Note: Sorry for the lateness. I've been busy, summer holidays have finished so ive been all about school lately. And my weekends have been pretty clouded, in a good way. My dad took us to MONSTER TRUCKS, it was awesome. And now I'm sick…yay…not…

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It was out back in the garage that Mum and I did all things music. It was big for a garage and once you put carpet down, painted, added some shelves, furniture, and then add all of your apparatus you were pretty much set for quite a nice little class room.

Mums motto for working was to 'always have to make your student feel comfortable. You need to create a very bright and open learning environment to help release their branches as they expand into more greater trees.'

And you would think that letting these baby trees grow inside of a garage with walls all around you wouldn't really work, but you would be surprised with what she could do with a paintbrush, nails and a hammer. Esme Cullen, a woman of many talents, is what my dad likes to say.

My hand was still lightly on Bella's back as I led her to the garage. Inside, I was marvelling at my not freaking out that I touched her, that I could feel the warmth of her skin and every movement in her back when she moved through her sweater. Plus, she didn't try to shrug me off or anything!

I put my head down as I reluctantly took my hand away from her so that she didn't see it in my face. I pulled the keys out of my pocket and pushed the right one into the side door keyhole. I could feel Bella's eyes on me the whole time…as I nudged the door open, when I was feeling around for the light switch.

Now it was my turn to stare. I held the door open and locked my eyes onto her brown ones, "After you,"

The corners of Bella mouth twitched, suppressing a smile. Bella's eyes lowered to the ground, her teeth biting into her lower lip as she gave into that contagious smile. When Bella looked up again, her eyes were alight with wonder as she stepped forward into the light of the room.

I could see her eyes lock onto the opposite wall where a great many mantels, hooks and latches were dominating. But what was the overall eye catch was the great number of guitars- children's, adults, left handed, right handed, acoustic, electric, a violin. Then a range of woodwind instruments.

"Wow," Bella breathed as she took in all the instruments, her eyes moving around the other walls, where the keyboards sat on desks framing the room, the whiteboard on wheels, the posters, the stools- and beanbag, mums idea – the drum set in the corner. "You play these?"

The directed question made me snap out of my own staring. I shook my head but smiled anyway at the awe in her tone. "Not all of them, I mostly focus on the Piano and guitar. My mum plays the woodwind instruments, but being around her you pick a few things up."

Bella nodded; interest clearly in her eyes as they slid back to the drum set in the corner. "And what about those? Or is your mother a classic and a hard out rocker?" she teased.

"Actually," I started, pulling out the seat in front of the nearest keyboard. "Those are my sisters." Bella accepted the seat and looked up at me curiously through her eyelashes.

"Your sister?" And then humour became evident in her features. "AliceCullen? Feisty little thing?"

"Feisty, that's for sure." The memories of all the times she had beaten me up when we were little, before puberty hit and I had growth spurts that got me to six foot two inches came back to me…although she still manages to tickle me when I'm not expecting it.

Bella laughed at the look I must have given as I thought about Alice. "Hmm," she pondered. "As small as Alice is…I can picture her going hard out on those drums. Probably explains how she managed to beat the crap out of Eric last year in gym when he 'accidentally' landed on her chest."

It was my turn to chuckle now. "Ah, I remember that. I had to come and get her out of detention and the whole way home she had a proud smirk on her face." Even though my protective brotherly instincts should have kicked in when it came to Alice, I knew she could take care of herself. When she really needed my help, I would know, it takes a lot for her to swallow her pride when it came to being independent.

"Hmm, good times. Okay, lets get started or I won't ever learn anything."

Bella's snapped me back into the reality I had lost when talking about Alice, this wasn't a social call, it was a job. I had to keep reminding myself of that; Bella was just so easy to talk to. "Oh, right…So what exactly do you want to get out of learning piano?"

Bella stared at the keyboard with the notes written on each key with permanent marker as she answered.

"Well, I'm going to be seeing my mum soon- her birthday's coming up, and she's always wanted me to play the piano so I thought I should do something special for her on her day."

I nodded my understanding, picking up my special guitar from the rack on the wall just for the sake of having something to do with my hands. This guitar was an heirloom, a 1930 OM-45 Deluxe, one of only 14 ever made. Okay, it wasn't that old, it belonged to my grandfather who had given it to my mum and who she's given to me. It was incredibly special and worth a lot now.

But just because it was special didn't mean I didn't use it, I used it every chance I got- Which was probably too much since I have no social life! Great…

There was a question that had been plaguing my mind since yesterday. "So are you planning on learning all the way through- or just for something for you mother?" Translated, it meant how many lessons are we going to have together?

Bella pushed random keys on the keyboard, her delicate fingers putting barely any pressure on the keys. "Um, I think I just want to get something for my mum out of the way first, see how I like it you know? And then I'll see if I want to pursue the art."

Her words triggered something in me. I was determined to make sure she did like it if I got to spend more time with her. Mum's policy for comfortable suddenly seemed like a whole new insight to me now.

"Okay then, well I think before we get onto any particular song we'll start with the basics." I went over to the white board and rubbed out Tommy's Easter Bunnies Go Dancing At Easter from a few days before. Stupid bunnies'…annoying eight year old. "What do you already know?"

Bella face took on a pinkish tinge as she gave me a sheepish smile. "Oh, I don't know…" She trailed off, lowering her eyes to the ground, her eye lashes flaring out onto her skin. Bella looked so…alive and innocent when she blushed. "Not much," Bella traced the lines of the wood table with her finger. "I only remember one thing from when I was little and that's how to play hot cross buns".

"Well that's a good start then." I smiled encouraging at Bella, looking more embarrassed than I had ever seen her. "We'll go through the main notes to refresh your memory and you can sing as you go along." I turned back to the white board and wrote each note from C to B and put each singing note under each one. "Do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti and back to Do," I explained, spinning back around.

Bella's face had lost its warm colour but was replaced with a stricken white, eyes bulging. "You want me to sing?" Bella asked, mortified beyond belief.

"Is that a problem? It's just me." A nobody…

"N-no," Bella stuttered, focusing her attention back on the keys. "It-its just that I didn't know that I'd have to sing as well."

"Well, I've found that in a lot of cases when you aren't really all that prepared to play a piece that singing covers up a lot of flaws, and you don't have that much time."

Bella turned to me then, her eyes darting to my eyes and then away again as I stared, trying to coach that vulnerability from her face. "It's just," Bella began, pausing, and then staring straight at me, trusting me with something I could tell was important. "It's not going to be just a family event; mum's going to have friend's over- lots of friends. Getting up there and playing some rushed piece is one thing, getting up there and singing as well….that's a whole different story."

Before I knew what came over me, I bent down and gently placed my hand on her knee. Her eyes were locked on my hand for a moment and colour slowly tinted at her cheeks.

"It's just me here, you should just go for it and don't worry about anything else until it's closer to your mothers birthday."

Bella nodded and her agreement made me feel like everything was brighter, just knowing that Bella trusted me with something she didn't anyone else. Brilliant.

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Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, Be a good sport and leave a Review!!

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----Happy Valentines couples!-----

Well…valentines for me and others was yesterday, for others, Happy V day for today!

And in my case

----Happy Loners Day Singles!---- Valentines is a stupid day! (and ive heard MANY MARRIED people even say that.)