"What a productive day, don't you think?" David asked as we laid in our beds. After the drum feature performance, we ate dinner then set the opener, my spots being all in the back, mainly, but at the end we push forward to the front with the winds.
"Whatever, it was boring as could be. Except for performing the drum feature, that was pretty bad ass." Dale said as he took a drink of his water jug. "Your solo was pretty clean too Zane, and you had some of the ladies staring us down during that." He then winked at me, while I just laughed a little.
"Pft, looking at you two? Please, I'm more sexy than you guys will ever be." David said, as he rubbed his chest seductively, making Richie laugh.
"You're more appealing than a dead deer on the side of the road."
"That's not what your mom told me the other night!"
As the two began to argue, I went into my own world. Dale put in his Ipod and listened to some rap while Storm fell asleep, dead as a rock. I sighed as I pulled out my phone, shocked to see about 10 text messages.
I read the first couple, some from old friends in Virginia, and some from my mom, but there was one from a number I never saw before, but the text gave it away.
You did so good today! Text me back whenever, this is Raquel by the way. : )
I smiled a bit as I read the text, and I texted her back immediately. I don't know why but I was growing this attraction to her. Maybe it was because of some of the stuff Helen told me? I didn't know. She texted me back.
I'm just sitting here, reading a book, listening to the girls talk about the guys here. What about you?
I told her I was just laying here, and asked why she wasn't in the conversation. Would it be weird for me to ask that? Would she constantly be talking about me? Or some other guy? I didn't know, I started to get kind of excited, worried, a mix. I didn't know how to feel. She texted me back.
I'm not really big into that, haha I mean I like guys I just don't like talking about them ALL THE TIME! You know? And wow...you're in the top five!
I blinked. What did she mean by that? I texted her that, and waited for her reply. I sighed as I scratched the back of my head. This was confusing, I didn't understand why I felt this way, so worked up over getting a text, from a girl? I just met yesterday? What the heck? She texted me back.
You're number three of the hottest guys in band camp, just right behind Alex and Dale. Let's see, it's Dale, Alex, You, Jason, and Nick. I don't really agree, but oh well!
Curiosity struck me, I wonder who she'd put on her top five? If I asked her, would she tell me, just like a friend? Or if I asked her would she refuse to tell me because I was on the tip top? I decided to, as I texted her that question. I put my phone down, and laid down. Man, was this weird. I was already starting to like a girl I just met yesterday. And at band camp nevertheless. She texted me back.
Sorry, can't tell you. Primarily because you'd laugh at me. So no, I'm not telling you.
Suddenly I felt a bit crushed. I was hoping that she'd tell me. I sighed, putting my phone on the charger and I fell asleep.
The next morning.
"Again...with running?" I asked, but Danny shook his head.
"No, we're gonna do real drum drills now. Put on the quads." It was just Danny and I, one on one. Sean couldn't be there for the morning, Dale was with Tyler again, and the other drummers were else where. Danny and I were on the practice field.
I put on my quads, and held them up to my chest as Danny picked out a pair of sticks. "Ok, we are track around camp, ok?"
"Track?"
"Yea, it's where you march small steps, playing. I mean, really small steps. Like this." Danny then showed a example, and I was shocked as can be. The steps looked like he wasn't doing it at all.
"What will I be playing?" I asked, and Danny shrugged.
"Everything, opener, feature, exercises, whatever I'm in the mood for." He then laughed a bit, and I shrugged.
I got in set, and put my quads down. Danny put on a hat, and put one on my head. "You'll thank me later. Now, whenever you have a set in the show where you have a hold, stop and play, then start marching again. This is gonna be long, you won't be stopping. Now-" Danny began clicking his sticks. "Legatos, then Double Beat, then Accent Tap, then Flow-Diddles, then straight into the Opener. Go."
I started to march the small steps as I began to play Legatos. It wasn't so bad outside, the weather being about 70 degrees in the morning. I was in step and in time with Danny as I finished Legatos, then went to Double Beat as Danny tapped me off. I kept going, focusing on where I was headed. I didn't understand why he wanted me to go around the whole camp.
