“Spoken dialogues.” These are thoughts. (Phone dialogues.)…emphasis…

Chapter 1 Three Words

“It’s just the mailman, Dad!” Miranda yelled as she went back inside the house after receiving the mail. Slowing down her pace, she browsed through the pile of envelopes of various sizes and colors, most of which were newsletters and subscription invites from international science journals. “Hey, Dad! You’ve got another one from Foss Finds. It looks like a ‘Thank You’ letter this time.” She seemed not the least interested as she shot a fleeting look at the emblem of the Research Institute embossed on the flap of the packet. Immediately, she moved it to the bottom of the heap as she went on browsing. In a little while, she came upon a plain but professional-looking envelope that instantly aroused her interest. As she had expected, the mail was addressed to her. With trembling hands and her heart pounding, she tore it open and read it right away. The letter read:

Dear Ms. Seiler,

We are glad to inform you that you are among the top qualifiers in this year’s National High School Entrance Examinations (NHSEE) with an average score of 98.25, the breakdown of which is shown below:

MATHEMATICS: 97

SCIENCE: 97

VERBAL: 99

NON-VERBAL:100

TOTAL:393

AVERAGE: 98.25

REMARKS:Excellent

Normally, the NHSEE Board assigns the school to which the student can enroll in based on his/her examination results and the edification level of the school. But having met this grade requirement, you are given the privilege of enrolling at the school of your choice. Moreover, if you happen to prefer a learning institute abroad, we are more than willing to accomplish a recommendation letter for you. Meanwhile, here is a list of the top ten high schools in the country (not in order):

Abernathy Technological School (ATS)

Lewallen Institute of Science (LIS)

Alferral-Ivelisse Montgomery High School (AIMHS)

and

the

list

went

on.

Again, congratulations and may this achievement be simply the first of many!!!

Best regards,

NHSEE Board

“Oh, my god…” it took Miranda a little while before she was able to take in what she had just read. “I passed…” it was more like a whisper when it came out of her mouth. Her hands still trembling, she adjusted the thick spectacles that had long hid those big emerald eyes, which were so alive now with her excitement. She scanned the letter again, making sure she had read it right. “I can’t believe I passed.” She muttered again but this time, it was more audible as Dr. Arthur Seiler walked into the foyer.

“And I can’t believe you opened my mails again.” He said, shaking his head. “What was that you said about Foss Finds?”

“I didn’t open any of your mails.” Miranda uttered defensively. “Dad, it’s final. I’m going to AIM High.” She declared with conviction.

“What?” Dr. Seiler did not get a good grasp of what his thrilled daughter had just said. “You mean all these years, you haven’t been aiming high? Then, what do you call those?” he pointed at a curio cabinet located at a far corner of the room that contained trophies and medals of various forms and sizes.

Miranda had always been an intelligent kid since kindergarten and during her middle school years until junior high, there was not a single time that she did not get any of the top three places in contests. And every time the school year ended, she would receive a special award for achieving excellent grades in all her subjects. In other words, she had been an honor student all her life and just this year, she graduated as the class valedictorian. Though she was very well aware of her achievements, she just did not like talking about them. She would always say that she was simply doing what she was capable of and there were actually a lot of things that she could not do. But the people around her had always believed otherwise. “I think it just comes out naturally,” they would say when asked about her brainpower.

“Sheesh, Dad! I’m talking about Alferral-Ivelisse Montgomery High School. It’s always been my dream to study there, remember?” she immediately made her way upstairs after throwing the pile of letters at her father, who was left bowled over at the bottom step. “I’m just gonna check their website and see if I’m in their list!” she yelled through the wide open door of her bedroom.

“List of what?” Dr. Seiler asked as he started browsing through the letters. “Oh, here it is. Foss Finds.” He muttered to himself with the same tone of excitement.

“Every year, AIM High posts its own list of incoming freshmen who are expected to enroll for the following school year based on the NHSEE results. I just wanna see if they expect me. I’ll be very honored if they do.” Finally, the entire page had loaded and after a couple more clicks, she found what she was looking for. Right there on top of the list was her name. “I am here.” She was of course delighted to see it but for her, being there on top would just be the same as being anywhere in the list. After all, they all qualified.

“Could you tell me what the hell is going on?” her dad appeared in the doorway. “Why are you so excited?”

“Here, read this.” Miranda handed him the letter from NHSEE, her eyes glued on the computer monitor. “It says there that I could go to the school of my choice. Well, my mind has already been set to one school.”

Dr. Seiler paid no attention to her while he read the letter. And there seemed to be something in the letter that Miranda had not noticed for what her father had now in his face was an expression of amazement. “Miranda, dear, I think you topped the NHSEE.”

“Yeah, I’m one of the top qualifiers. It said there, right?” Miranda did not seem to be interested. “So?”

“No, I mean you topped the NHSEE, as in no. 1.” Her father clarified. “Don’t you even care?”

“Dad, I just happened to get most of the questions right. Anybody could do that.” She replied modestly.

“And get an average of 98.25?” he added. “As far as I know, I think this is the highest score I’ve ever seen in the history of NHSEE.”

“But that’s not even a perfect score. Who knows? Maybe next year, somebody may get a hundred percent.” Miranda just went on with her surfing, completely ignoring her father’s praises.

“So, you’re entering this AIM High, you say?” he finally asked.

