When we dragged all of our stuff down the hill to the marching field I finally got my first look at the entire band. Just like my old school the brass players were sitting there lazily, have what appeared to be a belching contest by a set of large loud speakers positioned on the side of the field. Nervously I followed Wren and the guys over to an empty spot and we sat down on the wet grass.
A sudden high-pitched squeal of static over the loud speakers had us all wincing and covering our ears. The a voice crackled over the speakers.
"Welcome to Camp Koultridge, marching home of the Keatland Hills High School Marching Band." I looked around for the source of the voice and Neal clapped me on the shoulder and pointed to man standing upon a large wooden platform, about twenty feet off of the ground, the man standing there continued speaking. "You will spend the next week and a half confined to its grounds, your section leaders will tell you its rules and boundaries. Disobey these rules and you will face me. Bunking assignments are tacked to the base of the monster and the mess hall doors, there will be no switching. Returning band members, I expect you to explain our ways to the Newbies, and to set a decent example for them, to you I say welcome back. To the Newbies I can only say this: Welcome to your first week in hell." Shocked faces could be seen around the band from the freshmen, but the man continued. "If you want to eat, be in the mess hall in an hour, forty-five minutes if your a strict veg. or have food allergies. Now go find your section leaders and unpack, but don't get too comfortable."
Cautiously scattered conversations resumed across the field, and I turned to Wren. "Umm... was that the director? And who's my section leader?" I wanted to know.
"That was Ricktor - he's the band director, yes. And as to your section leader, that's a good question. I suppose you'll have to go ask Velt, he's the trombone section leader. In fact, he's right over there," she broke off, pointing to a boy. "Hey Velt!!!" she yelled out suddenly, making me clap my hands over my ears. The boy she had pointed out looked up at her words and jogged over.
"Yeah Wren - wadayawant?" he asked.
"Who's the section leader for the Tenor's this year?" she asked him.
"If we had any, that would be me. Why, do we have any this year, I thought they all graduated."
"They did, but my cousin transferred in. This is Lynn," she said, nodding her head at me, "or Moth. She plays tenor."
"Really?" Velt asked, startled, Wren nodded. "That's cool. You'll be marching with the trombone section, so find us when we have sectionals, I'll go over the rules then." He said, looking at me, then turning back to Wren, "Who named her?"
"Neal did."
"Firefly? Well, it's cool then. I'll see you both later." he said and jogged back off towards his pile of luggage.
Wren looked up at me and grinned. "Don't worry about him, he's always that scattered. But what do you expect from someone who's spent the last three years getting hit in the back of the head by slides? Come on - lets go find out where we're bunked at. I hope it's the contra cabin - it's the only girls bunk with and attached bathroom. If you're in one of the other cabins you have to run to the bathhouse in the middle of the night."
Gathering up all of our stuff we headed over to the platform which had been vacated by the director. As we fought our way through the crowed I turned towards Wren. "Is this the Monster then?" I asked her. Without looking at me she nodded her head, standing on her tip-toes and stretching to her full five-foot, four-inches of height in a vain attempt to read the papers tacked to one of the supporting poles of the monster.
"Damn it! I still can't see!" Wren complained, needless to say she turned to me next. "Lynn - can you read those papers?" she asked. As I could read them far easier then she could at my five foot, eleven inch height, I nodded. "Good. See if you can find our names on that list and read what cabin we're in."
Quickly scanning the list I found Wren's name. "Okay, it says the you're in the Minor Cabin." I read off as she nodded. "But I can't seem to find my name on the list - oh, there it is. It says that I'm in cabin NB7."
As I said this I glanced at Wren and was shocked to find that her face had gone from its normal tanned shade to a pasty white color. "Wren? Are you okay? What's wrong? Wren?"
"Come on. We've gotta find Ricktor. They put you in one of the Newbie cabins!" she gasped out as she turned and started heading off of the field in the direction the band director had gone. Leaving her stuff behind (with the exception of her flag, which had never left her hand) in a pile on the ground where we had dropped it before trying to find our names on the list. Hurriedly I grabbed my tenor case and followed.
A/N -
thnk ya'll for reading!!!! if you're in band, could ya'll tell me what instraments ya play, i'm just cuorious 'bout that. i'll start; i'm first chair bass clarinet. and last chair, and middle chair, and ... okay. i'm the only bass clarinetist sniff. jk. we rock! or, i do rather in the case of my band...
oh, and special thanks to people who review!!!
1) RisuMusume - thank you for reviewing and placeing me on your author alert list!
2) Ancient Echos - thanks agian!!!
3) Anubuss - you know, i think i finally figured out why we only review each others stuff once per story, by now we can kinda guess what the other person will think of it. well, that and we can just complain about them via email...
4) Elemental Pheniox - who hasn't reviewed because she dosen't have too, 'cause she's read and told me what she's thought about it all already
sorry 'bout my tendency to be random today, but i've consumed large quantities of coffee and have had two hours of sleep in the past fifty-two hours. hmmm, mabey i should get more coffee...
oh - and i ment no offense to brass players out there, or trombones either for that matter, i've marched with ya, and i love ya all. color guard too as long as you aren't holding chains or metal/hard plasic poles. i tolorate and some what like my fellow woodwinds. but as long as i have my migraine medicane along i love ya all too.
