"Are you sure you know what you're talking about?" I asked Jax looking at him with my tired, irritated, suspicious fed- up stare. We've been going back and forth for ten minutes over a single problem now and still I don't understand anything!

"Are you sure it's me who don't understand what I'm talking about?" His eyebrow twitched as he tilts his head on the side, eyeing me challengingly.

I huffed as I straightened my back, crossing my arms against my chest. "I used to hate the baseball team because of my cousin."

He straightened too, mimicking me as he smiles widely. "And now you're loving it because of me?" He winked and I fight myself not to gag.

"Now I hate it even more because of you." I shoot him a death glare. He chuckled then sighed, almost exasperatedly.

"How can you not understand such a simple problem?" He asked in disbelief. "Now I understand why he told me to stay patient with you." He shook his head.

"You're making it harder to understand. My carrots would talk in a way I'd understand easily." I argued.

"What are you, a baby?"

Well, I am his baby!" Todo na talaga ang inis ko sa lalaking ito at malapit ko na itong sakalin. And my annoyance just heightened even more when my eyes went back to Vitto and the glasses girl's direction. Vitto was working on his laptop while glasses girl was leaning behind him, pointing something at the screen. The position is rather... intimate.

I can't take it anymore! I should go there and separate them!

"What are you doing?" Jax asked, looking up at me. I wasn't even aware that I'm already on my feet with my hands balled in a fist.

"They're too close!" I stomped my foot making the dumb baseball guy laugh.

"You really are a baby." He shook his head, returning his focus to my Math assignment which I think he decided to just answer rather than teaching me how. Remembering something, I suddenly sat down surprising the hell out of Jax.

"And now I also understand why Heaven said it's like taking care of a daughter with constant tantrums when he's with you." He stared at me as if realizing that Heaven's words against me are true.

"You're interested in her, don't you?" I looked at him straight in the eyes.

"Who?" He goes back to writing down at the paper when I trap his face in between my palms so he could keep looking at me. His eyes widened.

"The glasses girl!"

He clicked his tongue and stared at me seriously. "If you keep doing this your boyfriend will think that you're rather interested at me then he'll get over you and will realize that the glasses girl is interesting."

In shock, I pushed his face away and the dumb guy smirked at me! Then he picked the pen that flew away when I pushed him and went back to solving the problem as if nothing happened. I looked back at Vitto and now he's looking at whatever the glasses girl is writing down. I bit my lower lip and tap my foot, willing myself to calm down so I won't barge in there and take Vitto away. I should think of a way so they won't fall for each other. My gaze went back to Jax.

"But you're interested at her?" I asked again.

"Yeah." He replied lazily.

"Then why won't you pursue her?" He stopped writing and looked at me as if I spout some nonsense.

"Doesn't look like she's interested at dating." He shrugged.

"That's true." I agree, "I won't be interested dating you either." His jaw dropped.

"If you're too worried about them being close like that, why don't you just ask your boyfriend to switch group?"

"That would be selfish." I say looking at the glasses girl who was busy typing what's written on the paper now. "At least she's doing half the work unlike his previous groupmates who relies him everything."

"You seem to care about him a lot."

"Isn't it obvious that I love him a lot?" I snarled, feeling insulted that he's blind of my love for my carrots. He just chuckled.

"Yeah, enough to be a crazy jealous girlfriend." He said as he put down the pen. His remark startled me that I wasn't able to think of a comeback. Yes, I am crazy, and jealous most of the time. But to put those words with girlfriend. It's the worst. "Don't let your insecurity scare the man away."

I felt like everything went dark and I'm trapped in a suffocating place I built for myself. Do I want Vitto to be trapped here with me? But if anything, I only want him to be happy... with me. I wasn't trying to scare him. I only want him to keep on loving me but because I am indeed insecure, I am impulsively doing things to keep him by my side without even caring if it would make him happy. And I still think of doing the extremes just to be assured of a future with him. I said I want to be someone worthy, but with this kind of attitude and mindset, would I ever be?

"What happened here?" Vitto's hard voice saved me from my painful trance. I snapped my attention at him, and my eyes widened when I felt tears flowing freely down my cheeks. At one moment Vitto was looking at me with concern in his eyes, and the next he was all over Jax, grabbing his collar and I never saw such hate in his eyes.

"What did you do?" Vitto yanked Jax's collar, his warm deep voice dripping with wrath while bystanders start to swarm around. I heard one of them rushing to call the LRC Coordinator. That's where my body moved to pull Vitto away from Jax.

"V- Vitto, please... He—He did not do anything." I hugged him from the back, feeling the tension all over his body. I tried not to sob, worried that it would work him up even more. He removed my arms around his middle and grabbed my shoulders.

