Notes ! : So the first chapter, just an opening to a troubled child and a father figure stirring his life in the right direction :3

Chapter One – Piano keys and a unwanted burden

Coda lingered in a state between fully asleep and half asleep. His body was relaxed, his eyes closed, and he could still hear everything around him. The ear-buds in his ear were silent, as his old IPod went to sleep-mode from the lack of use, so every conversation and every sound was as clear as if he was awake.

The loudest sound he could hear was the sound of a piano, the notes as they played off tune to an old Mozart piece, and the voice of a man as he gave directions and hints to the one playing the tune. The teen was stretched out on a stranger's couch, shoes off of course, with one hand resting behind his head and the other holding the IPod and resting across his chest.

Coda was here at some strange man's house while his grandmother learned how to play the piano. He didn't know how long she's been practicing but she sounded horrible, like a cat scratching at a chalk-board. But who was Coda to judge? He's lived a life most teens didn't have to, or would never know of.

The one things Coda thought was hilarious was how that old bat thought she had a chance with that handsome young buck¸ as she put it. Two hours before going to this rich stranger's house she gussied up, like she was still young. She even told him to dress nice.

In what is he supposed to wear?

Coda was like every other boy like teen, the things he wore, the way his hair was styled. Coda wore normal dark blue jeans, a little on the tight side (But still loose to be skinny jeans). He had small rips running up the front of his pant legs. His shoes, which were lying beside the couch, were black Nikes. And his shirt, which was a black long sleeve shirt with the Element symbol on the chest.

Coda's hair was styled in that famous emo fashion that was going through the teen world. He didn't dye his hair black; it was still that same dark brown color his father's supposed to have. His skin was pale, and his eyes like his mothers, bright and oceanic.

"Very good Ms. Pinstrike. We'll end our lesson here for the night." The male spoke in an almost too charming voice.

"Oh dear, is it that late already?" His grandmother said pretending to sound shocked.

"Yes, and it seems like your grandson is already asleep."

This was the first time his grandmother brought Coda to this house, and this was the first time he's spent any time with anyone that wasn't his mother.

His grandmother snorted. "He's been nothing but trouble for me this pasted week."

There was a bit of silence and his grandmother went on to explain.

"The boy has been living with his no good mother, who's on every drug known to man if I may add and ever since my son, Vernon, gave up all rights to the boy…" She sighed lightly and continued. "He's been rude to me, and refuses to take his medicine, hell the boy probably won't even go back to school when it starts up again!"

"Oh, that sounds terrible…" The man sounded almost unsure what to say.

"Yes, Coda's been in and out of rehab for his drug problems, but that's what's happen when you leave a child with a no good mother."

With that Coda stirred a bit, he was starting to wake up now.

"And I'm supposed to go to Italy to visit my sister for the summer to. And there's no way I want to take him. He'll probably run the first chance he gets, or he'll be trouble…"

Silence hung over them for a few extra minutes, and then the man spoke.

"I could take him for the summer; he can work at my company, build character."

"Oh no dearie, I don't want to dump that child on your lap, you're a grown man, and I don't want you to babysit."

"It would be my pleasure…"