“Yes.” Miranda nodded, oblivious of what her father was going to say. “Trust me. It’s a very good school.”

“I trust it is. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be in the list.” Then, he thought for a while as he studied her daughter. “Well, I was thinking of ATS.” He opinioned and immediately caught Miranda’s attention, who now seemed sulky.

“How come?” She inquired, frowning.

“Well, you see, I got this letter from Foss Finds.” He began as he waved the letter in front. “Believe it or not, I’ve been qualified to be part of their research team.”

“Really? That’s great, Dad!” Miranda exclaimed, her frown was once again replaced with excitement. “I’m so happy for you.”

“Well, I’m happy for you, too. Very happy.” His tone was sincere though there was a hint of regret. “But Miranda, you have to understand that joining this research team would mean that I’ll have to be away for about six months or so. So I thought that it would be best if you could just go to the nearest high school. ATS will do, right? It’s the nearest one that’s here on the list. That way, you wouldn’t have to be so far away from home, too. Since I wouldn’t be here to look after you, I’d be really worried if you’re at some place you don’t know, studying. So I think it’s better if you just stay here. It would really be a relief.”

“I can take care of myself.” Miranda answered confidently. “You don’t have to worry about me. I know enough about life to be on my own.”

“No, I don’t think you do.” He remained with a stern face. “I’m sorry but this time I’m gonna be the one to decide on this.”

Miranda just stared at her father in disbelief. She thought her world was going to end right then and there. There was a hint of fright in her eyes as she tried to gather the right words to say. It was the first time her father forbade her from doing what she wanted.

“Gotcha!” Dr. Seiler suddenly burst out laughing. “You should’ve seen your face! I couldn’t believe you actually fell for it”

“It’s not funny.” Miranda pouted, fuming. “Don’t ever do that again.”

“Okay, okay. I was just kidding.” His laughter faded into a proud smile. “Of course you can take care of yourself.”

“You mean you’re really gonna let me?” her eyes suddenly lit up.

“Why not?” Dr. Seiler shrugged, flipping through the envelopes. “I know a friend whose daughter also goes to the same school. If you want I can talk to her and if she agrees, maybe you can share an apartment with her daughter.”

“You’re gonna do that?” Miranda was in a state of disbelief once again.

“Sure.” He nodded in assurance.

“Oh, Dad! You’re the best! I promise, I won’t let you down.” Just like a child, she ran to her father and hugged him. “I’m gonna make you proud.”

“You always have.”

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

“Ranleigh, I have to talk to you about something.” Rose Gillian met up with his son at the bottom of the stairs of their huge house.

“Is this about the phone call?” Ranleigh asked, recalling the badly timed phone call a while ago.

“Yes. That was Dr. Seiler, a friend of mine.” She replied.

“Oh. So, what’s up?” he climbed up a step.

“Remember Randy?” Mrs. Gillian asked with a tone of delight in her voice.

“Randy?” Ranleigh furrowed his eyebrows in thought. “Who’s that?”

“You forgot already? Randy’s Dr. Seiler’s son. You two used to play together when you were toddlers.” She narrated.

“Right, Mom. Like I’d still remember that.” Ranleigh laughed to himself. “Anyway, what about him?”

“Randy just graduated from junior high and decided to enter your school as well. Now his father is asking me a huge favor. That is, if you can share the apartment with Randy.”

“Well, what did you say?” Ranleigh asked.

“You see, I also owe him a couple of huge things so I can’t simply let him down.” his mother began explaining.

“All right, no problem.” He simply shrugged.

“You mean you don’t mind at all?” Mrs. Gillian called out to him.

“I guess it’s fine with me.” He added and went upstairs. “He’s just a freshman, Mom. He won’t be a problem.”

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

“Randy, I’ve got some news for you.” Dr. Seiler took a seat in Miranda’s bedroom as he watched her work on something on the computer. “I’ve already called Rose.”

“Rose? Who’s that?” Miranda asked without taking her eyes off of the monitor.

“My friend. The one I told you about.” He replied.

“Oh, her!” she exclaimed suddenly and pushed herself away from the computer as she glided her way towards her father on her computer chair. “Well, what did she say? When are we gonna start looking for a place to stay?”

“She said it’s okay. You can share the apartment with her daughter, Leigh.” Dr. Seiler smiled. It felt good to see his daughter so happy.

“Wait. The apartment?” Miranda asked. “You mean they’ve already got a place?”

“Yeah, actually, Leigh’s gonna be in her second year this coming school year. So she’s actually been living all by herself in her unit for a year now.” He explained. “Poor child, she must be lonely.”

“Oh. So, you think it’ll be okay for her to live with someone this time?” Miranda asked anxiously.

“I think so. Leigh’s a very nice girl. You two used to play together when you were kids. So, don’t worry about it.”

After several weeks of vacation…

“Excuse me, I’m looking for Mrs. Owen Orson.” Miranda Seiler arrived at the Cassel around eight in the evening. She was simply dropped off at the train station by her dad this afternoon. As much as he wanted to accompany his daughter to her new apartment, he couldn’t for he had to go to Foss Finds Archeological Institute immediately to report regarding his acceptance as one of its researchers.

“I’m Mrs. Orson. May I help you?” A slump old lady greeted her at the reception area. She was already dressed in a nightgown as she held a bunch of keys in one of her chubby hands. It looked like she was about to unlock the peach door to her right.

