| LANCE |

"We are all gathered here today," I began formally, "to discuss yesterday's actions of Cindy, Spencer and Mackenzie."

The three culprits took their seats in front of me, worry obviously on their faces.

We were in one of the private rooms of Royal Crown. Evil Woman was biting her trimmed fingernails--a clear sign she was really nervous. Same with Ferocious Eater, who was cracking each of his knuckles and staring at his lap. But perhaps most telling of all, Midgetzie was avoiding eye contact with me altogether while pursing her lips. Why did she seem more nervous than the other two?

Eunice was standing at the back, like she was guarding them if one of them planned to escape. I think they knew better than to try, but just in case. Rachel was sitting beside her while happily munching on her Nerds, clearly enjoying the show.

This was going to be so much fun.

Since I was sure Cindy was the main suspect, I asked her directly, "Why were you spying on Alice and me?"

"I--we weren't spying!" she corrected herself, making sure the blame was a shared one. "We were just...um, casually walking the same way you and Hamilton were!"

I raised an eyebrow. Spencer and Mackenzie facepalmed. Eunice snorted, failing to hide her laughter. Rachel was still busy eating her candies.

"Just give it up, Dee," said Eunice after composing herself. "And your lie sucks, by the way."

She turned around slightly on her chair to glare at her. "You told Lance, didn't you?"

"Nope," Nis answered simply, her eyes showing mirth.

"No one told me anything," I assured Cindy. "How I knew you were spying on us was becau--"

"Wait!" Spence cut me off. "Let us guess how you knew it was us." He thought for a moment before saying, "The way we were dressed?"

"The calluses on our hands?" guessed Cindy.

The two of them turned to Mackenzie at the same time, waiting for her hunch.

"Er, the smell of our perfumes...?" she tried, chuckling awkwardly.

"No, no, and no." I let out a short chortle. "I am not going to kill you with suspense any longer. I knew it was you guys because...well, it all started when Spencer cracked his knuckles at the cinema."

"But there are tons of people who crack their knuckles!" he protested quickly and nervously, no doubt predicting Evil Woman's response to this revelation.

"Well, you are the only one I know to crack the ring finger's knuckle first, pinkie finger's next, middle finger's, and then the index finger's."

"I...I do that...?" he asked, utterly astonished, looking at his hands. "I didn't notice that till now!"

"So you gave us away from the very start, Ferocious Eater!" Cindy snarled, about to grab his shirt collar.

But before she could do that, I told her, "And then at the Auto Skooters, there was a girl who wore a Pikachu mask, and, with my sharp eyes, it was obvious her blonde hair was only a wig."

Cindy gulped at this, and her anger at Spencer instantly dissipated. She leaned back on her chair.

"When the ride was over, the way she walked out of the arena briskly was somehow familiar to me," I continued, smiling wickedly at her. "She had a particular way of walking. I only know one person in the world who walks like that, and it's you, Dee."

She blinked and demanded, "W-what kind of gait are you talking about?"

"Ah, I will just keep that one to myself," I mused.

Cindy narrowed her eyes at me dangerously. "Violinist Freak, you--"

"And then you had someone with you who was short and had natural blonde hair," I interrupted her. "And since I was sure the two people were Cindy and Spencer, it was pretty evident their other acquaintance was none other than Mackenzie, because you two don't have another friend who matches her diminutive description."

She gritted her teeth, annoyed. "Did you really have to mention that I was short?"

I shot her a teasing look, then turned to Spence. "So...I believe you were the one who shot me with a spitball. Targeting people with spitballs was one of your hobbies when we were still kids."

He shrugged with a nervous look. "Well, I was only following Dee's order to disturb you and Alice, so...yeah."

I chuckled, then addressed all of them, "And my deduction ends there." I spread my hands proudly.

"It is all elementary, my dear friends."

Eunice and Rachel (who finally finished eating her Nerds) gave a standing ovation, and I raised my chin higher.

"Do not worry, my friends," I continued. "Only the six of us can see the status I posted last night, because I customized its viewers. Alice won't know about this, I assure you."

Cindy held up her hands in surrender. "Fine, we give up. Yes, Lance, it was us all along."

"What you did was wrong, Dee," I scolded, squinting my eyes at her. "You should not have done what my mom requested. And yes, I confronted her also earlier when I saw her looking at the pictures you guys had taken from our date--"

"Not saying you had a date to your best friends was more wrong!" she cried and stood up from her chair, facing me, and I was taken aback by this. "I thought there'd be no secrets between the three of us, but you broke that rule, Lance!"

"He couldn't tell you about it 'cause of your rivalry with Alice," Spencer defended loyally, even though I'd just put him on "trial." "Lance knew what your reaction would be."

"But still!" She was furious, still fixing me with a hard glare. It took a Herculean effort on my part not to flinch under her gaze.

