Miranda placed her left hand on her chest and drifted backwards with a gasp. She was forced to stop moving after hitting her back against the wall. Charlie lowered his head while Miranda watched as Ken and Cassie vanished. They stepped into the car and sped off. Ken didn't turn to look at her as she aspired.
"What the hell just happened?" Miranda managed to ask. She was still in shock.
Charlie lifted his head with a sigh. "Well, it appears your boy just struck gold."
"Damn it!" Miranda yelled and aggressively shoved the pieces of stuff on the table. The plastic vase, books and mug came crashing to the floor, creating a mess.
Charlie walked up to her with astonishing eyes. "What is wrong with you babe?" He tried to grab her but she placed her hand on his chest, the way she did to Ken earlier.
"Stop acting like a jealous girlfriend," Charlie remarked and dropped on the stool.
"Now I'm acting like a jealous girlfriend?" She smirked and continued. "Oh come on Charlie, I'm not jealous. That Cassie girl was acting. Believe me, she's just acting to pull Ken out of his misery." Miranda said and broke into a laugh.
"But the girl was fucking hot," Charlie remarked. He moved toward her.
Miranda gave Charlie a violent push and crashed by the edge of the bed. "So now you are admiring the girl too? Oh cut the crap Charlie." she lowered her head, and her brown hair fell on her face. "That girl...."
"Well, whether she's Ken's new babe or not, she's a big fish."
"Stop sounding like a dick Charlie. Now you are on her side?"
Charlie shook his head in disagreement and moved to the bed. He sat beside Miranda and placed his arm around her.
"It's just me and you now. I don't care about her. To crown it all, that pauper is finally out of your life so now, we can be together"
Charlie cleared the strands of hair covering Miranda's face and held her jaw. He pulled her face and leaned in for a kiss but she turned away.
"Jeez, Charlie Is that all you can think about right now?" she smirked and stood up. She began to pace.
Charlie was getting pissed. "So what do you want me to think about? Ken or the fucking limo?"
"Yes, Charlie. Didn't you see the car? That bitch owns a bloody limousine and did you see the way she wrapped her arm around Ken? She made us look like bloody fools."
"Yes, she has a limo and so what? I should get a limo too. I can't afford it but at least I'm better than your broke ass ex." Charlie fired back with a satisfied nod.
"What are you saying Charlie?"
"I should be asking you that Miranda. You almost sound as if you regret being with me. I'm going to give you a good life Miranda. The life that boy was never going to offer you."
Miranda heaved a deep sigh. "You don't get it, Charlie. I don't regret choosing you over him. It's not about what he can offer. I felt insulted you know. I thought Ken was this poor boy with nothing and then all of a sudden this hot girl steps out of a limo, barges into my room and she's his girlfriend now?" Miranda lamented and shook her head. "This must be pure acting," she concluded.
Charlie sighed and shut the door. He rested his back against the closed door. "In as much as it surprises you, it astounds me too. I can't deny the fact that I felt trivial before them a while ago."
Miranda giggled and instantly hardened her face. "Oh, Charlie you don't know how little I felt. I was the one that broke up with him and then this rich girl embraces him right before me. Whether she was acting or not, I felt less."
She grabbed a band from her purse and tied her hair into a bun. She stepped on the ruins that soiled the carpet when she angrily cleared the table. She moved closer to Charlie.
"That bitch saved him but believe me, he'll toss her to the side. He's crazy in love with me." she blurted.
Charlie broke into a laugh. "Well, he better set his eyes on the girl because you are now mine."
Miranda folded her arms across her chest and couldn't help but wonder about Ken and the girl. She has been with Ken for about a year and he had never mentioned the name, Cassie. As far as she knows, he barely talks about his childhood and now he has a filthy rich friend who is crazy in love with him. That was a pure set-up.
"Miranda....Miranda!" Charlie yelled for the fourth time, drawing Miranda out of her thoughts.She looked up to Charlie and noticed the sweats banded on his forehead. She looked into his eyes and rolled her eyes up his blonde hair down his face. He wasn't as handsome as Ken. Why didn't she figure that out or maybe she did but wanted more than just a perfect jawline, she wanted more than Ken's sexy eyes and protruding nose. She wanted more, she wanted luxury.
