Ten of Diamonds

2- Street Sense Is The Only Sense I Have

Zorro takes his time picking the lock. I'm sure he's doing the this just to spite me, and I'm about to say so until I hear the door open with a soft click.

"We're in," Jimi says like we're in a goddamn movie or something. I glare at him, but he knows I'm not really mad because he cheekily smiles back.

I enter to band room, immediately heading for the drums. It's a cobalt Ludwig Junior Outfit Drum Set that looks too good for our school. Hell, it looks too good for me. But that doesn't stop me from sitting on the drum seat banging out the simple rhythm that's been in my head all day. After a while, I let the song grow into something new and complex that I didn't even recognize, getting faster and faster until my arms hurt and I have to take a break.

Jimi whistles. "Dude, that was badass. You should join band."

I snort. 'Badass' and 'band' don't go together. "Why would I do that?"

"For one thing, you're better than Jonathan."

I make a face. Jonathan Raines was the current drummer for both marching and jazz band, as Jimi constantly reminds me. Last year, he overheard me playing and offered me a spot on the drums. I declined and told Jimi and Zorro that Jonathan had been a total jerk about it. The truth was, Jonathan was really nice about the whole thing and I was the jerk. A jealous jerk.

"Plus, you wouldn't have to break into the band room to play a real set of drums."

"We didn't break in," I say defensively.

Jimi looks at me.

"Okay, maybe we did break in. But no one cares anyway. We're not doing anything."

Jimi sighs. "Look man, I just want you to join. It'd be nice to have someone to talk to. Zorro's great, but we don't really have stellar conversation, if you know what I mean. No offense, Zorro."

Zorro shrugs. His real name is Zachariah, but the first words he'd ever spoken to me were "Call me Zorro." He didn't say anything to me after that for two months. I'm still kind of weirded out by him, but usually he's pretty chill.

"I'll think about it," I say, even though the three of us know I won't. The difference is, they thought I wasn't going to join because of Jonathan. The truth is, I'm not allowed to join in the first place. Both of my parents had decided that drumming was becoming too much of a 'distraction' and I couldn't play until my grade point average rose to a three. Like that would happen. Sometime in middle school they stopped believing me when I said I studied and tried hard in my classes. I really did, but I just couldn't concentrate. Anyway, that's the reason I snapped on Jonathan that day. I wish so badly that I could have the freedom he had to play whenever he wanted. And not just be allowed to play, but celebrated for it. God, that'd be amazing.

A long, shrill bell rings, reminding students that there's one minute left of lunch. Jimi and Zorro head for the door. "You coming, Josh?" Jimi asks.

"Nah. I'll meet you guys later."

They hesitate, then leave. I remember for a moment that I really could get in trouble for breaking into the band room and playing these drums, but I decide that I don't care. If I don't play, I'll lose my mind.

Checking to make sure the room is empty, I sit back on the Ludwig and pretend it's a DW Timeless Timber Romanian River Oak Drum Set. That kit's been in the back of my mind and the top of my Christmas list ever since I saw it in the music shop three years ago. Even without the grade thing, though, I knew I wouldn't be getting those drums for a long, long time. They cost 9,000 dollars, which really is too good for me, but that never stopped me from dreaming.