I didn't know how to start off this chapter or really what to do with it until later on today. I was really bored and decided to run on the treadmill when I got to thinking about Laura and Matt and Jon and the rest. A few plot bunnies must have ran with me, because they came up with a few ideas. Now, I must feed the plot bunnies (lest they revolt and start their own story), and I now give you this next chapter.
Telling The Majors
The theater was quiet, the lights dimmed, the red cushioned chairs inviting and soft. Mr. Deleyney felt himself just melt into them and warm up after being out in the chill fall air. If the forecasts were right, there would be snow by the end of next week. That only left them with another week of field work before they either had to rent out an indoor stadium or work in a gym. A stadium was expensive, money that Mr. Deleyney didn't want to spend, and restricting, because 'classified' sports always got first dibs on field time.
"Are you still cold, Tyler?" Jake asked, offering the director his jacket. Tyler was about to reprimand Jake for using his first name, but decided against it. After all, he had told both the drum majors that they could be informal if no one else was around. Jake was in a drum corps sweatshirt and jeans, still wearing his marching shoes, and he stretched out in his own chair much like Mr. Hamon did, even though Jake possessed none of the bitterness the marching director had. That was more suited toward Thomas.
Thomas was sitting on Jake's other side in the row, eyes shut, his head leaning back against the chair. He looked tired, but would never admit it, so Tyler thought twice about asking the assistant major how he felt. The eyes that seemed to shift colors were closed, the pale, sandy hair slightly ruffled.
"Tough practice, Thomas?" Jake asked, playfully punching Thomas' shoulder. Thomas shifted in his seat and shook his head.
"Nothing is ever tough," he replied, and Jake grinned with the music director. Both of them knew that Thomas needed sleep and Tyler wondered if Jake had taken his pills. The guy was always so happy, but the results were bad if he forgot his medication.
"Just get in there," came a voice from the doorway, the open door letting in a stream of light and a crashing noise before the door was slammed shut. Tyler turned around, as did Jake, to see Mr. Hamon and Laura come down the steps to the row, Laura looking very nervous.
"Come here, Lee, take a seat," Tyler said, patting the seat next to him. Laura sat down and bit her lip, wondering what this was all about.
"What's this all about?" Thomas asked without moving a muscle, eyes still shut. "Why do we need a meeting with him?"
"Thomas, you sound like you don't want Lee here," Jake said, frowning at the assistant major. "Give 'em a break."
"Knights don't need breaks," Thomas replied.
"Knights need sleep, though," Jake answered. He turned to Mr. Deleyney. "Tyler, maybe we should just call it a night, okay? Thomas is about to fall asleep and Lee doesn't look so good. What do you say, Peter?"
"I say you get to do push ups," the marching director said, raising his eyebrows.
"You've got to be joking."
"Does this look like I'm joking? Did I ever say that drum majors were exempt from the punishments of calling me by my first name?"
"Um, no, how many do you want?"
"Twenty, right here," Mr. Hamon said, pointing to the theater steps next to the row of chairs they were sitting in. "It's not like I'm soft like the music director here."
"After this, though, Jake," Mr. Deleyney said, grabbing Jake's elbow as he made to stand up and do his punishment, ignoring Peter's smart remark. "We have something we need to talk about first. Thomas, if you're too tired to join in, you should go home and get some rest. We can fill you in-"
"No, I'm fine," Thomas said, sitting up and focusing on Mr. Deleyney. There was no way to prove now that the assistant major was exhausted.
"Good, because there is something very important here that involves Lee and his role in the corps."
"Just tell them, Tyler, for god's sake!"
"Mr. Hamon, I'll get to you in a minute. Just let me talk," Mr. Deleyney snapped, giving Peter a warning glance. Peter stretched out like usual and listened to the music director speak. He could almost feel Laura trembling in fear. He smiled to think that she knew what the music director was going to say.
"Now, Lee is Fifth Soprano Trumpet, correct? But, it seems like he's been having some trouble marching lately. Maybe, Thomas, if you would loosen up, she would do a better job."
"I apologize to you, Mr. Deleyney, if I have-" Thomas began, trying very carefully to ignore Laura's presence, until he realized what Tyler said.
"Wow, I think you mean 'he,' Mr. Deleyney," Jake spoke up, laughing a little. "We wouldn't want to get you all mixed up, man!" He reached over and fake punched Laura's shoulder, Laura flinching. Jake's smile wiped off his face as Mr. Hamon took off the cap Laura had on her head and grabbed her long braid, showing it to the majors.
Jake's jaw dropped and he blinked in rapid succession.
