Miranda's Backstory

As Jean bent over to place the child's feet into her shoes, the young girl leaped out of her seat.

"Stay still, Miranda." The nanny scolded. Miranda held her golden ball up to Jean.

"I haven't got time to play, child." She said as she scooped Miranda up and put her back onto the chair.

"Play?" She asked, looking at the elderly woman with light brown eyes. The toddler swung her legs, making it impossible to put her shoes on. She was pretty enough, but her legs were too long for her body and her feet were a little too big. It was as if the bottom half of her had started growing, but her top half couldn't quite compete with it yet.

The door of the spacious bedroom opened.

Miranda's mother, Chanteline, walked in. Despite it being seven in the morning, she had already had her makeup applied perfectly and her sleek, golden sheet of hair styled.

Jean sensed danger.

Chantaline surveyed the two-year old's bedroom. Even though Jean had cleaned and organized the room yesterday, the floor was already littered with various toys and trinkets, and the bed was a mess of tangled blankets.

"What," Chantaline asked. "Is going on? This daughter of mine has no shoes on, has her hair is a disaster, and her ROOM IS A COMPLETE CATASTROPHE!" She stared at the nanny accusingly.

Personally, Jean thought that a woman younger than her shouldn't be screaming at her elders.

Jean bit back the retort on the tip of her tongue and swallowed her pride. "I'll try to get her ready."She said, resignedly.

As soon as that filthy rich lady left, Jean resisted the urge to tear the shoes to pieces. The poor child had to live with that lady every day, but the nanny suspected that Miranda didn't act the way she did because of her mother.

"Come now, Miranda." Jean said, beckoning to the chair. "Be a good girl, and I'll give you a caramel." The toddler clambered onto the chair, bright with the prospect of candy. As always, her ever-present ball was in her arms. Jean had no idea why the two-year old preferred to play with it over her dolls and her bajillion other toys, but she did.

Jean finished placing Miranda's feet into her shoes and moved onto brushing the girl's hair. When she was done, she breathed a sigh of relief. Miranda had forgotten about her caramel, just as she had predicted. It was good, because she didn't have one.

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"Yes, Ms. Chandler. Michael and I are quite certain that we want this girl *gone*." Chantaline tried to forget her annoyance at the government official at the end of the line. Chantaline had already said that her she and husband wanted their daughter away.

"You understand that she will have to endure countless modifications an-"

"Her daycare ends at 1:30." Chiara interrupted. "Have a good day."

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Miranda refused to get out of the car.

Jean refused to leave her there.

"Miranda!" Jean cried exasperatedly. She pried the girls' fingers away from the door, but the toddler desperately clung onto the automobile.

At last, the nanny managed to pull the child away. She checked the clock as she walked into the daycare center and was relieved to find that she was still one minute early. She left Miranda with the instructors and hurried away.

Chantaline was expecting company tonight and had compiled an enormous list of groceries for Jean.

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As soon as Nona had left, Miranda wandered around touching everything she could.

She stuck her fingers in the soil of a potted plant.

She tried to catch the fish in the tank.

She bent a paper clip and poked it into her arm.

She climbed onto a chair and jumped up and down until the instructor stopped her.

Miranda was carried outside.

Lilah Beth was there.

Oh, the grown-ups didn't know how bad Lilah was. Who would believe sweet, perfect Lilah when she was compared to the strange and unkempt Miranda?

As soon as the instructor left, Lilah snatched away Miranda's golden ball. "Idiot!" She sneered, her red-gold curls held back by a jewelled headband that matched her jewelled dress. Miranda jumped up to grab her ball, but Lilah pulled it away and shoved Miranda into the mud.

"You're dumb, don't you know?" Lilah laughed shrilly at Miranda's fallen form. Before Miranda could get up, the instructor appeared with several official-looking people in tow. "Miranda!" The instructor tsked, horrified. "How you manage to get all muddy in such a short period of time......" She shook her head, dismayed. "Well, this is Chelsea Miranda." She said to the people in dark suits.

The dark people nodded and led Miranda away.

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