December 22

~•~

Dear Mr. Kelly,

          The Pulitzer Institute for Research (PIR) have great pleasure in offering you the ability to participate in an experiment known as the Close Quarters Experiment (CQE). You, amongst seven other bachelors, have the great privilege to be a vital role in CQE to test our hypotheses on a hidden question.
          Due to some of the institute's security issues, we are unable to inform you on the basis of the experiment. However, what we can tell you about the experiment is what your role in it shall be. Starting January 1, you will be paired with a female of the same age until January 1 of the next year. During this experiment, you will stay in a villa. You will not be able to leave the property.
          You have been paired with Laurie Smalls of the Bronx.

          Please check if the information below is correct:

Name: Jack Kelly
Age: 18
Family: None
Occupation: Street Artist & Student

      If any of the information we have listed for you is inaccurate, please send a message to PIR by December 28.
      A carpool will be sent to your place of residence on December 29. Please pack the belongings you'd like to bring with you in a small suitcase.

Sincerely,
Joseph Pulitzer
Founder and CEO of Pulitzer Institute for Research

<><><>

December 28

~•~

"He paired me with Darcy?" Katherine expressed, turning to look at Hannah with eyes full of protest. "Listen, I love Darcy as a brother, but I can't live alone with him for twelve months."

Hannah shrugged, looking down at the clipboard in her hands. "I didn't make the decisions. I'm sorry, Katherine, but I can't help you out here."

Katherine groaned in frustration, running her hands through her hair before an idea came to mind. She turned towards Hannah, a devious grin on her lips. "Actually, yes you can." Her eyes found the hallway that led to her father's office, and she gently placed her hands on her hips. "Keep my father busy, won't you?"

"Miss Pulitzer, are you sure this is a wise decision? What if he catches you?"

Katherine faced Hannah with a mischievous look in her eyes. "What is he going to do if he catches me? Pull me out of the Experiment? Publicly shame me? The only option he has is to ruin his reputation. Besides, he won't even know."

Hannah stared aimlessly at Katherine, looking for any sign that she was joking or that she wasn't serious. When she couldn't find any of the signs she wanted to see, she simply sighed and turned down the hallway where Mr. Pulitzer was talking with Seitz. "Mr. Pulitzer! I have a few questions about the Experiment. Do we pick them up as a group or—"

Katherine didn't pay attention much longer. She sprinted off down the opposite end of the hallway, stopping at her father's door and twisting the doorknob. Locked. Katherine searched through every option in her mind.

Could she pick the lock? No, she didn't know how.

Where would her father hide a key? She trailed her fingers all along the door's frame, but her fingers never touched a key. There was a picture frame next to the door, and she quickly took it down, looking behind the frame and finding a key taped to its back. She gave a silent victory cry, a smile growing on her face as she took the key between her fingers and placed the picture frame back on to the wall.

Katherine swiftly pushed the key into the doorknob, twisting it to the side and feeling the lock unlatch itself. She pushed the door open, closing it behind her before looking around at her father's office.

The computer monitor was, fortunately, still on. She slid into her father's seat, clicking through the tabs on her father's computer before landing on a certain one:

List of Pairs

Katherine grinned, scrolling through the subjects of the Experiment before finding her name. She deleted her name, pasting it again on the space next to a name 'Jack Kelly.' The girl that was once by his name was placed by Darcy's, and Katherine's task was complete.

The doorknob to the office twisted, and Katherine clicked out of the tab and slid out of the seat, cowering beneath the desk. Heavy footsteps entered the room, and she knew it was her father.

"Mr. Pulitzer!" Hannah's voice sounded from outside the office. Katherine felt grateful that Hannah was still making an effort, but it was proving to go downhill when her father responded unenthusiastically.

"I told you, Hannah, I'm done with questions."

"But it's important, sir," Hannah said, tapping her pen anxiously on her clipboard.

As if on cue, a buzzer rang through the room, closely followed by a speaker on the desk. "Mr. Pulitzer, we have an emergency meeting downstairs in ten minutes."

A sigh escaped Mr. Pulitzer's lips, and he turned to face Hannah with his hands clasped behind his back. "I shall answer your questions after my meeting. For now, make yourself useful and clean up this mess of my office."

The door closed, and when Katherine finally heard silence follow, she jumped out from underneath the desk. Her appearance startled Hannah, causing the older woman to jump slightly and place her hand on her chest. "Oh my... You can't just do that, Miss Pulitzer!"

"Sorry," Katherine responded, seating herself back in her father's seat. "But it's been done. I'm no longer paired with Darcy."

"Who are you with now?"

"Some guy named Jack Kelly," Katherine answered, swiveling the chair to turn back to the computer and clicking back onto the previous tab.

An amused, crooked grin spread out on Hannah's face, causing her to lean forward, "I'm not so sure that's a good idea. Your father would kill everyone in the Institute if he found out you were paired with him."

"How come?" Katherine asked, resting her elbow on the desk and placing her chin in her hand.

"He's not good enough for you."