"And aside from telling you my deductions, the second reason I called all of you here was to...apologize. Yes, I am well aware all of this was my fault because I kept my date a secret from you guys, and I am sorry for that." I gazed at my best girl friend earnestly. "Especially to you, Dee. What Spencer said is right--I didn't want to tell you because I knew you would get angry at me. And I didn't want to tell you guys that I lost...um, another bet..."

"Wait, so your date was all because of a bet?" Cindy verified, calming down bit by bit.

I nodded and told them what the bet between Alice and me had been about, how it'd started, and why I'd kept my distance away from them for days.

When I was done, Rachel excitedly told Mackenzie, "Ooh! You encouraged someone to have a bet with Lance! But he lost again."

Mackenzie and I just laughed awkwardly.

"Well, at least you didn't volunteer to date her, so yay!" Cindy exclaimed, flinging her arms around my neck to hug me. "I'm also sorry, Lance."

I hugged her back and gazed at Spencer. He just shrugged at me with a smile.

"So, whose cake was better: Alice's or Mackenzie's?" Eunice asked me after Cindy had released me from the hug.

I sneaked a glance at Midgetzie, who was tapping on her iPhone, and then closed my eyes, smiling. "Ah, I will also keep that one to myself."

"Well, I don't care whose cake was better," Mackenzie said, crossing her legs. "But it's great to know that you lost another bet, Cocky Violinist Freak." She stuck her tongue out at me.

"Ha-ha," I deadpanned.

"Dang! I wish I hadn't had to join that interview for that sports program in New York!" Rachel said to the three would-be James Bonds. "Your spying mission would've been much more enjoyable if I'd been around!"

"Seriously, Chel?" Eunice said, sheepish.

She just grinned cheekily, giving her a peace sign with her hand.

I just chuckled at what Rachel had said. She really knew how to lift up the tension in the air.

"And the third reason why I called all of you here," I continued grandly, "is because I wanted to treat you lunch. Today, we will have a feast."

Everyone cheered, causing me to grin wider, grateful that I had friends like them.

🎻 🎻 🎻

Monday afternoon, after our classes had ended, Cindy, Spencer and I went to the school's indoor sports center to watch Rachel and Mackenzie. Ricochet would've their tennis practice in the center because it was raining, and Mackenzie had her P.E. class.

"Adams, what the heck are you doing?" Coach Stone barked. "I hope the ball isn't attracted to your face! If it is, tell it your face is spoken for and hit it away with your best shot!"

It was the third time she got hit in the face.

"S-sorry, Coach," we heard her reply from the bench area. "But I don't have a best shot."

"Try harder! Just like what I taught you earlier!"

Coach Stone's students were playing volleyball, wearing their P.E. uniforms: white T-shirts with the school's symbol printed on the left side, and cyan jogging pants. Judging from Mackenzie's teammates' faces, they all felt sorry for her.

When the ball was approaching her the next round, Mackenzie prepared herself to hit it. Sadly, she failed and got hit in the face again. This caused me to laugh loudly at her for the fourth time.

She glared at me and shouted, "Lancelot! I swear I'll throw a ball in your face--"

"Collins has the right to laugh at you, Adams!" the coach yelled at Mackenzie, which made her wince. "Now, concentrate!"

"Poor Mackenzie," said Cindy beside me when they were playing again. "Why on earth did she choose P.E. when she sucks at ball games, anyway?"

"It is fine," I told her. "At least she is entertaining me at the moment."

Cindy let out an exasperated sigh.

Sabrina and Eunice entered the sports center. When they saw us, they approached us.

"Finished with your creative writing class?" Spencer asked them.

"Yep," Eunice said, sitting beside me, then frowned at the volleyball field. "P.E. classes aren't done yet?"

"Well, only Coach Stone's class isn't done yet," Cindy informed her.

Sabrina grimaced. "Ugh. Mackenzie's teacher for P.E. is Coach Stone? Good luck to her! You know about his 'stony personality' reputation! P.E. was supposed to be my special subject for this school year, but when I found out Coach Stone would be my teacher, I chickened out and quickly requested to Principal Reynolds to change it. Lauren was lucky to have Coach Grande as her P.E. teacher."

"Well, Coach Stone's sometimes nice," Spencer said, chuckling.

"To you pros only, I'm sure." Sabrina paused. "Say, did you guys see Lauren?"

"No--oh, never mind. Here she comes." Cindy pointed behind Sabrina, where Lauren was walking in our direction.

"Heeeeey, guys!" Lauren happily greeted when she was standing beside her cousin, looking fresh from the showers. We greeted her back, then she turned to Sabrina. "Thanks for the wait. Should we go now?"

Sabrina nodded, and then told us, "We wanted to wait for Mackenzie, but my mom asked me to buy some groceries after school, and Lauren's gonna keep me company. Sorry."

"Nah, it's okay, Sabrina. No biggie," Eunice said, smiling at her.

