//......Simply Smashing......\\ Version 2

Chapter One
And So It Begins
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His fingers swept over the familiar keys of the old piano, playing the tune his grandmother had taught him only seventeen years ago. Of course, he had been aged four then and hadn�t really appreciated the music as much as he did now. Christian was twenty-four years of age, dark haired, and a shy young man. Over the past couple of years, he had become so fond of the piano that he had gotten good enough to play for a large orchestra. Although he would never admit it, he knew he was getting better by the day, and he hoped to someday become a professional pianist. As he finished up the song, his colleagues behind him clapped politely.

�Christian Montague, you�ve come a long way,� his friend James said happily, clapping him on the back. �Why, it seems only yesterday you were teaching me how to properly play �London Bridges� on your mother�s keyboard.�

�It does seem like it�s gone by so fast,� Christian admitted, standing up from the bench and stretching his fingers. �Let�s just hope I perform as well as you say I do tomorrow night for the interview. This job could really make a big difference. They were offering eighty dollars a night, just to perform for weddings. Think of that! That would definitely pay the rent.�

His other friend Conner held up both of his hands in wonderment. �Broadway will light up just for you. Their signs will say �Christian Montague, world renowned pianist and best friend of Conner and James.� Christian snorted at this last comment and Conner looked offended. �What? You didn�t think you�d become famous and not give us a little credit, huh Chris?�

Christian shrugged carelessly. �I wouldn�t know. I�m not famous yet.�

�Not famous yet. Yet being the major keyword here. Come on, you�re gonna rise to stardom!� James told him smartly.

�We�ll just see how things go from here on guys,� Christian told the both of them. �It�s been three years since the start of the twenty-first century. I can understand pianists being widely known in the nineteenth, or even twentieth century, but you don�t see many people playing the piano nowadays, at least not professionally.�

Conner rolled his eyes. �Who cares what other people are doing? You just do what you�re good at. And you�d better not quit just because you feel like people won�t appreciate you.�

�Thanks guys, but I�d better get going.�

James looked confused. �Going? Where?�

�To the caf�,� Christian said, looking at him like he should know what he was talking about.

�Oh of course! How could I forget? How�s the pay there? You workin� as a waiter guy?� Conner asked.

Christian did the math in his head. �If it�s seven dollars an hour, and I�m there at least five hours in the afternoon, then it�s thirty-five on average. And that�s on a good day,� he reminded them. �And yes, I do work as a waiter there. Come on guys, I told you last week.�

�Sucks to be you,� James said sadly, and Christian punched him lightly on the arm before picking up his piano book and shoving it into his briefcase and racing out the door.

***

Michelle Terrance picked up her cellular phone and punched in the familiar number of her best friend Eden. As soon as the phone on the other line was picked up, Michelle burst out, �Eden I don�t know where you are!� There was a pause on the other end of the line.

�Mam, I believe you have the wrong number,� said a gristly voice on the other end of the line. Cursing, Michelle snapped her phone shut, waited a brief second, and then flipped the phone back open and more carefully dialed the number again. This time, a voice on the other end said, �Hello, Eden Kay speaking.�

�Eden, there you are,� Michelle said exasperatedly.

�Michelle? Where are you?� her friend asked. �I�ve been waiting at the caf� for nearly fifteen minutes now!�

�The caf�?� Michelle repeated. �What caf�?�

There was a sigh, and the sound of a spoon clinking against a glass. �It�s La Caf� Lamoure, on Fifteenth Avenue and Main Street. You can�t miss it. Big sign. Strong smell of coffee.�

�Thanks Eden,� Michelle said gratefully, hanging up the phone. She was a blonde, twenty one-year-old woman fresh out of college and looking forward to getting a better job and becoming a singer. And not the kind of singer that prances around onstage wearing miniskirts and tube tops, but a real singer that sings classical pieces. As of now, she hadn�t gotten very far, but she had a feeling that sometime very soon she would get her chance.

As she called for a cab, she sighed. Everything was so strange lately. Especially New York City. People weren�t courteous to anyone else on the streets anymore. They just had to get to where they needed to go, and right away! That�s why Michelle wanted to sing. She wanted to inspire people. She wanted to show them that not everything is about work.

