To Be Freed

Filler Chapter: The Band Contest

A/N: I recently discovered the next two "chapters" written nearly 3 years ago that never got to publishing. I want the world to see these FYI. Following this are cringey, yucky, unedited, unformatted chapters. Good luck. Please note that I didn't care enough to go back to fix italics or anything of the sort.

There's a few special occasions in which every member (with fair grades) in the high-school band goes to a contest, to prove their directors did a well-enough job directing them. During these events, there's a specific vehicle that everyone has to take in order to make it to their destinations. It's called the band bus. Here's a rule though: What happens on the band bus stays on the band bus.

~Josh~

The attire was their concert clothes, black slacks and a black button-up. After squishing their cases into the front row of the bus (except Sammy--that lucky clarinet) the four stood in a line in order to get seated on the sweaty, smelly, horrible bus. There were two EMPTY seats across from each other. What a surprise. Courtney sat in one, and Josh was about to sit across from her in the other seat, when Sammy pushed him with such force to sit next to her, ruining his plan.

There they sat, and Sammy and Hammy sat across from them, laughing, doing the "I ship you" sign, and taking pictures. Josh was trying hard to not seem uncomfortable. It's kinda hard not to when you know two people are talking about and taking pictures of you. Courtney looked like she wanted to say something, but he guessed that she didn't feel like it.

"Did we all fit?" Mr. Matthews, who just happened to be a bus driver, spoke into the speaker that rang throughout the bus.

Everyone shouted replies, whether they were complaining or actually telling him that we all did indeed fit. There were a few three-seated, but otherwise, it was fine.

There was a lot of P.D.A. A lot of people were making out, a couple was spooning each other while watching youtube, and it sounded like people were having sex at the back of the bus. There was a huge reason to be uncomfortable on the band bus, and no one judged you for it. Mr. Matthews was pretty oblivious to the... Distractions, and was driving without showing any signs of concern for the arroused students at the back of the bus.

Josh shifted and a bead of sweat rolled down his temple. Even though it was March 2018, it was still pretty hot... Or it was the body heat and the "steamy couples".

"How far is Lewison exactly?" Courtney finally asked, taking Josh by surprise. He quickly glanced at Hammy (remember-- not her actual name) and Sammy to see if they were going to begin fangirling about the sudden question, and after being satisfied with their nonexistent reaction, he turned to Courtney in order to spark a conversation.

~Courtney~

If Josh were to ask why she was blushing madly, she would say that it was because it was hot inside the bus and surely he would understand. They were for some reason talking about how the final part of Darklands March by Randall Standridge was finally released.

It was another forty-five minutes until they got to the contest, and since the sun had begun rising ten minutes before, the heat began slowly increasing.

"Hello hello hello..." Mr. Matthews' voice echoed throughout the bus.

"'Sup." "Hi!!!" "Are we there yet?!" "Can you turn the music louder?" "Hello hello hello!"

Courtney looked over to Hammy and Sammy. They seemed to be watching an anime about guys who took swimming very seriously. She'd watched it before, and she'd had really liked it, but she hasn't watched it for a while.

"Haruka-senpai!!" Sammy reached over Hammy and pointed to Josh. Josh instantly turned to face her from his phone.

"That's my dad's name get it right." Josh's sarcasm-dripping tone caused Courtney to laugh.