Chapter 2: Chapter Eleven: Cars and Mansions
Lexy wanted to but she couldn't make it to the basketball match on Sunday because her mother had already made plans for the weekend. On Friday they packed a few stuff and drove off to visit Lexy's uncle, Brad, wife and kids. Her mother called it 'bonding time'. She apologised to Lexy for being away so much all the time and promised to make it up to her.
Lexy's mind was not at her Uncle Brad's even though her physical body was present. She wanted the weekend to pass by quickly so that she could get away from all the hugging and fussing and chatter. Not that she didn't like her Uncle and his petite little wife with 4 boisterous cousins; they were actually her favourite relatives; they were the only ones she was familiar with.
All she wanted to do was see Orion.
Finally, Sunday painstakingly came to an end. When she got home the very first thing she did was text Katie. Sleep came to her so easily; right after packing and very exhausted, she fell asleep.
Lexy was super excited Monday morning as she was on her way to school. She wanted to know all that had happened at the match. She didn't meet any of the gang around when she got there and so made for the class.
It was empty except for Orion who was sitting on Theo's seat. His face lightened up when he saw Lexy.
"Hey, Lexy."
"Hi. Orion, How was the game yesterday?"
"Pretty great. We won."
"We did? Oh wow, that's awesome!"
"Yh. Maybe it's the luck you gave as at the gym last week. How was your weekend?"
"It wasn't bad really. Maybe a bit tiring." She sat next to him.
In the corner of her eye she saw someone walk in and quickly draw back.
"I see you Katie.", Orion laughed.
"Oh shoot! Guess I've been caught. Just my luck. Maybe it's all this green I'm wearing." Katie was in a simple green turtle neck and she had tied her hair in a bun with a green ribbon.
"Katie, I thought you absolutely detested green???", Lexy asked with a grin.
"What's wrong with trying to be one with nature huh? Tell me?"
"Okay fine. You rather tell me, why were you hiding just now, huh?"
"I wasn't hiding. I didn't want to interupt anything. You two look like a couple.", she gave her a teasing smile.
"Katie don't start this!!!" And Orion laughed again.
Not long after the rest of the gang joined them.
"Yo, Orion my man, how was the game? You know bro, I had some business to take care of over the weekend so I missed all the action.", Mike said as they fist bumped.
"It was a great game, Mike."
"That was some nasty hit you took there", Brian said.
Harmony, Stephanie and Britney suddenly flashed worried looks.
"Oh gosh, yh; Orion, are you okay?"
"It's nothing. Not even a scratch," he brushed it off.
'Not even a scratch?', Trick thought to himself. 'I would have been dead meat if I were the one that got hit like that.'
"Congratulations by the way.", Malory said in her timid manner.
The class was an ally of pandemonium when the first teacher entered. Cassie was pleased when Theo sat willingly with her for class.
Mr.Feguerson wanted to find out how far his students had gotten in the project though he wasn't bothered that some of them hadn't written a thing yet. However Lexy was feeling guilty about this and Orion noticed.
"Don't worry. I'm free for a bit now. We can begin the research this week.", he whispered to her.
Lexy stayed behind after school. She wanted to commence the project as soon as possible. She waited for Orion to pick up his books.
"Orion, can we... uh start the project today?..... or.."
"Sure, we can begin today. Gimme a minute okay?"
He took out his phone and made a call.
"Let's go. The driver will be here soon."
He held her hand and they went outside together.
Lexy never got used to him holding her hands. She had not ever thougt that she and Orion would get this far.
'I wonder were we are going to?', she opened her mouth to ask; but then it fell agape.
No one had to tell her that was going to be the ride. The sports car that was waiting for them was too flashy to even begin to imagine it being there in the first place.
Shiny black, it had orange meandering neon stripes. She could see her reflection even at that distance.
The door automatically slid open and the chauffeur bowed slightly and stood back waiting for her to sit. She turned hesitantly towards Orion who beckoned her to sit with a smile. As she sank into the upholstery cushions, she was in incredible discovery of true riches.
If Lexy was impressed with just that car then she had something bigger and better coming for her.
The mansion was enormously gigantic!
She was sure she was counting more than 40 cars, eacg one more classy than the former. They were soo many pools and the very neat exotic garden was being tended to by more than 15 people. The gargoyles were foreboding; and the sculptures of what Lexy guessed almost immediately as the past Mcmalineys, came alive; powerful and ruthless. Kind of like how Orion looked. The mansion had a bridge linking the many buildings.
'Wow, it's like an entire city in here!'
The huge main house where they were headed, a stately home, overlooked a beautiful lake with a cabin cruiser and liners at the docks. The orchard probably had every variety of trees and flowers. In the distance, Lexy could see plateaus, valleys and mountain ranges complete with a beautiful summit. At a point, she couldn't see the stone wall any more.
"How far does your property go?", she asked in wonder.
"Maybe for miles. I've not been to most of it myself.", he shrugged.
"Really??? Wow, thats fantastic!"
She knew the Mcmalineys were wealthy and all but this, this was an efflorescense of elegance. What had Katie said again?, that the Mcmalineys were money itself?
"You have such an extremely lovely house, Orion.",she gleamed.
"You think so? Oh... uh... well thanks?"
All this was just an everyday thing to him.
The butler came out, bowed as well and said in a perfunctionary tone,
"Welcome Master Orion. I see we have a visitor today. If you would please kindy follow me."
He led them across the cloister embedded with intricate designs on even the columns and the vaulted ceiling. From here, Lexy could only see the greenhouse, cloché and what looked like a theater. She couldn't make the rest out because they were too far off.
"It'll take months for me to get around this place!", she marveled.
"Is mum at home yet?", Orion interrupted her thoughts.
"No master Orion. Mrs Mcmaliney is away on a business trip.", the butler responded in that same robotic voice.
When he sent them inside, Lexy died and resurrected!!!!!
Never in her life had she ever seen such a magnificent house!!! Everything had been aurdously fashioned to copious flawlesness: from the chandeliers, fire surround, spiral stairs; even the oriental rags didn't look like rags. The floor was made of hard glass and below she saw a variety of sea creatures swimming gaily in the water. So were the walls glowing with cool dark colors intermittently.
'OMG, this is just too much!!!!'
She was glad when Orion excused himself, now she could make a fool of herself without remorse. The mantel piece looked very ancient and on it sat vases with strange imprinting on it. Along side, they were other quaint artifacts that looked like they belonged in a museum. They were queer and seemed to hold the darkest secrets.
Every single item seemed to have had some sort of history of about a thousand years and more yet managed to still be modern enough. It was like the affinity of old and new together.
It was a palace; if not more. It was was a place to die for!
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