(Welcome back! I have another chapter, and to better myself so I don't go insane, I'm going to alternate chapters. Chapter of this, then a chapter of Alter Universe…which is starting to snowball out of control….Oo; But anyway, this is the second chapter, more band humor! Aseret Kitsune, welcome! I'm glad you like it! Hope you like this chapter to. andalitebandit-6, I have a bad habit of making you think people are Gaz when they're really not, don't I? XP And Drumline is a horrible movie….very unrealistic and the playing was so dirty…Our line makes fun of them, and that really saying something… O.o; Anyway, onto the new chapter!)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

He stormed into the room. Everything seemed to be dead silent. Dib had heard stories from some kids he knew in the band, but he had never seen him until now…

He was just a little taller than Kat, he had dirty blonde hair that was well kept and a beard to match. He was a fairly healthy size, not over weight or anything. He wore a button down polo-like shirt and khaki pants. His blue eyes scanned the room for who know what. His gaze fell upon Kat, whose eye was twitching and mouth agape.

"Mr. Helm, you shrunk!" she coughed out.

Chuck, who seemed to tower over Mr. Helm, laughed at Kat's outburst. "You get sick over the summer or something?"

Mr. Helm only smiled. "No, I didn't get sick. I should make you run cymbal laps for that. Yes, I lost a lot of weight. Exorcise and a good diet will do wonders!" He seemed to beam, but all the drummers sulked. "Eh? What's wrong?"

"You can run us down now…" commented a bass player.

"He could do that before…" said another drummer standing beside him. "He can just do it better now…" they both groaned.

"I had heard rumors that some people had seen you running in your development, but I didn't think that was really you…" said a snare player.

"Yes, believe…" said a pit person in a creepy voice, "Now that he's lost weight, he's twice as deadly! Wooooooooh!" he made the last part sound like a stereotypical ghost talking.

"Give it a rest, David…" said Kat.

Helm finally noticed Dib standing, more like milling, around the room. He narrowed his eyes and pointed his drumsticks at Dib. "Who are you?"

"Oh, him?" said Kat, turning to see who he was pointing at, "That's just Dib. He's our new star freshman, enough to put Mike and Chris to shame!" You could see Mike and Chris sulking in the background. "They'll get over it…but you know, the one you picked yourself to be a freshman section leader."

"I yes, I remember now…you said his playing was very good, and if it makes them sulk like that it must be true." said Mr. Helm, "Well, let's hear him play." Mr. Helm walked over to a snare drum and adjusted it to Dib's height. "Play."

Dib walked over, holding his sticks very tight…For some odd reason, he felt intimidated by Mr. Helm. (coughsarcasmcough) "What do you want me to play?"

"How about Roll Diddy, twice through." said Mr. Helm.

"Ok…um, how fast?" asked Dib.

"As fast as you can play it cleanly." said Mr. Helm

"Ok." said Dib, tapping off for himself at about 173. (173 beats per minute, that's a fairly fast tempo.)

Mr. Helm listened carefully to his playing. Every beat, every stroke of the stick, every hit. He looked at Dib's playing style, mostly at his grip. Traditional. Most freshman have trouble with traditional grip for the first few weeks. This particular freshman, he had it down pat. Very off for a freshman…When Dib finished, Mr. Helm spoke.

"Do you take private lessons?" he asked.

"No." replied Dib.

"How often did you practice over the summer?" Mr. Helm asked again.

"Not much…I was busy." said Dib.

Mr. Helm cocked an eyebrow. "You don't have a tutor, you didn't practice much, yet you sound like this…" Mr. Helm said in a disappointed tone, he shook his head in what liked like disapproval.

'Aw hell, he's gonna rip me apart…I knew something like this was gonna happen.' Dib looked at Mr. Helm, waiting for an answer.

"Mr. Helm looked right at Dib and mocked yelling. "How DARE you!" All the drummers started laughing hysterically. Dib was very much confused at this point. Mr. Helm chuckled, "You need to loosen up…"

"Did you see the look on his face? He looked like he was about to die!" laughed one of the snare players.

"It's ok, Dib. He's practically one of us." said Kat, patting Dib on the back. "You're a drummer, so you're automatically part of the family. You really need to loosen up, though. You can't be a stuffy, nose-to-the-grindstone here. I'll help you out with that."

"Oh, and Dib, the only thing you really need to do with you're playing is loosen up with you're left hand, you're holding the stick too tight." He demonstrated and went into lecture 732-B. (Yes, they labeled all his speeches and lectures.) When he was done, he looked at his watch and realized how late it was getting. "Hey, Kat, round 'em up!"

Kat nodded. "SET! MOVE IT! GET SET! We have to be out on the field in five minutes! Harness up!" and she went on like that until everyone was heading out to the field for marching calisthenics…but they really weren't going there…

"TRACK!" shouted Chuck.

"Track? What are we going to do there?" asked Dib, already getting sore for the harness.

"Yeah, playing and marching at the same time. It will also teach you how to crab." replied Chuck.

"Crab?" asked Dib again.

"Crabbing….crab walking…see drummers don't turn and pivot like the band. We always face forward or to the side, unless otherwise noted by the drill." said Chuck, "You ask too many questions. Just let everything flow, Sherlock…"

Dib was amazed. He never knew drummers were so laid back. He watched Drum Corps. after Drum Corps. They always looked so serious, so determined. Maybe because the were competing? Must have been it.

"Alright, people, You all know 4/4 diddles, right?" there were some murmurs. "Close enough…ok, we're going to march the track in block formation. That means you have to guide. You don't, I'll catch you myself…" Kat formed everyone onto a 5x5 block. She tapped off and they got started.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - -

They all returned to the band room. Dib was in a world of hurt along with all the other freshman. Kat could tell…not to mention she knew that was going to happen.

"I know you're hurting, that happens to everyone. You'll build up some muscle, and soon your drum will feel like nothing." she said.

"You sure? Doesn't seem like it…" said Dib after he put his drum down. He rubbed his throbbing shoulders.

"I'm sure you will. Everyone does, eventually. Some just take longer than others." She said, also putting her drum down. She laughed and patted him on the back. He groaned. "Heh, sorry about that. Oh, and another thing, don't be hurt if some of the older player ignore you for a while. It's just their way of warming up to you." She unhooked her harness for her drum and started putting her equipment away.

"Hey, Kat?" asked Dib, for once feeling like he had some friends. He also started to put his drum away.

"Yeah?" she answered, lifting her quad over her head and winding through the music stand in order to get back to her case. Dib did the same.

"Why were you so nice to me if drummers ignore newcomers?" he asked.

"Ah, well. Truth be told, I'm not a full blooded drummer. That might be part of the reason." she said, "And I know what it's like to be ignored and teased. So I want to get away from the drummer habit and make everyone feel comfortable to be here. Plus being only one of a handful of girls in a male dominated line is kinda tough." She put her drum in her case and threw her sticks and music in the vase before she closed and locked it up. "Have to show these guys whose boss." She patted him softly on the back one last time. "See you tomorrow."

"See ya." said Dib. He really did feel like he belonged. Kat did a really good job of that. And now he did think he'd be so hell bent on trying to fit in. 'I guess this really was a good thing for me. Maybe it will take my mind off Zim, for a while at least.'

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

(Yay! Chapter 2 finished! Oh, and if you have any suggestions for the three weeks of band camp before school starts in the story, please, tell me! But know this, the second week is hell week, where they go all day long! Sucks to be them…but I'll be doing it to soon. But it's for the cause!)