| The huntress was on the prowl. With keen eyes, sharp ears, and tuned senses, nothing would escape her mighty, powerful grip. 'Damn sneaker', I thought, pulling the blue and white Nike from its hiding place. Tom would be here any minute and I was still hunting around for my--- BEEP! BEEP! Swearing again, I pulled on the shoe, grabbed my water bottle and instrument before running out of the door. 'Gods, why was marching band practice so freaking early?' I said, bounding down my yard. It was a nice fall day, the weather was warm, the sky bright blue without a cloud in sight anywhere, and everything had a serene sense to it as if Mother Earth herself was calming down for the rest of the year. "Tasha, you take forever to get ready," a voice called from the small, gray car. The voice belonged to Tom, a junior with a fighting personality, a flip mouth, and most importantly, a car. I on the other hand, being the small, dark freshmen trumpet player I was, didn't have a ride to and from practice sometimes so either him or my friend Carra would take me. With her being at school already, I had no ride except for Tom. "More like forever and a day," I replied, throwing my trumpet in the back with his and hopping in shotgun. "Let's roll!" The older boy didn't need anymore coaxing and rocketed off down the street, dust flying up behind him. The loud sounds of the new Janet Jackson single blared from the radio and the wind gusted in from the open windows, threatening to blow the Miami Dolphins cap I wore over my long hair away. After violating the speed limit more than a few times, Tom downshifted and stopped at a traffic light. "Here," he said tossing a blue jacket from the back seat at me and revving the engine at the same time. "I believe this is yours." I looked at the jacket and almost instantly recognized it. It was Will's Sprit of Atlanta jacket, the one he got from drum corps. The nickname "Bebe" (coming from the movie "Bebe's Kids") was on the left breast. The delta from the drum corps was on the right side and on the back were the words "Spirit of Atlanta" stitched in white and in cursive. "But this is Will's Spirit jacket," I replied, confused. The boy treasured the jacket like it was a part of him. As of matter of fact, he wore it so much, the trumpets DID think it was a part of him like his hair. Revving the engine again, the Junior shot a hazel-eyed glance at me. "Very observant, Tasha. Now lemme guess, you're gonna tell me it's blue?" "Well duh it's blue," I answered in a Valley Girl accent. "I mean why do I have it, wise one?" The light changed and in an instant, Tom was off again, blaring through the streets. "Cuz he said. I dunno. I can't read his mind," he said, shifting gears. I shrugged. Better to ask the lead trumpet player himself when I got there. Closing my eyes, I lost myself in Creed's "Arms Wide Open" until... "What the---" "Hey, watch your mouth," the usually foul-mouthed Junior grinned. He had hit the speed bump coming into the parking lot, causing me to hit my head in the low ceiling of his tiny car. I snorted as he came to a stop. "Oh, you're one to talk, Angel," I smirked, grabbing trumpet, water bottle, and jacket at the same time. "Ain't I just?" Tom replied, turning off his car and grabbing his trumpet. "No." Laughing, the older boy bounded into the band room to no doubt either A: mess with the band director or B: flirt with the color guard. Considering what kinda mood he was in, he would probably do both before we hit the field for warm ups. I glanced around the school for a second before heading off for the band room. Our school, Southlake High: Home of the Hurricanes, was many different buildings and wings stretched out over a block. There was a main field or stadium where all the football games were held and a crappier field that is used for practice for many different sports. The gym, faced with glass and rebuilt after the hurricane that struck our school (No joke, a hurricane hit the Hurricanes Ha.) looked out over the parking lot and Main Street that was the heart of Southlake. The band room was a little northeast of the gym and practically sat on the road and had little or no windows accounting for the...different...smell that hung in there. Sucking on water, I headed for the band's home away from home, roll stepping all the way there. 'Today is great,' I thought again. 'What I'd give to be anywhere but here.' Granted, I loved marching, but it took a lot and plus, there was one particular person I didn't feel like seeing that was definitely going to be there. I opened the door and walked into the band room, greeted by that all-familiar smell and a not-so-familiar big bear hug. "OMIGOD! Did you see that episode of 'DragonBall Z' today!?" the bear asked. Ok so it wasn't a bear, it was Darren, our band captain with the bright brown eyes, great looks, great body, and great sense of humor. I laughed and hugged back. "Of course. Cell is here!" I replied, striking a pose. This time it was Darren's turn to laugh. "Child, you is crazy! But that was sooo...so...so..." he searched for a word. "Off the heezy fo' cheesy?" I supplied. "Guess what? I taped it." A whoop went up in the band room and the color guard officially dubbed Darren as crazy. The senior wrapped me in another bear hug and did a little dance. "Thank you soooooooo much! And who's taking the ladder?" "I will," a voice said from up by the trumpet cabinet. I followed the voice to find Will, our lead trumpet player and owner of the jacket that was slung over my shoulder. The returning senior was a few inches taller than I was which put him around 5'8 and fire strawberry blonde hair that just reached his shoulders. Emerald green eyes that could flash from anger to amusement in an instant gazed at you with an older, more defined look than what he could let on. While medium in height, Will had packed muscle onto his frame smoothly and strawberry blonde hair covered his body in what the guard called "IT". The trumpet god bounded down the steps and handed me his trumpet with a smirk. "How about you take this and I'll take the ladder. Deal?" I smirked back and took the case. "Deal." Will grabbed the ladder and shouldered it and I opened the door."Come on," the older boy replied. "Coming Bebe..." Next |