We bade good-bye to Lauren and Sabrina. Moments later, Coach Stone's class finally finished. His students looked like they couldn't walk properly anymore as they headed to the showers. After a few minutes, Mackenzie stumbled toward us like a zombie. She was wearing her fresh pair of school uniform, and her hair was still slightly wet.

"Stupid ball games," she muttered when she sat beside Eunice. "Can't freakin' cooperate with me."

"Did you decide to make the switch from acting to Women's Volleyball, is that why you're here?" I teased her.

Mackenzie narrowed her eyes at me. "We were supposed to run at the track field, but then it started raining, so Coach Stone decided we'd play volleyball instead."

"But it's P.E.," Nis said incredulously. "You'd really get to play sports that concern balls. You can't help it."

"Well, I plan to pull the I-am-so-sick-and-can't-participate-for-today's-game card whenever we play ball sports. But today was unexpected, so I didn't have time to prepare myself."

I laughed. "I never thought I would hear such an excuse from the 'Oscar-winning actress.'"

"Shut up, Lance," she growled.

"Hey, Rachel's gonna start playing now," Spencer told us, excitement lacing his voice. "Let's go to that side."

When the five of us approached the side of the volleyball court that Ricochet had borrowed for the meantime, Rachel waved at us with a grin. We did the same. A while later, an Asian girl stood on the other side of the court, who must be Chel's opponent for today's practice.

"That's Airah Chua," Spencer said. "She's one of the best tennis players of Weyral." He grinned. "I wonder who'll win this round."

"Let's hope it's gonna be Chel," said Cindy.

"Hi, Airah!" Rachel greeted brightly. "Let's have fun playing, okay?"

"Don't go easy on me, Rachel," her opponent replied, grinning.

"Of course!" she promised.

"I know Chel is called the 'Princess of Tennis,' but is she going to be all right?" I asked Mackenzie, worried. "She is not taking this seriously, and her opponent looks like she is not kidding around."

She smirked at me. "Oh, just you wait."

I gave her a confused look, then shifted my attention back to the court.

Airah served the ball to Rachel. In that split moment, Rachel's eyes became deadly serious, gazing intently at the incoming object. She positioned herself and did a circular backswing, contacting with the ball perfectly on her racket, then it flew overhead the net toward Airah. Before she could take a swing, the ball passed her swiftly and hit the wall that was a few feet behind her. She slowly looked over her shoulder to see it fall to the floor, stunned.

Rachel was back to being jolly again. "Goal!"

Spencer stood up and cried while lifting his fist in the air, "You go, Chel!"

"That was amazing, Chel!" Cindy exclaimed, clapping her hands continuously.

"You ate a lot of Nerds earlier, didn't you?" Eunice joked loudly for Rachel to hear.

She posed like a model for effect, then said to her best friend, "Did you see that, Kenzie? I was like the Flash!"

Mackenzie gave her a two thumbs-up, grinning widely, then turned to me with a raised eyebrow, looking smug. "See?"

"Y-yes," I sheepishly told her. "I apologize that I underestimated her."

Just then "Minuet in G Major" by Bach started playing from the loudspeakers of the sports center, and this could only mean one thing: an announcement was coming from the school staff.

"Calling the attention of Prince Lancelot Dale Collins--well, if he's still here in school--please come to the principal's office. Thank you."

It was Principal Reynolds. He repeated himself, then the piece started playing again to indicate the announcement was finished.

Nis, Dee, Spence, Chel and Mackenzie turned and stared at me at the same time--as if it was a move they'd practiced--completely bewildered.

"I am as confused as you guys," I told them, shrugging. "Perhaps what Principal Reynolds and I are going to talk about will take a while. Please do not wait for me."

"You sure?" Spencer asked.

"Yes. Do not worry. I will see you all tomorrow." After bidding them good-bye, I hastily went to the principal's office with my violin case and bag. Thank God it had stopped raining by now.

A few minutes later, I reached the fifth floor of the main building, panting like a dog. Like Cindy and some of the other students, I was starting to like the elevator idea now. I knocked on the door of the principal's office and heard the voice call from the inside, "Come in!"

Principal Reynolds was sitting in his chair, the beautiful sunset behind him. "Hello, Mr. Collins. Take a seat, please."

"Good afternoon, Principal Reynolds." I took one of the seats that were in front of his rectangular mahogany desk, putting my things on the tiled floor, then started, "Erm, why did you call me for, sir?" I hoped I hadn't done anything wrong. Maybe this was about the Elgar Community's Violin Solo Competition--the contest where I hadn't won.

"Would you like some tea?" he said instead, smiling warmly at me.

I couldn't help widening my eyes. "P-pardon?" Had the principal called me just to have a tea party with him?

"Green, Earl Grey, or oolong? Or are you a coffee person?"

"No, sir. I am not a coffee person. Earl Grey, please."