“Oh, hi. Thank you. I’m looking for a place stay.” Miranda began, stating her business right away. “School starts tomorrow, you know.” Putting down her baggage on the floor, she looked around and studied the place. At first, she imagined it like any other apartment building, plain and dull but very commercial. But when she finally got there, she was a bit surprised to find a huge three-storey house instead of a boring building. It looked old but still stylish. Just at the entrance, Cassel already exhibited the likeness of a home, with a porch and a foyer, and from the looks of it, she could tell that the rooms here might be a little expensive. And at the moment, she was wondering how many rooms would fit in this what seemed like a mansion.

“I know.” the lady smiled at her. “You’re just in time, my dear. I still have an available unit for you on the third floor.”

“Thank you but I don’t need a vacant unit.” Miranda muttered politely. “You see, I’m here to stay with a friend. Well, we haven’t got acquainted yet but our parents know each other very well, at least that’s what I think…”

“Well, who’s this soon-to-be-your-friend you’re talking about?” the landlady asked.

“Um…what’s her name again?” Miranda murmured to herself. “Leigh…Leigh something.”

“Gillian?” Mrs. Orson was a bit reluctant at the suggestion.

“Yes, that’s it.” Miranda nodded excitedly. “I’m looking for Leigh Gillian. Could you give me the room number, please?”

“No room numbers. There are only three rooms in each floor. The room you’re looking for is in the third floor. You can’t miss it, the stairs is right in front of the door.” The old woman explained. “Just wait a second, miss. I think your name has been noted here at my desk. Randy Seiler?”

“Yes, I’m Randy Seiler. Miranda Seiler.” Miranda introduced with a smile. “They call me Randy sometimes.”

“Actually, Leigh has just informed me a while ago that someone will be coming over to share the room but I don’t think that kid is expecting someone like you.” the old lady continued.

“I was expecting you’d say that. With the way I look, I must be the total opposite.” Miranda replied jokingly, looking at her outfit, which was just a plain yellow shirt and jeans. She actually imagined and had been expecting this Leigh Gillian to be very chic.

“Yes, certainly. You really are Leigh’s total opposite.” Mrs. Orson nodded thoughtfully, but she had a different idea.

“Anyway, I hope to learn a few things sooner.” Miranda picked up her things again and headed for the stairs.

“Well, then. Here are your keys. Leigh even reminded me to provide duplicates especially for you.” Mrs. Orson called. “Need a hand?”

“No, thank you. I’m fine.”

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

“Hey, Leigh. Take a look at this list.” Ethan Lacey scrolled the page displayed on the computer monitor.

“What’s that?” Ranleigh came over to have a closer look. He and his friends were spending the last few hours of their school break in Cyber Quarters, an Internet Café a few blocks away from the Cassel.

“This year’s incoming batch of freshies.” Kean Hywel muttered from behind.

“Oh, the new BLs.” Thad Watkins chuckled.

“Black-listers.” Jaron Spencer snickered.

“Nerds.” Ethan added.

“Geeks!” Everyone exclaimed.

“Just look at that…”

“98.25?!!”

“Is she still human?”

“Must be an android.”

“A four-eyed android.”

“In tight braids.”

“And braces.”

“Miranda Seiler?” Thad read the name out loud.

“Doesn’t sound too human to me.” Ethan remarked.

“Cut it out, guys. You’re not at all funny, you know.” Ranleigh told them off. Miranda Seiler… I think I’ve heard that name before.

“Oh, yeah. You were in last year’s list.” Kean turned to him, remembering the previous year. “You were no. 27, I think.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Ranleigh shrugged. “Now you know not everyone in that list is like what you’ve just described.”

“Sure. You’re an exception, of course.” Jaron patted him on the shoulder as Ranleigh took over the computer.

“Now, let me just close that window. I’m gonna log out now.” With a few clicks, the screen went blank. “I’m going home. I think my new roommate has arrived by now.”

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Mrs. Orson was right. The door to her new room was right in front of the stairs. After about three trials, she finally found the correct key. And as she entered her new home, she was taken aback to find it in total mess. With plastic cups scattered all over the floor and four empty boxes of pizza waiting to be lunged by flies, it was a scene that would definitely scare a new roommate away. Even the radio was left on.

“There must have been a party here.” Miranda murmured to herself, careful not to step on the plastic cups, for some still had some liquid in them. “But where is everybody?” She wondered as she glanced around. To her left were two identical doors. She tried the nearest to her. It was the bathroom. “Yuck! What on earth…?! It stinks in here!” and she closed it immediately.

Then, she opened the other door. It was dark inside and so she searched for the light switch. As the room was illuminated, it was no different from what she saw in the living room. Instead of plastic cups and empty pizza boxes, it was clothes. Men’s clothes. Men’s clothes?!

“What the...?” she picked up a gray shirt from the floor as she entered the room, pulling her own luggage in. Judging from the single bed positioned on one corner of the room, she guessed that this must be the bedroom. And so as she went over to the bed, she picked up the other garments that got in the way. These must be Leigh’s boyfriend’s.

Next to the bedroom door were two study tables. She guessed that one of them must be reserved for her but both seemed to be occupied at the moment. She did not mind, though. Perhaps, she could talk to Leigh later and ask if she could have the other one. For the mean time, she put her school bag aside and started to unpack.

