Jason stretched, and sighed. It had been a long morning - his muscles
were sore. Correction: they felt as though he had pounded them with
hammers. He took off his harness and leaned it against the brick wall. The
bright sun glinted off the metal and his sweat, shining into his eyes.
Shielding them from the glimmer, he turned towards the rest of the
drumline. They were all huddled together, talking rapidly in low voices. He
walked over to them, and joined the group.
"Dude, what's WRONG with him??" Nick demanded. "I don't want some chick on the line! We've always been all male-and it's worked fine."
Pete cut in. "Who's getting cut, then? We don't have any extra drums. Someone's getting kicked out!" He looked worried. His spot as 5th bass was an afterthought at best, given to him because of dedication and not talent. And being the only freshman, he knew it was in jeopardy.
Jason interrupted. "What's going on, guys?" he asked, confused. Will answered angrily.
"They're taking one of us off and putting some CHICK on the line!!"
Jason's mouth dropped. "No way. They can't! Tell you what," he said, noticing the look of despair on their faces, "I'll go talk to Mr. Elling. He'll fix it, I promise."
"He better fix it." Will muttered.
"He will. Has he ever let you down, Will?"
Will shook his head. "No, but there's a first time for everything, you know."
Shaking his head at their folly, Jason left to go find out what was really going on.
There was a short line outside Mr. Elling's door. No one in it was anyone Jason knew. "Freshmen." he muttered under his breath. Upon hearing him, the girl in front of him glanced back. She was beautiful, with olive skin tones and long, wavy black hair. A swipe of gold accented her eyes; her tan shirt showed off her figure well. Jason met her eyes. Perhaps freshmen aren't so bad after all... he thought .After all, most of this year's crop was quite attractive, and many were willing enough to date - or bed - the captain of the Drumline.
Jason smiled at the girl, and she smiled back. "I just moved here, from Florida. Don't worry; I'm no freshman. I'm a junior."
Jason cursed inwardly. So much for a willing girl. "What do you play?" he asked. "Clarinet, maybe?" She looked the type.
She laughed. "No, I march snare."
Just then, the door opened and Vida disappeared inside, leaving Jason standing there with an open mouth, shocked.
Jason barged into Mr. Elling's office, slamming the door behind him. The director looked up.
"Something the matter, Jason? The line seemed fine when I checked on you earlier."
"It WAS fine," Jason snarled, "Until Jamie told us he'd been knocked to pit for some GIRL!"
Mr. Elling blushed. "Ah yes.I had meant to talk to you about that. Have a seat, son." As Jason sat, he explained further. "The board of directors, who make decisions for our school, want a girl on the line. When Vida moved here, it was an opportunity they couldn't resist. I'm sorry, Jason. I had to."
Without a word, Jason got up and left, slamming the door loudly behind him.
The drum room was unusually quiet when Jason returned for his snare. Opening the door, he found the entire drumline sitting on the floor against the wall on one side of the room. On the other side, with a despairing look on her face, stood Vida.
Vida silently cursed. It was bad enough that the entire line treated her like she had the plague, but to have that cute boy - what was his name? Jason? - from the line outside the director's office witness it was even worse. And the drum captain, whoever he was, she had at least expected him to act mature and handle this. Jason moved to her side and faced the boys. He spoke.
"Guys..I know."
And with that, he fixed them with a look that brought them to their feet and shuffling towards their drums.
Vida turned towards the nearest snare player. The look on her face conveyed her question obviously enough, but he just shook his head and pointed at Jason. She turned to him, feeling like she was going to cry. But Jason smiled, and placing his hand on the small of her back, led her to a snare neatly packed in its Yamaha box. Unsnapping the straps, he lifted it out. "This is yours," he said. "If it breaks, fix it or get someone else to. It shouldn't, though. Jamie." he swallowed hard, "Jamie, he took good care of it. He really liked it." He then took down another one. "This one's mine." Setting it down, he led her to the rack of harnesses. He took one off and put it on, and grabbed another. Placing it over her head, he stepped back and surveyed it with a critical eye. "Too big. Try this one." As she took it off, Jason took down another harness and handed it to her. "Perfect. You know how it goes? Good. Let's go, field time is in three minutes."
