Rhythm's: Me Against The World

"Me Against the World"

September 13, 1996. It was a warm (still Summer) day, as I recall. Most people don't really consider September a summer month, but it is. Just up until a day or so after my birthday, actually.
I was in the 10th grade, and life was pretty uneventful. I was a colorguard in the marching band, and most of my friends were borderline outcasts (I said "marching band," didn't I?) who thought we were cool for not being cool (yeah, true geeks we were). Not my boyfriend, though. He was an athlete. Not a star athlete, but an athlete nonetheless. He was actually pretty good, but he was the new kid, and the school already had its stars. But I digress. New Kid was my boyfriend. And I liked him. He was cute (braces and all…guess I'll always be part geek no matter how fly I am now). He was funny, and we were actually a lot alike.

Until he killed [insert slain West Coast rapper here].

It's almost blasphemous to even type his name, so I won't. But it's all new kid's fault he died.

Allow me to explain.

New kid, New Kid's Best Friend (let's call him…"Adam"), and I were hanging out after school. It was a Friday, which meant I had to be at the football game (marching band…you keepin' up?) and New Kid and Adam were probably sticking around to go to the game, too.

At this point, I guess I should back up and explain that before New Kid was my boyfriend, he had asked me to hook him up with my friend (let's call her "Not As Cute As Me In The First Place, Geek Or Not."

Or "Cheerleader" for short.

Come to think of it, why was I friends with a cheerleader anyway? Again, I digress). New Kid and Cheerleader kicked it for about a week or two, but it didn't pan out. I can't really remember why, but they end up back together a few chapters later, so that detail isn't that significant. Meanwhile, Cheerleader and I fell out about something or other, so when New Kid "saw the light" and "picked me" (think: Meredith in the stairwell with McDreamy. Okay, it didn't happen like that, but it's a good reference), I obviously had no point of contention about it.

Back to the afternoon of the infamous football game…New Kid was trying to get my attention (and boy did he) by calling my name over and over. Thing is, it wasn't my name. It was Cheerleader's. And for whatever reason, I still didn't hear him (probably because it wasn't my name). But Adam kindly pointed it out…out loud:

"New Kid, you mean 'Hot Geeky Band Chick,' not 'Cheerleader.'"

It's quite funny all these years later. But at the time, my ego was bruised. We argued, and (ever the professional) I left to perform my critical duty to my band, my school, and my country.

During halftime, just after the greatest marching band performance of all time, I got the news. West Coast Rapper had died. That was the last straw. I think I actually fainted.

Soon after, I ended my tumultuous 2-week relationship with New Kid. We eventually reconciled and became great friends, and he ended up with Cheerleader. Several cheerleaders, actually. And to this day, I'm still the flyest geek he knows.

So goes the story of Rhythm and The Company Man.

*The Company Man did not actually kill West Coast Rapper.
I did actually faint when I heard the news.
West Coast Rapper will forever be missed.

Be. Fly.

For more from Rhythm...check her out on her myspace page here.