Once everyone was warmed-up and had been working for about one hour, we were released for our half hour lunch break.
"Chloe! Katie!" My best friend Madi yelled across the lobby to Katie and I, trying o get our attention to eat lunch...well technically dinner...together.
"Hey Madi! How was corn de-tasseling?" I asked asI sat down to eat.
"Don't mention the C word." Madi groaned as she took a bite out of her sandwich. "I hated my fucking group leader. I fought with her all day everyday, just yelling back and forth with each other.
"Why?" I asked curiously.
"Because she was making me do stupid stuff." Madi said very mater-of-factly.
As time passed on, it was soon 5:30 rolled around and dinner was over and it was time to get our drill charts handed out to us.
"Does everyone know their numbers?" Carlee asked as se handed out markers so everyone could mark their spots on the field.
"Umm...no I don't.?" I said staring at all the little numbers on the drill chart of the field.
"Umm....Chloe, your number is G12." Emily, my guard sister, said looking out for me.
"Thank you."
"Block band everyone!" Jordan said standing up and brushing the dirt off the butt.
"What's block band?" The freshman asked as they gathered up all of their stuff to walk outside.
"It's a big block of band kids, it's just basically an attendance block that you'll need to be in everyday when we are called to block band." Emily said slinging her arm around my shoulder.
"Umm...Chloe. You stand next to Dan Soard." Krystle said as she marked me off on the chart she carried.
"Hey sister!" Emily sad as she looked to her left and saw me standing next to her. Emily was tall, with fair skin, kind eyes, a friendly face, and flaming red hair. She was sisterly towards me before any of us tried out. As I stood at attention with my drill book in hand, I looked at all the upperclassman, and how much older then all of us freshman looked standing next to them, and suddenly felt very, very small.
"Good afternoon Band!" Mr. Greer yelled into his micro-phone.
"GOOD AFTERNOON MR. GREER!!!" the band chorused with a few people exceptionally louder then rest. I looked at the few people I knew. Mainly my older brother's friends. Mikey, Curtis, Jenn, Amy, Kelly, Trevor, and then all of the guard and freshman. There were so many of us. I looked down to my feet, and saw that my shoe was untied. As I straightened up after tying my shoe I looked right into the eyes of my good friend Erin.
"You're standing behind me?!" she asked excitedly.
"Apparently so." I said trying to share her enthusiasm, but finding myself failing due to my drained energy.
"I'm only going to remember this spot because you're standing right behind me. I'm only going to remember it because of you there all season long." Erin said calming down to her normal state of mind.
"Ok Band! I'm going to read each of your names and tell you what number you are!" Mr. Itsy-bitsy (as my friends and I called him) said into the micro-phone.
The list went on until we finally reached the very last person sitting on the ground. Everyone dug out their pens and pencils to circle every single little number that marked where their spot was on the field. Once everyone was done we stood, and were released for our 5 minute break.
"Hey Chloe." Madi said walking up to me with water in one hand and her drill chart in the other.
"Hey Madi. So you stand by my brother in block band?" I asked eyeing her drill chart.
"Yep…I d…" the rest of her sentence was drowned out by the sound of Mr. Greer's voice yelling…
"You have 2 minutes to find your spot in block band!"
Everyone ran back on the field to find their spot in block band to listen for their next instruction.
"Everyone please take out your drill charts, and find your beginning spot for the...MATTAWAN OPENER!"No sooner had the words left his mouth, cheers were heard, papers were shuffled, and feet pounded on the pavement.
"Ok, so I'm on the 45, and I'm 2 off the hash?" I asked Carlee after I got to the 45.
"Yep. You, Margie and I are all in a cover down." Carlee said. A cover down was a line that was perfectly lined up so that you could only see the back of the person's head who's either in front of you or next to you.
I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see Madi standing there smiling at me. "Hi!" she squeaked as I waved to her. I turned around and as I took in my surroundings I saw a water bottle in my brother's pocket.
"Hey Sean, could I have some water please?" I asked after getting his attention.
"Sean nodded and pulled the water bottle out of his pocket, and tossed it to me, testing my catching skills from guard. As I tossed the water back to Sean and he turned back around, Carlee turned to me and mouthed, 'Is that your brother?'
I nodded and called his name.
"Yea Chlo?" Chlo…the name he called me when I wanted something, he wanted something, or he was in a rush, he asked turning around.
"Look at Carlee." I said not explaining why.
"Why?"
"Because she doesn't believe me that we're related."
"Yea, she's my little sister." Sean said re-affirming what I had told Carlee.
"Oh I see the resemblance!" Carlee said an expression of acknowledgment appearing on her face.
"Ok, we're doing the first move!" Mr. Greer said from his spot on the tower, "We do this move in 11 counts. Count as you march. Hannah."
"Hut! Hut! Hut! Hut!" Hannah yelled as she clapped her hands together to count us off. As the fourth hut escaped Hannah's lips the chants of "1, 2, ,3 ,4..." could be heard echoing in the fading sun.