5.
Miranda watched the young male, slightly curious to hear his response. He seemed to still be digesting the idea of the young woman in front of him.
"Umm. maybe I have the wrong apartment? No, that couldn't be it, otherwise my key wouldn't work," he muttered to himself, frowning in confusion.
He looked up at Miranda again, seemingly frustrated.
"I'm sorry. but I'm a bit confused. I could have sworn this was my friend's apartment - I was supposed to be looking after it for him while he was away overseas, you see. and now I find that it's occupied with. well - you."
Miranda took a step back, startled.
"Your friend. wouldn't happen to be named Michael, would he?" she asked, trying to make sense of the odd situation, figuring it had something to do with the strange visit she had received earlier in the week.
Her current visitor frowned and nodded in recognition.
"How'd you know?" he asked curiously.
"He turned up at my apartment a day or two ago and was very insistent about getting inside to get some family belongings," Miranda explained.
The young man's face paled.
"*Your* apartment? Michael's already back? Oh no. I'm dead!"
Miranda frowned, taking in the young man's state, trying to determine if he was more confused or. scared - that was it. She stood up straighter and leant towards an object that would act as a weapon if needed.
"Look. I'd like to work this out, but would prefer to be fully dressed when I do so." she commented.
The man looked up again, distracted from his pacing and muttering.
"Ah. right," he nodded.
They both stood staring at each other for short moment before Miranda cleared her throat, feeling uneasy.
"So. as nice as it is to have a visitor, I'm not really comfortable with a stranger being in my house while I go change," she stated, gesturing to the door.
He nodded in agreement.
"Oh, of course! Sorry. I'll wait outside?"
Miranda nodded.
"If you don't mind. Then we can perhaps go downstairs and sort out this situation. this building has a small coffee area," she explained.
The young man nodded and headed back towards the door to her apartment. Miranda called out to him as he headed out the door.
"Umm. I don't know your name."
"Greg," he offered.
"Miranda," she replied, "Umm, Greg? Do you think that I could have the key that you used to get into the apartment?"
The young man paused in the doorway, smiling sheepishly.
"Guess it's no use to me any more." he stated, handing it to her.
Miranda nodded her thanks, closed the door after the young man, remembering to lock it before she hurried off to get dressed.
***
Declan cleared his throat and addressed the young woman standing expectantly at his desk.
"Is there something I can do for you, Kasei?" he asked her warily.
She shrugged and smiled.
"I was just bringing you this," she gestured to the apple before continuing, " and wanted to find out what sort of areas I should be focusing on for the test next week."
Declan nodded slowly, thinking about the test that the students were to do shortly.
"Umm. we did go over it last lesson - chapters seven and eight, remember?"
Her face lit up in recognition and she nodded.
"Right. I was actually having a bit of trouble with an area in chapter eight. do you have any time to spare so that we could go over it before the test?" she asked hopefully.
Declan shrugged uncertainly, feeling slightly uncomfortable around this student, but not entirely sure if he had anything to worry about.
"Umm. I guess so, sure. Do you have a certain date and time you'd like to do so? We could get together after one of my lectures, if you'd like," Declan offered.
Kasei smiled and slid off the desk as Declan rose, gathering his lecture notes before heading towards the door. The pair paused in the doorway as Declan awaited her response.
"Whenever works for you," she stated sweetly, resting a hand on Declan's arm.
Declan smiled uneasily and glanced at the young woman.
"Ok. after Thursday's lecture?" he questioned hurriedly.
Kasei nodded in agreement and smiled.
"See you then!" she stated happily before heading down the university's quiet hallway.
Declan sighed and turned in the other direction to head out of the building and meet Peggy in the car park. He stopped suddenly as he realised his friend was already waiting for him.
"Oh, hi Peg!" he stated.
Peggy smiled and glanced down the hallway at the young woman that was still walking away from Declan's lecture room. Declan turned to watch Kasei until she disappeared before turning back to Peggy's curious gaze. He felt a flush rise upon his face and hung his head.
"Don't ask!"
Peggy laughed and linked her arm in Declan's.
"Ok. come on, let's go see a movie."
Declan sighed and walked on with Peggy, relieved that she hadn't questioned something she was probably curious about - not yet, anyway.
