AN: For those of you that are waiting for the marching band aspect of this story to come in trust me it will soon. This whole section of the story is basically setting everything up for later chapters.

Also Fia's younger sister Rachael is age seven. I got a question about it so I just thought that I would give a reply to it. Let's see... also in regards to chapter three I did switch to third person on purpose. For that particular paragraph it seemed easier to show what was going on from a different vantage point. Well thanks for the reviews and please tell me what you think about the story. Fell free to tell me about anything I can fix.

"Hey, Fia." Jamie, the second chair cellist and my rival of five years said, "Are you ready to get kicked out of orchestra?"

"Hmmm... I don't know... are you ready to back off?" I asked her, she was the most annoying wanna-be-section-leader ever. She had definetely not made my life easier in the past few weeks. I sat down in my rightful chair ready to start class out the right way.

"Ummm excuse me but, I believe that is your seat back there." She said, in the most airheaded way. She was pointing to the last seat in our section.

"I'm sorry but, I believe that I am still section leader. I'll move when Larsson tells me to." I told her. Usually we got along with our fake smiles and false cheer but, I could tell Jamie was aboutto snap at me.

"Okay class take your seats." Larsson said walking into the room. Everyone sat down. Jamie was the last one standing as Mr Larsson took roll. She just kept on glaring at me. I had to admit it was fun making her mad but, she did kind of have a good reason to be mad at me... not that she would be able to lead a section well.

Larsson looked up from roll and saw her still standing, "Is there something wrong, Miss Finn?" He said, addressing her by last name.

"No, nothing at all." She said, finally sitting down. I didn't show any expression on my face.

"Oh I see that our Miss Lane has decided to show up for class on time today and ready to go." He said, looking at me with a knowing smile. I grinned back at him. "Let's see how well you do today then."

Jamie's face visibly turned purple in her anger. I wasn't getting kicked out today that was for sure.

I made it through the rest of orchestra ignoring Jamie the whole while. I was in an extremely good mood though because I had played better than I had in a long time.

As I was putting my cello away the last thing the last possible thing that I thought could happen happened. She slapped me. Okay I wasn't that shocked, I knew she hated me but, I didn't think she would slap me... especially not in front of the rest of our orchestra class.

Everyones heads turned to us waiting to see what my reaction would be. Now if this had been two days ago I probably would have slapped her back but, instead I just stood there and touched the spot on my face where she slapped me, not letting a bit of emotion show through. It was almost something Larsson would do when a student came complaining to him.

She started yelling at me, "You don't deserve first chair!"

Anyone that hadn't been watching came to watch our one sided battle after they heard that.

"I bet you got your spot just because you're Mr Larsson's whore." She spat, letting all sorts of spite show through. It kind of amused me that she was going to such lengths just to discredit me.

I watched the look on Jamie's face turn from hatred to fear when she felt Mr Larsson's hand grab her shoulder. He had snuck up on her as she was talking.

"Anything else you would like to say?" He asked her. She shook her head. Negative. "I'll let you slip with just an office referral this time."

Score for me. I kept my image and was gaining my standing as a section leader again.

I looked around the room where everyone was wandering back to their own thing again. It wasn't really that surprising that Jamie would have done something like that, everyone knew she hated me.

I caught Alice's eye but, she turned around and walked away from me. I followed her into the locker room. I saw her struggling with all of her books and I took them from her. She didn't say anything to me, just pretended like I wasn't there.

"Are you ignoring me?" I asked her. She met my eyes and paused for a second to think.

She gave me a smile, "You know I can't ignore you for long."

"Friends?"

"Best friends." She jumped over and hugged me. It was the first time we had talked to each other in two weeks. She let go and asked me the question I knew everyone was dying to know, "So what was up with you?"

"I just went through a whole phase where I didn't know what the point of playing music was." I told her part of the truth. Even she didn't need to know the whole thing.

"A whole bunch of us were worried. You weren't exactly acting like yourself." She told me.