After Principal Reynolds had prepared the tea and put a steaming cup in front of me, I said my thanks and he sat in his chair again. "Ah, yes, yes. The reason I called you here, Mr. Collins, is because of the upcoming violin competition that will be held on November."

"Next month?" I clarified and took a sip of my tea carefully, since it was still kind of hot. It had honey and milk in it.

Yum!

He nodded. "On Saturday, the 26th of November, to be exact."

"What is the name of this competition?"

"The 40th Annual Denver Music Competition--High School Division," the principal said. "I'm sure you know about it."

"Yes. Whoever is the winner in that contest will be Denver's participant for the States of America Music Competition--High School Division next year." I paused. "Um, does this mean I will...?"

"Yes, Mr. Collins. I'm requesting that you be Weyral's participant for that contest."

"But why me, sir?" I asked puzzledly. "I mean, Alice won the Elgar Community's Violin Solo Competition, so it should be her who should participate in that contest."

"All of the members of Cyan Wings will be participating in a cheerleading contest next month," he explained. "It's on the same week like the music competition, so I crossed Ms. Hamilton out in the options. That's why I chose you, Mr. Collins, because you're one of the best musicians of Weyral. This is also a great chance to raise the school's profile in the music field."

"Th-thank you, Principal Reynolds." I've always been flattered whenever he praised me, and he'd chosen me instead of another musician to participate! "I gladly accept your request, and I will do my best to win the competition."

"You did a great job at the last contest, Mr. Collins." Principal Reynolds smiled. "Yes, Mr. Hoffman recorded the event so that I could watch it."

I looked down at my lap. "But I did not win."

"But you did your best and had fun, right?"

Fun? Did I really have fun that time?

"I...I guess so...?"

He was still smiling. "That's all that mattered." He gave me a paper about the upcoming contest. "All of the details are printed there. Thank you for accepting my request, Mr. Collins. Please do your best and have fun again."

"Certainly, Principal Reynolds." I nodded, thanked him back, finished drinking my tea, and then left his room.

🎻 🎻 🎻

I'd decided to go to the main building's rooftop to think things through. Alternately staring at the beautiful sunset and the paper with the contest rules on it, I sighed and leaned on the railing. It'd be better for me to have an accompanist in this contest. But who could I choose? The paper said the accompanist should also be a student of the same school.

There were many professional pianists in Weyral, but I wasn't close with any of them. I wanted to play with someone who I was friends with and someone I could trust. Marcus could play the piano, but he was already busy with the Orchestra; I didn't want to disturb him.

Reading the paper again, the theme for the contest was "Crossing Over."

Heh. It was so deep, I could see oil.

There was a sudden breeze of the chilly wind, causing me to shiver a little. Then, I could hear faint music coming from...somewhere. Straining my ears, it was the melody of a piano, but it wasn't the playing of a prodigy--it was unskilled but honest. It also wasn't a classical piece; I believed it was a song.

For some reason, something was stirring in my chest. I liked this feeling. I also liked the sound of the pianist's playing because it was heartwarming for me. It seemed the pianist was having a good time playing the song; it was a joyful tune. Just by listening to it, it brightened my mood considerably.

I have to find this musician!

Grabbing my things, I dashed to the music building. I panted heavily as I stood in front of it. Before entering, though, I realized something: all of the music rooms were soundproofed. Since I could hear the piano (louder this time), that meant the room's window where the pianist was playing was open. I heard the melody stop, but then it started playing the same song again a moment later.

I fast-walked to the right side of the building first to check the rooms, my mind racing as briskly as my feet. The last room's window was open, and I quickened my pace to look inside.

"We gotta slow down, take a look around,
When we gonna stop?
When we gonna stop runnin', runnin'?
It's keeping you and me,
From who we need to be."

It was a female voice. So the pianist was a girl. I must admit her singing voice was spot on.

When I reached the opened rectangular window, I stared into the room, and my jaw almost dropped to the ground.

The one who was playing the piano was...Mackenzie Grace Adams!

"I wanna look like love,
Be more than just enough.
For the hearts that are broken, coming
undone..."

Maybe I was hallucinating. Rubbing my eyes just to be sure, I gazed into the room again. Mackenzie was still sitting in front of the grand piano, her hands moving not-so-gracefully on the keys with her eyes closed. She continued singing slowly.

"It's up to you and me, to leave a legacy.
If we're all they ever see.
I wanna look like, look like love..."

True, the way she was playing the song was sloppy, but it didn't feel distressing. It was rather courageous, and it looked like she was having fun. And her voice! I think this was the first time I heard her sing, and it made me speechless.

"I wanna look like, look like love..."

I climbed inside the window carefully, not wanting to disturb her but also not wanting her to see me and make her think I was a creep. Unfortunately, I lost my balance, and I started to fall to the floor. Thanks to a rush of adrenaline, I was able to land on my back to save my violin, instinctively hugging like it was a precious and very expensive vase.

