Chapter 1: Peachy
Echo Maxwell was teaching Alice how to play the piano. Or more plainly,a few simple notes "hot cross buns" He took a few moments to fondly remember the first time he had played that song. He was three? No scratch that, Two and a half? Give or take Echo wasn't good with numbers. His brain thought music, Not math. So at this time he was taking a trip down memory lane. "odd" thought Echo, I'm beginning to think like my father. (Echo's father was always using odd phrases and metaphors like that). Oh yes thought Echo he also plays an important part in this particular memory. Echo certainly was an odd boy, he was pretty sure no one else edited their memories. But then again Echo was a bit of a perfectionist. Echo returned to his memory but was Quickly interrupted by Alice's shouts penetrating his eardrum. "Echo Iv' got it!" She exclaimed, "yes?" said Echo still a bit irritated at being interrupted, "would you kindly play it for me then?" he asked, Alice looked unsure of herself, b ut she sat down next to the keyboard despite her obvious fear, She then proceeded to play the worst version of "hot cross buns" (if it could still be called that), that Echo had ever had the displeasure to hear. Echo threw his hands up in the air. "I give up!" he said, "That's enough for today!" Alice giggled, "sorry" she said in a quiet voice. "I guess I'm not cut out for music". "well" exclaimed Echo jokingly, "You have certainly got that right". "hey!" Alice whined, "don't be mean" "You'll make me cry". Alice began to fake sobs. “not bad”... “perhaps drama is your thing instead?”. “To be or not to be that is the question” she shrieked, “Whether ti's-”... She paused, “I forgot the rest”. Echo laughed, “your always forgetting things”. “Anyways are you ready for school tomorrow?”
“yup” She replied, Iv’ got my backpack,my binder,my notebook and, my Swiss army knife- “correct me if I’m wrong” said Echo, “But don’t most schools strictly forbid blades on campus?”. “Oh do they?” said Alice innocently, “But then how am I going to defend you from the big hulking bullies?”. “Ha ha very funny” Said Echo sarcastically, “We both know your only a foot taller than me” (Echo was a bit sensitive about his height). There was a knock at the door. “Room service!” called Alice’s mother, She entered the room and, set a plate of brownies on the floor. “So how are the piano lessons going?” she inquired, “Just marvelous Mrs. Larson!” said Echo with buckets of sarcasm, “Your daughter is a regular young Bach!” Alice’s mother chuckled. Alice giggled. “At least I tried”.

At eleven thirty Alice’s mother left for work. She was in the real estate business, so Alice was home alone a lot. Alice’s father had died when she was young It was a sensitive topic, so Echo didn't bring it up often. Alice popped a tape into the VCR and, they watched “chitty chitty bang! bang!” for the next two or so hours. Echo hated songs that got stuck in his head, But he loved them too. When the tape ended Alice got a monopoly set down of her shelf. Alice was banker of course, money was is numbers and, numbers didn’t mean a thing to Echo. Alice won, She always did. At seven o’clock Echo left for home. He lent Alice his keyboard. “Perhaps you can practice” he had said,

Echo hummed a tune to himself as he walked, the cold Autumn air chilling him even through his jacket. “Well... despite what tomorrow would be like, today went rather well” he thought to himself, It reminded him of one of his fathers old records “The grateful dead?” Echo thought that was the bands name, but despite his earlier words, Echo wasn’t much better at remembering things than Alice. “But things did go nicely today” he murmured under his breath, “Just Peachy”. “Oh dear” thought Echo, “I’m beginning to sound like my father again.