It's Got a Beat, Mr. Jones

And I'm a Happy Person!

Mona sat silently by the upright piano. It was red. She was staring at the white and black keys. Eugene was still sitting on the couch a few yards away. Rosetta had gone upstairs to get something. Bobby was still talking with his father. Mary was holding Odette now. Francesca was in the kitchen making dinner.
"Play something," Rosetta said as she walked down the stairs.
Mona looked up at Rosetta and smiled.
"Okay," Mona said. She slowly started to hit notes onto the piano, softy at first and then louder and louder.
Mona smiled at Rosetta again. Rosetta nodded her head as a silent sign telling Mona to let loose. Mona began to play faster and faster until a distinct boogie woogie sound was coming from the piano. Her fingers were barely seen as she flicked key after key. Eugene watched in surprise.
Mona jokingly put her leg up on the piano sometimes using her heel to hit a key. Rosetta and Bobby were laughing at Mona's antics, and Mary watched in surprise. Mr. Rossi gave her a slightly annoyed look.
"Don't smudge the keys again," Mr. Rossi said.
"I won't," Mona said hitting another key with her heel.
Rosetta sat down by Mona on the bench. Mona left her leg up, but didn't use it to play notes with her sister so close in proximity.
"Bobby, you're better at lyrics than me, got any for this?" Rosetta asked.
"The beat is too fast. I'm not Little Richard or Chuck Berry. I can't sing that fast," Bobby said.
Mona laughed. "What should our song be about?" She asked still banging on the piano.
"What's music usually about these days?" Mr. Rossi asked.
"Sex," Rosetta said laughing.
Eugene blushed. He looked down at his hands.
"Does sex make you uncomfortable?" Rosetta asked standing up and walking towards Eugene.
Eugene looked down at his hands. "A little," He said.
Mona was still playing the piano. She chose to ignore her sister in this instance. Rosetta sat laid across the couch and wrapped her arms over Eugene's shoulders. Eugene tried to stand up, but Rosetta's arms held him down. Eugene looked over at Mona for support, but Mona was still playing the piano, now at a slower tempo.
Mr. Rossi shook his head. "Don't do that to the poor boy," He said.
Rosetta laughed and kissed Eugene on the cheek before standing up. "Mona, you better be careful or Rosetta's gonna steal your man," Bobby said.
Mona laughed. "She wouldn't dare," She said still playing the piano. She was speeding up the tempo again.
"The lights were low in the room.
I thought I was alone,
But then I saw you in the corner
Weeping your poor eyes out
And I couldn't help
But approach you on a whim.
You stopped crying so quickly.
You dried your eyes on my sleeve.
I think I fell in love with you right then..." Mona sang softly.
Rosetta sat down beside Mona.
"Some people say men shouldn't cry,
But I found you that way.
Maybe more men should cry.
I found my love that way..." Rosetta sang.
Mona slowed the notes down again.
"I fell in love with you and dried your tears too...
But you decided you had to leave and left me...
I was alone once again in a room with low lights...
Wondering what it would be like had I never met you..." Mona sang.
"Had I never met you..." Rosetta echoed.
"Now I agree that men should never cry...
I found you that way...
The one man I loved,
But lost anyway..." Mona sang slowing down the music until it was silent.
Rosetta looked at her little sister. Mona smiled at Rosetta. "I wish I could write music that wasn't sad," Mona said sticking out her lip.
Rosetta shook her head. "Everything ends up sad with you," She agreed.
Mona laughed. "And I'm a happy person!" She exclaimed.
Eugene looked over at Mona. "You have such a purtty voice," He said.
"The devil's mouth needs a purtty voice to sing rock and roll," Mona said laughing.
Eugene laughed with her. Rosetta began to play the piano. She wasn't as good as Mona.
"I wish I'd brought my bass," Bobby said.
Mona smiled. "We could have had a jam session," She said.
"I've got my guitar," Rosetta said. She had stopped playing the piano.
"It's not the same," Bobby said.
"I could play my guitar," Rosetta said rolling her eyes at her brother. "I'm better with it anyways."
Mona nodded. "Go get it!" She exclaimed excited.
Rosetta nodded and began to walk up the stairs. She sang Git It quietly under her breath. Bobby looked over at his father. "Do you still have the bass I bought after my first gig?" He asked.
Mr. Rossi scratched his chin. "I don't remember..." He said.
"Can I check the the attic?" Bobby asked.
"Oh, sure," Mr. Rossi said. "It's there if we still have it."
Bobby stood up and walked up the stairs as well. Mona began to play the piano again.
"Do you know any country music?" Eugene asked.
"I know how to sing and play The End of the World," Mona said. "I can play a little bit of Young Love too... I guess those aren't really country songs, are they?"
Eugene frowned a little. "I wish ya knew a few more songs, but The End of the World would be nice," He said.
Mona laughed and began to play the piano part of Skeeter Davis's song The End of the World. "Why does the sun go on shining?" Mona began to sing.
"Why does the sea rush to shore?" Eugene sang walking over and sitting next to Mona.
Mona laughed and smiled at Eugene.
"Don't they know it's the end of the world," Mona and Eugene sang together.
"Cause you don't love me anymore..." Mona sang quietly on her own.
Mona looked up at Eugene. He was smiling down at her. She sat higher on the piano bench and kissed him on the lips. Eugene blushed bright red and turned away from her.
Mona laughed. "Why are you so embarrassed?" She asked.
Eugene mumbled something about her father being in the room. Mona looked over at her father and laughed again. She wrapped her arms over her fiancé's shoulders. "It's just a kiss," She said.
Eugene blushed some more. "Don't do that to the poor boy," Mr. Rossi said.
"Fiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnneeeee..." Mona groaned. She dropped her hands from Eugene's shoulders and went back to the piano.
Rosetta walked down the stairs with her guitar. She was strumming a tune on it. Mona matched the tune she was playing on the piano with the tune Rosetta was strumming. Rosetta smiled. Bobby came down the stairs empty handed.
"I couldn't find it," He said.
Mona frowned. "Oh well, a piano and a guitar are fine," She said. "You can sing."
Bobby smiled. "Only if Mary sings with me. As I recall she had a very pretty voice," Bobby said.
Mary laughed. "You aren't recalling right. I've had a bad voice my whole life," She said.
"Come on Mary! Even Eugene sang!" Mona said.
Eugene was still sitting next to Mona. He rested his chin on her shoulder. Mona smiled.
Mary frowned. "Alright, but you'll regret it..." She said.
Bobby smiled at her. "I doubt that," Bobby said.
"What should we sing?" Rosetta asked.
"Be-Bop-A-Lula!" Mona exclaimed.
"Something that came out in the last ten years," Rosetta insisted.
Mona groaned. Bobby looked up. "How about Monday, Monday?" He asked.
"I don't know the piano part for that," Mona said.
"What about Unchained Melody?" Rosetta asked.
Mona grinned and began to play the piano.
"You just asked for a song that came out in the last ten ears and you choose one that was written like ages ago!" Bobby exclaimed.
Rosetta grinned. "What? I realized I didn't know that many songs that came out in the last ten years so I chose one that was covered in the last ten years," She said and began to strum her guitar.
Bobby shook his head. Mary laughed slightly and looked up at the clock.
It was six thirty.