Once she had found the caf�, she stepped inside eagerly, happy to be out of the cold rainy weather. The caf� was a comfortable, cozy place where people chattered quietly together. The strong smell of coffee was soothing, and as a nearby waiter took her coat for her, she felt relaxed.

�Michelle!� someone whispered. Michelle turned around and spotted Eden waving her over to a table. �There you are!�

�I�m sorry Eden, I have been so busy lately with work, and when I remembered I was supposed to meet you at the Lamoure I-.�

�Forgot where it was,� Eden finished for her. �It�s all right. It wasn�t that boring. In fact I rather like it here.�

�Well that�s good,� Michelle said, sitting down. �Oh by the way, did I tell you about the job interview I�m having tomorrow?�

Eden had a shocked look on her face. �No way! You�re actually going to try out for the job as a singer for those weddings?� she said in disbelief. �I hope you do well.�

Michelle looked skeptical. �How did you know about that?�

�Let�s just say I have informants,� Eden said wickedly.

�Oh no,� Michelle groaned. �Please don�t say it was Sebastian. He probably only told you because he broke up with me a few days ago.�

�Get out!� Eden exclaimed. �You two were practically joined at the hip for a week!�

�Exactly, a week. He was just too�too rough. He was more into electric guitars than singing. I need someone more mellow.�

***

Christian burst into the caf�, rushing back to the employee room and changing into his waiter outfit. His manager scowled as Christian apologetically grabbed a pad of paper and a pen and winced. �I know I said I�d be here by eight thirty, but I ran into some problems.� And with that, he walked out into the main part of the caf�.

Quickly scanning the tables, he spotted three that might need assistance, two that needed to be cleaned up, and five empty. The other tables seemed happily vacated by customers and serviced properly.

�Hey Chris, table twenty-six needs some assistance if you�re not busy,� a nearby waitress said. With a quick nod of thanks, Christian walked over to table twenty-six.

�Hello and welcome to La Caf� Lamoure. My name is Christian and I�ll be your waiter today. Is there anything I can get you ladies?� he asked, addressing Eden specifically, as she looked like she would be paying.

Eden, looking down at the menu, bit her lip. �I don�t know yet. Michelle, you go first.� Christian turned to face the other woman. She smiled quickly at him before looking down at her menu.

�What is in the mint chip latte?� Michelle asked, looking up at him. Christian thought to himself, chocolate mints, whipped cream, mocha beans, and flakes of almonds. But that�s not exactly what he said.

�Uhh, there is, uh, coffee, and chips, and�and I, well,� he stuttered, but his brain couldn�t seem to function properly. He really cared more about staring at the gorgeous creature in front of him. �I, umm, excuse me,� he said, and he raced off to the back of the caf� as fast as his legs could carry him.

Eden looked at where the waiter had been standing and then at Michelle. �Oh Mich, I think he�s smitten with you,� she teased.

�Eden!� Michelle shrieked. �He must have remembered something important or something,� she said, looking back down at her menu. A few seconds later, a different waiter was at their table, taking their order.

Meanwhile, Christian was in the back chewing on his fingernails. What the hell had happened back there? He just went to take the order of the ladies and he was suddenly mush brain man. He desperately needed to vent, and he knew just how to do it. There was an old, small but working piano in back of the building. He remembered his boss saying, �Only use the piano on special occasions.� Or maybe it was, �Never use the piano on special occasions.� He couldn�t remember, so he decided that if he used it, it wouldn�t matter very much. Christian trudged to the back of the building and spotted the piano. It was on wheels, so it wouldn�t be hard to move. He wheeled it out to the front of the caf� and a few people stopped talking and watched.

Once he had positioned it in a good place, he sat down and stretched his fingers. Now where would he get a book? Ah yes, the piano book in his brief case. Standing up once again, he walked back to the staff room and pulled out his piano book. He sat down, picked one of his more favorite songs, and began to play. The song was Fur Elise, and it was a fairly lovely tune by Beethoven. More people stopped talking and watched his fingers fly across the keyboard, the piano sounding magnificent despite it�s small and rather shabby size.

