CHAPTER 2

Afterward, Miranda just laughed at me once again and released me from the chains while explaining the reason why she was back in Paradise. I sat back at my chair and rubbed my arm from the pain of Miranda hitting me to the ground. After she finished her explanation I looked at her dumbfounded by the things she told me.

"Okay so let me get this straight. The rebellion hacked me and The Executive to hide your location and placed faked videos to make us believe that you were carrying out their plans."

"Yes."

"And now you are back."

"Yes."

"Seeking my help to betray The Executive, the secret organization in charge of all worldwide criminal activities and maintains peace among nations. The very organization that you chose to help out by going to Gendwall to solve the issue of civil wars there ."

"Yes," she said a bit tired as she paced back and forth through my questions

"So all this time, you have been off-the-grid! Miranda what the hell were you thinking ,The Executive you want to go head to head with an organization and act as a whistleblower , after what happened last time?! Plus why did you tackle me you know I am fragile."

The last statement just escaped my lips but it did not make the situation less crazy.

Miranda looked at me with a almost expressionless face ,she did not even flinch or react.For the years I knew Miranda ,she was calm and collected in even the most diffficult situations but this one was bigger than something that you just brush over.

"Cy you are as paranoid as ever you really need to take a vacation. plus I only tackled you to make sure you are the real Cyrus not some impostor and just your shock in my arrival was enough to tell. Fragile and knows our secret."

She then threw a watch at me.

"I was pretty sure you would be holding on to the watch I gave you ,I was looking for it."

I looked at her embarrassed. I looked at the watch and I remember it was the one she bought for me the first time I made an app in middle school.Nonetheless i was still angry at her.

"I can see you are as reckless as ever, you are supposed to be dead remember? Miranda everyone thinks that you are dead! You made a deal with a global organization! I don't think this is the best way to maintain your safety "I said panicking at the risk she was taking

"Are you done with the lecture now ?"She asked

"No, I have ...."

"Cy let's not forget that I did it for both of us ."

She never even gave me a chance to finish my rant.

"Just to find out that you, yes you." She said pointing at me ," built a software and technology powerhouse after high school to keep an eye on me in Gendwall. The executive made it clear that you were supposed to lay low to make sure you don't get into any more trouble with them after the incident. I also have a right to be angry. Your face is all over. If people found out that you were the one who....."

"Miranda!" I said in guilt to make her stop talking and looked down

"It has been five years and we are arguing. I was wrong,scared,paranoid, worried and all that adjectives that express my fear when you left. I am sorry."

I stood still and slowly looked into her hazel brown eyes which were a slightly lighter shade than mine. I could tell that she was furious with me. Nothing I could say would calm her down I felt terrible. I knew that she went through worse things than me . Slowly, I laced her hand with mine. I could tell that we were both angry with each other but this time I felt a different feeling in her. It seemed like it was a different human being I was talking to. We stood there and looked at each other in silence. I could believe it was the shock of seeing each other after five years, yet we argued the same way we argued before she left for Gendwall.

"Yo Cy I bought a burger and fries not forgetting...."Glenn entered and suddenly stopped and looked at me in a daze. For a minute I had completely forgotten the existence of any other human being.

Glenn was taller than me by only two inches. The two inches that he would never shut up about. . Glenn was the type of guy you would see in magazine covers or social media with the best smiles . With his dark complexion ,curly hair that can work in literally every haircut, he was literally placed in everyone's best boy category.

I quickly looked at Miranda in a panic wondering what will happen when Glenn sees her.I was shocked to see she completely changed her image to that of a Caucasian young woman with blonde hair who was taller and had a slim figure. I wondered if changing her height was something she always wanted. It barely looked like her and I was even more confused than before.

"Oh, I am sorry if I interrupted." He said, winking at me for a long uncomfortable time.

"Hi, I am Jenifer Blue, Jen for short." Miranda introduced herself shoving me on the side that was felt by my ribs, so I could play along with her act.

Even her voice sounded different with a different kind of eloquence and authoritativeness than her usually silvery sarcastic voice. With a slight softness that was completely unlike her usual character .

"You must be special if Cyrus brought you here," Glenn said smirking

I knew that smirk, that was the smirk of 'I am going to embarrass you until you want to die type of smile'

"I am ?" She asked.

"Yeah, Cy hasn't been within six feet of another female for about five years of his young life. It is not like before that he actually had any other female around him,well his mother and sister exist and...."

"Glenn!"

"And one special one from the past ,He even keeps a picture he took of her when she was not looking. He looks at it every…"

"Glenn, that's a bit too much don't you think?" I said signaling him to stop talking.

"I barely think Cyrus could live without her in his sad sad life ."

"Tell me more."Miranda said smirking at me, even in a different image she was evil as ever.

"Glenn I think it's time you leave."I said in complete embarrassment.

I pushed him away feeling all the blood rushing in my face and pushed him to the lift. I could not believe Glenn could reveal all that about me. As much as he always liked making fun of me and making a light joke on how bad I got over Miranda knowing now it was Miranda made it a million times worse than before.

"DL he is not allowed here for a week," I said

"Cy, we both know that I will be back any way you two have fun." He said with that annoying wink again knowing very well that he completely ruined me.

After that horror, I turned to Miranda to find her laughing and back to her usual look. And I could feel the embarrassment flowing through my veins even faster and rushing to my face and I could feel my face was a bit hot .It was ridiculously hot.

"You were always nothing without me Cy." She deviously winked and burst out into laughter.

I could not lie to her. After she left, I was a total mess. My ability to walk in the same halls in high school was at an all time low and that's why I started to build up Digicliff in the first place. My main motive was actually to find a way to track Miranda down and assure she was safe, along the way, fortunately, I grew fond of the company and put more effort into making it the powerhouse that it had become.And that was the origin story of Digicliff, clean ,simple and unhealthy sleeping habits formed in the process.

"Anyway, what was up with the sudden change of like your face and body,"I asked looking at her

"Oh it's a mask we built which completely changes your appearance but it is actually like a really advanced hologram. I would get into the mechanics and functionality of the piece, but I am a bit tired. I needed a way to hide as you said I'm supposed to be dead. I want to keep it that way at least for now. But most importantly Cy, I need a place to sleep." said using an innocent face," Or maybe even a house, I've read the articles, I know you own more than one mansion "

She continued rambling on and on about a place to stay while I still shook about the mask and how a country like Gendwall can have access to such technology considering it was known that it is one of the most closed-off countries in the entire world. Gendwall is the complete definition of blocked off from any other human civilization ever. It is a landlocked country and I doubt if an aircraft even passes there the roads there are impassable, honestly getting anything in or out of Gendwall needed a lot of effort.

"I will get you a room in my house near the outskirts of Paradise City. It is the only one which I completely made sure that it was secure and it is the one I prefer staying in ."I said holding her hand down and making her rambling stop.

"Five foot nine, brown hair, ridiculously skinny, paranoid..... you haven't changed at all, let's go ." She said smiling innocently knowing clearly that all she wanted to do was get her way and call me skinny all in one sentence.