Band Geeks

Numero Uno

I sighed deeply as I rubbed the back of the poor freshman who was spilling her guts into the trash can. It was the third day of band camp, and she still hadn't learned what not to eat before coming on the field. I barely managed to get the lid off of the trash can in the first place, because watching her puke was tough enough, let alone smelling it on the terf. I looked everywhere but at the girl, knowing if I did I'd be shoving her out of the way to take her place.

Noticing a break in her wretching, I asked "Are you all finished?" She nodded sadly as I led her across the field towards the shade tent, where people who get dehydrated or faint sit out of the sun. "Let's get you to the tent, you can call your mom and let her know you're sick so that she can come get you okay? You need any water or anything?" I rubbed her shoulders knowing how horrible being sick is, especially at band camp. The terf is literally ten degrees hotter than the temperature outside, making every human on the field turn into cooked meat. Being sick on top of the heat just makes everything hell.

She shook her head no. "I'm fine. Thanks for everything Beth." I handed her a water bottle anyway. "Hydrate," I said, giving her my "stern" look. She laughed as she sat down. "If you insist!" With a giggle she opened the bottle.

I turned away with a smile and headed back to the basics block. Crisis number one averted, now only about fifty more to go. Another sigh escaped me. Why couldn't things just go right? EVER??

"BAND TEN HUT!!!!!' 

"ONE!"

I looked up to my fellow drum major, Tucker as he started the band off on the next drill. Tucker was a great guy and one of my best friends. He not only was he smart, fun, and kind of a girly-guy, he also played tenor saxophone like a beast (for those who don't know, a tenor saxophone is the medium sized one). I let him have the gock block for a while to run the basics because quite frankly, that thing could drive anyone nuts. That little red block with its drum stick were going to be the death of me by the end of the season.

"Mark time hut. Forward, move." The band started to count as they started the drill Tim had called (that I missed apparently....oops). Tucker smiled at me as I approached, keeping time with the gock. "How's Katie?"

"She'll be alright. She'll learn not to eat milk products before coming on the field. Yogurt was a bad plan on her part," I replied, my eyebrows drawn together with worry. Glancing towards the tent, I saw Katie on her side with her eyes closed, the water bottle half finished beside her. I looked back to the blonde pudgy boy with another sigh (I seem to do that a lot lately).

"So my fellow drum major, what was Miss B's plan for us until they finish with memory checks?" 

"She said just run drills, maybe do some calf burners. She also said you could teach them that exercise dance you wanted to do."

"FUCK YEAH!" I yelled, holding up my fist to be bumped. Tucker didn't leave me hanging, stopping the gock without realizing it. A chorus of heys resounded from seventy different people. "Oh, Sorry!! Sorry!!!!!! Back to the start, we'll do it again. My bad guys." Bashfully Tucker directed the front line to the twenty yard line. 

"Yeah, your bad Tuck!" I put him in a headlock and gave him a noogie as he squirmed. I loved this boy to death. We were practically brother and sister.

Tuck finally escaped, whining about how I abuse him too much when Miss B came forward asking for everyone to quiet. Miss B, otherwise known as Miss Bringer, was a strict woman who ran the band with a bipolar tendency and a lean toward sarcastic comments. Though she had her moments, not many people could handle how she operated unless they were on her good side. And once you were on her bad side, you stayed there. Thankfully, I wasn't.

The short woman looked over the whole band with a frown. "The memory checks aren't going well. Did you even bother to learn your music? Captains?" The older kids looked at the ground, not meeting her eyes. I glanced at Jace, the brass captain with my eyebrows raised. He had only learned to play trombone a couple years ago, but being that I was captain last year, I told him he needed to step it up. Since we'd been friends since kindergarten, I'd hoped if he wouldn't learn everything for the band, he would learn it for me. Jace gave me an apologetic shrug. Apparently not.

"No open lunch tomorrow for anyone who didn't pass. You guys know the rules. Also picture day is next week so get your forms in. Now, whichever captain is up for dismissal let's go to lunch." The woodwind captain stepped up, blabbing about how she was disappointed and everyone needed to work hard. She then gave the two words for dismissal and gathered a big breath.

"BAND TEN HUT!"

"MEMORIZE!" The band roared the first word back at the flute player, snapping to the attention position.

"BAND DISMISSED!" Holding up her fist, she counted three beats of silence.

"BLESSED FOOD!" Everyone exclaimed breaking out of formation and heading off towards the exit. Laughing I followed the rest of the band, making plans with Tuck and Jace to go with my other bandies to Pizza Hut. As we walked toward the school, a group of boys shoved through some of the band laughing and yelling "Get out of the way geeks!" I started to fume.

"Son of a bitch..." I muttered walking closer to them. This was my band, and damn it, they didn't deserve to be shoved like that. The leader noticed my approach and his eyebrows knit in confusion.

Getting up in his face I put on my "I will kill you face." He visably flinched, making me giggle in my head. That's right, be afraid!!! RAWR!!! 

"Don't touch my band." One simple sentence was all I said as I recognized him. My courage was fading fast no matter how angry I was, and this guy wasn't just any guy. This guy was Christian Grent, the most popular guy at school, not to mention the best looking quarterback the district had ever had. He wasn't really my forte so I wouldn't personally call him hot, but that was the general consensus among the female population. Christian knew that was the case and used it. Manwhore to the max, this boy was born with the word "stereotype" stamped on his fourhead. Which is why I tried to cross his path as little as possible. I didn't feel like being called ugly and nerdy on a daily basis, my self esteem was low enough.

Christian looked at me strangely, like he was confused (big surprise there, he isn't exactly bright). "Do I know you?" He said with a blinding flash of white teeth. My jaw dropped. Are you shitting me right now?

Pulling myself back together, I snapped. "No you don't, nor will you ever. Just you and your idiots keep away from my band or you'll hear from me, got it?" It took all I had not to shake or break eye contact. I'm am twenty kinds of stupid.....STUPID STUPID STUPID STUP-

"You must be new here. My name is Christian Grent." He held out his hand with another smile, acting as if I didn't just tell him to stay away or threaten him. That's when I gave up. How can you fight with idiocy?

"Just stay away." I shoved past him to Jace and Tuck, who were staring at me as if I'd grown another head. I just motioned with my hands for them to go go go!! They started hurrying up the angled sidewalk as I followed to the school doors, hoping I had gotten away. No. Such. Luck.

"Wait!!!" Christian ran up behind me, his friends snickering and shoving each other behind him as they followed his form. "What's your name? I have to know the new girl's name!" He tried making me blind with his teeth again, and finally my cowardice and self retraint blew up like a nuclear bomb.

"I am not new," I hissed at him. "I am not telling you my name, and as far as I'm concerned, you can kiss my ass goodbye 'cause you won't be seeing me around. EVER!" I spun into the building, leaving a confounded boy behind me. There was only one thought on my mind....

What an asshole!