"Set!" Ever body stops immediately and gets into a certain position. "Set your instruments down for stretches, and don't kick them!"

Everyone gets into lines and carefully does as instructed. The drum major, Arthur Kirkland, leads us through them.

"Alright guys, one lap around the parking lot." Everyone groans and starts to run when all of a sudden we hear a clank.

"Whoops, sorry~" Ivan says.

"You crushed my beautiful saxophone!" Francis yells.

"I told you guys to be careful!" My attention fades as I get further from the noise.

My name is Ludwig Beilschmidt and I am a freshman in high school and a rookie in the World Academy Marching Band.

In case you didn't know, marching band is way bigger than you'd think. It is very military based and requires intense discipline. You marching rain, sun, hail, snow. Whether freezing or blazing we are out there haling balls for a school that doesn't give two shits about us. We show up to every football game when no one wants to be there. We have to stand during the whole game and only get to sit and eat during the third quarter but since we don't get our own line, like we're suppose to, we end up standing line the whole third quarter just to get a hot chocolate so your fingers don't get frost bite. The clarinets must have holes in their gloves though so they can play, sucks to be them.

Practice varies from school to school but for now its 3 hours once a week. After camp its 3 hours three times a week. That's just the practice and we are one of the less strict bands.

I am the only tuba player, not a sousaphone, a tuba. By the way a sousaphone is the one that wraps around your body and yes, it's called a sousaphone and not a tuba.

After everyone runs the lap we get into a basic block and start warm ups. They teach us how to march properly and what set position we go in to. A trombone player, Katyusha Braginskaya, helps me because she marched tuba her sophomore year.

"Your hands go there and you hold it up here~" She adjusts my body for me. "There, now snap it up~" I do so. My face hurts. "Not that hard! Just to bring it to your face, not hit yourself with it! Are you alright?"

"Ja, I'm fine... Thanks." After an hour we break up into sections, mine being the low brass. Berwald Oxenstierna and Lukas Bondevik are on bari sax; Emil Steilsson, Katyusha, and Ivan Braginski trombone and Mathias Kohler on baritone, euphonium. Also bari sax is not a brass but they are too small for their own section. Ivan is the section leader.

"Da, so... We will play and it will sound good or I will kill you~" Kat looks at him.

"Brother please, stop joking."

"Who said I was joking~?"

"Brother!" Ivan starts laughing and gives off a toning note which we all adjust to.

"This year our show is 21 Guns~" He passes out the music and parts. I get first because I'm the only one.

"That's a good song; this should be fun." I say. They burst out laughing.

"You rookies crack me up!" Mathias yells, "Arthur is such a tight ass and makes the whole thing not fun. The only good things are the instructors at camp because they're all hot and it's hot so most of the guys end up not wearing shirts~!" Most of them nod their heads... I think most of the guys are gay...

We start practicing the music and so far it's going well. Not that complicated, especially since low brass usually get the easier parts.

After an hour we are brought together for a full band rehearsal for an hour. Halfway through the practice a man runs into the room and right to the band director, Mr. Edelstein.

"Rod, one of the girls hit herself with a flagpole and won't wake up." He stares at him.

"Bring in the girl and we'll see if she's bleeding and needs to go to the hospital." He walks into his office. The man walks over to me, me being the nearest guy.

"Ok, so... Can you help, I can't lift carry her into the building." I nod and drop my instrument. I follow him outside. We walk up an unconscious Lili Zwingli... Seriously? She weighs nothing! I pick her up quick and easy.

"You can't pick up Lili? She's veightless." He looks at the ground.

"I'm sorry, I am weak..." I sigh.

"Vat's your name?" I ask.

"Just call me Feliciano~ And your name~?"

"Ludvig, rookie. Your grade?" He looks at me shocked.

"I'm the guard instructor ve!" ... He looks so young...

I take Lili inside and set her down in a cool area of the school. Edelstein walks in and kneels next to her.

"Go back to practice. Thank you for helping."

After practice I walk home alone. A car drives by blasting the horn. I look over and see it's my brother Gilbert. He stops next to me.

"Dude, why are you walking home?" I sigh and walk over to the window.

"I just vant some alone time, alvight? I can handle myself so you don't need vorry."

"Whatever dude, see you later!" He speeds away leaving a trail of dust in the air. I walk back to the sidewalk and keep walking... Mr. Vargas... An image of him flashes in my mind. His weak arms but strangely strong looking calves... Soft face... Small body... Maybe early 20's... Why am I thinking about him!?

