First Part: Voice

"I just couldn't find the right word how I feel," Miranda stared at the dark ceiling of her room she shared with other three students.
This afternoon was a thrill.
A smile from Luke.
A second glance.
And a slight touch to her elbow.
Whoa! The feeling was so strange, yet again it could be something opposite of what she expected to be.
She will always just be Miranda.
Pale. Plain and marginalized.
She came from the province. She was enrolled in a university because Luke's philanthropic father gave her the scholarship grant after  she passed a serious and tedious exam.
There was a total of 24 teenagers her age that tried their luck to get hold of the scholarship.
From easy to difficult stage and ended to only 3 who passed and she was one of them.
She was from one of the rural areas within a province in the Philippines. She never thought she will get hold of one of the college scholarship grant in the state university.
She passed the entrance exam yet she really have to undergo another scholarship to shoulder any other expenses not included in the university scholarship that only covers the tuition fees.
She lived with her ailing aunt and both her parents died when she was just 8 years old.
She was a consistent honor student since she started her studies but never a topnotcher but she had always managed to snatch a place on the top 5.
She didn't own even a single book. Her school supplies were always sponsored by their local government programs. She was always persistent to fall in line just to grab a bagful of school supplies every start of the school year. She worked as store assistant in a small grocery store and paid minimum enough to put food on their plates and a bland viand. Or better yet, rice sprinkled with thin layer of white sugar or every mouthful of rice equaled with a gulp of tap water she had fetched from a public well where you have to fall in line with other locales.
Life is harsh, she knew that in her early years. Her aunt got sick when she was graduating from elementary same time when her aunt's husband eloped with some stranger and left her the responsibilities, her ailing aunt and her 4 young wide eyed and hungry cousins.
She always find that force strangling her yet she battled to be brave and answer the responsibilities openly placed in front. At an early age, she mothered the 4 kids and watched her aunt disintegrated from her hold.
Her cousins were forced to beg for alms on the streets just to bring home tinkling coins for their dinner. They skipped breakfast and lunch often and buy a tablet or two for their mother.
Miranda also tried washing clothes for several families who were only capable paying her 200 pesos per wash load. She really didn't mind as long as she could put something on their plates.
She worked her way to high school scholarship and graduated as 1st honorable mention with only one pair of uniform which she washed, dried and worn for the last 4 years. She tried as hard to graduate valedictorian but she failed due to lack of extracurricular activities.
She knew the harshness of society and now she is facing her future with uncertainty, insecurities and unfathomable low self-esteem.
She left her cousins to other relatives to look after them. Her aunt died few months back.
Now, she tried blending in though she felt so strange.
She knew some friends from all over the country.
She attends classes and overwhelmed with different personalities.
Included in her scholarship is a monthly allowance of 5,000 for boarding house, food, school projects and other stuff. She tried squeezing some amount to spare for her cousins and some cheap clothes.
Now, as she lie down her bed with super thin worn out mattress, sleep evades her and Luke's smile lingers around her vision. The feeling's so strange and suffocating.
The touch?
The smile?
The glances?
"Argh! Shut up Mirr! You are one big hopeless and ambitious! His touch only means nothing, unconscious. The smile was intended for the person behind you and the glances were empty!"
Miranda was fully aware of that voice.
It's Saturday and her roommates were not around.
Who was it?