Lucas drove up to his huge palatial mansion and instructed the guards to allow Alexander inside. He drove through the gigantic gates and parked on the tiled courtyard in front of a sprawling white stone building. A sparkling fountain with a marble statue of Apollo adorned the entrance. The interconnected main building and adjacent buildings around a large swimming pool gave the place a royal splendour.

Alexander parked his motorcycle and dismounted. "Are you sure you want me to go inside? I'm not dressed properly." He gestured towards his shabby appearance with apprehension, but Lucas paid no heed to his words.

"Of course. I want you to come in with me. It's okay, Alex. It's just home." Lucas dragged him inside by his arm, entering through the backyard door into the main building. His dad, Eric Parker, had just arrived home after a conference to have his lunch. He seemed to be engrossed in a discussion with his wife, Eugene Parker*, in the living room while their housekeeper, Kathy, served lunch. They looked up as Lucas entered, tugging Alexander along with him.

"Mom, Dad, meet my best friend, Alexander Dawson. He saved me from a gruesome attack by some rowdy boys in college today." Alexander smiled at the introduction but felt a little embarrassed at all the attention.

"Alex, this is my dad, Eric Parker, and my mom, Eugene Parker."

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Parker! Nice to meet you." Alexander went forward to shake hands with Lucas's dad, but he embraced Alexander instead, taking him by surprise.

"Call me uncle Eric."

Alexander liked him already. No one had ever embraced him so warmly before, like Lucas's dad did. His mom hugged him too, making him feel welcome and comfortable in their presence. "You can call me, aunt Eugene. Have lunch with us, Alex." He looked at Lucas's parents longingly, wishing in his heart that he, too, had parents of his own.

"I can't, aunt Eugene. I have work at 3 o'clock."

"Aren't you just eighteen? Where do you work, son?" Alexander hesitated but couldn't ignore uncle Eric's question.

"At a garage, uncle Eric." Alexander looked down at his feet, expecting some judgemental remark. He knew how the rich were and how they always looked down upon people who were poor.

"What about your parents? Where do they work?" Alexander looked at aunt Eugene and again hesitated. He wasn't used to talking much about himself, but he couldn't ignore her direct question.

"I'm an orphan, aunt Eugene. I've never seen my parents, actually. A distant uncle of mine brought me up, but he died last year from excessive drinking. Ever since, I had been escaping from the officials to avoid going to foster homes. This year I've turned eighteen and they've left me at peace." Alexander saw the shocked faces around him with embarrassment. He should rush off to the garage before they make him talk about his life history.

However, a gasp made Alexander turn around and he saw the most beautiful girl on earth standing and listening to what he said. Feeling embarrassed that she heard his sob story, he suddenly wanted to disappear somewhere. He didn't know why he felt so comfortable with Lucas's parents to blurt out everything to them at their first meeting. His attention went to the girl who looked around sixteen years of age, or maybe younger. The way her expressive, stunning blue eyes stared back at him; they touched a chord in his heart. He couldn't look away, staring at her, spellbound by her beauty.

"Hey, Sera! meet my best friend, Alexander." Lucas's voice brought him out of his dream world, and he focused on his friend.

"Alexander, this is my only sister, Serenity. She has just turned sixteen."

"Hi," said Serenity, but Alexander was too tongue-tied to speak. He just nodded and a small smile played on his lips.

"You have time at hand, Alexander. Why don't you join us for lunch?" invited Lucas's mom, as she led everyone to the dining room. Lucas's younger brother, Liam, rushed inside and Lucas introduced him to Alexander. They instantly clicked as they shared the same interest in cars.

"My Mercedes is giving me some problems and I don't know what happened. I'll take it to the service station soon," said Lucas's dad.

"I can check it if you will allow me to." Lucas's dad looked at Alexander with awe, impressed by his offer.

"Please do. At least tell me what's wrong with it."

Lunch was served and everyone hungrily tucked into the Hoisin Sauce Glazed Salmon Burgers, Smothered Pork Chops served with potato wedges, Cobb salad, and Key Lime Pie. It was the most delicious food Alexander had ever tasted. He usually skipped his lunch as he hardly got time to prepare anything before his garage duty. With the little money he had, eating out wasn't even an option for him.

