rik

His name is Ricardo and he goes by Rik. He uses the “k,” because he thinks it’s distinctive. He’s a sophomore in high school and he’s in the marching band and he’s heard all the “beater or blower” jokes from the jocks and other BMOCs and he doesn’t really care, most of the time, except that now he has a crush on Maryela, who’s the lead in the school play and likes drummers and he plays clarinet. He wanted to be a drummer, but his family had a clarinet, not drums. That was the way things worked in his family: you did with what you had. He’s decided that he still will try to woo Maryela, but, in the end, as always, she will dance at the musical after-party with someone more important. This time it’s Ned, who is a football player. He will take her outside, ply her with booze and have sorry, fumbled sex with her in the backseat of his car. Someday, Rik will be a featured jazz clarinetist on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Millions of jazz aficionados will know his name. Maryela will marry Ned. And you do know the rest of that story, don’t you?