The Band Camp Chronicles

Chapter Two

It's lunchtime, and I'm sitting next to Maddie and Kaylie, along with their group of friends. There's a shorter sophomore boy wearing an anime shirt, who's named Dylan and plays the clarinet. There's a slightly heavy junior with bright purple hair named Ella, who is the best trumpet player in the section. There's also a tall brunette trombone named Mark, who's laughing at things on his phone. We all sit on the cool cafeteria floor, munching on sandwiches.

"So, are Jenna and Jacob a thing?" I question to nobody in particular, keeping my voice quiet enough so that Jenna, who's sitting a few tables away, can't hear me. She's got her legs up on Jacob's lap, her knee in a brace. She's sipping lemonade and laughing loudly with some of the other popular seniors and juniors, while Jacob rubs her hand with his thumb.

"Well, obviously." Kailey rolls her eyes at me. "They've been on and off since what, seventh grade?"

"Yeah. Jenn's a total skank, though." Mark looks up from his phone, brown eyes shining. "She's cheated on the poor dude so many times, I dunno how she's even drum major this year. Probably because-"

"Because Jenna's dad is good buddies with Mr. Kenny." Maddie interrupts, spraying cracker crumbs with each word spoken.

"Yeah. Pretty sure Kenny gets bribed to keep her in dictatorial leadership." Dylan smirks.

"Wow, Dylan, dictatorial is a big word for you," Mark teases. "Do you know what it means, big boy?"

"Shut up." Dylan flushes red, clearly embarrassed. The girls are all giggling, and I know there has to be an inside joke that I don't understand.

"Last year, Dylan tried to impress everyone by using big words on the ACT test to prove he was mature." Maddie explains between sniggers. "He misused all of them."

I nod, faking a laugh for my own sake. Dylan has gone quiet and is staring into space, barely nibbling his sandwich. I suddenly feel bad for him. He's clearly still embarrassed and it makes him obviously upset. Why would his friends continue to poke fun at a sore subject?

"But back to Jenna," I segue, my voice dropping to a quiet tone again. "What does he see in her? He seems way too nice to date someone like her."

"They've been a thing since middle school, love." Kailey reminds me. "Back then, she was just another dorky band geek. Kinda fat, pale, braces and glasses. Played the tuba, for gods sake. She was nicer when she was ugly. Jacob fell for her. Even when she dropped to a size two and dyed her hair. And when she became a bitch. He's like, emotionally and socially tied to her. He's obligated to keep dating her, or everyone will fucking flip."

"What do you mean?" I question, shooting a glance towards Jacob again. He's looking at Jenna, smiling just like he was when I bumped into him, while rubbing her bony back.

"He's only drum major because of Jenn." Kailey whispers, shooting a glance towards Jenna's table. "She's popular and by default, so is Jacob. Having a high up GF is the only reason why he's still relevant."

"Oh." I look down at my half-eaten bag of chips, crunching thoughtfully. I can't stop thinking about how he smiled at me, immediately so friendly. I felt a connection right away, as cliche as it sounds. I shoot another glance towards Jenna, but to my horror, realize she's glaring directly at me. Jacob is stroking her cheek with his hand, before following her steely gaze towards me. I quickly look away, heart racing. I swear I can hear Jenna say bitch under her breath.

Lunch is almost over, and when I rise to throw out my trash, my legs ache in protest. The mile that Jenna made me run, on top of constant drills, are already taking a toll on my measly muscles. I always wondered  how everyone in the band moved so effortlessly at competition, keeping their tone steady and composure straight. Even when they hit the last note and ended, their chests weren't heaving, attempting to suck in air. There's nobody in this band that's noticeably overweight, and I am starting to feel exactly why.