Chapter 1: Introductions and new beginnings

"Just another morning rehearsal, right Tori? There is no afternoon one?" Tori sighed for what she felt like the millionth time that day, "YES! Jeez Randy why can't you ever listen to Ron." Randy ducked a swipe from one of her drumsticks. "All right! Sorry! Man, someone forgot to eat their Wheaties this morning."

Tori groaned, "One of these days Randy, one of these days..." Randy just flashed her a smile and ran to catch up with the band, which was currently warming up.

Tori and Randy joined their spots on the line but with one glare from their drumline captain Ron, they were on the ground pushing. "Why is it that you two snare drummers are ALWAYS late? Hmm? Give me 50!" Tori shrieked in outrage, "50! Yesterday we only had to do 15!" Another glare quickly shut her up though. Randy and Tori pushed, seething in anger, but at the end their anger was replaced by a fierce determination to get Ron back. "Prank." Randy mouthed to Tori as they put their drums on and began to warm up. "Nothing like a good ole' round of eights to warm up your hands." Ron said to the drumline as they broke. Lauren, the bass drummer next to her mumbled, "He calls that good, my hands hurt!" Tori nodded in agreement. Mr. Herman, her band director, shouted something at them but Tori couldn't hear. "What did he say?" Ron shouted, "Drumline, over here!" as he waved to the band director.

The Drumline, which consisted of 5 basses, 4 snares, 2 tenors, and 2 cymbals gathered around Mr. Herman. "Drumline. I'd like you all to meet your new instructor, Mr. Pat Carter." A man appeared from behind Mr. Herman. Tori thought he didn't look half bad, with his dark tan skin, lean physique, jet-black hair, and bright green eyes. The thin wire glasses he wore kind of made him look dorky. Of course Tori knew she wasn't bad to look at either; with her smooth tan skin, dark blue eyes, brown hair and a smile that could light up the night sky. A cough interrupted her thoughts, sending her back to reality. "So, Hi. I'm Pat, you don't have to call me Mr.Carter, makes me feel too old, anyway, why don't we blow this pop stand and practice by our little lonesome." Randy and Tori sniggered behind their hands but another look from Ron stopped them.

Pat led the way out of the Evans band hall. Evans, Tori thought, my school, I'm proud to be in the Evans Drumline. She passed by a painted eagle in the hallway, the mascot of their school, and puffed her chest out a little bit more. "Look Tori, we all know you have big boobs, don't flaunt them." Lauren joked sarcastically. Tori blushed, "N-no I just saw the mascot and I... never mind." Ron looked at her strangely, but wisely chose not to comment. Lauren, a junior who played second bass, laughed at Tori's blushing face. "Ahhh... how cute." "Shut it Lauren!" Tori yelled. Randy who was walking beside her burst into a fit of very unmanly giggles.

The Drumline followed Pat to a spot underneath some trees. "Set your drums down here we are going to talk for a little bit." They all followed his directions and Sam, the annoying Tenor jokester, said in a very nasally voice, "Come on boys and girls, it's story time." Ron sighed in exasperation and in a very annoyed tone replied, "Sam sit your fat butt down. It's time to get serious, it's a state year." Sam pouted but didn't reply.Everyone sat down on the ground in front of Pat. "So what's the up, pup?" Tori asked. Pat smiled down at her, "Well I thought I'd like to get to know everyone before we do any work. So why don't y'all say your names so I can at least attempt to remember them." Tori smiled back, "Well I'm Victoria, but everyone around here just calls me Tori." "Or Turd!" Sam shouted out. Tori narrowed her eyes and said in a cold voice, "Call me that again Sam and I'll castrate you, not that there is anything down there to castrate." Sam visibly gulped. "Riiight... well, who's next?" Pat asked. A short black haired girl stood up, "I'm Lauren." The boy sitting next to her also stood up, "Yo' what up dog, I'm Mel." They all went around saying their names until it ended with Ron. "Hey I'm Ron. So we going to get to work anytime soon or what? Cause' my hands are just dying to play." They all nodded in agreement and Pat consented, "Sure, show me what warm ups y'all do, and any other exercises y'all have."

Thirty minutes later Pat finally stopped them, "So you have eights? Or that eight-seven exercise you do? Then you have double- beat, and an accent tap exercise? Then triplet, and 16th note grids, then one-and- ones? Ummm... anything else?" Ron shook his head. "Right well here's a piece of music that y'all can hack to at home if you want, we are not going to play it, but it is pretty cool if you can get it." He gave them all a piece of music. "It's called Ditty. It's a cool little groove, Blue Devils play this." Lauren said stupidly, "What we're going to play Titty? Whose titties, not mine!" The drumline, including Pat burst out laughing. Tori said sarcastically, "Yes Lauren we're going to play Titty, learn Titty well, Titty is good." It was Lauren's turn to blush, "Oh...it's a warm up." Everyone burst out laughing again and Pat said, "Alright good start today, I know this line will go far, y'all can break now." Ron quickly broke them before they started laughing again. Tori thought, he wasn't such a bad guy, not to mention he was a little cute. Uggh! She mentally screamed, he's a teacher, albeight a good-looking 19 year old one.

Tori shook her head in frustration and followed Randy inside. "Tor, what's up with you? Ya got a pensive look on your face." Randy asked. Tori couldn't help but smile, "Pensive? Ahh... so now Randy knows some big words." She pretended to wipe a tear out from her eyes, "I'm so proud of my baby." Pat, who was walking behind them, chuckled slightly. "I'm giving you till 3 Tori, 1...2..." Tori sprinted inside, with Randy closely following. "Help!" She screamed, "I'm being chased by a psycho snare drummer who can't play triplet rolls!" She made it into the band hall before Randy thumped her on the back of her head with his sticks. "OW! Randy, what was that for?!" Tori yelled. "Can't play triplet rolls? Yeah right," he muttered as he put his drum away and stalked off. Tori laughed a little before putting her drum away. While she was fixing her cover Pat came up to her. "So, Hi. Interesting friend you got there, Why were y'all late today?" She looked up to meet his bright green eyes, "Yeah, about that. Well that bonehead Randy over there told me that practice wasn't until 7:30. Sorry, I should know by now to never listen to him." Pat smiled, "Well just don't make a habit of it. Tomorrow, practice is at 7. Be there alright?" She nodded. "Good. See you during first period." He walked off towards the office and Tori smiled. This year might not be so bad after all, she thought.