I slumped further in my seat. We were on our way to an away game. And I wasn't even on the bus number I wanted to be on. Plus Larry and Natalie were like, three seats in front of me. Who wants to watch Larry and Natalie? No one I know. They are a couple, unfortunately, and they just... well, they aren't very attractive people, you know? The BOTH of them are, so it's kind of like a double-whammy.

Good thing they couldn't get away with more than arms-around-each-other and hand-holding. It's a rule that all couples must sit in the first five seats of the bus, on account of a couple having sex in the back of the bus going to an away game three hours away last year. I'm not even kidding. It was totally gross, too. I sat pretty close to the "action." I don't even know how they got away with it for so long, either. I mean, they weren't exactly trying to suppress their moans or anything. But they DID have a garment bag over them, at least. I shudder even to think who has that garment bag this year. HOPEFULLY not me, but you can never be sure...

Our band director FREAKED out, though. He made them sit out from the performance AND they weren't allowed to be in marching band anymore. Which was just as well because they were both seniors. He called their parents and everything. THEN we all got this HUGE lecture about what's appropriate and what isn't. I was so annoyed. Three hours of lectures going home, and I was on the bus with the band director, which was even worse, and the "violators" were on there, too, sitting VERY far away from each other, but at least looking ashamed.

What I thought was a hoot was how they all tried to keep the whole thing under-wraps. But you can NEVER keep ANYTHING a secret, especially when the WHOLE band knew about it. The rumors lost wind by the time school let out last year, though. But now the couples are carefully watched, and if so much as a kiss on the cheek happens, things get hectic.

But I haven't found this rule annoying, since I'm not part of a couple, much to my chagrin.

Yup. I'm a fourteen-year-old flute playing girl in the marching band who's never been kissed. Pathetic, isn't it? Especially since my twin sister has had AT LEAST three or four boyfriends(that she kisses) since marching band season of last year. I mean, I've got more in the breast department than her, and she STILL has more experience than me.

Maybe it's because she's twenty-seven seconds older than me. But I doubt it. And I doubt it's because she plays the clarinet, either. The flute girls are usually more desirable than the clarinet girls, I have noticed, but obviously I must be an irregularity. Not surprising, because when I was born, they didn't even know it was twins... they hadn't seen my head in the sonogram, so they just thought Piper was the only one. But no. I was the other half.

Anyways, this was so not the time to be wallowing my own self-pity. I mean, Airi was having boy troubles, and Cammie SO cannot give her the tips she REALLY needs to ditch that loser. I turned my head around, whipping my hair into Kenny(my seat buddy, he's a bit of a dork... actually, a big dork)'s face, facing Airi.

"But now he just won't leave me alone!" Airi was saying.

"Hon, I get that problem ALL the time! You just gotta tell 'em straight out that you're not interested in that sort of relationship. It's even worse to just ignore them, believe me," I said.

Airi looked at me. "I guess you're right, but I don't wanna hurt him, you know?"

"Well, if you're still unsure, let's get a guy's opinion, shall we?"

I turned to face Kenny. "Would you rather have a girl ignore than tell you straight out she doesn't like you like that?"

Kenny was taken aback for a moment. He doesn't really talk to girls all that much, and they don't talk to him much, either.

I was about to ask the same question again(I'm not a very patient person), but he answered before I could.

"I would rather her tell me straight out."

I turned back to Cammie and Airi, wearing a smug smile.

"Oh shut-up, Ellie!"

I put a hand to my chest. "I never even said anything!"

Airi rolled her eyes. I turned to face the front again, then looked down at my lap. My flute case, lyer, and manga were bothering me. I turned to a Junior flute sitting across from me. She had an empty seat next to her. I asked her if she could put my flute case there. She shook her head stubbornly, and I sighed.

"I'll hold your things for you, Ellie," said Kenny.

I turned to face him. "Really?"

"Of course," he said, holding out his hands.

I put the flute case, lyer and manga in his hands. He slid them onto his own lap. He was looking at the manga. "You can read it if you want."

