Thank you, those of you who reviewed, I am really motivated when you take the time to comment, so, thank you all for making this story possible!

To Elaine Kaelar, thank you for the compliments, and I promise she is going to get her guy! I, too, am a hopeless romantic, and there is going to be some deep romance in this story soon( not just for her). This is really a transitory chapter, but the next will hopefully carry what you crave. Thanks again for taking the time to read and review for my story: )

To Squiddie03, I hope you liked the you and Danny arrangement, and I am sorry if it might have been a little out of character for you to cry right there, but remember who your name is covering for. Yes, when it got quiet, it is what you were thinking(wink, wink). Thanks for the review, and its okay to sound like Ciara every once in a while, just all the time would be a little scary. Thanks, girlfriend, for reviewing: )

Chapter 5:

The Beginning

of the End

for Danny

These last three days had to be the best for Danny's departure. We concluded that we should probably find something special to do that we wouldn't usually do under other circimstances. Right now(before school), our quintent, minus, Danny was brainstorming on stuff we might all do together.

"Why don't we all go to the movies?" Jackie asked. It was a good idea. We considered it for a while, but Deven spoke against it.

"But we done that before all ready. It should be something special, that we haven't done yet, like letting all the animals out of the zoo, or something."

"Hey, that would be fun," I said, "but I don't think that he would want his last memories with us being in the back of a fuzz car."

We pondered for a moment, until Ariel broke the silence.

"The dance! There is a dance tomorrow we could buy tickets to!" She seemed really excited about this, so we all were happy with that.

"Yeah!" I said. We hadn't even considered going to a dance in the past, so it would fit our template, and it was tomorrow, so it was almost destiny.

"So its settled, then. Hey, I have never seen Danny dance before. Or any of you either!" Jackie said. She stared at us, individually then said," We are going to be dancing, right? I mean, at a dance, you dance, so we are dancing." We all looked at each other, not wanting to answer falsely for anyone.

"Yeah," I said slowly," we'll dance." Mind you, I had never been to a dance in my life before this moment, so had never danced in front of or around other people. I did not know what to expect, but I figured if Jackie was such a party girl, how bad could it be?

"I'm telling you right now," Deven said," I don't dance too well, and I can only dance to some songs." I guess he didn't like dancing too much.

"Deven, why don't you like dancing?" Ariel asked him. "Did somebody traumatize you on a dance floor or something?"

Deven glared at her."You would try and act innocent to bring that up, wouldn't you?" Oooooh, past experiences. I have to find this one out someday, especially because this is Ariel traumatizing innocent people.

"Who me? I would never do such a thing!" Ariel exclaimed. We couldn't help ourselves; we rolled our eyes.

"How can you say that without being struck by lightning?" Jackie inquired.

"Because I'm cool like that, that's how!" Ariel said proudly. Okay, now we were just goofing off. I laughed, and looked over at the clock. It was coming to around the time that Danny usually showed up. As if on cue, he walked in through the school gates over to where we were standing outside the band hall.

"Hey everyone. Did you all decide on what we were doing before my life sentence was carried out?" he asked when he reached us.

"Yes, we did, Dan," Ariel said giving him a hug. "We decided that we should go to the dance tomorrow, because we really never had reason to go to one before, but now we do."

"That sounds like a good idea. Do you dance, Ariel?" he asked.

"Well, that depends," she said with a smile,"what kind of dancing do you mean?"

"The kind I dance, if you remember," he said, getting closer to her. "or do I need to refresh your memory?"

"Let's get a good CD going and we can try."

"Geez, get a room you two," Deven said, rolling his eyes at their play. "There are children out here!"

"We didn't say anything nasty!"Ariel protested."Not yet, anyway."

"My point exactly."

"It is not a crime to love your boyfriend."

"No, but do we honestly need to watch?"

"You all just happened to be here."

"Stop fighting you two!" I interjected, to no avail. Why were they fighting again?

"All I said was to get a room, not to break up!"

"You know what," Ariel said,"I'm just going to have to show you that I don't care as to whether or not you see us 'cutesy-ing' in front of you." with that she turned to Danny and started like she was going to make out with him.

Then the bell rang.

"Saved," I said relieved. "Hopefully you will forget about this by science," I muttered.

With that we each made our ways to our first period classes.

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Science rolled around and they had forgotten all about what had happened in the morning(they are like goldfish sometimes) and were vividly discussing our plans to meet.

"I think we should all meet at the band hall at five then when everyone is here, we can all head to the cafeteria together," Jackie said, always the sensible one of the five of us.

"I've got a private lesson after school tomorrow, so I'm just going to stay in the band hall 'til five," I said. I didn't see the point in going home afterwards, if I was just going to come back twenty minutes later. Besides, I could use the time to practice. "Anybody going to stay with me?"

"Sorry, I would but I've got chess club," Jackie said.

"Me, too," answered Deven.

"My mom is expecting me," Danny said.

"And my Danny is expecting me," said the ever so playful Ariel. She was crazy about him. It was kind of sweet.

"Okay, then. I'll just get more practice done then," I said sarcastically.

"So, we will all meet at the band hall then, and go to the dance, and party!" Jackie said, excited. I couldn't wait for my first school dance. I just hoped I could make it the best for Danny's departure.

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It was the next day, and I rushed into the band hall, now used to the routine. I set up my instrument and got out the warm- ups and the songs we were going to be playing at our fall concert. I had everything set out and ready (including the chairs and stands for my section) before the bell rang and Vincent walked in with his instrument.

"You seem particularly chipper today," he said when he saw that my face was lit and seemingly untouchable. He then realized why. " That's right, today is Danny's last day here isn't it?"

"Yep, and we are going to make it last," I said with a little sigh at the reminder of what this day meant.

"I'm gonna miss him," Vincent said with a look of true sympathy. He glanced over at Danny sitting a row and four chairs over in the trumpet section. "Lot's of memories there."

"Do you know where he is moving to?" Gabriel asked, from the other side of Vincent.

"I think it was Skyline," Tifany said, another trombonist.

"Yep," I verified, "Today is the last day he is here."

Right then, Mr. Geraldo walked in and went to the podium before us. He conducted our warm- ups then made an annoucment to the class regarding Danny's departure.

"Today, a very talented trumpet player is going to leave us to join the Skyline Marching Hornets. That trumpet player is Danny, who is sitting right there, if you could please stand up," he said motioning to Danny," so that we may wish you farewell." Danny stood up with his trumpet in his right hand. "Danny, the band, Mrs. Gonzales, and I just want to wish you the best of luck for your future as a musician, and just want to remind you that you are always welcome to visit us at any time; the band hall is open until six everyday, and until four on Saturdays. If anyone else wants to add something POSITIVE you are allowed to do so now."

"WE ARE GOING TO MISS YOU DANNY!" Someone shouted from the saxaphone area. After that bold move, others started to wish their farewells, each in their own way, within the rules.

Mr. Geraldo waved us to silence and said that we have to continue with practice, so we did so, having gotten that out of our systems. Everything went well, in fact, I think that that was the best we had ever played those songs so far. It all almost seemed second nature to us, but the reason behind it was completely unique to that day.

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Another short chappie, I know, but the best is yet to come! In fact, for all you romantics out there( I know I'm one) the next chapter is going to be the start of my main romantic band tale. As for Walter, he is has been asleep for a while, but is going to make a re-entry to be remembered for, soon. If I tell you any more, I'll ruin it, so all that's left is for you to drop a review in!