67. Five a.m.
"Seniors, to the buses." Mr. Carter announced at 5:01am. The seniors all fled to the buses to claim the 'best' seats … considering the seats would be their home for the next 5 hours as they traveled to their beach competition.
"Juniors." He called next as the sophomores and freshman groaned. Harper Lee grinned and headed out to the bus. A minute after the sophomore had been called and Harper had her left foot on the bottom step of the bus she growled. "Damn. Hat box." She muttered and turned around on her heel to go back inside to retrieve her hat. She quickly walked back into the band room and scanned the room for the box. Honing in on the corner with an "ah-ha", she grabbed the box and walked out to the bus behind the freshman and co-director, Mr. Swift. Climbing the bus steps she didn't look around until it hit her a second later, there were not seats left. Not even her usual one in the back corner. The only empty seat was next to Mr. Swift. She could have gone to the other bus, but knew her only chance there was next to Mr. Carter, or the fanatical guard instructor.
"It's okay. You can sit down here." Mr. James Swift said, making Harper snap out of it a little.
"Oh. Uh. Thanks." She nodded and sat down. She and Mr. Swift had an interesting relationship. He'd started teaching marching band the same year she'd joined at the high school. He'd been her "go-to-man" for two years and counting. They could talk anything from DCI, to music, to t.v., to high school gossip. They were comfortable with each other, but somehow in front of other people it was forced. Like they didn't want anyone to see that they would have been good friends, had there not been a seven year age difference.
Harper sat down and smiled. The bus started to pull forward and the lights went out making the bus dark. This made things less awkward. Mr. Swift scooted down in bus bench and put two ear buds in and illuminated the bus bench with his iPod's screen.
Harper sat still, unsure of where to place her eyes. She settled on his iPod screen. She watched him scroll through his playlist. He settled on old DCI recordings. She looked up from his playlist and looked right at Harper. She let her eyes fall, blushing, she'd been caught. He let out a quiet laugh. "Here." He handed her one of he white ear buds. She grinned taking it from his fingers and scooted down in the seat as he did. Placing the bud in her ear her head was filled with a steady horn crescendo and drum break. Mr. James Swift and Harper Lee looked at each other a moment and both let their eyes fall closed.
Harpers blue-green eyes opened about 30 minutes later, apparently she'd dosed off. After all, she had woken up at 4:15 so the band could leave promptly at 5:00am. She pulled her head back up from its slouching position and realized just where her head had fallen. On Mr. Swift's shoulder. The ear bud that had been in her left ear, now lay where her head had been. His eyes were closed and his breath deep and heavy. He'd fallen asleep too. She grinned, pushing a dark brown hair back behind her ear. The bus was still dark with the sun still not over the horizon at 5:49am. Harper, slightly embarrassed from picking up her head off of her director's shoulder took a deep breath and smelled the remnants of the cologne still hanging around her nose from Mr. Swifts collar. She smiled, and then yawned; barely able to keep her eyes open.
"Come back to sleep if you want." Mr. Swift awoke and whispered. Harper shook her head, "Sorry. I know I shouldn't have." She blushed.
He turned his head to lock his brown eyes with hers, "You're fine. I enjoy your company." He smiled.
"Okay." She grinned and whispered. She scooted down and placed her head back on his shoulder and he found another recording for them as they both fell back asleep, happily.
Five in the morning is just way too early for anyone to care about what happens on a bus.
