Chapter 11
"Michael, have you seen Ray?" Mariah asked, coming up to the American teen. She had been looking everywhere for him. She wanted to know if they could spend some time together.
Michael was rummaging in the refrigerator for a late afternoon snack. "Hey Mariah." He greeted in his casual way. "Nope sorry, I haven't seen any of the Bladebreakers ever since breakfast. But then again, you know how big this house is. It took me half an hour to find the kitchen. There's never a butler around when you need one." He complained. " By the way, why are you looking for Ray?"
Trying to hide her blush, Mariah said in her most normal tone of voice. "It's nothing, I was wondering that's all." Hoping her voice did not betray her; she left Michael to his snacking, and continued on her quest to find Ray. 'I should've asked him after breakfast, but no, I had to take forty minutes just to gather up my courage and now he's nowhere to be seen.' Mariah was too busy being angry with herself to watch where she was going.
"Hey watch it," someone cried, grabbing her hand.
The pink-haired girl realized that she was about to walk straight into a marble statue at the end of the hallway. She turned around, and found herself staring into two orange, concerned eyes. "Ray!"
He was still holding onto her hand. "Are you all right, Mariah? You had me totally scared for a second there."
She blushed. 'Great, what a good impression I'm making on him. He must think I'm the biggest klutz in the universe.' "I'm okay." She replied. "Ray?"
"Yeah?" he said releasing her arm, now that he's sure she's all right.
"D..do you want.to take a walk with me?" Mariah stammered. 'Don't say no. Please don't say no.' She chanted inside her head. Hearing a noise from her friend, she realized that she had missed his answer. "Sorry, I kind of zoned out there, what did you say?" Her cheeks were getting redder with each passing moment.
"I was thinking of the exact same thing." He repeated.
"Really? That's so cool. Let's go," Mariah was beginning to regain her former self.
While Ray went off with Mariah, Cassandra entered the kitchen. 'Boy, who would've thought showing the Bladebreakers around the house would be so tiring and hot. Thank goodness Su agreed to take over for a while.' She grabbed a glass, opened the fridge, and took out a container of orange juice. After pouring herself a full glass and taking several sips, she wandered off into the adjoining room. She found Michael sitting at a table with a whole plate of sandwiches in front of him. Smiling, she asked if she could join him.
"Sure." He replied with a grin of his own, and waved to a seat. Cassandra gracefully sat down. "Sandwich?" Michael asked.
"Thanks." Cassie said, taking a small sandwich from his plate. She took a delicate bite. "Michael, this is great." She exclaimed. Of course she had eaten sandwiches before, but this one was different. There was the usual tomatoes, lettuce, ham, but there was something else too, the sauce was unlike anything she had ever tasted. "Did you make the sauce yourself?" He nodded, taking another bite. "Michael." He looked at her, his mouth was full so he couldn't talk, but he made it clear that he was listening. "Emily told me that you are a baseball player. I have always wanted to know more about it."
Polishing off his final piece of bread, Mike took a drink of water and asked, "Do you want me to teach you? It's really easy and super fun, you'll get the hang of it in no time."
"Really? That would be neat. When do I get my first lesson?"
"Right now. You're done aren't you? Is there an open space anywhere? And by the way, you can call me Mike."
"And you may call me Cassie." Suddenly, Cassie realized that she didn't have any baseball bats or balls. She expressed her problem to Michael.
"Don't worry, I have the equipment in my luggage."
Cassandra's excitement returned. "I know the perfect spot. Let's go."
Susaku was getting more and more impatient with her so-called loyal friend. Cassie said she was going to get a drink, and it's taking her more than half an hour! 'I absolutely, positively cannot believe she left me here with Max and Tyson. Max is okay, but aarrggh, that Tyson is getting on my last nerve. He's bugging me on purpose, I just know it!'
"Susaku! What's this room for? Hey who's that in the painting? How big is this place? It's like a huge maze or something. Where does this hallway lead to anyway? Max, check out that funny looking sculpture thingy over there in that room! Do you have any pets? I wanted one but my Grandpa wouldn't allow it in the dojo. That's where I live by the way. Yup, my Grandpa teaches kendo. Have you tried it before Su? Did you know that.." Tyson blabbered on.
"Tyson!" Susaku turned around, very annoyed. "You have been talking non-stop for the past forty minutes. I'll say this for the hundredth time..Give me a break! Just for once could you be quiet for at least one minute? Honestly, you can be so.so.arrgghh." She gave up on trying to find a word to describe him. No one can blame her though, after listening to Tyson for an hour and a half; she had lost her sanity a long time ago. She desperately hoped that Cassie would come back any second now, that's the only thing that keeps her going.
Tyson snickered. He knew he was annoying her, and he knew that wasn't nice, but still, it was funny.
Max looked at Tyson. "Come on, give the poor girl a rest," he whispered. He didn't tell Tyson this but he was kind of getting fed up with Tyson's chattering too.
"Oh all right. I'll be good. Besides, I was running out of things to say anyway." Max groaned. "Hey Susaku," Tyson called.
She turned around wearily. "Now what?" she muttered to herself. Placing a super fake smile on her face, she said as sweetly as she could. "Yes Tyson? Can I help you Tyson?"
He grinned. "Me and my buddy Max here was thinking of postponing the rest of the tour until tomorrow. We want to get in some blading."
'Thank goodness. If this continued on for five more minutes, I'll be heading for the mental hospital.' "Sure, let's continue tomorrow. See ya," with that Su ran as fast as she could away from Tyson. 'And now to find out where the heck Cassie went.'