"Then what are those tears for?" His eyes are darker than normal, his chest heaving fast like he wasn't control of his emotion anymore. This is the first time I ever saw him like this, so out of his character. And it's because I am selfish. I threw myself at him and finally allowed myself to sob.

"I was... I was just finding the assignment hard. Please don't make anyone teach me again next time. I don't understand anything. And I miss you. I miss you so much." I sobbed against his neck. His hand soothed my back, and although he's still guarded, tension was somehow leaving his body.

"You have a very strange girlfriend, Vitto." I heard the glasses girl noted.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Oreo." It was Jax. There was hint of regret in his voice. But why should he regret it? He helped me realize my mistake. He saved me from ruining my relationship with the man I love the most.

Feeling a bit steady, I untangled myself from Vitto and faced Jax. There was a genuine guilt in his face and I don't want him to feel bad because of my mistake. "No, I should be thankful. Thank you for helping me." I smiled at her. He sighed, seemingly relieved.

Vitto stepped forward like he's going after Jax again, "I told you to be patient with her—"

"Vitto, please." I hugged his arm to stop him. Vitto could not be an athlete but he's as tall as Jax and their body built are not far from each other. Although Jax has more muscles probably because of his intensive training for baseball, Vitto also hides a well-built body inside his lose clothes he gained from his religious runs in the morning. It would not turn out good if these two solid figures clash and from my peripheral I can see the LRC Coordinator approaching.

"You know how I cry over petty things." I rushed before Vitto could reach Jax again. I stood in front of him and put my hands over his chest so I could easily rein him in case he plans to jump on the guy. I don't know what came into me but my eyes searched for the glasses girl and signal for help. She blinked her eyes then stopped, like she realized what I was asking for. She stepped forward and put her hands on her waist like a boss.

"Hey, Vitto. I don't want to be restricted coming here just because you suddenly want to punch some dumb dude who doesn't know how teach Arithmetic properly."

"I am dumb?" Jax reacted from the background.

"This is my sacred place. I beckon you to use your remaining functioning brain cell and treat me for snacks." My jaw dropped. "You have been pestering me for the last fifteen minutes to work faster just so you can—"

"I know." Vitto cut her off, "Be quiet now. Damn it." He hissed under his breath and I looked up at him while my brain started to muddle again. He seemed to have calmed down, rubbing the back of his neck while glaring at the sidelines. He somehow looked flushed now. My eyes traveled to the glasses girl. How can she make Vitto fluster like this? My hands slowly dropped from his chest as I will my knees to stay firm. I feel so shaky I just want to go home and cry in frustration.

My feet moved on their own and turn my back from Vitto, planning to grab my things from the table when one of his hands wrapped around my middle.

"Is everything alright here?" A beautiful woman in killer heels asked, behind her was the LRC Coordinator, warily looking in between Jax and Vitto. Aside from her imperious voice that seems to compel anyone to pay attention, there's an air of authority in her that would make her stand out even in a room full of people. And that reminds me so much of someone. Vitto?

"Of course, Dean!" Jax answered while smiling overzealously. "Just some misunderstanding but we already settled it." She's the College Dean? But she looked so young you can mistake her as a senior!

"Are you sure?" The Dean looked at Vitto, seemingly suspicious since there wasn't a hint of smile in my boyfriend's face. "This would be my first time seeing you so agitated like this, Mr. Alonzo." She fixed her eyeglasses while her strict eyes never left him. Vitto looked away, pulling me even closer against him. I swear I saw how the Dean twitched his perfect brow at me but it was gone fast that maybe I was only imagining about it.

"This won't happen again, Ms. Kalliste." The glasses girl jumped in, "I promise to bridle him so he won't behave like this again." She added as if he's always been close to Vitto. And my confusion piled up higher.

"I would take your word for that, Ms. Solasta." After throwing one last glance at Vitto, the Dean walked away and the Coordinator stayed to give us an earful.

"Finish your food and go home." Vitto told the glasses girl crossly as soon as food arrives on our table. We were able to escape the angry Coordinator after a good ten minutes of scolding. After giving a huge smile and friendly wave as if nothing happened, Jax rushed to his baseball practice and the glasses girl insisted that she'd be treated by Vitto for snacks as promised.

"You want me to gulp all these food at once? Do you want me to choke to death?" She glared. "At least give me time to smell them so I know what ingredients they used to make sure it's safe for my consumption."

I choked on my smoothie. I'm slowly noticing her odd similarity with Vitto and I don't know if I should find it adorable or inauspicious.

"Careful." He hands me a paper napkin and rubbed his other hand soothingly on my back while I try not to cough my intestines out. He passed me his water and he gathered my hair while I was gulping it down. I also noticed that I'm always not put up together whenever I meet someone who might be close to Vitto. First his uncle, now... this girl.

