The Disappearance of Captain Insano
This is the first in a series of stories about the Marching Beagles. Stories may be fiction or fact as I choose. This particular incident I chose to start with actually did happen to our band. Any resemblance to band members of the Knights is purely coincidental. I don't own them but I do own their Beagle-y counterparts. Stories may not be told in chronological order. This one begins mid-marching season of 'Amanda's' junior year. Anyone who's age I don't tell is more than likely a sophomore and I may chose to put a list of characters/instruments/ages to help you keep track. I might also chose to tell you the origin of the name the Marching Beagles
And now... for the escapades of the Marching Beagles!
The scene opens on our heroine. A brass player of the loudest degree, horn clutched in her hand, she made an impressive picture as she stood proudly before the rising sun.
"Amanda!" A voice interrupted her solitary reverie. Tiffany cocked an eyebrow at Amanda's antics and she clambered out of her mother's van.
"Tiffany?" she questioned, "oh bologna! I'm late aren't I?" She dashed into the school not heeding Tiffany's response since it was a well-known fact that Tiffany always overslept.
THWACK! ".. that door is closed..." Tiffany's voice finally penetrated into Amanda's brain as she lay inert on the sidewalk. "Are you ok?" Tiffany gasped as she rushed up to Amanda. "Sked? What happened?" she asked, invoking Amanda's oft-used nickname, derived from her last name, Skedson.
"I'm fine. I just happened to notice how completely fascinating this concrete is and wanted to get a closer look." she replied, attempting to maintain a few shreds of dignity. "If you'll look here this crack my face made bears a striking resemblance to the San Andreas Faultline." Tiffany rolled her eyes at this as she extended a hand to help Amanda up.
"Come on Madame Geologist, let's go play. I hear a drum and if anyone from drumline is out there we're really late." She grabbed Sked's wrist and took off, clarinet case banging into her thighs as she ran.
"Ack!" Amanda gagged, "my hair! I already ate breakfast! I don't need to eat my hair now too." She attempted to spit out the offending strands of brown hair but just wound up getting more in her mouth. "I knew it felt like a ponytail day but nooo... I can't listen to my intuition now can I? Oh ick! I obviously didn't get all the shampoo out there!"
"What on earth are you babbling about?" Tiffany asked, finally slowing almost to a halt in front of the band room.
"Oh nothing just musing about how lucky I am to be getting my daily dose of fiber," she responded, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
Tiffany wisely chose to ignore her as they entered the band room. Luckily the drummer being on time had been a fluke. (Taylor had accidently set his alarm clock an hour early) Upon entering the band room they were immediately accosted by Mallory, the freshman drummer chick.
"Have you seen Captain Insano?" she frantically cried, referring to the fuzzy blue rat-thing the drumline had adopted as its mascot. They'd decided he was a 'kangaroogul' , except Mallory, who maintained that since he was the percussion mascot he should be a 'ratamique,' With a mini-drumline beret, percussion section necklace, tinfoil triangle (complete with triangle beater), and loads of matted, blue fuzz, Captain Insano really did resemble many of the drummers.
"Did you ask Derek?" Sked suggested. The percussionist, turned drum major, would be most likely to know she figured.
"Yes! He had no idea! Mark said he'd set Captain Insano on my quads 15 minutes ago and he's not there now!" She appeared to be very nearly hyperventilating.
"Mal chill out! He'll turn up. I bet Alex saw him and decided it was his day for the thing" Tiffany spoke soothingly. Mallory however looked unconvinced and went off with the intention of grilling Allison, their curly-haired, French-horn-playing, friend as to the whereabouts of Captain Insano.
"It's official!" Mallory has completely lost it," announced Abigail as she she sauntered out of the instrument room with her flute. "I bet the rat-thing is wherever my lyre is," she grimaced in annoyance. Having none of the pure talent of Tiffany, or untainted prettiness of Allison, Abigail made up for it in a sunny, friendly personality.
"This lyre?" questioned Kevin materializing by Abigail's elbow. Kevin was the trumpet player who was infatuated with Amanda. She was aware of this and went into her 'foaming at the mouth' routine for his benefit. He appeared unsure of how to react, so went with the safe response and threw the lyre at Abigail. "You left it in our car after the game on Friday" On that stunning and memorable line, he beat a hasty retreat and went to talk with Brian, another trumpet player. Abigail burst into a fit of giggles as he left.
"Oh that was priceless!" she gasped. She appeared to be all set to go off into fresh peals of laughter so Sked hastily interrupted her. If you let Abigail laugh too long she tended to forget to breathe and since she figured Renee and Taylor would beat her up if she let Abby pass out in the middle of the band room. She was an awesome person but she tended to be a little on the ditzy side at times.
"Hey Abby, look! Mallory's bugging Keith now." That would be Sked's idea of a mental distraction. Witty statements eluded her at the moment and most likely would cause Abby to laugh even more which was the complete opposite of the reaction she wanted. Success! Abby turned to look at Keith, Kevin's less-than-talented twin brother, who was holding a drumstick. Mallory was talking to him as he contemplated the stick and experimentally hit it against a bass drum. He winced as he discovered snare sticks didn't make the prettiest sound on a bass drum.
Keith has joined band for one reason and one reason only. His girlfriend (who just happened to be Tiffany) was in it. Mr. Dronnin, the director, wasn't used to having random non-musical people wanting to join band and for lack of any better idea, declared him a percussionist and handed him a pair of cymbals. He still couldn't do anything very well but he could crash those cymbals louder than anyone else. As Sked often and loudly remarked he was wonderful at cymbals... now if he could just learn to count so the crashes were in the right places they'd be getting somewhere.
Their merriment was interrupted by the entrance of Mr. Dronnin and the requisite "yell at the band and tell them they should be lined up already." It was very heartwarming and band wouldn't be band without that little morning ritual. After a rather boring practice which they actually finished with enough time to spare to get to class, the mystery of Captain Insano's disappearance was solved.
CAPTAIN INSANO HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED. DO NOT TRY AND FIND HIM. YOU WILL BE NOTIFIED HOW YOU CAN GET HIM BACK LATER. LOVE, THE KIDNAPPERS.
was proclaimed on a sheet of typed computer paper taped to the board. Mallory was freaking out and the drumline looked rather mutinous. Sked, Tiffany, and Abby stifled giggles as they headed to their lockers. They certainly didn't want to be around when Mallory recovered enough to talk.
What happened to Captain Insano? Who took him. Stay tuned for the next installment of the thrilling saga of the Marching Beagles!