Memories That DON'T Fade like Photographs(ALL TIME LOW)

Chapter 5

Opening the basement door, I flip on the light switch, gripping the cold water bottle held by my arm against my side; I grabbed the cold metal bar on the wall to hold my balance as I walked down the steps closing the door behind me.

I was just so ready to run, run till my legs went numb and I became dizzy, run to the point where I couldn’t stay upright, to the point where I couldn’t remember anything anymore, and the weight of the world was off my shoulders.

I get downstairs and I sit my water on one of the multiple boxes surrounding the treadmill and go to find the plug and an outlet.

I picked up the heavy orange chord and I followed the chord across the room and stopped dead before running straight into a large white sheet covered…. Thing.

I dropped the chord that was held in my hand and gripped onto the white dirty like sheet.  The chord making a loud ‘smack’ sound, echoing throughout the deathly silent room. I really should’ve turned on my music.

This big thing had been sitting here for years, taking up space and never once being moved and I never thought to uncover it, it always just sat there and I just ignored it, I never bothered to even ask about it.

Curiosity getting the best of me, I yanked off the white sheet to come face to face with a massive drum set. My eyes widened. I was an idiot.

I always wanted to learn how to play the drums and here sat in my basement for years, that very thing.

I slowly walked around it, my hand sliding across it as I marveled at the beautiful thing, it did look old, but it was red, sparkly red, with silver, almost mirror like plastic stuff around it, if I just cleaned it up, it’d look amazing.

 I sat down on the small stood behind it and I grabbed the drum sticks that were attached to it by an old piece of tape. The tape having a yellow tint to it. I examined the sticks and twirled them through my fingers.

I don’t even think I’ve blinked in the last minute.

I noticed the big amount of dirt on my hands and wipe my hand on my leg; I would have to get a shower later anyway. I wondered if the dirt would fly if I drummed right now.

Testing my theory I pounded on the drums, a random beat and was surprised of how the beat sounded

Yes the dust flew up into the air getting into my face and hair, I stopped pounding on the drums, and coughed, wiping the dirt from my face and fanning it away with my other hand. Eyes clenched shut, to keep from anymore dust going into them.

Once the dust cleared I stared down at the drum set and wondered if I’d be able to play any well-known song, racking my brain only one song stuck and that was Iris – The Goo Goo Dolls. I played the song over in my head, getting ready to just experiment.

I didn’t know what sounds when with what drums, I tested each drum figuring out which one was a low and which ones were a higher beat. Starting the song in my head, I stop at the first sound of a drum and wonder which one to start with.

Being as lazy as I am, I decided to wing it and using my short memory of the song and of what beat went with what drum, I made the stick collide with the drum set. Stopping after about 20 seconds, mind going blank of the rest of the song.

“You’re a natural, Iris – By the Goo Goo Dolls, great choice” a voice spoke from across the room and my head shot up. At the bottom of the steps stood Kyle, leaning against the wall, arms crossed.

I scoffed. “I’ve never touched a drum set before” I didn’t even bother wondering why I was suddenly giving him the time of day. Why was he even down here?

“I can teach you, ya know, drummer in a band right here! Been one since I was 9” he waved his hands in front of him emphasizing. “yeah maybe since you were 11 or 12, not 9, that’s when all you guys did was get high at practice” I snapped at him.

He surprisingly ignored the jab and moved over to the drums. “Listen. I am here for the rest of this semester; I didn’t come here to fight with you. I came here to see mom, but mostly you, Jay” my jaw clenched at the nick-name he gave me when we were little.

I didn’t bother look at him. My walls building up again and I just didn’t want to talk to him right now, or ever. I stood up putting the sticks down and again wiping the dirt onto my legs from my hands, I went over to the treadmill.

“Listen Jay-“ “STOP calling me that” I spun around and yelled. He again ignored it he moved and grabbed the drum sticks.

“Listen. I know you. You  want to learn to play the drums, it’s so clear, the second you started drumming your face lit up. You have talent, don’t waste it because you don’t want to talk to an idiot.” He had walked over now and handed the drumsticks out to me.

I sighed heavily through my nose and kept a straight face, I was seriously contemplating this. I wanted to learn so bad, and yes. Kyle had been doing this for a long time. But I also wanna go for a run.

“I know you Jay, right now you’re about to run your feelings off of you. I saw how people treated you in the hallways today. But think of it this way, you learn how to play the drums and bam! You can pretend your banging certain person’s heads in with a baseball bat”

 My hand dropped from the handle of the treadmill. He was really good at convincing me to do stuff, he always was, he could get me to do anything when I was little. You would think now, I wouldn’t fall for it but I guess I do.

I sighed one more time then grabbed the sticks from his hands. “Teach me everything you know” a grin spread out onto his face. 

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i dont think i've cleared this up. as far as i know, Forever the sickest kids never did drugs, and they didnt form the band when they were 9. okay? okay. hehe thanks for reading!