Another door in the bedroom led to the closet, which was surprisingly way tidier than the rest of the house. All the lockers were firmly closed, except for two, whose doors were ajar. They were empty when she opened them. This time, she was certain that those two spaces were definitely hers. And so she got her clothes and began fixing her lockers.

After a while, she went back to the living room, really feeling sorry for the house. “I might as well fix this place. I have nothing to do, anyway.” From where she stood, she could see the kitchen and the dining area through an opening across the living room. She went straight into the kitchen to look for a huge garbage bag that could somehow contain all the pizza boxes. She also did the dishes and threw all the garbage outside. She found a bin on the far side of the third floor corridor. After about an hour of cleanup in those three portions of the mini-house, she decided that it would be better to clean the bathroom, too. Then, she could finally take a bath.

Meanwhile…

Ranleigh hurried back to the apartment, knowing his roommate might arrive anytime. He saw Mrs. Orson watching TV in her office located at the entry hall. “Hello, Ms. O! Has my roommate arrived yet?” he asked.

“Oh, yes!” she exclaimed in reply. “But Ranleigh…”

“I know, ma’am. I’ll just give you my payment tomorrow, is that okay?” Ranleigh cut in.

“Sure…b-but…” the old lady stammered as she struggled to explain the situation.

But Ranleigh just ignored her. “Thanks. Goodnight!” he muttered, instead, and hurried upstairs.

As soon as he arrived at his apartment unit, big surprises started to befall upon him. He was certain he left the house in total chaos. No thanks to his friends, his house was always a disaster. But now, it was as if he made a mistake and had walked into a different room.

“What the heck happened here? Where did all the trashes go?” he exclaimed in disbelief. He went to the kitchen and found it unbelievably sparkling as well. “All right, now I’m scared. Who would do such a thing?” Just then, the thought of his new housemate’s arrival rushed into his mind. But little did he know, the greatest shock of his life was yet to come.

Ranleigh went back to the living room and headed immediately for the bedroom. And as he barged in, a girl clad only in a towel and who seemed to have just stepped out of the shower, also came in through the closet door. For a while, they stood there in front of each other in deafening silence. The world around them seemed to cease as they stared at each other in shock. When Ranleigh had finally come back to his senses, he retreated at once as he slammed the door shut, leaving the girl screaming in terror inside.

“What the hell was that?” Ranleigh muttered to himself, breathing heavily.

Inside the bedroom, Miranda quickly changed into her pajamas. She was so fumed that she could not remember where she had put her comb. “Darn, wasn’t that too stereotypical?” she mumbled, talking about the awkward incident that had just taken place. Not caring about her hair anymore, she decided to might as well come out and face the intruder, who was at the moment as furious as she was.

“Who are you?” Miranda demanded as soon as the door to the bedroom closed behind her. She found Ranleigh sitting cozily, but restlessly, on the couch while watching TV.

“Who are you?” Ranleigh asked back. Switching the TV off, he stood up and faced her. “And what are you doing in my room?”

“This is not your room.” She answered back, trying to sound tough.

“And neither is it yours.” He snickered.

“I live here now.” Miranda added. Who is this guy? She eyed him distastefully. Sure, he looked good but somehow, she disliked everything about him.

“Oh, yeah. Can I see your papers?” Ranleigh demanded.

Miranda suddenly panicked. “Papers? What papers?” She did not know anything about the contract. All she knew was that she would be sharing the room with Leigh Gillian for free. “Why? Are you the owner of this building?”

“Not this building, you idiot, just this room.” Ranleigh replied irritably. “I’ve already told you that. Now, get out of here before I call the police. Anyway, thanks for fixing my place.”

“No! You get out before I call Mrs. Orson.” She was just as stubborn as he was.

“You’re gonna call Ms. O?” he asked raising his eyebrow. Pretty bold…

Miranda took a deep breath as she tried to gather all her courage. “Yeah, why not? She should know that an arrogant guy like you came barging into Leigh’s room.”

“Leigh’s room?” Ranleigh tried not to laugh.

“Yeah, and I’m the new roommate.” She muttered proudly.

“You’re kidding.” His smile suddenly faded into a scowl.

“Of course not. My name’s Miranda and I am a resident here from now on.” She continued. “Mrs. Orson can prove it.”

“Wait, wait, wait. Miranda? Miranda as in…Randy?” he asked while he tried not to believe it.

“No, Randy as in Miranda.” she corrected him. Then, she realized something. “Wait, how did you…”

“You can’t be my roommate! You’re a girl!” Ranleigh yelled disapprovingly.

“Who said I wanted to be your roommate?” Miranda asked as she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. “Now, out!” and she started to yank him towards the door.

“Hey, hey, stop it! You can’t just push me around like this. I own this place.” he refused to be dragged away. “This is my room. I’m Leigh…as in Ranleigh Gillian and I’ve been living here for about a year now.”

She stopped pushing him when she heard this. “You’re kidding.” Then, she stared at him in disbelief. NOOOOO!!! Miranda’s world shattered into pieces. He…he’s…this guy is my roommate?!

“Of course I’m not kidding.” Ranleigh crossed his arms in front of him, a scowl on his face. “Now, could you explain how you suddenly became a girl?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Miranda retorted. “I’ve always been a girl.”

“I mean, as far as I know, Dr. Seiler has a son and…” he continued.

“Just how far can your knowledge go to not realize that what Dr. Seiler has is a daughter?” Miranda asked angrily.

