arissa-x: Thanks very much for your kind review. Hope you enjoy this chapter too!

Trumpet-Geek: Trumpets are indeed a large section. And yes, Ember's band is rather strict too. It's just that... supervision during sectionals is very lax and much like what Ember's describing. That's right, this is SO real life influenced. Speaking of which, this chapter includes a cameo appearance by Ember and Rags to Riches. Ember just couldn't resist leaving that part of her band story out. Go freshman!us. And Ember liked the plane too. It just... came to her, she guesses.

I love Malfoy as a ferret: Band people are the messiest people ever. And Ember guesses that as for supervision it depends on the section? In her band the saxophones as well as the clarinets are known for slacking (sadface. One day the clarinets will reign supreme!). Thanks for agreeing with Ember's pick of instruments!

catwwomen47: Thank you very much for all your wonderful reviews. Yes, this is very much a fun fic for Ember as it lets her relive the good old days/years even as she prepares for another one. And not only are band people the messiest people ever, they're the funnest people ever. And they'd make great lovers too. But that's another band tale. Maybe in another review response.

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Ember's back from vacation and very much relaxed. But guess what: band camp starts tomorrow! MORE STORY FODDER!

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Chapter 3: Talking

When Ed showed up the next morning, he was a mixed bag of emotions and it confused the hell out of him.

On the one hand, he wanted to keep avoiding Mustang as long as possible and dreaded seeing his reaction to the plane he'd thrown yesterday.

On the other hand, though, he wanted to see said reaction. He thought it would probably be the most hilarious thing he'd seen in his life, as Mustang was sure to throw a fit.

Then again, on a third hand (he wasn't entirely sure where it had come from, but thanked it for being present to hold another emotion), he hoped that Mustang got the message he'd realized the plane could have symbolized.

It had hit him after thinking random thoughts for a while that by acknowledging their conversation like that, it could be interpreted as an invitation to continue that kind of relationship. In a way, he was kind of afraid of that. But then again, it hadn't been so bad.

Sighing, Ed shook his head. It wouldn't do to dwell on general confusion. He knew that by now.

So why couldn't he stop thinking about it?

He just hoped this whole thing would resolve itself soon so that his life could return to a semblance of normality.

Apparently he had decided to continue with the complex emotions vein of thinking, as he wasn't quite sure how to feel when Mustang arrived and proceeded to ignore him.

Oh, he knew exactly how he should have felt. He should have been relieved. If Mustang was ignoring him then he could ignore Mustang.

And yet he didn't feel that way. And it was confusing the hell out of him.

The morning passed in a kind of daze. Ed just hoped he didn't look too obviously preoccupied in front of everyone else.

He also really hoped that no one had caught him throwing brief confused looks in Mustang's direction. If they had he just might have to crawl into a corner and die.

By the time they walked back inside for music practice, Ed was absolutely furious with himself. He shouldn't care what Mustang thought of him, really he shouldn't!

But he was finding that he did, to an extent.

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Roy, on the other hand, was smirking as they walked into the school.

He was sure Elric thought he hadn't noticed the other teenager's agitated state of being. But he had, and the reaction was amusing to no end.

Also amusing were the general 'what the hell?!' looks that he was sure he wasn't supposed to have noticed being thrown in his direction. He'd have to tell Elric that 'deer in the headlights' was a good look for him.

Confusing, though, was he wasn't sure whether he would mean it as a joke or if he actually thought that.

Of course, he didn't really find Elric attractive. He just didn't swing that way. But when Elric looked at him with those huge confused and kind of scared eyes…

Roy shook his head. That wasn't something he needed to think about.

Instead he figured it was time to let Elric off the hook. He was sure the younger teenager had had more than enough of this, and he was surprisingly of a similar mindset.

Then again, was it really all that surprising for someone who generally didn't ignore people to have had enough of just that action?

Ignoring that question, for it wouldn't do to think himself in circles, he instead pulled something out of the unlocked band locker he had temporarily claimed as his.

