HEY! How is everyone? well I hope. I want to say thankyou for all the reviews and messages. I am sorry I have been gone for so long but life is life. I had to re read my previous chapters and my golly so many spelling mistakes and what nots i had to cringe. Hopefully this is better. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It is slightly shorter.

Happiness. Happiness. Happiness.

There was never a word as heavy that could be spoken to Miguel. He wasn't happy. He couldn't understand why not. He was going to school for something he loved, He was living with his best friend, He had an amazing cat. But today, his only day off, he was sitting on a broken down couch tracing shapes in the ceiling. He was glad Tulio had a late night studying session with his classmates or he would have prodded and probed about his lack of cheer. Altivo yawned and walked about on the floor only to find a much nicer spot to sleep. He was such a lazy thing.

Miguel's sister had called today, which was a little comforting. She went on and on about her new position in a fencing academy where she is a professor. THE HEAD professor she made a point to pound the title into the blonde's noggin. They chatted and joked until half of Miguel's day was gone.

"I miss you, little brother. When are you going to write the song you promised me a bunch of years ago."

Miguel laughed.

It was her 16th birthday and Miguel was obsessed with his new mandolin, though he didn't know how to even tune it correctly or even knew one song. He cradled his instrument like a newborn child.

"Hey, Miguel! Play me happy birthday" His sister requested.

"Nope! The eldest of the house deserves a piece that describes the beauty of the muse more than a normal happy birthday can give you.

"Alright, I want a song about me then"

"Give me a bit and you will have the best song in the whole world." Miguel smiled.

"Give me a bit and you will have the best song in the whole world" Miguel said quietly.

"I have waited thirteen years, i guess I can wait a bit more" She said just as quietly.

"You have the patience of a goddess"

"I have to. Being related to you and Tani is not easy."

"How is Tani? Have Not been called by her in a while."

"Well she is an amature boxer now, which is a lot better than her underground fighting ring she tried to pull a couple years ago."

"But she was so great at it"

"It was also so illegal. Hey, you never told me why she won't talk to you."

"Well when i find out, I will let you know"

"Its just weird. You two were so close and then.. silence. She won't even mention your name."

"Maria.. I really don't know why. I wish i did. I really miss her. But reminding me of how close we were is just causing unnecessary pain."

"I'm sorry."

"Its okay."

"Look, Miguel. I am sending you some stuff in the mail. Call me when you get it. I have to go now, i will call you soon. I love you."

"I love you too Maria."

Miguel sat up and rubbed his temples. He did this whenever Maria brought up thier youngest sibling.

"Tani, Tani, Tani" Miguel whispered aloud. He did miss her. She was so punky and full of just unadulterated vulgarities. She was always getting into fights and trouble. Miguel remembered the first time she learned the word penis. every sentence had to have penis in it from then on. Why did she hate him now? Miguel went to the kitchen and grabbed a beer. He sat down and chugged half of it. He read the can and decided he wanted to get sloppy. He went to the kitchen in search of a nice whiskey. He found his special bottle of Jack daniels and went to work, foregoing any glass. He didn't chug, he took his time with the brown elixir.

He was sitting on the floor of his room when he was drunk enough to play his mandolin. He wanted to write the damn song he promised Maria years ago. He played a couple chords but hated each one. What could he write about? How nice she was? Nah. He needed a something. He sat and thought, nothing was coming to him. He drank more. He played more. He drank more. He played more. He drank and played until he was playing to no one and nothing. He was just playing. He closed his eyes and saw beautiful stars and neon colors. He continued to play with his eyes closed until his fingers were sore. He really needed to build up callouses again. It was a great solo jam session. He just wished he recorded what he played. He could record it put some words to it and shipped off. But he wasn't like that. He wanted Maria to feel his song in the heart, in her limbs.. and just know. This was her song. Not the whiskey's song.

He stared at the wall. His heart hurt. His head hurt. His soul hurt. He wanted to cry but couldn't get the tears to be released. He hated the way he was feeling.

"I want wine." He went back to kitchen in search of a pinot whatever. He didn't care what the bottle said or what color it was. He uncorked the sucker and took a hearty drink. The wine and Whiskey made him feel warm. The weather was making him cold lately. He needed this to relax.

"Okay. Do your job."

He set up his laptop to record and sat back and tried to play. Just like before he was empty. He drank more wine and closed his eyes. He saw the stars again. They were beautiful just like before. Gold and yellow speckles flashed behind his eyelids. Almost mechanically his hands searched for the strings. He played with ambition and fever. He wanted this song to be as amazing as the stars he saw behind his eye.

He hummed while he played and knew the words he wanted to sing. Almost an hour went by when he stopped playing. He saved the file and played it on loop and went to bed, still humming.

"Miguel! I am home" Tulio called when he entered their apartment. He heard music playing and followed the noise to Miguel's room. Littered on the floor among the normal rubbish were the two bottles Miguel had completely finished off. Tulio looked at the snoring figure sprawled out on the bed and then the bottles.

"What the hell is going on here" Tulio walked in to turn off the music. "was he writing? He hasn't written a song in years"

Tulio looked at the screen for the file name.

These stars will kill me 3