He nodded to me. I looked up for a moment and saw Larry sucking on Natalie's neck. I made a disgusted face and turned back to Cammie and Airi, not sitting correctly like the rules said the rest of the way.

.:At The Game:.

When we got there, it was a mad rush like always to locate and don our uniforms. During which time I always try to find various Freshmen football trainees that I know. I talked it up with them for a while until Mr. Talbot whistled for us to get to the stands. I ran to my garment bag, unzipped it, and donned my uniform in a mad rush. Kioshi, a Freshman trumpet was still there when I was getting the uniform on. He came over and zipped up my coat since it zipped up from the back.

I turned to face him. "Thanks."

He smiled at me, showing a row of beautiful white teeth. He was one of the best trumpets in the band, despite being a Freshman. But he was totally clueless about it. Just like he was clueless about how hot he was. Or maybe he wasn't that cute... I dunno. I've always had the oddest taste in guys. I guess he's just gorgeous to me because I've had a crush on him since the middle of last year, when I moved to this town.

He just struck me as the PERFECT boyfriend. Maybe it was because he was the first boy who ever held the door open for me, and I had only JUST arrived at the school. Or maybe it was because of how good a trumpet he is.

It really doesn't matter that much now, though. All that really matters is that I really like him and that's an important fact. To me, anyways.

"What were you doing for the past half hour?" he inquired.

"Talking to some football players." Okay. I know how to handle guys. THAT is what I'm REALLY good at. Every boy I come across I basically flirt with. Which can cause problems because sometimes they take it the wrong way and then I end up breaking some hearts. But SO not my fault.

Okay, it is. But don't burst my bubble! It's not ME they're in love with, but the fact that I paid attention to them, really.

He bent down and picked up my flute from the ground. "Well, Miss Popularity, I hope I'm worthy enough to be in your presence."

I rolled my eyes, accepting the flute. "Please, Kioshi, you're making me blush."

He gave me one of those little half-smiles. "Good. It's about time I see you blush. Seeing as you make everyone else do it."

I made a little gasping sound. He just laughed. "Promise me a spot next to you on the bus on the way back, okay? Seeing you there with Kenny made me a little more jealous than I would like."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

The flute section leader, Amy, leaned over the stands and looked down at us. "Stop flirting, Ellie! The team's due to come out in half-a-minute!"

Kioshi and I navigated through the throng of High Schoolers who had come to see the game. There was no where NEAR enough room in the stands for all the students, and so many of them were hanging around the fence barring them from the field.

We succeeded getting into the stands just in time to play a chorus of Hail to the Cavaliers when the football team came running out.

Of course there were the boos from the stands on the other side of the football field, but it was easily drowned out by our cheers. We all danced about in the stands while we played our songs.

We did our half-time fairly well. Except on the third song, the lead trumpet messed up BAD on her solo, but Kioshi chimed in just in time to save it.

Every single song our band played, the other band played it, as if it were an echo. It was SUCH an open invitation to battle. But of course, Mr. Talbot wouldn't let us. Maybe he was above such things, or maybe he was afraid we'd lose. I dunno what it is, but we never battled back. Even though our band was SO much better than theirs. It wasn't an opinion, it was a fact.

The Cavaliers won, 35-32. It was only by three points, but we still won. We hung around the field for about half-an-hour before leaving, but mainly because we had to get all of the equipment into the storage truck. Along with the percussion equipment and various large instrument cases, we also had a drumset, an electric guitar, and two bass guitars. Yeah, our band also had a rock band. I think that kinda makes up for the whole not being able to battle back thing, but only by a little bit.

Like I promised, I saved the seat for Kioshi, who immediately took the things in my lap and put it in his own. We were all sweaty, just having gotten out of our band uniforms, and I was definitely NOT at my best. But at least I didn't smell. Thank God.

And neither did he, I was pleased to notice. He smelled like soap, and that is a pleasant smell coming off him, let me tell you.

