"It can always get worse", Jeffrey Zhang thought to himself.
Staring at the trash can, it was full of crumpled paper. A notebook full of worthless ideas and frustration.
"What a waste of time", Jeffrey went through the diary pages he wrote to himself all those years ago.
His hand writing was a scribbled mess, barely legible from when he was still learning to hold a pencil. Taking a broom, he swept up the mess. The carpet floor had some dust and food from the times he ate in his room.
For whatever reason Jeffrey had the urge to practice on his saxophone. Pulling out the case from his closet, he wiped the brass pieces and started assembling his instrument.
Checking his neck strap, adjusting his chair, he finally got ready to blow the first note.
"Oh, wait", thought Jeffrey. "I forgot to adjust my reed"
Jeffrey fiddled around making sure the reed was properly wet as he licked the bamboo like a cat. The first few notes came out unclear, so Jeffrey blew harder and gave it more air.
*HOONK* *HOONK*
Jeffrey blew out a C# note and then started practicing his scales and fingering. Thankfully the pads were doing a much better job since he switched out of a clarinet. The keys kept bending and every other weekend he'd have to take it to the shop to get it repaired.
While the clarinet was compact and could fit about the size of a small computer bag, the maintenance and cleaning was starting to get prohibitively expensive to own.
The saxophone had more sheet music, was a cool instrument, and most importantly it was loud.
Jeffrey's sisters Raine and Saoirse were playing on the computer pretending to work on homework.
He could hear them upstairs complaining to his parents.
"MOM, JEFFREY'S PLAYING THE SAXOPHONE AGAIN. I CAN'T FOCUS ON MY HOMEWORK", Raine's voice echoed through the door.
Jeffrey was focused on his sheet music and practicing for the concert. So he didn't hear the rest of the conversation.
♪♫♪
After some time had passed and Jeffrey was practicing the same notes and song 3 or 4 times, his sisters came to make him stop.
At first the pleaded with him shaking and distracting him to stop playing. Then like any older brother Jeffrey ignored them, there was something about messing with your siblings that just made everything better.
It's probably the fact that when you annoy them do they actually pay any attention to you. A little sad at what you have to do, but Jeffrey had no qualms about it.
Then when they took away his music sheets Jeffrey just started free styling and playing from memory.
Jeffrey tried as best as he could, but it got boring when you didn't have anything to play.
Raine and Saoirse started poking him while Jeffrey's lips never left the reed.
"Jeffrey stop playing", Saoirse said to her brother.
"Yeah Jeffrey, you're too loud", Raine started poking his arm.
Seeing that it would be impossible to continue Jeffrey played a few more notes before giving up. Luckily there was still a small piano he could play.
"OH NO", Saoirse yelled.
"SAOIRSE STOP HIM", Raine told her sister.
Jeffrey started to clean and put away his saxophone. The seat to the piano was occupied.
Jeffrey said, "let me play one song"
"You only play boring songs", Raine complained
"Yeah, it's the same one over and over again", Saoirse held the piano cover shut.
Jeffrey walked up to them. He turned on the nearby lights and his two sisters were looking at each other.
"I don't know any other songs", Jeffrey said trying to push them to the side.
"No more music Jeffrey", Raine said with a smile.
"Yeah it's almost dinner time", Saoirse tried to drag him to the dinner table.
"Only if we play on the nintensho Wi. Just Dance Party 3", Jeffrey tried to negotiate a deal.
"But you always win", Raine complained.
"You're not allowed to pick your boring ones", Saoirse offered.
"Saoirse, no, don't let Jeffrey win", Raine nudged her sister.
after a few rounds of negotiation, mostly with Jeffrey tickling them and a small game of chase ensued they finally came to an agreement. Jeffrey however did receive a few bite marks from the battle.
They'd play a few games on Christmas day with him, but in return he'd have to help set up their computer and play with their toy set.
"Oh great, fashion drawings", Jeffrey thought.
The plushies and stuffed animals were a bit beneath him. Jeffrey did still enjoy playing legos, marble tracks, and magnets. However anything involving drawing or dolls made him really bored.
There were a few times they enjoyed playing basketball and flying kites, however Jeffrey abused his height advantage and they didn't want to play with him any more. So usually it was a game of keepy uppy with a beach ball, or 2 on 1 soccer matches in the street.
Jeffrey grabbed the utensils and started setting up the table with his sisters. His band concert was tomorrow.
Then the oven started beeping and Jeffrey's Dad pulled the Costco Lasanga out of the oven.
"MMmm", he said smelling it and cutting it into various pieces with a knife. It was a bit sloppy, but everyone received a serving.
"Raine it's your turn to pray", their Dad urged her.
"We skipped Jeffrey", Raine sank down lower in her seat.
"Jeffrey's going to go on the weekend", their Mom spoke up.
In a quick voice she said, "Dear god, thank you for the food you've placed before us on this table. Thank you for the wonderful week and weather we've had at school. I hope that I did well on my last math test and that my teacher gave me a good grade. May Jeffrey stop playing his music for the rest of the week."
"Hey", Jeffrey started to interrupt opening his eyes.
His Dad nudged him telling to just ignore it. as Raine continued her prayer.
Jeffrey's mom and his sister Saoirse smiled.
"In Jesus name we pray, amen", Raine finished.
"Amen", they all said as they started to eat.
Then a familiar dinner conversation continued.
"So how was work", Jeffrey's mom asked their Dad.
"Everything's fine, we're just a little busy for the holidays", their Dad responded.
Jeffrey, Raine and Saoirse started eating without a care in the world. Jeffrey with a fork found the layer of cheese and removed it from the lasanga. He ate the meat sauce and noodles while they talked.
Raine and Saoirse sitting next to each other leaned on one another.
Unfortunately Jeffrey was not a siscon, which meant he didn't fully appreciate the good, but often tested relationship between the three of them.
It was a good dinner though and Jeffrey avoided talking about his most recent test grades.
"^-^", Jeffrey thought as he walked upstairs. He put on his pajamas, brushed his teeth, and took a nice warm shower.
*fsssh*
Jeffrey heard the sound of rain outside. Looking around in his drawer he pulled out a light. Plugging it in, it started to move turning his dark room into bright stars. A forest of growing green and red Oobleck lay in the corner.
His small bed at the corner of the room was still neatly made from this morning.
Jeffrey got into bed and breathed a sigh of relief.
"More school tomorrow", he thought.
briefly he imagined what Christmas was going to be like and the games he'd play with his siblings. Those waking thoughts soon disappeared as he fell asleep.
Meanwhile A passing car was playing loud music in the neighborhood.
The engines and the screech of the tires drove along the empty street. The only other objects being mailboxes and trees whose leaves had already fallen.
If Jeffrey had been awake he would have heard the song blasting out loud in the middle of the night.
♪♫♪
Poppin' bottles in the ice, like a blizzard
When we drink, we do it right gettin' slizzard
Sippin' sizzurp in my ride (in my ride) like three six
Now I'm feelin' so fly