“Hey, don’t blame me, I had no idea at all.” Ranleigh backed off. “My mom just kept talking about his son. So I thought it was really a son. Plus, your name does sound a bit boyish. How about you? Didn’t you know?”

“To be honest, I didn’t. My dad told me that it was the daughter of some Rose Gillian who lived in this apartment. So I simply accepted her offer of sharing the room with her daughter since I’m desperate.” She said, explaining her side.

“Wait, I thought it was your dad who asked the favor.” He uttered questioningly. “Remember, I’m the one paying for everything here.”

“Well, it’s the same thing.” Miranda shrugged.

“And you said you’re desperate?” he asked again.

“It’s the school I’m after.” She replied in an honest tone.

“Oh, AIM High.” Ranleigh mumbled with a nod just as he remembered something. “Wait, what’s your name again?”

“Miranda Seiler.” She answered.

Oh, so you’re the four-eyed NHSEE top-notcher android, huh? Ranleigh thought as he studied her, remembering his friends’ taunting words. Except for her brains, there seemed to be nothing special about her. With that mass of short brown hair, which was really unruly at the moment, framing that small face of hers, she looked like someone who would, without a choice, be invisible to everybody else and could endure this invisibility until graduation.

Miranda suddenly became conscious. “What?”

“Nothing.” He shook his head but remained in deep thought. Now, what should I do about her?

“Sorry for intruding.” She suddenly blurted out and went back to the bedroom immediately.

“Wait, where do you think you’re going?” Ranleigh called out.

She left the door to the bedroom open so Ranleigh could hear her answer. “I’m gonna go pack my things.”

“For?” Ranleigh followed and stood by the doorway as he watched her unzip her travel bag.

“Well, I’m moving out.” she muttered straight out.

“Why?” he asked again. This time, he found her utterly unreasonable.

“Do you expect me to live with you?” Miranda asked him with the most obvious reason.

“Actually, I do.” He answered simply but honestly, making her blink in surprise.

“Well, I just can’t imagine myself.” Miranda shrugged as she walked into the closet and knelt in front of her two already-fixed lockers to gather her clothes. “I have to look for another place to stay.”

“Now?” Ranleigh went on.

“Why, what’s wrong with now?” she asked back.

“I mean, do you even know where to look?” he went back to the couch and searched for the TV remote control.

Feeling a bit offended, Miranda stood up and followed Ranleigh back into the living room. “Well, I’ll go and ask Mrs. Orson first if there are any available rooms in her building.”

“I’m telling you, there are none.” He commented monotonously.

“She said there’s one.” She muttered as a matter of fact, remembering what Mrs. Orson had told her right when she arrived.

“Can you afford it?” Ranleigh asked as he raised an eyebrow at her. Somehow, he knew exactly where to hit her.

Miranda frowned, narrowing her eyes at him. “Are you insulting me?”

“No, just curious.” He shrugged again.

Just as Miranda was about to retort, she stopped as she unconsciously bit her lip.

“What?” Ranleigh asked again. But this time, he was curious at what made her feel kind of restless all of a sudden.

“I can’t.” she mumbled in a low voice. I don’t have enough money.

“You can’t what?” he went on asking. He seemed to be paying more attention to Miranda than what was on the TV. And so, he turned it off again, knowing that it was useless to pretend that he did not care that his roommate was a girl.

“Nothing.” Miranda shook her head. She thought that he would just probably laugh at her.

Then, Ranleigh walked into the kitchen. He was just actually doing random things as he tried to hide his agitation. He had to think of something. Having a girl for a roommate was just too much for him to take. As Miranda watched him go, the phone rang. She wondered if she should answer it or not. Then, Ranleigh appeared once again from the kitchen and lifted the handset with a hello.

“Hi, mom.” He grunted and glanced at Miranda.

(I just wanted to check on you two. So, how are things going?)

“Mom, we have a problem.” He informed her right away.

Miranda just stared as she listened to the conversation. She knew she really had to leave. Ranleigh’s mother would never allow his son to live with a girl under the same roof.

(What is it, dear? Is it about the payment? I already told Mrs. Orson...)

“Mom, Randy is a girl.” Ranleigh cut in. “Didn’t you know?”

With this, Miranda decided to go back to the bedroom. She better start packing. Afterwards, she would call her father and tell him to send her some more money so she could at least rent a cheaper room.

(Actually, I’ve found that out just now. I’ve just finished talking to Dr. Seiler on the phone and he told me a lot of things about Randy. She’s such a nice little lady. Very bright and brave. She dared to venture into a new school just to achieve her dreams, considering that it’s in some place very far from her home.)

“Are you saying that you’re not at all furious about it?” he accidentally yelled at his mom in disbelief.

(Why would I be? Now, I want you to take really good care of her. She’s not used to the life in the city. You are her big brother from now on so you should watch over her. If possible, always go to school and home together everyday.)

“What? You mean, it’s okay for her to stay here? Mom, can’t you do something about it?” he pleaded.

(There’s nothing you can do about it, Ranleigh. I’m really sorry for not hearing you out this time. I just wanna return the favor to Dr. Seiler. Besides, I’ve always liked Randy since she was little. Too bad, all the while I thought she was boy.)

“I don’t believe this.” He groaned through clenched teeth.

