The last chapter was darker than the past, but I needed something good to happen. I hope you liked it. I don't know why I haven' gotten any reviews. Is it not good? I don't know. I have had writer's block. It was hard to think of somewhere to go from ch.12. Sorry it took so long..I've been busy.

Chapter 13-Breaking Down and Talking Down

"KNOXVILLE HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING TIGERS!"

As soon as I hear those words shouted I ran down the bleachers and jumped over the fence onto the field where our captains were, along with the rest of the band. I found my Guard captains and hugged them, they were both crying. I was too. I had never felt such a rush of energy like this. I ran up to Diane and we hugged and dance around like idiots. I saw Parker in the midst of the people and I ran over to him and jumped into arms. Our whole band was in a trance. Nothing mattered outside of our mass huddle. No one or nothing else existed, it was about us. J made his voice come through the crowd and you heard, "WHO'S THE BEST?"

"WE'RE THE BSET!" we shouted back.

"WHO'S THE BEST?"

"WE'RE THE BEST!"

The band went and grabbed their instruments as J started calling out songs to play. The drumline started and started dancing with their drums, the guard joined along as did much of the band. I saw so many other bands watching our every move, but I didn't care, no one did. Let them look, they wanted what we had, and they couldn't have it for the world. After we played a couple of stand tunes, J ordered us to march out with our heads held high. We lined up, (Drum Majors, Guard, Woodwinds, Brass, Drumline and Pit) in perfect order. We listened to our cadence started and waited for our cue. The cadence started and marched out like the winners we were, with the other bands watching us envy. The all knew we deserved it and they clapped even though they didn't want to.

We got to the busses and played some more stand tunes. After we finished, for real, we loaded the busses. When our bus started it stalled out. The bus wouldn't start. J ran onto our bus and did everything he could to get us started but it didn't work. The school that we were at let us into the gym for the night. We were going to have to stay there for the night because the bus company was closed. The whole band huddled in the gym, and the school staff had already laid out gym mats on the ground. They had blankets set out on each one and extra blankets on the side.

"Okay guys and gals, I know you all will not be going to bed immediately, and neither will I. We are guest here tonight so please, be good. We just won Grand Champions people, please don't show these fine people that we are barbarians." J stepped back as he said that and tripped over a mat. All at once we all busted out laughing. J had fallen on the ground.

From the ground J laughed, "I could fail you all for laughing at me!"

We all jumped on top of him in a big band dog pile and laughed there for a while. It was the moment in our band year that we knew we were destined for so much more this year. We were all so content with each other in the moments before, and we knew that no other band could beat us if we honestly did all we could, with no person giving in the slightest bit.

The different clicks grouped together throughout the night and did their own thing. In our little "click" we played truth or dare, and just sat and talked. I had heard some rumors that people had brought shaving cream for the bus, so needless to say I was a little paranoid to fall asleep. I felt kind of worried when Dave came and sat down with us, but Parker didn't even look at him. Somewhere around five in the morning most everyone was asleep. Dave, some other people, and me were still awake. Dave and I talked about random things and about how it felt to finally win Grand Champions.

Dave never mentioned anything about the days prior to this. You could still faintly see the black around my eyes from where he had hit me. What little swelling I had in my cheek had gone away. I had pretty much put the incident behind me. Of course I did take a picture and put it in my scrapbook. Dave had been there for me when Parker broke up with me before the summer and I could never forget that. I didn't like Dave, but I would never want to lose him as my friend, and I think he knew that too. I ended up falling asleep around six that morning.

At about seven I woke to people giggling. I looked up groggily at my friends and Angelica was putting shaving cream on another one of our friend's (Christy) hand. They started tickling her nose with her hair and she slapped her face. I couldn't keep myself from laughing. I watched them play the trick on a couple other friends and fell back asleep. Our new bus arrived only 30 minutes later.

We all boarded the bus and stayed up the whole trip home. We arrived home and Parker's mother took us out to eat to celebrate. We talked about the competition the whole. I had never experienced anything like that before. I never went on a overnight trip for school. It was so exciting to me. I got home that night and went straight to bed. The next morning we were out of school for a teacher work day so I slept in. I only woke up because someone called my cell phone.

The sound of The Killers "Mr. Brightside" filled my room as it played on my phone. I answered it at about 1:00 p.m.

"Hello." I said sleepily.

"Hey Maria, it's Dave."

"Oh hey..."

"Did I wake you up?"

"Yes, It's okay though, I don't like sleeping that late."

"I'm bored and I was just wondering if you would like to take a walk with me?"

"No funny business right?"

"Right"

"Alright give me about 30 minutes so I can take a shower and stuff okay. Meet me at my house at 1:45."

"Alright," he said, I could hear him smiling "See you soon."

As he got off I heard his mother calling him by his real name, David John. When me and Dave went out all we really did was go walking. I didn't think anything of it when he asked. It was just a walk around the block right? I took my shower and did my morning ritual and then sat outside to wait for Dave. I grabbed my flag while I was waiting and started practicing my routine. I didn't know it but Dave had walked up and was watching me from behind. I did a toss with my flag and it went to high and fell behind me. As it did I heard and yelp, and turned around to see Dave holding his arm.

"Oh my god Dave!" I said "I am so so so sorry!" I was starting laugh as I said it.

He gulped as he replied, "It's okay Maria, I know better than that stay away from a flag girl spinning."

I laughed and said "Alright I'll put this up and we can get going."

When I came back out Dave was laying on the ground staring up at the sky. I laid there with him and we talked for a while about what we saw in the clouds and then took off on our walk. Dave told me about the girls he likes. I told him he should ask one of them out, he said there was something in the way. We walked for what seemed like hours and I again realized what it was about Dave that caught my attention. His ability to make me forget about Parker. He was so sweet and shy, but outrageous at the same time. The things he said just grabbed your attention but he always said them like he cared so much. We ended up at a playground near our houses and swung on the swings.

"You Maria, I'm not trying anything," Dave started "but I think your beautiful."

I bushed "Thank you."

"Sometimes I just don't know what you see in Parker. I saw how unhappy he made you over the summer and even sometimes now, and I just don't know why you stay with him. You are too beautiful to be so sad."

I blushed again and I didn't know what to say.

"Sometimes I just want to hit him for making you so sad. You don't deserve it, but I keep my composer because I know you love him. I love you Maria, and that is why I want you to be happy, even with Parker."

I started to cry, "I'm sorry Dave. You know how I feel, and I am so happy that you want me to be happy."

I got up and gave him a hug. He wiped my tears away and hugged me back. That was probably more of a relationship than we had while we were going out. He really was sweet. I guess I missed that part of him. He gave me so much comfort, and yet I still wanted Parker. What if Dave was right, what if Parker didn't deserve me...

That night Parker came over and we hung out. I was having so much fun with him and had completely forgotten about what Dave said. We tickled each other and talked about marching band a lot. I didn't think about what happened earlier until I saw Dave the next day. I really didn't feel any different about him, but did he feel the same about me?