I sighed as I sat on the back stairs that lead up to the stage. I rested my head against the side of the wall, a small smile on my face as I listened to the music. For a jerk, Yamato was a great guitarist, and an even better singer. He was playing a song I'd never heard, which gives me reason to believe either he wrote it, or one of the other band members did. Amazingly enough, though, it wasn't the lyrics I was listening too, but rather the guitar, the beat of the drum, the bass, and at one point, I was sure I'd heard a keyboard. The drum, holding the steady beat, moving the song along, keeping it in time. Haku. The bass, giving off tunes that made you want to sway to the music. Kyo. The keyboard that was in the last song, though absent in this one, gave the music an up beat, making it different and unique. Hisao. And the guitar. Oh, I loved the guitar. It gave the song life with it's ever changing-ness. The slow beat of the song, the fast of the solo's, it all seemed to blend together as one. Yamato.

I think I found a new favorite band, not that I would tell anyone about it. The Teenage Wolves had made my top and the more I listened, the more I wanted to. The music was good, and when I caught some lyrics, I held there meaning. After all, everything meant something. I don't think these songs were just written, but then again, all songs hold different meaning to different people.

"Hikari, what are you doing up here, alone?" Miyako asked as she walked up, a half smile on her face.

I can hear the music beautifully here. None of the partiers noises can take over. I explained with a smile upon my face. Miyako was my best girl friend, while Takeru was my best guy friend. We were the only girls in our group at school, so we ended up bonding. After all, us girls gotta stick together.

"Ya know, there is always something I wanted to know. Mind if I ask it?" Miyako looked at me and I shook my head no, telling her I didn't mind, and she continued. "Why do you love music so much?"

Because music can speak to you, without actually speaking. I answered, and I knew a dreamily look crossed my face. I always got this way when thinking about music. Music was like my love, my passion, my romance. I'd never actually liked anyone before and Miyako used to tease me by telling me that music was my crush. I loved music, but I wasn't in love with music, if you understand.

"Like you," Miyako said it warmly. I think Miyako, Taichi, and Sora are the only ones who can say the negative of being mute in a good way. If anyone else had said that, I think it would have hurt me, but Miyako, Taichi, and Sora can say it in a way that makes me feel great about it.

Yeah, I agreed, shaking my head. Like me.

"Well, I'm going to go dance next to a hottie. Maybe I'll be asked to prom!" Miyako smiled and bound off, leaving me to listen to my music. I knew she was joking, at least about the prom part. I wouldn't doubt it one bit if she actually did go dance next to some hot guy, at least, hot in Miyako's opinion.

With Miyako gone, I was once again left in silence, to listen to the music I'd become addicted to. Better to be addicted to music instead of drugs, wouldn't you agree? As I listened, the music slowed, coming to an end. I frowned, missing the music, but not much I could do until the music started again. Sighing, I once again leaned my head against the wall, my eyes closing as I thought. I faintly heard Yamato tell the crowd that they were going to take a break and would be back in fifteen minutes. I almost whined out lout. I had to wait fifteen minutes to listen to the music again! Dang.

I felt the vibrations of the footsteps before I heard them. The Teenage Wolves were coming, probable going to hang out with the crowd and get a drink or two. I looked over my shoulder to see this to be true. Hisao, Kyo, and Haku thundered down the short stairs, jumping the last three to get to the ground, then rushing away. Yamato, on the other hand, stood at the top of the stairs, looking down them wistfully. Like he wanted to go down and join them, but something was stopping him from doing just that. It wasn't until a few seconds later that he noticed me sitting in the shadows of the stair well, leaning my side against the wall. He didn't say anything, but he nodded to me and gave me a slight wave to show that he knew I was there. I waved back, over my shoulder. Then, I watch silently, as Yamato turned around and headed back to the stage and out the door that was behind it. Maybe he needed some air? I would, too, if I'd been preforming on stage for the hour that he and his friends had.

Yawning, I closed my eyes and stretched my arms and legs. I was more tired than I thought I was. Standing, I stretched again, and headed up the stairs, to the back storage room where they kept the drama stuff. I knew that they had a couch in there I could curl up on for a few minutes, take a quick cat nap while I waited for the music to begin again.

Opening the door to the drama's store room, I reached in a flicked on the light. The room was neatly kept, everything having a place and in its place, as our drama teacher is a bit of a perfectionist, while not being a perfectionist at all. When it comes to preforming and such, she could care less if we ruin the whole thing, but when storage comes along, you have better put everything where you got it. That was yet another thing I would never do. I couldn't act, not unless I didn't talk at all in my role.

Amazing, isn't it, how just because I can't use my vocal cords like a lot of other people, I've suddenly become part of the handicapped section, except that a person in a wheelchair could join drama, so long as they could talk. I could join, too, but only as a Set Monkey as they called it here. Though painting sets was nice, and I also got to help with the music selection, which made it all the better.

I scanned the room, looking for a suitable place to settle down when I noticed something I hadn't before. In the back corner was a small piano, covered with a thin layer of dust. I cocked my head and headed over to it, examining the wood from which it was made. The piano has a gold design painted across the fall board, swirls and loops flowing gracefully around the wood. It was a spinit piano, very small and taking up little room. I'd always loved piano's, but we didn't have one, nor did we know anyone who did. I could play three songs on it, though, ones that I had memorized that my junior high teacher had taught me after school because I'd asked. I knew the type of piano by its look and such, but I couldn't remember the notes and such. The only way I remembered the song why by memorizing the patterns that my fingers took while playing.

