My Section Leader's Secrets

Chapter Five

I get home in an insanely happy mood. Not even Olivia could ruin this. Jackson wasn't an ass in person for once! He actually talked to me and complimented me!

I go upstairs and decide to text Catie and tell her everything that happened. But when I look at my phone, I have a text waiting, and it's from Jackson.

I look freakin' spiffy in my bandana.

I laugh, not quite sure what to say. The orange bandana. All section leaders have them, but why would he say that?

Yeah, you do. Lol.

Why would he be saying this to me? I sit on my bed waiting anxiously for a reply. When one finally came I looked at it carefully.

Mhm.

Okay... that's all I get? He texted me first and now all I get is "Mhm"? I decide to take a chance and see if he'd keep answering me.

So what's up? I asked.

Nothing much. You?

Okay so Jackson, not a very interesting person to text.

Nothing. Wanna play 20 questions?

Sure. You go first.

Favorite color? I ask the first thing that comes into mind.

Blue. You?

Purple.

I have a purple truck. He says.

That's cool.

Mhm. Your turn.

You realize you can't just ask the questions I'm asking the whole time, right? I ask dialing Catie's phone number.

Yea

Really. It's that hard to type an 'h'? I roll my eyes and hear Catie's voice.

"Hello?" she answers.

"Hey, how's camping?" I say absent-mindedly.

"Eh, not bad. What's up?"

"Okay," I take a deep breath "you're not gonna believe me, but Jackson texted me."

"Shut up. He did not!"

"He did!" I say laughing. "You'll never guess what he said."

"Let me guess... 'Will you have my babies?'"

I roll my eyes. "No, shut up I don't like him."

"Yeah, okay sure. Tell me what he said bitch." She giggles.

"He said, 'I look freakin' spiffy in my bandanna'"

"That's what he said?" She laughs "He's definitely looking for attention!"

"You think?" I ask curiously.

"Well yeah, he texted you first and he's looking for a compliment."

"That's true."

"Yeah, hey look I gotta go. Keep me updated!" She insists.

"I love you BooBear!" I smile.

"Love you too Hazza." She says before hanging up.

I stretch and get up to change my clothes before flopping into bed and answering Jackson.

Okay. I type. Favorite food?

Anything homemade really.

That's great since I totally can't cook.

That's fun. Your turn. I say.

Favorite movie.

Okay what is up with this guy and punctuation? 'Favorite movie' is that a question or a statement?

I roll my eyes yet again and reply. Phantom of the Opera.

Never heard of it.

That does not surprise me. Lol.

We continue to go back and forth asking different questions until about two in the morning when I have to go to sleep.

I roll over and close my eyes thinking about all of the texts. They seem innocent enough... don't they? Whatever, doesn't matter. I still have to focus on band.

Tomorrow, Catie will be back and we have our first day of pre-band camp. I try and think about what to expect, but my mind draws a blank. I'd never heard anything about pre-band camp.

I end up falling asleep before I can worry too much.

~~~

The next morning I wake up groggy and still tired. I check my phone, it's eleven o'clock. I'm a little surprised and disappointed there isn't a message from Jackson on my notifications. Oh well.

I get up and go to take a shower, taking my time under the warm water. I never understood why people take showers to wake up, they always put me to sleep.

Once I'm dressed, I briefly think about doing something special with my hair because I'll be seeing Jackson today. I shoot the idea down as soon as I think of it. It's way too hot for that and I really don't care what he thinks I look like.

I walk downstairs and grab some strawberries out of the fridge then walk into the living room to eat them. I lay on the couch and look at my phone again. Twelve o'clock, about an hour and a half until the sectional before practice.

After I finish the strawberries, I go back upstairs to brush my teeth and practice some of my music.

I practice for about half an hour before I end up just laying on my bed scrolling through Facebook.

When Catie's mom finally pulls up at one thirty, I grab my things, (including my sunglasses) and get in the car.

I listen to Catie tell funny stories about her few days camping and before I know it, we're at the school.

A few trumpet players are standing in the usual spot outside one of the doors to the school.

When everyone, well most everyone, arrives we stand in line by part and have a playing quiz. Surprise!

The first to go was Jenny, the not too bright junior.

She lifts up her trumpet to play before putting it right back down again. "I don't know it." She says.

"Just try." Jackson says. "You're allowed to use your music."

"Can't I just do push-ups?" She whines.

"No, Jenny, just try!" Jackson sighs losing his patience.

After two minutes of Jenny and a couple of other people complaining Jackson offers to have us all run through the song together and then have separate quizzes.

We barely get through the first four measures before Jackson cuts us off. "Okay start from the beginning and play the first measure." He says.

Needless to say, we didn't get to the playing quizzes.

When the sectional ended, I stayed back seeing if Jackson would come talk to me. When he finished putting his instrument away, he stood up and walked to the school.

"What's wrong?" Catie asks waiting for me to start walking.

"Nothing." I mutter and jog to catch up with her.

He wanted to play with my feelings? Fine, two can play at this game.