The Stars Aligned

Chapter 2

As the bell rung telling us the school day was over, I packed up my stuff and headed for the football field, where we are practicing our Color guard show for the middle school. I was also learning today if I got a solo for the Color guard show. I was hoping I was because the show's theme and songs are so enchanting to me! The song makes me want to toss the flag and do other tricks.

As I got to the field I was welcomed by our teachers and told to warm up my peers. Yes, if you are wondering I'm the color guard captain, with this job I run the warmup session, I sometimes run the marching practice, but the best part is that sometimes I'm allowed to come up with some of the choreography.

"Alright everyone let's do our 1-minute jog in place and then we'll get going with our flag warmups!" As I said this everyone sighed, nobody liked the body warmups. We were made to: A one minute Jog in place, do splits on both sides (Some of the girls need more work than others.) Do 50 jumping jacks facing all four directions, and probably the most hated one of all is when 2 girls are paired together, and they help push each other down into the middle splits.

After we finished our warmups we sat down for the announcement of the solos, sometimes more than one girl will have a solo and other times one girl has a 30 second to 1-minute long solo while the other girls are doing something else to keep the show interesting. All the girls sat impatiently as they waited for the announcement. Each girl hoping to get the solo, and others not caring so much.

I crossed my fingers and prayed silently "Please, please!" I whispered under my breathe. Our director smiled at every girl and clasped her hands together.

"Alright, this was a very hard decision each one of you are so talented, your tosses perfect and technique are spectacular." She smiled looking around again "But our staff thought of one person who would fit to do a solo for all 4 songs" She looked at me "That person is Sam, she has great technique, and she is very light on her feet which fits all these songs perfectly."

Everyone clapped and some even pat my shoulder. Some were obviously jealous at me. I could hear whispers, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. Although, the one girl I believe her name is "Anastasia" whispered just loudly enough so that I could hear her.

"Omg she gets everything" Anastasia said with annoyance. She is the type of person who says things like that all the time. I mean her dad is the mayor of Lititz, so she thinks she is everything while everyone is peasants compared to her. Though she is really annoying a lot of people just ignore her; don't give her the time of day.

"Congrats Sam, we will be sending you a video of the solo so then you can practice at home! Now for all of you lets practice the main routine!" She clapped her hands to signal us to get to our spots to learn the sets our dots.

I looked back and saw Anastasia talking to someone, I wasn't sure what it was, but it was clearly about me, probably something along the lines of "Omg she gets every, she is literally perfect why does everyone praise her. Her mom and dad probably spoil her rotten." I said mimicking her obnoxious voice.

I was quite right, the person she was talking to is a blabber mouth and decided to laugh and agree very loudly. "He parent's probably do spoil her Ha-ha, she's probably a mommy's girl!" Although it was quite loud, she just kept laughing make a Anastasia join in with this oh, so funny joke.

I ignored her comment and decided to do some flag tricks while waiting for the leaders to give us our new routine. When they did the routine look so nice, it flowed with the song and gave It a good touch! There were a couple of tosses that most of the newer people struggled with, so I was sent to help them which I didn't mind one bit. "Lower your arm a bit and bend your knees a bit so when you toss it you have a little umph to it!" I smiled and watched the new girl toss the flag perfectly.

I looked around and was happy with what I accomplished all the girls did great and we left to go back into our lines to practice the while routine with everybody. I sat and watched as this was the routine where I would be doing my solo. I looked over to Anastasia who was working with her face more than she was using her technique. She normally does this though, especially during her auditions. I think when she uses her face more, she thinks that everybody forgets about her technique.

The leaders looked at me once they were done with the routine. "Oh, should I be giving critiques?" they nodded, and I smiled. "I think you guys did great; counting is a big one, but you guys also just learned this routine. But the biggest one is faces, yes, we love faces and we need them, but we also need to remember faces aren't as much as technique. As I said that I looked at Anastasia who looked at everyone else, she obviously was trying to look like she was doing it perfectly while everyone else was doing it.

Anastasia got mad quickly and looked at me "If you think you can do better than she us how to do miss. Perfect!" The leaders looked at her mad, but I looked at them and smiled. "Oh, I would love to it would help the other people learn how to do the routine better!" I smiled and walked over to do the routine.

"Start the music please." As the music started, I felt free and majestic I let the flag take me. I let the flag take me and I put my heart into the music. As the music came to a stop my breathing slowed down. My heart stopped and I felt calmer I stopped moving and smiled. The leaders smiled, the students clapped, and Anastasia moved towards me.

"You did it all wrong! You looked terrible your technique looked flawed and unprofessional. I'm the best here but nobody sees it. Your mother spoils you and your father pamper you. Mia and Mya are right about your just a bit-" The leader stopped her right then and there. "I think I've heard enough from your mouth; you'll be leaving and won't be welcomed back, this is unacceptable." Anastasia walked out pisst, she clearly was going to tell her father and she if he can get them fired.

I let out a quiet sigh and clapped for everybody to get back to practicing. I looked at the leaders and they smiled back at me. "Sam, go back to helping the others we'll have to go and deal with the issue ahead." I went in front of the group and helped any students who were having trouble with the routine.

"Celia, lift your arms a bit when doing the lever toss, it will bring the flag higher in the air which will also allow it to spin a little more then a half a circle." As I watched her do the toss again with my advice she got better. I smiled and left to help somebody else.

"Mrs. Katie, My daughter is Sorley upset with you kicking her off the team, I will need you to get her back into the show." Katie looked at the mayor, "No, I will not have her back into our group, she was rude and was insulting our captain, if I were not to intervene then our captain would be in a cast or two." The mayor sighed rubbing his nose, he knew he was defeated. "Anastasia lets go; we'll find you a better Cologuard team then this trashy one."

Katie rolled her eyes as she watched the mayor and his daughter leave. As they walked out Anastasia stuck her tongue at Katie and the other leaders and then threw up her middle finger at me. I walked to Katie. "I'm going to guess that didn't go well?" Katie laughed "No not at all." Katie sighed and walked to the girls practicing. "Girls were going to end practice early, don't forget to practice and email us with any questions."