Taking a Bite Out of the Moons

CH 4: The Mausoleum

MING'S POV

Yesterday when Yo didn't show up to school again I came up with a plan to find a way to see him.

Step 1: I started at the nurse's office, explaining to her I was one of the friends who came in with Yo earlier this week when he got hurt. Luckily, she remembered me. I told her how I had gathered all Yo's homework for him (which I really did) but Yo wasn't answering his phone. So, I asked if I could possibly have his house number to contact his butler about getting his homework to him. She thought about it for less than a minute before she said yes.

Step 2: I called his house and when the butler answered the phone I told him I was a friend of Yo's, and wanted to drop off the school work he had missed the last couple of days, so he wouldn't fall behind. He offered to come get the homework from me, but I whined a little bit about how I wanted to make sure my friend was ok, and he finally gave in and told me the house address.

Adults are so easy. You just need to know the right buttons to push.

Anyway, that's what got me where I am right now, walking down a long driveway towards a humongous house.

I'm heading towards the front door, when I hear piano music start playing from somewhere.

The music is strange, enchanting almost. It's slow and sad, and it practically makes you feel like crying. Without thinking too much about it, I turn away from the front door and follow the music around the side of the house. As I get closer the music picks up speed. I see a veranda with open doors in front of me and walk towards it. I step onto the veranda and can only stare at the site before me as the music hits a crescendo of haunting sounds that send shivers down my spine.

Yo is sitting behind a long black piano in an otherwise empty large circular room. The only light is the sunlight streaming in from the open veranda doors, but it doesn't reach to where Yo is sitting. He is slightly shadowed by the darkness, and it makes the whole scene seem eerier because of it.

I walk quietly into the room and as I reach his side I can see his eyes are closed as his fingers dance across the keys. He seems completely focused and entranced by what he is doing. As the music comes to a gentle, sad ending, he slowly opens his eyes, and they land on me.

He gasps and reels back, falling from his bench seat, but I quickly reach out and grab him, pulling him to me. His body is rigid, and I can feel his heart beat racing as I hug him tightly to my chest. I look down at him as he looks up at me. His face is so close to mine, I can feel his frantic breaths brushing across my skin. I quietly ask him, "Ai'Yo are you alright?"

"A-Ai'Ming?"

"Of course." I feel him start to relax against in my arms as he recognizes me.

"W-what are you doing here." He moves to pull away from me and I reluctantly let him, only holding his arms to help steady him.

"I brought you your homework." He's looking at me a little strangely. "From school."

"How did you know my classes?"

"Oh, that was easy. I talked to your home room teacher and he gathered everything you needed and gave it to me. Here it's in my bag, let me grab it for you."

I pull the bag off my shoulder and start rifling through it for his papers. When I find them, I hand them over to him. "Your home room teacher said you could have an extra few days to turn everything in. So, you don't have to turn it all in on Monday."

"Then why did you bring it? I could have just picked it all up on Monday at school." He's not looking at me again, he's talking to the floor.

"Oh, well. I wanted to see you. See how you were doing and everything." I reach my hand out to lift his head up. He jumps slightly when my fingers touch his chin, but doesn't pull away.

I smile at him when he looks at me, "Let me take a look at you." I turn his head slightly left then right. "Hmm, you seem ok. I see you're still wearing a bandage though. Are you feeling alright."

"I'm okay. Our doctor put in a few stitches and told me to stay home for the rest of the week, but said I could go back to school on Monday."

"I was worried when you didn't show up on Thursday or Friday. I realized I didn't have your phone number, so I couldn't call and check on you."

"Y-you were worried?"

"Of course, I was! We're friends. Forth asked about you too. I told him I was coming to see you today, and he was upset because he already had plans he couldn't change."

"No one from school has ever come to my house before."

"Oh. So, do you want me to leave?"

"No!" His face flushes bright red after his outburst. Even his ears are red. It's cute. "D-don't leave, ok?"

"Ok." I smile at him, "So, what do you want to do?"

"Do you want to see my room?"

"Sure." He smiles at me, takes my hand in his free one and starts pulling me from the room.

Even though the sun is shining outside, the house is cold and quiet. I'm feeling creeped out as he pulls me through the dark empty hallway, past several empty rooms. Our footsteps are echoing back to us with each step we take. This place is more like a mausoleum than a mansion.

Forth said Yo's family is super rich, why is some of this place empty? After walking a couple of minutes, we finally get to the main part of the house. At least it looks more 'lived in'. It's still dark and creepy, but there is furniture and some signs of life.

He heads us towards a set of stairs and we climb to the second floor. We enter another hallway and he turns his head to me and starts pointing, "This is my wing, that's my game room, that's my study room, and here is my bedroom."

He pushes open the door in front of us and I'm relieved to find his room is bright and cheerful, if a little messy. The curtains on the windows are drawn back, the windows themselves thrown open to enjoy the breeze. I look around and notice posters on the walls, model cars sitting on shelves next to figurines, along with stacks and stacks of mangas everywhere.

I chuckle and turn to him, "Do you like to read mangas, Ai'Yo?"

His cheeks blush pink again, "Y-yes. Do you read any?"

"Every now and then, but I prefer to be outside playing sports."

"I'm not very good at sports."

"That's ok, not everyone can be. Do you want to show me some of your mangas? You could show me which ones are the best."

He shakes his head yes and gives me a big smile. Then he starts running around his room digging through piles looking for his favorite books to show me.

It seems so easy to make him happy.

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A/N:

Thank you everyone for being so supportive of my new book! I'm trying not to stress out about living up to expectations!   :-]

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