CHAPTER 6

"Blake, don't be stupid and just give me a slice of pizza!"

"Lizzy, I don't believe you should be a glutton. It's bad for your health to eat too much pizza."

"And you dare lecture me when you almost ate all the fries inside the bucket!"

"I'm an athlete. It's normal for me to eat a lot."

"Yeah, sure. An athlete who doesn't know how to eat healthy foods."

"You influenced me." Blake replied with a shrug.

"And you just let me do it?" Lizzy countered. "Now stop talking and give me pizza."

"Nope. This pizza is mine. You already ate your share."

Blake and Lizzy are now seating on a soft carpet and surrounded by the food they ordered earlier which is placed in front of them. The things that happened between them a while ago were dismissed that easily. It is always like that. Every time one of them forgets the things they always need to remember, both of them will indulge on it for a while. They will then erase those memories in their minds later and continuing their usual relationship.

When Lizzy can't speak further, Blake grabs the last slice of pizza in the box and bites into it as quickly as possible. That slice of pizza is the one Blake promised Lizzy earlier in exchange for playing with him again. He shamelessly rolls the pizza and stuffs it all into his mouth as she reached for it. In her anger, she kicks the shameless man on his foot but he only laugh at her.

"Just because you're a sore loser in video games doesn't mean you will shamelessly eat the pizza you promised to give to me." Lizzy said in annoyance while opening another can of soda.

Blake swallows the pizza in his mouth before replying.

"Well... That slice of pizza was originally mine." Blake replied as he reached for his glass of soda.

"But you promised to give it to me earlier. What? Do you have a memory of a goldfish?"

"Who knows, right? Maybe it just slipped my mind."

"Psh."

Lizzy did not complain about the pizza slice she lost now. Blake is just going to make more arguments in order to justify why he needs to still have it despite his promise to give it to her. Lizzy believes that she is doing Blake a favor by saving her energy instead of spending it fighting with him. After sipping her soda glass, she cleans up the living room mess.

"Stop being a lazy slob and help me clean your living room." Lizzy said and lightly kicks Blake on his legs. "Blaise is not here to clean up your mess."

"Wow. You make it sound like I'm bullying my twin brother. And we just finished eating, Lizzy. Can you let me rest for a few minutes before doing it?" Blake tapped the empty space beside him and replied, "You can sit next to me."

"No thank you." Lizzy said with a deadpan expression on her face. "Unlike a certain person I know, I'm not that lazy to let my mess scattered everywhere. Now move."

"Hey! Are you pointing at me?"

"Oh look, Cinderella can finally fit her missing shoes."

"Lizzy!"

In spite of his complaints, the young woman starts cleaning up the empty boxes of pizzas and fries. Feeling a little shy to let Lizzy do all the work, Blake finally decided to help her. He grabs Lizzy's empty boxes and wrappers and put them inside the trash can. They also pick up the sports magazines that fell on the floor earlier and return them to their proper place under the coffee table. Lizzy picks up the scattered throw pillows on the floor and puts them on the sofa. After cleaning up the mess they made in the living room, they sit on the fluffy carpet again and drink the remaining sodas in their glasses.

"I have to go back to my place now. I still have to finish my last project later." Lizzy said. "How about you? Did you already finish all of your requirements?"

"Yeah. More or less."

"It means you haven't started anything yet."

Blake clicks his tongue when she hits the nail.

"I can still finish it next week. I'm just busy lately because of our practice for the upcoming tournament."

"That's a freaking lie and we both know it." Lizzy helplessly said.

Busy? Sure, Blake is busy with his daily team practices. Lizzy also admits that Blake is pouring all of his efforts into improving his team to win the trophy in the end. But he's not that busy to ignore his school projects and book reports.

He still has time to play games with her. If Lizzy had only known about his unfinished projects in advance, she should have declined his offer to play video games earlier.

"Those projects are always the same anyway. It's not like those professors read all the book reports their students submitted to them."

"Maybe you're right. But there are still a few professors at our school who are really dedicated to their work. Just like our professor this year." Lizzy said. "If you still want to graduate with Mr. MVP, I suggest you start your projects and submit them on time."

"Tch. You always nag at me about it."

"I'm not nagging you. I'm just reminding you." Lizzy corrected him. "So do you want me to help you? I can spare you a whole day this week since I've already finished my book report yesterday."

"Nah. I got this. It's just a book report. I can finish it on time." Blake said.

And Lizzy believes in him. Despite his lazy and laidback attitude towards his studies, Blake is a genius. He's just keeping a low profile about it since his goal in life is not to be a top student in his class. Blake just wants to enjoy college life, play his favorite sports, and enjoy all the parties he can attend.

"Alright. That's good to hear. At least you don't want to abandon your studies."

"You're talking like my mom again." Blake pointed it out.

"Oh."

"Whatever. Let's stop talking about me. What about you?" Blake asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You said you would enter a piano competition, right? How are your preparations?"

"So far, so good." Lizzy answered with a shrug. "The piano piece I chose is not too complicated to play and easy to execute."

"Yeah? Is it the song you played yesterday?"

"That's the one. It's a good piece, right?"

"Yes." Blake agreed. "But don't you think it is also too simple for a competition? I mean, I once joined you to watch a piano competition before and all the contestants there chose complicated and difficult level music pieces."