Miranda watched the young male, slightly curious to hear his response. He seemed to still be digesting the idea of the young woman in front of him.
"Umm. maybe I have the wrong apartment? No, that couldn't be it, otherwise my key wouldn't work," he muttered to himself, frowning in confusion.
He looked up at Miranda again, seemingly frustrated.
"I'm sorry. but I'm a bit confused. I could have sworn this was my friend's apartment - I was supposed to be looking after it for him while he was away overseas, you see. and now I find that it's occupied with. well - you."
Miranda took a step back, startled.
"Your friend. wouldn't happen to be named Michael, would he?" she asked, trying to make sense of the odd situation, figuring it had something to do with the strange visit she had received earlier in the week.
Her current visitor frowned and nodded in recognition.
"How'd you know?" he asked curiously.
"He turned up at my apartment a day or two ago and was very insistent about getting inside to get some family belongings," Miranda explained.
The young man's face paled.
"*Your* apartment? Michael's already back? Oh no. I'm dead!"
Miranda frowned, taking in the young man's state, trying to determine if he was more confused or. scared - that was it. She stood up straighter and leant towards an object that would act as a weapon if needed.
"Look. I'd like to work this out, but would prefer to be fully dressed when I do so." she commented.
The man looked up again, distracted from his pacing and muttering.
"Ah. right," he nodded.
They both stood staring at each other for short moment before Miranda cleared her throat, feeling uneasy.
"So. as nice as it is to have a visitor, I'm not really comfortable with a stranger being in my house while I go change," she stated, gesturing to the door.
He nodded in agreement.
"Oh, of course! Sorry. I'll wait outside?"
Miranda nodded.
"If you don't mind. Then we can perhaps go downstairs and sort out this situation. this building has a small coffee area," she explained.
The young man nodded and headed back towards the door to her apartment. Miranda called out to him as he headed out the door.
"Umm. I don't know your name."
"Greg," he offered.
"Miranda," she replied, "Umm, Greg? Do you think that I could have the key that you used to get into the apartment?"
The young man paused in the doorway, smiling sheepishly.
"Guess it's no use to me any more." he stated, handing it to her.
Miranda nodded her thanks, closed the door after the young man, remembering to lock it before she hurried off to get dressed.
***
Declan cleared his throat and addressed the young woman standing expectantly at his desk.
"Is there something I can do for you, Kasei?" he asked her warily.
She shrugged and smiled.
"I was just bringing you this," she gestured to the apple before continuing, " and wanted to find out what sort of areas I should be focusing on for the test next week."
Declan nodded slowly, thinking about the test that the students were to do shortly.
"Umm. we did go over it last lesson - chapters seven and eight, remember?"
Her face lit up in recognition and she nodded.
"Right. I was actually having a bit of trouble with an area in chapter eight. do you have any time to spare so that we could go over it before the test?" she asked hopefully.
Declan shrugged uncertainly, feeling slightly uncomfortable around this student, but not entirely sure if he had anything to worry about.
"Umm. I guess so, sure. Do you have a certain date and time you'd like to do so? We could get together after one of my lectures, if you'd like," Declan offered.
Kasei smiled and slid off the desk as Declan rose, gathering his lecture notes before heading towards the door. The pair paused in the doorway as Declan awaited her response.
"Whenever works for you," she stated sweetly, resting a hand on Declan's arm.
Declan smiled uneasily and glanced at the young woman.
"Ok. after Thursday's lecture?" he questioned hurriedly.
Kasei nodded in agreement and smiled.
"See you then!" she stated happily before heading down the university's quiet hallway.
Declan sighed and turned in the other direction to head out of the building and meet Peggy in the car park. He stopped suddenly as he realised his friend was already waiting for him.
"Oh, hi Peg!" he stated.
Peggy smiled and glanced down the hallway at the young woman that was still walking away from Declan's lecture room. Declan turned to watch Kasei until she disappeared before turning back to Peggy's curious gaze. He felt a flush rise upon his face and hung his head.
"Don't ask!"
Peggy laughed and linked her arm in Declan's.
"Ok. come on, let's go see a movie."
Declan sighed and walked on with Peggy, relieved that she hadn't questioned something she was probably curious about - not yet, anyway.