"I greatly regret to inform everyone in this room that Tiffany will not be staying in our midst for much longer. She gets today with us and then she must return into the non-band world. While she is here feel free to thank her for sacrificing her life to help us anyway she can." Corey scanned the crowd with her eyes. "Tiffany has awarded us some information that will greatly benefit us in time. The things she said that will effect us right now are few but we need all the help we can get.
"One thing is, the people who want to remove us don't believe that we will put up much of a fight. They think that with all of the sports teams backing them and with the teachers, that they don't need the rest of the school. So the numbers against us right now are about equal to ours of 142. Hopefully it will take them awhile to recruit the remainder of the school so we have some time.
"The other important detail is that non of the parents of the community know about this war yet so our opponents will need to keep it hush hush. Their parents don't trust their children as much as the our parents do so we have a little more free rein then they know we do. If their parents get suspicious we may have the upper hand. Especially, if our opponents aren't allowed out of the house. It won't stop them but it will slow them down.
"Now you all have you assignments. Everyone knows what to bring in and what they need to be thinking about. I know that you all want to get to your plans so I leave you as you are. Feel free to leave whenever you want, and yes I know that school isn't out yet, but big deal. This is bigger than that. Get some rest and I need to see everyone here tomorrow at Jazz Band time, so at least an hour before you normally get here. You can drop off your supplies then and we will be one step closer to winning."
She went through the dismissal again because the first time no one really left. The students poured their hearts into it. Especially the last lines. Eyes: With Pride!!! The pride of being one, as a band.
Slowly the band room emptied out until only the section leaders were remaining. Corey embraced each one of them as they made their last checks of the room and of their things. They were ready for the morning. They filed out one by one and left Mr. M sitting on the podium alone, thinking.
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Finally they had all left and he could try something he had been pondering for about an hour. He didn't know if it was going to work so he hadn't even told Corey about his idea. Maybe it would have positive results, maybe not but it was worth a shot.
He walked into his office and looked around at the mess. Music strewn here and take out bags everywhere else. Ah the life of a band director. He opened a leftover pizza box on the counter and looked into it hopefully. Disappointed by the fluffy mold growing there Mr. M threw it in the trash.
"What am I going to do" he sighed to himself, as he buried his head in his hands. 'My students are in grave danger and we should have been preparing months ago when Hillsdale's band went under. He continued silently to himself. 'but I think we have a chance. We have to have a chance.'
"Hopefully this will work" he brings up his computer. "With help we may yet survive." He brought up his e-mail and began typing frantically, reading to himself as he writes.
"I know you haven't heard form me for a year but you always said I could count on you so here it goes. I'm the director of the band of the city Marque and we're in trouble. Your assistance is requested to…" he continued to mumble to himself while the keys clanked on the keyboard. He sat there for long hours into the night and finally began to see something take shape. Long after his computer was sleeping. Long after his kids had left the building, Mr. M was awake and planning. Forming a plan to save all band kind across America. A plan to help them all