"Aw shit!" Howie said referring to the music. He got up from the library and walked into the entrance hall to see Brian, AJ, and Kevin there too. "Now, I'm freaking out. Before, I was just confused, but now- I'm freaking out."
"I know what you're saying, Howie, I almost had a heart attack!" Kevin stated, putting his hand over his heart for dramatic effect. "Where's Nick? He oughta have 'eard it!"
"Beats me- can't figure that kid out sometimes." Brian shrugged.
"You guys think we should search the house and see who...or what...is doing this?" AJ said biting his lip. His glasses were slid down to the tip of his nose and his brown eyes searched the others' eyes.
"Did you have to add that 'what'? I'm freaked out as it is!" Brian exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air in mock surrender.
"Sorry Rok... But we should look." AJ pushed his glasses up and folded his arms across his chest.
"AJ’s got a point.." Howie said, "For once in his life but he's got a point.." AJ sneered at Howie and then laughed. Howie just shrugged in reply as if to say 'you know it's true!'
"Yeah I think we should look," Kevin restated. "AJ, Take this floor, and when you're done get the basement, Bri, take the second, I'll take the third, Howie take the attic, and meet back here in twenty minutes. Okay? Got it?"
"Why do I gotta take the attic?" Howie whined.
"Because you can run faster."
"Are you serious!"
Kevin laughed, "I'm joking! Just go!"
"All right sergeant!" Brian said taking off to his area to search. The other guys went to theirs. After about twenty minutes they met back in the entrance hall with no evidence of any piano playing person or thing. The music still continued, perfect in an eerie and disturbing way.
"Shit man," AJ said scratching his newly dyed blonde hair, "what the fuck is that? Where is it, who is it? Why is it here?"
"Dunno" Brian licked his lips, "This is completely screwed up!"
"You're telling me" Howie said. "Listen, I'm just going to ignore it for now. I'm way to tired to deal with it. I'm going to my room, there's a book with my name on it. Don't bother me." He smiled and walked away.
"Okay D., see ya, " AJ said to Howie. Just as Howie stepped on the first stair, the music stopped. "Damn, this is getting weird.." AJ Shrugged, "Whatever!" He grinned and walked to the TV room, Brian following him. Howie headed upstairs to his room and Kevin just sort of stood there baffled for a minute before he followed AJ and Brian.
~ Some Time Later ~
Howie yawned and stretched out in his bed. Rolling over on to his side he let out a sigh, content, after his hour long nap. He had finished the first chapters of the book and promptly feel asleep. Hearing someone whistling as they walked down the hall, he called out, "Who's out there?"
"Me!" Nick's voice flooded into the room.
"Hey, Nick, Where were you?"
"In the backyard," Nick answered making an excuse to where he was. He didn't want the other guys to know, he wanted to keep it as a secret, his special hiding place. Opening the door, he peered in. "Why?"
"No reason," Howie answered.
"Okay then," he said a bit confused. Saluting Howie, he shut the door and walked downstairs.
"Hey Kev," Nick said as he entered the kitchen. "Taking over my house again?" Kevin was seated at the table and reading the paper. He turned the page and looked up.
"Hey stranger, where have you been?"
"Backyard."
"Doing what?" Kevin asked suspiciously.
"Just walking around, you know, exploring the place." Nick answered easily.
"Sounds fun." Kevin looked back to his newspaper.
"Yup." Nick answered looking into the refrigerator, "What? No milk?"
"Do you not go shopping?" Kevin said closing the paper, Nick grinned.
"What's that?" Kevin groaned.
"Just to keep you healthy..give me twenty, I'll go." Nick smirked and handed him the money.
* * * * * * *
Kevin wheeled the shopping cart around the corner and headed for the dairy aisle. He stopped by the milk section and picked up a carton of two percent milk and put it in the basket. As he looked up he saw the old woman who had given Nick the deed to the house. Wanting to ask her why she did it, he pushed the cart next to hers.
"Excuse me, ma'am? Can I just ask you a question?"
The lady looked up and smiled. "Did he like the house? Did he move in?" Obviously she remembered them.
"Uh..yeah he did. But I've been wanting to ask you something. Why did you just give him the house?"
"It was meant," she replied simply, "that's all."
"It was meant? Nick was meant? Huh?"
"A boy who used to live there looked exactly like your Nick. Down to the last feature. It was like they were one and the same. Anyway, It was a while ago." She said waving her hands, "Hundreds of years for that matter and I wasn't there don't get me wrong but I do know what happened.
"The boys name was Andrew Cartelle. He died when he was twenty-three while playing a piano concert at his house. Nick's house. He died, Nobody knows how, but he did. And he haunts the house because he could never finish the concert that meant so much to him. And because your Nick looks so much like him, I thought that they would be related and Nick could put Andrew's soul to rest. Music's in his blood you know."
"I know," Kevin said, "Nick has a great singing voice. The five of us are in a singing group-"
"I heard you boys sing. And yes Nick does have a wonderful singing voice but he has other talents. He can play the piano. It's in his blood."
"I'm sorry to inform you, but Nick doesn't play the piano. He can barely play chopsticks."
"Suit yourself."
"Just one more thing, this Andrew, if he haunts the house, would he be playing the piano a lot?"
"You've heard him?"
Kevin nodded and said, "Yeah."
"Then Nick really IS related to the Cartelles! And he can play the piano! He just won't tell you. The Cartelles were very secretive about hidden talents, and that makes Nick like that also. But please! Send Andrew's soul to rest! He's waited over a hundred years to finish that concert. And you...and your Nick...can help him."
Kevin just shrugged in reply, "We'll try. But I can't promise you anything."
"That's fine with me, as long as you try. Now I have to go. I have bingo in a half hour. Bye sweetie." She turned her cart around and walked away.
"Strange lady," Kevin muttered and picked up a carton of eggs.
CHAPTER THREE
HOME
LONG STORIES
BBE INDEX
CHAPTER ONE
