Aleksandra

"Hey Alex!" I heard Brian call to me. I looked up just in time to see myself almost fall down a flight of stairs.

"OH ZHIT!" I gasped as I actually did fall. I tripped down the first step. I was able to catch myself so I was fine, but the papers I was working on fluttered to the ground where everyone had gathered at my cry.

"Alex you okay?" Andy asked me.

I nodded. "Ja, I'm fine." I straightened myself and walked downstairs where John had picked up all of my paper and was looking through them.

"What's all this?" Bender asked me flipping through the pages.

Claire looked over his shoulder. "Music sheets?" she asked me.

Slowly, I nodded. "Ya, I do zis zometimez. Not pay attention till either I get 'urt or end up being snapped out of it." I shrugged. "I don't know vhat bringz it on but I just have to start making muzic sheetz. I have a whole crap load in my bag."

Brian took the sheet's from Claire, who had a some point taken them from Bender. "What's this for?"

I shrugged. "It's just a zong. It'z really crappy to cuz I haven't played it yet but it might be prezentable if I ever get a chanze to practice." Alison gave me a look making me roll my eyes and mouth 'bite me'. I didn't get a chance to practice. My dad doesn't like me to make noise and he doesn't know I even own a guitar. I bought it with my own money, I didn't want to steel it because it didn't feel right. I can only practice at school, one of the many reasons I stay after.

"So you wrote this?" Andy asked getting a better look at the music sheets.

I nodded. "Ja." He kept giving me a strange look. "Vhat?"

"Play it for us," he said.

My face paled, or at least I'm pretty sure it did. "Wa-Was?" My German accent went into overdrive forcing me to speak German when he asked that; it always does when I'm nervous, terrified, or surprised. At this moment I was all three.

Brian smiled to me. "Ya, that sounds like a good idea."

They where all looking at me with smiles making me bite my lip. "Oh fine," I sighed. I took the music sheets from Bender, "Just not thiz one. If I ever let you listen to it, it'll be finished."

"Fair enough," Claire said.

I rolled my eyes and lead them to my bag and opened it, pulling out a small binder that was bulging with music sheets. "Pick one," I said holding out the book only to have it snatched away by Alison. I rolled my eyes, damn they're making me do that a lot huh? Alison already heard most of these, she's the first person that actually ever wanted to hear me play, Carl came after that when we became friends. Alison shoved the binder back into my hands and pointed to the music on the open page. Cassie.

I glared at her, "Really?" I asked irritated. Alison smirked making my glare darken to 6.66 'better-run-I'm-Satan-in-disguise'. "Bitch," I said to her ignoring the small glare from Andy sent my way. I pulled the black Fender acoustic guitar out of the case and wrapped the lime green strap around myself and pulled the bright purple guitar pick from the strings. "Your all zure you vant to hear thiz?" I asked.

"Yes," they replied together, almost like a robot, fucking creepy.

"Even if it zucks?" I asked again trying to get them to change their minds. Alison walked up to me and pushed me so I was sitting on the desk and put my hands in the correct positions. "You're a bitch," I said to her.

Alison rolled her eyes and growled to me, "Just play Alex."

Like she told me to I began to slowly strum the beginning to one of the few songs I memorized. I didn't looked at my fingers while the intro went on, but rather at the rest of them as they sat down. John took one of the chairs, seeing as I had to use one to support the guitar, and sat in it backwards facing me. Brian sat in one of the chairs with Claire sitting between his legs, Andy sat at the base of the statue, while Alison leaned against it besides him.

"The question asked in order," At their shocked experssions, I guess they didn't think I was going to play this terribly and sing. Sorry to disappoint. My accent was no where in my music, I mean there are a few that call for the accent or are in German or Russian, but this song was one that had to be in English. "To save her life or take it. The answer 'no', avoided death / And 'yes' would make it. "Do you believe in God" / Written on the bullet? Say 'yes' to pull the trigger," I glared at the ground while singing, "And my sister Cassie pulled it." I continued strumming before fully stopping and changing the tune. "They didn't love their lives so much / As to shrink from death. Inspired in their footsteps / We will march ahead. Don't be shocked / That people die / Be surprised / Your still alive." The tune then changed back to before.

"All heads are bowed in silent reverence / The floor is wet with tears of sorrowful remembrance / The alter is filled with hearts of repentance / Perfect love kills all fear / Rejoice in this deliverance." I changed the tune back for the chorus. "They didn't love their lives so much / As to shrink from death. Inspired in their footsteps / We will march ahead. Don't be shocked / That people die / Be surprised / Your still alive." I stopped singing and played the closing which was the same as the opening.

I didn't look to them as I said, "Zis vas ze softer version. Ze other iz meant more for an electric guitar zan acoustic. If I tried to play zat one it'd zound vorse zan zis one did."

"Play another," Claire said suddenly.

"Vhat?" I asked looking to her to see her holding the sheet music book. Opened up was the page Emily, damn, must they have me play these two? The most meaningful songs I have. "Zat one?" I asked her and she nodded. I nodded back trying to keep tears at bay.

Slowly I bring myself to play the song. As I played the intro it gave me the time to calm myself. Another one of my songs that had to sung with no accent. "Smiles and her laughter / It's the only thing that I've been waiting for a time. Regardless of our distance and our hope / Grows greater. Trapped by pretty eyes and letters / For all time. The only thing that I've been waiting for. I hope it's something worth the waiting / 'Cause it's the only time that I ever feel real. Thunder storms could never stop me / 'Cause there's no one in the world like Emily." The guitar solo began and the quickly ended.

"She's simple yet confusing / Her sparkling eyes make me weak at my words / They tremble. Days seem like years in this month of December / The winter / Coldens me for I have yet to sleep. And never / Will I give up trying / 'Cause you're everything to me." Another three second guitar solo. "I hope it's something worth the waiting / It's the only time that I ever feel real. 'Cause thunder storms could never stop me / 'Cause there's no one in the world like Emily." I stopped playing and sang sadly. "There's no one in the world like Emily."

"That was amazing," Brian said making me snap my head to him.

I smirked. "Ya, vell zats also all you guys can get me to play. My fingerz kill since I haven't played in almost two veeks." To prove a point I flexed the fingers in my left hand. I choose to ignore the comment Brian made about it being good, he doesn't have to lie to me, I suck and I know it.

John

I never expected Aleksandra to play like that. I knew it was going to be good, but, not that amazing. And what pisses me off is that I can tell she doesn't think she's any good. She is good, better than half the crap musicans out there that get millions because of their shitty music. Aleksandra on the other had does beautiful, meaningful music and she isn't aloud to play it from what I gather. "Wow," I said making them look to me. "You don't suck."

Aleksandra rolled her eyes. "Sure I don't." She turned away and began to pack up her things.

"No," Claire said backing me up. "That was really good. What inspired it?"

Aleksandra froze, noticeably. "It izn't about anyone."

Claire frowned. "I didn't said it was about someone." She paused. "Alex, what's wrong?"

Aleksandra shook Claire off when she tried to grab her shoulder. "Nothing," she growled. "Nothing's wrong Prinzessin." Aleksandra moved to go back up the stairs but I grabbed her wrist after motioning the others to leave us to talk alone. "John, pleaze, juz drop it."

I shook my head. I wasn't going to let her fucking drop this. "Can't drop it now rock-star. Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing," she muttered. "Nothing'z wrong." She gave me a weak smile. "Zey're happy and zey're gone. Zey ezcaped." She twisted her wrist from my weakened grasp and left up the stairs leaving me to think about what she was talking about.