Even with the carpeted floor, my fall still made me moan in pain. The piano stopped playing abruptly and Mackenzie yelped, "L-L-Lance?"

"Hello, Mackenzie," I began, opening my eyes, still lying on the floor. "Lovely weather, is it not?"

She regarded me curiously, then came over with a half-smile on her face. She stood near my head, about to help me up, but then I saw something...interesting.

"White. So innocent," I blurted out stupidly.

"Huh?" She followed my gaze, then understood what I meant, causing her to flush deep red. "Lance! Y-you--!"

I realized my mistake and covered my face with the violin case hastily when I thought she was about to stomp my face with her shoe. "I-I apologize! It was an accident, I swear! I didn't see it on purpose!" I took a peek at her, and she was still blushing furiously from embarrassment, now covering her skirt and taking a step away from me. "But it was your entire fault for standing there, of all places."

Mackenzie stormed back over to her piano in a huff, stating, "I've decided not to help you stand up anymore." She sat back on the bench, crossing her arms over her chest, frowning at me. "How did you end up in that kind of position, anyway?"

I sat on the floor, wincing slightly. "To save Sherlock Holmes."

Baffled, she asked me, "Sherlock Holmes...?"

I pointed proudly at my green rectangular violin case.

"You named your violin 'Sherlock Holmes'?" she slowly asked for confirmation.

"Yes, because he is my most favorite fictional character. Why, is there a problem with that?"

"No, there's no problem with that." She chuckled, her slight anger already forgotten. "I named my DSLR camera 'Cameron.' Get it? Camera. Cameron."

Standing up while chortling, I shook my head at her. "I can't even."

Mackenzie grinned. "Why on earth did you enter through the window and not through the door? You really are a freak."

"Don't ask. Nice song, by the way."

"'Look Like Love' by Britt Nicole. It's one of my favorites." She patted the space next to her after I'd put my things on a desk in a corner. I sat beside her, then she started, "I thought you already went home."

"I was about to, but then I heard a beginner playing the piano from the music building."

"Yeah, yeah. I know I'm a beginner." She looked down, slightly embarrassed, and said, "You don't have to rub it in my face."

"Like how that ball kept rubbing your face earlier?"

Covering her face with her hands, Mackenzie groaned. "Ugh! Don't remind me 'bout that ever again!"

"Your fault."

She slapped my arm, making me laugh.

"Did Nis, Spence and Dee already go home?" I asked. "And did Ricochet extend their practice time?"

"Yeah," she replied. "And Ricochet might be finished with their practice by seven-thirty."

"I did not know you could play the piano," I told her. "Eunice and Cindy did not tell me anything about it."

"Actually," she put a lock of hair behind her ear, "the public doesn't know I play the piano. It's not that I'm keeping it a secret. It's just that the last time I played was when I was in third grade, if memory serves. To be honest, I hadn't thought about coming to the music building to play piano till now. Looks like I still remember some of the basics."

"Ah, I see. No wonder you were staring longingly at the music building when I was giving you and Chel the tour on the first day of school; you wanted to play the piano again."

Her eyes widened, amazed. "You still remem--okay, never mind. I'm not gonna ask. I'm sure you'll reply with something like, Of course! I have an extraordinary memory recall, Midgetzie."

"Goodie. You know me so well." I grinned. "Who taught you how to play the piano, if I may ask?"

"My grandma," she answered. "But she didn't join any music competitions."

Bewildered, I asked, "Why? I am sure she has great talent. She should have joined so that she would become famous in the classical music world."

Mackenzie shrugged. "She doesn't care 'bout contests and becoming famous. She told me that as long as she enjoys playing the piano and sharing her music with other people to make them happy, that's enough for her."

"I see," I said again. Who knew people like Mackenzie's grandmother existed?

"I'm sorry you heard me playing." Mackenzie seemed almost embarrassed as she spoke. "I know it sounded horrible to your ears because you're a pro. I should've closed the window, but it was so cold because of the rain a while ago, so I turned off the air con and--"

"The playing was a bit ramshackle," I interrupted her, "but the way you played the song had so much emotion. It was filled with joy and kindness. For that, you most certainly do not have to apologize."

I felt Mackenzie freeze, then she said softly, "R-really?"

I gazed at her with a smile. "Yes, Mackenzie."

"That coming from a professional...just...wow. Th-thanks, I guess." She looked down. I could've sworn for a moment there was a tinge of red on her cheeks.

"I want you," I told her after a moment of silence.

Mackenzie turned her head sharply to me. "Eh?"

"I want you, Mackenzie," I whispered, inching closer to her.

She looked away again and sputtered, "W-what are you t-t-talking about, you freak?"

"I want you to be my accompanist for the 40th Annual Denver Music Competition--High School Division."

