AN: Back to the marching world. I would greatly appreciate it if you guys would review, it helps me know I'm not posting this on here for nothing. Thanks! Hope you enjoy!

The Fourth Game

The next week, Phoenix seemed to be making a miraculous recovery from her wound. Even the black bruises that perpetually covered her arms started to fade away. Although Phoenix blamed the bruises on her clumsy-ness, Ally now knew better. When Ally observed the dulling bruises, she knew Phoenix's life at home was improving.

The Friday was an away football game, but that only meant a fun-filled bus ride was in store for the band. Phoenix and Ally took their usual seats at the back of the bus among the other battery members.

"Ally," Phoenix said with a grin on her face, "guess what? I have the best news."

"What is it?" Ally asked. She didn't like being kept in suspense.

"My mom and Earl are getting a divorce!"

"Phoenix, that's great!" Ally exclaimed, giving her friend a quick hug. "I take it that's why the bruises are going away?" she added in an undertone.

Phoenix gave a quick nod.

Brad, who was sitting with Kerri in the row behind them, asked, "Hey Phoenix, when do you think you'll be able to march again? It's lonely being the only tenor out there."

"Probably by next week's game," Phoenix told her fellow tenor drummer. "I miss being on the field with you guys."

"We miss you too," Kerri said.

Brad blew a kiss to Phoenix. "I anxiously await your return, sweetheart," he said in an overly romantic voice.

"It's good to know I'm loved," Phoenix commented with a smile.

When the band arrived at the school, the loading crew and percussionists got off the buses first to unload the truck with all the instruments on it. As soon as all the battery members had their drums out, they neatly lined up the cases and headed for a corner of the parking lot to warm up.

"Arc it up!" Dan called. The battery formed their warm-up arc around him and took out their sticks. "Cadence Number Eight," Dan instructed them as he tapped everyone off. The drummers smiled at the new name for Eight on a Hand.

After ten minutes of warming up, the battery re-joined the rest of the band, which was now warming up on the other side of the parking lot. Mr. Swotcher instructed the drummers to start playing on the next repetition. When Samantha and Jordan, the drum majors, cut the band off Dan called to the rest of the battery, "Get ready guys, we're in on this rep!"

"Top of the closer!" Samantha yelled. "Set!"

The band played the last movement of their show, and then filed into their long two column lines to march into the stadium. The drumline played the Street Beat cadence as they entered the stands. However, unfortunately for the battery, the visitors' side bleachers at this school were smaller than normal, so they were forced to stand on the track. Even without the drumline in the stands, the band took up more than half of the visitors' side.

The game and the half time show were both successful. Phoenix got a completely different view of the show from the stands rather than the field. When the band came back after half time, Phoenix commented to Brad, "I can honestly say that the show sounded really good from here."

Brad smiled. "You rock, Phoenix," he said.

The band returned to school after the game and everyone quickly put away their instruments. They were all eager to vacate the band room before Mr. Swotcher recruited them to clean it.

Ally and Phoenix lingered in the drum room to talk after everyone else had put away their drums and left. "So, what exactly happened with Earl?" Ally asked.

"My mom kicked him out of the house the day she found out what he had doing. They're going to be formally divorced in October," Phoenix explained.

"That's good. I'm so glad you're getting better now," Ally said.

"Yeah, so am I," Phoenix replied.

The girls made plans to go to the mall the next day, then said their goodbyes and left the band room.

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