Operation Retrieve the Bugle

That evening, while I was getting dressed, Penny came over.

She cautiously camethrough the doorand whispered, "Your parents must not know you have three days of OSS next week or you wouldn't be doing this!"

"Don't tell okay!" I answered "Okay I'm wearing this."

"That! You're going to wear that!" Penny exploded.

I didn't have an answer to the outburst.

"Girl you are impressing this guy, remember? Just…Just put that crazy outfit away and let's sort through your clothes for an outfit that will work (she started rummaging through my closet) there! This'll work and later on I need to school you on dressing up," she scolded.

That's how Penny is. She knows all the latest trends and I…just wear whatever I can place my hands on.

Once I dressed up to her liking. She stood back, sized me up, and gave me her approval, "You're all set Missy."

"Hey Pen pal why don't you sleep over tonight? That way I can tell you everything before Dad grounds me," I suggested.

"Great!" Penny answered.

……………………………………………………………………………………..

Later that night before the football game…

Jack and I walked into the Fairbourn County Bandroom just at dusk. At that point the clouds in the sky were mostly purple and the warm day had pretty much changed into a cool evening.

While Jack was talking to me, I was formulating my plan for the night.

"It was a surprise when are found out that our band wasn't picked to play for Mr.Baker," I can remember him saying.

"It was one surprise I definitely liked," I answered.

That's when the band started getting ready to play.

"You better go," I told him, "I'll just go get something to eat and meet you in the stands."

Once he turned to leave I swiftly ran into the smaller room that held all of the school instruments.

I quickly spotted the tuba case and began walking over pools of tuba player spit.

"They need to fix those leaky spit valves," I murmured.

I opened a big dusty tuba case and began squeezing my body inside. I cracked it open just a little to make cure the tuba's old, musty smell wouldn't suffocate me.

I stayed snug in that case a good fifteen minutes before I finally felt safe enough to come back out.

"They need to clean that thing," I coughed as I began searching for the bugle. I began searching through a rack of trumpet cases.

I was lucky that night. I had spent about 20 minutes in there with the light on and no one bothered to checked why. Most importantly, I found an instrument slightly larger than the other trumpets toward the end of the row of trumpets—and it opened with the bugle's key. I was so lucky!

So, once I did all that, I wedged open the door and hurried off to get the guys in my section.

They were on time right in front of the entrance.

Dimitri and Greg were leaving on the brick school wall while Chris and Will were arguing about something.

……a few seconds later…..

"Wow! No need to rush darling!" Chris laughed as I rushed towards the bandroom door.

"I'm just glad we almost have it," I panted as I opened the bandroom door.

"You have a certain smell to you," Dimitri whispered in my ear.

"It's the sousaphone case," I answered after a slight sniff.

"Don't blame the case for your natural stink," Greg responded.

"Don't make me tell you about yourself!" I stormed.

"Okay! You two hold it!" Will refereed. "We don't want to be obvious."

Greg stuck out his tongue. I replied with a concentrated look of hatred.

"Let's get the horn," Will sighed as he went into the bandroom.

I took a step back and said, "I'm gonna go meet up with Jack! See you guys later!"

I ran off with only one intention—find Jack and break up the relationship. I hated the fact that I was using him. I was going to end my pretend friendship that night. I had already suffered too many moments of guilt by then. I push my way through the thick, unruly crowd. I could see Jack and his band director standing in front of the band. The game was pretty dull at the moment, so there was nothing for the band to do.

"Jack!" I whispered loudly. He saw me, talked to his band director and then walked over to me.

"I have to tell you something," I groaned.

"I think I have something more important to say," he interrupted.

"We shouldn't see each other anymore. We don't click like I thought we would and now I've met this other girl…" he started.

"Click? What the….but we aren't even dating," I quickly retorted. I must admit, I didn't handle his rejection well.

This guy was hitting on me, but now how was "breaking up" with me! I was supposed to tell him that, but I waited because I felt some pity. Anyway I stood and stared as he finished his excuse. It didn't matter what he said—I wasn't listening.

"Understand?" he asked.

I managed to smile as I answered, "Yea…good luck at your game!" I then quickly left.

I couldn't completely digest what happened because I ran into Will on my way out.

"Hey," I murmured with a slight flush. It was dark and I could only make out his outline and some of his facial features.

"Hey Nicecy. Thanks for helping me out. Now I just gotta get this to the shop to get checked out," he said.

"No problem," I managed to blurted out. (I was so glad he could barely see myflustered expression).

"You okay?" he asked "Your voice is real soft"

"Oh no I'm good," I said in a firmer voice.

He then patted my head and walked towards his car.