up I could feel us moving. Where, I had no idea, but the longer the kiss lasted, the hazier my brain became and I started to forget everything else going on.

When he began massaging my sides, forgetting that I'm ticklish, my head cleared and I finally did what my mind was screaming for me to do, pull away.

Which was harder than it sounds since his lips were like magnets. And even as my mind said to separate, my body was fighting to keep the kiss, something that felt so fantastically warm and inviting, going.

Eventually my mind won and I shoved him away to find that we were in the appliance closet (or you might call it the janitor's room, whatever you want) and not in the best position.

Untangling myself further from his arms I loudly whispered, "How does 'I hate you' equate into 'Let's make-out in a dark closet?'" Somehow I managed to sound angry when really all I felt was extremely confused.

But I knew he could somehow sense that by the way his smile (When had that gotten there?) turned into a smirk as he said, "You'll figure it out."

"Me?!" How would I, the confused one, figure out his contradictory actions?! What does he-

"Yes, you." he replied as he looked back while leaving the room, breaking my train of thought.

All I could do in my muddled state of mind was stare at the spot where he left and think that if those girls who thought his smirk was melting saw his smile, they would be eternally stuck as a puddle on our campus's pitted sidewalk.

Okay, so maybe I wasn't more resistant to his charms than everyone else, but a girl can pretend can't she?

And as I left the closet I ignored the catcalls of the remaining Keith followers. I had decided that today my charade was ending and I was going to find out what Keith Anderson, guy of all girls' dreams, meant by his leaving statement. One way or another.

As I made my way to the library I thought of what had just happened and allowed a Keith-like smirk to form upon my face. Who cares about class, or even my lack of planned action once I got there? For once I was doing what felt right and now that I was started, nothing was going to stop me.

Who new a little change in ritual was all I needed?

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AN: Sooo.... What did you think? Was it worth the 3 minutes where you were supposed to be doing your chores or sleeping?

Now, I am even willing to bribe your reviews. You review and I will give you.... chocolate. The most important food group and largest addiction among females around the world. You know its tempting... chocolate and giving my opinion, or keeping my thoughts to myself and remaining chocolate-less.

Now if that isn't an easy choice I don't know what is.

Dancrchick