As I reached the piano, I ran my hand over the dusty fallboard, my awe growing ever more. This was a beautiful piano and all it was doing was collecting dust in the back of a store room! It almost angered me, but I knew better than to get anger over a piano that had no place. As I studied the piano, I noticed it was a Whitney Spinet, with a maple finish. Looking around, a grabbed a shirt from the pile of drama clothing and ran it across the piano, cleaning it from its dusty state. Once finished, I hide the shirt under a few others.

Lifting the fall board, I was rewarded with keys that were shiny, no dusty having fallen upon them. I sat down on the bench that was set neatly in front of the piano and gently ran my hand over the keys, careful not to press down. Whatever sleepiness I had faded away with the awe I held for this piano.

I couldn't help myself. I had to play. Lifting my hands, I started to play a song I loved. It was American and I had gotten the sheet music to get Higora-sensie, my junior high teacher who taught me, to teach me to play the piano that was in the song. The song was Down by a banded called Blink 182. I could play that song with my eyes closed, I'd played it so many times before, and as I played now, the memories of that song came over me. I had learned to play that song at a difficult time in my life. Dad had died when I was taught that song and I held it close, as I had once played it for Dad before his death.

The door clicking behind me made me halt my song abruptly, as I lifted my hands from the keys and whirled around to see Yamato. My eyes widened and I felt a blush creep onto my face. Had everyone heard me playing?

"Continue, please. I like it. I know that song," Yamato said softly as he looked over to me, his icy blue eyes flashing with something I couldn't make out. I was hesitant, looking back over to the door. Yamato spoke, as if reading my thoughts. "Don't worry, they can't hear you. The CD we are playing it to loud. I was lucky enough to just barely hear you as I walked by the door. No way can they hear you on the dance floor."

I smiled, feeling a bit reassured. I watched as Yamato leaned against the wall, folding his arms across his chest as he looked over to me. It wasn't a look of really anything, but more like a look as if he were trying to understand me, to figure me out. This made me blush again and I turned back to the piano, not wanting him to see my blush under his intense gaze. No boy had really looked at me like that before, and I was a bit flattered. Some boys were turned off by the thought of me being mute, others just took no interest in me at all. I'd never once been asked to a dance or a date, or even to just hang out with someone from the opposite sex. Yet here was Yamato, the school's new god, watching me. I had no clue why, but he was, and it made me blush.

"Are you going to play it?" Yamato asked as I heard him shuffle. I looked back over to him. He didn't look all that comfortable leaning against the wall. I nodded and lifted a hand, motioning him over. Yamato understood and pushed himself off the wall and walked over. Once he was standing behind me, I scooted over and patted the spot on the bench next to me. Yamato raised an eyebrow at me and I patted the spot again. Yamato sat, but the bench was smaller than I had originally thought, and Yamato's leg was right against mine. This affected me and my stomach felt funny. I must have been getting sick. Yes, I'll admit that Yamato was gorgeous, but I barely knew him, no way could I be attracted to him. Besides, I wasn't the kind to get attracted to people, anyway. Not in that manner.

Once Yamato was seated and I had forced myself to quit thinking about the fact he was touching my leg with his, I lifted my hands and began to play the song again. Faintly, I heard Yamato humming, as if trying to find out what song this was. I played halfway through thw song before Yamato spoke again.

"What song is this?" He asked and I stopped playing. I lifted my hand and grabbed his, turning it palm up. On it, using the pointer finger from my other hand, I pretended to write the letters on his hand. D. O. W. N. "Down?" I nodded and started on the next word. B. L. I. after that, I stopped, because Yamato had connected it, and said, "Down by Blink 182. I knew that I knew the song."

I smiled at him and released his hand, turning to the piano again. "Can you start from the beginning? I want to see what I remember from the song."

I nodded. I'd be happy to do that, though I couldn't tell him that. I started the song again, with Yamato humming until he knew the words. "The drops of rain, they fall all over." Back to humming. "Upon her. I'll try to kiss you if you let me," I blushed at this and Yamato continued, "Tidal waves they rip right through me. Tears from eyes worn cold and sad. Pick me up now, I need you so bad." I noticed that Yamato sang with passion, as if he had written the song himself. And while he sang, he looked at him, going in to the repeated "down" part, for which the song was named. "Your vows of silence fall all over. The look in your eyes." Humming for a few seconds, then, "I feel the darkness break upon her. I'll take you over if you let me. Tidal waves they rip right through me. Tears from eyes worn cold and sad. Pick me up now, I need you so bad." Then a pause, before going back into the "down" part. He did it once, then the only sound was my piano as I ended the song.

I looked over to Yamato and smiled at him. Okay, he wasn't completely a jerk, even if he didn't know all the words to the song, though Yamato didn't smile back. Instead he seemed to be studying me. He whispered something, then, and it was so quiet that I almost didn't catch it. "I'll try to kiss you if you let me." I continued to looked at him, though I couldn't tell what my expression was. Yamato, on the other hand, leaned closer. I could feel his breath upon my lips and I felt a shiver from it. But as quickly as he leaned in, he leaned back and then stood. "I've gotta go. The band will be starting again soon." He left the room, in a hurry I might add.

Me, on the other hand, sat motionless upon the bench, my only movement being my hand going up and touching my lips softly. I found myself regretting not getting that stolen kiss.