12. Insanity
It was sometime between the perilous, skidding car ride of doom and the rebellious dumping of Dunkin' Donuts chai tea lattes in the high school's artificial pond that Jesse realized why he had previously avoided hanging out with percussionists at all costs.
16. Questioning
"It's not that I have a problem with Jaden," said Chazz, tenor sax player, when Jesse confronted him before the after-school jazz rehearsal began. "I just wish he'd act less like a child and – "
"Oh, look who's talking!"
"Shut up, Hassleberry!" Chazz snapped at the trombonist. "Anyway, less like a child, and more like" – he sighed be reluctantly continuing – "the talented musician he really is."
Jesse raised his eyebrows, surprised that the usually egotistical Chazz was admitting that someone besides himself had talent.
Atticus paused in warming up his alto sax to contribute: "Yeah, he probably could've been our jazz drummer this year if Banner trusted him to remember to come to rehearsals!"
17. Blood
"I always knew I wasn't great on the piccolo," Jesse said, suppressing his laughter as he handed Jaden a box of tissues, "but I never thought I'd be able to give someone a nosebleed just by playing it nearby." (1)
19. Gray
One day, Jesse walked into the band room and instantly felt off. There was something dull about band that day. He didn't know what it was until fifteen minutes into class, when he noticed a conspicuous lack of symbol crashes in Stars and Stripes Forever, and turned around to see that Jaden was missing.
21. Vacation
"I didn't pick up my flute all Christmas vacation," Jesse admitted to Jaden. "I feel bad for not practicing, but..."
"Wait, we were supposed to practice?!"
25. Trouble Lurking
At this point, Jaden only needed to give the tiniest mischievous smirk and Jesse would begin sleeping with one eye open.
85. Spiral
Mr. Banner regretted placing Jaden in the center of the spiral formation in the field show the moment they first tried it in rehearsal. Jaden alternated between obnoxiously complaining about being "at the end of the line", and obnoxiously boasting and making puns about being "the star of the show".
(1) NOT an anime nosebleed. A normal nosebleed. I doubt a piccolo could actually give someone a nosebleed, but meh. It was that, or angst, and I chose funny.