So this was mostly just so I can have more fun with songs. There was one I didn't get to use in previous chapters so I added another one. This takes us up to the day before the Christmas party in Riley's Converse and therefore really IS the last chapter. Sad. It's shorter, but that's cause it's a spur-of-the-moment chapter. Seriously. I wrote it today after I heard a song lol.


IV

Riley deliberately grabbed three bags and rushed as quickly as he could to the door.

He waited for Ben to catch up before pressing the doorbell with his nose at the last second.

Earlier he had excitedly agreed to do the grocery shopping with Ben, figuring it would be a perfect excuse to ring the bell. Like the firewood, only better. They needed all that food.

His nose, however, was an improvisation. He over looked the fact that yes, his arms were full and he couldn't get his keys out, but that also meant he couldn't free a finger to press the button.

The bonking harder-than-intended of his nose, Riley thought as he faintly heard a song start just under Bens loud sigh, was totally worth it.

"Is that song what I think it is?" Ben asked, propping one bag on his hip.

"You can hear what it is?" Riley turned to his friend just as the door opened.

"Now I can," Ben pushed his way in and past Abigail, who stood arms folded, glaring at Riley.

Just leave it all up to me. I'm gonna show you what it's all about…

"Riley Poole! Enough is enough. I know this is all your doing, so undo it- whatever it is you did- right now."

Riley just smiled and smacked the air in time with the song.

I just want your extra time and your……Kiss!

Abi's glare intensified as Riley followed Ben-who'd been standing just inside watching for his friends reaction and who hurried away when his laughter tried to break free-into the kitchen.

NTNTNT

Shot though the heat, and your to blame, darlin you give love a bad name.

"I always liked this song," Ben commented lightly.

Riley turned to grin at him. "Me too. I wonder who's at the door."

He paused. "I don't think I ordered anymore pizza."

"To early for delivery anyway."

You promised me Heaven then put me through Hell. Chains of love got a hold on me…

They listened to the song for a while. Each figuring they had plenty of time to get the door if they had too.

They didn't.

The front door slammed closed; Riley got up from the kitchen table and walked into the living room to peer through the window.

Oooooh. Shot though the heart and your to blame, you give love a bad name. I play my part, and you play your game, you give love a bad name.

"It was that company car Abi called last night." He called back, barely loud enough to be heard over Bon Jovi. Abigail's car wouldn't start yesterday-she accused Riley of doing something with it, but Ben had laughed.

"Riley doesn't even know where the gas goes when he fill's his car up." Riley had pursed his lips, biting back a retort. That comment was to close to being true. He did know where the gas went, he just didn't know how it got to the engine from the tank.

"When's that mechanic coming to fix her car?" Riley asked when he sat back down.

"Sometime today is what he said." Ben finished his coffee and ignored the theft of his last piece of bacon.

"Is that anything like the cable guys 'sometime today' or actually sometime today?"

"Swallow first, Riley. And the cable guy did show up between the hours he said he would."

Riley swallowed and shook his head. "Big houses, fancy cars, and on-time cable guys. The things being rich will get ya."

NTNTNT

Over the next couple of days Abigail continually tried to get him to stop whatever he was doing.

But Riley never let on he was guilty of even doing it; she couldn't get that out of him either.

She was on edge most of the days she was home, glaring out the windows as if that would stop anyone from showing up and ringing the bell.

"How can she not appreciate good music?" Riley asked two days before the Christmas party.

"I just think she doesn't like it happening randomly."

"It's not random, Ben. It happens every time the doorbell rings."

Ben rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean."

"Sure Ben, sure."

So far the bell had rung a total of fifteen time's when Abi was home. Most of the time Riley was the reason. A few times he wasn't, and twice Ben was.

"I don't think that's helping your sleeping arrangements any," Riley commented when he opened the door for Ben to the music stylings of Billy Idol.

"What took you so long?" Ben hurried in and dumped the firewood next to the fireplace. Riley closed the door and followed.

With a rebel yell she cried more, more, more. In the midnight hour babe more, more, more.

"Would you believe I was in the bathroom?"

"No," Ben said shortly.

"Alright fine. I was singing along into my pen." He held up said pen, "And it distracted me for a bit."

Ben shook his head, though to Riley he looked more amused then upset.

NTNTNT

He was airing out his tux for the Christmas party when the doorbell rang next.

He shot a withering look in Goldie's direction. "Why do you like to embarrass me?"

It was his own fault, really. He ordered the pizza.

In sleep he sang to me, in dreams he came…

Abigail was coming up the stairs as he was going down, and she smiled at him. Like everything was all fine and dandy. Riley didn't like that; something was up.

Ben was sitting in the living room, looking like he either wanted to laugh, or… something. Riley couldn't place the look and decided he didn't want to. It was up there with the dazed look from the other day: better, for now, to just ignore it.

So he did, hurrying past to get the door.

"10.50, sir." The same guy again. Riley smiled widely at him, handed over fifteen, told him to keep the change and closed the door.

"Want a slice?" Riley asked, after he inhaled the cheesy aroma. Ben shifted things on the coffee table to make room for the box. Riley sat next to his friend. Closer than he intended but neither seemed in a hurry to move.

the Phantom of the Opera is there, inside my mind…

There was silence for a while-besides the music and chewing.

Then, "Broadway, Riley?"

Riley shrugged with a slightly mysterious smile. "I'm a deep well, Ben." And took a bite.

Sing my angel! Sing for me!


Prince, Bon Jovi, Billy Idol and Andrew Lloyd Webber. And I don't own'em! Just have the songs. The epilogue will be posted here next week. So be on the lookout!