Me: Yep second chapter here already. Shocker, I know.
Rebbie: She's just typing this all in one night so she doesn't have to sleep.
Me: That's not true. If my mom knew I was still awake, I'd be dead.
Rebbie: Just get on with the chapter.
Me: OH! And I want to thank all of you for such positive reviews. When I opened my email I was literally taken aback…
Rebbie: Yeah, she sat there in shock for quite some time…
Max's POV
I felt every drop of color drain from my face as every hint of excitement leaked from my body only to be quickly replaced by nerves.
"Don't worry Max, they don't bite. You look fine, and besides. They're your cousins. They have to love you or I'm kicking them out. Not really, but they're the sweetest people I know. You have nothing to worry about." Aunt Val assured me, but I still went numb as she led me out of my room and down towards the hallway. I heard some rummaging coming from the direction I thought I remembered to be the kitchen.
"Fang! Iggy! There's someone I want you to meet!" Aunt Val called as we neared the bottom of the stairway, and I looked up at her in terror. Really, I could wait. Or, you know, I could just never meet them…
I heard a muffled 'oof' and the sound of laughter, followed by two pairs of feet running out to the lobby. I stood with my eyes down as the feet entered the room and stopped in front of my. Comparing their feet at least, they were totally different. One had really light skin, and the other's was tan, with an almost olivey hue.
"Fang, Iggy, this is Max. Max, these are the boys." Hesitantly, I looked up.
I was met by two people who couldn't be more opposite in appearance if they tried. On the left stood a tall teenager, the one I assumed to be Fang for he was wearing all black, with real black hair and really dark eyes. I didn't think I had ever met someone with real black hair before. He had a somewhat expressionless face, but his eyes were bright, which seemed a little odd since they were such a dark color. He seemed like a very perceptive person, from the way he was staring at me. It almost seemed like he staring into my soul, and though it was creepy, it was comforting all the same.
Standing next to him was who I could only guess was Iggy. Iggy wore a light blue shirt and khaki shorts, and he had pretty periwinkle eyes, and I tried to figure out which one was sightless but yet, they both seemed to be staring straight at me. He also had strawberry blonde hair and his face was just full of life and laughter, and I almost smiled.
Almost.
Iggy reached out a hand. I was beginning to see was Aunt Val had said about him not needing assistance. "Hey. I'm Iggy."
"Sorry, Iggy. Max doesn't quite like to be touched." Aunt Val explained, much the same way Miss Withers had.
"Hey, that's alright, I get it." He said putting his hands up in defense. I only got confused. Did I offend?
"Fang." The dark one told me, which I think was his way of introducing himself. Although, I kind of guessed already.
"I think she picked up on that, nimrod." Iggy said, punching Fang on the shoulder.
Which, you know, started a war between Fang and Iggy, who started calling each other names and seeing who could come up with better insults. I just stood there, lost, and feeling like I didn't belong.
"Yes, well, I'm going to let you guys get acquainted." Aunt Val walked past Fang and placed a hand on his shoulder, which cause him to stop arguing with Iggy for a second. She whispered something to him, which caused his eyes to shift from Iggy to me. I felt left out of a secret.
"Okay, now get along you three." She said as she left the room to go who knows where in this house.
"So, Max, where do you come from?" Iggy asked.
"I think now would be the best time to tell you that Max doesn't speak, Ig." Fang explained. That must've been what Aunt Val just told him. I felt my annoyance spike a little bit.
"Like can't, or won't?" Iggy asked, directing it at me that time.
"Um..." Fang turned to me, indicating it was my turn to answer the question. Instead I looked down at my feet.
"I'm thinking it's a won't." Fang said quietly.
Iggy whistled. "Wow. Someone who says less than you! It's a miracle! And… kind of scary. At least you're decently dressed, Max."
I sighed, frustrated. Turning away from them, I headed back up the stairs to my room to unpack the small amount of items that I had. I hardly noticed the two boys following me until I heard "No fair! She gets a private bathroom?"
Spinning around I glared at the guys following me. I tried to mentally tell them to get lost, but apparently they couldn't read minds.
"Need help unpacking?" Fang asked, and I snorted. Once he saw all that I had, he'd feel embarrassed.
I walked into my room and began removing items from my box, laying each of them down on my bed. They all still smelled of smoke and ash, but they were all I had.
"Is that all you have?" Fang asked and I nodded, staring at the three pictures, slightly burnt teddy bear, and few clothing items that were all I had left of my old life.
"Mom…er… Val is going to take you shopping tomorrow right? Because if Nudge sees this, she will definitely have a cow." Iggy said, staring around my bedroom in amusement.
"Nudge is our neighbor." Fang explained, though I was unsure how they possibly had neighbors. There was too much space around this house for there to be room for neighbors. And her name was Nudge?
"You'll probably be meeting her later. She was so excited when she heard that we were getting another person in our house. She almost threw a party. Actually, don't be surprised if she does throw a party. I actually think she found out about you before we did…" Iggy mumbled and I grimaced. Nudge did not sound like my type of person.