Mackenzie blinked, then gazed back at me slowly, confused. "You want me to be your...accompanist for a music competition?" she slowly clarified.

I nodded. "That's what Principal Reynolds and I spoke about earlier. The contest will be held on the 26th of November. So, will you be my accompanist, Mackenzie?"

When my words finally sunk into her slow brain, she exclaimed, "Th-the heck, Lance! I'm a beginner and I don't know how to read musical notes. I only play by ear. You should go look for a prodigy; you'll only regret it if I'm your accompanist."

"Do not worry about that. I will tutor you in piano," I said, desperation becoming obvious in my voice. "We will start with music theory first, then the piano techniques and such. Playing music will be last."

Mackenzie paused. "You...you play the piano, too?"

"Yes, because I am talented that way." I smirked. "Dad taught me when I was a child. But even though it was only for a short time, I learned so many things from him and I still remember them."

"Should I bow down to you now?"

I ignored her sarcasm. "Please, Mackenzie. Be my accompanist for the upcoming contest."

She frowned. "Seriously, Lance, I can't do that, okay? The competition's next month. I can't just become a professional pianist like you want me to be within," she checked the calendar on her phone, "six weeks and five days!"

"As long as you understand the fundamentals of music," I continued, "and play the piano through reading notes, I would be okay with it. You do not have to perfect the selected piece."

"I don't believe you, Lance!" Her voice increased in volume involuntarily. "You're a perfectionist, and you want to win that competition, for Pete's sake!" Then she sighed wearily. "Just...just go find someone else, okay?"

I was sure she was feeling pressured by what I was asking of her, but again, I was desperate.

"Mackenzie, please," I beseeched her. If I had to get on my knees in front of her and beg just to make her say yes, I was going to do it.

I was about to kneel on the floor, but Mackenzie noticed this quickly and stopped me by grabbing my hands.

"Seriously, why do you want me to be your accompanist for a big music competition?" She searched my eyes for answers. "Your techniques are flawless, while mine aren't. I don't deserve a position like that. And...and I don't deserve to be playing next to you." She removed her hands from mine.

"I want an accompanist who is also my friend and someone I can trust, and that someone is you, Mackenzie," I said, gazing into her green eyes intently. "I've never had an accompanist who is not my friend for a contest before. And for this contest, the accompanist should also be of the same school. To be honest, I'd be terrified if it was merely an acquaintance. And with time, I believe you can perform at the level I require."

"You...you consider me a...trusted friend?" Mackenzie looked honestly shocked by this.

I rolled my eyes. "Duh!"

"That coming from you...yeah, it's surprising," she said, barely being able to contain a smile, forgetting the problem at hand.

"Don't let it go to your head, though." I gave her a bewildered look. "And why would you find it surprising, anyway?"

Midgetzie just shrugged.

"Well, will you be my accompanist?" I prodded her once again, serious.

Mackenzie was in deep thought. There was a moment of suspenseful silence, then she stood up and went to the window to close it. "Hmm, I still don't know..."

There was something fishy about her mannerisms, making me grow worried.

I gulped. "Mackenzie, is something wrong?"

"What's the theme of the competition?" Mackenzie asked, like she hadn't heard me.

"Oh, right. Um, 'Crossing Over,'" I answered, still uncertain why she was acting this way. Would...would she decline my offer? I hoped not!

"So...abstract. But I think you'll leave it more on how you interpret your piece to the audience." She was gazing out the window, then draped the curtain down.

"Er, Mackenzie...?"

That's when Mackenzie finally turned around, and she was giving me a dark look. There was a smile on her face, but there wasn't any humor in it.

I swallowed the sudden dryness in my throat.

Mackenzie started advancing toward me slowly. My eyes darted across the room looking for something that would divert her attention and loosen her non-physical hold on me. But there was nothing.

When she finally reached me, I could feel my heart pounding inside of me. What she did next made me stiffen on my seat: she sat on my lap!

Because of her proximity to me, sweat was starting to form on my forehead. Or was it because she'd closed the window, allowing no breeze to waltz into the room? "Hey, hey, are we playing this game of ours again?" I asked nervously.

Mackenzie tilted her head to the side in a cute way. "What do you think?" she whispered, putting her hands on my shoulders, rubbing them gently but firmly.

Klunk! Why couldn't I tease her back? We had played this game of ours many times before, but today was different--I was somewhat immobilized.

And I couldn't figure out why.

"Y-yes...?" was the only word I could utter. My heartbeat was becoming erratic, and I hoped she wouldn't hear it.

Mackenzie was staring at me with intense eyes while using her hand to undo the first button of my blazer.

W-what? I think I had a slightly open-mouthed awkward expression, as though I'd just said something I wanted to take back.

"Don't worry. The door's locked." Then her face became seductive suddenly, making me catch my breath. "Are you nervous right now, Lance?" she asked, undoing the second button.