Christian felt all of his tense feelings ebb away as he continued to play the song. The song itself was soothing enough, so that partially could have been it. But he figured it was most likely the act of playing the piano itself.

***

�So, Eden, as I was saying,� Michelle said. �Since I�m going to the job audition tomorrow, I�d like some back-up��

�Count me in,� Eden said. �Oh shoot! I can�t, I�ve got a stupid meeting with my boss.�

Michelle looked put out. �Oh. That�s all right. I understand you might be in a bit of trouble with the big guy anyway.�

�Yeah, who knows? I wish I could be there when people fall on their knees and beg for you to take their offer.� Michelle rolled her eyes.

�Honestly! You act as if I�m some great singer who is destined to become famous. That�s not how I see it. I don�t see singing as a job. More of a privilege. There are people out there who are great singers! And then there are people who have never been able to carry a single tune at all. It�s just the way the voice box is structured.�

Eden sighed. �Okay, you�re getting all technical on me again. You just do what you want and see where it takes you, okay?�

Michelle nodded. �Okay.� She picked up a spoon and stirred her coffee again, even though it wasn�t necessary. Please, please let me get this job tomorrow night, she thought. Her thoughts were interrupted by the beautiful sound of a piano. She looked up wildly at Eden. �They play musical CDs here too?�

�No you goofball, someone�s playing an actual piano over in the corner there,� Eden said. Michelle looked to where Eden had indicated and narrowed her eyes to see who was playing.

�Hey, that�s the guy who was just serving us. No, no, not that guy, the other one. Who just suddenly left the table!� Michelle exclaimed, sitting up straighter in her seat. �God he�s good.� It was almost as if Christian had heard her say that, because at that exact moment, he looked up at her and Eden�s table. Michelle blushed and turned away.

�Michelle, you honestly have to talk to this guy. He�s dying to talk to you,� Eden said.

�No he�s not,� Michelle said sternly. �He�s just the waiter guy who needed to play the piano.� She looked up back at the piano. And Eden laughed good-naturedly.

�Then why do you keep watching him?� Eden challenged.

Michelle rolled her eyes. �Because he�s a damn good pianist, that�s why,� she said sarcastically, and rather a bit loudly too, because a few people stopped talking and looked at her. Christian suddenly came to a halt in his piano music in a sloppy manner and turned red. Obviously, the waiter-turned-damn-good-pianist had heard her. �Oh just kill me now,� Michelle muttered, as Christian hurriedly resumed his playing, picking up an Intermezzo in E flat.

�Well you got his attention,� Eden said. �Congratulations. Now you have to go up to him when he�s done playing and tell him what a fantastic piano player he is.�

�Stop it,� Michelle muttered crossly. But the idea didn�t really sound so bad itself.

Christian finished up his piano playing and stood up to move the piano out of the way. The only problem was that all of the people in the caf� were clapping, and he turned red again. How was he ever going to be able to be a professional pianist if he couldn�t even handle twenty-five people clapping for him? Or maybe they were clapping because he was done playing and they were glad. But there was the girl in the corner, the one he had turned all jello-ish around. He thought he had heard her say, �Because he�s a damn good pianist.� But most likely they had gotten onto the subject of musicians or something and she had been talking about a different person. Of course she was. Was she? Oh it didn�t matter, because he was too busy trying to keep his eyes off of the angry look the manager was giving him. He rolled the piano into the back and was about to slip back out into the main dining area when the manager caught up to him.

�What the hell do you think you�re doing?� the manager seethed, and Christian flinched.

�I just thought the customers would like a little music. Anyway, I�ll get my stuff.�

The manager blanched. �What do you mean?�

�You�re going to fire me aren�t you?� asked Christian sullenly.

�Don�t be ridiculous. I really only came back here to tell you to get your butt back out there and play some more,� the manager scowled.

�What?�

�You heard me. Get back out there, they�ve been asking for more,� and the manager was off.