"To tell you the truth I don't think I knew myself." I told her.

"I'm just glad to have you back." She said, giving me another hug.

The next day I met up with Alice at lunch at our usual spot.

"I swear, there is no way I am going to pass english this year with the amount of essays Mr Johnson is handing out." I said, dropping my lunch on the table. I sat down with a huge sigh.

"I remember Mr Johnson." Alice said, "...He hated me."

"That's because you skipped class every other day." I pointed out.

"No, he just hated me to hate me." She said. I honestly doubted that but, drama and her went hand in hand so whatever.

"Hey is there anyone sitting here." I looked up to see Ben. I motioned for him to sit down and he slid in next to me. A little bit too close for my liking.

"Hey Ben." Alice said.

"Hi." He looked over his shoulder, "Fia, did you notice that guy over there keeps on looking at you?"

I turned around to where he was looking. I got a fleeting glimpse of blue eyes flashing straight at mine before they looked away, realizing I was looking straight at him. It was the soloist I had seen a few days before.

"That's weird." I said, playing stupid. Of course he would be looking at me. Why wouldn't he?

"Do you know him?" Ben asked me.

"No." I said, I was telling the truth. I didn't technically know him.

"I know him. That's Kevin Williams. He used to be in my pre-calculus class until he switched out. Something about band conflicting with his schedule." Alice told us, "He's in your year and probably the biggest band nerd in this whole school."

"Pre-calculus in his sophomore year?" I said, sounding completely stunned. I was kind of trying to use it as a change of subject though.

"I wonder what he wants with you?" Alice asked.

"If you want I can go over there to tell him to stop looking at you." Ben offered. Yeah, as if that would work. The last thing we needed was a fight with the band to break out.

"No it's okay. I don't really care." I tried saying with as much finality as I could, hoping that it would change the subject.

It worked, Alice started talking about the homecoming dance. I took one more look at the boy, Kevin. His eyes were still on me shamelessly. I looked straight back at him, trying to figure out how this game was played. What was it in those eyes that I saw? It didn't look like hate or acceptance. It looked almost like he was observing me in... amusement? I don't know what it was but, it was weird.

Our eye contact was broken when one of his friends who held a pair of drumsticks in his hand poked him in the shoulder. He was a bit shorter then Kevin probably with curly brown hair and green eyes. He said something to Kevin and then he got up. He looked back one more time at me and then left with his friend. I waited a few seconds more before I tuned back into Alice's conversation.

"... green dress, with a gold sash. My mom said she didn't like the cut-off around my shoulders though..." I tuned back out, pretending to be listening. I didn't really care about this kind of thing.

Thankfully the bell rang quickly. I really did not feel like listening to Alice's dance preparations. I didn't have a date and would definetely not be going. I could probably still take up Ben's offer to take me but, to tell you the truth I didn't want to go with him. I just didn't want to go at all.

When school was over Larsson asked me to stay after for a few moments. As of lately it seemed like I was spending more time talking to him than anyone else.

"Yes?" I asked him coming up to his podium. He waited until the last few people were outside before continuing.

"So yesterday I was at a music shop and I came across the perfect French Horn for a beginner." He told me.

"So?" I said, giving him a confused look.

"So..." He said, continuing, "I bought it. I think that it would be perfect for you to start on."

I laughed a bit, "You've got to be joking me."

"Nope." He said. There was no way. This had to be a joke. Another problem hit me though.

"I can't." I told him, a bit embarassed by my situation.

"Why not?" He asked, frowning a bit.

"I don't have the money." I told him, my voice barely above a whisper. He caught what I said somehow though.

"Oh don't worry about money. You can borrow it from the school." I gave him a skeptic look.

I paused for a moment, his offer was almost too tempting. How did he know my weakness? Before continuing I tried to hide my excitement, "I'll think about it."

That put a smile on his face. "Okay you think about it. Maybe talk about it with your mom."

