Chapter 14: The music room

"Why do we have to go to school?" Musa yelled to nobody in particular when she came down the staircase.

"Because it's against the rules not to." Eric replied when Musa came into the dining room.

"What are you, my father?" Musa teased as she poured herself a bowl of cereal. "Don't you know that it was a rhetorical question?"

"Yes. No. Maybe. I don't know."

Musa rolled her eyes as she said, "I didn't ask for information. I asked for effect. And that was a rhetorical question too."

"Well, how would I know?"

"Aren't you a straight A student?" Musa looked at him.

"Yeah, why?" Eric glanced up from the morning paper and raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you so stupid?"

Eric just shook his head and turned back to his paper.

"How can I be related to you? I mean, you're what? 23 or something, but you speak like my dad."

"Actually, I'm 22."

"Whatever, same thing."

"Hey, Musa, Eric."

Jared sat down beside Musa on the table while Andy poured himself and Jared cereals.

"Yeah, hi." Musa said.

"Shouldn't you be at school about now?"

"Maybe. What time is it?"

"Nearly 8:00 am. Don't your school starts at 8:30 am?"

"Yeah. Where the heck is Riven? He's suppose to be up by now." Musa grumbled and pushed her unfinished cereal to the middle of the table before pushing herself up from her chair.

She stormed up to Riven's door and went in without knocking.

"Hey, Riven! Get up." Musa stood at the side of the bed and watched him stir.

He mumbled something that she didn't quite get and asked him to repeat again.

"What time now?"

"8:00 am."

"Whatever. Walk to school yourself."

"I don't wanna. Get up now."

But when Musa spotted the keys to his new motorcycle, she grinned slyly.

"Actually, stay where you are. I'll drive to school myself."

"NO!"

Riven threw back the covers and jumped out of bed.

"No. No. Nonono. You're not touching my baby." Riven snatched the keys out of Musa's hand. "And besides, you're not even old enough to drive."

"Well, I tried to." Musa shrugged and sat on the couch.

Riven sighed and raked his hand through his messy - but sexy - hair before going to the bathroom.

"Bye!"

"Have a good day, Musa." Eric called back.

"You're so like my dad." Musa teased and walked out to Riven's bike.

She pulled out her headphones and gum and leaned against it. When Riven came out a few minutes later, they got on the bike and she wrapped her arms around him, making him tensed before relaxing. When they reached the school parking lot, Musa jumped down from the bike and stood waiting for Riven. A crowd of girls pushed their way around Riven and Musa scoffed. She saw one of the girls from her class, Catty pushed herself against Riven. She clenched her fists and stomped towards the school courtyard to wait for the others.

"Lift those legs, Musa!" Madam Gellafer ordered.

"Yes, ma'am." Musa muttered and lifted her left leg higher. She and Layla were in Dance and they were doing ballet today.

"Higher!" Madame Gellafer barked.

Musa signed and lifted her leg higher.

"Bad day?" Layla asked her quietly.

Musa nodded and said, "I guess."

"What happened?"

Musa shrugged.

"Layla! Musa! No talking in class."

Layla and Musa rolled their eyes and concentrated on their steps, their conversation forgotten.

"Wow, Musa, you have a lot of instruments in this room." Tecna marveled at the varies music equipment in Musa's music room on the third floor.

The Winx and Specialists were in Musa's music room after an afternoon snack. Jared and Andy had went to the local museum with Eric. The Winx and Specialists were looking at the equipment in the room. At one corner, there was a full-sized grand piano made of dark - almost black - wood. At another, there was a drum set. There was a whole wall with different guitars, violins, ukulele, double basses, cellos, and a few nameless string instruments. There was also flutes, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, and other wind instruments at the opposite wall. At another corner, there was three harps - one big, one medium and one small. There was also a stage set up at the opposite end of the double doors with a few couches around it for practicing.

"Well, it's not called the music room for nothing." Musa grinned.

Tecna nodded.

"Hey, Musa! What happened to this?"

Musa looked over to the flute that Bloom was holding.

"It's got a line on it." Timmy observed. "Was it broken?"

"Yeah, that's the one Veronica broke." Musa bit her lip to stop herself from crying in front of her friends. "It was my mum's."

"Your mum's? What about the one in your room?" Nabu asked.

"That's was one of my mum's too."

"What do you mean, Veronica broke it?" Stella interrupted.

"I used this one for my talent show. You know, the one I told you about?"

The others nodded.

"Yeah, that one. I entered it with my mum's flute and won." Musa explained. "Veronica was furious, so she broke it."

"Wait, you said she forced you to give up your medal." Riven pointed out.

"Er, well..." Musa stuttered and won't look Riven in the eye. Riven raised one of his eyebrows and Musa signed. "I lied, okay?"

"Dude, she's almost as good at lying as you." Brandon whispered under his breath.

"Says who?"

Brandon pointed at himself and mouthed, "Me."

"Then what about Dave?" Stella asked.

"Who?"

"You know, Dave? The guy you were in love with? The one that Veronica got?" Stella said.

"Oh, him. I wouldn't say I was in love with him. I only went out on a date with him once, and I had a boyfriend at that time." Musa replied.

"What was your boyfriend's name? Was he cute?"

"Why did you lied to us, sweetie?" Flora ignored Stella and asked Musa.

Musa signed and shrugged.

"I just... have trouble trusting people."

"Why?" Brandon asked.

"I dunno. I just... do."

"Well," Tecna started.

"You can trust us, you know. We're your friends. Right, girls?" Bloom finished.

"Right." the girls answered in unison.

"Yeah." Musa smiled. "Thanks, guys."

"No problem." Tecna grinned.

"Group hug!" Stella squealed and threw her arms around Musa.

The others followed Stella's example and hugged Musa while the Specialists watched.

"Helia, did you know about all this?" Sky asked Helia.

Helia shook his head.

"She rarely talked about her feelings and I haven't really seen her since she went to boarding school."