Chapter One

*Leala's POV*

"Oh my gosh, I cannot believe that we're finally in HIGH SCHOOL!!!" my best friend Meg squeals as we walk into Castle High School, home to the knights. But it isn't school time yet. It's the middle of June. Why are we here in the middle of summer, you ask? Well, we're in guard/marching band. "Yeah, I can't believe it either. I think we get to meet the upperclassmen today! I still can't believe you didn't do trombone, but prissy guard," I reply back and duck her gib slap.

"Watch it. Don't EVER say that to the guard. EVER. You'll see they aren't prissy. More like armed beat-your-ass chicks," Meg hisses at me, fuming with anger. But I know how to calm her down. "Chocolate chica?" I ask her with a baggie of brownies in my hand. Her face goes like a puppy, whimpering. Reluntantly I give her a "treat" to calm her down. "Isn't that Roslyn over there? Hey Rae!" I chirp at my flute friend Roslyn, calling her nickname. "Hey Lae!" she calls back.

"Do you know where the band hall is?" I ask Rosyln.

"Yeah, I was just there! What's in your hands?" she replies.

"Brownie bag."

Can I have some? PLEASE?"

"Fine. But you aren't getting anymore today. Either one of you," I tell my girl friends as we walk side by side into the band hall.

Just in front of me is this sign that says Rehersal A, and the entire marching band is in it. Holy shit, that's a lot of band people, I think to myself.

As we walk in we're greeted by the band directors and what looks like are the college students who will be teaching each section. I find all my other freshman friends huddled together, terrified but excited. I ask cheerfully, "What's up guys?"

"The ceiling!" "Your mom!" "Nothing much." "Life." "The sky, gas prices?" I hear said from some of them. I try to find my best guy friends, Edwin and Dante, but most people call them Ed and Dan. We make up the Tres Amigos and we've been friends for about a year collectively. I finally find them playing this weird game, where they're slashing at each other. "Hey guys!" I say enthusiastically. "What are you doing?"

"Playing Ninja!" They say at the same time. Dan slaps Ed's hand and shouts "I win this game!" Before I can even ask how to play, almost everyone in Rehersal A shouts back "Damn, we LOSE!!!!" The upperclassmen glare at Dan and he hides behind me. I laugh because out of the 3 of us 1) I'm the oldest 2) I have the most self-control/maturity 3) I'm the tallest and 4) from the Tres Amigos I'm the only girl but can act like a guy sometimes. Go figure!

"C'mon Lae-Lae! Try and beat me!" Ed teases me with my nickname as he shows me how to play Ninja!, and I do end up beating him. "I win, Jay-Jay!" I tease back at him as I take the winning move and slap his hand, showing I won. "It's so strange that you made up that name for me on your own, yet my family calls me that at home at the same time. Weird!" Ed tells me. Just then, Dan runs up to me and says breathlessly, "We have to go to our sections now guys. Leala, we have to go get our rentals, remember? He grabs my hand and leads me to the storage room, where I see the senior section leaders trying to help the freshmen get the rentals they need; mostly baritones, mellophones, tubas, and a few saxophones. The alto senior, Melody, looks at our interlocked hands and asks, "Are you two dating?" Dante and I release each others' hands and say simutaneously, "No." The seniors laugh then the mellophone seniors grab Dan and show him how to properly play mello opposed to French horn, and the reason why most brass players use gloves. Melody and the drum major who also plays saxophone, Ike, hook me up with a decent tenor saxophone. We hear over the intercom, "All upperclassmen please go outside for a refresher block. All marching freshman stay in A, while guard go to the Blue Room, drumline to Theory and pit to B."