Chapter Three: Band Day Three
Brian and Allison had about five minutes of extra time before band started. They got permission from their teacher and got to get out their instruments and warm up. They had their backpacks under their chairs, so Brian gave Allison her binder. She thanked him warmly. She opened it to check if her dad had put in her dictionary. She saw the note and gave it to Brian, instructing him to read it privately. He promised he would. The first bell rang making bath Allison and Brian jump, nearly dropping her French horn and his tuba. Almost immediately after the bell sounded, the crowd of 8th grade band kids slammed through (and some ran into) the door. Jared had his saxophone mostly put together soon after he sat down. To make things interesting, Allison started talking to Jared as he was wetting his reed. �So Jared, which teacher for Spanish did you get?� ��Ista O�an. �E�s g�at! I�m g�ad I got �im!� (Translated: Mister Oman. He�s great! I�m glad I got him!) Jared said. Allison laughed because she had become fluent in Jared�s strange reed-in-mouth-caused dialect. He made a sound that meant �What?� She explained why it was humorous to her and Brian rolled his eyes. Right after warming up, the band teacher, Dr. G. (as he was called by the students) passed out three new and very challenging pieces of music. Allison read through her first piece and gasped. Brian and Jared both turned toward her with a questioning look. She pointed out something on the music. They hadn�t noticed, but right below the song�s title, small letters spelled out, �A French horn solo with band accompaniment.� Dr. G. smiled and announced to the class, �I believe our first horn player has noticed something special about the first song. Care to point it out, Allison?� �Well, if you look right below the title, it says in tiny letters �A French horn solo with band accompaniment.�� The whole band groaned, even Allison. �But Dr. G., it�s hard enough trying to hear their part normally, but now they�re the main part! This will be impossible!� someone pointed out. The entire band agreed. �For the next two weeks, I�ll be giving you challenging pieces of music with hard solos from each instrument section such as the flute section, or the alto saxophone section, etcetera so I can tell how advanced each section is, but these three will be our first concert�s pieces,� Dr. G. said. Allison dropped her head in one of her hands and groaned hopelessly. She was mad she wasn�t the only horn because John and Erin, who were the other two horn players, would mess everything up. She needed her good double horn to help her be heard, especially over John. The school horn was too hard for her get air through. After band ended, Allison stayed to talk to Dr. G. �What do you need, Allison?� Dr. G. asked. �I was wondering if you were serious or just playing a mean joke on the class about having these songs in the concert. And if you aren�t playing with us, what kind of tips can you give me to help make it so I�m heard better. Also, would you put me on a quiet microphone if no one can hear me, no matter what I do? Please?� she begged. �Well, except for blowing lots of air through you horn and playing extra loudly, I can�t think of anything else you could do. Practice tons and if you can prove to me that you know your part well enough for my standards, we�ll see about getting you a special microphone. Just be forewarned, my standards are set pretty high,� Dr. Gerhartstein answered her questions. He gave her a hall pass and an excuse slip for being late. Thanking him for his help, she grabbed her backpack and power walked to German. Brain had saved the seat next to him for Allison. She mouthed thank you to him as she sat down. He had taken notes on what Herr Beck had told them while Allison was gone. He handed it to her and she scanned over it quickly and then wrote a note telling Brian to double her thanks. The period quickly ended and Brian and Allison went back to Jared�s locker to meet up with the other two friends. �Hey Jared, what class comes next for you?� Sam asked. �Hold on. Let me get out my schedule.� Jared pulled a crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket. �Looks like now I have math.� �Oh joy, 9th grade math. Hopefully it doesn�t include any 9th graders,� Allison commented. �Did someone say my name? I�m sure it was Allison,� one of the 8th graders at a nearby locker turned around. Her long brown hair whipped the person next to her. �Sorry!� she exclaimed. �Hi, Joy,� Allison replied expectantly. �Hey! What�s your next class? Mine�s math.� Joy Benson said studying her schedule. �Not me,� three of them said together. �Oh man! We don�t a class together, Allison! That really sucks!� �Sorry, Joy.� �Oh, that�s okay! I�ll just sit by some one else. No worries.� Joy walked to math with the girl she whipped with her hair instead, but with the happiness that Allison (and company) hadn�t expected. �Hmm, that was interesting! Well, come on. Let�s grab our stuff and get to class!� Allison whirled around to walk off, not realizing that Jared had left his locker wide open with the door almost directly behind her head.
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