A/N: So this chapter was inspired something almost exactly like this that happened to me and my high school. It was a lot of fun! Message me on Twitter on Tumblr if you want the link to the video of my school's 'Loud and Proud.'
Enjoy!
"–Seniors: quote and photo submissions for the yearbook are due next Wednesday to Ms. Burke in room 224. Marching band will have an extra rehearsal tomorrow after school. And also tomorrow during EXCL, everyone is to report to the gym for a special assembly. A film crew from Fox 21 News will be here doing a story about our school. So wear your spirit gear!"
"And those are your morning announcements. Have a great day, Grizzlies!"
The screen faded out as the video announcements ended, and first period officially began. But teachers had a harder time getting their students to get focused that morning. Partly because they didn't have to wear their required uniform the next day, but mostly because a TV crew was coming to their school tomorrow and they would get to be on TV!
Austin Castle was in his Algebra 2 class and had turned around in his desk to talk to his best friend, Jackson.
"Dude! How cool is that?"
"I know! It's pretty tight."
"Liam and Jackson: we're waiting on you," their teacher, Ms. Ritchie, said to them. She was a strict teacher who had high expectations for her students, but was a very kind person always ready with a shoulder to cry on and advice to share or a story from her day's traveling through Europe as a broke college student. Plus she always had hot water and hot chocolate mix available to anyone who wanted it (so long as they cleaned up their mess).
"Sorry," Austin says, turning around and picking up his pencil.
"It's okay. I know you all are very excited, but that does not mean we have to stop working. So, take out your homework from Monday and we'll go over that."
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The school day went on and before long the final bell was ringing and the hallways were filling with kids talking and ready to go home for the day.
Austin shoves his way out of his Honors Biology class and down freshman hall, pushing through multiple groups of kids just standing in the middle of the hallway talking. He once again wondered to himself why freshmen were so freaking dumb, but eventually made it out and passed the library at the beginning of sophomore hall and his locker.
He stops for a second to pinch Christine Renner's side and quickly hurried off as she yelled her disdain in his direction. The two had been flirting nonstop since meeting a few weeks prior at a football game and judging by the scene that had just occurred, they were not going to stop anytime soon.
Austin dials in his locker combination and when the door swings open, he shifts his backpack to one shoulder and replaces his Spanish book and binder with his math and English ones. He grabs his sweatshirt and lunch bag and slams the door shut.
On his way out to the car line, he exchanges hellos and high-fives with friends, and once he gets outside, he calls bye to more friends and even his favorite teacher who is on duty that day. He's the first of the kids to reach their car and when his dad flicks the lock he claims the passenger seat.
"Hey! How'd it go?" Castle asks him as the junior gets settled.
"It went good," Austin nods. "We took that Por and Para test in Spanish today and I think I did well," he smiles.
"Good for you," Castle says, holding out a fist, which his son bumps with his own.
"We're going to be on TV!" Miyana announces, pulling open the sliding back door of the van.
"You are? When?" Castle asks, looking in the rearview mirror at his daughter.
"Tomorrow. Well, the people are coming tomorrow."
"That's pretty cool."
"I know, right? Mia asks, smiling.
"Did they say what there were doing it for? Castle asks.
"No. Something about school spirit, I think."
"Oh. Cool."
Danielle appears next, parting ways with her best friend, Saccone.
"Does Sass want a ride?" Castle asks his daughter as she opens the door.
"No, I already asked her. She's staying after for a French club meeting. I just wrangled her into walking out with me."
"Oh, okay," Castle chuckles, shaking his head.
"Oh! Did you hear? We're going to be on TV!"
"I did hear."
"Yeah, Cheer has to wear our uniforms tomorrow. Probably because we're going to get interviewed," Danielle says. "Remind me to bring leggings and a jacket with me tomorrow cause I have history tomorrow and that room is always freezing," she says, mostly to her sister.
Finn and Liam finish out their group and come from the band room behind them, instruments and stick bags in their hands. The trunk opens and Liam sets his saxophone case in first and follows it with his and his sister's book bags, his sister's walker, and her drum stick bag. The two get in and fasten their seat belts as their dad finally puts the car into drive and follows the circular driveway that makes up the school's pick-up line and onto the main road towards home.
"Dad," Liam began, finally able to get a word in over his sisters' constant chatter. "You don't have to pick up Finn and me tomorrow. We're staying after for an extra rehearsal."
"Okay," Castle says. "Remind me tomorrow."
"It's for the news thing," Finn adds. "They want to record us and do interviews and stuff. Matzke told us in class today."
Once home, the family goes on with their afternoon routine of snacks and homework and fighting over whose turn it was to empty the dishwasher (the chore chart says it's Austin's turn, but he swears he did it last week and that someone else has to do it). Until Danielle gets picked up for All Star cheerleading practice and Miyana and her dad leave in the opposite direction for her acting class in the city at her grandmother's school.
The rest of the night goes as usual. Dinner, showers (with more fighting over who is taking too long and wasting all the hot water), practicing instruments (much to the annoyance of siblings), TV, finishing up homework assignments, and eventually bedtime.
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The next morning, the Castle kids are a little easier to get out of bed and going and come into the kitchen happy and ready for the day; unlike most mornings where their moods are unpredictable at best.
They all are decked out in their school colors and are representing the various activities they are a part of: marching band, theater, and lacrosse. Danielle is wearing her cheer uniform, hair pulled back in a high ponytail with a gold bow wrapped around it; white cheer shoes that have seen better days and white socks complete the look.