"I guess? Well, I'm not really joining because I want to win anyway. I want to gather more experience and enjoy the competition."

"Have you forgotten that you are now one of our famous students? Once they heard that Felicity Larson would join a competition, I would bet all the money in my pocket that your fans would cheer for you and support you."

"Have you also forgotten that I never cared whether people cheer for me or not?"

"Yeah? Then your fans will definitely feel disappointed that their idol loses the competition."

"I'm joining the competition because I want to do it and not please anyone."

Blake snorts when he hears her reasoning but he doesn't question it anymore. He forgot that she never cares about her popularity. Unlike him who enjoys basking in other people's attention, Lizzy doesn't seem to have any particular interest in the people who admire her. She's just doing things that pique her interest without minding anyone's business.

"When is your competition anyway?" Blake suddenly asked.

"Two weeks." Lizzy answered. "Why? Are you also cheering for me?"

"Stupid. I will tell about it. You know that my brother enjoys listening to classical music."

"Oh, right. Tell me if will watch the competition so I can give him a free ticket."

"Got it. Thanks in advance for it."

"You're welcome."

"How about you?"

"What about me?" Lizzy asked in confusion.

"Are you not planning to ask me when is our tournament?"

"And why should I ask you that?"

Blake scowled at Lizzy but she only raised her eyebrows.

"After I asked you about your competition, you will not care about my much-awaited tournament?" Blake asked. The scowl on his face is still visible. "You are really heartless."

"I sometimes doubt whether you are only book smart or a true genius." Lizzy said.

"Hey! What is that supposed to mean?"

"Anyway, why should I ask you about it?" The date of your semi-final match is known on our campus. The volleyball team is the only sports team in our school that has reached the semi-finals and has a huge chance of winning the championship. It is one of the hottest topics in our school forum." Lizzy explained.

"I know that. Just... You know what? Forget it." Blake said before standing up and heading straight to the kitchen.

Lizzy watches Blake as he leaves her alone in the living room with an amused look on her face. Teasing a man child is fun. Of course, Lizzy knows why he behaves the way he does. How can she miss those tell-tale signs that Blake just wants her to ask him about his preparation for their upcoming tournament?

The most distinguishing quality of Blake is that he wears his heart on his sleeve. If you are close enough to him, you can easily read his mood like an open book. Compared to others, Blake can easily express his emotions without problems. He does not know how to hide his feelings either.

Well... Maybe except for one thing.

Seeing that Blake still has no plans to return, Lizzy shakes her head and follows him. He's probably sulking in the kitchen. For an Alpha who always loves other people's attention, he knows exactly when to hide whenever he feels off. And sure enough, Lizzy found him leaning on the kitchen island with his hands crossed on his chest. She could smell raw vanilla scent coming from him.

"Blake, are you upset with me?" Lizzy asked, although she already knew the answer.

"...No."

"Sure. I believe you, Myers." Lizzy said and rolled her eyes.

When Blake harrumphs at her, Lizzy smiles at his childishness. No one in their school can probably imagine that Blake Myers, the handsome team captain of their volleyball team and one of the famous students on their campus, is acting like a puppy that was kicked by his owner. Even if Lizzy spreads this news on their campus, she thinks no one will believe her except and her cousin.

Blake always maintains a positive reputation, even though he sometimes causes trouble at school. If Lizzy is a well-known figure on their campus, Blake's popularity can overshadow her reputation. Blake steals everyone's attention and focuses it on him. Only a few Alphas can command the crowd to pay attention to themselves without uttering a single word.

"Since you are not upset at me, I will leave now. It is already late anyway." Lizzy shrugged.

Before Lizzy can leave the kitchen, Blake grabs her hand and holds it tight. She stares at their hands first before looking at his face.

"Hmm? What is it, Blake?" Lizzy asked.

Blake tries to say something, but he shut his mouth as quickly as possible.

"It's nothing," Blake said. "Lock your door once you get inside your unit. Call me if something happens. I will quickly rescue you."

"Blake, my unit is literally a few steps away from your place. And let me remind you that this building's security is top-notch. Lastly, have you forgotten that I am more than capable of protecting myself? Well, I am pretty sure you already know what I mean."

Blake didn't reply anymore. Lizzy shakes her head and gently removes Blake's hands from her hand. Looking at his serious face, Lizzy can't help but tease him in an attempt to ease the tension around them.

"Relax, Blake. You do not have to be scared once I leave your place. Just like I said, I am only a few steps away. If you suddenly feel unsafe, you can always knock on my door and I will protect you."

As expected, those words work their magic and cause a huge smile to appear on Blake's face.

"What the fuck?! I don't need your protection!" Blake exclaimed.

"Oh." Lizzy slowly said. "Then there is nothing to worry about. I am leaving now. Bye, Blake! Thanks for your treat."

Following one last pat on his arm, Lizzy turns around and walk toward the door, giving Blake a little smile. In a quiet manner, she leaves Blake's unit and closes the door. There is a high probability that he will ask her to stay the night in his place the longer she stays there. Lizzy pretended not to know what Blake wanted to ask her earlier, and changed her answer fairly quickly when he asked it.

Seeing her empty and quiet place, Lizzy thinks she made the right decision again.