"I don't want us to stay here and quarrel over some boy called Ken. He's out of your life. You told me there was no going back huh?"
Miranda replied with a nod. Right now, she wished she could turn back the hands of time and shut the door before Cassie walked into her room.
"There's no going back Charlie." Miranda declared and began thinking about her first meeting with Charlie.
She was sitting in the school's most loved cafeteria, stirring her orange juice in circles with a straw when Charlie showed up. He requested to sit opposite her and when he extended his hand for a shake, the Rolex adorned on his wrist caught her attention. They chatted for a while and before exiting the cafeteria, he paid for her coffee and stuffed some dollars into her hands. That night, he phoned her and she wondered how he got her number. They got talking and had been hanging out but she told him about Ken. When the luxurious dates, expensive gifts and cash gifts started coming, she relegated Ken to the background. That was a week ago.
"Miranda, get dressed and join me in the car outside," Charlie said, his voice sounding like a dictator.
Charlie turned around to head out and looked back. Miranda was transfixed to the spot.
"Didn't you hear me? Get dressed. We are going out to meet my friends."
Miranda fell onto the bed with a disapproving look. "I'm not in the mood to go anywhere, Charlie."
Charlie released the doorknob and turned to face her. "What's your problem?" He yelled.
Miranda shut her eyes and opened them after a while. "I'm exhausted." was all she said.
Charlie went on ranting. "Are you saying you are not going out with me? It better has nothing to do with that Ken and his girl. You are over him, right? Haven't we thrashed this issue? You told the boy to his face that you were done with him so I expect you to freshen up and join me in the car."
Miranda rested her back against her wall, her gaze fixated on the ceiling. Charlie didn't stop blabbering.
"Miranda, I'm talking to you."
"Fine. I'm sorry. We will hang out with your friends." she replied and grabbed her bag.
"Pull up here." Cassie ruled out to her chauffeur.The limousine had been moving for about ten minutes. The driver parked the car behind a restaurant and stepped out. Ken carefully took out his hand that had been entangled in Cassie's. She smiled lovingly at him and he immersed her in a warm hug."Thank you so much sister," he said, holding up the tears that had welled up in his eyes.She rubbed his back tenderly and replied. "Siblings don't have to thank each other Ken. You can count on your big sister anytime."They broke off the embrace. Cassie pulled out a tissue from her bag and passed it to Ken.He collected the tissue and pressed it to his eyes. "Thank you, Cassie," he mumbled and threw his back against the seat with a deep sigh.Cassie understood that dozens of thoughts were running through his mind at that moment so she remained silent. After a few minutes, she spoke, breaking the silence between them. Ken's forest green eyes were devoid of tears. "Seems like I arrived just
The ride from Boston to Cambridge wasn't a draining one for Ken. Feelings of anxiety and euphoria had enveloped him and all he wanted was to step foot at Harvard.He alighted at the bus station and pulled his luggage bag out of the vehicle. He had gotten a new bag. Ken roved his eyes around the busy station. People stood in groups. Some were getting off buses, others were rushing to get in."Wow!" he mumbled as his eyes magnified in astonishment. It is his first time in Cambridge. Ken heard about the city countless times and saw its beautiful architectural settings on television but now, he was standing on Cambridge soil.He held onto his school bag with one hand and pulled the luggage bag with the other hand. He shifted from the highway to a corner beside a restaurant. People littered the street and Ken concluded that the situation is so because it was Monday morning.Ken couldn't stop roving his green eyes around the bus station. It was damn busy."Harvard!" Ken heard a petite hai
Ken took languish steps toward his hostel, fighting very hard to withhold the tears welling up in his eyes. He imagined Miranda, laughing behind him while he vanish from her sight.He lowered his head and kept wondering whether Miranda had ever loved him for a moment. Again, she had just lashed out at him, stating that she was grateful she was with Charlie now.Ken sniffled as he walked down the straight path ahead of him, assessing Miranda's torturous statements. Maybe she's better off without him.After moving to Harvard, he had hoped that he'll get to move on quickly now that he's far away from her but it turns out that she made it to Harvard too.Ken sighed and marched toward his room. He opened the door and was greeted by its emptiness. His roommates had all gone out. He fell on his bed with his face feeling thankful that they weren't around to detect his discomfort.A few minutes later, his phone began to vibrate. Ken got up and pulled the device out of his bag."Cassie!" he gas
