Ten years later
Wylie sat on the wooden chair listening to Mr. Forkle drone on about how to correctly play sixteenth notes to the Trumpets. He casually tapped out a beat with his flute on his leg, keeping in time with the song going around in his head.
"Okay, now can I have the flutes, clarinets and alto saxes play from measure nine through twenty seven. And try not to mess up this time please." Mr. Forkle raised his hands and Wylie raised his flute to his mouth. Some may call him girly for picking the flute but, at least he could fit his case into his backpack unlike a certain tuba.
After band practice came lunch, and with that a group of very unlikely friends, settled around a table in the cafeteria. There was him and his two adoptive siblings Biana and Fitz, along with Fitz's girlfriend Sophie(they had declared themselves a couple when they were six and seven respectively and nobody thought it would last but it was ten years later and Sophia had a promise ring and people were starting to doubt their earlier claims). There was also Fitz's best friend Keefe, also there was Dex who he didn't really know ended up here, and Linh. They were all in band together so that kinda explained how they became good friends.
"So Keefe I heard that you got asked out by Marella Redek during Chemistry today, care to comment" Fitz asked Keefe.
"My only comment on the matter is that Marella could have been more creative with her ways. Passing me a note with Do you want to go on a date with me with little boxes to check yes or no is so common with me that I didn't know if it was her or one of my many other admirers."
"Sure you do Keefe," said Sophie really sarcastically from under Fitz's arm. Linh turned away and stifled a giggle.
The bell rang and Wylie went to his locker to grab his books for year eleven English and walked to his class.
After school he met up with Biana and Fitz in the parking lot near their car.
"I call driving!" Biana yelled.
"I call shotgun," Fitz and Wylie yelled at the same time.
"Boys boys, you know what has to happen now," said Biana getting ready to referee what was going to happen. "One, two, three, Rock! Paper! Scissors!" She said as Wylie and Fitz unleashed their weapons. Wylie beat Fitz's paper with his scissor and got into the front seat next to Biana.
"It's not fair really, Mom gave me her old car when I turned sixteen, so I should be the one to drive it," Fitz grumbled from the back seat, his long legs barely fitting.
"Then you shouldn't be so predictable, Fitzy poo," Biana sang from the driver seat as she pulled out of the parking lot and into the three o'clock traffic.
The whole ride home they sang along to the radio, they knew all the words at this point, Britshire only had one Radio station and they had played the same songs over and over again since before Wylie had been born.
They walked through the door and left their shoes and bags in the entryway. Wylie went to the pantry and grabbed the goldfish crackers to eat in his room while he facetimed Linh.
She picked up on the first ring.
"Hey Wylie, what's up?" she said.
"The sky duh, you should really know this, Linh we have been friends for a really long time now."
"Anyway, how do you like the new pieces for band?"
"They're horrible, like why not give the flutes and clarinets and trumpets and altos the melody, god knows their used to it. Me a a trombone and the rest of the lower instruments are used to just playing backup lines and resting for long periods of time."
"You should be happy, you finally get the melody isn't this a trombone's dream?"
He heard a crash and some yelling and Linh jumped, even though this happened like everyday.
"Your parents fighting again?" he asked
"Yeah, now it's about how she never does anything to help out and he deserved time to grieve for his sons."
"Hey, at least they're not fighting about you again right," he asked trying to keep her attention on him instead of the screaming and loud noises coming from the other room.
"Yeah at least they're not doing that again, that black eye didn't go away for like a month." she tried to laugh it off, but he could still see the fear in her eyes.
"Hey do you want to come over and eat food and talk about stuff?"
"Of course I would but, they will never let me leave the house at this point."
He heard the voices get louder and her door get whacked with something before the handle started to jiggle.
"Wylie I got to go now okay, I'll see you tomorrow," she said fear obviously creeping into her voice. Before he had time to protest she hung up on him. Leaving him with the sight of her father standing in her doorway, her door swinging off its hinges, a murderous glare on his face.
She came to school the next day with a broken rib and arm, stitches going up her face.