Drummer Girl by Karen Bass Read Free Book Online

up for anything. I’m not...selling my soul here. I’m only trying to figure out who I am.”
    To her surprise, Brock nodded at the corny statement. “Okay. That’s righteous.” Sid almost rolled her eyes – who ever, anywhere, said righteous? He added, “I want to see you again to touch base and see how you’re handling things.”
    She fought to keep her face neutral. This was not part of the plan. She had done the confessional thing so she wouldn’t have to come back.
    â€œSo long as nothing else comes up, why don’t you come back next Thursday, okay?” Brock took off his glasses and gave her that “trust me” smile.
    Sid nodded and escaped. She almost ran to her locker, grabbed her books, stuffed them in her backpack and shot to the nearest exit. She needed fresh air before the smell of this place made her puke. Wax and metal and disinfectant and bodies. Too many bodies. All with eyes – eyes that watched too much, accused too much, judged too much. Why couldn’t Brock back off?
    She was half a block from the school when the last bell rang. She walked as fast as she could without breaking into a run. Her heart pounded like a double bass beat.
    What was wrong with her? What had happened to staying cool? This wasn’t part of the plan. She’d handed Brock her “woe is me, my mother abandoned me” line. And he’d eaten it like it was a plate of warm chocolate chip cookies.
    Sid started to run. Someone drove by and honked. She didn’t look. And she didn’t stop until she turned onto her street. Six blocks. She wheezed and pressed her hand against her ribs, and wondered if this reinvention project should include some fitness training. No way. Not if it meant she’d have to get near any of the jock set.
    Footsteps pounded behind her. There was no flight left in her, so she dropped her backpack and spun, ready to fight. Taylor stumbled toward her.
    â€œDidn’t you hear me, Sid?” He bent over and gasped in big mouthfuls of air. After a moment, he straightened. “I’ve been trying to catch you since I left school. What’s wrong?”
    Sid snatched up her pack and started walking. Taylor caught up and nudged her shoulder. “Did the counsellor piss you off?”
    Just the mention of the word counsellor made her muscles notch tighter. “Leave it, Tay. I just want to let loose.”
    â€œYup. He pissed you off. So what’re you gonna do? Beat up your drums?”
    â€œNo. Right now I feel like I’d break something. I can’t afford to start replacing drums.”
    â€œWow. What did he say?”
    â€œI don’t want to talk, Tay. I need...” Sid paused as a thought struck her. “Would you take me for a ride on your bike? That ride last Saturday was great. We could find some paved side roads, open it up. Get this stink out of my head.”
    They arrived at Taylor’s driveway. “Stink, huh? Sure. Mom had early shift so she’ll be home by now. Let me tell her where we’re going.” He took Sid’s backpack and left her standing on the concrete.
    Sid didn’t have to tell anyone where she was. Devin was at college; James was at work and wouldn’t be home until at least 6:30. What was it like, she wondered, to have someone waiting for you after school, someone who wanted to know how your day was and who nagged you to do homework?
    Sid scowled at Taylor’s front door. For twelve years she’d gotten along fine with only Devin and James. What did she need a mother for? Bad enough when James hassled her about stuff without having another adult adding to the chorus.
    Why did she think it was a good idea to feed that abandoned waif junk to Brock? She wished that he was a jerk. It might be easier to lie to someone she didn’t sort of like.

7 | reverse quadruplet
    The bike ride and some drumming had scrubbed Sid’s thoughts clean. She was back