Time And I

Forty-Seven

There were voices traveling down the hall as I woke up. I could make out Jeanie and James's, but I couldn't completely hear what they were saying. The door was shut, and I was lying on my bed. My clothes from the concert were still on, but my shoes were off, and I could tell my lipstick was smudged off.

Blinking my eyes open, I glanced at the door as it opened. Jeanie and James's voices were louder and clearer now, but I was more focused on Rick entering with a washrag in his hand. When he saw me try to sit up, he turned on the lights and whispered, "How's your head?"

Reaching up, I felt a bump on the side of my head. It hurt when I touched it, but it was fine. "It's fine."

"Good," he smiled. Sitting on the side of my bed, he folded the washcloth and placed it on my forehead after he pushed me back down on the bed. "Give your head a moment to catch up. You remember what happened, right?"

Whining, I flopped my arm over my eyes. "I fucking passed out at the stupid concert."

"And do you know why you passed out?"

"Why do you have to be like this right now?"

"Mel," he scolded.

"Because I wanted to play, and I thought I could, and I was doing fine. The fatigue just bitch slapped me, and now I'm here."

Chucking to himself, Rick patted my arm. "At least you're alive. That's what really matters."

"Is the whole band here?"

"No, just James. Nate called us, and we called Devon for you. He's out there with Jeanie and James right now."

"How pissed is he?"

"Devon or James?"

"Devon's pissed at me?"

"No, just a bit disappointed. James... Jeanie is still trying to calm him down."

"Oh, God," I whimpered, covering my face now with both my hands. I felt Rick stand up from the bed and walk to the door, opening it more.

"This is exactly what I was worried about happening with her," James ranted.

This was going to be it. He was pissed that I didn't take care of myself enough, and now he was going to fire me, because I made a fool of myself, thus making a fool of the band, and now he was going to have to work hard to regain their reputation.

"I knew she was sick, and yet I still let her up there. I should have pushed back harder, told her not to go on."

"She wouldn't go through with it," Jeanie said. "She marches to the beat of her own drum."

Though I could hear Devon snicker, James scolded her. "This is no time to be making puns."

"Look, I have been the same way for as long as I can remember. I am always pushing myself further beyond my limits for the sake of others. I jeopardized my relationship with Mel, because I put my work before her. I knew I was going to have work even harder than all my male YouTube gamer counterparts because, I'm a woman. I have to fight to become an equal to them.

"Mel is doing the same thing right now. She's pushing herself beyond her limits to prove that she is a drummer and worthy of people's times. She's younger than all of you, and she hasn't known you all as long as the rest of you have. She's the new kid, and she is trying her hardest to fit in. She feels the need to work even harder than everyone else to become an equal."

"She doesn't need to do that, though," James groaned. "There is a reason why we hired her. She's an incredible drummer, and I knew she was going to be worth having around. She is the perfect drummer for our band. She doesn't have to work as hard as everyone else."