As she was driving, there was a huge traffic accident down the road
about 3 miles. Quackers turned on her radio.
"Good early morning! This is QXYZ 106.9 and we are sorry to report to you early commuters that there is a three-mile long backup on Aberdeen road. A semi truck rolled over while trying to make a left on Teddy Roosevelt road."
Quackers looked at the nearest road sign. 13 mile and Aberdeen, two miles from the wreckage. "Crap," she said aloud. "I might just have to take the back roads."
20 minutes later, she pulls up at RexBob's house. He was sitting outside on his porch looking at his watch irritated but just playing around. He grabbed his bags and shoved them in the trunk. Then he jumped into the passenger side of the car.
RexBob is a sophomore, so he can't drive yet. He plays the Baritone and is only in band because his mom made him.
"Hey! Why you so late? I was waiting outside for you since 6:10 because 'your friend said she would be here at 6! So good-bye!' SLAM!" RexBob said in his funniest woman voice.
"Hey, sorry, but first my car wouldn't start and then there was an accident on the main road and I had to take the back roads for Pete's sake!"
"Oh," he said. He looks at his watch, 6:54 am. "We have 20 minutes to get to the school. Remember, Mr. Tone wants us to be at the school at 7:15 so we can help load the Ryder truck."
"Oh, yeah! That's right! The yellow Ryder truck!" Quackers said and both her and Rex laughed.
10 minutes later, they pulled into the student parking lot of their school. Mr. Tone was already barking orders to the band students already there to help.
Quakers spotted Sammi, Jessie, and Ted their three drum majors. Jessie and Ted are seniors and Sammi is a junior.
Mr. Tone jumped out of the Ryder truck and tripped over a Susa case. He fell to the ground and lay on his back.
RexBob burst out laughing. Quackers gave a look at Mr. Tone and began to laugh too. After about 5 minutes of making fun of him, Quackers and RexBob got out of Quackers' car and got their stuff out of the trunk.
While reaching into the trunk, Quackers heard a voice from behind. "And I heard if you don't march correctly you have to go visit THE THING. THE THING will make you march correctly."
Quackers took her head out of her trunk so fast, that she bumped her head on it.
"Ouch!" she screamed.
"Quackers? Are you ok?" Her best friend asked.
Tuga plays the Clarinet and joined the guard for the season before. She wants to be a drum major as much as Quackers does.
"Ya, I'm ok. Who was talking about THE THING?"
"Oh, I was. My cousin went to band camp two weeks ago. And if they couldn't march correctly by the third day, they had to go see THE THING. One by one the freshmen, new sophomores, new juniors, and new seniors were dropping like flies; they were all going to see THE THING. And none of them were returning. When they asked the teacher where they were, he just told them that they had gotten sick and had to go home. On the third day thirty-four had left to see THE THING. Twenty-eight the day after and by the last day only twenty-two of them were left out of the two hundred and thirty that were there originally. My cousin made it to the last day. Two hours before they performed, they were going over last minute drill. He became out of step while marching ten yards in ten counts backwards. Their band director stopped them and said, 'Shawn! Go see the band moms!' As he had heard him say over one hundred and fifty times before. Shawn stepped out of attention and glanced at the rest of his section. They were all standing perfectly still but till had looks of terror in their faces. My aunt wouldn't tell me what happened after that she just started crying. All I know is that we cannot listen to the radio, music or any thing else that has a rhythm to it because Shawn's eyes get all glazed over and he will start marching perfectly in step around the house. It was kinda funny at first, but now it is just freaky."
"That's weird. Where did you say they had band camp at?" Quackers asked.
"They had it at The Marching Band Academy."
"You're kidding! My cousin was there last week! I wonder if she is the same way as your cousin Shawn is. My aunt gets up at 7 today for work, so I will call her to see if my cousin is acting like a freakazoid."
Quackers pulled out her cell phone and punched in the number to her cousin's.
Ring! Ring! Ring! Come on, somebody pick up, she thought.
"Hello?"
"Hey Aunt Suzie! I have a question."
"Yeah, what is it Quackers?"
"When Julie got home from band camp last week, did she start acting crazy around music or anything?"
"Yes, whenever there is music on on the radio or the TV, Julie's eyes get all glazed over and she starts marching perfectly in step around the house. The doctor says she is just going through a phase or something."
"Oh, ok. I just wanted to know because I hadn't talked to her since she got home."
"Ok then, bye bye."
"Bye."
Quackers hung up the phone and turned toward Tuga and said, "She went to The Marching Band Academy too! And my aunt says every time music plays Julie's eyes get all glazed over and she walks around like a maniac."
Tuga looked even more frightened now then she did when she was telling the story.
"Well, we had better go and help load the Ryder truck," Tuga said.
Quackers agreed and she went back to her trunk and pulled out her suitcases and thought aloud to Tuga and RexBob.
"Poor Julie. I remember last summer when I was at her house and we were swimming. Then we got out and danced with the pool skimmer to our favorite dance song, 'Zuit Suit Riot.' Now even if we listen to music, she will go bezerk. Maybe after band camp this year, I can figure out what is going on and stop it. But I can't today. Today we are Mr. Tone's slaves."
"Yeah, so I guess that means we should go inside and check in considering the Ryder truck is now filled up." Tuga said and then the busses that are going to take them to band camp pulled up.
