"I hate getting a ride home from a guard girl," Specs muttered. He sat dejectedly in the passenger seat of Hotshot's red two-door. "Damn bastards... I can't believe they ditched me. I'm supposed to drive the car, I'm the room leader and the section leader, I-"
"Oh will you just shut up?" Hotshot growled. "I'm beginning to see why they ditched you."

"What?" Specs stared at her. She stopped t the light and stared back.

"You know everyone in the band hates you, right?" She said.

Specs scowled. "Yeah. I'm a 'Yank.' Of course they do."

"Naw, we're getting over that." She turned the car onto Liberty. "Pie is about to become a member of Break Ranks, Break Noses-"

"I hate that," Specs muttered. "It's not good for our reputation."

"But it's tradition. You keep trying to push away our tradition and spirit in exchange for reputation. We have one of those. Other bands are scared of us because of it. But we need our traditions too. Like Blue and Hawk's trumpet duels. Or the Ehrler twins trying to see how long they can play each other's instruments before someone notices. The nicknames. The movies. The section rivalries." She shifted gears to turn back onto Liberty after 24th street. "It's tradition. And everyone hates you for trying to take them away."

Specs stared out the window, silent. Hotshot brushed a lock of dark hair behind her ear.

"Maybe if you loosened up... tried to trumpet routine for Friday night... they'd like you more."

"The strike is stupid. It won't work." Specs sighed. "Think realistically. Would Dr. MacDonald really listen to us like that?"

"If we annoy him enough, he will." She stopped the car in front of his apartment. "Now get out. And don't tell your roomies I drove you home; they'd send Tab to kill me." She smiled. "He's our band assassin, you know. Another tradition."

Specs opened the car door. "Hey, uh, Brooke?"

"It's Hotshot."

"Fine. Hotshot." He rolled his eyes. "Why did you drive me home?"

She shrugged. "You're a jackass," she said, grinning. "But you're a cute jackass."

Specs shut the door and watched as she pulled away. She was just kidding, right?

He wasn't really a jackass.

Was he?

"Hey, Snitch!"

Snitch, standing in the hallway during break in American Studies, turned and grinned at Skittery. "What do you want?"

Skittery licked his finger and shoved it in Snitch's ear. The younger boy squealed and kicked away.

"I have been violated!" He cried. "Rape! Manrape! I been raped by a man!"

"Who said Skittery was a man?" Mob shouted. A couple other boys sniggered and slapped his back. Shad put a hand on his shoulder, grinning.

"What this." Snitch smirked. "Hey, Mob! Eighty percent of all gay relationships start with a touch on the shoulder!"

Mob frowned, glanced at Shad's hand, then jerked away, screeching, "Ew, fag! You may be a trumpet, but I'm a tenor! I'm so straight it hurts!'

Snitch and Skittery were in hysterics, falling against the wall to steady themselves. When the giggles started to taper, the heard other, higher pitched ones. Glancing over, they saw Mondie, Swinger, and Lyr laughing with Kandy and Mayfly. Kandy, like Skittery, had just gotten out of Humanities, while Mayfly was on her way to World History. Humanities, American Studies, and World History were all held in the same two hallways, explaining the sudden flood of band students.

"That was good, Snitch," Kandy said, looking at Skittery. "That true?"

"What?"

"That gay relationships thing?"

"Oh." Snitch shrugged. "Don't know. It's just something fun to tell people."

"Y'know what else is fun to tell people?" Mondie grinned. "Flaming trumpets."

"We're not flaming!" Skittery and Snitch shouted in unison.

"Speaking of flaming," Mayfly said, "guess who's coming to the game tomorrow night?"

"No." Swinger's face lit up. "You're mugging."

"I'll take that as joking, and no I'm not. Gilbert is going pep that night, and Twitch opted to come scope out the Yanks." She shrugged. "He so needs a boyfriend."

"Wait, did I hear right?" Skittery's eyebrows furrowed. "Did you say he needs a boyfriend?"

"Yes."

"Ew. No."

"Oh, yes." Mayfly grinned. "Don't worry, Skitts, you'll get a boyfriend too. Sadie's is coming up. If you don't have a date, take Snitchy."

Swinger was cracking up. "Oh, that would be so awesome. I'd go just to see that."

"Yeah, you would," Lyr laughed.

"You're not going?" Snitch asked casually.

"No. I don't like school dances. They're boring and they never play good music."

"Oh." He looked disappointed. "Anyone else going?"

Kandy shrugged. "Still thinking. Sadie's is the sophomore-hosted dance. Those suck. No offense, May."

"None taken. But I'm going."

"With who? Twitch?"

