Some Surprises Are In Order
~Chapter 12~
Author's Notes: Hi everyone. This is the last of the rewritten chapters. I would like to thank Crystalis Blade for the original version which she kindly wrote for me since I didn't have my computer at that time. Bad grades. So any way Thank you Crystalis, without your help this story wouldn't be where it is today.
"Home sweet home," Lex said as she flicked the lights on into the apartment. It was roughly eight o'clock by now and the sun had set. The street lights came in through the window and lit the small verandah outside.
Megan for the first time really looked around the apartment. It honestly wasn't that big; two people, maybe three if you pushed it. That fits Lex… Meg thought. Meg was standing in the living room looking at the couches in front of her. There was a fireplace and mantle to the left of the couches and a hallway just before that; which Kail had mysteriously disappeared down. Over in the corner next to the right of the fireplace was a small entertainment center, where Lex was in the process of putting on a CD underneath the TV.
Megan walked further in, past the couches and small table by the window on her right and noticed a nice dinning room. It was separated by two glass doors. The table could seat six comfortably and had a painting hanging above the wall. To Megan's left was a tiny kitchen, even for her. The tile was alternating black and white. The stove was on the left and the sink, fridge and dishwasher were on the right. A black coffee pot sat in the corner by the door to the fire escape. So did Lex's answering machine; the light was blinking.
To Megan's right was a small verandah that was over looking the street below of the little neighborhood. Lex had put a small table to block the glass door and white summer curtains for privacy. There was door around the corner to get outside. She went out and felt the night air rush into her lungs. Lex walked up behind her,
"so, how do you like it?"
Megan jumped. "You really fixed it up since the last time I saw it."
"Yeah. It was incredibly dusty and dirty when I got back," Lex said as she walked over and hopped up onto the small wall-ledge and put her feet onto the roof. "I hadn't realized I had let this place go that long," she said wistfully looking out to the street below her. The street lights lit up the road and other apartment builds. The green tress and grasses shimmered in the light breeze. The only sound that was heard was the little well below her as the roses shone in the hushed glow of the Christmas lights. Lex had grown up in this apartment when she was younger, before she moved to Nibelheim. When her mother died, it was left to her, but what can a six year old do with an apartment all to herself?
Megan walked over to the wall that separated Lex's verandah from her neighbors; there were ferns hanging for privacy. She then turned and leaned onto the ledge. "I like it here," Megan said.
"I got a nice little back neighborhood that was rebuilt a little," Lex said. "Reeve offered to move me to a nicer sector, but I didn't want to." She turned and smiled, "I'm right in the middle of everything. The guys come over, I'm close to school and work…what more do I need, right?" Lex hopped off the wall and brushed past Megan. She went into the kitchen as Megan went back inside and ventured down the hall.
Megan could see a room with its door closed and she opened it. It revealed a nice office with a huge window in the back. A desk was in the middle, towards the back with a computer station off to the right. There was a couch towards the door on the left with some sheets folded up nicely on top of it. Extra bed, Megan guessed.
She closed the door and walked a few feet to the next door; shower water was heard from behind—the bathroom. About a yard in front of that was the Master Bedroom. All it was, was a room with a queen bed and a window in left corner. There was an entrance to the bathroom on the wall to her right. On the wall to the left there was the closet that had a secret door into the living room.
Suddenly Lex called, "Meg! Vinnie called. He wants you to call him back ASAP."
"Okay," she said leaving through the little door in the closet.
"Hey! What were you doing in there," Lex said caustically.
"Just checking out the selection…" Megan said picking up the phone. "May I?"
"No, Meg, you can't…" Lex rolled her eyes. "Of course." Meg dialed the number and Vincent picked up.
"Hello," he answered.
"Hi dad. Lex said you called."
"Yes, I did. Just checking on you. So, how's Midgar?"
"Great," she began. She told Vincent about Lex's apartment, her lovely new job (which blew over well considering) and Meg's old acquaintances.
"Well, I'm glad you're liking it. I guess I'll see you on Sunday then," Vincent asked.
"Sure dad. See you Sunday," Megan said.
"Good bye, dear."
"Love you dad," Megan finished as she started to hang up the phone. Just before she placed the receiver down she mumbled, "wow," as Vincent stared at the phone for a moment before it clicked.
"Hey Lex! Can I toss my clothes in your dryer," Kail asked in nothing more than a small towel, dripping on the ground fresh from the shower.
Lex walked out, "sure. Just leave them in my room, I'll take 'em downstairs."
Kail looked over at Lex…and Megan. "Oh! Heh, sorry," Kail said scratching the back of his head nervously while his other hand held the towel. "I'm just…ah…used to Lex and me…uh, living here…uhm…heh, heh…" Megan stared at the towel. "I'm gonna go now…"
Lex laughed, "you have some extra clothes in my closet."
"Excuse me," Megan asked.
"Thanks," Kail said leaving back down the hall.
"Kail practically lives with me. So, he has a portion of the closet," Lex explained.
"Uh huh," Megan said crossing her arms.
"What," Lex asked innocently.
"And how long have you known Kail?"
"The question is how long have you?" Megan looked away. "Yeah, that's what I thought." Lex only shook her head and finished, "you are more trouble than you're worth to me…"