"Good idea," RexBob said. They had forgotten that he was still there. They turned to face him, but he was gone.
"Good early morning! This is QXYZ 106.9 and we are sorry to report to you early commuters that there is a three-mile long backup on Aberdeen road. A semi truck rolled over while trying to make a left on Teddy Roosevelt road."
Quackers looked at the nearest road sign. 13 mile and Aberdeen, two miles from the wreckage. "Crap," she said aloud. "I might just have to take the back roads."
20 minutes later, she pulls up at RexBob's house. He was sitting outside on his porch looking at his watch irritated but just playing around. He grabbed his bags and shoved them in the trunk. Then he jumped into the passenger side of the car.
RexBob is a sophomore, so he can't drive yet. He plays the Baritone and is only in band because his mom made him.
"Hey! Why you so late? I was waiting outside for you since 6:10 because 'your friend said she would be here at 6! So good-bye!' SLAM!" RexBob said in his funniest woman voice.
"Hey, sorry, but first my car wouldn't start and then there was an accident on the main road and I had to take the back roads for Pete's sake!"
"Oh," he said. He looks at his watch, 6:54 am. "We have 20 minutes to get to the school. Remember, Mr. Tone wants us to be at the school at 7:15 so we can help load the Ryder truck."
"Oh, yeah! That's right! The yellow Ryder truck!" Quackers said and both her and Rex laughed.
10 minutes later, they pulled into the student parking lot of their school. Mr. Tone was already barking orders to the band students already there to help.
Quakers spotted Sammi, Jessie, and Ted their three drum majors. Jessie and Ted are seniors and Sammi is a junior.
Mr. Tone jumped out of the Ryder truck and tripped over a Susa case. He fell to the ground and lay on his back.
RexBob burst out laughing. Quackers gave a look at Mr. Tone and began to laugh too. After about 5 minutes of making fun of him, Quackers and RexBob got out of Quackers' car and got their stuff out of the trunk.
While reaching into the trunk, Quackers heard a voice from behind. "And I heard if you don't march correctly you have to go visit THE THING. THE THING will make you march correctly."
Quackers took her head out of her trunk so fast, that she bumped her head on it.
"Ouch!" she screamed.
"Quackers? Are you ok?" Her best friend asked.
Tuga plays the Clarinet and joined the guard for the season before. She wants to be a drum major as much as Quackers does.
"Ya, I'm ok. Who was talking about THE THING?"
"Oh, I was. My cousin went to band camp two weeks ago. And if they couldn't march correctly by the third day, they had to go see THE THING. One by one the freshmen, new sophomores, new juniors, and new seniors were dropping like flies; they were all going to see THE THING. And none of them were returning. When they asked the teacher where they were, he just told them that they had gotten sick and had to go home. On the third day thirty-four had left to see THE THING. Twenty-eight the day after and by the last day only twenty-two of them were left out of the two hundred and thirty that were there originally. My cousin made it to the last day. Two hours before they performed, they were going over last minute drill. He became out of step while marching ten yards in ten counts backwards. Their band director stopped them and said, 'Shawn! Go see the band moms!' As he had heard him say over one hundred and fifty times before. Shawn stepped out of attention and glanced at the rest of his section. They were all standing perfectly still but till had looks of terror in their faces. My aunt wouldn't tell me what happened after that she just started crying. All I know is that we cannot listen to the radio, music or any thing else that has a rhythm to it because Shawn's eyes get all glazed over and he will start marching perfectly in step around the house. It was kinda funny at first, but now it is just freaky."
"That's weird. Where did you say they had band camp at?" Quackers asked.
"They had it at The Marching Band Academy."
"You're kidding! My cousin was there last week! I wonder if she is the same way as your cousin Shawn is. My aunt gets up at 7 today for work, so I will call her to see if my cousin is acting like a freakazoid."
Quackers pulled out her cell phone and punched in the number to her cousin's.
Ring! Ring! Ring! Come on, somebody pick up, she thought.
"Hello?"
"Hey Aunt Suzie! I have a question."
"Yeah, what is it Quackers?"
"When Julie got home from band camp last week, did she start acting crazy around music or anything?"
"Yes, whenever there is music on on the radio or the TV, Julie's eyes get all glazed over and she starts marching perfectly in step around the house. The doctor says she is just going through a phase or something."
"Oh, ok. I just wanted to know because I hadn't talked to her since she got home."
"Ok then, bye bye."
"Bye."
Quackers hung up the phone and turned toward Tuga and said, "She went to The Marching Band Academy too! And my aunt says every time music plays Julie's eyes get all glazed over and she walks around like a maniac."
Tuga looked even more frightened now then she did when she was telling the story.
"Well, we had better go and help load the Ryder truck," Tuga said.
Quackers agreed and she went back to her trunk and pulled out her suitcases and thought aloud to Tuga and RexBob.
"Poor Julie. I remember last summer when I was at her house and we were swimming. Then we got out and danced with the pool skimmer to our favorite dance song, 'Zuit Suit Riot.' Now even if we listen to music, she will go bezerk. Maybe after band camp this year, I can figure out what is going on and stop it. But I can't today. Today we are Mr. Tone's slaves."
"Yeah, so I guess that means we should go inside and check in considering the Ryder truck is now filled up." Tuga said and then the busses that are going to take them to band camp pulled up.
"Good idea," RexBob said. They had forgotten that he was still there. They turned to face him, but he was gone.