The first thing you need to know is that I'm a klutz. Not a serious,
drop-everything, run-into-everything-in-a-mile-radius klutz; just one that
has a tendency to spill music all over the floor or knock over music
stands. Which is why, when I got the field commander position I had
auditioned for I did two things. First I got giddy with joy. Then I
started fearing that I would turn around on my podium to do a salute at a
game or a contest and fall right off. It was also my skills at knocking
over music that I met Cara. My fellow field commander, Haley, and I had
just gotten some new scores. I was about to put them in my folder at the
end of the summer rehearsal when I knocked them all to the floor.
"Here, let me help," I heard a girl say when I bent down to get my music which was now scattered everywhere. I looked up. I had seen her playing in the clarinet section during practice, but it was the first time I had ever seen her. I was sure she was a freshman.
"Thanks," I said. "I'm kind of klutzy sometimes."
"I know the feeling. I'm Cara, by the way. Cara Jackson. I'm a freshman."
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Chiante Mills."
"So, you're the thing they call a field commander?" Cara asked.
"Yeah, along with Haley, but I don't know where she went. We got picked last spring," I answered. "What middle school did you go to?"
"None around here. I moved here from New York."
By this time, my music was all gathered and we had walked outside. She waved goodbye and headed off to her ride. I waved back and headed to my car.
Throughout the next few weeks, heading into band camp, everyone got to know Cara Jackson more. We all learned she was incredibly kind and giving. She told us her mom worked in a local animal hospital and sometimes Cara volunteered to play with the animals. We learned she was a vegetarian (not a vegan, just a vegetarian). The more we all learned about Cara, the more we liked her. The more we hung around Cara, the more we all liked her. Everyone wanted Cara Jackson to be their Freshman, so we came up with the idea for her to be the Entire Band's Freshman (she also became known as The Entire Band's Little Sister).
Cara enjoyed talking to Haley and me about field commanding. Whenever the band got a water break, Cara always came over to one of our podiums to talk to us. She was the sweetest girl any of us had ever met.
So, why, one and a half months into the marching season, did it have to happen? And why did it have to happen to Cara Anne Jackson?
"Here, let me help," I heard a girl say when I bent down to get my music which was now scattered everywhere. I looked up. I had seen her playing in the clarinet section during practice, but it was the first time I had ever seen her. I was sure she was a freshman.
"Thanks," I said. "I'm kind of klutzy sometimes."
"I know the feeling. I'm Cara, by the way. Cara Jackson. I'm a freshman."
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Chiante Mills."
"So, you're the thing they call a field commander?" Cara asked.
"Yeah, along with Haley, but I don't know where she went. We got picked last spring," I answered. "What middle school did you go to?"
"None around here. I moved here from New York."
By this time, my music was all gathered and we had walked outside. She waved goodbye and headed off to her ride. I waved back and headed to my car.
Throughout the next few weeks, heading into band camp, everyone got to know Cara Jackson more. We all learned she was incredibly kind and giving. She told us her mom worked in a local animal hospital and sometimes Cara volunteered to play with the animals. We learned she was a vegetarian (not a vegan, just a vegetarian). The more we all learned about Cara, the more we liked her. The more we hung around Cara, the more we all liked her. Everyone wanted Cara Jackson to be their Freshman, so we came up with the idea for her to be the Entire Band's Freshman (she also became known as The Entire Band's Little Sister).
Cara enjoyed talking to Haley and me about field commanding. Whenever the band got a water break, Cara always came over to one of our podiums to talk to us. She was the sweetest girl any of us had ever met.
So, why, one and a half months into the marching season, did it have to happen? And why did it have to happen to Cara Anne Jackson?