"Oh my gawd. Is it true, Darcy?" Alex Lawson, a popular percussionist asked me as soon as I entered the band room. I looked at her. What the heck?

"You know, about you and Jake," she vaguely elaborated. I took in a huge breath and then sighed. Gossip is practically an epidemic at our school.

"Whatever you heard, it probably isn't true," I didn't bother explaining any further.

After a minute or two of talking with Hannah, Brodie came in. I waved at him. He stopped. I made my way through the sea of instrument cases and music folders to him.

"You said you wanted to talk to me," I said. He frowned slightly.

"I don't think you and Jake should date anymore."

"Why not?" I just wanted to find out what was bothering him about Jake and me.

"I think you might get hurt, that's all."

"I don't think that's all."

"Well, it is." He started to walk away. I grabbed his arm gently and pulled him back. I gave him the look that says I know you're lying.

"Darcy, please." His face said Your intuitive powers are useless against me, but I could tell there was something more he wanted to tell me but he was scared. Of what?

"Fine." I let go of his arm. I let him win this time.

He walked away and Hannah came up to me. She was twitching. The only explanation was Vault, her favorite energy drink. She must have emptied some water bottles and refilled them with Vault to smuggle them into band class, where soda was prohibited.

"What's wrong with you?" I already knew the answer.

"Say hello to my little friend," she said. She held up a water bottle. I took it. I needed a boost.

"Thanks, Hannah." I took it and went to my seat. We still had five minutes before practice started.

I drank the entire bottle of Vault in less than one minute. The effects set in soon after. I thought Hannah twitched because she couldn't handle Vault very well. I handled it much worse than she does. I was twitching and talking loud and laughing at things that weren't even funny.

Then Mr. Branch walked in. Oh, crap. I tried pinching myself to control the twitching, which by then had turned into violent jerking. I bit my lip to keep from laughing at someone polishing their trumpet. That didn't work, so I stared at my feet. Mr. Branch stepped onto the podium.

I looked up. His mustache seemed to move like a worm. I looked back down at my feet. They started looking kind of like ducks. I couldn't hold it in anymore; I busted out laughing. Branch looked at me.

"Care to explain what's funny, Darcy?" he said. His worm-mustache wiggled when he spoke. I chuckled again.

"It's just my feet look kinda funny, Mr. Branch," I said way too loud. A few kids snickered.

"Darcy, come here," he said. He looked worried. I set my saxophone in the seat next to me and ran to the front, falling twice. I had a tingly sensation in my skull. How does Hannah do it?

"What's wrong with you?" he asked quietly.

"Nothing, Branch. I'm just a little hyper, that's all," I said fast and loud.

"Just a little hyper?" he said, "Or just a little high?"

"No, Mr. Branch. Hugs, not drugs." I started running back to my seat. I noticed Brodie looked worried. I fell again. I don't remember anything that happened in the band room after that.

"Darcy! Oh my gosh," Brodie said as soon as I woke up. He looked panicked.

"You hit your head on a trumpet case when you fell. You passed out. That's the last time I'm giving you Vault," Hannah said. I groaned.

Brodie sighed and kissed my forehead, then my lips. That's when I passed out again, according to detailed eyewitness reports by Hannah I received later that day.

Please review.