Later
I groaned in pain as I continued to track, almost to the cafeteria now. The quads were pulling on my back as Danny walked along side me, still clicking his sticks. It's been about a hour now, around six or six thirty, I don't know I lost count. I groaned in pain as I continued to play the opener, finishing my rimmy solo.
"Come on, take it." Danny said, hearing me groan. "We all had to go through it, Sean and Dale did. No reason you can't go through it either."
I growled as I continued to play, ignoring the piercing pain in my back. I pushed on, ending the opener, then Danny up the tempo. I began to march faster, still small steps, beginning to play the feature.
Even more later
I don't know what time it was, I was in so much pain I didn't know nor cared what time it was. I could barely see, yet I still played. Danny was still near me, clicking the sticks, not talking. The sun was beating down on me as we went passed L's house, playing the same stuff. I gritted my teeth, refusing to groan or moan. I was in so much pain but I wouldn't show it. I ended the opener again, Danny upping the tempo, and I began to play the feature, this time with as much intensity as I could dish out.
I played through the song, quickly and my stick heights out of control, but I didn't care. I played my solo, actually clean, and kept going. It was so hot, the pain was so much, I felt tears coming to my eyes. I didn't know how I felt about it anymore. This hurt so much.
I ended the feature with a big hit on the drums, and began to march again, waiting for Danny to tap me off for Legatos for probably the thousandth time, but he didn't, instead, he stopped me.
"Alright, relax." He took my drums off, and I literally fell to the ground, lying on my back, groaning. Danny started to laugh a little, taking out a water bottle and pouring it on me.
"Welcome to drumline, Zane. Welcome to quads."
"Dude it hurts so fucking bad." I said, tears coming, and Danny just shook his head.
"If you want it bad enough, you'll go through anything for it. Trust me." Danny helped me up and took me over to a tree for shade, and I just sat there, groaning as Danny laughed.
"Dude suck it up, come on." Danny said, and he sat down beside me.
"I didn't expect it to hurt this bad." I said, and Danny laughed.
"Thats what I said when I marched Vanguard. Those guys, damn. Are they tough. I'm shocked you didn't faint. Course, I wasn't taking it easy. Vanguard made me march two miles every friken day with full cuts."
"Full cuts?"
"Take your quads and add 10 pounds to it. I worked hard and long to get my chops this good." Danny said, and suddenly the band came out from their cabins as I sighed.
"I don't wanna get up." I said, and Danny laughed.
"Don't worry, I won't make you. I just made you track about two blocks in a hour and a half. I'm not so cruel to make you do that. Just chill out here. I'm gonna go get the rest of the line and we're gonna hang."
Danny got up and left as I laid on the tree, exhausted. I looked over to see Raquel, who was with Helen and Anna. She was smiling and talking, but then suddenly saw me. I waved a bit, expecting her to come over to see me, but her smile just faded, she looked away from me. Wait, why did she do that? Was it because I didn't text her back about that thing? She walked by me, ignoring me completely. Helen turned and glared at me too. Wait, what did I do?
"Ahahaha Zane got worked to hard." I looked over to see David, Dale, and the rest of the line. Catie came over and sat beside me.
"So you had to track? Oh how I miss that." She said, as David laughed.
"Yea like that one time when you pop your knee?"
"Oh man that sucked! Woody had to put up with all my bitching, remember that?" Catie asked, while Woody laughed.
"Ya, and TJ was at the point of crying because of all that tracking."
"Nuh uh Woody your just making that up!" TJ said, and I laughed a bit.
"Don't worry dude, I completely understand crying. That hurt."
"Well you'll get use to it Zane," I looked at Dale, who was sweating again. "It's a pain in the ass. Tyler has me doing it too."
"Art really doesn't have us doing anything except doing REALLY slow bass splits. I don't fucking UNDERSTAND THE POINT IN THAT!" Storm yelled, and Richie laughed.
"Oh please, Tyler made us track real slow bass splits when I was on the bass line!"
"Hey guys..."
We all looked over at Matt, who was holding up a leaf. "Does this look like a pot leaf to you?
For some odd reason, I don't know if it was the heat or the killer exhaustion, but we all started to crack up laughing, I ended up not being able to breathe.
For some reason, I felt a connection to these guys I never felt with anyone.