Mr. Stump

Awake And Alive

The days seem to be endless when I was with Patrick, but as the weekend came to a close and the school doors echoed through the newly waxed floors, our secret relationship was to be kept under lock and key. Every student, teacher, and staff dreaded the beginning of a new week, the only plus side to Mondays was that on Mondays we had the chance to change a class for an elective. This day, Me, Angie, Kristina and Pete all choose Music just so that we can be together for a period besides Gym and Lunch.

Entering the Music classroom you were greeted by posters of rock gods, dank pot smoking hippies and the well known legends of musical advancement. Any instrument you wanted to learn was packed into this small, underfunded class, but our teacher Mr. Trohman. His wild, black locks were frizzy and knotted like he just got done sleeping in the closet. He was sitting cross legged on his desk eating what looked like a pear.....or an old peach? Didn't matter because as soon he saw the four of us enter his face lit up like a porcelain doll coming right out of its box.

" Whats up Get Up Kids?" He says opening his arms in acceptance. I had no idea why he called us the Get Up Kids but, it sounded cool and it fit our small group of outcasts. " So glad to see you again Mr. T" Pete says doing the weird handshakes that guys do while me, Angie and Kristina take our usual seat with the giant piano, drums and guitar in the farthest corner of the room. Mr. Trohman climbs down from his perch and motions his hand towards me and Pete. " Was it me losing my hearing or do I remember hearing last week that Angie wanted Pete and you to drum each other to the next....dimension was it?" I chuckle looking at Angie who's face became more excited about it being Monday. " Oh shit that's right. Cmon Sanders you could totally take Pete down " I lower my head and shake it " Nah Ang, Pete is better at drums than I am..-"

"BULLSHIT SANDERS" Angie interrupts me and yanks my arm up from my sitting position and shoves me towards the drum kit. I stumble onto the seat and see the sticks laying on the snare, begging to be banged. I look up to Angie and Kristina grabbing the guitars and plucking them to hear the tuned strings sing out. Kristina is the first to start as she begins to strum a song I know all too well. Awake and Alive by Skillet. Angie begins as well and before I know it my hair is flying and my arms have made those drum sticks apart of my arm, apart of my heart and soul. Pete starts to sing the lyrics

I'm at war with the world and they
Try to pull me into the dark
I struggle to find my faith
As I'm slippin' from your arms

Angie sings the second part of the first verse

It's getting harder to stay awake
And my strength is fading fast
You breathe into me at last

Then the chorus hits and in a sense we all lose ourselves in the words, like a vortex of everlasting sounds and vibrations pulsating through our very beings. The hum of the guitar rushes through or blood, the drums fill our brains with a discomforting bliss and the voice leads us through the everyday hell we call life.

I'm awake I'm alive
Now I know what I believe inside
Now it's my time
I'll do what I want 'cause this is my life
here (right here), right now (right now)
I'll stand my ground and never back down
I know what I believe inside
I'm awake and I'm alive

We go on through the song, I feel the sweat drip from my brow and onto the drums. My legs burn with such a powerful sensation of satisfaction. My arms are on the brink of going up in smokes as we enter the last verse

I'm awake I'm alive
Now I know what I believe inside
Now it's my time
I'll do what I want 'cause this is my life
here (right here), right now (right now)
I'll stand my ground and never back down
I know what I believe inside
I'm awake and I'm alive

Waking up waking up
Waking up waking up
Waking up waking up
Waking up waking up

And to the last note we play just like the members of Skillet. As I look up from the rims and foot pedal I see the room that once was desolated was now filled and pouring out the door. Each and every kid standing began clapping in vigor and erupted into a loud crash of approval. Angie, Kristina and Pete all turn back to me with the same dumbfounded face that I was making.

" I must admit Angie, I do agree that we are in the next dimension " Mr. Trohman comes out from the central area of the students as they began to flood back to their original classrooms. Kristina smiles and I can......see her cheeks kinda glow with blush? I brush back my hair to see clearer but she moves away to put her guitar down. My knuckles have became overlapped in pure white from gripping the drum sticks so tight. When I release them my hands are in somewhat claw form and ache. God, its been forever since since I played that hard.

I exhale loudly and rise from my seat, all the blood rushes through my head and my sight goes for a second or two along with my footing. I feel myself crash into a desk or two and then a sturdy body. "Jeez Kora, too much bang for your buck?" Pete says helping me regain my stature. I chuckle and pat Pete in appreciation as I plop down on a desk and let my forehead press against the cool desk. "Yeah Kora, go ahead a catch your breath" Mr. Trohman says as I drift into a dark slumber with my arms wrapped around my head to close off the rest of the blinding light.