Lara Bergen: Sophie the Awesome

Sophie used to try to sing out loud. She would close her eyes and open her mouth and hope the right sounds would come out. The thing was, they never did. Instead, the strangest sounds came out. Sounds that made people turn and stare. Sounds that didn’t always sound so good.

But today Sophie would sing. And it would be awesome!

Then she walked into the music room and her face instantly lit up. Maybe she would not have to sing, after all!

Sophie looked around at the instruments scattered on the floor. How could she have forgotten? It was Monday, and Monday was Rhythm Day. Awesome! Sophie thought.

“Good morning, Ms. Moffly’s class,” said Mrs. Wittels, their music teacher. She had on a blouse with a very big, very pink, very floppy bow. It was exactly the same color as the makeup on her cheeks. It looked strange. But also fancy. Which was how Mrs. Wittels always looked.

“Good morning,” replied a few students. Most were already busy diving for the instruments on the floor.

“Please don’t touch the instruments until I tell you to!” Mrs. Wittels called.

“Awww!” groaned the class.

On Rhythm Day, no one had to sit at a desk. They all got to sit in a big circle on the floor. They didn’t have to tell Mrs. Wittels if a note was an A or a B or a Z. A quarter, a half, or a double. Instead, they each got to make up rhythms for the rest of the class to follow. And they got to play all kinds of awesome instruments — bells and maracas and triangles and cymbals and sand blocks and tambourines and tom-toms and castanets and claves.

And best of all, they didn’t have to sing!

Sophie scooted down in front of the biggest, most awesome tambourine in the room. This was just what she needed!

“Are you ready to make some rrrhythms?” trilled Mrs. Wittels.

“Yeah!” the whole class cheered.

“Then let’s get started,” the teacher said. “Who would like to be first?”

Sophie’s hand was already up and waving. “Ooh!” she called. She couldn’t help it. “Ooh! Mrs. Wittels, pick me!”

Of course Mrs. Wittels didn’t. Mrs. Wittels liked kids to make musical noise, but she did not like them to talk much.

“Mindy,” she said, casting a quick look at Sophie. “Thank you for quietly raising your hand. Please give us a rhythm to follow.”

Mindy sat up straight and smiled. Sophie just rolled her eyes. Then Mindy held up a bright, shiny triangle and tapped out a gentle ting, ting, ting-a-ling-a-ting-ting.

“Very nice,” said Mrs. Wittels, nodding. She raised her arms like a conductor. This was her signal for the rest of the class to follow. She closed her eyes. “And-a-one, and-a-two, and-a—”

CLANG, CLANG, CLANG-A-CLANG CLANG!!!!! went Sophie on her tambourine, feeling especially awesome.

Mrs. Wittels’ eyes flew open. “What was that? Archie? Toby?” She turned to the usual suspects in the class and frowned.

“It wasn’t me,” said Toby, pointing to his drum.

“That was Sophie M.,” piped up Mindy matter-of-factly. “And it wasn’t even right.”

Grrr! Sophie wanted to growl at her very much.

“Sophie,” said Mrs. Wittels. She shook her head. “Please don’t play so hard. You could break the tambourine.”

Hmm. Sophie doubted that. She had seen Archie do much worse. Her hand was another story, though. Ouch! She shook it out and hoped it wasn’t broken.

“Let’s switch instruments now, shall we?” Mrs. Wittels suggested. “And, Mindy, why don’t you choose who leads the rhythm next.”

The kids set down their instruments, and a few raised their hands, hoping Mindy would pick them. But Sophie didn’t bother. Instead, she scanned the floor for a new instrument. Something awesome, but with a little less pain and more gain. Besides, she already knew who Mindy would pick.

“Lily,” said Mindy.

Of course.

Lily Lemley looked nothing like Mindy VonBoffmann. But she tried as hard as she could.

She wore a headband, just like Mindy. Every single day. Unless Mindy didn’t wear a headband. Then Lily took hers off.

She wore mismatched socks, just like Mindy. Even though Sophie and Kate had totally thought of doing it first.

She had the same shoes as Mindy. And the same backpack. And the same TV show lunch box. And the same “I love Disney World” sweatshirt. Even though Sophie knew for a fact that Lily had never gone there. Not once.

Lily held up the triangle she’d picked and tapped it. Ting, ting, ting-a-ling-a-ting-ting.

It was Mindy’s rhythm all over again. Exactly.

Mrs. Wittels shook her head. “Lily, remember when I told you last week to make up your own rhythm?”

“Um, okay,” Lily said.

Everybody waited. And waited a little more.

“Just do something!” Mrs. Wittels said.

Lily held up her triangle. Ting, ting … ting, ting-a-ling-a-ting-ting, she went at last.

“Wonderful,” sighed Mrs. Wittels. “And-a-one, and-a-two, and-a—”

CLACK, CLACK … CLACK, CLACK-A-CLACK-A-CLACK-CLACK! went Sophie, banging her claves as awesomely as she could.

She looked around proudly. She’d gotten that right, she was sure. But no one seemed impressed. Sophie sighed. How could she really prove her awesomeness by copying someone else’s rhythm, anyway?

She’d just have to wait for her own turn to lead. And, of course, her turn came when it usually did. Not at the beginning. And not at the end. But somewhere in the middle.

“Sophie M.,” Kate said as soon as her turn was over.

Sophie grinned, and her heart beat faster. She was suddenly a little nervous. But there was no looking back now. Her time to be awesome had come! She dove for the new instrument she’d had her eyes on.

“Are you sure about those?” asked Mrs. Wittels.

Sophie waved her cymbals and nodded. Of course she was sure. Let the world’s most awesome rhythm begin!

CRASH-CRASH-CRASH, CRASH-A-CRASH, CRASH-A-CRASH, CRASH-A-CRASH-CRASH-CRASH-CRASH, CRASH, CRASH, CRASH, CRASH-A-CRASH-A-CRASH, CRASH-A-CRASH, CRASH, CRASH, CRASH, CRASH, CRASH, CRASH-A-CRASH-A-CRASH-A-CRASH-A—

“Sophie!” cried Mrs. Wittels.

Sophie stopped, mid- CRASH , smiling widely. Mrs. Wittels had noticed her awesomeness! And she wasn’t even done yet.

Sophie made one final CRASH! Then she peered around at her classmates. She guessed they were too amazed by her awesomeness to clap. Then she noticed that their hands were over their ears. Even Kate’s.

“Sophie!” Mrs. Wittels repeated. “Please put down the cymbals! That is quite enough!”

Sophie looked up at the teacher. Her face was very white except for the pink circles on her cheeks. Her whole body was shaking. So was her pink bow.

Slowly, Sophie did as she was told. She wondered if Mrs. Wittels was just stunned by her awesome performance. But something in Sophie’s stomach told her no.

Toby lunged for the cymbals. “Do we get to copy her rhythm now?” he asked.

“No!” snapped Mrs. Wittels. She snatched the cymbals away. “I think we’ve had enough rhythm for one day.” She rubbed her forehead. “We have ten more minutes, class. Let’s just sit quietly until then, shall we?”

“But I didn’t get a turn!” Jack complained.

“Me neither!” said Grace.

Mrs. Wittels held up her hand. “We’ll start with you next week.”

“Thanks a lot, Sophie,” groaned Dean.

Sophie sighed and looked at the floor. So maybe she wasn’t awesome … at music.