(Well, I really need go back to my client now. Sorry, dear, I’m pretty busy these days. I’ll just call you again later, okay? Bye!)

And she hung up. As Ranleigh put down the phone, Miranda, who was now back in shirt and jeans, was about to leave with her baggage trailing behind her.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” he demanded.

Miranda stopped to answer. “That was your mom, right? I bet she was angry.”

“I wish she was.” He grumbled.

“She wasn’t?” Miranda asked wide-eyed.

“I guess she happened to like your reputation as the NHSEE top-notcher so she wasn’t the least worried.” Ranleigh explained.

Miranda was surprised to hear that. “How did you know I was the…”

“My friends and I saw your name on the list.” He replied.

With this, she was a little embarrassed and blushed. “Oh.”

“Go ahead and unpack your things. You can stay here.” He declared as he turned his back to her. “But I want you to know that I’m not at all happy about the idea.”

“No doubt about that.” She nodded and headed for the front door. “Anyway, nice meeting you…bye.”

When Ranleigh heard this, he turned around and rushed towards the door. “Are you crazy? Didn’t I tell you to stay?” He grabbed the doorknob and blocked her way.

“Hey, it’s my decision not to.” She reasoned out. “I told you, I don’t want to live here with you.”

“Don’t be so stubborn. It’s me who’s gonna be scolded when my mom learns that you’ve moved out.” Just then, they heard a knock on the door. At first, Ranleigh was quite reluctant to open the door but then the knock became louder. Finally, he decided to might as well open it as a company of four young men greeted him, taunting grins on their faces.

“What is it now?” he asked his friends. He stood in the doorway and kept the opening as narrow as possible so that only one person could fit in the gap where he stood at the moment. “I thought you all went home already.”

“Well, we’ve decided to spend the night over.” Ethan grinned foolishly.

“No way, I don’t think that’s possible.” Ranleigh was absolutely against it. Idiots! You can’t do that anymore from now on.

Miranda remained inside, a look of puzzle on her face. She tried to listen but somehow, Ranleigh was doing great in keeping their voices low.

“Hey, how come?” Thad asked in suspicion. He noticed right away that their friend seemed to hide something from them. “Aren’t you gonna let us in at least?”

Ranleigh tried to think of a good reason to keep them from coming in. “But you’ve already been here all afternoon.”

“We know. And in fact, we’ve messed up your place.” Jaron insisted.

I know. Good thing Miranda was here and was kind and thoughtful enough to clean up. At that thought, he began to see Miranda on a different light. Perhaps, letting her stay was not at all a bad idea. If she could help him around the house, it would be better. While he was lost in his thoughts, he forgot about the entry he was guarding as his friends forced themselves in.

“That’s precisely the reason why we’re here. Now, let us help you with the clean-up.” Ethan led the other three inside and suddenly stopped in shock as they found themselves staring at an innocent-looking girl who seemed to be as stunned as they were while she held onto her bags.

“Oops…sorry, we didn’t know you had a visitor.” Four pairs of eyes glanced towards Ranleigh, who was at the moment pinned to the wall, and eyed him suspiciously.

“No, it’s okay. I was just about to leave.” Miranda inched towards the door when Ranleigh blocked her way again.

“Stay.” He pleaded but it was more like an order.

Miranda simply looked at him. As they stared at each other, she saw something rather unusual in his hazel eyes. Just a little while ago, he told her he was not at all happy about the idea of her living with him. But this time, his eyes seemed to tell otherwise. Everyone was quiet for a moment as she studied Ranleigh’s confusing expression. After a while, she finally gave in. She did not know what it was that convinced her to stay but whatever it was, she decided not to find out and refused to be bothered by it.

“Fine.” She shrugged and it actually relieved Ranleigh. Now, it was time to deal with the intruders and start explaining. But even before he could do so, they’ve already surrounded Miranda in curiosity.

Ethan was the first to approach her. “Ooh, how cute…she looks like a doll.” He exclaimed as he pinched her cheek.

“Ehh?!” Miranda grimaced at his touch. Get away from me!!!

“What’s your name?” Jaron joined in and was actually fumbling with her muddled hair. She did not bother grooming herself anymore even if she had found her comb already.

“And why are you in Ranleigh’s apartment?” Kean added. Wrong room, probably?

Miranda was about to introduce herself when Ranleigh grabbed her and covered her mouth with his hand. “I’m M-mmff…” She obviously had her guard down so she was easily taken away by Ranleigh, who looked like he was trying his best to hide her in his pocket.

“She’s my cousin.” Ranleigh finished for her. “Her name is Miranda Seiler and she’ll be living here for the next three years.

Miranda stared at Ranleigh in protest as she struggled hard to break free from his hold. Three years? But I haven’t even decided on that yet!

“Miranda Seiler? I know I’ve heard the name somewhere…” Thad said thoughtfully.

“Hey, you’re the four-eyed…” Ethan’s jaw dropped in amazement as he realized something.

“Yes, that’s why I told you to knock it off.” Ranleigh cut in, not really pleased with the way things were going right now.

Jaron turned to him. “But you didn’t tell us she was your cousin.”

“Heck, you never told us you had a really cute cousin.” Ethan added.

“And that she’s moving in.” Kean nodded in agreement.

All right, all right. Cut it out already, you idiots! And with that, he let go of Miranda, who quickly moved away from him as soon as she broke free.

“What’s the big idea?” she demanded as she glared at Ranleigh. “And four-eyed what?”

