an old fued ( Angel of Music and me only )

"Yeah thanks for offering"

I lay on the couch and fall asleep

(skip to next morning? lol)

((Yesss))

(okaay)

I wake up at 6 am and run downstairs. I was running early but I had the section leader meeting an hour earlier this morning. I still had to pick Allison and Brian up I tought. I text them and asked relieved when they told me Brian's brother was taking them. I cooked some scramble eggs and waited for my sister to wake up. I wondered if she would actually eat them, not actually caring - I ate my serving and then ran back upstairs. I got my uniform, clarinet, dot book, and music binder with show music and stand tunes in it. I took them to my car and put them into the trunk. Then went back inside to wait it out for the next hour.

Brian: I was up at 530 because of my brother, he kept banging around in the kitchen. I walked downstairs and he was cooking breakfast. "What's up?" I asked. He never cooked in the morning, I always had cereal or left overs from the night before. He looked at me and smiled - there was a hint of pain there. "Today is the 1 year aniversary of mom and dad's death." I look down. I had forgotten. "We are going to the grave after your competition. I am going to watch you guys today" I brightened up a bit, he never had found interest in our shows or competitions. He hadn't come to our practice competition last week, and in middle school he never showed interest at all. "Thanks," I smile and sit down at the table where there is my first warm breakfast since the morning before my mom and dad died.

I was rushing around, my dad and brother were soundlessly sleeping. I took my bag of stuff for marching band out and set it behind my dads car. Then went back inside and ate a bagel. I walked out and sat on the curb to wait for Brian and his brother. I had finally decided to turn my phone back on. It vibrated a few times and I looked at my texts. My mom was coming to our compitition today. My mom. At my first compitition as a Sophmore and section leader. I quickly went over my show in my head. the marimba part in the middle to the vibe part at the end.

"I'm ready"

I practice the routine and stop when I see my old friend. It was Brian's older brother. I wave him over

"Eh I'm a free man which makes it amazing. I dumped the girl this morning...oh there she is" I nod toward her

I head down to the practice field in my uniform since we were leaving later today for the competition

"Hello there. And who are you?" I ask the stranger not looking at Ty

"Taylor just chill" I roll my eyes and look at Allison

"I'm Mickey," I say to him. "But it doesn't matter, I need to get in the stands to watch my brother perform today." I smile at her "See ya later man," I say to Ty and I turn around to walk to the stands.

The drum major ushered the cheerleaders of the feild, "The football players are going to be running on soon," he tells them sternly. "And the marching band must perform the nathional anthem." He turns and roll steps back to the band who is in formation to play the anthem. He waits for the football players to run on and everyone to be in place before he starts conducting.

I watch as he ushers everyone off, when he starts conducting I remeber the crashes simply from how they are. Crash, hi hat, crash. It was a hard rythm to come down with but I got it in the end. Waiting to roll step march into the stands for the game.

I easily lay the clarinet one part, the highest notes possible on the clarinet.

I look at the flag while they play

I look at the flag but glace at Mickey. Was he going to try something on Taylor?

the drum major leads the band off the feild and into the designated seats for them. he waits for the game to start and sets the drum line off to do what ever they want for the first quater until the team gets a touch down and then the whole band would play something.

I smile and start to talk with the otehr wind players in the marching band. Our marching band was getting bigger sicne I came here and I was proud of the turn out this year.

I watch the cheerleaders but in particular Taylor. I had been a cheerleader my junior and senior year here and thats why I hadn't gone to any marching band things for my brother. But I had had a change of heart last nnight and decided I should give it a chance. Brian seemed excited enough about the theme "The Bright side" so it had to be cool. Besides, it had one of my favorite songs as the ballad! I couldn't pass that up.

The drum line did a bunch of their little cadences and stand tunes and I was smiling and laugh and playing the cymbals as needed. Then they brought up to play a new one, I had to stand in front of the snares while the feshman infront of the tenors. It was hard to balance the cymbals in each hand and stand while the snares were hitting the cymbals but I got we got through it laughing and smileing

Allison seemed so happy to be in the stands playing cymbals.

Soon it was half time. I run to get into my position. The awkward part was that Ty had to lift me up a lot...the music starts playing and I start moving.

We do the routine perfectly as we end

This was the drum majors least favorite part of the footballgames. the cheerleaders part of halftime. When they were done we hurried onto the feild and he watched the pit set up and then waited for the cue that everyone else was ready. he got the beat down quickly and then started to conduct the show, soon the ballad was here and he waited for Allison to get to the microphone quickly. It was the song smile and she had gotten the singing part. SHe started singing once the drum major had started to conduct the ballad.

I paused on my first dot and when we started the notes came flying out or my clarinet.

The show was so simple until we froze for the ballad to begin, I started to loose my train of thought when she started to sing. I closed my eyes a moment and focused, ignoring the lyrics comign from her mouth.

I watched the show, keeping a close eye on Brian, he seemed distracted when Allison started to sing. I hoped he would be okay to get through their competition tonight.

My marimba part came easily in the beginning and then I hurried to the mic taking a deep breath and then letting the words flow as the music started :

"Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though it's breaking
Where there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by...
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun come shining through for you.

Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of cryin'?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
When you just smile.
"

And then it was to the vibes for me. Playing the closer easier now that the singing was over.

I stop dancing when the song finishes and I flip down into Ty's arms. I quickly crawl out and run to the bathroom. The song hurt too much to listen to right now.

I smile at Allison. I loved her voice

When the band was finished he turned and boqed like he always did and then they were all ushered off the feild to get onto the buses to go to their first competition.

I take a deep breath and run into a chest, "Oh sorry Mickey"

I shrug, "You shouldn't care." I look at the ground, "I'm Taylor by the way"

"Ha. Say that to all people calling me a slut" I whisper under my breath