Author's Note: Look at my robot! [º_º] ¥æ!

The Section Wars

Chapter 9: First Blood and the Switch

The baritone's trampled over to the lake in the west portion of the campus. The heat of the morning was rising slowly to a broil. The air was filled with humidity, and there were swans floating gently on the surface of the lake.

The ground was green and covered with clover and newly budding spring flowers. The few clouds in the sky were not dark and moody, but white coloured and fluffy. They glided gently through the air like marshmallows in hot cocoa.

"So what are we doing here?" Cory asked.

"Probably attacking," Robbie joked.

"Well, duh. But how do we know that anyone will be over here?"



"Probably because they are standing right under those trees," said Robbie, pointing across the lake to where James (after having caught the French horns) was standing with the clarinets. They were discussing something, but were too far away to hear.

"Let's get them!" Cory replied.

The baritones snuck around the edge of the lake, staying in cover of the weeds that were growing on the east shore. As they neared, Robbie and Cory pulled out they're balloons, and started a full out charge.

"Whomp the woodwinds!" Cory yelled. He obviously did not realize how stupid of a battle cry that was to anyone listening. He ran forward and threw a volley of balloons towards the clarinets. They danced easily out of the way of the balloons, and threw back their own volley.

Cory dodged behind a tree as the balloons shattered against the bark on the other side.

"Get 'em!" screamed Robbie. He threw a balloon that nearly missed Lori's head, and dove behind a stump.

Meanwhile the judges were sitting in lawn chairs laughing their heads off at the horrible aim of the band nerds. Balloons were flying back and forth, and none of them were hitting anyone except trees and the ground.

One balloon flew by a tree, bounced off the ground, and exploded in a shower of valve oil on a nearby tree. Another balloon soared through the air glistening in the sun, and shattered open on a nearby rose bush. Balloons were flying back and forth across the lake.

As an awkward throw flew from the end of Jenna's arm, it dove straight towards the lake, hit a swan, and the swan sank to the bottom. "Oops," said Jenna, before grabbing another balloons and throwing again.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a blue balloon was launched across the lake in a broad and flowing arc. It raced across the sky straight towards its dodging target with hopes of bashing straight into one of the baritones. Cory ran back as fast as he could, but could not outrun the incoming balloon.

As its arc decreased, the balloon sped forward and slammed straight into Cory's back with full force. It shattered against him, covering his back with ice-cold valve oil. He fell to the ground and rolled through the dirt in exasperation. He just lay there for a minute, not believing that he had been hit.

The clarinets were laughing as he rolled in the dirt, and Jacob had gotten off his lawn chair. He now stood with his mouth gaped open, and his eyes open wide. He couldn't believe that Cory was the first person to go in the war.

As soon as it started, the combat was over. Robbie had walked over, shaken hands with James, and walked back to the sax cabins. The clarinets walked cackling back to their cabins, and Jacob helped Cory to his feet.

"Are you ok?" wondered Jacob.

"Yeah, but it looks like I'm out of this war now…"



"I guess so. But why did Robbie walk over to the sax camp?"

(*insert dramatic music here*)