"But this is like THE party of the year! We're talking SENOIRS!!" Jenny yelled at me through the phone.
Jenny was the other sophomore on the varsity cheerleading squad. The captain, Leah was having a huge End-of-the-Year party at the country club that evening. It was an open house for all seniors and varsity cheerleaders.
"I know, I know! I want to go! Really I do, it's just..." my voice trailed off as I applied another layer of lip gloss.
"It's just what??" Jenny's voice sounded impatient. "Tell me! Do you have, like, major bad hair or something? I'm sure it can be fixed!"
"No it's not that... Tonight is marching band registration. I have to go."
"Marching band what?! You go, you sign up, you leave! And you come to Leah's party! If you don't, I'll be the youngest one there!"
"No! It's not like that! If it was, I wouldn't even go! I'd get my mom to go for me or something. It's this huge thing. All the parents go and order uniforms and spirit wear while the band kids have a rehearsal in the auditorium. It's a time to catch up with everyone and met the rookies."
"Met the rookies? My god, Alli! Can't you just fake sick or something?"
"Look Jenny, I just can't get out of this. I promise you'll have my full attention when this is over. Work with me please!"
"Alright! Fine!"
"I just -" I said to the dial tone. Jenny had already hung up. She'd get over it. She always did. It wasn't like anyone, except her, was going to miss me. I looked at myself in the mirror one last time before heading out the door for the high school. Black sophie shorts, pink tank top, pink flip flops, hair in a ponytail. As always this was a good as it was going to get.
I got to the Frost cafeteria just as everyone else was arriving. As I had described to Jenny, everyone was using this time to catch up. There were seniors who couldn't believe they were finally in their last year. Juniors who couldn't believe they were finally upperclassmen. Sophomores who couldn't believe they were no longer freshmen. And freshmen who couldn't believe they were actually in high school. And I was in the middle of it looking around for a familiar face. In the very back I saw my two best friends waving at me. I rushed back to sit with them.
"Hey Alli! You didn't go to that party!!" My best friend Lola Sakole said smiling at me.
Lola was a short, slender, brown haired, sophomore girl who played trumpet and loved every minute of it. She too was in Wind Symphony and was very proud of the fact that she was the only female trumpet to have made it. Next to band, boys were her favorite topic of conversation. It seemed like she had a new boyfriend with each passing week. Her stories never got old though. I loved listening to them because I never had much experience with boys. She was known for her gossip that was usually true and her expert flirting skills.
"Oh man Lola! I totally would have gone to that party! Two words: Senior guys!" my other best friend Scarlet Jones said rolling her eyes.
Scarlet was a tall, blonde, supermodel looking girl who played saxophone in Wind Symphony. She was a very deep person who often thought things all the way through before opening her mouth. This was a skill that I had yet to prefect. The thing I liked most about her was that she always seemed to be able to come up with a plan to get out of a sticky situation.
"Oh you guys! I would never pick hot senior boys over you two!" I told them smiling.
"But you don't really mean that," a voice came from behind us, "Now I, on the other hand, really would chose band over "hot" senior boys. All the hot senior boys are right her with me."
That voice belonged to Lily, I would know it anywhere. She, Andrew, and Sean came over to greet us. Sean played trombone and was Scarlet's boyfriend of two weeks now. Scarlet had been through a lot of boyfriends in her day, but Sean was defiantly a keeper. He was about the same height as her and was know for speaking slowly but thinking fast. He too had perfected the art of coming up with plans at the last minute.
"You're not missing anything," Andrew assured me, "It's not a senior party. It's a party for all the senior jocks and cheerleaders and people who are not fortunate enough for have a band practice to go to."
We all laughed at his comment. Sean was just about to launch into a story about how his little brother got his head stuck in a canoe during his vacation, when Mrs. McBride cleared her throat into the microphone to get everyone's attention.
"Welcome, everyone, to another marching band season! This year will bring on new and exciting challenges for everyone! First I would like to begin by congratulating our first four year graduating class. Will the seniors please stand?" The seniors stood proudly with cheesy smiles on their faces. "Thank you, thank you, and a warm welcome to all the new freshmen. Will the freshmen please stand?" Unlike the seniors, the freshmen stood uneasily, looking very unsure of themselves. "I'm sure they will bring great new beginnings to the band. For those of you who don't know me, I am Mrs. McBride, the director of bands here at Frost High School. I would also like to take this time to introduce to you our associate director, Mr. Mather. This year, we will be trying something a little different. Because of our wonderful new drill and music writer, Mr. Kester, we were not doing our traditional movie themed show. This year we will be putting Pairs Sketches by Martin Ellerby on the field. With 220 marchers and a brand new, original show idea, a great staff, and a wonderful program, I'm sure we will be able to bring the spectacular city of Paris to life! This is our year, I just know it."
