⇾ 𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐈'𝐕𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐘𝐎𝐔 | 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐦

| F O U R |

"Testing, testing, 1–2–3. It's not working, Molly," Calvin told me. I turned back to the mixing board and studied it a moment, having no idea why the microphone wasn't working.

Then, I realized that I had the main volume turned down all the way. I turned it up to five and then turned around. "Try it again," I told him.

"Testing...Woah." I laughed when Calvin realized it was on now.

"I'm singing, you said?" I asked him one more time as I adjusted the volume of the microphone.

"Yeah," Calvin replied. "Neither of us can sing and play yet."

I nodded. "Play something. Let me make sure everything sounds okay."

They started at the beginning of the song and I made my way back to the drum kit. I started a simple beat and then Calvin tried out the melody in the microphone for me. When I'd decided I liked the mix, I stopped them and asked what they thought.

They both nodded, looking giddy with excitement over the fact that they could now play a song together. They'd vowed to one another months ago that they'd soon be able to have their own band, and I'd promised them when that time came that I'd drum for them, but as time went on I wasn't sure if that proposition had played out the way they wanted it to. Nonetheless, it seemed that they were ready now.

I was very conscious of John Bonham sitting on the other side of the wall, and I was praying desperately that that didn't interfere with my playing at all. Anytime I played on any instrument, I gave it my all, no matter who I knew was listening. When it came to John Bonham, however, you could get incredibly self-conscious it seemed, especially when it was drums that you were playing.

I took the stand that the microphone was on and brought it back to the drumkit with me to set it up. I pulled it to where I could get it as close to my face as possible and sat down. I pulled it down to my height and spoke into it. "La-la-la, hello," I joked and Calvin gave me a thumbs-up. I reached for the piece of paper with the printed out lyrics for the song and set it up on the mic stand where there was a part you could use as a music stand.

"Ready?" I asked them, playing the song in my head to work out a tempo.

Jonah looked half-terrified, perhaps knowing that Calvin and I both had more experience than him when it came to playing music. Calvin nodded and I turned my attention to Jonah, to make sure he was ready too. He nodded. "Alright, here we go, then."

I glanced nervously at my door. I figured John was ready to hear this. He was probably over there on the other side of the wall, waiting in anticipation for me to count off. Suddenly, I felt nervous. God, I never got nervous. I was a good drummer. There was no reason for me to be nervous.

I took a deep breath and swallowed the fear that had suddenly risen in my throat, finally clicking my sticks together four times.

Jonah started the song, perfectly picking out the intro, so nicely that it really was impressive. On the third bar, I brought in my bass drum, along with Calvin. Now that he had actually started playing, Jonah was smiling and seemed to forget all about his nerves. Two beats before the fourth bar, I remembered that I had to sing and moved towards the mic.

"See the lazy windmills slowly turning / Cutting up the marble canyons of the sky," I sang, my voice coming out a little shaky at first as I adjusted to the melody, but stabilizing almost immediately afterward. "See the dust around my feet go churning / Moving with the winds down the highways / Of goodbyes."

Okay, Molly, the drums are coming in. Do not screw it up, I found myself thinking as the verse ended.

"Standing in the lonely light of the silver moon / Looking over maps of memories for the road / Standing in the lonely light of the silver moon / With the unexpected destination of my home." I survived! Halfway through already. Just finish the song.