Moving across the country alone at the age of twenty-three four years ago was not a part of the plan. Being completely alone in Los Angeles was not apart of the plan. Maka Albarn had been labeled a prodigy her whole life, something she had honestly found quite annoying. This venomous label had caused not only her parents, but everyone around her to hold her to this seemingly impossible standard, but that is what happens when you become the first chair hornist for the New York Philharmonic at the ripe age of twenty. Maka had already felt the affects of burn out only three years after given that title, in those three years she had done everything everyone had expected her to do, so she did something no one expected her to do, pack up, and move across the country without telling anyone. She could start over in Los Angeles, now working at one of the many small music shops in Los Angeles, she feels a sense of peace not being one the ever so high pedestal that she was once placed on. It had been four years since her move, and she has not regretted it for a single moment.

Maka stood behind her counter, setting up to start the tedious process of replacing the pads on five clarinets for the local performing arts school that frequented her talent of instrument repair, when her blue headed best friend strolled up to her counter.

BlackStar had been the first friend she had made in Los Angeles. Maka had been waiting tables when she first met him, and one night she admitted to him that she was once a member of the elusive New York Philharmonic, and that's when he assisted her in getting her current job. BlackStar was a talented percussionist, strong suited in the marimba. He is the only one who knows of her past, her entire past, and she intends to keep it that way.

"Did you hear that we're getting a new hire?" BlackStar questioned.

"Heard a little bit about it" Maka responded, not looking up from her current endeavor, "Have any idea who it is?"

BlackStar shook his head. "Nuh uh, Kid is keeping it under wraps for whatever reason."

Kid, their boss, owner of the shop was very elusive, but was a phenomenal saxophonist, with a preference in the tenor saxophone. He still played occasionally, but mostly does composing and transcribing work now. Kid usually left the shop in the hands of his wife, Liz. Liz was his opposite, giving proof of the term "opposites attract". She was very outgoing, and her and Maka have become very good friends over her time in Los Angeles. Liz had a strong suit with doubled reed instruments, but overall preferring the oboe.

"Well, Liz hasn't told me who it is either, so whoever it is, is going to be an interesting one." Maka sighed and continued her work.

It was just as the conversation ended when Liz made her way over to the duo, like she knew what they were talking about. "So, as you two know, the new hire is going to be here today after lunch, Kid and I must go pick up the new shipment of instruments and music during that time so I need you two to show him around, and Maka, maybe you can take him on a repair job with you? Just to make him feel welcomed?"

"I guess that's possible, but that would leave BlackStar here alone." Maka replied.

"And that's exactly why I called in Tsubaki this afternoon."

A grin suddenly painted across Blackstar's face, Tsubaki had been hired a year ago, and her and BlackStar had been crushing on each other ever since, but both were either too scared or too stupid to act on the feelings. The darked haired girl was a cellist, the only one employed at the shop who played a string instrument. She was very talented and did a lot of work with orchestras who recorded music for movies, television shows and commercials, but that money wasn't always guaranteed, so she picked up a position here and like Maka and BlackStar haven't left yet.

"Well, I guess that settles it then." Maka stated.

Liz nodded. "Thank you Maka, and since that's settled, I'm going to head out for the day and take care of that shipment, oh, and I also ordered you guys some lunch to thank you for your hard work! It should be here in about thirty minutes." Liz explained as she walked out the door, waving goodbye for the afternoon.

Maka put her feet up on her table as she picked through her salad with her fork, trying to maneuver around the walnuts that littered it. She loved Liz and always appreciated free food, but she always forgot to tell the restaurant no walnuts. The store was slow this time of the day so her and BlackStar got to eat lunch together sometimes.

"What instrument do you think he plays?" BlackStar asked between bites of his sandwich.

"You know, not everyone who works in a music shop plays an instrument right?" Maka questioned.

"Well yeah I know that, but I think it would be odd, especially in Los Angeles."

Maka thought on it for a second. "Yeah, guess you're right. I hope it's another brass instrument, I'm feeling a little outnumbered."

"Well, I hope he's another percussionist, but not a marimba player like me, I don't need the competition." BlackStar pondered for a minute while chewing his food. "Maybe a good timpani player, not many of those around."

Maka nodded in agreement, taking another bite of her salad, then closing the half empty container. She then got up and went into the back, where there was a small refrigerator that she could store her leftovers in. She heard the bell sound from the front entrance indicating that someone had entered the shop, she knew BlackStar would handle it, so she went to the bathroom to wash her hands.

BlackStar walked up to the front of the store, assuming it was Tsubaki coming in to help him out for the afternoon while Maka and the mystery hire were on their repair job. Instead of being greeted with the beautiful raven-haired girl, he came upon a man with stark white hair. He only knew of two musicians who had hair like that, Wes and Soul Evans, very skilled and successful musicians, and as the man turned around, he knew exactly which one of the brothers it was.

"Holy shit, you're Soul Evans!" BlackStar blurted out.

Soul smirked. "That would be me, I guess this is also the time to let you know that I'm also the new hire."