The place went nuts. Every year Mrs. McBride would end her opening speech with 'this is our year, I just know it.' However, unlike the previous years, the excitement in the cafeteria was overwhelming. Already, the year had started with a twist. It was now time for all the winds to go the auditorium for the first time as a band. I followed them all in step with Scarlet and Lola.
"Allison! Wait up!"
I turned to see two goofy looking juniors come up behind me. I had known them both since middle school. Kevin Rogers, with his messy brown hair and big brown eyes, wrapped his arms around me in a huge hug. I almost toppled over.
"Get off her dude! She has to breathe you know!" Jimmy O'Sullivan said smiling.
But as soon as Kevin let me go, Jimmy picked me up and spun me around. Lola glared at me. He was her crush for this week. I couldn't help what they did. I hadn't seen the boys all summer and was very glad to be with them again. When my girlfriends have too much drama in their lives, I always go find the boys.
"Well what do we have here?" Ryan said surprising us all. "The band's own personal cheerleader... I heard there was a senior party the country club. I see you didn't go."
"Ryan..." Jimmy started. All the boys were very close friends with Ryan but for some reason I never got along well with him.
"No Jimmy, it's okay," I said trying to avoid a scene and then turning to Ryan, "I'm here, aren't I? And if I do recall correctly, I am your biggest competition..."
My girlfriends and I then walked off before Ryan could say anything else.
"That was kind of boastful of you," Lola began.
"Well I am only one chair behind him!" I told her hotly.
"Yah but you're only rising to his level when you compete with him like that," Scarlet pointed out.
"Whatever," I said again trying to avoid and fight, "I'm sure I'll have many more chances to come up with snappy come backs to use on Ryan. Now are we hear to make some music or not?"
The band set itself up to on the stage to play Pairs Sketches for the first time as a band. As I sat there listening to our show music, I could really feel it. In a way, I was glad that I wasn't that party. I didn't know it then but this was the beginning of something bigger than marching band. It was the beginning of something that would go down in the history of Frost High School. It was something that I had never expected would happen in the forgotten world of marching band. No one was ready for it. Not me, not my friends, not Ryan, not even Andrew.
Jenny was the other sophomore on the varsity cheerleading squad. The captain, Leah was having a huge End-of-the-Year party at the country club that evening. It was an open house for all seniors and varsity cheerleaders.
"I know, I know! I want to go! Really I do, it's just..." my voice trailed off as I applied another layer of lip gloss.
"It's just what??" Jenny's voice sounded impatient. "Tell me! Do you have, like, major bad hair or something? I'm sure it can be fixed!"
"No it's not that... Tonight is marching band registration. I have to go."
"Marching band what?! You go, you sign up, you leave! And you come to Leah's party! If you don't, I'll be the youngest one there!"
"No! It's not like that! If it was, I wouldn't even go! I'd get my mom to go for me or something. It's this huge thing. All the parents go and order uniforms and spirit wear while the band kids have a rehearsal in the auditorium. It's a time to catch up with everyone and met the rookies."
"Met the rookies? My god, Alli! Can't you just fake sick or something?"
"Look Jenny, I just can't get out of this. I promise you'll have my full attention when this is over. Work with me please!"
"Alright! Fine!"
"I just -" I said to the dial tone. Jenny had already hung up. She'd get over it. She always did. It wasn't like anyone, except her, was going to miss me. I looked at myself in the mirror one last time before heading out the door for the high school. Black sophie shorts, pink tank top, pink flip flops, hair in a ponytail. As always this was a good as it was going to get.
I got to the Frost cafeteria just as everyone else was arriving. As I had described to Jenny, everyone was using this time to catch up. There were seniors who couldn't believe they were finally in their last year. Juniors who couldn't believe they were finally upperclassmen. Sophomores who couldn't believe they were no longer freshmen. And freshmen who couldn't believe they were actually in high school. And I was in the middle of it looking around for a familiar face. In the very back I saw my two best friends waving at me. I rushed back to sit with them.
"Hey Alli! You didn't go to that party!!" My best friend Lola Sakole said smiling at me.
Lola was a short, slender, brown haired, sophomore girl who played trumpet and loved every minute of it. She too was in Wind Symphony and was very proud of the fact that she was the only female trumpet to have made it. Next to band, boys were her favorite topic of conversation. It seemed like she had a new boyfriend with each passing week. Her stories never got old though. I loved listening to them because I never had much experience with boys. She was known for her gossip that was usually true and her expert flirting skills.
