"I just don't see what you like about him," Tiffany said. "I mean, he's a flute player! That just screams GAY!"
"It does not," Alaina said quietly. "Aiden isn't gay."
"I was talking to Maria online last night and she said-"
"I don't care what she said!" By now, Alaina's voice had risen. "You two don't know anything about him! He's the sweetest boy I know! He cares about me!"
Tiffany shook her head sadly. "Suit yourself."
Just then, Aiden joined them, holding his flute tightly to his chest. He kissed Alaina on the cheek and smiled at Tiffany. "Hello."
Tiffany coughed into her hand and walked back over to the other drummers.
"I really don't like her," Alaina muttered. "She isn't nice. All she does is poke fun at other people."
"Don't worry too much about her," Aiden said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Band camp is almost over and we go home on Saturday."
Alaina's nose scrunched up. "Ugh. That's two days away! I'll never make it!" She put her hand on her forehead and fell backwards. Aiden caught her before she hit the ground. "Band camp isn't that bad," he said, standing her upright.
"Says you! You don't have to eat the horrible food here! I swear that hamburger was breathing! And your section leader doesn't have a stick shoved up her ass!"
Aiden snorted. "You can join the vegetarian part of the population. As for your section leader, that's what you get for being a trombone player. My section leader is really nice."
"Your section leader is more concerned about her makeup than whether or not she plays well."
"Speaking of playing well…"
Jennifer, the section leader of the flutes, joined them. "I have to steal him for a while," she said. "Gotta make sure he's practicing!"
Aiden gave Alaina an apologetic look as he was dragged away.
Tiffany and two other percussionists, who Alaina didn't know, came back over. "I'll bet they're going to do their hair."
Alaina's eyes narrowed. "They need to practice. You should be doing the same thing," she said before walking leaving for her cabin.
"He's the only male flute player! Keep that in mind!" Tiffany shouted after her.
Alaina, for once, was very glad to see her cabin. Sure, it was her home away from home for a week, but that didn't make it very comfortable. The best part about it was she knew for a fact that her two best friends were inside.
She slammed the door closed behind her and automatically went to her bed, opening her trombone case and putting it together in jerked movements. She let out one low, long note, blowing until she ran out of air and the note went flat. Trisha looked up from her book and Briana paused in cleaning her valves.
"Feel any better?" Trisha asked, climbing down from her bunk and walking over.
Alaina nodded and began putting her trombone away with practiced care. She shut the case, gave it a loving pat and sat down on her bed.
"Why do they have to be so mean?" she asked. "It isn't right! He hasn't even done anything to them!"
Trisha and Briana instantly knew what she was talking about and both were hugging her before the sentence was even finished.
When they separated, Alaina sighed. "Thanks," she said. "I needed that."
"Of course you did," Briana said. "We're your best friends, we know what you need."
Trisha looked at the door to the cabin. "Where is he anyway?"
"Practicing."
"As we should be doing," Briana said. "We have rehearsal tonight."
"We have rehearsal every night," Trisha reminded her. "My feet are killing me from all that marching!"
"At least you don't have to hold your instrument up the entire time. You have that fancy harness."
"Well, please excuse me for having an instrument too heavy to carry around. Barry saxes are really big!"
Briana rolled her eyes. "Right."
Trisha frowned and Alaina quickly changed the subject. "How long until dinner?"
"Don't remind me of that. Did you see the chicken from lunch? Watch, we'll have chicken again tonight," Trisha said, making a disgusted face.
"Actually, I saw what we're having tonight. It's pasta."
Trisha brightened instantly. "Great! You can't ruin pasta! It's impossible!"
Oh, how wrong she was.
Aiden laughed as Trisha nudged a meatball with her fork. "Maybe you were wrong," he said quietly.
"Shut up. I just don't see how they did it! How can you possibly mess this stuff up! All you have to do is boil water and pour the noodles in!"
Briana picked a strand of spaghetti up with her fingers and looked at it forlornly.