It seemed that my glorious brain wasn't thinking straight at the moment.

"Am I making you speechless, Lance?" She undid the third button.

"I...erm..." I gave myself a mental shake, collecting my scattered thoughts to no avail.

Mackenzie giggled while undoing the fourth button. "Oh, it looks like I am."

She weaved her other hand in my hair, making me close my eyes. I was then hypnotically compelled to put my hands on her sides, feeling her...sensuous curves underneath my palms.

They felt...they felt...

All I could do was helplessly whisper, "Mackenzie."

My mind was going hazy.

Soft fingers brushed my jawline and cheek before she undid the last button. Then she removed my blazer, leaving me in my long-sleeved white polo shirt. I didn't have the strength to protest.

"What are you doing, Mackenzie?" I mumbled, my eyes still closed, leaning in and resting my forehead on her shoulder. I could feel her breath rise and fall. Freshly-showered Midgetzie Adams strongly smelled of strawberries.

"Sssh. I'm going to give you pleasure to make you relax," she said in a low voice while sliding her hands over my sides, stomach and ribs repeatedly.

"Relax," I echoed, agreeing. Would she give me a massage to make me relax? But why in this kind of position?

Good grief! Was...was she going to do...

That?

There was an emotion stirring in my chest, something I couldn't quite put my finger on.

"Where are your ticklish spots, Lance?" Mackenzie whispered in my ear seductively, running her hands on my chest in slow motions, and I ignored the shivers crawling up and down my spine.

"Knees and neck," I mumbled absentmindedly.

I froze, and then opened my eyes quickly, straightening, like I'd been doused with ice water. "Wait, what?"

Mackenzie had a victorious look on her face, and her green eyes had mischief in them. Then I finally realized what she was doing to me all along. Diabolical little vixen! Before I could escape, her hands found the back my neck and she started tickling it with light touches in a slow motion. Even with these soft touches, a loud laugh forced its way up my throat and broke loose from my mouth.

"Mackenzie, stop!" I screamed, my body jerking.

"How 'bout no?" She did a circular motion with her fingertips, and it hit a particularly sensitive spot on my neck that made me involuntarily launch myself off of the piano bench. This caused us both to fall onto the carpeted-floor, me on my back and she on top. However, this new position stopped neither my forced laughter nor Mackenzie's merciless tickling.

I was at a disadvantage, because her nails were kind of long. The way she was lightly running her fingers on my neck, it was like a daddy long-legs spider was crawling there. It was maddeningly tortuous.

"MACKENZIE!" I squealed.

"Since no one can hear you scream, thanks to this soundproofed room we're in, this is the perfect place for me to get my ticklish revenge on you!" she said between laughs.

My eyes were screwed shut because of the sensation I was feeling, and joyful tears started to escape from my eyes. My open mouth was frozen in permanent smile mode. I was going insane.

Then it got worse.

Mackenzie started performing hard tickling on me by jabbing deep into the back of my neck. I couldn't help rolling a little on the floor. I couldn't roll that much, though, with Mackenzie's weight on top of me; she was straddling me like a cowgirl on a bucking bronco.

Well, not bucking. An extremely ticklish, helpless, unable-to-move-too-much bronco.

Now we were both sweating...thanks to both the closed door and windows, and the tortuous tickling. Since I was the tickle torture victim, however, I'm sure my temperature was significantly higher than Mackenzie's.

"How's it being the ticklee one now, Cocky Violinist Freak?" she asked, grinning at me wickedly.

She was merciless. I guffawed louder, trying to push her away from me to no avail. I couldn't focus my strength. And she knew it.

"I hate you, Midgetzie! I HATE YOU SO MUCH!" I completely regretted ever coming here in the first place.

"La, la, la, laaaaa!" She was laughing along with me, still doing her ticklish ministrations, and enjoying watching my punishment. She was officially the most evil woman on the planet.

My lungs and chest hurt now. I was growing weaker by the second. I couldn't take much more of this ticklish torture. But the look on Mackenzie's face looked like she could tickle me all evening long if I didn't put a stop to it.

With the little strength left in me, I rolled to the side, and I ended up on top of Mackenzie. I immediately held her wrists above her head, trapping them. "Please...no...more, Mackenzie," I pleaded, straddling her and resting my head beside hers, panting audibly, my chest heaving.

"Okay," she said simply, catching her breath. I looked at her to see there was still a teasing smile plastered on her face.

I was doubtful. "Promise?"

"For today, yes."

We just stared at each other before my breathing returned to normal. I let go of her wrists slowly, afraid she'd leap up and straddle me and tickle me senseless again, but she kept her word.

My mind, however, was already reeling with thoughts of making her pay for her ticklish assault to my person. I didn't want to get even with Midgetzie right now because she might not agree to my accompanist proposal. This time, I had to play it safe and smart. Mackenzie's day of tickle reckoning could wait.

