I got home by nine o'clock, ran up the stairs to the door, took the key out of my shorts pocket and started to open the door, but the key stubbornly refused to go through the lock.

«What is this nonsense? I guess I'll have to change the lock!» – I thought grudgingly, trying hopelessly to defeat it, and trying so hard that I bent the key. – Well, wonderful! And the morning was so pleasant!»

I sat down pensively on the step, and suddenly I heard the creak of the lock turning: it sounded so loud that it could be heard even through the music.

It made me jump to my feet, hurriedly removing my headphones and staring at the door.

Someone there in the house was opening the door from the other side!

Suddenly the door swung wide open, almost hitting me, and a thin black-haired girl with a short guyish haircut and a nose piercing appeared in front of me.

– Hi, and you must be Marsha? – she asked me in English, in a pleasant, slightly high voice.

I was taken aback.

«What the hell is that?» – went through my head.

– Misha » I corrected. – And who are you, I beg your pardon?

– I'm Mary Smith, the lady of the house, but don't worry, I won't take too much space.

«What is she talking about? Is she going to live here? With me?» – I frowned.

– 'But I rented your house on the condition that I would live completely alone,' I said slyly: in fact, the house was rented by Maria, and I didn't know on what terms. But I knew for a fact that my sister would never let me live in the same house with a man!

– Yes, I know, but I hope you'll get into my position» Mary said in an apologetic tone. – Oh, come in, please!

I walked into the house and took off my sneakers. My morning was ruined.

We walked into the living room.

– Where have you been? – The girl asked me.

– Running around» I answered briefly and sat down on the wide brown couch.

– Really? You're not sweating at all.

«It's Harry's sister. Just as tedious as he is!» – I thought grudgingly.

– It's just that I'm a professional runner» I lied, and only now did I realise the horror of my situation: she's going to live here? No, that's impossible! How would I hide my strange habits from her? What would she say about a fridge full of blood?

– Marsha, I want to apologise…» she began, sitting down next to me.

– Misha » I reminded her again in a grim tone, feeling annoyed that Mary hadn't remembered my name.

– Yes, I'm sorry, Misha. Are you thinking about what I'm doing here right now? I just don't have anywhere else to go. I have nowhere else to go. – Bitterness showed on her face.

– What happened to you? – I asked politely: I didn't really care, and the last thing I wanted to hear about was her problems.

The girl moved closer to me and sighed heavily.

– The thing is… I'm supposed to be in Scotland right now, but it's boring as hell… Well, I didn't really come because I had this crazy idea to go back to Oxford, to have some fun. The thing is…» She hesitated. – Anyway, I got mixed up with some bad company there, almost became a drug addict… No, don't think! I don't do drugs and I never have. I smoke weed sometimes, but it's not harmful.

I listened to her and marvelled at my fatal failure: how did I end up in Oxford? To live next to a girl who smokes pot! It was the worst thing ever!

– Also, I borrowed a lot of money there. I can't pay it back, so it's quite possible that there will be mafia people here…» Suddenly Mary stopped talking and laughed out loud.

«'Oh, she's a psychopath! That's terrible, what bad luck!» – went through my head.

– Come on, don't worry about it! I was joking! – she said through her laughter. – You should have seen your face!