As Long As You're Alive Here I Am

''Waste some time with you... Should've done something but I've done it enough By the way your hands were shaking rather waste some time with you.'' Anna and Bert sang together as Anna played the piano.

''You're getting better than me, banana. And I wrote the song!'' Bert said.

Anna grinned toothily at Bert. ''It makes my arm feel better.'' She said, looking down at her neon green cast.

''See, I knew playing the piano was great physical therapy.'' Bert said, wiping off the black and white keys with a dust cloth.

''Yup.'' Anna nodded, staring down at the dark ebony wood of the piano.

''Want to strum on Quinn's guitars?'' Bert asked, discarding the old cloth.

''Sure.'' Anna nodded, standing up.

Anna stood and waited for Bert to pull out a stool. She glanced over at the drums for a second.

*''Come on, Anna. Bang it a little harder than that. Gosh Banana, you are such a baby.''*

Branden's laugh filled Anna's thoughts. The first day she was introduced to a drum set was an event that Anna couldn‘t forget. Branden tried vehemently to get Anna to really play drums. Not just the soft taps Anna was emitting. Anna smiled to herself. She still found it funny.

''There you go, banana. Play me some 'Stairway To Heaven'.'' Bert said, handing Anna one of Quinn's acoustic guitars.

Anna took the guitar and sat on the stool. She began to strum with her right hand while her left moved up and down the neck of the guitar.

A minute later Bert jumped in his seat. ''Text message.'' Bert said, pulling out his vibrating phone from his back pocket.

*LAUNDRY DOOFUS
<3 JEPHA :P*

''Whatever.'' Bert muttered, closing his cell phone. ''Banana, I have laundry doodie. Are you okay here by yourself?'' Bert asked.

Anna nodded and continued strumming. Bert walked out of the room, leaving Anna all by herself. Anna continued with the guitar for a few more seconds before stopping. When she figured Bert was out f ear shot, she put the guitar down on the stool and stood idly in the middle of the room. She looked over at the drums. She walked over and sat behind them, picking up a pair of drumsticks.

''Come on, Anna...'' Anna repeated her brothers words. She gripped the sticks tighter. She lightly hit one of the snares.

''Shouldn't you bang it a little harder than that?'' Someone said.

Anna's head shot up from the worn out drumheads. Dan stood there in front of her with some new drumheads in his hands.

''Sorry. Did I scare you?'' Dan chuckled, opening up a clear plastic wrapper holding the drumheads.

Anna shook her head. ''No.'' She said, watching Dan awkwardly. She got up from behind the kit to let Dan sit.

Dan looked up at Anna and smiled. He walked around to the back of the drums and sat down. Anna watched quietly as he changed the drumheads.

''Why don't you change that?'' Anna asked, pointing at the 20/20 design on the bass drum.

''In respects to you.'' Dan said, looking up at Anna.

Anna nodded and picked up the guitar again. She continued her 'Stairway To Heaven' cover. In respects to her? What's that suppose to mean? Does he feel sorry for Anna? Anna shook her head. If anything irritated her it was sympathy. Especially when the person hadn't been in her situation.

''I don't feel sorry for you.'' Dan said.

Anna looked over at Dan. He was rather blunt. She nodded once and looked back down at what she was doing.

''Sympathy annoys me.'' Dan said. ''People get offended when I say that. Sorry-.''

''I agree.'' Anna muttered.

Nothing was said for a good two minutes. The soft tune of the song Anna was playing filled the room. Then a light tapping came. Anna looked over at Dan. He was playing in sync with Anna. Dan gave her a cheeky grin.

They finished the song together. ''Shouldn't you bang a little harder than that?'' Anna said, looking at Dan as she put away the guitar.

''Ha. Ha. Look who's talking.'' Dan smiled curtly.

Anna laughed and sat back down on the stool facing Dan. Dan looked at Anna while he played the drums.

''Bet you can't do that. Play without looking down.'' Dan challenged.

''How much?'' Anna smirked, standing up.

''Five bucks. And we shake on it. I've been cheated too many times.'' Dan said, getting up as well.

''Alright.'' Anna nodded and shook Dan's hand.

Dan handed over the drumsticks and sat down on the stool. Anna sat back down behind the drums and started a beat. She kept her eyes intently on Dan's. As she progressed Dan began making funny faces and stupid little dances. Anna tried hard not to laugh or look down.

''Have you blinked?'' Dan asked, leaning down only a foot from Anna's face.

''No.'' Anna found it hard to find her voice. Her heart had done some sort of flutter in her chest, catching her off guard.

Some force seemed to be pulling them together. Their faces weren’t even half a foot away. Only a few mere inches separated now. Their breaths grazed over each other's tingling lips. Right when the skin of their lips were only half a centimeter away from uniting Anna looked down.

''You owe me five bucks.'' Anna said quietly, looking down at the drumsticks in her hands.

''Right.'' Dan said, pulling out his wallet. ''Gambling just isn't for me.'' He chuckled awkwardly. ''Here you go.'' He held out the $5 bill. When Anna didn't reach up to get it, he dropped it onto the drums. He left the room right after with the empty plastic wrappers in his hand.

Anna looked up after she heard the door close. She looked down at the $5 and bit her lip. That was intense. She giggled to herself and stood up. Stuffing the bill into her pocket, she walked out of the music room. When she walked into the hall she saw Dan standing outside his room looking apprehensively at it.

''Hey Dan,'' Anna called and Dan looked up at her. ''You can change out the 20/20 design.''

Anna smiled and walked into her room.