Why the marching bands had to be at the parade site 3 hours before it actually began was beyond me. Even Mrs. McBride was complaining about it. The clock on the wall in the band room read 7:00 am as I stood there zipping up my spenders. It was way too hot for the wool uniforms. I sat down on the floor to tie my Dinkles and as I watched Sean take a very long time to zip up the back of Scarlet's uniform. Scarlet seemed to be enjoying it. I pulled on my jacket as well and attempted to zip up the back on my own. Usually I ask Jimmy but Lola was deep in conversation with him and I thought it would be heartless of me to draw any of his attention away from her. At that moment I felt a hand pull the zipper easily and then got down my neck to snap it.

"Putting on a marching band uniform is only fun if you have a cute guy to zip you up!" Sean teased me.

I turned to see who it was. When I did, Sean burst out laughing. "Ryan!" I yelled.

"What?" he said. "You looked like you needed help and I was there so I helped."

The two of us then turned to Jimmy and said together, "Wanna be my bus buddy?"

"Um, actually guys, I was going to sit by Lola," he said sheepishly.

I ended up sitting next to Ryan in silence for a half hour as we drove down the road the parade site. Suddenly, my cell phone rang to the tune to the second movement of the show.

"Allison McAlister," I answered.

"Hey Allison, this is Jake," the quarterback's voice said sweetly. "A bunch of us were going to the movie after school on Friday. I was wondering if you wanted to come... you know, be my date?"

"Friday? Like right after school?" I said shooting a look at Ryan. There was and optional rehearsal for people who needed help passing off their music. Ryan wanted me to come because I had the best tone in the section and knew the music inside and out.

"Go," Ryan whispered, "Lily and I can handle it. Andrew can help too."

"Okay, Jake. I'll meet you by the um..." I said grinning at Ryan.

"By the gym," Jake finished. "That's great! I'll see you then!"

He hung up. I sat there grinning like Christmas had come a month early. When I finally came back down to Earth I told my friends what had happened and thanked Ryan once again. Within minutes we were at the parade site.

It was about 120 degrees outside that day. Well not really. It was more like 98 but in a wood marching band uniform it felt like the Earth was getting closer to the sun with each passing minute. The 1000 or so marchers from various schools in the district stood around sweating like pigs waiting for instructions. Several marchers came over to tell Andrew what a horrible marching band he had or the say that we would probably be the middle band in the lineup. It was terribly insulting to be the band that marched in the middle. The best band always went last to end on a good note. And the other fairly good marching bands went first to begin the parade well. All the stinky bands were put in the middle. Because of our lack of experience, we were dead center in the parade line up. Directly behind the local cops on horses. I stood at parade rest wondering why the cops couldn't ride in their cars. Cars didn't poop. Andrew walked beside his band with his head held high as if the morning's comment did not affect him at all when the George Washington drum major came over to him. It was common knowledge that GW was one of the best marching bands in the country. They were 7 times state champions and had been going last in the parade since it began. They even got accepted to the regional Bands of America marching festival in New Jersey this year. It was the first time in 35 years that a band from Virginia had ever been accepted to a marching Bands of America festival. A lot of the bands had seen a concert band festival but to make it in on marching band was a true accomplishment.

"Don't worry about those band dorks, Murray," the GW drum major said. "It will be a pleasure to compete with you guys today. I look forward to the day when I see this band on a BOA marching band field."

With a smile on his face the GW drum major returned to his band. Andrew looked at me. "Well you're the one who told me to go out for drum major in the first place. I probably wouldn't have the strength to be here with you knowing you and Lily and now the GW drum major believe in me. Would you like to call the band to attention right before we march off?"

The look on my face must have showed my excitement because he smiled and said "okay" and the marched off to take his position at the front of the band. I saw color guard flags go up way in front of and the first band was called to attention. A cadence began the first band was off. 7 floats, 3 marching bands, and 1 set of cops later, it was our turn. The color guard flags of Frost High School went up and I took a deep breath.

"BAND TENT HUT!" I yelled loudly in my Someday-I'm-Going-To-Be-Drum- Major voice.

"HUT!" the band yelled back as they all snapped to attention.

"MARK TIME MARK!" Andrew's voice came from the front of the band. After 8 counts of silence he yelled again. "FORWARD MARCH!"

The cadence began and the band was off. 7 pot holes, and 6 run- throughs of the second movement of Pairs Sketches later, we reached the end of the parade and stopped for a drink of water with the other marching bands. Mr. Kester then pulled us aside to speak to us without everyone else hearing.

"What in the world was that?" he asked us. We all flinched. I didn't think it was that bad. "Because that was not the band I heard in practice. That was not the "excellent" band that we get rated as every year. That was spectacular. That was breath-taking. That was... superior."

"So we didn't suck?" Jimmy asked loudly.

"No you didn't suck," Mrs. McBride said with a smile. "Now let's go back to the parade site to listen for awards."

We stood in a tight group as we waited for results and awards. Andrew kept opening and closing his mouth like he wanted to say something. Finally he gave up and just sat there with a cheesy grin on his face.

"If you looked any cheesier, they'd roll you up, and sell you at a deli!" Lily teased her boyfriend.

"Well at least he's not a big ham!" Jimmy shot back. Andrew blushed but there was fire in his eyes that said nothing to tear him apart now. The rest of us just sat there groaning at Jimmy's lame comment. Just then the announcer came on.

"What an amazing parade we've seen today! The scores have never been this close! In third place with a rating of 89.8: Lakeland High School!" The band went nuts. We cheered politely. Even though we had done well according to the staff, we knew we hadn't placed. Our highest score ever was an 83.8. Only wonderful marching bands got close to the 90's this early in the season. "And in second place with a rating of 90.4: Frost High School!" There was a pause. Those words seem to hang in the air. A roar of applause came from where George Washington High was standing. We never got a chance to clap for ourselves because we were too busy hugging, giving high 5's, and crying. "First place with a rating of 91.0: George Washington High School!"

The moment was too perfect. We cheered for the band we had admired for some many years. The perfect band, with the perfect lines and perfect intervals. We were not even a point away from that band. It was unbelievable. Andrew gave the GW drum major and firm hand shake followed by giving Lily a movie star kiss. Sean did the same to Scarlet.

"We didn't suck!" Jimmy yelled loudly while hugging Lola.

"We didn't just not suck! We didn't lose! Maybe we'll even win a competition!" Andrew said grinning.

Maybe we were just caught up in the moment. Maybe we shouldn't have read too much into it. We just won the little parade competition. We were still just the new marching band that had never won anything. But that day something changed. A spirit grew in the marching band. It was a spirit that we needed to be great. Even if we never won a competition ever again, the only thing that was important now is that we felt like a team. Together we worked hard through the sweat and the pain. Together we came dressed in our stilly shakos ready to go. Together we made up not only a marching band, but a group of very close friends who believed in the impossible.

A/N: I hope everyone liked this one. It was on the long side. The next chapter is gonna be kinda short but important. R&R! xoxo