“Hey, don’t be mad at your cousin.” Ethan smiled at her as if to calm her down. “I was the one who said four-eyed…”

“Shh…!” Ranleigh interrupted him.

But Ethan still dared to continue. “Now, we know that you’re not a four-eyed…”

“Stop it already.” Ranleigh cut him short once again. This time, he was already glaring at Ethan. Darnit! You really wanna make her angry?

“I was just kidding, sorry.” Ethan mumbled in apology.

Suddenly, Jaron approached her as he gave her a pat on the head. “Miranda, is it?” He really took her by surprise, making her stare at him in question. “Are you also a stubborn kid like your cousin here? Or are you a little nicer?”

“Hands off.” Ranleigh grunted, causing Miranda to glance at him.

Then, Ethan snapped his finger in conclusion. “I get it. That’s why we can’t sleep over tonight.”

“No more sleep-overs from now on.” Ranleigh reminded them.

“Oh, yeah.” Ethan realized.

“That’s gonna be one thing to miss.” Thad commented in disappointment.

“Don’t you think you should be leaving now?” Ranleigh hinted, though, it was very obvious that he wanted his friends gone already. He just wanted to rest and think over the situation.

“I guess.” Kean nodded. “But really, we came over to help you fix your place.”

“Thanks for the concern but I’ve already cleaned up.” Ranleigh said as he showed them his newly made-up apartment.

With this, Miranda stepped forward in protest. “Liar, I was the one who did all the cleaning.” Once again, Ranleigh’s hand had her mouth covered.

“All right, guys. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He gave his friends one last smile as he gestured towards the door.

Kean opened the door for everyone and was the first to step out. “Okay, bye. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Miranda.” the other three chorused.

“Shall we see you at school tomorrow?” Jaron added.

“Sure!” she nodded as she struggled hard to break free from Ranleigh’s grasp.

When the door had finally closed, Ranleigh was staring at Miranda. “They’re quite fond of you, huh?”

She turned to him in wonder. “Why? Is that bad?”

But he gave no answer and locked the door, instead.

“Are they your friends?” Miranda asked again.

“Teammates.” Ranleigh corrected her.

“Is there a difference?” she went on.

On the verge of being pissed off already, he did not feel like answering her question. “Just go and unpack.”

“So, I’m your cousin, eh?” Miranda snickered, ignoring the surfacing bad mood of her roommate.

“Just leave it as that for now, got it?” Ranleigh pointed out.

But she just could not run out of things to ask. “Why?”

“Trust me.” He muttered in an attempt to end their conversation.

“All right.” Miranda shrugged. “By the way, who told you I’m gonna be staying here for the next three years?”

“Nobody. Why, did I just say that?” He asked back.

With this, she accidentally let out a soft chuckle. “Great! So you forget things right away?”

Ranleigh simply stared questioningly. “What?”

“Never mind.” She sighed, rolling her eyes. I guess he really doesn’t remember.

“Better sleep early, school starts at eight.” He reminded her as he headed for the bathroom.

That was when Miranda remembered the most important thing she forgot to ask. “Should I also sleep in the bedroom?”

Holding onto the bathroom door, Ranleigh glanced back at her. “What kind of a stupid question is that?”

Miranda shot him a heated look. “It’s not stupid. I think it just makes sense that I should not sleep with you.”

“Well, where do you plan to sleep?” he asked her in challenge.

She looked at her feet in embarrassment. “Erm…there’s only one bed, right?”

“Uh-huh.” Ranleigh nodded, crossing his arms.

“All right, I can sleep on the couch, I guess.” She turned towards the couch to examine it. It looks pretty cozy, anyway.

“Until you graduate?” he asked again in mockery.

This time, his words really hit her. “What? Of course not. Starting tomorrow, I’m gonna go look for another place to live.”

“You really are an idiot.” Ranleigh sighed and motioned for her to come with him into the bedroom. “Come in here.”

Miranda followed in hesitation. There, she found Ranleigh kneeling on the floor beside the bed. Then, he moved back as he hauled something from beneath.

“This is a pull-out bed.” He uttered, glancing up at her. “In case you haven’t noticed.”

“Oh, I see.” Miranda said with a nod. Ooh, cool!

“All right, you can have the real one.” He told her, pointing at the upper bunk. “I’ll use the pull-out one from now on.” He added as he slapped the dusty mattress he had revealed just now.

Then, Miranda thought of what he just said. “I disagree.” she protested. “You’re the one who’s gonna pay for everything, right? Then, how come I get to use the more comfortable bed?”

“Why? Is that bad?” Ranleigh asked in a rather innocent tone.

“Well…” Miranda found it hard to comment. And he asks “Is that bad?”! Unbelievable! She eyed him in mixed doubt and frustration. Really, very unlikely. Argh! I simply don’t get this guy!

“Do me a favor.” He said to her as he stood up. “Fix my bed. The sheets are in the laundry. I’ll just take a shower.” And he headed for the closet, which also led to the bathroom.

After several minutes…

Miranda finished fixing Ranleigh’s bed. Truly, the sheets were in the laundry. Apparently, he had already washed them earlier in the day but just forgot to take them out of the dryer. Now, back in her pajamas, Miranda sat on the bed Ranleigh had appointed her, with her legs crossed, a pillow on her lap, and a pocketbook in hand.