It's late at night and I'm trying to sleep but he's on my mind for some reason. For the next week I can't stop thinking about him and I don't know why!

It's the next day at band and we are in our basic block again. Next to us is the guard members warming up in the hot sun. All during warm ups my eyes are drawn toward the guard members... And instructor. Arthur makes us run two laps today but once we start running Mr. Vargas takes off his shirt and leads the girls... And Feliks... through stretches. He does a bunch poses and other things. I complete my first run but as I pass by my head clearly stays on the guard. I try to keep my mind focused on marching band but something else distracts me while I'm running. It feels like somethings behind me.

"Are you watching my sister?" Basch says from behind me.

"No, I am not..." He gets closer to me.

"But you're staring at them. You were with her alone yesterday. Do you want to die?" I sigh.

"I am not after your sister. And I'm not scared of you." I can feel his breath on my neck.

"Then who are you staring at? Pedophile." I stop instantly and Basch runs right into me. I turn around to find him covering his mouth. I pick him up by his collar.

"You may be a junior but I can kick your ass. I am not a bad guy and if you call me zat again I vill destroy you. Got it?" I drop him and proceed to run.

"COWARD!" Practice is just learning how to do slides today and continuing to practice the music. After practice I notice Mr. Vargas trying to pick up several flags. I walk over.

"Can I help you?" He smiles at me.

"It's ok~ Go home and relax, it was a hard day~" I walk over and pick up a pile of flags.

"It's fine. I like getting avay from home." I follow him inside. "You're Italian, vight?"

"Yup~ And you're German~" I nod.

"Um... How old are you?"

"20~ You're a rookie so... Ve, your 14?"

"Ja. But I'm gonna turn 15 soon..."

"Thanks again for yesterday~ I know I'm not that strong and a lot of people don't know why I'm here. See, I also help the band members but they are separated from the guard so they don't think I know how to help them ve but I do...!" I look at him.

"I don't think'd be one to lie so I believe you..." He smiles at me.

"As thanks for helping me let me drive you home~" Naturally I decline but he insists and I can't turn it down. I go to his car and get in but Mr. Vargas had something to do so he'll be back in a few minutes. As I sit in his car something catches my eye, a book actually. I pick it up.

"A school year book..." I open it up and start flipping through the pages. "Most artistic: Feliciano Vargas..." The whole page was covered with him with paintings, instruments from the piccolo to the tuba, him in the choir and all other things of art. At the bottom it reads: Feliciano Vargas made plenty of art pieces and could play many instruments skillfully and was also in the WA choir. Along with marching band, he also was in winter guard and theatre.

"Wh-what are you doing ve!?" I didn't notice the car door open.

"Sorry... I got interested..." He sighs.

"You saw my page?" I nod.

"Zat's so cool..." I smile at him. "You vere so passionate about art... It's hard to find zat now a days." He smiles at me. During the car ride to my home we get to talking about things we like and he's a very nice person. He's very kind...

"Thanks for driving me."

"Oh ve, it was no problem~ See you next week ve~!" I get out of the car and get into the house.

"Bruder! Why did you drive with him and not the awesome me!"

"Shut up Gil." He smirks at me.

"Oh, I get why you were late. You were boning the guard instructor~" My face turns bright red, "Oh my god you did! I'm telling Francis and Antonio!"

"God no Gil! We didn't do anything! I helped him bring in the flags so he gave me a ride home! Ve vould never do somezing like zat!"

"... Then why did you blush? Do you like him or somethin?"

"..." Gil's face lights up.

"Oh my god you do! I'm telling Francis and Antonio!" He runs to his bedroom and locks himself in. I run and start pounding on the door.

"Gil! Gil! Don't, please!"

3rd person POV:

"My little bruder has a crush on the guard instructor!" Gil texted to Toni and Francis. After a few minutes they both reply.

"Oh my gosh really~!? Well, he is a charmer~ Your brother has a good eye~" Francis replied.

"What! Dude, I'm dating his twin! We could be brothers man~" Toni replied.

"Dudes, this the weirdest thing ever! The awesome me is totally gonna hang this over his head!" Gilbert replied.

Ludwig' POV:

I sigh and fall to my knees. If this gets around Mr. Vargas could get in big trouble if this is found out but what am I going to do? The door opens and I see Gil behind it.

"So, what are you willing to do to not have this spread around~?" Gil asks.

"You know vat..." He smirks.

"Do my homework, and don't miss band either~!" I sigh and nod my head.

What am I going to do? Band camp is only a few weeks away...