Free Just Another Hero by Sharon M. Draper Page A

“a creator of meaning in a world that makes no sense.”
    Kofi didn’t think Jack was making much sense at that moment, but he didn’t say so.
    Jack continued, “You know what, man?”
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    â€œIn spite of all my noise, nobody notices. Nobody cares.”
    â€œYou got that wrong, man. Everybody notices!”
    Jack shook his head, his hair whipping around like black spaghetti. “No, they don’t. Watch this.”
    He picked up the cymbals and clanged them together with a flourish—two times. Kofi jumped from the sudden sound, and man, his head was pounding, but the two girls walking by didn’t even pause.
    â€œSee what I mean?” Jack said sadly.
    â€œThey hear you every day, Jack. But most of us are so used to it that, well, it’s kinda like the morning announcements. Nobody pays any attention to them, either.”
    â€œI’m wallpaper.” Now Jack sounded despondent.
    â€œNot hardly. You’re more like whiskey on the rocks, man!”
    Jack looked unconvinced as he ran his fingers over the disks. “Maybe they’d listen better to my drums. Hmm…the snare or the bass? Maybe I’ll bring both tomorrow.”
    Kofi hoped not. “Hey, Jack, let me ask you something,”he began. “You know anything about all these fire drills we been havin’ lately?”
    â€œI know I’m tired of freezing my tail off every time we have to go outside,” Jack answered.
    â€œYou got any idea who’s pullin’ the alarm?” Kofi pressed. “We’ve had four in the past three weeks. People are gettin’ tired of it.”
    â€œNow that can’t be true. Every kid wants class messed up, right?” Jack said with a grin.
    â€œYeah, I guess,” Kofi admitted. “You got Fox for history?”
    â€œYeah. Hatin’ it! Sergeant Fox, the king of worksheets and quizzes.”
    â€œI got him too—he’s a bear. You takin’ geometry this year?” Kofi asked casually.
    â€œYep. Hatin’ it!”
    â€œWhat about band?”
    â€œLovin’ it! Of course.”
    â€œWho you got for English?”
    â€œTechno-Spoon. She’s cool. I think you’re in her afternoon class—I got her first thing in the morning, before the caffeine in her diet Coke kicks in.”
    Kofi chuckled. “Spoon hates extra fire drills—she says they interrupt her flow.”
    â€œBut isn’t it the fire department who pulls the alarms? Aren’t they the ones who decide when we have drills?”
    â€œYeah, man. I guess so. Later.”
    Just as Jack disappeared around a corner, he yelled out to Kofi, “I’ve got a geometry test this afternoon!” Then the sound of his crashing cymbals followed a few seconds later.
    Kofi just shook his head. He’d lost Eddie in the crowd, but he brightened when he saw Dana coming toward him. Dressed in tight dark jeans and a pale orange sweater, she looked to him like a sunrise. She was frowning, however.
    â€œHey, babe,” he said softly, reaching for her hand.
    She jerked away from him.
    â€œWhat’s the matter?” he asked her.
    â€œI waited for you for over an hour last night! What’s up with that? And then you didn’t even call!”
    â€œHuh?” He had no idea what she was talking about.
    â€œThe library! We were supposed to meet at seven to study, remember? Or have you found somebody else to hang with at night?” He wasn’t sure if she was ready to cry or to smack him, but it was clear she was pissed.
    He rolled his head back. He’d completely forgotten about her. He’d gone home from school, taken two pills, and slept hard until morning. He hadn’t even seen his parents, and he hadn’t done any homework, either.
    â€œOh, snap! I’m sorry, Dana, but you know how it is at my house. Ma was in one of her moods, and she couldn’t find my father, and