"Michael, have you seen Ray?" Mariah asked, coming up to the American teen. She had been looking everywhere for him. She wanted to know if they could spend some time together.
Michael was rummaging in the refrigerator for a late afternoon snack. "Hey Mariah." He greeted in his casual way. "Nope sorry, I haven't seen any of the Bladebreakers ever since breakfast. But then again, you know how big this house is. It took me half an hour to find the kitchen. There's never a butler around when you need one." He complained. " By the way, why are you looking for Ray?"
Trying to hide her blush, Mariah said in her most normal tone of voice. "It's nothing, I was wondering that's all." Hoping her voice did not betray her; she left Michael to his snacking, and continued on her quest to find Ray. 'I should've asked him after breakfast, but no, I had to take forty minutes just to gather up my courage and now he's nowhere to be seen.' Mariah was too busy being angry with herself to watch where she was going.
"Hey watch it," someone cried, grabbing her hand.
The pink-haired girl realized that she was about to walk straight into a marble statue at the end of the hallway. She turned around, and found herself staring into two orange, concerned eyes. "Ray!"
He was still holding onto her hand. "Are you all right, Mariah? You had me totally scared for a second there."
She blushed. 'Great, what a good impression I'm making on him. He must think I'm the biggest klutz in the universe.' "I'm okay." She replied. "Ray?"
"Yeah?" he said releasing her arm, now that he's sure she's all right.
"D..do you want.to take a walk with me?" Mariah stammered. 'Don't say no. Please don't say no.' She chanted inside her head. Hearing a noise from her friend, she realized that she had missed his answer. "Sorry, I kind of zoned out there, what did you say?" Her cheeks were getting redder with each passing moment.
"I was thinking of the exact same thing." He repeated.
"Really? That's so cool. Let's go," Mariah was beginning to regain her former self.
While Ray went off with Mariah, Cassandra entered the kitchen. 'Boy, who would've thought showing the Bladebreakers around the house would be so tiring and hot. Thank goodness Su agreed to take over for a while.' She grabbed a glass, opened the fridge, and took out a container of orange juice. After pouring herself a full glass and taking several sips, she wandered off into the adjoining room. She found Michael sitting at a table with a whole plate of sandwiches in front of him. Smiling, she asked if she could join him.
"Sure." He replied with a grin of his own, and waved to a seat. Cassandra gracefully sat down. "Sandwich?" Michael asked.
"Thanks." Cassie said, taking a small sandwich from his plate. She took a delicate bite. "Michael, this is great." She exclaimed. Of course she had eaten sandwiches before, but this one was different. There was the usual tomatoes, lettuce, ham, but there was something else too, the sauce was unlike anything she had ever tasted. "Did you make the sauce yourself?" He nodded, taking another bite. "Michael." He looked at her, his mouth was full so he couldn't talk, but he made it clear that he was listening. "Emily told me that you are a baseball player. I have always wanted to know more about it."
Polishing off his final piece of bread, Mike took a drink of water and asked, "Do you want me to teach you? It's really easy and super fun, you'll get the hang of it in no time."
"Really? That would be neat. When do I get my first lesson?"
"Right now. You're done aren't you? Is there an open space anywhere? And by the way, you can call me Mike."
"And you may call me Cassie." Suddenly, Cassie realized that she didn't have any baseball bats or balls. She expressed her problem to Michael.
"Don't worry, I have the equipment in my luggage."
Cassandra's excitement returned. "I know the perfect spot. Let's go."
Susaku was getting more and more impatient with her so-called loyal friend. Cassie said she was going to get a drink, and it's taking her more than half an hour! 'I absolutely, positively cannot believe she left me here with Max and Tyson. Max is okay, but aarrggh, that Tyson is getting on my last nerve. He's bugging me on purpose, I just know it!'
"Susaku! What's this room for? Hey who's that in the painting? How big is this place? It's like a huge maze or something. Where does this hallway lead to anyway? Max, check out that funny looking sculpture thingy over there in that room! Do you have any pets? I wanted one but my Grandpa wouldn't allow it in the dojo. That's where I live by the way. Yup, my Grandpa teaches kendo. Have you tried it before Su? Did you know that.." Tyson blabbered on.
"Tyson!" Susaku turned around, very annoyed. "You have been talking non-stop for the past forty minutes. I'll say this for the hundredth time..Give me a break! Just for once could you be quiet for at least one minute? Honestly, you can be so.so.arrgghh." She gave up on trying to find a word to describe him. No one can blame her though, after listening to Tyson for an hour and a half; she had lost her sanity a long time ago. She desperately hoped that Cassie would come back any second now, that's the only thing that keeps her going.
Tyson snickered. He knew he was annoying her, and he knew that wasn't nice, but still, it was funny.
Max looked at Tyson. "Come on, give the poor girl a rest," he whispered. He didn't tell Tyson this but he was kind of getting fed up with Tyson's chattering too.
"Oh all right. I'll be good. Besides, I was running out of things to say anyway." Max groaned. "Hey Susaku," Tyson called.
She turned around wearily. "Now what?" she muttered to herself. Placing a super fake smile on her face, she said as sweetly as she could. "Yes Tyson? Can I help you Tyson?"
He grinned. "Me and my buddy Max here was thinking of postponing the rest of the tour until tomorrow. We want to get in some blading."
'Thank goodness. If this continued on for five more minutes, I'll be heading for the mental hospital.' "Sure, let's continue tomorrow. See ya," with that Su ran as fast as she could away from Tyson. 'And now to find out where the heck Cassie went.'