New York, NY.

"Nah, I ain't got no daddy." Arthur explained to Evan when he asked him about his parents. "See, my pops was a drunk. And my momma, she took off with this crack head named Little Jesus. But you know, he wasn't no Little Jesus, you know what I'm saying? Nah, they never gave a damn about me."

August never really paid attention to what Arthur said. He was busy listening to the music around him.

"Come on, man!" Arthur pulled August near him before he entered a place through a fence that was cut. "This is us, right here. I've been with Wizard for years."

"Who's Wizard?"

"He's a real piece of work, that's what he is. His real name is Maxwell Wallace." Arthur said as they were climbing up the stairs with Evan holding a box of pizza they just bought. "He took me in. He said that I was an investment. He gave me Roxy here." Arthur pointed at the guitar he worshipped. "He bought it in the old days. Well, he really didn't buy it. Guess you'd kind of say he found it. Alright, he stole it."

"Really?"

"Wizard, he gave me his place at the Washington Square Park. My parents? They ain't give me nothing." Arthur stopped when they reach a door. "We all gonna be big stars someday." Then he knocked the door roughly.

"What's the password?" the voice came from inside the door.

"Open the damn door, already!" after that, the door was opened by a boy that was probably the same age as Evan. "You getting on my nerves with the password," Arthur added. "Okay, follow me." He said to Evan who was staring down the building he entered. The place was an old theater with a lot of kids. It was the abandoned Fillmore East Theater. "What's your name again? It's Evan, right? Yo, this is our home, son. It's kind of crazy in here, so stay on your feet."

The place was noisy for it was filled with many different musical instruments playing and the voice of the kids laughing loudly.

"I've been living here for a while. Come on man!"

The kids in the theater looked at him as if he just did something that made them really angry. He became a little scared with the awkward situation. Then, Arthur opened the pizza box and all of the kids were screaming, "Pizza!!!" It was a complete chaos. Within a minute, the box was empty. They all eat the pizza like they never eat them before.

"Yo, you better hurry before Wizard shows. He'll be pissed if he seen you bought a pie!" A tall boy said to Arthur.

"I ain't take no family money! Citizen bought it!" Arthur pointed at Evan.

Suddenly, a knife landed exactly at the top of the table stabbing the pizza box altogether. The knife moved so fast and it was there in a blink of an eye. Evan looked at the man who threw the knife. While dancing and clapping like a mad man, he said, "Hola, music lovers!" then Arthur started to leave the room. "Ah, while the cat's away." Then the stranger looked at the empty pizza box and said, "Oh, who likes pizza? Who did this?" he yelled and looked at Arthur. "Arthur? Come here." He looked at the kids around him, his hand pointed at Arthur and asked, "What is he?"

"He's a damn fool!" a boy said followed by the other kids agreeing with him.

"Stop! What are you, Arthur?"

"I'm a real piece of work, Wizard." Evan finally understood that the mad man was Wizard. The one who Arthur told him about, earlier.

"You're on thin ice."

"I didn't take no family money. He bought it." Wizard looked at Evan after being pointed by Arthur.

"What?" Wizard asked.

"You look crazy." Evan said.

"I am crazy." Wizard started to scream like a person with a mental problem that scared the hell out of him. "See? Come here."

Evan didn't move. He was scared. Then Wizard yelled, "Now! Come on." When Evan came near him, he continued, "What's you name?"

"Evan, sir."

"What are you doing here?"

"I followed the music."

For a minute Wizard remained silent, but then he broke it with a laugh. "Where did you pick up this one, Arthur? Bellevue?" Wizard reached for Evan's hands and he let him took them. "You never played a note in your life. Do you know what music is? It's a God's little reminder there's something else besides us in this universe." When Evan didn't respond, he added, "Harmonic connections between all living beings everywhere, even the stars."

"Is this a school?"

"Yeah, the school of 'Screw you up, and take all your damn money'!"

"Not! It's business." Business? What business?"Pockets!" As soon as Wizard said the word, all of the children were rushing and took out their money from their pockets and put it into Wizard's hat. "Peanut, well done. I got eyes in the back of my head. Good job. Gracias, amigo. Chain is only as strong, as its weakest link." Wizard looked at Arthur and he gave him nothing but coins.

"Come on, Arthur! That's chump change! You got Washington Square! That was my spot for ten years!" Wizard sighed and gave Arthur some money from his hat. "Go ahead, before I change my mind. God, you kids gonna put me in the poor house. Alright little mice, scurry back to your holes, go, go!" then Wizard turned off the lights after wishing the kids harmonic dreams leaving Evan standing there in the dark alone.

But then he heard Wizard playing a harmonica with a rhythm that was so similar to him. It's like he'd heard them before in his dream or when he was alone with the sound of music circling him around.

It was morning. Evan didn't sleep. He couldn't. He climbed upstairs and found Roxy, the guitar. He had never played a guitar before. So he figured, that he's not gonna let his chance of playing one from slipping away.

He picked up the guitar and began playing for the first time and unleashed an impromptu performance in his own unique style. He played and played and played until everyone in the theater woke up. Wizard was the first one who showed up and stood in front of him while he was playing. He just stared at Evan and smiling proudly.

"Roxanne! I'm gonna kill him!" Arthur rushed towards Evan but stopped when he heard him playing the guitar. In a minute, the room was crowded with the children who were completely shocked.

Evan's performance was beautiful, amazing and wonderful! Everyone was shocked. This was the first time Evan ever played a guitar and it was better than anyone in the room. Even Wizard can't play as good as Evan.

The scene astonished Wizard. And he had just the perfect plan. This kid gonna make me a lot of money. More than any of the other children. He's so talented. He can turn me into a rich man in a second! And he will…if I make him.

"You know what's out there?" Wizard asked Evan. They were staring up into the skies where the stars all shine. "A series of higher tones. It's arranged by nature. It's governed by the laws of physics of the whole universe. It's an overtone, it's an energy, it's a wavelength, and if you're not riding it, good Lordy…you'll never hear it.

"Where do you think it comes from? What I hear?"

"Well, I think it comes from all around you, really. I mean it's…comes through us, some of us. It's invincible, but you feel it.

"So, only some of us can hear it?"

"Only some of us were listening."

"Do you think my parents are listening?" Evan had told Wizard about how much he wanted to find his parents. And that the only way he can do that was through music.

"I hear you kid."