AN - Hey all! Sorry I haven't updated in a while. But here's a really long chapter for you. Also I know it's a little late to be pointing this out but I did not make up Paris Sketches. It's a real show that my band did last year. Also, Bands of America is real too. I did however make up the cheerleader competition and the high schools. Enjoy the story! R&R! xoxo

"Louie Louie! OH NO! You gotta go!" I sang loudly as I tied the clarinetee ribbon in my hair that Friday morning. The air was crisp, the leaves were changing colors, and the smell of football season was in air. I loved the school day of the first football game of the season.

"Allison!" my mother yelled up the stairs. "Not everyone gets up at five am for high school! You're going to wake up the whole neighborhood! Don't worry, they'll hear the song tonight at the game!

I grinned and began to hum a section of the show instead. At 5:37 I walked out the door with my Dinkles clicking on the sidewalk and the wind blowing through my Paris Sketches shirt.

When I got to the school I looked over at the cheerleaders and then down at myself. I was so excited about getting into BOA and tonight's game that I completely forgot about what they would think if they saw me in my marching band spirit wear. Without thinking I headed in the direction of the one place I could go to no matter how hard things got. The Band Room.

I walked in for the first time that year expecting to feel uncomfortable. Instead, I was greeted by Scarlet and Lola who couldn't believe that I had come. We sat down and they both instantly began talking about tonight's game. I tried to enjoy the atmosphere but it was too difficult with my worries of cheerleading and my date with Jake that afternoon. However, when the day finally ended and I met Jake outside the gym all my worried faded away.

"Change of plans babe," he said, "we're going to Leah's house instead of the theatre. That cool? Don't worry, there'll be other people there." I nodded, a little unsure if that would be a good idea. When we got there I was relieved to find Jenny there with her boyfriend who played JV football and was also a sophomore. Leah put in a romantic movie, turned out the lights, and promptly began frenching with a boy I didn't recognize. As I sat against Jake's warm body I became very aware of the fact that he was a boy. A senior boy. Suddenly, I began to feel a little uncomfortable. Every couple in the room, which was about eight, was making out, except for Jenny and her boyfriend who looked like they were actually watching the movie. Jake whispered my name sweetly. I looked up at his smiling face that started to lean in closer and closer. His lips were on mine, kissing me passionately. I was completely shocked. I barely knew him. Plus I had never made out with a guy and was afraid it would show. Instead of backing away, I attempted to hide my uneasy feelings and tried to use my mediocre kissing skills to my advantage. His hands snaked around my back and slowly made their way up and around to my front. I jerky away, feeling used. "Something wrong?" he asked innocently. That was the last thing he was: innocent. I didn't want to be with him anymore because I was afraid of what he would do next. I was so upset that I got up and left the room heading for the door. Jake caught up with me when I reached Leah's porch. "What's wrong?" he asked looking confused.

"I – You!" I yelled sounding more confident than I felt. "I can't believe you! I don't even know you! You can't just make out with me like that!" He looked at me confuse. It was probably because most girls did make out with him like that on the first date.

"What's your problem?" he yelled. "I can't believe I asked you out. You're so immature and not even a real cheerleader! You're just a - a – a prude band geek!"

His last words stung me hard. A prude band geek was I? "Well I guess I'll have to find another prude band geek to go out with. At least they have some manners!" I shot back storming down the driveway and back to the high school.

When I got there, I was more sad and hurt than mad. I found a pay phone to call my mom. However, halfway through dialing the number I hung up and headed toward The Band Room. I opened the door to find Ryan, Jimmy, Sean, Scarlet, and Lola all eating pizza.

"McBride'll kill you if she sees the food in here." I observed.

"You're early," Lola said ignoring my comment. I knew they knew something was wrong. There was no use trying to hide my feelings from them. I had known Lola and Scarlet both since seventh grade and we always know when the other is hurting. Even though I knew they were going to find out anyway, I lied.

"Yah, well, I got tired," I said slowly.

"And..." Scarlet asked. "Allison! Something's wrong and we all know it! Even the boys. We're your best friends so tell us!"

She was teasing but I knew she was right. I sat down, took a piece of pizza, and told the five of them my story. I began with the BOA problem and then launched into my date with Jake. "And then," I finished dramatically, "he call me a prude band geek."

