She drove home that evening around eleven. There were virtually no cars out, so she turned on her light and looked at a place on her neck that was still burning.

"Ouch, a hickey….eew…"

"Eew is right, Andrea…" Andy felt a hand on her neck and she turned around to see the face of her ex. "You know, all of a sudden you're the hottest bitch on the block, when you were nothing but prude for me. What does that scrawny college boy have that I don't, other then a drum?" Andy slapped his hand and glared at him.

"How about some class, you prick. Now get away from me. After all, you have your cheerleader whore to get home to. She probably wants those diapers right away."

"No, we're going back to your place." He grabbed her shoulders and pushed. "Drive, bitch"

Adam saw Andy's car parked at the intersection about a block away from the school with her car light on. Was that another guy in the car? He peered at the slice of her face he could see in her rearview mirror, and he saw the purest form of terror filling her eyes. He slammed on the brakes and tiptoed towards her truck as he saw the man in the back seat of her cab lean back again. He ran up to the truck and ripped the front door open, grabbing Andy out of the front seat, hearing the man inside shriek,

"You ass! She's mine and she always has been! No PISS-ass, mother-FUCKING, college DICKHEAD is going to steal her from me!"

"Watch me." Adam kicked the dude in the nuts and grabbed Andy.

"Are you okay!" Andy nodded, and then passed out in Adam's arms as her ex ran around the corner and started up his motorcycle, riding it off into the now chilly evening.

Several games later, Andy turned eighteen.

The line went nuts.

"Oh my god! Becky! Danni! I said no balloons!"

"Tough shit, babe. You're going to take these twelve balloons, and you're going to like it!"

"You're really scary, you know that right?"

"Yep" Andy looked around for Adam, but he was nowhere to be seen. She grinned at Becky, accepting the balloons, and then walking out into the hallway. At the end, she stopped to catch her breath a bit, and was surprised to see Sushi walking up the hallway towards her.

"Andy?"

"Yeah, Sushi?"

"I have a question, kind of"

"That's nice. Keep staring at my chest and it might do a trick"

"Er…sorry. It's at eye level. I'm short"

"I'm aware of that. Tilt your head up. Now spill your question or I might get bored"

"Okay, so you've been so nice to me through all of drumline…"

Andy saw Adam stop with an amused look just outside the band room door. He smiled at her.

"…lunch with me?"

"Wait, WHAT?" Sushi turned as red as his skin would allow and looked down at the floor embarrassedly. Adam's mouth opened in disbelief.

"Have lunch with me. And maybe homecoming?" Andy just stared at the short Indian boy in front of her. In the background, unnoticed, Adam's hands tightened slowly into fists and his once open mouth drew into a thin line, his eyes flashing blue lightning.

"No, I'm sorry Sushi. That would be too weird" The dark eyes of the boy flickered and he slowly walked into the band room for the practice that was starting soon. Andy watched Adam follow him in, with a gait like a marionette whose strings had been wound too tight. Then she followed both through the double doors, getting confused looks from her friends, who had noticed Adam's change from his normal laid-back self. She looked back with the same light in her eyes and shrugged helplessly as she went up to her drum.

"Warmups everyone!"

Adam started clapping out a tempo and they played eights. Andy was worried, because the look in Adam's eyes was like that of some sort of predator when they landed on Sushi.

"We're doing outdoor practice today everyone. Get your butts out to the back lot." Andy slowly followed Adam out to the lot that had the grassy knoll next to it. They did standard parade marching, and everything was going well until Sushi got out of step, and the predatory flicker in Adam's blue eyes burst into flame.

"Shashvat! Grassy knoll, now! Spike the hill until I tell you you're done." Silent gasps came from the rest of the drum line who were standing behind Adam. They hadn't had to do spiking since…Chewy! Andy glared hard into Adam's back, biting out,

"Adam…can I TALK to you?" Adam turned around, the evil glint falling out of his eyes as he saw the storm building in Andy's face. Then he looked around at the rest of the line's faces, realizing that he had just done something really, really stupid.

Andy turned and yelled at Sushi. "Soosh! stop, right now and go sit down on the curb. All of the rest of you take care of him. Adam…you're coming with me." She dropped her drum and harness on the asphalt by her friends and the almost-crying Sushi, and then stalked off to the far corner of the lot, Adam following rather reluctantly.

"What the hell was that?" Adam cringed at the tone in her voice. It was scary.

"I…just…lost it?"

"Sure. You were being a jealous prick"

"NO!"

"If you're going to start lying to me, I'll have to report your little fiascos in the practice rooms. Starting when I was still seventeen."

"Okay, so I saw him hitting on you in the hallway, and I got insanely jealous. I couldn't help myself"

"Well, get over it, and quick. I'm going to know other guys. They are going to ask me out. I WILL SAY NO! Because I love you, but I won't be for long if you keep doing stuff like this! Now you go APOLOGIZE!"

"Oh…kay…"

"GO!" Adam walked as normally as he could back to where the rest of the line was, considering that his subordinate had just told him off, and scared the crap out of him in the process. He could sense an aura of humor coming from the group of students as he apologized to Sushi with downcast eyes. Andy walked back with a slightly evil smile on her face.

"Oh, Adam, that's so nice of you! Now, let's get back to marching practice." Andy turned around, grinning. Chris walked up to Adam and patted him on the back in a brotherly way.

"Was that you're first experience with Andy the tornado? It's one of the reasons Mr. B gave her the drum captain spot, instead of Kirstie. Not only is she a goddess on the drums, she scares that shit out of all of us, while still being one of our best friends. How bad was it?"

"Give me parameters"

"Erm...scale of one, being "Stop staring at my chest" to ten, "Stab you with a sharp rock"

"Seven"

"Dear god. Usually numbers six thru ten are saved for people she's going out with. You're not...?" Adam broke out in a coughing fit, managing to choke out a 'No' before Andy looked over at Chris.

"Yo, K, we kind of need a bass five. Get your overly-built ass over here."

Chris just slapped Adam on the back again and called out to Andy.

"Oh course, honey"

"Oh, shut up Chris"