going to do. Let’s see how well you two pick up ‘Seven Nation Army’ today and tomorrow.” He said this while pointing at me and John. “We’ll practice it a little today. We’ll also tighten up ‘The Final Countdown.’ Then, tomorrow, we’ll see which song sounds better. But I’m going to be the one to make the final decision which song we play, okay? Sound good?”
John nodded yes eagerly, but Elijah rolled his eyes.
“So, let’s start with ‘The Final Countdown,’ ” said Mr. Bowles. He clapped his hands twice. “From the beginning. Let’s go, guys. ‘The Final Countdown’! From the top. Ennio, wake up! Harry! Elijah, get us going, man! On four. A one. Two. Three…”
We played the song. Even though Elijah and the other guys weren’t into it, they totally rocked it. In fact, we sounded pretty amazing together, I thought.
“That sounded awesome!” said John when it was over. He held his hand in the air to high-five me, which I did a little reluctantly.
“Whatever,” said Elijah, shaking his hair off his face.
We spent the rest of the class running through “Seven Nation Army.” But John kept making mistakes and asking us to start over. It didn’t sound good at all.
“You guys sound terrific!” said John’s mother, who had just come in the band room. She tried to clap while holding her wet umbrella.
Mr. B looked at his watch. “Whoa, it’s five-thirty? Oh man! Dudes, I’ve got a gig tonight. We have to wrap this up. Let’s go. Everything in the lock room.”
I started putting my guitar in the case.
“Step on it, guys!” said Mr. B, putting the mics away.
We all hurried up and put our instruments in the lock room.
“See you tomorrow, Mr. B!” said John, who was the first to be ready to leave. “Bye, Elijah, bye, Ennio, bye, Harry!” He waved at them. “See you tomorrow!”
I saw the three of them shoot each other looks, but they nodded goodbye to John.
“Bye, Chris!” John said loudly from the door.
“Bye,” I mumbled. I liked the guy, I really did. One on one he was awesome. But he could be so clueless, too. It was like being friends with SpongeBob.
After John and his mother had left, Elijah went up to Mr. Bowles, who was wrapping up the mic cords.
“Mr. B,” he said, ultra politely. “Can we please play ‘Seven Nation Army’ on Wednesday night?”
At that moment, Ennio’s mom arrived to pick up the three of them.
“We’ll see tomorrow, dude,” Mr. Bowles answered distractedly, throwing the last of the equipment into the lock room.
“Yeah, you’re just gonna choose ‘The Final Countdown,’ ” said Elijah, and then he walked out the door.
“Bye, guys,” I said to Harry and Ennio as they followed Elijah out.
“Bye, dude,” they both said to me.
Mr. B turned the key in the lock room. Then he looked at me, like he was surprised I was still there.
“Where’s your mom?”
“I guess she’s running late.”
“Don’t you have a cell phone?”
I nodded, fished my phone out of my backpack, and turned it on. There were no texts or missed calls from Mom.
“Just call her!” he said after a few minutes. “I’ve got to get out of here, dude.”
5:48 p.m.
Just as I was about to call, my dad knocked on the band room door. I was totally surprised. He’s never picked me up from school on a Monday before.
“Dad!” I said.
He smiled and walked in. “Sorry I’m late,” he said, shaking out his umbrella.
“This is Mr. Bowles,” I said to him.
“Nice to meet you!” said Mr. B quickly, but he’d already started out the door. “Sorry, I can’t stay and chat. You’ve got a nice kid there!” Then he left.
“Don’t forget to lock the door behind you, Chris!” he yelled out a second later from down the hallway.
“I will!” I said, loud enough for him to hear me.
I turned to Dad. “What are you doing here?”
“Mom asked me to get you,” he answered, picking up my backpack.
“Let me guess,” I said sarcastically,
John nodded yes eagerly, but Elijah rolled his eyes.
“So, let’s start with ‘The Final Countdown,’ ” said Mr. Bowles. He clapped his hands twice. “From the beginning. Let’s go, guys. ‘The Final Countdown’! From the top. Ennio, wake up! Harry! Elijah, get us going, man! On four. A one. Two. Three…”
We played the song. Even though Elijah and the other guys weren’t into it, they totally rocked it. In fact, we sounded pretty amazing together, I thought.
“That sounded awesome!” said John when it was over. He held his hand in the air to high-five me, which I did a little reluctantly.
“Whatever,” said Elijah, shaking his hair off his face.
We spent the rest of the class running through “Seven Nation Army.” But John kept making mistakes and asking us to start over. It didn’t sound good at all.
“You guys sound terrific!” said John’s mother, who had just come in the band room. She tried to clap while holding her wet umbrella.
Mr. B looked at his watch. “Whoa, it’s five-thirty? Oh man! Dudes, I’ve got a gig tonight. We have to wrap this up. Let’s go. Everything in the lock room.”
I started putting my guitar in the case.
“Step on it, guys!” said Mr. B, putting the mics away.
We all hurried up and put our instruments in the lock room.
“See you tomorrow, Mr. B!” said John, who was the first to be ready to leave. “Bye, Elijah, bye, Ennio, bye, Harry!” He waved at them. “See you tomorrow!”
I saw the three of them shoot each other looks, but they nodded goodbye to John.
“Bye, Chris!” John said loudly from the door.
“Bye,” I mumbled. I liked the guy, I really did. One on one he was awesome. But he could be so clueless, too. It was like being friends with SpongeBob.
After John and his mother had left, Elijah went up to Mr. Bowles, who was wrapping up the mic cords.
“Mr. B,” he said, ultra politely. “Can we please play ‘Seven Nation Army’ on Wednesday night?”
At that moment, Ennio’s mom arrived to pick up the three of them.
“We’ll see tomorrow, dude,” Mr. Bowles answered distractedly, throwing the last of the equipment into the lock room.
“Yeah, you’re just gonna choose ‘The Final Countdown,’ ” said Elijah, and then he walked out the door.
“Bye, guys,” I said to Harry and Ennio as they followed Elijah out.
“Bye, dude,” they both said to me.
Mr. B turned the key in the lock room. Then he looked at me, like he was surprised I was still there.
“Where’s your mom?”
“I guess she’s running late.”
“Don’t you have a cell phone?”
I nodded, fished my phone out of my backpack, and turned it on. There were no texts or missed calls from Mom.
“Just call her!” he said after a few minutes. “I’ve got to get out of here, dude.”
5:48 p.m.
Just as I was about to call, my dad knocked on the band room door. I was totally surprised. He’s never picked me up from school on a Monday before.
“Dad!” I said.
He smiled and walked in. “Sorry I’m late,” he said, shaking out his umbrella.
“This is Mr. Bowles,” I said to him.
“Nice to meet you!” said Mr. B quickly, but he’d already started out the door. “Sorry, I can’t stay and chat. You’ve got a nice kid there!” Then he left.
“Don’t forget to lock the door behind you, Chris!” he yelled out a second later from down the hallway.
“I will!” I said, loud enough for him to hear me.
I turned to Dad. “What are you doing here?”
“Mom asked me to get you,” he answered, picking up my backpack.
“Let me guess,” I said sarcastically,
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