My Peculiar Man

Nine

I felt my cheeks heat up, trying my best to bite back the angry retort on the tip of my tongue. 

Okay. I had to remember that he didn't know what he was saying. He didn't mean it.

I had to remember that he was autistic.

I saw Salman the music instructor laughing behind the computer screen.

"I...uh..." I was a terrible singer? Really?

 What do you say to that? Thank you for being so brutally honest?

"It's okay, you know," he said, not seeing how hard I was trying to act nonchalant. " Salman can teach you too."

"Oh... that's okay. I am not actually planning on becoming a singer like you."

 Was I really such a terrible singer? 

I knew I wasn't a great singer. I mean I knew I couldn't be the next American Idol. But I always thought I sang okay. Like passable. Maybe do a few karaoke songs without people hurling shoes at me. 

An hour later, the thought was still tormenting me. 

I was walking into Becca's living room still fuming when a horrible sound startled me out of my senses. 

It was a cacophony of metallic smashings and crashings.

I clapped my hands over my ears, trying to stop the horrible sound from damaging my eardrums permanently.

It seemed to be emanating from the room next to Becca's bedroom. 

"Becca!" I yelled, walking towards the source of the noise. "What on earth is that---oh."

I lowered my hands at once, taking in my best friend sitting next to a drumset, grinning. She held a drumstick in each hand, raised midair to produce a series of those earth-shattering noise.

Those horrible sounds were the sound of drums.

"So what do you think?" She asked excitedly, pointing towards the drumkit with a stick. "You heard me playing, right? What do you think? How was I?"

"Oh, I um..." Yes. I heard her playing. I just didn't know if drums were supposed to sound like that. Okay. Here goes. "Yes, I heard. Really nice sounds...er... I didn't know you played the drum?"

She laughed excitedly. "I didn't know either! The band in our school needed a drummer and I decided to try out. And guess what, they took me in! Everyone said I had a natural feel for the rhythms."

"Oh, really?"

Okay. If everyone said she was good, maybe she was good. Maybe I just didn't have an ear for all things musical, what with someone pointing out not so politely that I was a terrible singer an hour ago.

"Yup. So I got my parents to get me a drumset after school and here I am. I've been practicing since I got back from school."

"Wow. You've really got a knack for these things Bec. You're a natural."

The way she smiled, trying not to look pleased made me feel a little guilty for not being honest with my thoughts. 

But then, what if I was wrong? I wouldn't want her to feel bad just because I had no ear for music.

"I know baby, I am awesome."

I rolled my eyes. She was always ready to believe when people said she was good at something. I felt bad that I had to lie to her too. I mean I was her best friend. Was it not my duty to tell her what I honestly thought?

But then, I couldn't break her twice in two days. Just yesterday I had told her what I thought about her cooking. This one could probably wait.

"So tell me about it. Your first day in Dalitino!" She put down the sticks. "Did you impress everyone? Did you meet Carla West again?"