~Marching Through The Eye Of The Storm~

Chapter 2

April 11, 2017

Over the next four months, Hunter and Mr. Lemen helped teach Harper the basics of trumpet so she could make the transition to mellophone easier. It's not like she could play 'Flight of the Bumblebee' but she could do pretty well and her favorite to play was the Star Wars Main Theme.

In April, the Marching Band step-off meeting was in the auditorium for information on the new season.

Harper and her parents entered the school, fifteen minutes before the meeting was supposed to start.

They were stopped at the auditorium doors by a band mom with a clipboard. Every band kid knew who she was.

"Hello," The band mom greeted.

"Hey!" Harper replied enthusiastically, happy to be back into the Marching Band life.

"Harper Anderson on flute right?" The band mom asked, looking at the clipboard in her hands.

"Mello, actually, this year," Harper replied, bouncing on her toes.

"Sweet," She said, writing something on the piece of paper that on the clipboard, "are you excited for this season?"

"Yes! Of course! I'm not a rookie, playing the mellophone, and band camp is awesome... not in the moment... but when it's over, it is because of all the memories," Harper rambled excitedly, "I also heard we are going to Seattle, is that true?"

"You'll have to wait and see," Was the only reply she got before the band mom handed a paper about fees to Harper's father and they entered the large auditorium.

Harper spotted Hunter and his parents and sister, Sarah, in the fourth row up in the center section, Skylar, her parents and three little siblings resided two rows behind Hunter. Harper walked forward with her parents trailing behind, and she took the row between her two friends.

"Guys, I'm so excited!" Harper whisper-yelled at her friends.

"I know, me too," Hunter and Skylar responded in sync.

"Hi, Harper," Waved the fourteen year old girl with brown curly hair that sat next to Hunter.

"Hi, Sarah. Are you joining Marching Band?" Harper asked her.

Sarah nodded shyly.

"On Trumpet on a better instrument like Mellophone, so you could be with me?" Harper smirked at the thoughtful and excited look on the younger girl's face when she mentioned being in the same section.

Sarah played the trumpet in her junior high band currently but she would be moving into the high school next year, allowing her to do marching band, but she idolized Harper and everything she did and nobody knew why.

Before Sarah could respond, Mr. Brady started talking.

"Welcome. I'm going to start while guard continues to file in."

Everyone turned their head to see the Winter Guard entering the auditorium from the far doors.

"To start this off, I just want to show everyone last year's performance at state."

He went to stand off to the side as a projector started up and the white screen lowered from the ceiling.

The video began with the marching band in all white on the field and the three drum majors in blue and white. The band performed, the people in the auditorium applauded at cool parts like the flute solo and cool visual elements as well as when they took off the white shirt and each section had a different color while they played 'True Colors' by Cindy Lauper. Then there was the final hit. Everyone in the audience applauded as the projector faded and the screen went back up into the ceiling.