Wow, it's been a really long time since I've updated this story, huh? I was thinking about it today, the For The Love Of Music series and thinking about the lack of popularity this story has, but that's okay! I don't care if everyone hates it or loves it, I just want to write it. This story really is supposed to be about Arianna and Mr. Berringer, with Elissa and Allie thrown in, but I've strayed from that a little, I think. Oh, well... Here we are with an interesting chapter! Thanks for reading and please tell me what you think about it! The more people who review, the more I can work on the story! I love helpful critique, because it makes me a better writer in the end. Don't like the way the story is going? Tell me about it and I'll see what I can do. Like the story? Tell me why. Thanks so much!

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Chapter Fourteen: Honor Band

Arianna yawned as she got out of the car, clutching her bag and her flute case, wondering how the sun could be that bright so early in the morning. The school where the honor band was being held was huge, the biggest school Arianna had ever seen in her life.

She checked herself in, received her information sheets, and entered the auditorium, finding a chair in which to place her things. Looking around the room, Arianna felt lost- she was the only one from her entire area in the honor band. The nearest school to her own that was represented was over forty miles away, possibly further away than that. She knew no one.

Anxiously, Arianna sat down, wishing Elissa or Allie were with her. Even if Mr. Berringer was there, it would make her feel less lonely. However, her friends were not going to be able to make it, and Ari wasn't sure if Mr. Berringer was going. She knew Mr. Schmidt was coming with his wife to the performance tomorrow, making the three hour drive to the convert, but they were also going away for Valentine's Day, which was the day of the performance. The concert happened to be on their way.

Mr. Berringer was not going to come for her.

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Eventually, everyone arrived and all the students were ordered to take out their instruments and find their chairs. Arianna took out her flute with a smile, her flute the best one in the room.

A gift from an aunt after Arianna had been accepted into the honor band, her flute was a silver and gold dream. Every key was gold plated, the mouthpiece gold and engraved with the most beautiful design she had ever seen. It had an extra key on the foot joint, extending her range a half step lower, and it shone like a star. As Arianna walked onto the stage and found her chair, she was aware all the other performers were looking at her and her flute, not all of the glances friendly.

Arianna gasped when she found out she was ranked sixth. Originally, it had been seventh, but someone could not be there, and Arianna was 'promoted.' She was right behind first chair, at the edge of the stage. Smiling brightly, Arianna took her seat and flipped through her music, the smile fading as she heard other flute players warming up.

They were so much better than her.

Arianna tried to ignore this and attempted to engage the person next to her in conversation, but it was obvious after a few moments that no one wanted to talk. They either wanted to practice or sit silently, most of the musicians groggy from being up so early. It was almost seven in the morning, and most of them had only drove an hour to reach the school, unlike Arianna, who had been up at around four in the morning just to get to the school on time.

The director came and introduced herself to the band, smiling at the first chair flute, who was easily the best flute player Arianna had ever heard live. The conductor ignored the rest of the flutes, and Arianna sighed. She had never been anything but first before now.

Arianna looked over the schedule one more time before putting it away. Practice would be from eight to twelve, with a few minutes of rest every two hours. After lunch was sectional time for an hour, and then a group practice until dinner, which would be at the school, also. After dinner was group practice until ten at night.

This was going to be a long day.

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Arianna's head was pounding as she feverishly coaxed the notes from her flute, her fingers flying across the keys. Although she thought her music was taking flight, Arianna knew her notes were grounded, everyone else flying to better places, places where her music couldn't reach.

"Okay, we'll stop there and break for lunch. Get back as soon as you're done eating and grab your shirt. You paid for the shirts along with the entry fee a few weeks ago, so be sure to get your size. When you come back, you'll be in sectionals."

The director waved her hand and dismissed them, everyone jumping off the stage and putting their instruments away. Arianna put her flute carefully in it's case and buried the case in her large black bag, placing the bag under the chair. She didn't think anyone would be nasty enough to take it or break it, but Arianna didn't want to take that risk.

Arianna followed the rest of the band to the cafeteria, feeling lost. The school was so huge that Arianna supposed she could fit her school in the building more than three or four times. The fine arts section of the school was almost as large as her own school. Arianna lamented the fact there was no musical auditorium where she was from, no practice rooms; she had not even seen the band room of this school yet to compare it to her own. Here she was, in the element she loved, but where Arianna came from was the turning point. If she were ever to end up as a music teacher, would she want to teach somewhere like this?

Arianna, though all her worrying, found herself at the cafeteria and received her food, hardly noticing until she was faced with the problem of finding a place to sit.

Or, rather, someone to sit with.

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Dinner had gone much the same way, Arianna thinking so hard about other things that she hardly noticed when she had gotten her food. She had sat with a small group of students, all of them members of previous honor bands; Arianna had not mentioned that this was her first honor band. They all knew one another. Arianna did not know them and they did not know her. And Ari knew that it was going to stay that way.

She was not going to make any long term friends, not a chance of it at all.

As Arianna practiced longer and longer into the night, she felt a headache coming on; every muscle hurt, her fingers were sore, and her mouth was swollen. They had gone through all the songs more times than Arianna could imagine and she could see that the conductor herself was growing tired.

"That's a wrap for tonight," the conductor said, running a hand through her hair. "Remember, we meet back here bright and early tomorrow morning. Get some food and sleep."

With a wave of her arms, the director dismissed the honer band and Arianna led her row off the stage thankfully, nearly stumbling over her own feet in weariness. Arianna called her mother for a ride back to the hotel they were staying at and waited patiently outside, the chill winter air waking her up just enough to recognize her ride.

Arriving at the hotel several minutes alter, Ari flopped on her bed, fully dressed, almost instantly falling asleep.

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There were several hours of practice left before the actual concert, and Arianna felt out of place as she walked around the auditorium annex with two other girls. The conductor had dismissed the students to wait until everything in the auditorium was figured out and set up for the performance, giving the performers nothing to do.

Arianna tried sitting, but couldn't stay sitting for long before the need to walk around overtook her. She started to pace as the other directors arrived, their students meeting them at the door before escorting them to the directors meeting room. Arianna nearly jumped in happiness as Mr. Schmidt ans his wife arrived; at least they were going to be there for her, sitting beside her mother and sister during the performance.

Mr. Schmidt told Arianna he could find the director's room by himself and wished her luck on the performance. Arianna shook his wife's hand and was about to follow them out of the annex when a little voice in her head told her to wait. Arianna resumed her pacing, occasionally talking with the two other girls in the annex, who were waiting for their directors.

"Hey," one of them said, looking out a window and into the parking lot. "That guy is hot! I wonder who he is."

Arianna watched the other girl rush to the window and nod her head in approval. Ari didn't have time to drool over guys, not when her debut into the musical community was so soon.

"Nice hair," one of the girls commented on the man in the parking lot. "Oh, his long black jacket is so pretty!"

Arianna stopped mid step. There was only one man she knew who wore a long black jacket.

"What color hair does he have?"

"Blond," one of the girls answered happily.

"Arianna ran to the windows, hardly believing her eyes. Mr. Berringer was walking through the parking lot, his long jacket flaring out as the wind kicked up clouds of snow, his head bowed against the wind.

He had come for her on her big day.

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There we are! This is by far not by best work, but I write this story more as a documentary than a fun story. Thanks for reading and enjoy everything!