a/n: hello everyone! Thanks for all the reviews! YOU GUYS ARE GREAT! Here's chapter 3

Chapter 3

Angel Of Music

"What happened to them?" Mai asked looking Hiroki straight in the eye, "You can't handle what happened to them!"

Hiroki looked into Mai's brilliant purple eyes, "What makes you say that Mai?" He asked as Mai's eyes began to water.

"Cuz, I know I'm stronger than you are and I can't handle that… there!" She spat out at him.

Hiroki stared into Mai's watering eyes, "Mai, if you talked about it would it help?"

"It's not pretty and it's not meant to be shared with others!" Mai said as she walked up to her room where Arideen was performing the wudu, the Muslim ritual washing before prayer. Then Arideen stood on her prayer mat. She was near the end. Mai knew from three years of watching her how a Muslin woman prayed. She lived in a very diverse room. Leslie was Jewish and Autumn was a Roman Catholic. At the end Arideen slipped back on her pink flip flops and sat on her bed.

"Hi, Mai, how'd the show go?" Arideen asked as she flexed her one foot.

Mai sighed, "Good, I met up with an old friend after the show, we're going out on Friday."

"You don't sound so happy about that." Arideen analyzed.

Mai took a deep breath, "I'm happy about it, Hiroki just reminded me something about my family."

"Ah, yeah, bad sore spot with you huh?" Arideen said.

"Ari, quit it! That's not that funny." Mai said.

Arideen said, "I know but if you won't talk about it the blood just won't congeal and you'll die too."

"Ari, you've known me since I've lived here, the last five years of my life. Didn't ever occur to you guys that maybe I'm stuck here just because I don't have anywhere else to go?"

Arideen looked at Mai tears in her eyes Arideen whispered, "I always assumed but you never told us."

Mai said brushing a stray tear away, "Yeah, I guess I didn't."

Arideen's tears fell, "Yes, and I'm sorry for whatever caused you to be alone."

"Yeah it was murder, cold blooded murder." Mai whispered.

FLASHBACK

"Tachi take Myra, NOW!" Mai's mother cried out.

"Momma, NO!" Tachi screamed as the two young children watched, horrified, as a hit man shot their mom from two feet away. Then they ran, and ran and ran, until they were a good mile from the house.

"Okay, little one, we're safe now." Tachi said lifting Mai up on his shoulder. "Time to start again." They spent the night in an abandon warehouse. Then in the morning Tachi realized this was the best place for the two to stay. Then that night little Myra asked the question that broke his heart.

"Tachi? What happened to Momma and Papa?" Mai asked her big purple eyes gazing intently on her big brother.

"Myra, I know you're not going to understand this too much, but just remembered they were murdered. Killed because of someone." Tachi said as he grabbed a blanket from a corner of the warehouse and lay it over young Myra. "Goodnight little one."

END OF FLASHBACK

"I'm so sorry, Mai." Arideen said as she moved over to Mai's bed to sit next to her friend.

Mai whispered, "It was so horrible, but it got worse."

"How can it get any worse?" Arideen asked.

"Oh, it can, just listen. " Mai whimpered in response, "It had been a really bad winter and Tachi was getting sick. He was always giving me half of his portion… and well…."

FLASHBACK…….

"Tachi! You take my bed tonight!" Mai argued.

"Myra, no, you sleep there!" Tachi ordered as they bickered over the one twin bed in the warehouse.

Mai strong headily argued, "NO! YOU! YOU'RE NOT FEELING GOOD!"

"Well, Myra, you're not feeling well." Tachi corrected her. Mai had never had the chance to go to grade school, but learned a lot from her 7th grade brother, Tachi. By this time Mai should have been a 4th grader, but wasn't. "Fine, Myra, just tonight."

They lay there and Mai whispered, "Tachi, tell me the story about the Angel of Music."

"Alright, well once when our Momma was really young, grandma, God bless her soul, told Momma that the angel of music came to visit her when she was a baby. And that's why Momma could sing. Funny enough, when you were born, Momma, Papa and I all thought you were deaf, you couldn't hear us talking to you. But then one night I saw a light around you in your cradle. And the angel of music visited you and gave you your hearing and your singing abilities!"

"Really?" Mai asked with her child like innocence shinning in her eyes.

"Really, now goodnight Myra." Then they sleep. Early the next morning a cold wind blew through the warehouse awakening Mai. She stood up and saw Tachi in the corner leaning over. Mai approached and saw he was coughing up blood.

"TACHI!" She cried out.

"Morning, little one." Tachi said wiping his mouth.

"Are you going to die?" Mai asked innocently.

Tachi thought and replied, "I hope not." The day passed and by night, Mai knew something was wrong. She watched her brother writhe in pain. That night Tachi called her over to him.

"Hey, Myra, I wanna tell you something. Please don't be afraid, Momma Papa, me and the angel of music will continue to watch over you and protect you. When I die, take my bag alright…. Mai…" he never finished his words as he collapsed dead. Mai took his hand and cried and cried.

"PLEASE! God please, give him back to me!" Mai protested and she never got her wish.

END OF FLASHBACK

"And after that, well I was sent off to a boarding school after scoring extremely high on an aptitude test.

Arideen said, "And the story goes on… Oh my, Mai, no wonder it's a sore spot for you."

"Yeah," Mai muttered.

Arideen smiled, "Now don't be all clique and tell me every night the angle of music, the phantom comes and visits with you!"

"Nah, it's just Tachi's face is haunting me. I wish I could have done something and I know I couldn't have." Mai said softly.

"That's right Mai." Arideen said as she sat there, " But let's get off that topic tell me of the incredible friend you were reunited with and are going out with!"

"Well… his name is Joey."

"What a cute name!" Arideen cooed.

Mai scolded, "Ari!" And the girls gabbed into the night about Mai's Friday plans with Joey. And about 15 miles away Joey Wheeler lay in his bed picturing his Angel of Music taking center stage and singing her heart out.

"Oh, my god, I think I love her." Joey whispered as his thoughts swirled around Mai's memory.