"I think you need to rush your girlfriend in the emergency room. The smoothie probably entered her trachea." I heard the girl remarked. "I remember something like that happened when we were in high school—"

"Just shut up, Blair." Vitto rustled at her in irritation. I coughed one last time and lifted my eyes at her. What did I just hear? The were in the same high school?!

"Are you friends with my carrots?" I rasped as I smack my fist against the table, fighting the itchiness of my throat. Is this why she was so confident to say that she'll rein Vitto because they have been friends? I do not want to get jealous because it does not do me or Vitto any good but what is this sense of foreboding?

"No." They both answer and just before I could heave a sigh of relief, Blair added,

"I know all his secrets, though." She mused while smelling her club sandwich then took a small bite of it. I snapped my head back at Vitto, asking for confirmation.

"Zip it off now, will you?" Warned Vitto sternly but Blair just shrugged nonchalantly and moved on to sip from her watermelon juice. Seems like she's really been around Vitto a lot if she's already used with his cold attitude. I feel my insides wrench tasting the bitter bile of jealousy. "Do you want to go home?" He asked softly it came out almost as a whisper.

I know that he didn't intend to hurt me with his question, yet it prickled my chest like thousands of needles. Why is he suddenly asking me that? Does he want to be left alone with Blair? I looked down pretending to be busy with my food.

"I want to be with you." I was expecting him to smile at me and reach for my hand like he's used to do lately But I just heard him took a deep breath. Does he want me to leave so badly? The food does not taste anything anymore. Even my favorite carrot slushie doesn't taste as sweet now. In fact, it only scorches my burning throat more.

My phone suddenly rings from my bag but I don't have the energy to check who's calling.

"Why do you have broken LCD?" Vitto asked and my phone was in his hand when I looked at him. I lazily reached it from him and swiped away Heaven's missed call notification. My wallpaper was mine and Vitto's picture but my face was covered with a large black spot now. I mentally scoffed. How convenient. Seems like even my phone is manifesting a break up. But it's not as if I'm going to let it happen! I forced myself to smile.

"It slipped my hand and fell. Will buy a new one tomorrow. Can you come with me? We can go after your class." I hopefully asked.

"We have to stay in the lab until 7 PM tomorrow." Blaire answered for Vitto and I bit my lower lip, throwing daggers at the woman who was enjoying her sandwich.

"We can go after you finish your meal." Vitto suggested ignoring Blaire and that made me genuinely beam. I looked at Blaire with a smirk but she just stared at me blankly.

"Were you able to submit your assignment?" My eyes widened with the question and I immediately grabbed my bag and swiped my tablet out. So much happened that made me forgot about the assignment. And when I opened the tab for the subject, I wasn't allowed to submit my paper anymore.

"C- Carrots..." I looked at him tearfully. He did not say anything but snatched the tablet from my hand.

"She did not?" Blaire asked but Vitto remained silent. He put the tablet on idle and put it back inside my bag. "Failure to submit even one assignment would mess with my class standing. The old man will kill me if that happens." She mused more likely to herself but it's like a boulder that rolled down and squished me. Class standing. She's really a smart one. I only have a class, but class standing...

"Stop talking as if you're waiting for someone to murder you." Vitto scolded her, not liking what she just said.

He scolded her. Not me. Her. Even after knowing that I failed to submit my paper. What it is with this woman that apparently make Vitto care? But how about me?

"Finish your food now so we can go." He pushed.

"Why are you itching to send me away? I'm enjoying my food for the first time." Blaire scowled.

"Then stop gnawing your food slowly like a goat." He snapped irritably. How can this woman make him react like this? There was Riza, and Mitch, and Thalia, but no one ever made him show a face like that... like he cares... It only used to be me.

I silently stared at Brail, trying to hate her for stealing Vitto's attention from me yet I couldn't compel myself to do so. I've been cheated with a woman who I thought was too ordinary compared to me. When Giro chose Rosenda, I felt like I had the liberty to... bully her. Her demeanor... her appearance. I was confident to do so because she's a crybaby, like me. The only difference was that I can stand for myself and she cannot express herself freely. And I took advantage of it. But Blair... she's different. She isn't wearing any make up, doesn't wear any accessory, she doesn't even care to fix her hair, and her too large specs almost covered the entirety of her face. Yes, I might be prettier... but she isn't ordinary. She's smart, she knows how to stand up for herself, she knows to throw killer comebacks... And she doesn't need Vitto to teach her Math. She's the same level as Vitto.

I feel like I'm slowly disintegrating and the more the two of them exchange smart remarks, the more I'm shattering. But it wasn't noticed... I'm slowly becoming unnoticeable.

Vitto... I'm also here...