Prologue: Phone bills are expensive
Prologue: Phone bills are expensive
Adagio sat on the suburban steps that lead up to her soon to be evicted apartment. She held her cellphone up to her ear, and had her head rested over her arms. In the earlier years of living here, the girls would sing to their landlord convincing him not to demand any sort of Adagio sat on the suburban steps that lead up to her apartment. A bright red sign hung on the door. It's dark bold letters read "Final Notice". She held her cellphone up to her ear, and had her head rested over her arms. 'It used to be so easy' Adagio thought. She and the other girls would hypnotize their landlord, and persuade him not to demand any sort of payment. But now their voices couldn't hit any rhythmic note. Their payment was finally due.
The phone went to voicemail and Adagio put it back in her pocket. She lifted her head and took in a deep breath of the cold night air. Her hands took shelter inside her hoodie and she wiped any remaining tears off the brim of her eyelashes.
Sonata opened the door of the apartment and peeked her head outside. Her voice was quiet and soft, "You gonna come back in soon? The paper work is on the table and I don't know how to fill them out." Sonata never had a good way with words but she seemed to be careful now. Any mention of the word 'bills', 'money', or 'pay' would sometimes set Adagio off like a firework.
Adagio was all out of juice. Even if she wanted to scream at the world about paying rent she couldn't. She sniffled and blinked fast, making sure her eyes were dry. "Yeah," she croaked. "I'm coming in, just play Jenga or something." She stood up and straightened out her tight hoodie. Then walked inside pretending not to notice the bright red sign.
"I can't play Jenga by myself," Sonata said as Adagio walked into the lobby room.
Adagio ascended up the stairs, keeping her hands in her hoodie pouch. "You do it all the time."
Sonata kept quiet and followed her sister. The two lived up on the third floor of the building. It was an expensive apartment. The living room connected to the kitchen by a halfwall, and it had two bedrooms. One for them to sleep in, the other to put their extra stuff in. Adagio liked to keep the place clean. Most of the useless stuff she and the others had acquired over the years got thrown into the spare bedroom. stuff like seasonal clothes, a skateboard, an extra coffee table, etc.
Adagio opened their room door. They lived in apartment C1-313. Every floor had a letter and then a number following the letter. Their apartment was dark, almost pitch black now that it was night time. Adagio pulled out a small keychain flashlight and made her way through the apartment.
She went to the kitchen and pulled out a pack of matches, giving them to Sonata. Sonata struck the first match and lit two candles that were on the kitchen table. She started to light candles all around the place- in the bathroom, living room, and bedroom. Before long the apartment looked like a romantic honeymoon get away. Sonata sat on the living room carpet, in front of the coffee table.
Adagio looked at the scattered papers on the kitchen table, there were more numbers than words. She took off her hoodie and placed it on the back of a chair. She looked up and watched Sonata set up another game of Jenga. She stacked all the blocks as if she was in some sort of speed competition. On the surface of the torn up box was a list, it had Adagio's , Aria's, and Sonata's names on it. It kept track of how many times each one of them made the tower fall. Below that list was a number- the tallest the tower has ever been, 25 was the number. One by one she began to take out and replace each block on the tower.
On the third block, Sonata's concentration got hindered. "I'm getting a shower," Adagio said.
Sonata turned around. "But don't you have to do the paper work?" she asked.
"I'm gonna get a shower," she repeated. "You should get one after me, they might cut off our water next."
She turned the hallway and opened up the bathroom door. Sonata stopped her before she entered. "After you fill out the paper work, will you play Jenga with me?"
"Maybe," Adagio said after walking into the bathroom and shutting the door.
The bathroom had a few candles lit in it. Adagio stripped down and turned on the faucet, then folded her clothes and set them on the toilet seat. After a few minuets she turned off the faucet and slipped into the hot bath water. She sunk down until only her head was above water. She reached out and grabbed a towel, placing it behind her head. Then closed her eyes and drifted to sleep on the makeshift pillow.
Adagio had made it a habit to take a nap in the bathtub. It was a place where she could be by herself and just rest. After letting go of the daily stress, her mind drifted and she fell asleep.
"Dagi dagi dagi dagi dagi dagi dagi!"
Adagio opened her eyes to see an electrified excited mess of blue hair in front of her. She couldn't help but smile at her silly sister.
Sonata got up and leaped to the doorway. "I already woke up Aria. Come on!" She ran down the hall way into the living room.
Adagio threw her covers off of her bed, and walked into the living room. Aria was sitting on the couch drinking a cup of coffee and watching TV. Sonata was on the carpet holding up a present for Adagio. Both of them were still in their pajamas, and under their Christmas tree were a pile of presents.
"Better hurry up, Adagio," Aria said. "If Sonata has to wait any longer I think she'll explode."
Adagio smiled and sat down next to Aria. Sonata grabbed two other presents and scooted next to Adagio on the couch. She gave one to Aria and one to Adagio, and kept one for herself.
"You... got yourself a present?" Aria asked.