"Okay I'll see you tomorrow." I slung my bag across my shoulder and made my way to the bus stop by the parking lot. I had decided to ride the local bus home simply because it was my easiest form of transportation today. I dropped a few bus tolkens into the slot in the front next to the drivers seat and made my way to down the aisle. There was no seat so I stood in the aisle way and held on to one of the poles as the bus pulled away from the curb onto the street. I put my iPod on high and listened to Bach's Prelude Suite No. 3 for cello.

We were on our second stop when a lady with a baby basket swinging off her left arm and a little girl holding her hand came by me. I reached back to grab my cello so I could make room for them to pass. My hands met air. I turned around to see nothing there at all. My heart flipped in about fifty circles before I realised I had left it at school in the music room.

"Excuse me." The lady said. I made room for her and then dashed for the door to the bus so I could head back to the school. I jumped off right as the bus driver closed the door.

"Hey!" I heard him yell.

"Sorry!" I said, waving back at him. He just shook his head before pulling away from the curb.

It was five minutes before the next bus came heading in the direction of school. They were the longest five minutes of my life. I knew that my cello would be fine but, I still had not gotten over the shock of when I discovered my cello was not with me.

As soon as the bus pulled up at the stop by my school I jumped off and ran back to the music room. I opened the heavy sound proof doors and walked into retrieve my cello.

"I'm so sorry Lynn. I didn't mean to leave you behind." I said, apologising to my cello, using the name I gave it. I know weird that I named it but, so what.

I picked it up ready to leave and noticed that I left all of my music under the wheels when I had gone to talk to Larsson. I balanced everything in my hands as I went to open the ridiculously heavy doors. I slipped somewhat and tripped over the back part of my cello. My music went flying from its folder in a huge cloud of paper. I closed my eyes bracing myself for the fall.

It never happened. Someone caught me by the wrist and spun me around in their arms supporting me against themself. I slowly opened my eyes and saw I was in no other than Kevin Williams arms. I was speechless. He carefully helped me find my footing on the ground and I stood up straight brushing myself off, trying to hide my embarassment.

"Thank you." I muttered.

"No problem. You okay?" He asked me with the smallest sign of a laugh on his lips.

"Fine." My face went totally red. Every thought about me consorting with the enemy totally and completely flew out the window. He was hotter than I thought he was. I bent over to pick up all of my scattered music. He just stayed where he stood watching me try to cover my obvious embarassment.

"Is everything alright? I heard a noise." Mr Larsson said, from his office. He walked to his door. "Ahh, are you back so soon?"

He was looking right at me so I took it that he meant myself. "Yeah, I just forgot my cello after you told me... well, yeah."

There was an awkward silence that was thankfully broken by Larsson. "Okay right time for introductions. I wasn't planning on doing this today but, seeing as we're all here why not?"

Kevin and I looked at each other in confusion. "Kevin, Fia, Fia, Kevin." He said, taking my hand and handing it to Kevin to shake. "Fia here, has expressed an interest in playing the French Horn."

"Oh really?" Kevin asked, releasing my hands and crossing his arms, giving me a once over.

"Kevin is the best French Horn player we have at the school, Fia." I nodded my head in acknowledgment. "That's what you both have in common I guess. Both brilliant talents."

Okay, now what was he getting at?

"Kevin is going to help you learn how to play French Horn." He said.

"What?!" He said, a bit shocked. "It's marching season. I won't have the time to teach her. Besides she's in the orchestra."

"Nonsense. You'll have plenty of time. Practice only starts after six anyway." Larsson told him. It was my turn to break into the conversation.

"Mr Larsson, I really don't want to be a burden." I said, my voice was almost a whisper again and I know that the two men watched as my face turned red again. It seemed to be doing that a lot lately, "Besides... I already told you I don't have the money."

I felt Kevin look at me with those hawk eyes of his regarding me with the same look he had tossed at me earlier. He was studying me very carefully and I knew it. I hated the fact that I had to say that in front of them.