"Naw. I'm trying to get out of that whole 'I-don't-have-a-date-so-I'll-go-with-my-gay-best-friend' deal."

"Going stag, then."

"Nope." She grinned. "Watch this. Oye, Tab!"

Tabloid, standing with the rest of his brass buddies, looked up curiously. "Que?"

"Quiere usted ir a la baile conmigo?"

Tab blinked, then laughed. "Si, senorita! Me encanta las chicas menores!"

Laughter from both groups, except for Snitch and Skittery, who both took German.

"What was that?" Skittery asked.

"Tab's taking Mayfly to Sadie's." Lyr shrugged. "No big."

"That's the most killer thing about band," Swinger said. "You can date anyone and no hard feelings after."

"Except you and Chuckles," Mondie sniggered. "And Trick."

Swinger scowled. "Except you and Whitey. And I still talk to both Chuckles and Trick, for your information."

"Yeah, she bitches at Trick," Mayfly giggled.

"And she does nothing but make fun of Chuckles," Lyr added.

"C'mon, lay off," Snitch said. "It's easy to be mad at someone you broke up with or who broke up with you."

"Like you'd know!" Skittery cried. " -Down-the-Blonde-Pretty-Cheerleader-Because-I'm-a-good-Christian-boy-and-don't-wanna-get-laid-before-I-die!'"

Snitch's face colored scarlet. "She was a slut! She slept with everyone!"

"That was the point, asshole."

"I didn't want to risk STDs."

"That's why there's condoms."

Snitch sputtered for a moment. "The... the bell's gonna ring soon. I better get inside."

He slipped into the classroom, still blushing. Kandy smacked Skittery's shoulder. "What did you make fun of him for? That was sweet!"

"Abstinent are hard to find." Mayfly shifted her backpack. "They're good catches."

"He's cute when he blushes," Swinger mused, staring at the door. Mondie nudged her.

"Hello? Operation: Cold Shoulder?"

"Oh, I'm so done with that. Snitch is sweet, and Mush is sorry."

"Only 'cause he got caught."

"Naw," Skittery interjected. "Mush isn't like that. He got a B on his report card once and felt so guilty about it, he cooked dinner for his mom every night for two weeks."

Mondie frowned. "The bell is about to ring. Don't you have a class to get to?"

Skittery grinned. "No. Lunch."

Mondie scowled and stormed back into the classroom. Swinger and Lyr followed, exchanging exasperated glances. Kandy smiled at Skittery.

"Not bad," she said. "I have lunch now too. Walk with me?"

"Sure."

Mayfly, still putting off her class, followed them both for a moment. "You two are cute," she said. "Ask him to Sadie's, Kandy."

Kandy looked at her. "Get to class, soph."

Mayfly blinked, grinned, and danced into her classroom. Skittery laughed. "Damn underclassmen," he said. "Never shut up."

"Would you?"

"Would I what?" He looked at Kandy. Her soft, brown skin tinted pink.

"Would you go to Sadie's with me?"

He cocked his head to the side and smiled. "Sure. It'll be fun."

As they stepped down the stairs, walking in time with each other as band students are prone to do, he took her hand.

Because of Sadie's approach, band students started to pair off: Artemis asked Jake after practice one morning and got a shy 'yes' in response; Pierce asked Dutchy, who strutted around like a peacock for three days after; Blue and Hawk got desperate and started asking girls to ask them... with no luck. By Friday afternoon, students were shyly, cautiously hanging out with other students of the opposite sex.

"I hate dances," Phoenix groaned as she braided Sweetie's hair. "And I hate the days before."

"Are you a spinster, Gracie?" Shock asked, smirking.

"No. Go die, manslut."

"That hurts."

"It was supposed to."

"I have gossip."

Phoenix raised her eyebrows. "Whaddaya got?"

"Hair-braiding."

"Big deal."

"Boy braiding girl."

Phoenix gasped. "No! Who?"

"What's the big deal?" Sweetie asked, confused.

"A boy braiding a girl's hair is, like, bandsex," Shock explained. Sweetie's eyes widened to the size of golf balls, and Shock was pleased he had corrupted her so.

"Now tell me who," Phoenix pressed.

"Okay. Listen close."

"Guess what Phoenix just told me!"

All attention in the girl's changing room turned to Artemis, who looked despicably excited.

"What?" Sling asked.

"One of our own got her hair braided by a boy!"

"What boy?"

"Snitch!"

"Oh, that's not... the Yank?" Atlantic's eyes widened, her face glowing with devious excitement. "Ohmigod, who?"

Mondie's jaw dropped and her head swiveled. "Swinger!"

