“Eh… Coach you hurt my feelings …you know.” Grey said understanding who was the lazy and the star. Regardless the coach only gave a smile like he did every day, signifying the grueling practice that lay ahead today.

“Yo… Blake… thought you were gone for good… or something… but you’re not… yay…” Grey fake cheered shifting his focus as he spoke in a very monotone way. Alex and Blake both stared at Grey with worried looks.

Alex, “You alright dude?”

“Yeah…” Grey muttered.

He was always jealous of Blake a little and since the latter had returned, all the girls were always attracted to him, leaving Grey no chance with them at all.

But truth was, Grey never stood a chance with or without Blake since he had faced only rejections till now.

Blake, “Hello to you too… Grey. Morgan.” Alex simply only gave a nod.

“Alright boys, begin warmup and give me 3 laps around the ground, now!” Robin commanded as he whistled.

“So, want to tell me something?” Alex asked as he ran side by side with Blake.

“Tell you what?” Blake suddenly increased his speed drastically leaving everyone behind. However, Alex was keeping up with him. Blake was a little surprised to see this.

“Don’t play games with me, what are you doing here? Back at school?”

Blake, “Why? Completing my education of course.”

“You expect me to believe that?”

“Think what you want Morgan, I am here for what I said.” Blake then took the lead and ran even faster.

“Yo… Moose is it- just us- who are slow or- those two are- running quite fast?” Grey asked in between breaths to Moose, their team’s goalkeeper.

Moose, “I… think its… both.”

‘I suppose their rivalry will help them grow exceptionally.’ Robin thought to himself as gush of tears sild down his face. He felt proud thinking that he raised two geniuses.

Robin, “What are you boys doing?! Keep up with Alex and Blake, stop slacking off, we have to win the competition! Keep on pushing boys!”

The entire football practice was like a rival contest between the two. Even after asking repeatedly Blake’s answer never changed. The only thing Alex got was that he was no longer working for Black Cloud which gave him a relief.

As Blake was leaving Alex stopped him.

Blake, “What? No—

Alex, “I am not questioning you. But I hope you remember what you did when you were here last time. You need to apologize to someone.”

Alex stared at Blake before the latter sighed and said, “Even if you hadn’t said it, I was planning on doing it.”

“Hey you still up for Merissa’s?” Grey asked as he came from the changing room noticing that Blake had left.

“Yeah.”

“Good! I am going to need your help today to come back today, I am going to get super drunk today.” Grey patted Alex’s shoulder and left.

“But Merissa only gives us orange juice.” Alex said confused.

“Yeah, that’s what I am planning on getting drunk on!” Grey shouted.

Robin, “What are you talking about getting drunk?!”

“Oh! coach nothing…” Grey stammered.

Alex ‘does he have a few screws loose?’ Alex thought as he sighed and tried to get Grey out of his current predicament with the coach.

…

“Isn’t that him?” A girl sitting on one of the tables in the library second floor asked.

“Yeah, that’s him. I never thought he’d come back.” Another girl seated beside her replied.

“What is he doing there beside the bookshelf. He is standing there for like half an hour now.”

“Why don’t you go and talk to him.”

“What! But I am too shy, what if he ignores me?”

Like this there were several hushed conversations going on between the girls as they kept glancing at Blake. He was currently trying to muster up his courage and was thinking of a way to talk to Nina. He had previously approached her but she outright got ignored. Whenever he tries to initiate a conversation, she just disregards him and moves away. It angered and frustrated him at first but he understood he was reaping what he sowed.

Finally, after gathering his confidence Blake attempts an approach again. Nina was currently sitting with Maddy seemingly in a study session.

Blake, “Hey Nina, do you have some time, I wa—

Nina, “I don’t.”

Blake’s mind completely went blank. A personality assessment might tell one that Blake was quite anti-social. Every attempt of his to apologize to someone whom he almost got killed was a task that required humongous amount of courage. He was once again outright rejected and didn’t know what to do. He just stood there like a log of wood. Maddy was a taken aback by Nina’s cold behavior. But she knew if Nina was acting like this towards someone, they must have really done something bad to make her mad.

“So, you can go now, she’s busy.” Maddy chimed in as she gestured with her hand for him to leave supporting her friend and giving Blake a chance to get out of his awkward situation. But he ignored her and tired again.

“P-Please, at least give me a chance to apologize.”

“Uuhh! I don’t want your apology, just leave me alone.” Nina said in an irritated and rash tone.

“But—

“Listen here Mr. hot face you leave now and leave my friend alone or I’ll change your face structure for you.” Maddy scowled as she grabbed his collar. No one dared to mess with her friends and to her Blake wasn’t any exception.

“Shhh” A synchronized sound resounded from everyone towards her reminding her that they were in the library.

“What!? Keep your noses in your books and not in others businesses.” But that had little to no effect on her as she reprimanded everyone else instead. The students, intimated by her response ignored her and turned their attention back to their books.

Nina, “Maddy it’s alright, you don’t have to.”

Maddy, “Why not? You are clearly irritated at him and he doesn’t even have the decency to leave when asked nicely.” She then shoved Blake back.

Blake was finding it hard to restrain himself from unleashing himself here. To him Alex was one thing but another human pushing him around was unbearable. But he knew the consequences of him exploding now and so he quietly left.

“What’s the matter with him and you? Did he harass you or something?”

Nina, “No nothing like that.” Although it was even worse Nina couldn’t possibly say that Blake was an alien who had used her as a bargaining chip.

Maddy, “I know you are secretive and all but you know you can talk to me about anything right?”

Nina flashed a genuine smile at Maddy’s words. “I know.”

“Good now how do we solve this one again?”

“I just taught you that.”

“Yeah, but I forgot because of that hottie’s in- um sorry I mean that annoying Blake’s interference.”

Nina chuckled and said, “It’s alright I’ll teach ya, you can call him whatever you like though. I don’t care.”