Chapter Six Friday at last
The week seemed to fly by, it was now Friday. The day before we left and the night of the bonfire. The bonfire is the night activity, its where the seniors step up and say just how much they love band and how much they are going to miss it. In years past, people have even started to tell stories. It was also senior night, a night of prank pulling and staying up all night long.
The show was really coming together, the opener was great, still had a little spot the we tripped up on, but it was coming along great. We were ready for tomorrow, the performance. It was now afternoon rehearsal, and we were going to work on parade block and pre-game.
"Alright, go up by the lodge and line up. Let's do it again." Blackmer boomed.
We all hiked up the big sloping hill and got in our lines by the lodge.
Tweeeeeeeeeet, sounded a whistle.
"BAND ATTEN HUT!" yelled Derek.
"HUN!" shouted the band.
Four claps were heard then, "DRESS CENTER DRESS!"
Tap, Tap. Came from Kenny.
After adjusting the line slightly, Derek gave the order: "BAND READY FRONT!"
Tap, Tap. Again from Kenny.
We stood in silence for a moment then: "MARK TIME MARK!"
"LIFT" said the band simultaneously.
We silently counted to four, and were off. The drum cadence started and our game faces were plastered on. The hardest part was marching down the gravel path of the hill. Rocks slid from underneath your feet, causing some to fall and get out of step. Once down the hill the cadence was really in full blast. Once it was over it was time for the fight song. Kenny started with the roll off, and we were off. Marching and playing in time, like any great marching band should. There was something about that field that made you want to march and play your best. It was a foreign field to some, but to others it was just like home.
Finally the ending of the cadence came when we approached Blackmer.
"STEP AND CLOSE!" The band shouted.
"Stay in attention. Do NOT move." said the very intimidating voice of John, the junior drum major.
Some freshmen in front of me kept on giggling and shuffling around, but when Derek walked by they piped up.
"Relax." said Blackmer. "Nice run through for parade block. Now set up off the field for pre-game. And after a run thorough or two, I'll let you guys go early for free time then sectionals."
We all ran to our spots off the field and waited for the drumline and colorguard to proceed onto the field. Once in position Kenny started the cadence, we all ran while screaming and dipping, it was very intimidating. You would be scared too if 115 students came running towards you.
After running through pre-game a couple times, Blackmer let us go early to sectionals. There we took it easy and goofed around a bit.
"Hey guys, before we have too much fun, we do need to get some work done." I said.
"Pfft whatever." said Rachel.
"No I'm serious, there is one spot in the opener we haven't nailed yet."
"Layla, seriously, I'm tired and my lips are dead. I don't wanna play and I don't think anyone else wants to too." she said giving me a dirty evil grin.
"I don't care if you're lips are dead, mine are too. Now lets work on this part for a bit then have fun. If you guys don't want to, then you'll be running laps around the field until I say stop."
That got them to shut up. The mello's were a dedicated section, but also liked to goof off, a lot.
We worked on the hard rhythm for a half hour, and then took the rest to play on the play ground (which was where we held our sectionals). Next to us were the drumline and they were working on the drum break, which was pretty awesome. So naturally when they played the fun part, we all got up and danced and looked like idiots.
"Alright guys, go put you're mello's away, and go line up for dinner." I said.
Annie walked with me back to my cabin so I could put my mello away.
"Gosh she is sooo annoying. I'll be happy when she's gone." Said Annie.
"Who?" I asked. "Rachel?"
"Duh! She totally hates you and David because you guys are section leaders and not her, its her right to be one because she's a senior, blah blah blah."
"HAHA wow Annie, you do a great impression of her."
We laughed at how stupid we really were. I left Annie in front of the lodge, while I went in the other door to go find Dani and Jenny. They saved a spot for me at our table. Tonight's main course is hamburgers with what looks like french fries and a bowl of jell-o. Yum.
"Lay, over here." Dani shouted.
"Yeah coming." I said back.
"Hey Layla?" someone called my name.
"Huh?" I turned around to find Mike standing behind me. "Oh hey Mike."
"Hey, so tonight's the bonfire. You sad?"
"Very. I can't mention you like I wanted to do, because I'd feel bad if I forgot someone." I said shyly.
"I know, I realized that after I had asked you. But before you talk I'm going to tell you where I'm sitting, so um, maybe you can look my way or something."
