My friend started the first two paragraphs of this chapter, so I'm going to give credit where credit is due! Here we go...
Chapter Fifteen: The Last True Parade
Elissa didn't know whether Arianna would show up or not; she certainly would have blamed her if she didn't. Elissa even had to drag herself to her car that morning. However, having to see Mr. Marah was a small price to pay for keeping her color guard coach on her good side. So she managed to board the bus, and sure enough ,Arianna was nowhere to be found. She took her usual seat with a sigh and glared out the window at Mr. Marah as he helped load the band trailer.
"Where's Ari?" asked Wade as he and Jon took their usual seat behind her. Elissa shrugged but said nothing. It seemed as though no one else was in the mood for talking either.
It was the last parade before the hometown parade. They were going to be the only marching band there: if they had enough people there to be a marching band, that was. Total, thirty people loaded the bus. The second bus, empty, was put back in the bus shed, and it was a wast of gas to pull the trailer; there were hardly any instruments there.
The bus ride was fairly normal, except there were so few people there that the noise level was horrifically soft. Everyone wanted to forget. NO one wanted to recall the fact that Marah was leaving. Silently, everyone got off the bus after dressing, clutching their instruments and flag, standing quietly in the circle Marah ordered them to make.
"You are the dedicated ones," spoke Marah. "You are the ones who are deserving and worthy. Those who are not here are the ones who will never be valued members of this band or any other band. They don't care. They are not here to support you are me or anyone else. They gave up and that's that."
His words faded into the growing sound of sirens, signaling the parade was starting. Marah waved his hands, signaling the band to move out. They did, as silently and quickly as possible. There was no noise beside the rustling of fabric and the tap of shoes as Elissa joined the color guard. Inside, she knew Marah was right in a way. She was there because she was dedicated; she loved color guard. Nothing would ever change that. For Arianna, though, things had changed. The only parade she had missed before now was for her own grandmother's funeral. But, it was Arianna's birthday today. Maybe her parents had taken her out? Maybe she was celebrating? Or maybe she just didn't want the band to be a part of her day. She didn't want Marah to ruin her birthday.
Sighing, Elissa stepped off as the whistle faded like Marah's voice into the warm morning air.
"So, what was your excuse?"
"Is this Elissa?"
"What were you doing that you were not there?"
"Where?"
"The parade, Arianna! There was a-"
I know, i know... I couldn't go. I just couldn't spend my birthday doing something that I didn't like. I couldn't spend my birthday knowing that Marah would be there."
"Ari, this isn't healthy!"
'I know! I never said it was! I just hate this..."
Elissa could hear breathing on the other end of the line for several seconds before Arianna continued talking.
"I just, " Arianna said, "I just couldn't be there. I didn't want to be there. I wanted nothing to do with the band. I wanted to forget the band even existed."
"That's not very nice.'
"I know! It's awful! But, thank Marah for doing that."
There was a long moment of silence and, disgusted, Elissa was about to hang up before she remembered.
"Ari?"
"I'm still here."
"We met the new director today."
"And?"
"I don't know his name. He seems like he is another Marah. Just the way he stands and stuff. He's going-"
"-to be the next to leave." Arianna was brisk with her words. "I don't want to meet him. I don't even want to hear about him. I want to forget that any of this even exists, okay?"
Elissa was glowering, but Arianna kept going.
"I will see you later, okay?"
"Are you going to be at the final parade?"
"I don't know, 'Lissa. I just don't know. If I go back now, before Marah leaves, he's gonna kill me for sure."
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
"Thanks for calling me, though, Elissa."
"How was your birthday?" asked Elissa, remembering to ask before hanging up.
"Anything Marah-free can't be that bad..."
There we are! Please review! I love reviews! Thanks!