But it would come. And it would be terrible.

"Should I give you a round of applause now that you've gotten your tickle revenge on me?" I asked snarkily as I stood up and got my blazer off the floor, dusted it off and slipped it back on.

"If you want to," Mackenzie said casually, standing up as well, fixing her hair by checking the screen of her phone that also served as her mirror. "That was also for making fun of me at the indoor sports center earlier."

Shooting her a scowl, I accused her, "You sneaky actress, you!"

Mackenzie raised a teasing eyebrow and mouthed, Oscar-winning actress.

"I still cannot believe you could be that daring."

"Oh, you thought I was gonna sex you up?" She snorted. "Puh-lease, Cocky Violinist Freak. You're not even my type."

"You are also not my type, Midgetzie," I asserted.

Mackenzie looked proud at her latest achievement. "Who would have guessed I could make you speechless for the second time in a row?" she laughed.

I raised an eyebrow. "Second time?"

"The first time was when you tutored me in chem at my house," she reminded me.

I'm sure you'll really love it, and it'll make you want more.

Oh, that. It was actually the third time, since the second time was when I'd heard her sing earlier. But no, I wasn't going to tell her that. I didn't want to give her a sudden boost of ego.

"But I must admit I was surprised when you didn't counter my facetious seduction with your usual sexual innuendos," Mackenzie continued.

I also wondered why.

"I could not think clearly because of my problem," I excused, hoping she wouldn't notice I was kind of lying. "Speaking about that, what is your decision to my proposal?"

It was her turn to look doubtful. "Lance, I'm really not sure if I could..." she faltered, staring at the piano, like it was supposed to help her decide.

"Oh." My shoulders slumped, hurt and defeated. "Well, I should not have pressured you in the first place. I am sorry. But...I'm thankful, Mackenzie, that I heard you playing the piano. That, I do not regret."

She was silent while I walked to the table. But before I could get my things, Mackenzie groaned and said, "Fine! I'll be your accompanist for that stupid contest."

Shocked, I looked over my shoulder and saw her smiling at me, shrugging. When her last words replayed in my head, my face lit up like a light bulb. I ran to her and hugged her, my grin so wide, it was starting to hurt my mouth. But this time it wasn't from her tickle torture! "Thank you so much, Mackenzie! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I will start tutoring you tomorrow after our classes," I couldn't help rambling. "You know, if I weren't an aromantic and I were romantically attracted to you, maybe I would kiss you on the lips right now."

"Lance, can't breathe!" she managed to choke out, hitting my back with her palm to let her go.

I hadn't noticed I was hugging her so tightly. "Oh, apologies!" I said as I freed her from my grasp, then she took her time to inhale air into her lungs. For some reason, when she was done, her face was still red.

Still, since she tickled me so terribly, I'm glad she knew what it was like to be breathless!

"Be happy that I agreed," Mackenzie muttered, straightening her uniform. "You tutoring me in piano better be worth it. And you should treat me lunch every school day for this."

Waving a dismissive hand, I told her, "No problemo. I promise you will learn many things from me."

"Whatevs." She checked her phone, sighing. "What? It's still seven. Why is time running so slow right now?"

After hearing that, and since it'd rained a while ago, a brilliant idea came to my mind. "Since you still have thirty minutes to wait for your best friend, I want to show you something special as a sign of my thanks. Get your things, Mackenzie."

She blinked. "E-eh?"

"On second thought, I will be the one to get your things, and let us leave our stuff at the front desk of the building. I am sure Mrs. Gibbons, the guardian here, won't mind."

I grabbed our things. Before leaving the room, Mackenzie made me face her and gently wiped her handkerchief on my face.

"You forgot to wipe your sweat," she said, putting the cotton cloth back into her skirt pocket, and then fixed my hair and uniform. "I don't want to give people the impression that we had sex in here."

I scrunched my face in disgust. "Eww, yuck, gross!"

"Exactly," Mackenzie agreed.

"Wait, I believe you wiped the sweat off of your face, and then used the same handkerchief to wipe the sweat off of mine."

"Well, yeah."

Mortified, I exclaimed, "Double eww, yuck, gross!"

She rolled her eyes. "Whatevs, Lance."

After asking Mrs. Gibbons if we could leave our things with her for a spell, I exited the music building, Mackenzie walking by my side. "Seriously, Lance. Where are we going?" she demanded, squinting her eyes at me.

I shot her lopsided smile. "Let's just say to a place where your breath will be taken away."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heeeeyyyy! So sorry the update was long overdue (writer's block, heh), but I hope the wait was worth it. To the readers who still read this story, thanks so much for sticking around! Mwahugsss! And a big thanks to @phillyboy10 for editing this chapter and for adding some lines, especially at the tickling scenes. He really loves tickle-tortures ahahaha!!

A "Look Like Love" piano version video above!