"Wow, Ally..." Lizzy was quite familiar with the cake; it was the exact cake she had seen in her favorite drama. She used to imagine that the smell must be fantastic, and now she could smell it for real. Suddenly, she felt hungry.
Allynna smiled at Lizzy before responding, "Yes, it's done. Do you want to eat it now or later, after dinner?"
"Wait, what? After dinner? Why would I eat it after dinner when I can have it now? You know I like chocolate cake; of course, I want it now!" Lizzy answered her in a hurry. Afraid Ally will keep the cake away from her.
Allynna chuckled at her friend's spoiled child act. "Alright, you wait on the sofa. I'll serve it soon—" Allynna needed to place the cake on a pretty plate and sprinkle powdered sugar on top as a garnish.
Once she finished, she promptly brought two cake plates, one for Lizzy and one for herself. Lizzy impatiently accepted the plate from Allynna and began cutting into the cake with a small spoon.
When the spoon touched the center of the cake, the chocolate liquid oozed out from the inside. Lizzy's eyes widened in surprise.
"Ally, is this it? Lava chocolate?" Lizzy asked. She had never imagined her best friend could make this cake, and now she looked at Ally with a newfound respect.
Allynna could only smile at Lizzy while nodding, confirming her curiosity. "How does it taste? Try it, hurry…." Allynna wanted to know Lizzy's opinion.
Lizzy immediately tasted her cake. She was surprised by the soft texture of the cake blending with the melted chocolate as it touched her tongue. She couldn't find the words to describe her feelings at that moment; it was simply fantastic. With her mouth still busy chewing the delicious cake, she could only raise a thumb towards Allynna.
After finishing all the cake on her plate, she could finally speak.
"Ally, the cake was fantastic! So tasty… I don't think one serving will be enough for me. Can I have more, please?" She blinked several times, trying to make a cute face at her best friend, hoping for more cake.
Allynna didn't pay much attention to Lizzy's gaze. She was pretty pleased with her achievement in baking.
'Another masterpiece!? Wow!! Congrats, Ally...' Allynna silently praised herself inwardly. She had now mastered the art of making a Choco Lava cake.
Allynna was amazed by the cooking she had done so far. When she cooked and baked, she followed her mother's recipes but relied on her instincts when measuring the ingredients. Her brain, hands, eyes, nose, and tongue worked together when she cooked or baked; what she did felt natural.
She didn't think she was doing anything extraordinary; she followed her instincts and intuition. The results surprised her, and her friends praised her many times.
'Am I possessed by the god of cooking?' A peculiar thought crossed her mind, leading to a giggle at that quirky idea.
"Ally, please give me more... huh!?"
"NO!! You must help me first, and then I'll give you more," Allynna said to Lizzy with an intense expression while trying to hold back her laughter.
"Gosh, you are so heartless. But no worries, I still love you, Ally," Lizzy grinned. "Well, my friend, I'm lucky you found your talent now. Imagine if you had discovered it a year ago. I would've been fat."
Allynna "..."
"Okay, Ally, what do you want me to do so I can get more of this?" Lizzy asked.
Allynna didn't answer Lizzy right away. She tried her cake first, and her eyes widened as she tasted it. Lizzy was right; this cake tasted like heaven. It melted in her mouth, and the chocolate's sweetness made her crave more. The sweetness was perfectly balanced—sweet, but not overly so.
'Gosh! This is delicious...' Allynna couldn't help but praise herself.
...
After finishing the cake, they headed to Allynna's parents' room on the second floor.
Allynna had prepared a box to store the items to be donated.
"Ally, aren't you sad about giving these things to other people? These are your parents' belongings," Lizzy asked carefully, fearing that her best friend would feel sad again after losing her parents a few weeks ago.
Still fresh in Lizzy's mind was the memory of Allynna locking herself in her room after her parents' passing. She never left the house, not even for groceries or food. When Lizzy visited her one day, she found Ally's refrigerator empty. Ally hadn't eaten all day; her face was pale, she had lost weight, and she appeared dull and depressed.
At that moment, Lizzy panicked upon seeing her best friend's condition and immediately informed her parents. Her parents then helped fill Ally's fridge and continued providing her with food.
Over the past few weeks, Ally's mood had significantly improved. She became more cheerful and started doing new things like cooking, cleaning up, and donating her parents' old belongings.
This was a positive development, and Lizzy wanted to ensure Ally remained in this improved state.
"I'm not sad, Lizz. You knew my mom, right? She loved helping people in need. I'm doing this for my mom. I know she must be happy up there..." Allynna explained with a smile as she began sorting the items for donation and those she intended to keep.
She didn't plan to donate all her parents' things. But she will keep a few—especially those with lovely memories of her parents.
Lizzy didn't ask any more questions and assisted Allynna in packing all the items to be donated. By the time they finished, it was already dark outside, and Lizzy's stomach was growling.
"Oops, sorry, Ally... it looks like I'm starving right now." They both laughed and promptly carried the boxes downstairs to the first floor.
...
Tonight, Allynna will cook a simple meal for dinner. She only makes grilled chicken with salad and potato wedges. She immediately grilled the marinated chicken, which she already marinated this morning, and prepared other ingredients.
