Chapter 7

It had been a couple of months since they decimated the aliens-again-but they were still adjusting. They were all sitting in English Lit (well, those who were in that class), listening to the teacher. He gave them their assignment earlier than usual, so they had time to work on it. Rayne was sitting beside Zeke, and when the teacher walked over and sat at his desk, she scooted her chair closer to him.

"You feeling safer in this class?" he asked. She looked up at him, and smiled.

"Of course. I have you here, remember?" she asked. He smiled, and kissed her, then pulled open his book. She smiled, and put her head on his shoulder. Her pen in hand, she read out of his book and wrote down the answers. He laughed quietly, and looked down at her.

She tossed her bag into the backseat of her car, shut the door, and pulled open her front door. Rayne dropped her wallet into her seat, but reached in, picked it up, and slid it back into her pocket. Suddenly, Zeke was behind her, arms around her waist.

"Where do you think your going?" he asked. She laughed, and looked at him.

"Well, I was going to go get some lunch…hey, why don't you come with me?" she asked.

"Nah. I got stuff to do…"

"You need a lift back to the dorms?"

"Sure," he said, and got in on the other side. She shook her head, smiling, and got in, started the car, and drove off.

She pulled up at a little coffee shop about three miles away from the college, and walked inside.

"Hello, welcome to Mr. Crum's. How may I help you?" one girl asked. Rayne pulled off her sunglasses.

"Oh, hey Rayne."

"Hey, Billie…uh, I'll just have the usual," she said. Billie smiled, and made it up.

"Here you go…" Rayne paid, and took her cocoa and cookie to a corner of the shop. As she sat down, the door opened. Paying it no mind, she pulled a notebook and pen from her bag, opened the book, and began to write her English paper. She heard the chair across from her scratch the floor as it pulled out. Her eyes lifted to see Casey sitting down.

"Hey, Case," she said, smiling.

"Hey, Rayne. What're you writing?"

"Well, we have a paper for English Lit due next week, and I have to get a topic…"

"What does it have to be about?"

"Anything we want…within reason." He thought for a second.

"Why don't you write it on your writing?" he asked.

"My writing? No way…Mr. Tamplet doesn't like my writing…"

"That's because he doesn't understand it, Rayne. If he knew what you were like, then he'd understand. If I was your teacher, and I didn't know you, but read your work, I'd think it was crazy. But the descriptions you have, and the setting, and the plots…it's amazing you haven't published anything yet!" She laughed.

"I haven't published anything yet because I haven't finished anything yet. But when I do, you'll be the first to know." He smiled.

"So, what're you doing here?" she asked.

"Came in for something to eat, and saw you, so, I figured I'd sit down. You mind?"

"Nah. It's nice to have company when your boyfriend has other 'things' to attend to…"

"Wonder what he's doing…" Rayne shook her head.

"I don't wonder because I know. He's doing the same thing he did in high school," she said.

"Oh, you mean the…"

"Yea…I wish he wouldn't, because every week he makes it stronger, but, eh, what're you gonna do about it?" she asked, shrugging.

"How much stronger?"

"Do you remember high school? When we had to prove humanity with it?" He nodded.

"Remember how strong we thought it was?" Nod. "Now think back to how much stronger it was a few months ago when we did it again…"

"Oh…alright…isn't that dangerous?"

"Yeah…But he doesn't seem to get it…" Casey nodded.

"You do know that if you need me I'm here, right?"

"Of course, Case…"

Rayne dropped her bag onto the chair beside the front door, and dropped her keys in the bowl.

"Rayne? Is that you?" a voice called.

"Who else would it be?" she called back, walking into the kitchen.

"Where'd you go after you left Crum's?" Billie asked, looking up from her magazine.

"I went to see Zeke…is that a problem?" she asked, pulling a glass out of the cupboard. Billie shrugged.

"Guess not. Uh, you got a couple calls while you were out…"

"Did you take a message?"

"Course. Under the phone," she said, jerking her thumb in that direction. Rayne turned her head and saw a sheet of paper beneath the wall phone, and walked over.

"Hmmm…Stokes wants her CD back…I'll drop it off later. I already saw Stan…hey, who's this?" she asked. Billie didn't look up.

"Who?"

"David Capelty…."

"Oh…he said he was some lawyer…" Rayne got a confused look on her face as she placed her hands on the counter, and tried to think of who he was.

"Lawyer…?" Rayne picked up the phone, and, taking the paper, wandered out of the room to call him.

"Hello? Uh, may I speak to David Capelty?"

"May I ask who's calling?"

"Rayne Dayye."

"Please hold…" Rayne paced the hallway, and the doorbell rang.

"Billie…?"

"Okay." Rayne heard the chair scrape across the floor, and saw her walk to the door. Rayne turned away from the door, and listened to the phone. The door closed, and Rayne felt Zeke's arms go around her waist.

"Who're you talking to?"

"This is David Capelty…hello, Rayne…" Rayne put a hand over the receiver.

"Some lawyer….Hi, Mr. Capelty…"

"Call me David."

"Hi, David. Listen, I got a message that you called, and I wanted to know what you needed…"

"Well, you see, I am Maria Brummel's lawyer, and…."

"Brummel?" Zeke looked at her.

"Yes…did you know her?"

"Uh, yea, she was one of my teachers in high school…"

"Well, I was looking over her will, since there were some thing's that hadn't been given out, but I didn't know why…"

"Yea? What does that have to do with me?"

"Well, it says here that you were one of her best students, and that she left some of her things to you…"

"Really…and you couldn't just send them to me? With a letter explaining everything?"

"Um, no, because she left you a piano and…"

"A piano!" she exclaimed. Zeke stepped back.

"Yes, a piano. And all the music she ever had for it…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Back the will train up here! She left me a piano? And her music? Wow…I didn't know I meant that much to someone…"

"Well, I can mail you all the papers, but you'd have to pick up the piano by next Wednesday…"

"Alright….I can do that…"

"Okay. Now, if you have any more questions, just call me…goodbye, Ms. Dayye…"

"Goodbye, David…" Rayne turned off the phone, and turned around, a little confused.

"What about a piano?" Rayne looked up at Zeke.

"You remember Mrs. Brummel, right?"

"Of course…"

"It turns out that she left me her piano…"

"A piano…why would she leave the piano?" Rayne shrugged. "When do you have to get it?"

"By next Wednesday," she stated, thinking.

"What?" he asked.

"Well, I could always clean up the basement a bit and stick it down there," she said.

"Have fun," he said. She wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I could use a couple of big, strong men to help me, though…"

"Good luck finding them…"

"Come on, Zeke. Please?" she asked, giving him a puppy dog look. He sighed, and pulled back.

"Fine, I'll help you…"

"Good…then let me go call Stan, and see if he can come over and help out," she said, picking the phone back up.