Music Upstairs

When Nina moved to her new apartment in Boston, she loved everything about it. It was small but bright. There was only one problem: the music.

Every night at ten o'clock, someone upstairs started to play the piano. It was always the same song. Sometimes it stopped in the middle and started again.

After a week, Nina was very tired. She was too shy to knock on her neighbor's door, so she wrote a note: “Dear neighbor, your music is lovely, but I need to sleep. Could you please play earlier? Thank you. Nina, 3B.” She put it under the door of 4B.

The next day, there was a note under her door. “Dear Nina, I'm so sorry! I have an important concert on Saturday and I'm very nervous. I'll practice earlier from now on. Daniel, 4B.” Inside, there was a ticket for the concert.

From then on, the piano stopped at nine. Nina slept better, but she missed the song a little. She even sang it in the shower.

On Saturday, she went to the concert. The hall was full. When Daniel walked onto the stage, she was surprised. He was young, with curly hair and big glasses, and he looked very nervous.

Then he started to play. It was the song! But this time he didn't stop in the middle. He played it from beginning to end, and it was beautiful. Everyone stood up and clapped.

After the concert, Nina waited by the door. “Daniel? I'm Nina, from 3B.”

Daniel's face went red. “Oh no. The neighbor who couldn't sleep. I'm sorry about all those nights.”

“Don't be sorry,” Nina said. “Now I know that song better than you do!”

They both laughed. Then Daniel asked, “Would you like to get a coffee sometime? I promise I won't play the piano.”