"That's not always bad, you know, being prude." Sean pointed out. I could always could on Sean to make me feel like I didn't have to prove anything to anyone.

"Yah but still, this means Ryan's the only one who hasn't kissed anyone!" Jimmy teased his section leader. Ryan made a face before disappearing into the storage room to get his clarinet for the game. "Jimmy! I didn't even like the kiss!" I whined at him.

"Whatever Alli. Do you want me to get your shako?" he asked.

I looked around and noticed people were arriving to get ready for the game. I nodded and helped the girls clean up the pizza so McBride would never know. Over the course of the next 20 minutes the entire band arrived and got into uniform. I placed my shako firmly on my head and marched outside to warm up leaving my cheering worries behind me.

Halftime did not come soon enough. No one was ready. Mrs. McBride seemed to notice our thoughts because as we nervously headed to our warm up stop she said "If you waited until you ready to do something, you wouldn't do anything at all." As Lily tuned us she warned us that only the parents would be watching and this was not going to be like the parade. However, everyone was much more interested in Jimmy who was adding his own spice to the first game.

"I remember MY first game of freshman year." He teased the freshmen. "It was a perfect September evening like this one and we were standing in our starting position and my shako flew right off!" He flew his arms around to add drama. "And then," he continued, "during the second movement one of my Dinkles fell off and a trombone player tripped over it. Then in the fourth movement my sock fell off and I was force to march the rest of the show with a bare foot."

The freshmen looked at him clearly scared to death. Jimmy was trying to keep a straight face but wasn't doing a very good job and the rest of the upperclassmen, including myself, were trying very hard to laugh. Lily, on the other hand, was not amused. "Jimmy, you are so dumb. And we all know that didn't happen because that year we only had three movements in our show!" This comment sent the upperclassmen into a fit of giggles while the freshmen were still looking uneasy. "Alright!" Lily said firmly. "All hands in the middle. Clarinetees on three. Ready? One... two... three!"

"CLARINETEES!" the section chorused.

With that, the section lined up in the starting line, stood at attention, and marched out on the field where they waited for Andrew's command to start.

"Drum major Andrew Murray, is your band ready?" A voice boomed over the loud speaker. Andrew turned to salute the crowd who responded with a warm applause. "Frost High School, you may take the field in expedition."

Even though I was too far away to see Andrew's face, he seemed to be really nervous. George Washington's first game wasn't until next week so we assumed some of them were in the stands. Andrew held up his hands to begin the show. It would have been a perfect beginning if it wasn't for the fact that we were still standing at attention. He was supposed to say 'band horns up' but he completely forgot and the entire first measure when by with just marching and very little noise. However, by then section measure everyone, except for a few terrified freshmen, was playing. I raced from set to set creating descent intervals and smooth visual effects. The clarinets stood in the back at a halt for a few measures of runs during the fourth and final movement. At the sep off the bass drum player lost his balance and flipped right over his drum. I and the clarinets around me continued to march but were so shocked that we stopped playing to watch in horror as the boy got up so fast it was as though it didn't even happen. We ended the show with an eight step rewind followed by a horn pop that had the crowd going wild. I snapped my horn out of my mouth as I stood at attention soaking in the moment. The breeze was blowing in my hair and I had never been more proud of myself in my entire life. The crowd had never responded like this. As we marched off I heard Mr. Kester say "Dang we got a band!" As the football players returned to the field, Mrs. McBride told us how incredibly wonderful we were for the first game while Mr. Kester danced around saying "we got a band, we got a band." As we returned to the stands to play tunes for the remainder of the game the GW drum major came over to tell Andrew how great he was and that he couldn't wait to see us at BOA. "But next time," he teased, "tell your band to put their horns up before they start to play."

It wasn't until we returned to The Band Room that we realized how great we really were. After every game we take off our uniforms in the band room while watching a tape of our show. This time, however, instead of goofing around everyone stood, still sweaty, with their eyes fixed on the television. With every straight line the room exploded with cheers of happiness. "Look at those intervals..." some seniors were saying. We all laughed at our mistakes including the bass drummer who flipped. Mrs. McBride stopped the tape at the end and said to her energized marching band "Have you ever been so excited about anything in your entire lives?"

"No!" The animated band yelled back.

"Dang we are such band geeks!" Jimmy announced.

And I wouldn't have had it any other way.