***

�Okay buddy, you can do this,� Conner said reassuringly, leaning against the wall of stone behind him. �This audition is a no-biggie. Just pretend you�re back at home practicing that one song�oh hell I don�t know what it�s called�but you get the basic picture.�

James nodded. �And if you screw up horribly, we�ll be right here to pretend all went well!�

Christian raised one eyebrow. �So either way you�ll just act like I was the best and send me off to some other training program?� he asked warily. �Because if you�ve been lying to me this whole time and I turn out to be a horrible player then I will personally see to it that you�re hanged.�

�You won�t really hang us will you?� Conner asked pleadingly.

�Of course not.�

�Good.�

A glass door on the other side of the room opened, and an elderly woman stepped out holding a clipboard. �Montague, Christian?� she asked.

�What is this, a doctor�s office?� James teased, but a look from Christian silenced him abruptly. �Okay, okay, we�ll be quiet.� They followed the woman through the doors and she directed them to a sound room.

�Alright Mr. Montague,� the woman said, sitting at a panel of volume controls. �Please walk into this room. You�ll find a piano in there. I want you to play one of the songs in the book there. Go on!� she said, poking him in the back. Christian nervously walked into the room with glass walls and sat down at the piano. He quickly flipped through the book and picked a fairly fast tune, but not too wild. And then he began to play.

Michelle hurried into the room labeled �sound room� and tiptoed quietly to a woman who was sitting at a control panel.

�Mam, sorry to disturb you but I�m here for the audition of a singer,� she whispered. The woman turned around.

�Oh yes, I remember you calling, Ms. Terrace. Well, why don�t you take this book and step inside that room�yes the one with the piano�and sing along to what he�s playing,� the lady said.

Michelle blanched. �I beg your pardon?� she asked. The woman looked annoyed.

�There�s someone in there playing a piano. Go in there and sing along to it! The words are on page sixty-four.�

�Ah. Right,� Michelle said. �Are you sure I won�t disturb him?�

�Just go,� the woman said, and she was clearly annoyed now. Michelle gulped and stepped into the glass room. The person at the piano was playing a spectacularly beautiful melody, and it wouldn�t be too easy to follow along, but she�d have to try. As soon as the pianist paused, she began to sing. There was a sudden and abrupt stop to the music, and the words of the song caught in Michelle�s throat. The pianist, whomever he was, resumed playing quickly, only slightly shaken by the voice of the newcomer. Michelle resumed singing, and found that it wasn�t as hard as she thought it would be to accompany the player. Now she wasn�t a soprano, no way, but she could hit the higher notes pretty well, and as the song finished, she smiled slightly.

�Well done!� the woman said, stepping into the room. �You both did excellent.�

Michelle meekly smiled, dropping her gaze to the floor. �I couldn�t have done it without the music,� she admitted.

�And Mr. Montague,� the woman said, and the tone of her voice showed how impressed she was at his playing. �You two will most definitely be paired as our wedding singer and pianist. So, Ms. Terrance and Mr. Montague, shake hands and get used to seeing each other, for you�ll be doing a lot of practices and performances,� the woman said, indicating both of their hands. Michelle turned to face Christian, and he turned to face her. Realization dawned on both of their faces as they realized who each other were, for Christian was the same waiter-turned-damn-good-pianist, and Michelle the customer Christian had turned into jello man when he was around. There was a long pause, as Christian and Michelle both stared at each other for a few seconds. The woman cleared her throat loudly and the two young people started.

�Yes, thank you, and goodbye,� Christian muttered, heading out of the sound room and making his way towards his two friends. But Michelle was quicker.

�Hey, I know you!� Michelle exclaimed. ��You�re the waiter! Or the pianist, I don�t know which to call you,� she said happily. She caught the pained look on his face and lowered her gaze. �Or I could call you Mr. Montague��

Christian abruptly stopped. �Oh please don�t, I get enough sarcasm from my friends,� he burst out, surprising Michelle and him equally. As he turned away to hide his rapidly coloring face, Michelle giggled slightly.

�I don�t mean to laugh, but I was only joking,� she said, following him into the room where Christian�s two friends were.

�Were you?� Christian asked.

Michelle didn�t have time to reply, because Conner and James were swarming around Christian.

