His Ascension

Can't afford her

The crashing of Ken's phone to the floor wasn't loud enough to distract Miranda and her lover from their passionate kiss.

"Damn, you make me so wet!" Miranda whisper-yelled after pulling away for a while. She moaned and reconnected her lips, her fingers digging into the boy's black sweater.

The blonde haired pressed her against himself and mumbled "I can kiss you down there." He dipped his hand in between her thighs.

"Miranda!" Ken thundered, announcing his presence.

The duo instantly broke away and turned around to face Ken who had a clenched fist and a tightened jaw.

Miranda moved away from the boy and pulled her skimpy red dress down to her thighs. 

"Ken? When did you get here?" she asked with her gaze fixed on him

Ken was stunned by her composure, the way she was holding up his malicious stare, and the firmness in her voice.

"What the hell are you doing with this guy Miranda?" he exploded and began hurrying toward the blonde-haired.

Miranda quickly stepped in and stretched both her hands forward, preventing the hot-blooded Ken from reaching the blonde-haired. 

Ken's eyes fell on her hands. He arched his brow and a disappointing look covered his face. "Why are you obstructing my way?"

The blonde haired broke into a dry laugh and moved away from the wall. He walked up to the scene and pushed Miranda aside. He stood before Ken, his chin up. 

"So what were you gonna do huh? Did you want to hit me? Go ahead and hit me?" he said and gave Ken a soft push on the chest.

When Ken angrily scampered toward him, he wanted to grab the plastic vase on the table and smash it against his head. He wanted to launch several kicks on the blonde haired before demanding who he was but now, it was as if his confidence had jumped through the open window, and to crown it all, Miranda seemed not to be on his side.

The blonde haired sniffled and eyed Ken from head to toe. He placed both his hands on his waist and shook his head. Ken's face was covered by his broad chest.

"Leave." the blonde-haired spat.

The boy might be a bit older or bigger but Ken was not going to let some random guy take his girl and send him out like a stray dog. There was no time to chicken out.

Ken turned to his right and caught the unbothered Miranda rubbing her palms tenderly. He stared into her hazel eyes and wasn't sure of what he was sensing but he knew that the affection she always had for him wasn't there, just a vagueness he couldn't explain.

"Just leave Ken. I don't want any drama here" Miranda blurted and crashed by the edge of her bed.

Ken rolled his teary eyes around in astonishment. Did Miranda just dismiss him? What happened to her delightful tone, the one she uses in professing to him how much she loves me? Why was she suddenly sounding frigid?

"You heard the lady. Ken or whatever you call yourself, just run along."

Ken lowered his head and held up the tears making their way to his cheeks. He heaved a deep sigh and faced the blonde-haired once again.

"I don't know what has gotten over Miranda or why she's acting this way but I'm not leaving here. She is my girlfriend." Ken stated confidently.

"Was your girlfriend." Miranda fired back and stood up. She began taking graceful steps toward Ken. The blonde haired teased him with a laugh.

Ken ran toward Miranda and held her hands. "Look at me Miranda," he said and guided her face towards him. She turned away.

Ken felt the organ in his chest wrecking into pieces. The tears he had been fighting so hard to retain in the last five minutes were rolling down his cheeks.

He took charge of Miranda's both hands. "If this is a game baby then stop it. I don't understand you." 

Miranda pulled out her hands from his clutch and screamed. "Let go of me."

She took a few steps backward and when Ken wanted to bridge the gap, she stretched out her hand, creating a barrier.

"We are done, Ken. I'm no longer your girlfriend. I'm with Charlie now."

"Charlie?" Ken mumbled and turned to peek at the blonde-haired. "Who..what Charlie? Baby...I.."

Charlie pulled the stool beside the table and sat in the center of the spacious room.

"She's with me now." he professed with a blink.

Miranda walked past the star-struck Ken. she knelt and picked up his phone from the floor. She flipped it around. The screen was ruined. She walked back to Ken, forced his left palm open, and placed the phone in it.

"He'll need a new phone I guess," Charlie commented. "That's if he can afford it," he added with a chuckle.

Miranda smiled and walked up to Charlie. She stood beside him. He wrapped his arm around her waist. "You are right Charlie. That's if the poor boy can afford a new phone."

At that point, Ken needed confirmation from no one that the predicament before him wasn't a prank. He cleaned his teary eyes with the back of his trembling right palm.

"How could you do this to me Miranda?" he asked, his voice rippling. Miranda turned away without a reply.

"I love you, Miranda. I love you more than any..."

"Love love love!" Miranda thundered and Ken almost trembled in fear.

"I don't want your goddamn love. I deserve better Ken and I've realized that I can't get the life I deserve as long as I'm with you."

"I just got an offer from Harvard," Ken replied with a half smile and began hitting his damaged phone screen. "Wait, I'll show you the email. It's from Harvard."

"Congratulations Ken but that won't change a thing." Miranda fired back and flipped her hair.

Ken gasped and shut his eyes for a while hoping the bad dream will go away but when he opened his eyes, Charlie was still relaxing on that stool taunting him with a smile, his hand tied around Miranda's slender waist.

Miranda continued speaking "You have a potential Ken. That fact can't be denied." she pouted her lips and shook her head. "But you don't have a life with me."

Ken ran his hands through his hair and heaved a deep sigh. "Just wait till I get to Harvard Miranda. " I'll graduate then you and I will be together and live the life you want.

Miranda busted out laughing and Ken's jaw dropped.

"You want me to wait till you graduate from Harvard? Let's say maybe in five years or more. Oh, come on Ken that's silly."

"But...Miranda, what happened to you?" Ken stuttered.

 Miranda had never complained about his status. She supported his vision and was ready to wait till he achieved his goal. What suddenly went wrong? 

Charlie rose to his feet and cleared his throat. He moved closer to the confused and heartbroken Ken. "Miranda my love, you've said enough. I'll take it from here." 

Charlie directed Ken's gaze with his finger to the window beside the entrance.

"Look over there, you see that?" A black-tinted sports car was parked in front of the lawn. Ken didn't notice it when he ran in earlier.

"That's my car. Or should I say one out of my luxurious cars?" Charlie boasted with a wink.

Ken swallowed some air and remained transfixed on the spot.

"Miranda is a damsel and she deserves to be treated like a queen. She's way above your class.."

Ken laughed mechanically and replied. "Just because you are rich doesn't mean you can have her love. Miranda is just confused and I know she belongs to me."

"Oh!" Charlie exclaimed with his right hand on his chest. "Quite a touching line. You..."

Charlie was still speaking when Ken nudged him aside and moved to the center of the room where Miranda stood.

He tried to keep her face in his hands but she pushed him aggressively and he almost landed on the hard floor with his butt.

"I said it's over between us Ken. Don't you get it? I love Charlie. He'll give me all I never got from you. I didn't get much aside from those pretty eyes of yours anyway."

"But...I...Harvard.." Ken stuttered.

"Even if you go to Harvard and graduate in years to come, Ken, you will never earn 1 million dollars in your life." Miranda spat.