The events in this story are mostly fictional, but based on real people and inside jokes. There will be refernces to the "inside jokes" throughout the story. It will start out as make believe, until band practice actually gets here ( which is soon ) then it will start becoming actual events. There may be a few names you will just have to learn throughout the story..so don't get flustered. You'll learn who everyone is soon enough.
On with chapter one!
Chracters in this chapter: Mr.B, Hayley, Cat, Sarah, Kayla, and me remember those names.
Minor chracters: Anderson, Hanna, L.B, and Josh
"Just two more years." Catherine grunted, putting her clarinet together. "Then I can say byebye to this eyesore." Kayla and I stared at her and sighed. Her clarinet was, indeed, something short of of fabulous.
"Perk up, you guys. what's up with you three?" Sarah asked, coming around the row of chairs and making her way over. "Why do you guys look so downtrodden?"
"Nice big word, Sarah." I joked, dodging a punch on the arm. Sarah hated blonde jokes more than anything else, being the blonde head of our group. ( Not counting Catherine. Just because you've dyed your hair blonde so many times it has become radioactive, doesn't make you a true blonde! It just makes you the eighth wonder of the world. I don't see how you're still alive. )
"Where's Hayley?" I asked, still a bit awkward about talking about her. ( It's a long story ).
"Beats me. I bet she's inside Mister Barnett's office getting the drill charts," Kayla piped up, then added, "I already got mine from him." She held the papers out triumphantly. We could all see how proud Kayla was about making section leader. Kayla kissed the papers, recieving concerned looks from all of us.
"Come'on Cat, we have to get back to our section. I think they want us over there." Sarah grabbed Cat's arm and dragged her away, Cat mouthing the words, 'Help me!'
I stood with Kayla. Now that I had her all to myself, I leaned in and began the "secret talk".
"What do you think of Anderson's tan?" I asked, nudging her in the ribs. Kayla's eyes got really big and she blushed.
"Me likey!" was her response, and she covered her mouth to keep from giggling too loud. After all, it was "the secret talk" and we were supposed to be being "secretive".
"Oh Kayla just go over and talk to him. You know you want to!"
"I can't, I have very important section leader..things..to attend to." She fumbled an excuse.
"Well at least you didn't make up a lie about being allergic to his shampoo this time." I rolled my eyes and began putting my flute together. ( I was usually the slowest to get things together ).
"I really am allergic to coconut! It gives me a rash!" Kayla whined.
I opened my mouth to say that it's ironic to only be allergic to coconut shampoo that one person wears and not if someone else wearing it, when we I saw Hayley making her way over with her drill chart and flute at hand.
"Quick! It's Nazi Thatcher! Get in attention mode!" Kayla and I stood still with goofy looks on our faces. We were ready to put on our 'happy faces'. Mine was a look of silly perky glee, Kayla's was a look of pain, because she had dropped her flute on her toe.
Hayley stopped at our sides and stared at us. "What's wrong with you guys?"
I shrugged and glanced at Kayla who was hopping up and down on her foot with her eyes crossed.
"Oh..uh..Kayla just realized that she forget to wear underwear this morning." I spat out, half serious and half amused with myself.
"Get it together, Kayla. A section leader isn't supposed to be a half naked fool." Hayley sat down in a random chair and looked over her drill chart.
"Lighten up, Hayley." Kayla cooed, now in a chair massasing her foot, "we haven't even started yet."
Hayley looked up momentarily to give her a serious look, then went back to studying the formations. Kayla and I exchanged glances. We knew Hayley was taking the whole section leader thing seriously. She had really wanted it, and now that she had it, nothing was going to stand in the way of her doing her best.
I sat down inbetween Hayley and Kayla, easing the tension betweenn them, but also causing new tension for me and Hayley. Hayley and I had had our quarrels in the past.
I got bored really easy. Kayla had started looking over hers as well. This left me with no one to talk to.
I hadn't tried out for section leader. Number one: I am nowhere near good enough to make it because I'm such a slacker, number two: I'm not assertive like a section leader should be.
I sat there looking around feeling crappy. The rest of the band was up and socializing, except the clarinets who were tuning. The color guarders were huddled in the corner collecting their flags and such.
My mind began to wander, when I realized I was staring at a notebook with a pen leaned up on the stand in front of me. Being slightly kleptomanical ( One of my many flaws ) ...and bored, I picked up the notebook and pen, and stared at the blank paper that was now in my lap. "I know! I'll just make my OWN drill chart." I huffed, starting to doodle.
Kayla and Hayley looked up and watched my pendance across the paper. Soon shapes had begun to appear. There was a shape that resembled a banana, and one was starting to resemble a doorknob. The way I had drawn it, it resembled the drill chart Hayley had in her hand, only the formation was different. I admired my work.
Suddenly Mister B scurried past, and in a hurry, grabbed the first drill chart he could find, which ironically ended up being the only drill chart that wasn't really a drill chart. He stood on the podium ready to get everyone together. Hayley, Kayla and I all exchanged glances.
"What do we do?" I mouthed to Kayla.
"I don't know!" Kayla bit her lip.
"Ahem..be seated everyone. L.B, get your tuba off of Hanna's head"
"But Mr.B, she went in on her own free will!" L.B put on an innocent face. L.B was one of the three tuba players. He wore dirty burgandy converses and colorful socks.
Mr.B sighed and cleared his throat again. Everyone began to settle down. "As you all know, or hopefully you know, if you all have got a chance to read the papers I sent you over the summer.." We all grumbled. " ..you would have read that our theme this year is the reproductive system." There was a long, drawn out silence. Mr.B glanced back at the drill chart in his hand. "What the-? That's not ...What happened to my theme of Living on the Farm?" He flipped through the notebook. Everyone groaned, but some others were still stuck on what Mr.B had informed us.
"Can't we just stick to the reproductive system?" Whined Josh Miller, the pimp-wannabe saxophone player of our band.
I gathered up some courage. "Um..Mr.B, that's not what you think it is. It's a banana." I bit my lip because I was scared, and also because I didn't want to laugh. Mr.B looked up and had a look of pure blankness on his face.
"I don't remember one of the formations being a banana."
