John Doe (Teacher X Student)

Alien

     It was the third quarter of my senior year and I'd managed to survive every honors, AP, and duel enrollment class. Barely breathing. Not to mention how I managed with my extracurricular.
Band had been a big part of my life since freshmen year, however unlikely it was.
     I remember walking into the band room with a friend freshmen year and checking out everyone playing and thinking to myself, "what a wonderful sound". Next thing I knew the percussion instructor had drug me into playing front ensemble. All it took was a nice smile and a bat of his pretty brown eyes. Damon was a great instructor, he managed to get me -whom had never picked up an instrument with out strings- to learn a quarter of the show in a day.
     I wasn't as good as I would of liked to be but I picked up on what I was doing wrong fast. One of the drum majors helped in signaling me with a look if I was off beat. He almost glared at me if I wasn't on exactly 2 & 3. I got along with everyone and another month into practice a new instructor came in.
He walked with a bit of freedom in his step, he seemed to smile every time we would play our show. I couldn't help but feel like I had some part in that, like I had played my part perfectly and he had noticed. But I soon realized that he was focused on our bond as a family and our ability to play as one. Not me.
     He was at our practices helping our band director with the sets and our places on the field-except i wasn't really on the field. Damon noticed my lack of attention to my part and kept repeating to me to focus and that MPA was In a month. So that's what I did.
     We got straight superiors that year-something Aries High School Band had never achieved- and I felt partially responsible. Though I knew it was because of the marching band,the ones on the field moving their feet.
     At that point I fell into a pit of despair for a lack of better words. I wasn't needed, no one would of noticed had little miss Diana Jones been missing. I wasn't a big part of the band, and I felt it. Every time after practice I was stuck dragging the equipment in alone. The weight of a bass drum behind you and a marimba in front of you was not a fun weight. Needless to say my depression which had ceased for all of 3 months, had come back harder than ever.
     At practices I gave up every chance I had. I would play my parts but if I messed up I wouldn't bother to push to fix it. And none of them noticed. Furthering my feeling of bitterness. I was ready to quit, to give up, and not look back.
     Max, the drum major, noticed my screw ups and would tell me to fix it. But that's all he bothered to say. No "how are you?" "Are you okay?" " you don't look happy." "Do you need help with your part?" None of that. I presume a Major part of it was because MPA was over, but I was still a band member and we still had shows to perform. The Thursday of our last game was the day. The day that had me look back and wish I had been better before he had to say something. If not for me or the band, for him.
                           *•*•*
  It was another day at practice. Singled out in the front with nothing but inanimate objects around me. I had began my part on 2 & 3 with the bass drum and started speeding up and I was now on 1 & 2. But no one noticed, or so I thought. In the next instant I felt the mallet snatched from my grasp and I find Mr. Doe playing my part and paying acute attention to Max's conducting. When the show was finished he removed himself from next to the drum and walked over to me.
     He looked me in the eyes and told me something I didn't expect to hear from anyone in band. " I know you can do better and I know you want to, you just don't know it because you feel like the black sheep of this family. Well trust me you're not. You're all black sheep, but it's okay because you're a family of black sheep," and it was then that I realized that I had been caught up in myself and didn't realize that everyone had their part to play. And it wasn't fair of me to take the easy way out and not play. He smiled and then he said something that changed the feelings I thought I didn't have.
     "I can't wait to see what you can do when you try, and to watch you get better and better" he smiled and then walked away to address some issue in the tuba section (but when aren't they doing something weird).
     I guess he didn't seem to notice I stared at him while playing and would only look up at Max if it sounded like I was wrong.
Mr.Doe sat on the sideline during Friday nights half time show. I could see him look over every once in a while to make sure I was paying attention to the tempo (which I rarely was). His smile was so bright I couldn't help but grin also. Nothing gave me those kind of butterflies, and I didn't think butterflies were even real. But boy could I feel another swarm every time I felt his gaze.
     As soon as the show was over he rushed over to help me grab the equipment, and I didn't hesitate to let him. I couldn't had I tried.