chad
"smith, detention after school."
the algebra teacher, mrs jones said, waking me from my nap. I sat up in the desk, honestly questioning where I was.
oh. school.
how I hated school. not that I wasn't smart, I was average, I guess. but the fact of being stuck in a desk for 7 hours of your childhood, when one could be out hanging with friends, creating bonds, having fun. something these school teachers didn't under stand. I wasn't even deemed "unpopular" or "uncool," I was just chad.
"chad. to the office now."
the teacher slapped a yellow slip of paper onto my desk, again waking me from my sleep. jolting up right, I looked up at her and rolled my eyes. taking my book and yellow slip of paper I stomped out the class room and slammed the door behind me, leaving a big crash as the plastic blinds smacked against the glass window.
"fuck this and fuck that!"
I yelled down the barren hall way. making laps around the school I avoided the main office, slipped out side and sat down at a near by bench and looked up at the sky, breathing in the fresh autumn air. tree branches had fallen around the bench, in the shapes of drum stick.
why not?
I picked up two sticks of the same length and size, and went to town on my "dumb kit," which consisted of a old wooden bench, a pile of leaves and my text book, all creating an interesting array of sounds.
I cringed at my failure, but smiled at my cleverness to make a drum kit out of every day objects. i've always wanted to drum, for my own fun or for a band, but never had any true lessons or teachings or even my own drum kit let alone.
my dream would be to be the drummer of my very own rock band, but that was far fetched, never in my future. it couldn't happen, you would have to be so lucky and blessed to have that happen to you, band success.
from outside the school I could hear the bell, saying it was next period, the second to last period of the day. and then I'd have to serve another 2 hours of detention after school, again. either it was for sleeping in class, or being 'loud and disruptive' with my banging of pencils and pens on my desk, books, and even own body.
the hallways were filled with kids, over flowing with kids. two boys were in the clever talking, looking over at me, then talking again. I was in a cocky mood, so I went over.
"hey you dick what are you talking about?"
I asked the shorter one with a slight Afro going on. he look up at me a little worried, then over at his friend, then me again.
"um um nothing,-"
his accent wasn't from around here. he had a little gap in his tooth, he looked like a little scared boy. his friend on the other hand, pushed in front of him, protecting him.
"hey don't mess with him. he's new. now you listen to me you jerk, I see your yellow slip, we got them too. so we will be seeing you in detention after school today."
the taller one with dark brown hair shot back, making me even step a few steps back. he looked as if he would turn in to a dog and rip out my jugular, so I stepped back be fore I lost a body part.
"damn weird kids in this school."
I mumble to myself as I make perfect timing to my last class, bio, were the crush of my life, bev calihan was my lab partner. her eyes were big and blue, like the ocean at noon, her figure was an exact hour glass, she didn't walk, she floated along like a goddess and she melted and stolen my heart without her even knowing. just, I didn't have the balls to tell her I loved her.
she sat down next to me and the lab table, and I already felt that weird sensation of being "excited." secretly I squirmed in my stool, trying to not make it obvious that I had a boner.
damn being a man. damn boners and dicks.
bev looked over at me and flashed her perfect smile, capturing me in a trance. I dumbly smiled back, as if I was under a spell. she was a angel in my eyes. she was perfect. and in every way I wanted her to be mine, but when. when would she be mine. it felt like she never would be. and that thought sickened me to my stomach.
"chad are you okay?"
she asked in her soft, sugary sweet voice. bev looked at me and scooted closer to me behind the lab table. she put her tiny hand on my shoulder and squeezed it, making me get more and more excited.
"yes bev i'm fine, just tired and a little head cold that's all."
I fibbed. she caused my awkwardness and sick looking ways. I was nervous around her. I chuckled, and she giggled back, removing her hand and finishing her notes. I did the same, peaking over to make sure I had the right answers. after I copied bev's notes into my notes, tweaking here and there to make it seem like it's mine, the final bell rang and the day was over for the "good" students. now the detentions were held.
I pulled the yellow slip out of my book and looked at the room number, room 142, my algebra teacher's room. I crumpled the paper up as my blood began to boil. I didn't have anger issues, I just hated teachers for never understanding students.
peaking in the glass of the door, I saw those two kids I encountered early in the day sitting in there one behind the other chatting before 2 hours of hell started. slowly I opened the door and stepped in. the room silenced, watching and waiting for me to do or say some thing. yet nothing came out of my mouth, except that I moved to the very far back corner of the room and sat in the farthest desk from the front of the room.
"hey!"
the one with the odd accent said again, waving back at me. his afro was poofing out more then before, with the growing heat of the day. I shifted in my seat, declining his gesture. the taller more americanized one waved and said 'hey' as well, and even then I didn't reciprocate any kindness.
they went back to their little chat and I still sat back alone. picking up a chewed up pen and a half broken pencil, again, I started aimlessly banging away on the desk and my book, blocking out the two boys in the room. my eyes closed, and I was engulfed in the thought of me being on stage, drumming my heart out for all to hear and to be in a band, be as great as john Bonham, may be better.
no. no ones better then john Bonham.
I jokingly reassured myself. after my little fake drum solo I reopened my eyes, and the two boys were standing in front of my desk, wide eyed.
"where you learn that mate?"
the short one asked. I shrugged.
"picked it up over years, no formal lessons, no formal drum kit. would like one, but, you know."
I brush my drumming off as no big deal, but the two buds press on about it. the tall one leans forward and whispers.
"me and my bud here, we got a band, but we don't have a drummer right now, do you think you'd wanna join?"
he said quietly, as if his band was the next best thing and every drummer in the world wanted in, and he picked me, a non experienced school loser. I felt honored in some weird way.
"yea, hell yeah!"
I say, getting louder and smile with my realization that damn, i'm in a band.
