It was an unseasonably hot day in early October 2011. I was getting ready to perform the Maroon 5 show for everyone in the crowd, including my parents, Nadine and Willie. Before I knew it, one of my friends, and lead drum major, James Hiller, was blowing his whistle. "Detail!" he shouted. "One, two!" the band replied. (whistle blows 4 times) "Hut ten hut!" "Ram Pride!" (tweet, tweet, tweet) (tap, tap, tap) The band director, Mr. Beresik announces, " Here they are, the pride of Highlands! Stomp your feet and make some noise! Under the field leadership of drum majors Sarah Phillips and James Hiller, with color guard captain Tori Vega, majorette captain Jade West, and drill team captain Carly Shay, we proudly present to you the 2011-2012 edition of the Highlands Varsity Marching Band!" (pause) My other friends, Alex Russo and Justin Evans argue on the field. "Justin, how come James and Sarah made drum majors and we didn't?" Alex asked her friend. "Maybe, because they have more potential and responsibility," Justin replied. "Hey, at least Max is happy with their friend, Henri in the French horn section!" "Shh," I hissed at my fellow band members. Mr. Beresik continues talking. "We proudly present to you the music of Maroon 5, including Misery, Makes Me Wonder, This Love, She Will Be Loved, and their newest hit, Moves Like Jagger." Sarah Phillips, my other best friend and fellow drum major, gave hand gestures and shouted, "Band horns up!" The band yelled "Up!" She blew her whistle 4 times, and then the band started playing. I started concentrating real hard to play all the right notes on my cymbals, and kept my eyes on James and Sarah. Okay, Angel. You can do this. Don't let your friends get you stuck in the middle. Then, when it was time to play Makes Me Wonder, this was when the fight scene began. Another one of my best friends, Carly Shay, was captain of the drill team, and the song was a band front feature. Alex and Justin bickered about how Carly did not deserve to be drill team captain, and then the halftime show had to be cut short. Sarah and James came running over. "What is going on here?" Sarah asked us. "Yeah, we have a show to perform out there," James stated. "My friends, Alex and Justin are jealous of you two and Carly, and they can't stop arguing," I told my fellow drum major BFFs. "Tell them to get their act together!" "Okay, Angel. We will do that," Sarah replied. "Alex!" she scolded. "Justin!" James scolded. "We are very disappointed in both of you. Mr. Beresik will not approve of this bad behavior." "You tell them, James," I remarked. "Look at Teddy, PJ, Gabe, Max, and Henri! They may not be leaders, but they may still be a team!" "You give such good advice, Angel," Sarah praised. "Thank you, Sarah," I replied. "Now, let's continue! The show is just getting good with Makes Me Wonder." James and Sarah returned to the front of the field, and we continued playing the show until Mr. Beresik gave the closing remarks at the very end. I gave an important announcement with Mr. Beresik about how important it is for our senior class to be a team. "You guys are more than just my classmates and friends, you are my family," I informed my classmates. "So, in no way are we to argue, bicker, or insult each other about who's better than who, because all band members in the Highlands Class of 2012 are born free and equal!" The audience laughed. " Hey, would you guys all like to go out for pizza with me after the game is over?" I asked. "Of course!" my fellow band members agreed with me. "All right, so let's let my good friends, Sarah and James lead us through some stand cheers while we munch on cookies and water bottles provided by the Band Boosters for us to eat." So then, all my friends and I got along with each other in the marching band, and became a senior class family. The End