Tonight, Allynna will cook a simple meal for dinner. She only makes grilled chicken with salad and potato wedges. She immediately grilled the marinated chicken, which she already marinated this morning, and prepared other ingredients.
For the salad, she asked Lizzy to make it. She was just giving her simple instructions she believed would be easy for Lizzy to follow.
"Lizz, did you know that you have talent in the kitchen too? If you went to the kitchen more often, maybe you would cook just like me." Said Ally while praising herself.
"Hahaha, I will never bother to learn how to cook, young lady. I just need to find a rich husband who will hire a chef for us. So, I don't have to go into the kitchen for the rest of my life." She said it with a dreaming voice while laughing.
Allynna just smiled in silence with Lizzy's magical way of thinking.
After their dinner menu was finished, they immediately sat at the dining table and ate their food. As always, Lizzy praised her to the sky. And Allynna was used to it. She wasn't flattered anymore by Lizzy's praise.
"Ally, when are you going to the capital?" Lizzy asked Allynna, who was tidying dirty dishes.
"Once the exam is done…."
"What? So soon? It's just three more days from tomorrow." Lizzy dumbstruck. "Ally, I still can't move on with your cooking. What will I eat if you move to the capital?" Her eyes straight looking into Allynna's eyes, she continued… "And I will miss you… I won't have any more friends here other than Helan." She lowered her head, feeling sad.
"My beloved beautiful friend, Lady Elizabeth… This would be the last dish that you can enjoy. Because from tomorrow onwards, I will not waste my time again in the kitchen. I have to prepare myself to study. Besides, my fridge is already empty, and I don't have time to shop for groceries." She's only here for three more nights, so she doesn't need to fill her fridge anymore. She will just eat outside.
Lizzy was shocked to hear that. Now she has to get back to reality, eating her mom's cooking. Just the thought of it made her nauseous. A few days of eating Allynna's cooking made her tongue use the rich flavor and delicacy. What happens if she goes back to eating her mother's cooking? She hoped her tongue wouldn't go into shock.
Allynna continued…"And don't worry, we will definitely meet in the capital. You will also study there, am I correct?" Lizzy nodes. "Well, if you enter Bells Royal University, it will be even better… Because we will be in the same university even though we have different faculties."
Lizzy's eyes glimmered when she heard that. How could she forget about it; she also will go to the capital. "Hahaha, you're right. How could I forget?"
"Liz, you watch too much drama, and you fantasize too much, so you forget about reality…." They both laugh. "Liz, have you spoken to your father?" With her concerned looking-face, she saw her friend wanted to know about her progress.
Lizzy shook her head.
"You want to hear my advice?" Ally feels sorry for her. What's more, they will soon have an exam. After that, the result announcement will be out and followed by the university admission process. It all happened so fast. Suppose she doesn't immediately find a solution to her problem. In that case, she might lose the chance of getting the university she wants from her heart.
Lizzy, who was looking at the TV, immediately looked at Allynna with a curious look.
"Follow your heart, Liz. If your heart says to take the Faculty of Art, you choose it no matter other people's opinions about it. Your life, your future, your options. But one thing you need to remember when you're picking a choice. Don't choose the Faculty of Art because you want to be like other people." Lizzy raises her brows in awe and confusion.
Ally continues, "For example, because you see celebrity A or celebrity B who has a glamorous and fun life, so you wanted to be like them. But then you choose Art School just so you could be famous like them. If you do that, your choice means it wasn't coming from your heart and your deep mind but from your eyes and your shallow mind. So, you should ask your heart and deep mind; Is Art something I really love and want?"
Lizzy is still listening to her best friend's speech with the same awe and confusion. But by now, the confusion part has lessened.
After a few seconds paused, Allynna resumed her speech.
"And, you must know, even if you enter the Faculty of Art, it doesn't mean you will certainly be as successful as your idol in dramas or movies. I believe you are aware that their success is the result of years of hard work. Even blood and tears. Surely there will be many ups and downs for them to be successful. There will be tears, a lack of sleep and rest, and many more. Liz, it's not that easy to get what they have achieved now... so, ask your heart again, are you ready to work hard as they did before, successful as they are now?"
Allynna smiled in her heart when she saw Lizzy's eyes flash doubt. She knew it or at least had some guts that this friend of hers only wanted to enter Art because she saw her idol's glamorous life. This stupid girl decided something because of her eyes. Instantly she wanted to wash her brain with vinegar.
After a deep sigh, she continued her last piece of advice for her best friend...
"And, after you find the answer, get ready to fight for it. Your loved ones might disagree with your choice. But speak to them. In your case, speak to your father and your mother. I think they could give you some sense about what to choose. Once you speak with them, I think they also will understand what you will choose and why. And this also applies to other things in your life… ask yourself if science is in your heart or is it because your father told you to? Well, if I may shorten it, your problem lies in your heart… you don't know what you really want. You understand what I said, right?"
Lizzy nodded and thanked her best friend for giving her insight into what she was facing right now.
Allynna couldn't help but smile at her best friend. Hopefully, Lizzy can find the answer to her own problem.
If you like this story, don't forget to add it to your collection. Cheer's
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