Earlier on in the week, I had told Mike that I would mention him in my speech at the bonfire. But I later realized that it would be bad on my part if I mentioned him and forgot Melissa or Annie or Carrie.
"Definitely. I will be looking at you the whole time, no one else." I said a little flirtatiously.
"Sweet. Thanks." With that he turned around and went to go sit with the rest of his sophomore friends.
"What was that about?" Jenny asked raising one eyebrow.
"Uhh nothing." I said shoving the burger in my mouth.
My table, which was now pretty much the senior table, had grown very quiet. We all knew that the bonfire symbolized the end of band camp, the ending of our senior year in band. Some of us had planned our speech since we were freshmen, others were just extremely sad for it all to end.
"Alright guys." Blackmer said standing up from his table next to mine. "Hey cheer up guys." He said looking over at us. "Well tonight is the last night of band camp. So that means, bonfire. After dinner, the freshmen boys cabin will be cleaning up. While they are cleaning seniors need to go to their cabins and pack their belongings and bring them to the lodge. After that more information will be dispatched to the rest of you. Dismissed."
We had to bring all of our stuff into the lodge because that was where we were going to be "sleeping" that night. The lodge will turn into senior prank headquarters for the evening.
Jenny and Dani were getting ready to leave when I ran up and joined them.
"I can't believe band camp is pretty much over." I said solemnly.
"I know, I've been looking forward to this night since I was a freshmen." stated Dani.
"Well come on, lets get packed up." Jenny said cheerfully.
We walked into the cabin which looked so grim to me, and started to pack up our belongings. I had already lost a pair of sunglasses, I knew I would never seem them again. I was one of the first packed, but waited for Jenny to finish up. She always over packed for band camp, so she had a harder time re-packing. But with my help we got her all packed up and ready to go back up to the lodge.
On the way up we passed many sad juniors and walked along side our good friends. Once inside we all found our spot to "sleep". I found a spot close the the edge by the back of the room, Jenny and Peter got a good spot by the unlit fireplace. We had the best spots, so I saved a spot next to me for Dani.
5 minutes later, the rest of the senior class strolled in. After much debate we decided how we were going to scare the freshmen, and told Jenny, the colorguard captain, to go bring them in.
All twenty some seniors sat in the basement in silence as we waited for Jenny to bring down the freshmen. Our plan was to hid behind chairs and curtains and scare the freshmen when they came downstairs.
"Do NOT talk!" Yelled Jenny.
We all were anticipating scaring them, when we were freshmen they did the same thing to us. It was tradition, and we as the Marching Bulldogs, hold traditions very high.
"Why are we down here? Its kinda creepy." said one daring freshmen.
That was the cue, when someone talked, Derek in his loud drum major voice, would yell and we all would follow.
"Who DARES speak at attention." he screamed.
This caused a few freshmen to scream.
We all leapt out of our spots and advanced towards the scared frighten freshmen. All at once we stared yelling at them, telling them to stand up straighter, chin up, no smiling, things like that.
"Alright seniors, grab a freshmen." Derek said.
I grabbed the nearest freshmen next to me, Damien, a baritone player who was the worst marcher in the band. So bad that Blackmer called him out over the loud speaker several times.
"Get into a double file line." said Jasmine.
"Damien, back here. We will bring up the rear." I said.
Damien and I were in the very back, farthest away from Derek and Jasmine as they clapped out the orders. What the freshmen had to do was stay at attention and march down the dangerous path to the bonfire, there were roots sticking out and fallen limbs everywhere, it was also getting dark. But they had to stay at attention the entire time.
As we came closer to the bonfire we heard the chanting start. "FOUR MORE YEARS!" screamed the juniors and sophomores. It was a very intimidating thing to go through. I know I was scared when I had to go through it.
We finally made it to the bonfire. Once there the freshmen had to sing the fight song, then the boys had to get down on all fours and bark it. It was amusing for everyone except the freshmen.
We made them do it a couple of times. When we were all satisfied, we let them sit down. In all the chaos of knowing where to go, I heard my name being shouted.
"LAYLA!" he yelled. "I'm over here."
Mike stood up to show me where exactly he was, he was to my left a bit. I nodded and headed towards my spot amongst my best friends.
