Despite my height, I was still forced to take two steps for every one of Stones; forcing me into a slow jog in order to keep up with the boys, going up the hill towards the mess hall made me glad I was in shape from running every morning.

Walking inside after the boys, I closed the door before it could slam, not wanting to suddenly be the center of attention as a result of the echoing slam of the door closing naturally. As it was, enough people glanced up as we entered. Hurrying up to the line after Moss and Stone, I was glad we had not arrived any later then we had, as it was, we were the last ones to get our food.

Following the guys, I sat at the wooden table across from Stone. They had grabbed a table in the farthest corner from the entrance to the Mess Hall. Using my fork I prodded the limp brownish mass in front of me. Where the kitchen workers trying to put us out of our misery on the first day? I wondered as I let a piece of it fall off of my fork and back onto my plate with a soggy splat.

"What IS this stuff?" I asked, not completely sure that I actually wanted to know the answer to my question. Stone just smirked at my question, his own food completely untouched. Next to me, Moss was munching on a granola bar that he had pulled out of his pocket.

"Honestly you guys. What is this?" I demanded, their responses not exactly giving me the faith I needed to try the food. Still smirking, Stone just drank his juice, Moss ignored the both of us while trying to hide the fact that he was eating outside food from the kitchen workers. Before I could ask them again, a tray with food on it was slid onto the table across from Moss, and a blond haired boy sat gently down onto the bench.

"Hey Stone, how're the newbie's this year?" Red asked, nodding at Moss and myself.

"Raw. Very raw." Stone told him with a sigh. Red winced at the drummer's response.

"You going to be able to make anything out of them?"

"Do I have a choice? I'm just glad we had percussion camp already. If we hadn't – I'd probably have resigned already." Stone replied, looking at the mushy food in front of him and running his hands through his hair tiredly. "The trombones?" he asked, still staring at his plate.

Red glanced at me out of the corner of his eye before answering. "No problems out of the ordinary." he said, his lips tightening ever so slightly. Moss looked at him quizzically; getting no response he looked at me, a question in his eyes, and opened his mouth to ask me what had actually happened. Neal and a still shocked Skink came over with their meals and sat down, saving me from having to lie.

Noticing Skink's odd expression, and completely ignoring Firefly, Red raised an eyebrow. "What happened to you?" Skink turned to him and blinked, several times, without answering. Having finished his contraband granola bar, Moss rolled his eyes.

"He been like this since we left?" he asked Firefly curiously, when he received an affirmative nod, he turned to Red. "He lost at Fluxx." He answered, raising his cup up for a drink.

It was Red's turn to raise his eyebrows. "Really? To whom?" he asked, surprised.

Moss nodded towards me, his mouth full of juice, swallowed it then answered. "Moth did; her second game ever. Red's eyebrows went even higher as he looked at me.

"Really?"

Neal rolled his eyes. "Weren't you listening? He just told you that Red." he said disgustedly, looking around the room instead of at Red. Looking at my tray Neal looked worried. "You aren't actually eating that are you?"

"Hmm? Oh. I haven't gotten up the nerve to try it yet." I confessed to the group. "What is it anyways? Stone and Moss wouldn't tell me." I asked, my curiosity restored, glancing at them: Stone was engrossed in a whispered conversation with Red, who hadn't taken Firefly's comments easily; Seeing me look at him, Moss set down his cup and sighed, glancing down at my plate.

"Well, we're not … actually…sure…what it is." He confessed. "They call it 'Meatless Meatloaf,' but….it doesn't have ANY vegetables in it. None of us has ever actually tried it either…." he admitted. Raising my eyebrows in a somewhat shocked disgust, I looked around the table.

"Hey – where's Wren?" I asked – noticing the absence of my cousin. With all of the randomness supplied by the guys, her absence had gone momentarily unnoticed by me.

"She's with the colorguard – they always eat supper by themselves; they have practice when we have marching block and it's less hectic for them to just be separated from us for supper." Stone told me quietly, looking past me at Neal with an odd look in his eyes. I nodded quietly, hoping that Wren would be able to explain everything to me tonight.