She tried to stay as calm as possible. She just wasn’t expecting any of these. Sleeping with a stranger beside her was something that she had never imagined doing. And to top it all off, their parents did not seem the least bothered by it. At least Ranleigh’s mom had called. But her dad, she was kind of mad at him for not checking on her. Jeez, just what happened to “I’d be really worried if you’re at some place you don’t know, studying”? She thought irritably, remembering her supposedly worried father’s words. Then, as she pondered on these things, she heard the bathroom door click open.

Oh, he’s done! She exclaimed in her thoughts as she waited for him to step out of the closet. For a while now, she had been wanting to ask Ranleigh about AIM High. Being an always-curious girl as she was, she simply would not let this chance of interviewing a real AIM High student slip away, which was quite ridiculous. But as soon as Ranleigh came into the bedroom, it was her own mind that slipped away.

Clothed only in a pair of jogging pants and a towel swathed on his head, Ranleigh approached the very bed that contained Miranda, who was now gawking unconsciously at his handsome figure. As he reached her bed, formerly his, he sat down and started massaging his right foot. Then, the towel fell off his head, revealing his back to Miranda.

His jet-black hair was still pretty soaked and very untidy, which made him look even sexier. Water would drip onto his broad shoulders when he moved his head every now and then. Miranda could not help but stare and could already feel a slight flush on her cheeks as she admired this manly figure before her.

Oh, my god! What am I doing? She scolded herself. This is not good… All she wanted to do right now was to get out of the bedroom and be somewhere else. What’s he doing, anyway? Forgetting that his roommate is a girl! Doesn’t this guy have any sense of decency? Finally, she snapped out of her reverie when Ranleigh suddenly turned to face her.

“Could you hand me my shirt, please?” he said, pointing beside Miranda.

She jumped in surprise and glanced at the headboard of her bed, which was actually a mini-shelf, and found a wrinkled shirt on top. With trembling hands, she reached for it and timidly handed it to Ranleigh.

Noticing her sudden strange behavior, he looked at her in curiosity. “Hey, what’s up with you?”

“Huh? Oh, nothing. Nothing…” Miranda shook her head in embarrassment. Stupid me!

“Did you clean the bathroom as well?” Ranleigh asked.

“Um…yeah.” She replied coyly, pretending to read her book.

“Thanks.” He nodded in appreciation. “But you didn’t have to do that, you know.”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind.” she said automatically. “I was gonna use it, anyway.”

“All right, if you say so.” He shrugged as he put on his shirt. Then, glancing sideways at Miranda, he immediately took note of the gawky way she flipped through the pages of her book. “How long are you gonna pretend to read that?”

Aware that she was definitely caught in the act, she blushed furiously as she was not sure what or how to answer. And so she decided to simply close the book for good. She tried to voice out her annoyance but chose to remain silent, instead. God knew I was trying my best to read it.

Seeing the amusing expression on her face, he threw himself into his own bed, smirking. “I’m going to sleep. What about you?”

“I guess I will have to.” Miranda replied as she put her book aside. Reaching for her blanket, which was neatly folded on one side of the bed, she unfurled it over herself and lied down as well. Feeling uneasy, she turned to check on Ranleigh below and found him lying on his side while facing away from her. I wonder if he’s fallen asleep already. Then, she decided to try her luck. “Um…Ranleigh?” she mumbled in a low voice.

“Hmm?” Ranleigh replied in a groan but remained still.

Oh, great! He’s still awake! She smiled to herself. Then, remembering the real reason why she had patiently waited for him to finish shower, she asked, “What’s AIM High like?”

“Why do you ask? You’re gonna see it tomorrow, anyway.” He grumbled.

I guess it’s no use talking to him. Miranda sighed as her face fell. Then, she heard him turn over.

“Three words…” he suddenly spoke. “Everything happens there.”

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Author’s comments: All right! There goes Chapter 1! GAWD! It really took me a while to finish it, considering all the schoolwork that I had to accomplish for the past few weeks. If you had noticed, I made the prologue part of it. Actually, I didn’t expect it to reach 12 pages in MS Word. Usually, when I write my chapters, I try to make them as short as 4 or 5 pages. That’s what I did with Oracular Smithereens. Anyway, I hope this chapter is worth the wait.

On the next chapter…

First day of school. Miranda attends the orientation program for freshmen where she is introduced to the whole school as the whiz kid who got an average score of 98.25 in the NHSEE.

“Really great!” Miranda groaned. “No thanks to that stupid introduction now everybody thinks I’m a total geek.”

She meets her newest friend, Annya Mariani, who gladly shows her the right way home. She accidentally takes the wrong bus and gets lost, that’s why.

“Really?!! You live in the Cassel?” Annya exclaimed wide-eyed. “Then, you must have met Ranleigh Gillian.”

“Er…actually, he’s my…roommate.” Miranda answered in hesitation and bit her lip afterwards. Oops! Perhaps, I shouldn’t have told her that.

“What?!!” Annya’s already big eyes became even bigger. “NO WAY!!!”

Miranda bumps into Jaron in the corridors but somehow, Miranda becomes deeply bothered by his strange manners.

“Yeah, see ya.” She waved her hand in goodbye. Then for a while, she just stood there in deep thought. That’s weird. His mood changed so quickly. When he yelled at me, he really sounded like a bully. But isn’t he one of Ranleigh’s friends?

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