"Um, kinda. I got everyone a present." Sonata smiled at both of them. "Well, open them up!" she yelped.
The three of them opened up their presents. Each one was the same, it was a black cloth necklace with a metal laced hole in the center. "It's a... collar?" Adagio asked. "I don't know if I want to know what you plan on using these for."
Aria held up the collar and squinted at it. "Meh, I've done weirder."
Sonata's jaw dropped. "It's not that kind of collar guys! It's a necklace, to put our magic gems in." She took her necklace and put it on and put the crystal in place. "See?"
"Oh," Adagio said as she put it on. "Is that really the best place for these things?"
"Meh," Aria said again. "I always kept mine in my bra."
Sonata crossed her arms and pouted. "Well I always thought they were pretty to look at, so why not put them on a necklace?"
"It's a nice gift, Sonata," Adagio said hugging her. "Alright, well who wants to go next?"
"It's a stupid holiday anyways," Aria grumbled, "Humans are crazy."
Adagio smirked at the grumpy Aria. "Well if it makes you feel any warmer, I got you something too." She stood up and grabbed a present from under the tree, and walked back toward Aria. "It took an awful lot of convincing, but I managed," she said handing the small wrapped box to her.
Aria tore the paper off and opened up the box. Her eyes grew wide as she pulled out a dark purple smartphone.
"I know how you broke your old phone after throwing it through a wall, and I know that you snapped your other track phone in half. So I got you this too as a precaution." Adagio gave Aria another small box that was already unwrapped. It was a life-proof case for the phone, colored with a dark purple shade. "If you manage not to smash it to pieces after a year, then maybe next year you'll get a laptop," Adagio smirked, "or a puppy."
"Oh, well... I uh, thanks err, you," Aria stuttered over her words, her face flushed and tried to hold back a smile.
Without warning, Sonata leaped over Adagio and dove onto Aria's lap, and hugged her. "It's because we loooove you," she said squeeing at Aria. "Did you get me a present?"
Aria sighed and pushed Sonata off of her. "Yes, I did," she conceded. She walked to the tree and pulled out a semi large wrapped box. "Here," she said handing the box to Sonata.
Sonata's eyes were huge like a cat's at nighttime. She took the box and rolled off the couch, kneeling on the floor. She shook the box and heard the clatter of what seemed to be a bunch of blocks.
"I didn't think you'd actually get her anything," Adagio said smiling at Aria.
"Yeah, well. It wasn't for her," Aria defended. "I was just out shopping, and it just caught my eye, it's nothing I would've wanted." She crossed her arms and avoided eye contact with either of her sisters.
Sonata ripped off the wrapping paper, and exposed a blue colored box. "Jenga?" Sonata asked turning her head at the word. She completely unwrapped it and her confusion turned into amusement. "Nothing stacks up to Jenga! Hah, get it Dagi? Cause the blocks are-"
"Yes I get it sweetie they're stacked."
"I knew this was a bad idea," Aria mumbled face palming.
Sonata opened the box... upside down and all the blocks spilled over the table and floor. Sonata gasped, "Dagi! Aria! Lets play!"
Adagio kneeled down beside Sonata. "How do we play?" she asked, picking up some of the blocks off the floor.
"I think we just stack the blocks like this," Sonata pointed to the cover of the box, "and we take turns removing the blocks."
"It's... literally just stacking blocks?"
"I think so," Sonata said.
Aria mumbled again, "Simple game for the simple minded."
"Oh come play with us, Aria," Adagio said, watching Sonata stack the blocks.
Aria sighed and sat down on the other end of the table. "Fine," she said. "But just for one game."
~3 hours later~
"Okay your turn, Aria!" Sonata shouted.
Adagio looked up and sipped on a cup of hot chocolate, "I'm surprised. The tower's getting pretty tall."
"After our ninth try," Aria slurred. She reached up and took out a block near the top. After placing it with the other blocks, the tower leaned and fell on Adagio. Some of the blocks landed in her drink.
Sonata laughed and Aria stood up. "Welp, looks like I made the tower fall again, we should eat," Aria said stretching her arms.
"Oh please please please play one more game," Sonata said clasping her hands together.
Aria looked at her sister and her stern face fell soft. "Oh okay, just one more alright?"
Adagio opened her eyes and looked at the dark stagnant water. The candles beside her had gone down only a little bit, a short 10 minute nap was all she needed... well almost. She turned her head on the towel and watched the candle's flame flicker and spit. Behind the candle, and across the bathroom only two towels hung on the towel rack. One was orange and the other was turquoise. The third one laid scrunched up on the floor, it's purple color blended in with the dark background.
Back in the living room, Sonata reached up and placed another block on top of the tower. "Eh, one more and it'll be twenty six," she whispered, sticking her tongue out. Her cautious fingers placed the block on the top and the tower fell over, clattering on the table and floor. She grabbed the pencil and erased her number on the box, it now read 419 for her. 419 times she had made the tower fall. Adagio and Aria came nowhere close to that record.