"How bad can it be?" Alaina asked. She took a forkful, looked around the table and gulped. "If I die…"
"We'll make it a wonderful eulogy," Briana promised. Alaina nodded and shoved the pasta into her mouth. The other members of the table watched as she chewed thoughtfully. "Not bad. A little sticky, but at least it tastes like it's supposed to." The others sighed in relief. Everyone knew that Alaina was the best judge of food. After all, she wanted to be a chef when she graduated.
"Alright then," Trisha said. "Let's eat!"
Alaina looked at Aiden curiously. "Aren't you going to eat?" she asked. "You don't have to eat the meatballs."
Aiden smiled reassuringly. "I'm not hungry right now."
"We'll have none of that!" Trisha said, grabbing his plate. "We don't want you fainting on the field again!"
"I didn't faint," Aiden said, but he took the plate anyway.
"What would you call it then?"
Aiden shrugged. "I fell asleep?"
Trisha snorted, but Alaina frowned. "I was really worried about you," she said. "Please? Eat something for me at least."
Aiden nodded absently and looked down at his plate. "Alright."
-
"Alright," the band instructor was saying. "I expect a good practice tonight! We have three hours before it gets dark and the lights aren't working right now, everyone to their fourth set!"
The band scattered to their designated positions, some quickly flipping through their flip folios to find the right measure.
Aiden passed Tiffany on his way to his spot and she stuck her foot out, causing him to trip. A few of the surrounding musicians laughed as he stood and brushed himself off, his blush reaching his neck. He looked around for where his flute had landed, ignoring her. Tiffany picked the flute up and smiled. "Uh oh, I think it has a dent." Those that could see Aiden's front watched his eyes widen, panic etching into his face. He spun around and reached for the flute, but Tiffany pulled it away. "We're holding the band up," Aiden hissed. "Just give it back." Tiffany pretended to think about it. "Naw."
"Is there a problem?" the instructor called. "Aiden, please get to your spot."
"Yeah Aiden," Tiffany said. "Go on."
"Not until I get my flute!"
Few had ever seen Aiden mad. None had ever heard his voice raise. By now, the entire band was looking at them.
Tiffany looked at the instructor, who mouthed that they would talk later, and handed the flute to Aiden. Aiden ran to his spot.
The other flute players glared at Tiffany, therefore missing when the band began to march. This, of course, caused something to the effect of a domino chain and the instructor sighed. "Let's start over for the flutes…"
-
"Two… more… days…" Briana said, flopping down onto her bed.
"What are you doing?" Alaina asked. "We have to go to the dance!"
"Don't remind me. I hate dances."
Alaina looked at Trisha, who rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to the flute in her lap. "There isn't a dent," she told Aiden, handing the flute to him. "Not even a scratch. Tiffany was just being a bitch."
Aiden sighed in relief. "Thanks. I was too afraid to look."
The girls nodded. They understood where he was coming from.
"I had a dent in my trumpet once," Briana said. "It was horrible!"
"Alright," Alaina said, interrupting Briana before she could go on a rant. "Let's just go get this over with."
"She's right," Trisha said. She patted Aiden on the back. "Cheer up. You get to dance with your woman!"
Aiden nodded. "I have to put my flute away first though."
-
"Why did you wait until the slow dance?" Alaina asked, looking up at Aiden.
Aiden smiled. "Because slow dances are the only kind of dancing I know."
"We're signing you up for dancing lessons then."
"I thought you liked dancing with me," Aiden said, his smile faltering.
"Of course I do! I love dancing with you! You just looked so lonely in the corner, watching everybody else have fun."
"I was having fun…"
"I know you. You were going over that story you're working on!"
"Maybe I was."
Alaina rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I think you cherish that story more than me."
"Of course not," Aiden said, kissing her on the forehead. "I cherish you both equally."
"Jackass."
"You don't mean that."
And she didn't mean that. She couldn't, because Aiden wasn't a jackass. Aiden was perfect.