�Dude, that was awesome. Your fingers were practically going at the speed of warp space nine or something like that,� James exploded.

�It was amazing!� Conner agreed. He caught sight of Michelle and added hastily, �well yes, you were good too, but don�t you think he rocked?�

Christian sighed miserably. �Thank you guys, but I was nothing compared to Ms. Terrance,� he began.

�Who?� Conner interrupted.

�Me,� Michelle spoke up. �Actually, it�s better off if you call me Michelle though,� she explained. �That is my first name after all.�

�She is right,� James nodded. �In fact, both of you did so well together that the old woman over there is pairing you up for every wedding they have scheduled,� he said. �We�ll try and be at every one of them.�

�That won�t be necessary,� Christian laughed nervously. �But honestly speaking, she did pair us up for every event?� he murmured in disbelief.

Conner suddenly gasped. �James, come here,� he whispered, and his other friend followed him into a corner. �Are you thinking what I�m thinking?�

James shook his head.

�We should get this Michelle chick paired up with Christian. It�ll work out perfectly!�

�I don�t think so,� James disagreed, glancing over at Christian and Michelle, who were both avoiding eye contact with each other. �Look at them, they�re complete opposites. Christian: soft spoken. Michelle: out spoken. You see the difference?�

�Maybe, but you know what they say about opposites, eh? Opposites attract, don�t they.� Conner grinned. �We�ll just have to wait and see.�

Christian interrupted the both of them by accidentally tripping over a potted plant, causing Conner, James, and Michelle to look at him awkwardly. He quickly stood up, dusting bits of dirt off of his jacket and grinning rather sheepishly at his friends, out of sheer embarrassment.

�Uh-huh, right. There�s our leading man there, who goes around tripping over potted plants,� James said to Conner in disgust. �Come on, he is our best friend, but a total geek at that.�

Conner sighed. �You are right, but like I said before. Give him a chance.�

***

Christian fumbled for the light switch in his apartment. He found it and flicked it on, setting down his things at his small kitchen table. The day had most certainly been an eventful one. First the ordeal at the caf�, and then the audition...it was almost too much to handle. Of course he had done well at the audition, which gave a fairly large boost to his ego (modestly of course). Plus, he had met, for the second time, Michelle Terrance. Was it fate that she had just so happened to be a singer that was to work with him at weddings? Was it fate that she had met him earlier at the caf�? Or was it simply coincidence? Whatever it was, Christian wasn�t sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. He would be forced to talk to her, and when he did, his brains would be out the window in two seconds flat. Well, he�d just have to get used to talking to her without feeling like his head had been run over by a bulldozer. Conner and James could help him out with that, no problem. They were so casual around women and had no trouble at all talking to them. And when it came to dating, they were pros.

�What am I going to do,� he mumbled.

***

�Are you serious?�

Michelle had to hold the phone a good distance away from her ear as she told her friend Eden what had happened at the audition. �Yes, he was there, I�ve told you this over and over.�

�Did you talk? Did he compliment you? Were you paired together? Does he like you?� Eden burst out, question after question.�

�Yes, sort of, yes, and probably not,� Michelle responded. �I mean, how could he like me, we just met. I�m not even sure I like him! Well, I like him, but definitely not in the sense you�re thinking of.�

Even before Eden spoke, Michelle could sense the slyness in her voice. �What about the sort-of compliment? What�d he say? Come on Michelle, you know I�m dying to hear the details.�

�Hmm, I hadn�t noticed,� Michelle teased her friend playfully. �He sort-of complimented me by saying that he thought I was much better than him. Actually, he said he was nothing compared to me.�

�What the hell is that?!� Eden shrieked, and Michelle was forced to hold the phone even further away from her ear. �He should have said something different! Now I don�t know if it was out of modesty or truth.�

Michelle rolled her eyes. �It doesn�t matter Eden. We weren�t partnered because we�re soul mates, we were partnered because we both, believe it or not, have a gift for music.�

�Blah blah, heard it before, and last time you said that you were wrong! What about Sebastian?� Eden challenged.