"Austin! It is forty degrees out there, there is no way you are going to school wearing shorts," Kate admonishes her son.
"Eh," Austin shrugs. "I'll be good."
"Okay," Kate sighs. It won't be the first time he's worn shorts in cold weather, and it probably won't be the last.
Breakfast is eaten, and last minute things are stuffed into backpacks as the family race for the car to get out the door for school and work.
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With a TV film crew at their school, first period is a challenge to get through, and when the bell rings signaling the end of class and the beginning of the free period known as EXCL, the school hallways are full of conversations and laughter and energy that converges in the gymnasium.
The bleachers at set up as they usually are for games and full school assemblies and each grade level go to their assigned section. The sophomores are seated in the section furthest away from the doors but are the closest to the film crew and all of their camera equipment, and the giant ladder they are currently setting up.
The principal, Mr. Stone, calls everyone to attention and gives a few rules about being appropriate and not doing anything dumb at the risk of punishment, before handing over the microphone to the newscaster presenting the story on their school.
"Hey, y'all! My name is Craig," he starts in a Texan drawl. "So what we're gonna do today is film some stuff for this series we're doing about school spirit called 'Loud and Proud', okay? So I want you guys to get crazy and have fun and show everyone why your school has the most spirit. And then at the end, we're going to squish together in front of this ladder my boy Jimmy is setting up. Everyone say hi to Jimmy. He's the one who's going to make you look amazing." As the whole school calls out their hellos, Jimmy waves awkwardly back at them, not used to being the center of attention. "And then after that, I'm going to meet with specific teams and classes and then I'll be out of your hair, okay? Ready?"
The school cheers, very excited.
Filming starts with the cheer team leading some cheers and chants with the school.
"Grizzly fans in the stands: let me hear you clap your hands!" The students follow the beat, in a well-known cheer. "Now that you have the beat, let me hear you stomp your feet!" The time the sound gets louder as all 1,200 of them stomp in rhythm. "Now that you're in the groove, let me see your body move!" The energy and spirit in the room is massive as the high schoolers let themselves have fun and be silly.
After the cheer team performs, the drumline takes the floor and plays a bit. They end their set with their cadence and use the energy the crowd gives them when they shout "Remix!" at the right time. This leads to a dance party where volunteers show off their best moves amid cheers from their friends and classmates.
Craig gets the school's attention again and directs them into the perfect spot to film the outro for the story. And once the producer checks the film and makes sure it's what they wanted, the students are dismissed to second period, and only those who have been previously notified, and the Freshman PE class who needs the space, are left in the room.
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Three nights later, the Castle family gathers in the living room ready for their story to air on the evening news.
"Shh! It's starting!"
"Look!"
"I can't watch! I'm too nervous."
"Why are you nervous? You might not even be in it."
"Shut up, I can't hear."
"They are a school of excellence based on the cornerstones of Exploration, Communication, and Commitment. And, oh yeah: they know how to have a great time. Tonight, we get Loud and Proud with the Grizzlies of Terrence Winter High School as they show us what makes their school cool."
The story starts with a montage of the school and the assembly that had happened a few days prior and ends with Mr. Stone coming through the front doors of the school.
"Welcome to Terrence Winter High School, home of the Grizzlies, where we are loud and proud."
Another montage that stops in the Band room.
"So band is kind of a big deal here. Here to talk about it is Genice. So what makes Band so great?"
"Well we have a group of hardworking, smart, funny kids," Matzke, the band director says. "They all support each other and work hard to be the best."
"Look! It's Nathan!" Miyana and Finn shout as their friend appears on the screen.
"You know we all love being in band and I think it shows."
There are flashes of footage of the marching band rehearsal, and Liam is shown for half a second. The next thing Craig says is drowned out by the Castle family's screams.
"Finn! Why didn't you tell us you were going to be on here?" Kate asks, hugging her daughter close as she is shown on screen.
"All that happened was I was interviewed, I didn't think they would use it," Finn says, her face red with embarrassment and shock.
"Go back! I wanna see what she says," Danielle requests, happy for her sister.
"This is Finn and the call her The Flying Fish. Why do they do that?" Craig asks, holding the microphone up to the tenth grader's face.
"Because my nickname is Nemo and I can do this," Finn says, smiling before playing the fast xylophone lick she had during their marching band show. The second she stops, the camera cuts to Craig who is staring at her, mouth agape.
Everyone laughs, hugging and giving Finn high fives.
The rest of the story shows an interview with the Boys Basketball team, and more from the assembly and finally ends with the whole school gathered in a group.
"So what makes your school cool? The Grizzlies know it and they are saying it Loud and Proud!" And the school goes nuts! Jumping and cheering and waving banners reading 'Grizzly Pride!' It's easy for people to see just how much the students enjoy going to school there and their pride for it. The story cuts away to the newscasters saying some witty segue as the move into their next story.
"Okay: that was awesome!" Danielle says, standing from her spot on the couch, pulling down her shirt that had ridden up her back.
"It really was," Austin agrees, following his sister to the dinner table. "You think Liam and Finn can get us out of homework next week? You know 'cause they actually got shown on TV."
"I don't think any of you is getting out of homework," Castle says, bursting his son's bubble, "even if you were on TV."
"Eh, it was worth a try," Austin says, scooping some salad from the bowl in front of him, tuning into the conversation his sisters had started.