I have two lockers for a reason.

That reason is most certainly not so that one locker can remain unused while the other is stuffed so full that half-gallon water jugs fall out every time I open it.

Unfortunately, that is exactly what the morning rule for the Fine Arts building results in. I can’t put my flute for band class or my water jug and clothes for marching band in my band locker, so they all have to fit in my regular locker. I’m lucky that I play a small instrument, but it doesn’t make much of a difference when there is no room in my locker.  

Every morning, I play a dangerous game of Tetris. If I put my backpack in, followed by my lunchbox, then my water jug and finally my flute before quickly pulling my hand out and slamming the door, I can usually fit everything. Then when I’m in a hurry to open my locker during class change, a flute falls on my head and a half-gallon of water falls on my foot. Not my idea of an efficient use of space.

My other locker is conveniently located in the band room – the only place where I need to access my flute and marching band materials – and it has plenty of room. It would be great if I could put my things in that locker in the morning before school, but the enforcement of the 8:00 rule (you can’t enter the Fine Arts Building until 8:00) stops me.

My mornings look something like this:

7:45 – arrive at school

7:55 – reach the school building (my parking spot is really far away)

7:55 – 8:05 – lug all of my stuff up to the fourth floor and down the hallway to my locker for my daily game of…

8:05 – debate whether I have time to turn in two classes worth of homework and bring my stuff to the band room before first period: I don’t.

If I was allowed into the Fine Arts building when I got to school at 7:55, I could put my band things away before going to my fourth-floor locker.

What I really don’t understand is what magical transformation I go through at 8:00 AM that suddenly makes me mature enough to be trusted in the Fine Arts building and what happens to me overnight to reverse the change.

Until I figure out how to prevent my nightly maturity loss, I’ll just have to keep deciding between making it to class on time and putting my flute in the locker it belongs in.