"Well, we should probably be heading downstairs. Our band should be getting here for practice soon, and we have to set up. You're welcome to watch." Fang told me.
A band? In a neighborhood like this? I don't know, for some reason it just didn't fit. But, hey, I had nothing better to do. I had little to unpack, and I didn't have anywhere to go. I supposed I could watch their band for a little while.
I grabbed my notebook and a pencil and followed them through my door, down the hallway, down the staircase, down another hallway, and then I got confused so I just let my mind wander until we reached a door.
"Well, Max, welcome to the room of awesomeness." Iggy said as he pushed the doors open, and this time I did let my mouth drop.
The room was a huge dome, and you could tell that by looking at the walls, it was sound proof. In the middle of the room was a set of drums, actually two sets of drums, but one was put together and one wasn't. Along the wall to my left were a whole line of guitars, electric, acoustic, and bass, and on the opposite wall were an assortment of random instruments, including keyboards, tambourines, two violins, microphone stands, and even a cello. What caught my attention, however, was the marvelous, grand piano sitting in the far back corner of the room. It was a sleek black and had the top propped open, the white keys shining at me from where it sat.
Just like the one the fire had destroyed.
I quickly wrote something down and showed it to the guys. May I?
"Be our guest." Fang replied.
"Be our guest, put our service to the test!"
"Shut up, Iggy." (Sorry I couldn't type be our guest and NOT put that in here…)
"You're no fun."
I ignored their foolish banter as I sat down on the black cushioned bench behind the grand piano, running my fingers over the keys. It had been my most treasured item in the house, and it was gone just like everything else. I hoped I would be allowed access to this room to play this, to at least maintain some part of my old life.
Without really thinking, hardly remembering there were two other people in the room, I began to play. Nothing fancy. In fact, it was even in a movie. That's where I heard it and decided I wanted to play it. It's a chilling piece, called The Heart Asks Pleasure First, by Michael Nyman, most notably from the movie The Piano. I was home alone one night when it was on one of the older channels, and I heard the song and its haunting melody. It's both sad, and beautiful.
It's my favorite piece to play, because it reminds me of myself. It's prettier when there's a violinist accompaniment but I've never had one.
Closing my eyes, I let my ears and my knowledge of the song guide my fingers over the keys, playing the tune I knew so well. The melody started fast and then suddenly halted to slow down, picking up slightly, but no matter the tempo, or where the keys were, my fingers glided over the keys as they had been doing since I learned how to play the piano. My one semblance of normalcy.
When I stopped I heard clapping, and looked up in embarrassed fright. I had forgotten I was being watched.
I was even more embarrassed when I saw that there were two more people than before. I hated meeting new people, and I had already filled my quota for the week. This was sending my emotions into overdrive.
"Wow! Where did you learn to play like that? That's was amazing!" Iggy complimented me, fully entering the room.
I shrugged in response. It had always been something I was good at.
A guy wearing jeans and red t-shirt with some band name on it came over and introduced himself. He had honey blonde hair and bright blue eyes, and looked maybe a year or two younger than myself. "Hey. I'm Gazzy."
I raised an eyebrow at the name, but as usual, said nothing and turned to the other new guy. He was twirling drumsticks in his right hand, his left in the pocket of his ripped jeans, making mine feel less out of place. He wore a simple navy long sleeved shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His eyes were a beautiful green and he had shaggy brown hair covered by a backwards hunter green baseball cap. I was immediately enthralled by his character. There was something… intriguing about him.
Maybe it was just that he was a drummer. I had always loved drummers. Drums always seemed to be the wild instrument, whereas the piano was the tamed one. I was never allowed a drum set.
"I'm Sam." Drummer boy said, pushing himself off of the wall where he had been leaning.
"This is Max." Iggy introduced. He glanced at me then hid his mouth from me with his hand. "She doesn't talk." He whispered to the newcomers.
"She can hear you, idiot." Fang told him, hitting him on the back of the head.
"Someone who says less than Fang? Never thought I'd see the day." Gazzy said, shocked. And I couldn't help but think how much he and Iggy were alike.
"I know! That's what I said!" Iggy cried, picking up a green electric guitar from the rack on the left wall while Sam took his place at the drum set. Gazzy picked up an auburn bass and Fang stood in front of the microphone. I should've guessed.
Scribbling something down, I held up my notebook, but nobody was paying any attention to me. After a few moments of being ignored, I slammed my fist down on the keys of the grand piano, creating an echoing noise of notes that didn't blend. Everyone rushed to cover their ears before turning to look at me. I had my frown hidden behind the notebook that I was holding in front of my face.
What type of music do you play?
"Anything really. We do covers of any song we all agree on, and if any of us can write a decent song, we try it out." Sam replied.
How long have you been together?
"Me and Fang here have known each other since we were five, and we've always wanted to start a band. Gazzy's our next door neighbor so we met him when we moved here. And Sam's in all of my classes, so probably like, what, four years?" Iggy responded, and I had to admit it was the most serious thing he had said to me today.
