A/N: Yeah, sorry this is a bit of a short chapter. That kind of stuff happens when you're busy with a million things and your house is constantly filled with annoying music. Speaking of music ... Enjoy this chapter. Piano Soul! No, ok cool. (PS: I don't own Soul Eater, but I do own my story!)

Soul and Maka hung out on and off the next following weeks. He learned more random facts about the small girl, and she learned more about him. One of Maka's favorite days was when she went over to Soul's house to drop off a CD she got him. Everyone else was out of the house telling by the lack of cars in the driveway, but the garage door was unlocked. Maka had stepped into the house, and noticed the dishes in the sink and the keys off the rack. Maybe they all went out dealing or something. She shouldn't just be in their house like that, it was rude and a bit awkward. What if they came back with a gang member or an angry customer? Then what would she do?

She almost turned around and walked out of the house, but from down the hall she could hear some ... music. Maybe someone was here, and she could just drop the CD off and tell them to give it to Soul. That way she could just stroll in, get what she needed to done, and be on her way.

Before she could talk herself out of it, she headed towards the sound of the music. Maka walked down the hall, but hesitated at the stairs to the basement. What if something was going on down there? It wasn't like a regular room she could just walk out of, it was a basement after all. What if something happened?

However, the music continued playing; it was a wild melody that was chasing itself over the brink of normality. It was dark and different, scary but very intriguing. Maka silently crept down the stairs, and into the basement. One corner of the room was lit, but the rest of the basement was dim. A familiar head of white hair sat in front of a keyboard, nodding away to the melody as he played.

Maka listened intently, standing still a fair distance behind Soul. The unique song continued on for a couple of more minutes, until Soul finally started to wind down and stop. He rubbed his fingers as he turned to Maka, a smirk on his face. She smiled back approvingly, and a bit touched. The young adult had never heard Soul actually play before. She'd only seen him practicing that one song's chords and progression, but nothing other than that.

She reached the CD out to him, and smiled wider as his smirk grew.

"Here Soul, I finished it and it was pretty good," Maka said.

Soul checked the CD case before placing it on a shelf next to him.

"I'd knew you like it. Better than that lame folk stuff huh?"

Maka's smiled lessened a bit at Soul's remark.

"What?"

"I said-"

"Yeah, I heard what you said. How is folk lame though, there are a lot of great folk singers out there like -"

The two were stopped short as footsteps fell down the stairs.

"Oh come on Maka, everyone knows folk is out," Liz said.

Maka and Soul turned to the staircase where Liz and Patti stood, listening.

"Really? I always thought it was sort of -I dunno- cool," Maka said, her voice dropping a bit.

"It's ok Maka, some people have bad taste in music that would make everyone else's ears bleed. There's nothing wrong with it," Soul chuckled.

Patti giggled a little, and Liz joined in with Soul following suit in a full burst of laughing.

"Maka ... CHOP!"

Maka's book collided with Soul's head, and he fell to the ground in agony.

"Did you ... really have to hit me ... with that book," Soul asked from the floor as he tried to blink the pain away.

Liz and Patti stared at him, not sure whether to help him or to laugh at him. Black*Star and Kid made their way down the staircase into the basement as well, and Kid shook his head hopelessly at Soul. Black*Star however jumped over him, and started to pull his head by his hair and slap his face a little.

"Soul get up! You gotta see this really cool thing I got at the mall," He shouted in Soul's ear.

"Maka CHOP!"

Needless to say, the blue hair boy fell to the floor in pain alongside his roommate and fellow dealer.

"Hello Maka, it's a pleasant surprise to see you here," Kid greeted her.

Maka nodded at him, "Hi Kid. I just needed to give Soul his CD back; I have to leave to work now."

"Oh I see, well it was nice seeing you Maka. Feel welcome to come over whenever you need to. The garage door is also unlocked, but don't tell anyone. No one really cares for it, so it's not a big issue, but we'd still like to keep that quiet."

"Don't worry Kid, I promise I won't tell anyone. See ya guys," Maka said to the currently conscious three as she walked up the stairs.

The three stood in silence waiting for the sound of a shutting door to signify Maka's departure. After a few moments they heard it, and everything became a bit more tense.

"Soul, Black*Star, get off the ground. We have to talk about something," Kid said.

"Is it about what I got at the mall," Black*Star said as he and Soul started to stand up and rub their heads.

"Black*Star, this is serious," Liz said.

"She's right," Kid looked Soul dead on in the eye, something that was never a good sign, "There's another dealer coming around Death City. And the word on the street is that he's moving into our turf."

The drowsiness and pain in Soul's eyes erased completely. All that was left was worry and a bit of unsettling curiosity.