A/N this is based on actual events at a football game!

The crowd was cheering like crazy as the quarter back of our team, a strong, athletic, good looking senior, Brandon Easterling, made a touch down! Our cute short Drum Major, Beth, quickly conducted us in a four-four time as we played our fight song. For a family of four, our low brass line sang loud and clear. After we finished the song off, I lowered my baritone for a moment and looked at my fellow sousaphone player, Abi.

"Good job Abi! You're sound improves with each game."

"Oh, you only know that it's you who makes me sound better."

Her brown mischievous eyes were sparkling as she continued the joke. I couldn't help but laugh. Then, my twin sister, Jazzy leaned around the other trombonist, Katarina, and yelled,

"Hey! I thought I was the one you loved!"

"You're going out with my brother! That don't count!"

Abi smiled. Yes, it was true that my twin and Abi's brother have been dating for a long time. I was thinking of him when…

"Hey! Can I play for a bit?"

My train of thought was cut off as I turned to face him. Standing nearly 6 feet tall with dark curly brown hair that trailed into his dark green eyes, my hazel eyes studied Daniel carefully. Teasingly, I responded,

"Technically, you graduated last year. So really, you don't play the baritone anymore."

His bottom lip pouted and he held both of his light tanned hands under his chin as he began to whine pitifully.

"But-but-but I taught you how to play the baritone. And the bass guitar. And I helped you. And I was your section leader. And-"

"Okay! Okay! I have an extra mouth piece in my case. You know, for a guy who's 18, you sure are a whine bag."

He flashed me a blinding smile as he rushed to my case and took my baritone away from me. Handing me my mouthpiece I used, he replaced it with the other one. He gave me a quick hug.

"Thank you!"

Laughing, I shoved him away. As soon as he was about to say something, the white board covered in black markings instructed us to play Let's Get it Started. I stepped back and let him play. Thoughts crossed my mind when I saw that when playing the baritone, he was happy. So why didn't he try out for the college band? If he's so happy when he plays music, what prevented him from trying out? Laughter coming from the band moms jerked me back to attention as I whipped my head down and saw LeAnn, Daniel's 41 year old cousin, Tracey, his mom, and my mom deep in conversation and gesturing towards Daniel and I. Great…I know what they're thinking. Then, the song was over. With a joking smile on my face, I punched Daniel in the arm.

"Jeeze. Are you so out of practice that you don't remember how to play?"

"Hey! I only messed up twice. Or three times."

Beth looked up at us.

"Hey Lauren! You missed a few notes!"

"No I didn't! It was Daniel."

"Oh right, It's 'cause you're perfect, aren't you?"

"Yep! I never mess up!"

That's when the first problem of the night happened. IT opened its mouth.

"No, she never messes up. She's a perfect bitch. She only messes around with people, fucks up their lives and stuff like that."

My body instantly tensed as I heard those dreaded words come out of his mouth. It hurt. Glaring at the back of his bleached hair, tears threatened my eyes. Turning around angrily, I got my baritone back and replaced the mouthpiece. I wasn't going to cry. That'd only prove I let it get to me. Besides, I don't like crying in front of people. There was only a few times where I have done that. Like this summer… His hand touched my shoulder gently.

"You okay?"

I took a deep breath and murmured a simple yes. Daniel's warm eyes turned into a hostile glare aimed towards Zach.

"He said something, didn't he?"

"He always does."

"Let me talk to him. I'll straighten him out."

"Don't. You're 18. He's 15. Don't want you in trouble."

As he was about to say something else, to argue perhaps, Beth called us to go down and get ready for the half time show and I left him. As we got into our warm up arc, my low brass girls knew something was up. I quickly explained what happened with Zach.

"You broke up with him two weeks ago!"

"I know!"

"He needs to get over it! I'll take care of him."

"Sarah, don't. He's not worth it. Not worth of our time."

She and Kat huffed.

"Whatever."

It made the girls mad, and I knew it. I started dating Zach within two weeks of summer practice. Him a freshman, me a junior. A 16 year old girl, a 15 turning 16 boy. A baritone player and a French horn player. A bad match. My second boyfriend. I'm horrible when it comes to dating. My first one was a band geek, also a year younger in school wise, but same age, who is actually a member of the band that we're visiting tonight. Joy. I was going into hiding after half time during our break. Within minutes of warming up, we performed our half time show with the music arrangements of Land of Make Believe, Born to Hand Jive, and Get it on. Then, it was our break. I went on a side of the field where there wasn't too many people to bother me and I observed the game. My isolation was broken when I felt my pocket vibrate. I looked at the caller I.D., confused.

"Sarah?"

There was a fit of giggles on the other end.

"Hehehe…he's not gonna say crap about you anymore."

My adrenaline rushed for a moment.

"Why's that?"

"Because, he'll be too busy trying to get the taste of hand sanitizer out of his mouth piece!"

"YOU DID WHAT?!"

"His mouth needed to be cleaned of dirty words. Well, that's what the Low Brass Mafia thought."

Oh great. The Low Brass Mafia, or LBM, is another name that we girls in the low brass came up with. There were only 4 of us, so it was easy. Jokingly, I'm the Don, Sarah's the Financial Adviser, Abi's the clean up crew, and Kat is the not-so-secrete weapon! Quickly, she explained that she, Abi, Kat, and Malory, a flute player whom we've adopted into the LBM, put a big dab of Germ-X into Zach's mouthpiece and rubbed it in. Then, we were interrupted by the bell, signaling that it was time for 4th quarter. Nervously, I pocketed my Razor and made my way back into the stand. 5 minutes passed and it was time for us to play. I watched as he raised his French horn to his mouth and… He made for the side of the bleachers and tried to spit out the taste from his mouth.

"OH MI GOD!!!"

It took every ounce of discipline for the LBM to not laugh. Daniel made his way back up the stands, slowly, as he watched the blonde freshman spitting.

"Well…that's attractive."

The game was soon over. As we made the way towards the bus, I saw Malory's hand snake into her purse and throw away a small bottle of Vanilla Germ-X into a trash can. Smiling slightly, I took my baritone to the band trailer. To my upmost surprise, the assistant band director, Mrs. Hendrix was checking pockets and purses. Relief flooded through me as the persistent band director found nothing in Malory's purse. However, I did NOT want to go home on that bus. I've already had 6 people ask me if I did it. And I was not about to reveal my knowledge of what I did know, and I was sick of playing stupid. LeAnn and Tracey were standing around talking to Daniel and their other son, Chris. Explaining that I really didn't feel good, I asked if I could go home with them instead of on the bus. After getting approved and settled in the dark blue Durango, Daniel sent me a text.

Sarah loves you. Don't worry, she told me!

I smiled as I looked behind me and at him. Chris punched his bro's arm lightly.

"So, what was up with tonight?"

Daniel shook his head and looked out the window.

"I don't know what happened."

LeAnn's smart eyes looked up in the review and caught my gaze.

"You know, it's funny that no one saw anything. And yet, it happened in plain sight. Are you sure you two didn't see anything or know anything?"

"You know if we did, you wouldn't tell Mr. McCool or Mrs. Hendrix."

Tracey answered happily.

"No. He deserved it. We're just curious."

"We're innocent!"

On the rest of the ride home, it wasn't mentioned again. But, LeAnn and Tracey aren't stupid.