�Last time I said that we were both wrong,� Michelle said quietly, and then she hung up the phone.

***

�Excellent, both of you are here!� a bright cheery woman replied, as both Christian and Michelle were seated in front of her. �I am Mrs. Hurst, and I will be your teacher, so to speak.� She stepped down from the stage she had been standing on and nodded to someone behind the curtains.

�Now both of you are good, don�t get me wrong,� Mrs. Hurst continued, as the curtains behind her began to open. �But if you learned more than you already know, if you take that bit of talent you have and strengthen it, imagine how great you could be!� As she said this last sentence, Michelle and Christian both abruptly stood up, staring at the objects behind her. Mrs. Hurst noticed this, and she grinned. �These will be your new playthings. Feel free to test them out. I need to go and get a few things before we start our lesson.� And then, all of a sudden, she just wasn�t there anymore.

There was no time for awkward silences, as both of the young people were too busy looking at the magnificent instruments before them.

�Would you look at this,� Christian said, breaking the silence without even noticing. �This piano hasn�t been seen since 1811, I�m sure of it,� he said fiercely. Michelle glanced at him, not missing the passion in his voice.

�Is that a good thing or a bad thing?� she asked, causing him to look at her quickly.

�That�s excellent! It may be a little rusty, but it�s one of the very first of its kind. A very spectacular thing,� he finished.

Michelle, not quite sure what to say to this, ran her fingers along the strings of a harp. �I wonder if I�m meant to play this,� she wondered aloud. Christian walked over to where Michelle was standing.

�I�m not sure either,� he agreed. �Would a piano and a harp go well together?� Michelle looked up at him, a soft, inquiring smile on her face, and he felt his legs wobble uncertainly beneath him.

�What do you think?� she asked, looking back down at the instrument. �Care to try it?�

Christian blanched. �I�m not sure,� he said nervously. �I haven�t really--.�

�Oh come on,� Michelle teased. �I have no clue how to play a harp, but if you match some silly tune I�ll play, we�ll get a feel for it.� As if to emphasize her determined attitude, she sat down in front of the harp and trailed her fingers along the strings again. Christian, feeling very put out but curious as well, walked over to the piano and sat on the bench.

�Now, do you know London Bridges?� she asked. Christian almost fell over.

�Even if I didn�t know it, it wouldn�t be very hard to figure it out. Of course I do,� he retorted.

Michelle raised her eyebrows at him and he turned red. �Alright then, you start it off.�

�Fine, I will,� he said in a challenging manner, and played the childhood tune he knew so well. Except he just didn�t play the piece, he played it in the most professional manner he could.

�Stop, stop, stop,� Michelle said in a frustrated tone, and she stood up and walked over to the piano. Christian did stop, and looked up at her rather expectantly. �I was thinking more like this,� she said, and began to illustrate her point by playing the melody with one hand, in a very calm way.

�Ahh!� he said, almost as if he�d never known how to play that simple. �Right, well I�ll try it that way,� he said in mock seriousness. Michelle, raising her eyebrows at him, returned to the harp and sat down. But before they could begin to play, Mrs. Hurst was back.

�I see you�ve both been able to get a feel for the instruments,� Mrs. Hurst said cheerily. Christian and Michelle both abruptly stood up. �Did you find them satisfactory?�

Michelle spoke first. �Yes mam, we did.�

Mrs. Hurst glanced in Christian�s direction. �And you?�

�Quite excellent,� Christian agreed. Mrs. Hurst smiled a sly smile.

�I�d never noticed how handsome you were young man,� the older woman said, and Christian looked very embarrassed indeed as he felt her eyes on him.

�Err, thank you, I think,� Christian muttered.