"Umm well..." Mr Larsson's voice was cut off by Kevin's.

"Free of charge." He said, simply.

"What?" I asked him.

"You heard me. Free of charge." He said again, "Come tomorrow after school with your horn ready to work hard. I won't make it easy on you so prove to me that you want to do this... Prove to me that not all of you orchestra people are a bunch of airheaded snobs."

I was speechless. "Excuse me... we're not all like that. You just wait and see. I'll show you that not all of us are." I shut up after he raised an eyebrow at me.

"Prove it." He said. I realised that Kevin would be doing a lot for me. I shouldn't be fighting him when he was taking the time to teach me. But still I would show him what I was made of. He had just challenged me anyway.

Mr Larsson smiled at the way we were getting along and held onto my shoulders, wheeling me into his office and away from the mess that I had made on the floor with all my music.

"I knew you would say yes, so I kept it out for you." He reached behind his desk and pulled out a huge black case. He set it between us and clapped his hands together, "Open it up."

I did. It was a beautiful goldish colour with the metal spinning around in many different circles. My face reflected at me in the bell. It was like looking into one of those fun house mirrors at the carnival. I reached in to pick it up looking for permission from Larsson. He nodded his head. I turned it over in my hands and saw every little fingerprint I had left behind. I must have looked like a child on Christmas morning, I was smiling so widely. I honestly didn't know that I wanted to play it this much.

"If you find the serial number for me I'll write it down and then it is yours to take home." He told me. He was definetely amused by my excitement.

I flipped it over looking for numbers on it but, I didn't see any. He was searching in the cabinets behind his desk for the rental lists that he had put away only a few weeks ago. Seeing me still looking for the numbers he called Kevin in.

"Yes?" His head poked through the door.

"Help her find the serial number on there." Kevin took it from my hands and immediately found it. I felt like such an idiot, the number was in such plain sight.

"Got it. You ready?" He asked, Larsson. He flipped through his notebook and then nodded his head. Kevin tilted his head so he could see the numbers better, the hair at the back of his neck kind of ruffled out a bit. "Okay it's PR486720."

He looked the horn over and then handed it back to me. For lack of anything better to say I said, "Cool, thanks."

"Anything else." Kevin asked, Larsson shook his head, no. "Okay then, I'm going to go practice." He opened the door, "I'll see you tomorrow directly after school. Don't be late." He said, pointing straight at me, walking out the door backwards. As if I would be late. My last class of the day was orchestra.

"It's yours to take home now." Larsson said, snapping the case shut and handing it to me. He turned away from me for a second and reached into another filing cabinet and pulled out a stack of new music books. He set them in my arms. Just to let you know balancing all of this was not exactly the easiest thing and the case was not all that light either. I wobbled out into the foyer with Larsson following me. I set everything down and picked up all of the music that I still had yet to pick up. I stacked it with the french horn music and put it into my bag.

"Hey Larsson, don't tell anyone about this, okay?" I asked him.

"Sure thing, just work hard okay?"

"Deal." I picked up my cello and my newest addition to my instrument family. I looked at him and let out a breath of air and smiled. "Thanks."

"No prob. See you tomorrow." He said, getting the door for me. As soon as I was outside I dialled Eric's number figuring he had to be out of work by now.

He picked up the phone after three rings.

"Hey Fia."

"Hey, do you mind picking me up at school?" I asked him, hoping that he didn't. I didn't really think that the bus driver would let me on with all of this stuff.

"Sure, I'll be right down."

AN: Wow I just looked at the word count and realized that this is my longest chapter yet...So what did you think about this chapter? I was really happy while I wrote this one. It reminded me of the time I touched a brass instrument for the first time. I guess you could say that I was basically writing the part where she sees the French Horn based on my own memories.

Finally she has gotten a hold of her French Horn! And she had talked to Kevin face to face for the first time! Things are starting to come together. Well please leave a review if you want telling me what you think