The music begins, and I step into the spotlight. I start to play, and everything around disappears. Nothing is important. Only the music. Then, the dreaded happens. I falter. I make a mistake. My finger hit the wrong key. My flute made the incorrect tone. I am less than perfect. I am worthless.

Out of nowhere, a young person appears, holding a violin. Playing. They went off of my mistake and made it beautiful. The spotlight splits, including the new comer. I kept playing, making sure not to stop the beautiful flow of notes washing over me. I wanted to drown in them. But I was less than perfect.

I didn't deserve to have this perfect music. Nor this perfect partner. But, the violin never stopped…

"Catherine, I'm glad that you let me work here at the circus." I said, receiving her hug.

"Trowa! I've been so worried about you! What happened after that live concert of yours?" She asked, releasing me then shaking my shoulders.

"I wandered. I'm quite used to it."

"But where did you sleep? What did you eat? Who was with you?"

Catherine. My sister. I love her as much as one can love a sibling. Not only did she take me in when I was a child; she also gave me a job. In her circus. A debt that cannot be repaid. Since she's my sister, it doesn't have to be.

"I was content."

"Oh," she said, looking down. "Who was that person on stage with you?

Everyone has been looking around for such a cute girl, but no one knows where she is."

"I don't know who that person was. And I don't know if that person was a girl."

"But she was so beautiful, and her features were so feminine! How could she not have been a girl?"

"You have said on many occasions that my best friends are beautiful, and you mistook Duo for a girl." Catherine blushed.

"Yes," she started, "but I realized my mistake after I heard him speak."

"But still, Catherine, the mistake was still there. Is it not possible that you are assuming an untruth?" I asked, proving my point. The mystery person could be either a male or female. It would be wrong to assume one.

"Yes, Trowa, you're right. Again." She sighed. "How is it that you always win arguments." Then, she looked straight at me and said, "That was a rhetorical question. Don't you dare answer it."

"I wasn't going to."

"That reminds me, Duo called earlier and said that he'd be coming over."

"I thought that he had a project in AP US History to do."

"That's why he's coming over." Inwardly, I groaned. Duo was intelligent enough to do his own work, but school was one thing in which he was lacking confidence. Not that I minded Duo coming over. No, of course not. He just always left the house like a tornado ran though it.

"This time, he's bringing Heero too." Catherine added, going back to her knitting.

"Alright, I'll receive them in my room when they come."

"It seems like everyone's heard that you've come back, Trowa." She mused to herself. I walked up the stairs and sat at my computer desk.

Logging on, I remembered that I hadn't practiced my flute at all today. So, while the computer was booting up, I went over to my bed, and picked it up. For some reason, my flute always feels natural. It's become a part of me. And, I'll be getting a new flute soon, for my birthday. My friends and Catherine all got together and bought me one, and asked me which one I wanted. I went to the store and tried them all out, and I found one that fit me, like mine, but it was a little heavy. I still like it though. I love the open holed keys and the gold lip-plate. The tone hole is a little large though. I'll get used to it.

Warming up on scales, I let my thoughts wander and my fingers to the work. Who was that person who saved my reputation? Who helped me on the stage that day? Or was it all a dream? The concert tour, the CD, everything?

"You've got mail." My computer chimed. How annoying that voice is, hence the many dents in my wall.

"Thank you for telling me." I replied, sarcastic. The computer was always cheerful. Why can't there be a demented, twisted, psychotic sounding person to say, "You've got some goddamn mail, kid, so click here now or I'll send Rayearth, Windam, and Selece to come and open a can of whoopass on you."

Yeah, I like Magic Knight Rayearth. So sue me. I like all that Japanese Animation. It's quite an art form. But where ever are you going to find giant robots, magical girls, or talking cats? I find the anime very refreshing, much more so than traditional Western cartoons. I like Batman though.

"So, what's in the old mailbox today?" I asked the computer. Skimming though the junk mail, my ff.net digests, and things from Duo, I spotted a name that I hadn't seen before. Quatre Winner. Immediately piquing my curiosity, I opened the message.

"Hello, Trowa Bloom. I was wondering if you remembered at your last concert the violin player? If you don't, just delete this right now, so that I don't sound like a complete idiot. If you do, then please, continue on. I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I stole your spotlight. I was backstage, a fan waiting to meet you, and I had my violin with me… one of my dreams was to play with you, and even though I fulfilled my dream, I am sorry that I did it with the whole world watching. Please accept my most sincere apologies, Quatre R. Winner"

Woah. This kid was apologizing?!? This person saved me! How could he or she possibly consider themselves like that? I decided to reply.

"Quatre, Honestly, I'm very glad that you came onto the stage that day. Otherwise, I would have been mortified. You have a great sense of timing, and you are a great player. We worked very well together. So, I accept your apologies even though I don't think any are needed. Please reply, I'm always looking for other good players. As ever, Trowa Bloom," I said and typed. So, what? I read what I type as I type it. Happens all the time in TV shows. Do you see those people ridiculed, no I think not.

"Quatre, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways!" Duo said, his head on my shoulder.

"Duo! Don't do that to me!" I said, putting my hand to my chest to make sure that my heart was still beating. Duo loved to startle me like that, and he did it all the time. "Besides, I have no clue who this person is!"

Duo arched an eyebrow at me, "You mean you don't know who this girl is!"

"How do you know? Quatre doesn't sound like a very feminine name." Heero asked, making his presence known. He sat on my bed, holding a wrapped package.

A package that looked like a flute case… and there was a smaller case next to it.

"Well, who else but a girl would have an interest in Trowa?" Duo asked, then blushed. "Never mind."

"You'd better say that, Duo." I warned. He and Heero had been "going out" for a few months now. Almost everyone in the school thought that Duo was a girl, so they didn't face any discrimination for their relationship. People are touchy about things like homosexuality these days. Since I personally have no problem with it, I don't mind their relationship, and we all got to talking and now they're my best friends. We are called the "3 Musketeers" at school, and we do have our D'Artangan. So, technically we are the "4 Musketeers", but no one really notices. Duo is D'Artangan, as he is the youngest in our clan. He's a junior. Duo's birthday is July, whereas the cutoff is in June, so he's stuck a year behind the rest of us. He's a Cancer-Leo cusp. Actually, that explains a lot. Wufei, a close friend also, is our Athos. Our father figure, the pillar of wisdom, what have you. His birthday is in January, and he's the oldest of us. He's an Aquarius, which only somewhat fits him; he's a lot more gregarious than a lot would believe. Heero, my best friend. He and I have basically gone through hell together. I helped him with the death of his father, and he helped me with being kicked out of my parent's home and moving in with Catherine, my older sister. Even though he is rarely like him, he's our Porthos. And I, I am the ever calm and peaceful Aramis. Everyone says that I am like him, and I do catch all the ladies.

But our D'Artangan and Porthos are together. That's something you'd never see in Alexandre Dumas' version. Anyway, Heero's my best friend, and he's like the brother I never had. Duo, well, Duo is just Duo. He is our cheerful person, making us forget our troubles and just move on. Wufei is one of the most caring people that I've ever met, even though he never shows it.

"That's why I said it, Trowa!" Duo said, hitting my back playfully.

"I wouldn't hit Trowa, Duo." Wufei said, stepping into my room. "He'll get all gymnast on you."

"So, what are you all here for?" I asked, "I thought that Duo had to get his AP US History project done."

Heero pulled on Duo's long chestnut colored braid. "Itai! Yeah, I do. But there was something more important that we needed to do."

"Happy Birthday, Trowa!" They said in unison.

TBC