-
The next morning, it was raining.
"I love the rain," Alaina said. "Just not when I have to stand in it."
The band members around her nodded. There they were, in a circle, awaiting the arrival of the American flag. "How long does it take to get a stupid piece of fabric?" Briana grumbled.
"Shh," Trisha hissed. "Here they come."
Everyone quieted down as the flag was raised and the instructor made his morning speech.
Breakfast consisted of eggs. At least, the kids hoped they were eggs. They looked like eggs, they smelled like eggs, but they didn't taste like eggs.
"Damn you and your vegetarianism," Briana said, glaring at Aiden. Aiden smiled and handed her a chocolate bar. "Eat and be merry!"
This, of course, caused Trisha and Alaina to look at him expectantly. Aiden sighed, having seen this coming, and handed them both a bar.
"Thanks sweetie," Alaina said.
"Any time."
Tiffany sat down at the table and cleared her throat. "I came to apologize."
"About damn time," Trisha said. Tiffany glared at her, but she gave her a challenging look in response.
"I cam to apologize for last night. That wasn't nice of me to do that."
Aiden nodded, accepting the apology and Tiffany smiled. "I mean, I know how sensitive you are, seeing as how you're-"
"Finish that sentence and you'll regret it," Briana growled. "Why can't you just leave him alone?"
Tiffany didn't respond. She simply stood, still smiling at Aiden and walked away. Alaina watched her go before turning to Aiden. "Are you-?"
"I'm fine," he ground out. "I have to… go somewhere…" He also stood and left the building.
Alaina sat, frozen, staring after him until Trisha nudged her arm. "What are you doing! Go after him!"
"Right," Alaina said.
"I'm going to kill that bitch," Briana said as soon as she was gone. Trisha nodded in agreement.
-
Alaina found him on a rock, staring out over the ocean. She sat down on the ground next to him, but he didn't even acknowledge her presence.
"Hey," she said.
"Hey."
For the first time in her life, Alaina didn't know what to say. She had always been the problem solver in her family, having to take care of two younger siblings. She could bandage with the best of them and stop tears in the most creative ways ever witnessed! What she couldn't do, it seemed, was help the person that she cared about the most.
"Do you think I am?" Aiden finally asked, still staring straight ahead.
"Do I think you're what?"
"…Gay…"
"Of course not! I don't know why she keeps saying that!"
Aiden smiled sadly. "I'm glad you don't believe her."
"Why would I? I'm dating you!"
Aiden looked at her. "You can't honestly tell me you didn't think I was gay when we first met."
Alaina chewed her bottom lip. It was true, she had thought that. Who wouldn't? But, that wasn't the point. She, along with most of the band members, knew the exact opposite was true.
"So I play the flute? Who cares! The instrument doesn't make the person!"
"Aiden, I- Are you crying?"
"No," Aiden said, wiping his arm across his face.
Alaina stepped behind him and wrapped her arms around him, leaning her chin on his shoulder. "You don't have to pretend to be all tough you know. I like you just the way you are. You're nice and quiet and I don't have to worry about you slapping me around or getting drunk or anything. You're the perfect person to talk about a book or listen to really good music with. On top of that, you're the best Scrabble player I've ever met! So you don't play the manliest instrument in the band! You don't need to; you're man enough already!" She nodded curtly. "Tiffany's just jealous because she can't have what I have."
Aiden looked at her. "And what would that be?"
"You. Now, are we going to stay out here in the rain, or are we going to go back to camp and practice marching like the band fags that we are!"
Aiden stood, smiling whole heartedly. "I get to watch you march around with that trombone of yours while I don't have to carry anything."
"Jackass."
"You don't mean that."
Alaina laughed and turned to head back to camp.
"Alaina," Aiden said.
"Yeah?"
Aiden turned her around and they shared their first real kiss, the roar of the ocean and the sound of distant thunder making the moment as perfect as could be.