"You're a girl?" he asked Laura, the trumpet player nodding. "But, you can't be! You don't look like a girl. You don't, well, um-"
"Have a chest?" supplied Mr. Hamon, who Laura was beginning to like less and less as the time passed. "Yeah, bummer, I know. We get one girl and she doesn't even have-"
"Shut up, Peter," Mr. Deleyney said, frowning. "Don't be vulgar."
"How can I be anything but?" asked Mr. Hamon, letting go of Laura's braid and leaning back in his seat once more.
"What's your name?" Jake asked, getting over his initial shock and smiling at her.
"Laura," she said nervously, biting her lip.
Jake reached out to shake her hand and Laura accepted it, smiling herself as Jake shook her hand and bumped his knuckles against her knuckles, causing Laura to laugh a little.
"It's not every day that an all guy corps gets a girl!" Jake said, "I'm glad to meet you! This season is just going to be great! When did you find out about us? What made you want to try out? Why do-"
"Mr. Deleyney, how could you do this?"
Thomas' voice rang out in the theater, although he practically whispered it. Everyone turned to look at the drum major, even Mr. Hamon; he was never one to skip out on a meltdown. Thomas' eyes were flashing blue and his jaw was set, everything about him stiff and unyielding.
"Thomas, come on now," Mr. Deleyney said, worried. "I'll explain everything in a little bit."
"No, explain now."
Mr. Hamon nodded his head and dropped the corners of his mouth in approval. Thomas had real backbone, to be telling the music director himself what to do, and he wanted to see if Tyler had a backbone himself.
"Last season, we ran into some debt issues and a foundation offered me money to fix the problems," Mr. Deleyney explained carefully to Thomas, waiting for a reaction. "The catch was that we needed a girl. They were not going to fund us if we didn't get a girl. And here she is."
Thomas stood up and began to walk out of the theater, Mr. Deleyney standing up and trying to go after him, nearly tripping on Jake, who hurried to get out of the way.
"Thomas, it was either this or watch the Knights Drum Corps fall down around us," Tyler called out, causing Thomas to stop and turn around. "This was the only way. Would you rather have one girl in the corps or no corps at all?"
"How could you accept a girl?" Thomas said, his voice nearly cracking with the fury. "How? How could you do this?"
"Did you not hear the man?" asked Mr. Hamon, turning around in his seat to face the drum major. "It was either this or no corps at all! Get your head in gear and figure it out!"
Thomas glared at Mr. Hamon and Mr. Hamon raised his eyebrows mockingly. Laura shrunk down in her seat and tried to make herself as small as possible. Jake stood up and walked to Mr. Deleyney, staring at Thomas.
"Listen, man, it's okay," he said to the assistant major, smiling meekly. "She's not all that bad. It'll get better, you'll see."
"I'm going home," Thomas said, "And I'm going to think a few things over."
"You're not going to quit, are you?" Mr. Deleyney asked, taking a step toward Thomas. Thomas snorted cruelly.
"What, and give her the satisfaction? I'm never going to stop being a Knight, but I can't believe you would do this, Tyler! There must have been some other way. You didn't have to do this!"
"Thomas, wait!"
But Thomas was already out the theater doors and, in the stunned silence that was left in the theater, they could hear the doors outside being slammed open and car tires squealing out of the parking lot. Laura felt tears come to her eyes. What had she just done? She could see the watery shapes of Mr. Deleyney and Jake standing there in the aisle, looking at her, and she could feel Mr. Hamon tweak her braid.
"Listen, princess," he said sarcastically, but not coldly, "I'm only going to say this once. Don't let it get to you. You'll pull it together. Keep going and be strong."
Laura nearly burst into tears as Mr. Deleyney sat down next to her and patted her knee. Mr. Hamon sighed sharply, getting out of his seat.
"You see," he said, "That's why I don't say nice things. Girls cry."
"Don't worry, Laura," Jake said, smiling kindly at her before grabbing his jacket from his seat, getting out his car keys. "Thomas just took it a little hard. He'll get over it and everything will be okay. It was really nice to know who you are."
Laura smiled weakly at Jake and only felt a little better as Mr. Deleyney offered to sit with her a little while longer. She shook her head no, she would go home now, too. As the music director walked with her to the parking lot, she could hear Mr. Hamon call Jake back to him.
"Where do you think you're going? You still owe me push ups."
As Laura watched Mr. Deleyney pull out of the parking lot, leaving only Mr. Hamon's car and Jake's car left, a whole new wave of tears came over her.
They were the tears that came from a broken heart.
Ouch, poor Laura! Well, I knew this was going to be a good one! Please tell me what you think and thank you so, so, so much for reading! I'll update soon!