Crackling to life, the ancient loudspeaker system in the mess hall called our attention to the podium; standing upon it was Riktor. Looking around the room he began "Band members - after you take care of your trays, go to your cabins and clean them. Inspections will take place while you are in Marching Block. If there is any mess in your cabin, regardless of whose it is, clean it up. The inhabitants of any cabin that is less then perfect will run suicides on the marching field after Block practice until I am satisfied that they have learned their lesson. As the color guard are already off at practice, you will clean up for them today; they will do the same another time. I will accept nothing less then total perfection and cooperation from this band. If there is any mess in your cabin, regardless of whose it is, clean it up. You have one hour before Block begins on the field. Bring tennis shoes and a water bottle. You will not need your instruments or flip charts tonight." Riktor finished, turned, and walked out of the mess hall.

Hurriedly I followed the guys example; grabbing my tray, scraping it clean, and handing it to one of the kitchen workers.


a/n:

hey ya'll – sorry it's been such a long time since I've updated – longer then I said it would be in my email. I never gave it a thought that my life might actually be busier after high school graduation. I've had meetings, open houses, and one of my best friends, (also my pre-reader) moving like 10 states away. Between all that, its hard to get either the inspiration or the time to do anything. Chapters SHOULD be coming more steadily after this, since it appears that, for the time being, I have no life. Don't expect a chapter for the rest of the week though – I somehow managed to end up with all of my doctor's, dentists, and eye doctor's (and everything else) appointments this week. Joy.

Thanks to all of you for putting up with me and still reading! Ya'll are the best!

-Gryffyn


Individual Thanks:

BennuPhoenix: Having fun down there in Florida Kitty? Miss having you as my prereader!

Anubuss: I happen to LOVE that 'First Play Random' card buddy! (mostly 'cause it's fun laying it to play and then watching your face! Gomen….)

Jinxdncursed: the game's kinda confusin at times, I'll admit it. It's funny that you say that 'cause the first thing in the rule book is actually "the easiest way to learn how to play fluxx is to play it!" pats you on the back, I know how you feel with the show. We only had four home football games this year! And we got rained out twice! And I was sick once, so I only got to march once my senior year, that sucked…..and the show was so badly screwed up…..i don't wish to remember it either!

Lyra-the-Silvertongue: do we ever truly know or understand where our nicknames come from? I'm still confused about that truly…. And I updated again!

Nerdykay: sorry for taking so long to update! Hope you like the chapter!

Sheyana: salutes yes mam! I updated!

ClassClown: I'm glad you liked it, I hope you read more!

MelloLoser: Sorry it took so long for me to update! Hope this chapter's up to par with the rest of them – the next one will be longer!

Elaine Kaelar: Did you have fun learning how to play the bass? Hope you did! It dosent happen very often in our band where someone can join who hasn't played an instrument before, I'm not sure if it's ever happened actually. I admire your courage in trying it! Sorry it took so long for the update!

Your Friendly Old Pitster: yeah…my old comp had terrible spell check! I hope this ones better – my prereader moved and hasn't re-set up her email account yet so I cant guarantee the spelling though… sorry. Who actually likes Kelter anyway? I say: GO MUDRUNNING! (sorry – coffee makes me hyper…). Moss will continue to be cool – and shortly (maybe…) we'll find out exactly why he was crying in "Silent Tears" (ch. 5).

Kendra: Thanks for the reviews! What's '10 fingers'? that's a band game I've never heard of before! Did you survive your freshman year of band camp alive and sane? (I wont tell you how many people I've seen who haven't! jk.)

ColourGuardNerd: I'll try to add you! There'll be no bass clarinets in this storie (I had to change my character to the instrument who's part I play!) but I'll try to add you as a color guard!

The Readhead Witch: yes mam! I keep writing! Thanks for reading and reviewing Ann!

BaritoneQueen: never could understand why they wanted us to wear white shoes, those things are so stinkin hard to keep clean! Anythings better then show uniforms!

The Pirate Illusionist: Thanks for reading! I'm so badly addicted to Fluxx it's not even funny! Now all of my friends are as well, and have had to go out and order games of their own! (no place sells them around us – we have to order them offline!)

DrumLineGroupy: Thanks! And Bass Clarinets do rock! (So do low brass….it was lonely up by the high woodwinds so I used to randomly go and sit by the baritones and trombones! The band director didn't care as long as I wasn't a disruption! It was so much fun!).

Stephanie: how in the world did they manage to brake a bass in half! PLEASE tell me that it wasn't a wooden one! How did you guys end up with two first chairs? Or do you mean that you both play the first part?


G'Night All!

-Gryffyn