We were far in the back of the bus. Mr. Talbot was a little suspicious about that at first, but he passed it off since:

a) Kioshi kinda saved the show

and

b) everyone else insisted that we weren't a couple.

I looked up to see Airi and Cammie wiggling their eyebrows at me a couple seats up. I tried not to look past them so I would see Larry and Natalie, but unfortunately, I did, and I ended up squirming in my seat.

Kioshi laughed. "Took a glimpse of Larry and Natalie, eh?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Hard to take the image of them out of you head, eh?"

I nodded again. All the windows were open, and even though I was SO hot about half-an-hour ago in my uniform, I was positively freezing now. The night air was freezing on my bare skin, and I couldn't shake the shivers I had.

Kioshi noticed my trembling. "Are you cold?"

I nodded. He closed the window next to him.

It was no where near enough. Air was coming all around and I was still shivering. I knew this was making Kioshi uneasy, so I was trying to suppress it.

He put and arm around my neck and pulled me closer to him, his warm body instantly warming me. I looked up at him.

"Don't say anything, Elle. I hate to you see you uncomfortable is all."

I suddenly felt tired. Like fall-asleep-right-at-this-moment tired. My eyelids could NOT stay up.

I smiled at him. "Thanks," I said in a soft voice.

"Tired?"

How could he sense these things?

I nodded my head drearily.

He took his right hand(his left was attached to the arm around my neck) and gently pushed my head into his shoulder. "Sleep. We've got at least an hour-and-a-half before we get back."

I closed my eyes without an argument and fell asleep easily.

(THERE'S SUPPOSED TO A LINE THINGY TO SIGNIFY TIME PASSING BY BUT IT'S NOT WORKING! GRR)

"Elle, Elle, wake up."

I heard Kioshi's voice urging me, he was shaking me lightly. We were pulling into the student parking lot of the school, coming close to the entrance to the band room.

I made a small sound, and took my head off his shoulder.

I looked at Kioshi's watch(since it was pretty close to my head) and saw the time. One in the morning. The bus came to a complete stop, and when I got off, I looked around. My father was there, in his hot little dark green Mustang convertible he had bought over the summer. I still had to put my uniform on the rack and take my garment bag off, so I went over to the car and told him to wait.

Piper was coming off another bus and was heading inside the band room, with about three of her many followers around her. She was an even worse flirt than I was.

I located my uniform and took it out of it's garment bag, heading into the band room with it.

I put it in the rack in one of the armoires, trying not to smell inside it. We need some Febreze in the uniform room, that's for sure.

I went to my band locker and put my garment bag in it, then went to the chair I sit in during band practice and loaded all of my remaining crap into my backpack. My marching shoes were giving my feet blisters, but I didn't feel like changing out of them.

Kioshi came up behind me while I was putting my stuff in my backpack.

"Hey Sleeping Beauty, wanna do something tomorrow?"

My heart almost stopped. Was he asking...?

"I mean, me, you, Piper, and some other guys are going to play laser tag tomorrow and I thought maybe you'd come, you know, if you aren't busy or anything."

"Well, I have babysitting tomorrow, from seven til two."

"Come if you can. You'll be paid for if you do!"

I nodded. He stepped closer to me and whispered: "Piper doesn't have to come if she doesn't have to... to be frank, I'd rather you be there than her."

I was kind of shocked. Guys usually don't prefer me over my twin sister. "Well that's good," I replied, "Because she has lacrosse practice."

"Don't forget!" he said, heading out.

Airi and Cammie came up behind me and starting freaking out over the whole me-and-Kioshi ordeal on the bus. I let them freak out for a little while.

"Guys, I have to go, I have babysitting and I want at least three hours of sleep!"

I put my backpack over my shoulder, grabbed my flute case and jumped into the convertible. Piper climbed into the front seat, and we were off in the cold night air with the top down. I shivered the whole way home; Kioshi wasn't there to keep me warm.

(SAME THING AGAIN WITH THE LINE THINGY)

Okay guys, you know what to do. I have NO IDEA what's going to happen with this story, but I hope you'll bear with me and my whacky ideas.