Sonata leaned back and looked down the still and silent hallway. She stood up and looked over at the kitchen table which was scattered with papers. "Hmm, can't be too hard. Dagi always says I can't do anything."
She walked around the couch and over to the kitchen table. She didn't understand what most of the papers were for, but the top of one read in bold red letters, FINAL NOTICE. "Well, now I notice." She moved some of the papers around and turned some of them over. One of them had list of purchases over the last month and another had a list over over due bills. Most of the prices were small, but one caught her eye.
Phone:----------$436.46
"That's a lot," she said to herself. "I barely use my phone, and we don't pay Aria's anymore..." Sonata spotted Adagio's hoodie on the back of the chair. She reached in the hoodie pouch and to her surprise she pulled out two phones. One was Adagio's older smartphone- orange and it looked used. The other was Aria's phone, the one she got at Christmas. Aria's phone didn't look like a new phone, beneath the bent safety case the screen was shattered.
Sonata's eyes followed the phone's crack to a different crack on one of the tiles on the wall, above the sink.
Adagio walked into the apartment with her arms crossed and teeth gritting against each other. Sonata and Aria followed behind her. "This is your fault, idiot!" Aria shouted pointing her finger against Sonata's chest. "Maybe if you weren't so damn oblivious to everything, we could've pulled it off!"
"Dagi said all I had to do was stand up on stage and sing," Sonata said shoving Aria.
"You even screwed that up!" Aria shouted. "You're the worst singer out of all of us!"
Tears washed over Sonata's eyes, she blinked a few times trying to get rid of them. "Yeah? Well, I... do not like you too!"
Aria stepped back, putting her hands up sarcastically. "Oooooh, tough words coming from the mental cripple of the family!"
Adagio had enough of this. She stormed toward Aria. "Just shut up! We literally just got our magic ripped out of us, and this is what you're resorting to?"
"Cause it's always her fault!"
"No it's not!" Adagio pushed Aria against the door.
Aria lunged forward and pushed Adagio across the living room. Adagio fell over the coffee table and got back up walking to the kitchen. Sonata covered her eyes with her hoodie sleeves and ran down the hallway to her room.
"And all you ever do is play this stupid game!" Aria picked up the packed Jenga box and chucked it down the hallway as Sonata closed the door. The box landed on the ground and tore open, spreading the blocks all the way down the hall. Sonata jumped on her bed and scrunched her knees up to her face, pulling her hood over her hair.
A few thumps and muffled cries could be heard from the other side of the wall, from where Sonata curled up.
"Uh! Get off me!" Adagio yelped. The sound of plates and silverware hitting the ground clattered around the apartment. Sonata tugged on her hoodie and stayed curled up on the bed, sobbing quietly. 'Was it her fault?' she thought. She knew she wasn't as sharp as Adagio, and was never as strong minded as Aria.
More muffled shouts came from the living room from. "Oh? You're threatening me to leave?" Aria shouted out.
"I am."
"Well you don't need to threaten me! I hate you both!" The sound of boots stomping on the ground vibrated Sonata's door. The squeaky hinges on the apartment door spread open. "I wish I was an only child!" One last thing was thrown, it sounded like a small metal object hitting the tiles on the kitchen wall.
After that it was dead quiet. A few moments later the bedroom door opened up and Adagio walked in. Her frizzled hair shot out in all directions, and her dress was torn. She walked onto Sonata's bed and hugged her tight. Sonata buried her face into Adagio's shoulder.
Sonata rubbed her eyes and looked back at Aria's broken phone. Out of curiosity she tried turning it on, and to her surprise not only did it work- it was fully charged. Across the screen were many missed calls, all from Adagio.
Aria's phone had a lock on it, but Adagio's didn't. She opened up Adagio's phone and looked at all her recent calls. Every one was to Aria's number, some were many hours apart while others were only a few minutes apart. Sonata looked back and forth between the two phones for a moment and then called Aria's. It rung a few times, but after a few rings it went silent, and then the voicemail came on.
"You've reached Aria~ If I don't respond it's because I'm... playing Jenga with Sonata." -Sonata's voice blared from the background- 'It's your turn Aria!' "I'm coming, Hold on! Leave your message after the beep!"
A short high pitched beep came afterwards. Sonata set both of the phones back down and turned around. Behind her was Adagio, dressed in her pajamas and holding back tears. "I miss her, Sonata. How much I would pay just to hear her voice again."
Sonata walked to Adagio and hugged her tight. The two stood there, hugging each other in their dark and cold apartment. Adagio let go of the hug and looked at Sonata, "You should get a shower now. I took a bath so you could still have some hot water."
Sonata sniffed and said back, "Are we going to get kicked out of here? I don't want to leave."
Adagio opened her mouth but she didn't answer. A few seconds went by before she did, "We'll be fine, Sonata. As long as we stay together. Now go get a shower."
Sonata nodded and walked down the hallway into the bathroom. After the door closed, Adagio walked into the living room and sat on the couch. She looked down at the coffee table and picked up the fallen Jenga pieces. She began to stack them up and after the tower was complete she started to remove each block, one by one.