Blackstar's face went pale, not only was Soul Evans a spectacular pianist, but he also had a past with Maka, a past she worked so desperately to leave in New York. What was he doing here, employed at a small music shop in Los Angeles? Did he know Maka was here? He felt nauseous.

"Can you give me a minute? I'll be right back, take some time to look around, get yourself acquainted with the space." BlackStar said politely as he walked to the back in a panic, finding Maka where he knew she would be. Once he knew that Soul was out of earshot, he scurried to Maka's workstation and dropped his voice to a whisper.

"Soul Evans is the hire that Kid and Liz kept a secret." He confessed.

Maka nearly dropped the clarinet she was working on, a wave of anxiety crashing through her body. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me, Soul Evans is here, in this fucking building, and is our new coworker."

Maka's parents were not the only people she left behind in New York, she had also left her old flame behind, her old flame that was Soul Evans. Soul was also the pianist for the New York Philharmonic, where they met, and their relationship began. Soul and Maka began exclusively dating just a year after she began her career in the Philharmonic and lasted until she left without telling him. Soul was devasted when she disappeared, and even attempted to contact her several times throughout the years.

"Fucking hell, what am I supposed to do? Fuck he's going to be so furious."

"You're damn right I'm furious!"

The new voice that had entered their conversation made Maka and BlackStar snap their heads towards it. Standing there was Soul, visibly angry, on the verge of tears, and fists balled up at his sides.

"I can't believe you're here; I've been looking for you since you left Maka. Your parents have been looking for you since you left. We were together for three fucking years, and you just take off? Like I didn't mean shit to you?" Soul breathed out.

Maka walked towards him. "Soul I can explain…. I did not mean to hurt you; I did not mean to hurt my parents. I had to do this."

Once she was close enough to him, Soul pulled her against himself, wrapping his arms around her. "I thought you were dead, or in trouble somewhere. You had me so fucking worried for four years Maka."

Maka felt the sting of tears in her eyes, and gently pushed Soul off her. "Just because you're here doesn't mean anything is getting rekindled…. I had to leave for many reasons Soul."

Soul looked defeated and confused, all in one. Maka couldn't read his exact emotions right now, especially when she didn't even know how to feel about this right now. All she wanted to do was going on her repair job alone, to get away from this nightmare that was being played in front of her, but no, Liz asked her to bring the new hire, the new hire being Soul fucking Evans. Maka knew she couldn't blame Liz and Kid, they had no idea, only BlackStar knew.

Maka sighed and grabbed her keys and her travel repair kit off the counter and looked at Soul. "C'mon, you're coming with me on a repair job." She explained as she walked past him.

BlackStar interjected, still in shock from everything he had just witnessed. "Maka, I can take him on the job, it's not an issue."

"No BlackStar, I already told Liz I would take him, it's not an issue."

BlackStar nodded, and walked up to the front with them, watching as Soul and Maka got into her car and left the shop, in route to the repair job.

On the way to the job, it was painfully quiet in her car, with tension so thick you could cut it with a knife. Maka was the first one to speak.

"Soul, I know I have so much to explain, and I promise I will, just not while I'm at work."

"Yeah Maka, you do have a lot to explain. I just don't understand what the hell you were thinking."

The ashy blonde was quiet for a minute, she didn't know if she wanted to scream, cry or both. He knew good and well how New York was damaging not only her mental health but her physical health as well. She knew she was never going to convince him that this was necessary for her.

The trip back to the store was less painful than the ride to the client's house. Soul decided to speak to her.

"You're really good at that, ya know…instrument repair."

Maka gave him a half smile. "It's nothing really…that was just restringing a cello but thank you."

"Do you still play?"

Maka looked at Soul for a minute before putting her eyes back on the road and gripped the steering wheel, turning onto the road that the store called home.

"No." she sighed.

"Why?"

"Soul, when I left New York behind, I tried to leave all of it behind. I mean, I still have the thing, but I haven't touched it since I moved here."

"What a waste of talent." Soul scoffed.

Maka's knuckles turned white as she gripped the steering wheel tighter, pulling into her parking spot at the shop. She then turned the car off, pulled the key out of the ignition, got out and slammed the door without saying a word to Soul.

Maka marched past BlackStar and Tsubaki, going to her little corner of the store and began to pack her stuff up. To say she was fuming was an understatement, she just couldn't fathom how Soul thought saying something like that to her after not seeing her in so long would help anything. The only was he was going to stop treating her like this is if she told him everything, and as much as she didn't want to, she felt as if it was the only way that he would get closure and they could just go on from there.

"Maka look- "Soul started as he rounded the corner.

"No, just don't Soul, not right now." Maka sighed as she pulled out a legal pad and scribbled her phone number and address across it, she then walked over to him and pressed the piece of paper into his hand.

"Look, I'll tell you everything, even the absolute worst of it all, you just have to listen to me, just for once, please." Maka pleaded.

Soul nodded.

"Tonight, after the store closes."

With that, Maka left for the day, going home to prepare for God only knows what.