Ken lowered his head and held the ropes attached to his backpack with both hands. He was walking out of the hostel. He hurried into the lecture hall and settled at his favourite row; the first row. He could still sense the eyes of some students all over him. The young lecturer walked onto the hall and wrote an equation on the board. He flipped his marker. "So who is going to solve this problem for us?" There was pin drop silence.The lecturer began moving around the hall waving his blue marker. "You guys can't solve a mathematical problem? This is just the basics. Next semester, you'll be advancing to Medicine courses proper."No one spoke. The newbies kept exchanging blank glances. The lecturer returned to the front row. "Finally, we have a hand up. Come over here."Ken stood up and took the marker from the lecturer. He walked to the board and in less than two minutes, the equation was solved. Ken slowly turned around to face the class who were staring at him like an appetising m
Are you sure about this?" Mr Cameron asked Cassie for the umpteenth time."Yes dad." she acknowledged with a nod and went on stirring her tea with a spoon in circles.Her father sighed and went for the toasted bread on the dining table. "I can't promise you Cassie but I'll speak to a few of my contacts and get back to you."Cassie rose to her feet, pulled out her chair and rushed to her father. She wrapped her arms around him from behind. "Thank you so much, dad.""As I said, it's not a promise but I'll see what I can do about it." Cassie smiled and returned to her seat.After pondering about it several times, Cassie had just requested that her father have her transferred from the state university to Harvard.She smiled and took a sip from her tea mug, praying that the process works. When her father demanded the reason for requesting the transfer, Cassie had lied to him that she wasn't getting the best from the state university and she'll only get the standard of education she desir
Ken and Cassie stepped into the RUSTOM cafe beaming with smiles. They settled on the last booth, opposite each other.Cassie busted out laughing after dropping her transfer file on the square table. "Did you see their reaction after you read out from the file that I am now a student of Harvard?"Ken chuckled and waved at the waitress by the counter. "They didn't see the transfer coming and honestly, neither did I."Cassie grabbed the menu card on the table. "I spoke to my dad about the inter-university transfer last week and this morning, my acceptance letter from Harvard arrived."Ken motioned to the waitress to come closer. She leaned toward him and scribbled down the orders he was pointing at from the menu card. The waitress nodded and left."I guess that was the surprise you were talking about when you called me this morning?""Of course," Cassie said and roved her eyes around the cafe. "Well, now that I'm a student here, I'll need a tour of the campus."The plump waitress returne
Cassie looked up to Ken with pitiful eyes. If there's one thing she's certain of is Ken's quest of keeping a low profile but right now, she wasn't sure whether it will be possible.Camera lights kept flickering all over them as more students kept trouping to the scene to catch a glimpse of the battered men. They were taking pictures of the men on the floor."Did Ken beat them?""Damn, they are in a mess.""Are you sure he beat them? There's three of them."More comments kept erupting from the crowd. Cassie held onto Ken's hand and together, they forced their way through the crowd.Ken led Cassie down the street. "I'm sorry, it's all my fault," she mumbled.Ken forced a grin and hailed a cab. "It's not your fault Cassie. I have no regrets," he replied and motioned to her with his head to get into the back seat of the cab.Cassie stepped into the cab and waved at him, her eyes speaking gratitude. "Call me when you get to your hotel room.""Sure," she replied.The cab sped away.Ken tur
Ken glanced at the watch adorning his left wrist. "That's enough for today," he mumbled and closed the anatomy textbook before him. It was almost 11 pm. He needed to get back to his room and rest because he has a morning class to attend the next day. Ken tucked the textbook and his mobile phone inside his bag. He stood up and brushed off his jacket. He had been studying in the multi-purpose for about four hours. Ken hung his bag and made his way out of the hall while whistling an odd tune. He marched toward the dark path the students called 'The lonely path.' The students hardly trespassed on that route, especially at night but Ken takes that route to his hostel every night after studying because it is shorter to get to his hostel using the path. Ken had taken a few steps and was about to take a sharp turn toward the MC ARTHUR hostel when a familiar voice called out to him. He turned around after a sigh. He shifted to the wall and rested his back against it. Miranda was hurrying