Authoress's Note: Wow. An almost-straight through chapter. Only three major snippets of action. Actually, this chapter doesn't do anything whatsoever except for explain where Raine and Bao went... because I forgot about them. Cut me a break, they're not my favorite characters. :) But the only other time I've done a story straight-through was "What Really Happened". If you haven't read it yet, it falls between chapters 4 and 5 of this story. And the reviews for it so far are great, so... up to you!

Disclaimer: Don't be sarcastic with a valley girl. They won't get it.

"I can't believe your car broke down!" Bao squealed.

"Like oh my God! We are going to be soooo late!" Raine moaned. "Like, what are we going to do!"

"Like, I don't know! I left my phone at the band room!" Bao cried.

"I have an idea!" Raine giggled. She pulled out her brand-new phone and called the band captain.

"Like, Leah?" she started.

"No, this is precisely Leah." The voice answered.

"What?" Raine scratched her head in confusion.

"Never mind. What do you need?"

"My car, like, broke down on the side of the road, right next to the park. Bao and I totally need a ride to the band room. Like, oh my God, I don't want to be late!" Raine squealed.

"If you act like a sensible person and quit squealing, I will send somebody to get you two."

"Like, thank you soooo much!" Raine giggled.

"Whatever." The voice on the other end of the phone sighed, hanging up.

Belinda sat up in her seat to Noah's right. "Um… I think I hear the marching music?" she asked, confused.

"Oh, that's my ringtone." Noah grinned. "Can you grab it for me?"

"Sure thing." Belinda nodded. Grabbing the phone from the cup holder in front of her, she looked at the caller ID. "It's Leah…" she grimaced.

"Crap." Noah groaned. "Just hand it here and don't make a sound while I'm on the phone. She'll get wildly jealous and think we're having sex."

"But… I'm gay…" Belinda scratched her head in confusion.

"Just shush!" Noah growled. Pressing the talk button, he answered "Hello?"

"Hey, Noah. I have a favor to ask you." The familiar voice started.

"And that would be?"

"Raine and Bao are being idiotic. Raine's pretty little Sweet 16 car broke down on the side of the road and they need somebody to pick them up. I figured your car was empty, so…"

Is she trying to be nosy and see who I'm with? "As a matter of fact, I'm in the middle of giving Belinda a ride. Lily and Jason wanted some alone time, so she's right here."

"Well, you've still got a back seat, don't you? Please, h… Noah?"

"You know full well I've got a back seat." Noah sighed. "Whatever, where are they?"

"The park. Remember the swingset?" Leah giggled. "So, can you go get them?"

"Yeah, whatever. Just let Mr. J know where we are if we're late."

"Thanks, hu… Noah."

"Welcome." Noah groaned, hanging up and handing the phone back to Belinda.

"So we gotta go pick somebody up?" Belinda asked nervously.

"Yeah… Raine and Bao are broken down on the side of the road… We'll probably be slightly late… God, Mr. Jonathan's going to kill me."

"I'm sure he'll understand that you were helping your fellow drum major and her friend out." Belinda said calmly.

"You're right." Noah nodded, making a left turn.

"Calanthe, your turn. Truth or dare?" the senior piccolo player asked.

"Um… Truth." Calanthe squirmed nervously. Two of the older girls had ordered pizza for the game players, and a third had gone to the gas station for a few two-liters of soda. Playing on a full stomach made Truth or Dare more enjoyable, but marching would probably be hell later.

"Okay… Cutest guy in band?" Cara grinned.

"Does that even need to be asked!" Hai smirked. Being bored out of his skull, the Asian high brass member had joined the girls' game.

"It's definitely not you!" Alanis laughed.

"It's Noah!" Calanthe grinned.

"Who else?" Cara giggled. "That boy could light a bonfire by touching it with his index finger!"

"But is it because he's a flamer or because he's hot?" Alanis smiled. "Rumor has it he's jealous of Jason and Lily, but nobody seems to know which one he's more jealous of."

Calanthe bit her tongue. "Well, my turn to ask, right?' she blurted, eager to change the topic.

"Um… sure?" one of the clarinet players nodded. "Shoot."

Calanthe asked one of the woodwinds a minor question to restart the game. Eventually, however, Cara asked Calanthe another question.

"Why were you so eager to change the topic earlier?"

"I… I have no idea what you're talking about." Calanthe gulped, swallowing a bite of pepperoni.

"What do you know that we don't?" a clarinetist asked.

