Disclaimer-This song is MINE so please don't steal it. Thanks. HazelEyedHottie
STRONGER
She sat down on her bed and set the pages of empty staff paper on her lap. This was going to take a while. It was her second summer here and still she didn't feel as if most of the band didn't know anything about her. Her senior year was coming up and some of them probably thought she was only going to be a sophmore, even though she didn't look at all that young. They might've been able to know her better if it wasn't for one of her weaknesses-shyness. Her friends would argue otherwise, but she knew it was true. It would always be her downfall. But this year was going to be different than last. She already had a plan forming in her mind. She'd be everything that she wanted to be, do everything that she wanted to do, and would let no one stand in her way.
Her pencil hit the paper & she began writing out the notes and rhythms that she'd been hearing in her head for the past week. Not many people actually paid attention to it, but she wrote songs. Most of the time it was just the lyrics, but she could still hear the rest of the music in the back of her head. This time was different. She knew everything possible about this song. It was going to be her theme song for the summer, so it had to be perfect. She started singing along with her writing
I'm just one girl
How could I change the world,
When my only accomplishment
Is being second best?
Things were definately going to change this year. No she might not end up at the very top, but she'd still be ranked up there with them. People wouldn't look down on her anymore for being the "new girl" in the band. Lots of people move once they've started highschool, it wasn't necessarily an unusual thing to do. Just particularly painful for the unlucky kid. But she was doing much better. She'd kept her best friends and had made a bunch of new ones. Overall everything was going pretty good.
But still she wasn't considered the best in anything. It was always like that; again not an unusual thing. Every sport she'd tried she'd failed at. Yeah, she was a good student (like any band kid) but she had problems getting top grades in everything. She'd been playing her instrument for eight years now and was continually told how amazing she was, but still hadn't been first chair since fourth grade. It was pretty pathetic actually.
I will stand tall
Though I may fall
I will be strong
Till the end
But she was over it now. It was almost as if she'd become numb to it, but that didn't mean she was giving up or not trying as hard. In fact, she was trying harder. Nothing was going to keep her away from her goal, even if she ended up in second again. It would all be worth it in the end.
Her pencil was going faster as she wrote out the notes and rhythms perfectly. She paused and looked out the window. There were a couple little boys playing basketball in the street. Sometimes she wished she could be like them. Just go outside and be able to be content with the world. They were so innocent. She used to be like that. But the times change people just like it formed the Grand Canyon. Something beautiful and incredible will always come in the end, however unexpected or unusual. Her mind went back to her song.
There's nothing you can say, nothing you can say
To bring me down
There's nothing you can do, nothing you can do
That would turn me around
There were the people who opposed her completely. Some of them told her not to bother with trying to be anything. Others told her to try, but she'd still end up being nothing. She wasn't going to let them make her decisions for her anymore. They didn't really know her, they'd only seen what she'd chosen to let them see this year. And it was only one year. One year of barely being aquaintences and they thought they had the right to judge her. Ha! She knew more than they could ever expect her to know.
Actually, she knew more than some of the people who chose to judge her. They could just sit at the bottom of their section and not give a damn, but she had to work her tail off to simply stay alive in her section. Everyone knows how competitive the flutes are. If the choice was to A) Get first chair and push your top competitior over a cliff (or something less violent, but still violent) or B) Get second chair and have her rub it in your face for a year, the typical flutist would choose choice A. She was a choice B flutist, but she wasn't just going to give it to them! Then she'd definately never hear the end of it. It was either fight or die, no other choices.
I'm stronger than you think
You can't see this side of me
But everytime I fall I'll get back up
(Take another step)
I will keep moving on
Fight to see another dawn
Cuz there is nothing that could stop me now
One girl can change the world somehow
She was definately through with all the crap she'd had to deal with this year. People calling her a freshman, even though she was a junior and definately did not look like a youngling. People who had their heads so blown up with egos who couldn't stand even the idea of an "outsider" trying to make the program better. People with extreme cases of tunnel vision who couldn't bare the "outrageous" ways of running a marching band that she had.
She wasn't going to give up though. This was her band too now. Nothing they could do would change that. Whether or not they liked it, she was going to change the band. Even though she only had one year left before college, she could still train someone to take up her fight and make this band greater than it was right now. She'd leave their opinions alone, but she'd make them a great leader. Someone who could be constantly looked upon for the right example, but still crazy and fun outside of practice. The battle wouldn't be to transform them, but to teach them. That'd be her little piece of direct change in the system. To actually come out and say "this is what a leader should be" instead of assuming that they already have an image in their heads.
Though some will always stand against me
I won't give them the satisfaction of breaking down
This fight will make me stronger than before
Give them something to talk about
About how I am not the same
Anymore
It was like her section times 5. Fight or die. No other options.
Her pencil stopped moving. She'd made her choice. They'd just have to deal with it now. No one would be able to change her mind or make her second guess herself. This was who she was. Who she'd always been. The girl they'd never expected her to be. All she had left to do now was find someone to play the song with her. To make everything public and let them know she wouldn't be the same anymore. No, she'd be stronger than before. Strong enough to change the world, just one girl...
Alternate Ending:
Her pencil stopped moving. She'd made her choice. They'd just have to deal with it now. No one would be able to change her mind or make her second guess herself. This was who she was. Who she'd always been. The girl they'd never expected her to be. The doorbell rang, interrupting her train of thought.
"Serena! There's someone here to see you!" a voice called from downstairs. She ran down and met one of her best friends with a huge smile.
"Are you ready for this, Lena?" she asked excitedly.
"Of course!" Lena said before she started running up the stairs.
"Section plans, mom. We'll be a while. We have to figure out how to get the flutes up to par with their marching, playing, and then add in some leadership so they don't die next year without us. Love you!" Serena shouted quickly before running upstairs to join her friend. Together they'd be able to train a whole group to be the leaders freshman could look up to. It was going to be perfect. She'd be on her way to changing the world, just this one girl...
Hey guys! How'd you like it? The song does go on, but it seemed unnecessary to repeat the pre-chorus and chorus because the story pretty much ended there. But I hope you liked it. Yes, I did actually write this song. And yes, marching band is amazing and flutes totally rock! (no that's not a diss to any other sections, I'm not going to go there. lol.) But anyways, I'll try to get more band fics on here accompanied by songs! Please review! You'll make my day! :) Until Next Time, HazelEyedHottie