"Ok guys, now's the time when we, the seniors, step up here and talk about band camp. You guys may find it boring, but when its your turn to be up here, you won't find it boring at all. So show some respect and shut up." Said Derek.
We all huddled with our friends. There were little groups of people, like the senior saxophones and Kenny, and the senior trumpets with Derek, and the colorguard, and finally my group, made up of me, Jenny, Dani, Rachel, Maria, Jasmine and Diana. We were the last group to go, so far no one had broke down and cried while presenting their speech. Jenny and Dani had gone, and now it was my turn. I looked towards Mike and started.
"Wow, four years has passed so quickly. It seems like only yesterday I was the one the upperclassmen were changing 'four more years' at me. Well four more years have passed and I'm now standing before you, section leader of the mellophone's." A couple of "woo's" were heard from Annie and Carrie. "These people around me have been my friends ever since I first started band. Because of band our friendship has grown tremendously." I can feel the tears pricking at my hazel eyes. "Without band, my life would feel incomplete. I'm a band geek and proud of it." I said, trying to laugh and keep the tears away. "Next year is going to feel weird, not having to go to Camp Kimball and spend a week with my best friends. I've meet so many wonderful people too," I glanced over at Mike. "So many memories. I guess what I'm trying to say is, stay in band. You will have life long friends, and have a great experience doing so." I was done, and the tears were just gushing out of me, Jenny and Dani quickly hugged me, we were all crying.
Everyone else went, and cried just as I had done. Now the part where Gorbe, our middle school band director, stepped up and played for us. It was a tradition that ever year after the seniors talked, he would strap on his acoustic guitar and sing "Oops I Did It Again", "If I Had A Million Dollars", and to finish "Every Rose Has Its Thorn". That was the song that got everybody. It was the slow rock ballad that Poison sang back in the 80's. It had a special meaning to those in the Carson City Marching Bulldogs.
After Gorbe's song, Blackmer stood up and said a few words about the seniors. Then everyone was dismissed. I was the last to leave the bonfire, I wanted to remember everything about it. The way the fire popped and hissed, the way the tree's swayed with the night breeze, and most of all, the way my friends and I all cared about one another standing in the dirt pit ,which for the night, was a stage.
I walked up the little hill, and over looked my place of sanction almost. I was immediately ambushed buy a blonde sophomore crying on my shoulder.
"ANNIE!" I said into her shoulder.
"Lay, that was the best speech out of all of them." She said as she cried.
"No it wasn't, but thanks anyway." I cried out too.
We stood there for a moment, each crying on one another's shoulder. After a minute or two my tears had subsided and so had her's. She left me there alone with my thoughts. Until,
"Layla, that was beautiful." Mike said.
"Thanks."
Mike wasn't much of a hugger, when ever you received one from him it was only a quick little pat on the back type of a hug. But he ran up to me and embraced me, not hugged, but embraced me.
"Layla I don't want you to leave me." he said as the tears rolled down his beautiful face.
"I will never leave you Mike. I could never do that." I started to cry again, he held me closer.
"You're going to forget about me and never see me again." he said.
"Don't say that. You know I could never forget you Mike, you are so special to me. Don't ever say that."
"But what if you do, you'll find someone new in college and forget about the stupid sophomore." he pulled my head off his shoulders so his blue eyes could meet my hazel ones.
"Don't talk like that Mike. I could never in a million years forget you. You're one of the greatest guys I've ever met. And I mean that." he pulled me in tight again and I gently pecked his cheek, I felt the warm tears on my lips and I rested my head back on his shoulder.
"I will never forget you either Layla." he kissed the top of my head.
We stayed like that for what seamed like hours. But had to break away when a band mom ordered us to go to our separate area's, he to the cabin and me to the lodge.
I walked back to the lodge with my head hung and tears still rolling down my cheek. I wanted to stay holding on to that boy forever.
I was the last senior to arrive and got a lot of suspicious looks from my fellow seniors. Jenny ran up to me and started to hug me. I told her what had happened and all the Mike had said.
"I knew it, he is totally falling for you." She said trying to cheer me up. "Come on cheer up Lay, you now know how he feels about you, that's something to look forward too." A small smile spread across my face. "Now comes the fun part, planning our pranks."
The thing with 'Mike', yup the totally happened! I still get teary eyed when I think about it.