"This is superb, aunt Eugene. Thank you. It's the best food I've ever had." Lucas's mom smiled at Alexander as he was the only one who appreciated the lunch.

Alexander was extremely aware of Serenity from across the table. She took in his conversations with avid interest, her stunning blue eyes taking in everything, although she spoke little. Every time their eyes met and Alexander felt his heart thumping loudly in his chest. It never happened to him before, and he was totally confused.

After lunch, Lucas's dad took him to his garage, where there were many expensive cars parked. Lucas too followed them along with Liam.

"This is a beauty, uncle Eric." Alexander ran his fingers along the smooth body of the car. "What's the problem that you're facing?"

"Well, the engine is stalling suddenly and refusing to start again. The carriage is vibrating while speeding down." Alexander nodded, understanding the problem immediately, and inspected the car as the others looked on.

"There is a little damage to the engine harness wire insulation, uncle Eric. It needs to be replaced," said Alexander. "I don't have the parts or the tools to do it now."

"Thank you, son. I'll get it done from the service centre, but it's better to know beforehand, else they'd slap extra charges for doing nothing."

Alexander looked up and got lost again in Serenity's stunning eyes as she stood near the garage entrance, watching them silently. He was getting impatient for a chance to speak to her, to hear her sweet voice, to see her plump lips call his name. But he was getting late for his garage duty.

"I'll have to leave now, uncle Eric."

"Come tomorrow again, son. I'll show you another car." After he left to go into the house, Liam fist-bumped with Alexander and left while Lucas steered him out of the garage. Alexander turned and saw Serenity walking towards the pool. He longed to talk to her, but with Lucas around, he didn't get a chance.

Alexander climbed onto his bike, but his eyes searched for Serenity while Lucas chatted about college and Miss Wilkerson. He spotted her sitting at the edge of the swimming pool; her legs dipped into the water. Their eyes met, and she smiled shyly, making Alexander completely bowled over by her mesmerizing smile. He smiled back and fixed his helmet, his eyes not leaving hers as he held her gaze. A shiver of excitement coursed through him. He saw her creamy bare legs from the short sundress she wore as she dipped them into the water. What he would give to sit beside her!

"See you at college then, dude." Lucas's voice brought Alexander out of his hypnotic state and he nodded at his best friend.

"Yeah, see you." Alexander rode away, but on the way to the garage, he thought only about Serenity. He had noticed no other girl before, like he noticed Serenity. He felt a strange attraction towards her, which he couldn't fathom.

All his life, he had been alone, lonely, and unloved. His mom had died giving birth to him and his dad left him with a distant cousin of his before committing suicide. He didn't have any photographs of them. His dad's distant cousin, Frank Boyer, was an alcoholic, and he made Alexander work for him since childhood and abused him to no end. Alexander had a hard time trying to please his uncle and earn some money doing minor jobs.

But Alexander never complained, as uncle Frank's house was better than being in a foster home or in an orphanage. He worked hard and studied on his own, borrowing books from his neighbour's son, Seth, who was a year older than him.

Alexander appeared for an entrance examination at Seth's school and received a full scholarship for his schooling because of his brilliant performance. He studied hard and graduated from school and, being the class valedictorian, received a 100% scholarship for his further studies.

However, his uncle died because of renal failure and burdened him with all his debts.

Alexander sighed and finished his work at the garage. It was already 9 o'clock in the night and he returned to his small, one-room shabby home on the outskirts of Vegas. It was all he had after his uncle's death. He took a refreshing shower and ate some bread for dinner, swallowing it down with water.

He lay down on his rickety bed and thought about his day. He thought about Lucas, about Lucas's wonderful family. Then he thought about Serenity, smiling to himself. He fell asleep dreaming about Serenity as a smile lingered on his lips.

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*Note: Eugene can either be a male or female name. The difference is in the pronunciation. When it's masculine, it is pronounced as "You-Jean." The feminine version is pronounced as "You-shun-ay", with the accent on the last syllable.