Do you have a name?
"We're… working on it. We can't seem to agree on a good one." Iggy said, and for some reason I got the idea that it was because all his ideas were really dumb, and everybody else was just not creative. I think my expression gave that away because Gazzy started laughing.
Changing the topic, I scribbled something else down. Do you do gigs?
"Not yet." Fang told me. Wow, real informative.
Are you at least trying for gigs?
"Well we've been looking, but a lot of places near here require a manager or someone eighteen or older to sign you off. We've tried to get Val but she doesn't think a music career is the way to go, and both of our parents are too busy for that. We're hoping for one soon." Gazzy explained.
Oh. Well good luck. You can carry on now, sorry for interrupting.
"It's no problem. Just sit back and enjoy." Sam told me and I responded by putting my notebook down and curling my feet up on the piano bench.
"What song?" Fang asked the rest of the band.
"How 'bout The Happy Nihilist? I still need to make sure I have the drums down for that one." Sam suggested, and there were murmured agreements, before Fang took his place before a mic stand.
Iggy tested his guitar a few times, then Fang started singing. And even I, who have absolutely no ability to judge musical talent, was able to tell he was good.
I am a happy Nihilist.
No absolute truth does exist
When I decide to shake my fist
I only got myself to blame
Cuz we're all players, and life's the game.
Iggy started up a little on the guitar and Sam came in lightly on the drums.
I only take what I need, I am so light on my feet
I will not stop or concede, I am not driven by greed
No moral compass for me, it's all just natural feelings
Existence has no meaning, there's no such thing as happy
But late at night when I sleep, I dream of more than I see
There's something burning in me, a driving need to be free
Why do I sit here and think, about the things that I need
There's nothing left to believe, oh is it all just a dream?
That was when the song kicked off and Sam went crazy on the drums, with Iggy and Gazzy matching him with strums of chords here and there, in this amazing blend of sound, until Fang came back in with Iggy and Gazzy on backup vocals, and the song got better.
I taught this to myself
Piled books up on the shelf
But it still hurts like hell
To trust nobody else
But me
I taught this to myself
Piled books up on the shelf
But it still hurts like hell
To trust nobody else…
I used to read everything I used to need nothing
I put my money on me, I used to be something
Now I can't see
Cuz I'm not happy
That wonderful blend of drums and guitar and bass came back, along with amazing vocals, and I would have been content to sit there like a silly fan girl if it wasn't for the lyrics actually feeling like home to me.
I taught this to myself
Piled books up on the shelf
But it still hurts like hell
To trust nobody else
But me
I taught this to myself
Piled books up on the shelf
But it still hurts like hell
To trust nobody else
But me
Iggy, Sam, and Gazzy started singing Whoa-oh-oh over and over in the background, and their voices went together quite well. Then Fang came back in, while they continued their woahing.
Why am I haunted by the metaphysical?
Is it a cosmic lie, or is it literal?
The books I read that used to free my mind
Have made me more blind but the truth I'll find!
The music suddenly halted except for Iggy strumming a chord here and there. The effect was stunning.
I was a happy Nihilist.
Now I'm wondering why I exist
Sam shouted "1, 2, 3, 4!" and all the music came rushing back.
I taught this to myself
Piled books up on the shelf
But it still hurts like hell
To trust nobody else
But me
I taught this to myself
Piled books up on the shelf
But it still hurts like hell
To trust nobody else
But me
Whoa-oh-oh
They ended with a few awesome hits of the drum and a guitar chord then it was over when they all turned to stare at me, and I was both in awe, and feeling really empty inside. Not only had they just sung half of what I felt, but they had done an amazing job.
"No need to say anything, we're amazing." Iggy said, and Gazzy hit him over the head.
"What is it with you people and hitting me?" He complained.
I looked down and wrote something quickly on my notebook.
That was great. You'll be playing for large crowds in no time. But I'm kinda tired, so I'm gonna head to bed early. Long day. See you tomorrow. Nice meeting you, Gazzy, Sam.
It was always fun watching people read my notebook, because it always took a minute for them to read, so it was a major delayed reaction from my perspective. Which is why it was funny when it took two minutes for Gazzy to respond with, "You too, Max!" after I held my notebook up. Sam responded with a nod of his head and a smile.
With a hop, I got of the piano bench and left the room, but I felt those creepy, all-knowing eyes of my new cousin following me out the door. It felt like he knew I was lying. It felt like he knew something. It felt like… he cared.
For once in my life, I didn't feel alone.
Me: Yeah this was mainly to introduce everybody. Was that a little crush I saw forming on Sam from Max? And does Max have a new friend, one named Fang? Who knows? Read on to find out!
Rebbie: They can't moron. You don't have any more chapters.
Me: Well... I'm typing the third one now…
Rebbie: And what's happening in that chapter?
Me: Well… Max and Aunt Val go shopping, Max meets the neighbors, maybe has a breakdown, maybe not. Haven't decided. It's all good.
Rebbie: Since you don't seem to want to leave, I'll do it… Reviews?
