Stephen was glad that it was summertime. Although he was smart enough for his classes, he always wanted to do things differently
than his teachers told him to do, so his grades were pretty low. Also, sometimes the music in his head would distract him to the point that he couldn’t concentrate on anything. When the music started, his mind was enraptured, totally held captive. It was like a physical journey that took exertion and stamina. But Stephen was not in control, he just had
to keep up. Otherwise, he was dragged along in utter confusion. If he paid attention to it, it led him to some interesting places. And he got some of his best ideas after listening to the music. He had talent,
it just didn’t fit in with the syllabus, or even the curriculum.
After mowing the lawn, Stephen decided to take a ride on his bike. His dad made sure he always kept his bike in the shed in the back yard so it wouldn’t be as tempting to be stolen. So, Stephen headed out the back door and into the back yard. Luckily, his dad didn’t keep the shed locked, so Stephen opened the door without any trouble. But then came the trick, because that shed was stuffed so full of “junk”, mostly woodworking tools and materials, that getting to Stephen’s bike hanging on the wall was always an effort. Stephen had one thing in his favor, he was very tall for his age of fourteen. With a little stretching and bending, he grabbed his bike and pulled it up and over all the junk. Then he was on his way out of the shed, across the back yard, and through the gate. All he had to do then was cross the front
yard. He approached the street while looking both ways, hopped on his bike, and took off down the edge of the street as fast as he could.
Stumbling along the sidewalk 