"Oh man Lola! I totally would have gone to that party! Two words: Senior guys!" my other best friend Scarlet Jones said rolling her eyes.
Scarlet was a tall, blonde, supermodel looking girl who played saxophone in Wind Symphony. She was a very deep person who often thought things all the way through before opening her mouth. This was a skill that I had yet to prefect. The thing I liked most about her was that she always seemed to be able to come up with a plan to get out of a sticky situation.
"Oh you guys! I would never pick hot senior boys over you two!" I told them smiling.
"But you don't really mean that," a voice came from behind us, "Now I, on the other hand, really would chose band over "hot" senior boys. All the hot senior boys are right her with me."
That voice belonged to Lily, I would know it anywhere. She, Andrew, and Sean came over to greet us. Sean played trombone and was Scarlet's boyfriend of two weeks now. Scarlet had been through a lot of boyfriends in her day, but Sean was defiantly a keeper. He was about the same height as her and was know for speaking slowly but thinking fast. He too had perfected the art of coming up with plans at the last minute.
"You're not missing anything," Andrew assured me, "It's not a senior party. It's a party for all the senior jocks and cheerleaders and people who are not fortunate enough for have a band practice to go to."
We all laughed at his comment. Sean was just about to launch into a story about how his little brother got his head stuck in a canoe during his vacation, when Mrs. McBride cleared her throat into the microphone to get everyone's attention.
"Welcome, everyone, to another marching band season! This year will bring on new and exciting challenges for everyone! First I would like to begin by congratulating our first four year graduating class. Will the seniors please stand?" The seniors stood proudly with cheesy smiles on their faces. "Thank you, thank you, and a warm welcome to all the new freshmen. Will the freshmen please stand?" Unlike the seniors, the freshmen stood uneasily, looking very unsure of themselves. "I'm sure they will bring great new beginnings to the band. For those of you who don't know me, I am Mrs. McBride, the director of bands here at Frost High School. I would also like to take this time to introduce to you our associate director, Mr. Mather. This year, we will be trying something a little different. Because of our wonderful new drill and music writer, Mr. Kester, we were not doing our traditional movie themed show. This year we will be putting Pairs Sketches by Martin Ellerby on the field. With 220 marchers and a brand new, original show idea, a great staff, and a wonderful program, I'm sure we will be able to bring the spectacular city of Paris to life! This is our year, I just know it."
The place went nuts. Every year Mrs. McBride would end her opening speech with 'this is our year, I just know it.' However, unlike the previous years, the excitement in the cafeteria was overwhelming. Already, the year had started with a twist. It was now time for all the winds to go the auditorium for the first time as a band. I followed them all in step with Scarlet and Lola.
"Allison! Wait up!"
I turned to see two goofy looking juniors come up behind me. I had known them both since middle school. Kevin Rogers, with his messy brown hair and big brown eyes, wrapped his arms around me in a huge hug. I almost toppled over.
"Get off her dude! She has to breathe you know!" Jimmy O'Sullivan said smiling.
But as soon as Kevin let me go, Jimmy picked me up and spun me around. Lola glared at me. He was her crush for this week. I couldn't help what they did. I hadn't seen the boys all summer and was very glad to be with them again. When my girlfriends have too much drama in their lives, I always go find the boys.
"Well what do we have here?" Ryan said surprising us all. "The band's own personal cheerleader... I heard there was a senior party the country club. I see you didn't go."
"Ryan..." Jimmy started. All the boys were very close friends with Ryan but for some reason I never got along well with him.
"No Jimmy, it's okay," I said trying to avoid a scene and then turning to Ryan, "I'm here, aren't I? And if I do recall correctly, I am your biggest competition..."
My girlfriends and I then walked off before Ryan could say anything else.
"That was kind of boastful of you," Lola began.
"Well I am only one chair behind him!" I told her hotly.
"Yah but you're only rising to his level when you compete with him like that," Scarlet pointed out.
"Whatever," I said again trying to avoid and fight, "I'm sure I'll have many more chances to come up with snappy come backs to use on Ryan. Now are we hear to make some music or not?"
The band set itself up to on the stage to play Pairs Sketches for the first time as a band. As I sat there listening to our show music, I could really feel it. In a way, I was glad that I wasn't that party. I didn't know it then but this was the beginning of something bigger than marching band. It was the beginning of something that would go down in the history of Frost High School. It was something that I had never expected would happen in the forgotten world of marching band. No one was ready for it. Not me, not my friends, not Ryan, not even Andrew.