Turning and noticing that he and Elric had been the only people to elect to stay in the band room for any longer than strictly necessary, he threw the paper airplane back at Elric.

The plane connected with the back of the other teenager's head, and he whipped around, scowling until he noticed who had thrown it.

Roy smirked as he watched Elric's eyes widen with shock. "You know, a pig's head drawn on a paper airplane doesn't really count. You said you'd throw a pig with fake wings at me."

The shock on Elric's face was replaced with indignation. "It counts! I never specified whether or not the pig could be fake!"

"When you said pig, you implied a real animal."

"Oh, so what you meant is you need a companion?" Elric's tone was mocking, but there was something different in his eyes. It was as if he wanted this to continue.

Well, if he wanted to shift from ignoring each other to talking like this, Roy wasn't going to complain. And so he walked closer, ignoring the widening of Elric's eyes. "I guess you could say that," he said quietly when he got close enough.

Noting that the other teenager looked like he couldn't frame a proper reply to that, he turned and walked out of the band room. "See you later… pig," he said, looking back with a smirk and winking.

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In recent memory Ed had never been happier to be insulted.

It was a strange thing, yes. And in reality it made no sense. After all, Ed wasn't about to throw himself at Mustang. But it was an acknowledgment of where they stood with each other.

It was remarkable, how easy it was to talk to each other as they got ready to leave that evening. It was also easy to ignore the blatant staring coming from just about every pair of eyeballs in the band.

Most remarkable was how easy the transition was from 'Elric' and 'Mustang' to 'Ed' and 'Roy'. For all their time spent screaming at each other, this was incredibly simple, as if their relationship should have been this way from the beginning.

Suddenly the conversation paused as two freshmen approached nervously, yet determinedly.

"Yes?" Ed asked.

One of the freshmen looked up with vivid green eyes as she stammered somewhat nervously. "Um… see, we're doing this survey and we were wondering…"

The other freshman, this one with hazel eyes (for which Ed was grateful, otherwise the two would have been impossible to differentiate), cut in at this point. "Do pencils have feelings?"

Ed stared between the two, somewhat taken aback. "What?" he managed to stammer out.

The green-eyed freshman looked like she was unable to speak, so the hazel-eyed one took over once more. "See, she's convinced that pencils have feelings because trees have feelings, but I don't think so because the wood used to make a pencil is dead wood and—"

Ed cut her off gently before turning to Roy. "What the hell are these freshmen ON?!" he gasped, starting to laugh hysterically.

Roy chuckled. "It makes me so glad I'm graduating. Congratulations, Ed, this is what you get to deal with next year. May all incoming freshmen come to you with such strange questions," he proclaimed in the voice of a religious man invoking a blessing.

"Thanks," Ed commented wryly. "Just what I always wanted."

The freshmen quickly made a new category on their slip of paper to allow for their response and walked off, the green-eyed one still looking somewhat dazed as the hazel-eyed one attempted to snap her out of it.

Roy elbowed him gently, smirking. "She liked you."

Ed stared at him, wide-eyed. "She what?!"

"Did you not see the way the green-eyed one was staring at you? She thought you were the best-looking thing she'd ever seen."

"So? There's a difference between looks and personality, and I don't think I could ever be around someone that easily intimidated."

Roy looked like he thought Ed had a point. "Yeah, she wouldn't last long, would she? I think she'd run away from you in a week."

"Depends on how scary I feel like being. I bet I could make her run screaming in a day if I wanted to."

"Hmm, maybe," Roy said doubtfully. "See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow," Ed replied before walking away.

As he walked to his car, he reflected briefly on the day. He wasn't sure why, but it was one of the happier days he'd had recently.

Then again, he didn't really care why. All the doubt and confusion of the past couple of days were over. They were talking.

END CH. 3

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That survey really happened. Points if you can guess which freshman is Ember and which is Rags to Riches!