Everything was going so well, Miranda thought. 
Classes had started and Miranda found she really enjoyed them. She'd never thought about studying photography but now that she was, she was thrilled to discover a new kind of art.
Darkwing House was great - quieter than the dorms, with her close friends around her and a real kitchen where she could cook. 
It was wonderful to have Mariah back. She tried to be all cool and patient about it, but summer without a word from her - waiting and wondering and worrying - had been hell. Having her close, hearing her voice, being able to look into her eyes, Miranda could breathe again. If Mariah's eyes were hard and held secrets, if she stayed out late dealing with "family business" and woke choking back nightmares... Miranda told herself they would deal with that, when Mariah was ready.
Best of all, Miranda told herself, she'd finally found a place on campus untouched by the shadow of Cassandra Goth - Debate Guild! Despite all her mother's embarrassingly many accomplishments and activities, Cassie had never pitted herself against other students in battles of wit and rhetoric... at least not formally.
When the student groups had put out a call for new members, Miranda had enthusiastically thrown herself into the Debate Guild, dragging Genie along with her. For a moment - the moment when they discovered Orange Bailey-Moon was an established Guild member - Miranda had feared that would be the end of the idea. Genie insisted that it was alright. She'd dealt with her experience with Orange, she said, and while it was still a little awkward, they'd be OK.
So, Miranda had a new activity to occupy her and, she found, she really enjoyed it. Words and ideas came together much like music, with their own rhythms and refrains. It was, she thought, a little like magic.
-----------------------
Everything had been going so well, Mariah groaned.
Classes were turning out OK. She wasn't sure anymore about Psychology. Did it really fit with working for Uncle Nick? Maybe she'd switch to more business courses, but for now why mess with a good thing.
The new place was good - quiet, not too many people in her face. The roommates weren't so bad. She liked Genie. She really did. Just... did she have to look at Miranda like that? I mean, at least pretend you're not eying my girlfriend.
Aadi was a hoot, even if they did seem to say anything that came into their head. They'd had a good time together the other day, visiting the rival Foxbury campus where someone had papered that ugly modern art thing they called a campus statue. Really couldn't say who might have performed such an act of vandalism... but they'd done a damned fine job.
Yeah, everything had been going so well. Porca miseria!
It was OK, she thought. You've got this handled... just... wait, what's she doing up?
"You're home," Miranda smiled.
"Ummm, yeah," Mariah said. "It's really late. Did you wait up for me?"
"Yeah," Miranda admitted. "It's no big deal. I wasn't tired. Are you OK? You look kind of stressed out."
"I'm fine. It's nothing really," Mariah lied, but something in Miranda's warm, caring eyes broke through the walls she'd spent the past months building up. "Just some stronzo cop hassling me... incriminating evidence my ass... like I'm going to roll on Uncle Nick. Porca miseria!"
"Wait, wait, slow down," Miranda gasped. "Cop... evidence... Mariah, are you involved in something illegal?!"
"I... can't talk about it," Mariah sighed.
"Come on," Miranda insisted. "Talk to me. Please!"
"I mean, OK, but you can't tell anyone," Mariah insisted. "Maybe there was this truck carrying electronics that didn't make it where it was supposed to go... and maybe I'm working with some people selling these... second hand... laptops and stuff that might have come off that truck. I mean, really, the prices the campus bookstore charges... who's the real crook here?!"
"You're selling stolen laptops?!" Miranda whispered.
"No," Mariah said. "I'm not selling them. I'm more like... management. And it's not like we're lifting them out of the library or something. I shouldn't have said anything..."
"No," Miranda took a deep breath, "No, it's fine. Just... be careful. I mean..."
"Hey, mia amata, it's going to be OK," Mariah smiled.
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