"Dude, what's WRONG with him??" Nick demanded. "I don't want some chick on the line! We've always been all male-and it's worked fine."
Pete cut in. "Who's getting cut, then? We don't have any extra drums. Someone's getting kicked out!" He looked worried. His spot as 5th bass was an afterthought at best, given to him because of dedication and not talent. And being the only freshman, he knew it was in jeopardy.
Jason interrupted. "What's going on, guys?" he asked, confused. Will answered angrily.
"They're taking one of us off and putting some CHICK on the line!!"
Jason's mouth dropped. "No way. They can't! Tell you what," he said, noticing the look of despair on their faces, "I'll go talk to Mr. Elling. He'll fix it, I promise."
"He better fix it." Will muttered.
"He will. Has he ever let you down, Will?"
Will shook his head. "No, but there's a first time for everything, you know."
Shaking his head at their folly, Jason left to go find out what was really going on.
There was a short line outside Mr. Elling's door. No one in it was anyone Jason knew. "Freshmen." he muttered under his breath. Upon hearing him, the girl in front of him glanced back. She was beautiful, with olive skin tones and long, wavy black hair. A swipe of gold accented her eyes; her tan shirt showed off her figure well. Jason met her eyes. Perhaps freshmen aren't so bad after all... he thought .After all, most of this year's crop was quite attractive, and many were willing enough to date - or bed - the captain of the Drumline.
Jason smiled at the girl, and she smiled back. "I just moved here, from Florida. Don't worry; I'm no freshman. I'm a junior."
Jason cursed inwardly. So much for a willing girl. "What do you play?" he asked. "Clarinet, maybe?" She looked the type.
She laughed. "No, I march snare."
Just then, the door opened and Vida disappeared inside, leaving Jason standing there with an open mouth, shocked.
Jason barged into Mr. Elling's office, slamming the door behind him. The director looked up.
"Something the matter, Jason? The line seemed fine when I checked on you earlier."
"It WAS fine," Jason snarled, "Until Jamie told us he'd been knocked to pit for some GIRL!"
Mr. Elling blushed. "Ah yes.I had meant to talk to you about that. Have a seat, son." As Jason sat, he explained further. "The board of directors, who make decisions for our school, want a girl on the line. When Vida moved here, it was an opportunity they couldn't resist. I'm sorry, Jason. I had to."
Without a word, Jason got up and left, slamming the door loudly behind him.
The drum room was unusually quiet when Jason returned for his snare. Opening the door, he found the entire drumline sitting on the floor against the wall on one side of the room. On the other side, with a despairing look on her face, stood Vida.
Vida silently cursed. It was bad enough that the entire line treated her like she had the plague, but to have that cute boy - what was his name? Jason? - from the line outside the director's office witness it was even worse. And the drum captain, whoever he was, she had at least expected him to act mature and handle this. Jason moved to her side and faced the boys. He spoke.
"Guys..I know."
And with that, he fixed them with a look that brought them to their feet and shuffling towards their drums.
Vida turned towards the nearest snare player. The look on her face conveyed her question obviously enough, but he just shook his head and pointed at Jason. She turned to him, feeling like she was going to cry. But Jason smiled, and placing his hand on the small of her back, led her to a snare neatly packed in its Yamaha box. Unsnapping the straps, he lifted it out. "This is yours," he said. "If it breaks, fix it or get someone else to. It shouldn't, though. Jamie." he swallowed hard, "Jamie, he took good care of it. He really liked it." He then took down another one. "This one's mine." Setting it down, he led her to the rack of harnesses. He took one off and put it on, and grabbed another. Placing it over her head, he stepped back and surveyed it with a critical eye. "Too big. Try this one." As she took it off, Jason took down another harness and handed it to her. "Perfect. You know how it goes? Good. Let's go, field time is in three minutes."