�Anyway, we�d best start our work or we�ll never get anything done,� Mrs. Hurst exclaimed. She sat down in the front row and indicated the two chairs that were on the stage. �First, a few introductory sentences. Tell me your background.� She sat patiently, observing the two people in front of her, who were both tactically avoiding her gaze, as none of them wanted to be first. �Ms. Terrance, we shall start with you.�

Michelle inwardly groaned, but on the outside, she just smiled reluctantly and took a deep breath. �My name is Michelle Terrance, and I am twenty-one years old. I just finished two years of college. I�ve been studying music and singing, and I hope to become a professional singer.�

Mrs. Hurst nodded, and then she turned her gaze to Christian. �Mr. Montague.�

�Umm, my name is Christian Montague,� Christian began, his accent combined with the nervousness in his voice making it difficult to understand him. He cleared his throat once and continued. �I am twenty-four years of age, and I plan to play the piano professionally sometime in the future.�

�Excellent,� Mrs. Hurst clapped. �Both of you sound very intelligent, so I am hoping it will not be hard to sharpen you up a bit. After all, brilliant pencils get dull after awhile, don�t they?� she asked, laughing at her own joke, while Christian and Michelle just stared. �Anyway, let�s start today off by a few warm-ups. Mr. Montague, take a seat at the piano and play a few notes, while Ms. Terrance will accompany you by means of her voice. Go on now, don�t be shy.�

Christian found himself rushing to the piano, as Mrs. Hurst had a very commanding voice. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Michelle redden, and he was curious to know why. But of course, he didn�t have the time, so he sat down and easily found notes A through G. He played each one carefully, alternating between higher pitches and lower ones. Michelle followed along spectacularly.

�Very good,� Mrs. Hurst said. �Now let�s try a simple piece. Here Ms. Terrance, take this book. Let�s see if our pianist can play without the notes. Go ahead, start singing.�

As Michelle began to sing, Christian found himself getting lost, and the world around him seemed to disappear. All he could focus on was the young lady in front of him, who seemed to be glowing all of a sudden�

�Mr. Montague?� a sharp voice interrupted. Christian blinked.

�Yes?�

�You�re supposed to be playing.�

The voice belonged to Mrs. Hurst, and when Christian realized with disappointment that Michelle had stopped singing, he too turned red.

�Ahh. Right. Okay, sorry, begin again,� he said. Once Michelle had started singing, he recognized the tune to be one he knew fairly well. He followed along easily as well, adding to the music by turning the simple notes into elaborate and lengthy ones. Once they had finished, Mrs. Hurst was nodding.

�Seems you two are a bit sharper than I thought. Here, try this Ms. Terrance,� the older woman said thoughtfully, handing Michelle yet another book.

�But Mrs. Hurst--,� Michelle began.

�Just try it.�

�Alright,� Michelle said, and as she began to sing the piece, Christian�s eyes went wide. He had heard of this piece before, but it was most difficult to play. You couldn�t really sing it, but you could hum it, and that was exactly what Michelle was doing. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, a compassionate look on her face, for she too knew it was difficult to do. But, Christian surprised both himself and the teacher by beginning to play, uncertainly at first but quicker as he went on. When he finished, he let out a great sigh of relief, but not before giving the teacher an embarrassed look.

�Sorry, got a little carried away,� he grinned nervously, as he watched the papers Mrs. Hurst had been holding fall out of her hand onto the floor.

�Carried away?� Michelle said suddenly. �Why, that was spectacular! Where did you ever learn to play like that? And without notes or accompaniment or anything of the sort! That�s just�wow!� She flopped down onto the piano bench next to Christian, causing him to slide away from her.

Mrs. Hurst had picked up her papers and walked back up onto the stage. �Most impressive. I didn�t think you could do it, either of you. Perhaps all you need is some alone time to practice and devise your own plans, as I�m clearly not needed here as a teacher.�

�Oh but Mrs. Hurst, I don�t think I could get along without at least a few voice lessons,� Michelle cut in.

�Nor I. Well, not voice lessons but piano lessons wouldn�t hurt either,� Christian agreed.

�Well young students, there�s really nothing more I can teach you. All I have to do is supply the music while you practice,� Mrs. Hurst informed them.

�What about the harp? I think I�ll need to know how to play that,� Michelle said.

Mrs. Hurst nodded in agreement. �I had forgotten about that,� she admitted. �I would be most happy to help you. But you must promise me you will practice, the both of you.�

Christian nodded sullenly, while Michelle grinned brightly at Mrs. Hurst.

It was going to be a long day.