Rebel: A Monstercat Fanfic

049 - Sunrise

Song of the Chapter: This Feeling - Noisestorm (Electro)

(Evee's POV)

"So ... how'd it go?"

Noisestorm looks up at my question, confused for a second. "Oh? That? Um ... pretty well, actually. Thanks for your help."

We're sitting in the kitchen of a house - Laura says that it's her grandmother's friend's sister's house or something complicated like that. Whatever the relationship, it's a safe place to stay for a day or two, at least until things cool down with the MI and whoever Jensen's working with. I'm surprised with all this music stuff here. I would have expected the owner to take down and hide away all of this stuff. I guess the MI didn't have the heart to arrest a eighty-something year old grandma.

Noisestorm pauses his doodling to rub his arm and wince. "What happened?" I ask.

"I earned a hit that's gonna stay with me until my grandkids can feel it," he mutters, his voice holding a teasing tone. "At least, that's what Phantom said."

"I thought you said everything went well?"

"It did - until he started joking with me and I went off on a song-title-pun-rant. Then he punched me." He glances up at me. "Do you get it? It's even funnier if you get it."

"Get what?"

"The joke ... you know, hitting me ... okay, never mind. It's a guy thing." He chuckles a little and changes the subject. "Don't ever become Phantom's enemy, you got it? He can smile like a kitten one moment and beat you up the next, and you'll never see it coming."

"Got it," I laugh. I yawn and then say, "If you don't mind, I'm going to go find a room to sleep in. I'm still exhausted."

"Go ahead," he says, pausing his art once more to look up and smile. "Goodnight, Evee."

I go downstairs into the basement to find a room that's not occupied by boys. I'm glad they're not all here, or else I probably wouldn't be able to find a place.

I pause as I pass a closed door and hear something - music, piano music, to be exact. I lean against the door and listen. Whoever-it-is is playing one of my favorite sonatinas, which is the only reason I know its name. It's Kabalevsky's Op. 13 No. 1. He finishes the piece with a bang rather than a gentle touch, like I was always taught. I like it better loud. He moves on to the third movement, but only plays a few measures before stopping, like he forgot how it goes. He changes pieces and plays Waterfall instead, by John Schmitt. I bet everyone would recognize that song, even if they don't know the name. I expect him to play it softer, because after all, music is still forbidden, but he plays it as loud as it's supposed to go. After he's finished with that, he plays another modern piece I don't recognize, but still enjoy, and then plays a couple chords of a song I heard Tristam singing once ... though I forgot the name. Then, he switches again and plays a sort of repetitive song I assume is another EDM song from the label. The pianist plays the last chord, the notes lingering in the air, and I start to open the door to tell him how amazing that was.

The door opens seemingly by itself and I go down with a squeal, falling right at Phantom's feet.

"Oh ... hey ... " he says awkwardly.

I scramble back up before he can help me. "Hi. Uh ... that was beautiful. All of it."

His cheeks turn pink. "Thanks," he mumbles.

"How long have you been playing?"

"Since I was four ... I had to quit when I was about fourteen. My sister couldn't pay for the lessons that long after my parents' death."