"I don't know anything." That's not a lie… I mean, I only know one side, and in the world of journalism that means I don't know anything…

"Are you sure?" a flute asked.

"Ab… absolutely!" Calanthe stammered. "I… I mean, why would the drum major confide in a freshman?"

"True." Cara laughed loudly.

"But it seems like… well, if he truly is jealous of his two best friends and he dumped his perfect girlfriend, he needs a confidante." A saxophone pondered aloud. "A neutral one, at that."

"Eh, he's so hot, it's obvious all you girls want him. Why would he choose a female to confide in?" Hai asked. "And guys just don't do that 'talk about our feelings' crap."

"What are you doing right now?" Alanis asked.

"Hm… Well, I'm the only guy in a room full of girls sharing their deepest, darkest secrets while wearing tank tops and short shorts. So, I think I win this little contest." Hai smirked.

"You don't quite win, Hai. None of us have your tongue down our throat and all of us are very grateful for that." Calanthe laughed.

"Curses." Hai mumbled. "Time check!"

"Quarter 'till. We should probably dispose of the evidence of junk food." Cara smiled. "Somebody take the pizza boxes to the trash, I'll put the soda in my car."

"I'm on it." A clarinet player nodded, grabbing as many in her arms as she could.

"Like oh my God! Thank you so so so so much!" Bao squealed as Noah pulled up next to the swingset.

"No… problem?" Noah answered. I hope my ears aren't bleeding from that…

"So where do we sit?" Raine grinned ear to ear.

"The back?" Belinda piped up. Bao and Raine seemed surprised.

"Why is she with you?" Bao shrieked.

"Well, those of us with working vehicles enjoy giving rides to people, hence the reason I'm giving you one. That, and I'm nice. Get in." Noah glared at Raine. "And be quiet, the lot of you."

"Um… like, okay." Raine nodded. After a few minutes, she piped up "Do I here the show music?"

"It's my ringtone." Noah sighed. "Who's calling?"

"Leah again." Belinda said, looking at the phone.

"Put her on speaker phone." Noah shrugged. Belinda did so, holding the phone towards Noah.

"Hey hu… Noah." Leah's voice came through the phone.

"Hey Leah. For your information, you're on speakerphone." Noah spoke towards the voice.

"Oh, okay. Thanks. Did you get Raine and Bao yet?"

"We're right here!" Bao called from the back seat.

"Okay then. I bought you guys an extra 15 minutes with Mr. J. See you all at dinner." Leah affirmed. "Belinda, do you know where Lily and Jason are."

Raine giggled. "I have a hunch!"

Belinda turned beet red. "I… I have no idea. I'll text her."

"Thank you." Leah sighed before hanging up.

"A hunch, Raine?" Noah asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You know, like we're all thinking it." Bao smirked. "Belinda, be prepared for a super mellow captain."

"You shut the hell up!" Belinda screeched.

"Make us!" Raine yelled back.

"Guys, you are in this car at my mercy. Do you feel like walking back to the school?" Noah asked with a straight voice.

"No, like why would we want to?" Bao giggled.

"In that case, quit talking about my best friend like that." Noah deadpanned.

"But, like, you were talking shit about her earlier today." Raine said, confused.

"We made up. That's what you do when you've known somebody since you were a single-celled organism." Noah explained.

"A what?" Bao and Raine asked simultaneously. Belinda groaned in frustration.

save me! She texted to Lily.

SAVE U FROM WUT?

evil evil woodwinds. raine n bao broke down on the side of the rode.

N NOAHS PLAYING TAXI?

leahs making him. she wants 2 no where u r.

UM. IN THE PARKING LOT TALKING.

talking or "talking"?

TALKING N WAITIN ON U.

Belinda suppressed a giggle. ok. wut shud I tell leah?

UM. WE HAD 2 GET GAS.

sounds like a plan luv.

ILY BELI.

"Serves you right." Belinda said aloud. "Lily and Jason are getting gas."

"That was a lot of texting for one question." Raine observed.

"Because I was talking to her! I'm not rude, after all." Belinda glared. "Sheesh. Can we step on it, Noah?"

"I'd be glad to." Noah grumbled, praying for anything to get the car to the school sooner as Belinda called Leah to inform her of Lily's location.

Leah got my favorite line this chapter. "This is precisely Leah..." I'm a genius! Hahahaha just kidding. I'm not quite THAT egotistical. Well... hopefully I'll update more often in the next two to three months and actually get this done... Wish me luck!