Ordinary Life: According to a Marching Band

Chapter 1

"All I'm saying is that after he made out with my friend Cassidy, the next day he dumped her. "Claiming" that he just wanted to be friends." Megan spat.

"He can't be all bad." Katie tried to reason. "Maybe there was a reason for him not liking her. She is a little-"

"What?!?!? A little crazy?"

"Well, yeah. She spent like a month in a mental hospital and now she is home schooled. Let's be honest Megs..." Katie trailed off. She wasn't sure how deep this cut Megan. Her and Megs were best friends and anything usually went, but lately conversation had been a bit more sensitive. Ever since Katie started talking with James.

"Whatever," Megan sighed looking up and around the room. They were in the lobby downstairs on the main floor getting ready to head out to practice. "James is a wierd, freakish human being." Megan stated with more attitude than necessary.

Her phone vibrated and she reached down to answer it. "Awww it's Kevin!" she cooed. As she texted away, Katie's face showed no emotion but her heart shattered like a glass ball being thrown. She had never admitted to liking James, just asked Megs what she thought of him. And now that she knew, she had to keep it a secret.

Her feelings for James were growing by the day. When he caught her gazes on the field, when they messaged each other through Facebook, and even when they spoke in person. Which wasn't really ever. Her heart beat faster than anything. And when he asked her something her heart melted right on the floor. She wasn't sure if he felt the same way, but she hoped so.

"Kev Kev, said he will be down in a minute." Megan said grabbing her drill book off the ottoman. Katie followed suite and walked towards the elevator for Kevin. On the way there Katie and Megan began goofing off and acting crazy. Maybe she didn't hurt her feelings that bad. Maybe it didn't even faze her, after all Megan was really dense.

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Kevin and Holden were sharing a suite this year. The two best trumpet players rooming together and playing x-box until the crack of dawn. What was better? The fact that Kevin had the best girlfriend in the world or the best room mate?

"Holden, did I ever tell you that you're my love?" Kevin asked looking straight into the reflection of the elevator.

"Yes, you have. Just don't tell my girlfriend." Holden nervously said.

"Why, she isn't even at band camp. Doesn't she live next to-?" Kevin started but was interrupted.

"Katie. Yes." Holden said finishing his thought. He knew that dating Katie's next door neighbor made her feel sour. He wished that Stephanie wasn't so controlling. Being friends with Katie he felt free, but with Stephanie he felt almost trapped. But he didn't know how to let go of her.

The door behind them opened up to a short blonde hair guy who was wearing a drum line shirt and khakis. His brown eyes met Holden and Kevin's eyes. Instantly they recognized him.

James.

"Hey James!" Holden said embracing him. They had a bro-mance, one that was even better than Kevin and Megan's relationship that had been going on for two years.

James glanced over at the elevator buttons. A laugh escaped from his mouth.

"What?" Kevin asked. Holden turned around to look.

"You guys forgot to press the button." James replied sighing. He leaned forward and pressed the button, lighting it up.

As the three of them waited for the elevator, Kevin's phone went off.

"Megan." He said looking up to Holden and James. He answered the call.

"Hey babe!" He said into the speaker.

"Uh, where are you?" Megan said with an unhappy voice. The elevator dinged.

"Literally getting on the elevator." Kevin said in a cool and laid back tone.

"Alright. See you in a bit." Megan replied hanging up.

"Well then." Kevin said as the elevator door closed.

"What did she want?" Holden asked.

"Oh the usual. Just where I was." Kevin responded with annoyance.

"It's okay, Stephanie won't stop texting me and it is getting annoying too. I mean I'm at band camp. Like leave me alone." Holden stated.

"Man, and I thought girlfriends were a cool thing." James said sounding disappointed.

"Dude, it's not that they aren't cool, just protective. They don't want you hanging out with other girls, and no texting back any later than five minutes from when they texted you. Dumb things. But in the end, they are worth it." Kevin said.

"You sure?" James asked with weariness.

"Trust me, I've been dating the same one for two years." Kevin replied.

James wasn't sure why anyone would be interested in Kevin to begin with. He was plump around the edges and pudgy. The only reason he could think of was the fact that Kevin had a funny side to him.

James thought of himself. He was thin, not too short, and he was muscular in his chest and legs. Mostly from carrying his bass and running cross country. But he wasn't a jock and he didn't think that he owned the world. He considered himself normal.

But he couldn't figure out one thing. Why was getting a girl so hard if he had everything?

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Laying together on the couch, Aidan and Victoria were watching t.v. in the lobby downstairs. Victoria glanced at her watch on her arm.

"Hey," she said looking up. "We have five minutes until practice." She whispered into the air.

"Mmmkay." Aidan responded with drowsiness. He leaned forward kissing her lightly on her forehead. Then he shifted and pushed her forward getting off the couch.

"That was a great nap." Aidan yawned while scratching the back of his head. He bent down to the table and grabbed his drill book. Victoria grabbed his free hand and they walked to the spiral staircase to get into parade and march to the field.

On their way down they met James, Kevin, Holden, Katie and Megan on their way outside. Victoria had recently dated Holden for two years and she wasn't sure if she had feelings for him or for Aidan. But since Holden had moved on, she couldn't find out.

She and Megan were no longer friends. After what had happened with Holden, everything feel apart between them. Same thing with Kevin. He had no business with her. The only persons in that group that she could talk to were Katie and James.

Katie because she was nice to everyone no matter what they did. And in return Victoria thought it was a friendly gesture to be friendly back. And James, was in drum line with her, and they both played bass so they had something in common. And he didn't judge people to harshly either.

The group of seven walked outside the building and down the sidewalk to this big parking lot that everyone was gathering in. Everyone was in their different sections.

"Well, I'll see you guys later." James said walking off to the drum line area with Aidan and Victoria. Katie watched them wishing she was in drum line, but she was in color guard. And she loved that more than anything.

Kevin and Holden went to the trumpet section, leaving Megan and Katie to go to the guard section. As they went they were talking about random gossip that meant nothing.

When they got to the guard posse, they joined the circle of girls that stood there. Kayne, their instructor for the week, was talking in his gay voice about the routine that they were going to be learning in the following days. Katie tried to listen to him but everything else looked so much more fascinating.

The trumpets were having an encouraging and motivational speech going on in their circle. Saxophones were in a block with their section leaders clapping a tempo and they were marching to it. Everyone was having a good laughing experience except drum line.

Their instructors, Jody Stone and Brian Stemwell, were screaming and shouting so loud Katie could hear them at this distance. She felt bad for James...

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