Swinger, her hair braided tight, dark brown ponytails fanning out by her ears, blushed. "What?"

"Did you let Snitch braid your hair?"

"Yeah!" She pursed her lips. "Look at how tight it is! He did a good job!"

"You slut!"

"Hey! So not!"

"Get out! You're not allowed in the dressing room anymore!"

Swinger cocked an eyebrow. "Monds, get over it."

"He put a spider in your bed!"

"And he apologized and he's sweet!" Swinger grabbed her jacket and shoes. "Mush did the same thing!"

"You're too gullible!"

"You're too stubborn!"

"Easy slut!"

"Hard bitch!"

A moment of absolute quiet. Then, at the same instant, both girls fell forward and hugged each other, shrieking their apologies. If a boy had been witnessing this scene, he would have been stunned by the sudden change of attitude.

But that's girls for you.

Swinger kissed Mondie's cheek, apologized again, and left the locker room in her socks, a good-luck thing she liked to do. On her way down the hall, she heard chanting from the boy's hallway: "Bandsex! Bandsex! Bandsex!" And Snitch, still pulling up his bibbers, appeared down the hall. He was muttering to himself, blushing. Swinger smiled.

"Are they giving you a hard time?" he nodded. "Tease them back. They'll stop. Or at least ease up."

Snitch shrugged. "I don't mind really. How's your hair?"

"Nice and tight. Thank you."

"No problem, really." He was blushing still, but it seemed more modest and shy than humiliated. "You going to Sadie's?"

"No. Junior Prom will be my first high school dance. That's been the plan since freshman year." She shrugged. "Didn't I already tell you that?"

"Oh... yeah, but I thought you'd change your mind."

"Nah. Besides, that's the night of March-A-Thon. I'd be too tired."

"Oh." Again, he looked disappointed.

She reached for the door to go into the band room. "Are you involved in the strike tonight?"

His face lit up as he followed her in. "Yeah! Specs gave me his solo!"

"You're actually playing your instruments?"

"Yeah. Aren't you?"

"No. We got Ashley to choreograph ours."

"Cool."

"Yeah."

They sat on the floor near the TV, which was playing a video of the 2001 DV band show. Swinger watched as she put her shoes on.

"Check it," she told Snitch. 'The center? Me, as a frosh."

On the screen, the band formed an 'X' that fit all the way across the field, corner to corner. Snitch whistled, impressed. "That looks tough."

"It was. Every ten seconds, they made me recount to find my spot. And then I'm center again in the fourth movement, and I had to march in the mud. Terrible."

Snitch blinked. "You people have mud out here?"

She threw a glove at him and laughed.

Suddenly, Reed tossed his arms around Swinger's shoulders. "Swinger!" He cried. "Illy and I just decided to have a March-A-Thon Aftermath Party instead of going to Sadie's. You must come because I know you're not going to Sadie's anyway."

"What are we doing?"

"Hanging out, eating, watching movies."

"Oo. I'll be there if I can use your shower."

"Always." Reed released her and stood up. "For my own curiosity, why are you sitting with Snitch?"

She blinked and shrugged. "I just am."

"Oh. Well you do that. I gotta invite more people before they all go to Sadie's instead." He turned to leave, but the younger girl called after him:

"Isn't Snitch invited?"

Snitch blushed. "Oh, no, he doesn't really know me, you don't have to-"

"Sure!" Reed grinned. "He'll be as dead, sweaty and single as anyone else coming, so why not?'

Snitch stared as Reed attacked Smalltalk, Classic and Itch. "But I thought..."

"You're a real band student now," Swinger grinned. "You just got invited to your first band party."

Snitch bit his lip. "Is that good or bad?"

She cocked her head to the side and giggled. "Depends on who else is coming."

"I feel sad, Hawk."

"Why, Blue?"

"Because the Newsies band didn't perform!"

"Aw, poor baby! Ah well, life goes on."

"Yeah! Not like they're really sexy gay boys that sing and dance anyway."

"Not worth it!" They said in unison before snickering and exchanging a high five. Smalls, watching, narrowed her eyes.

"Okay, just for that? I'm bringing Newsies to Reed's party," She said, smirking as her sectionmates groaned. "And will someone tell me why Skam is wearing my boyfriend's jacket and answering to 'Shad?'"

Skam swore and stood up. "How'd you know?"

"Honey, Shad fidgets with his valves before a show. You were drumming 'Chaos.' Go find your drum."

Skam swore again and trudged down the stairs to find his brother and exchange jackets again. Smalls smiled. Even in the heat of war against the principal and school board, band students will be band students. Thye cued up 'Impression That I Get,' and while everyone else played, Blue and Hawk sang along:

"I never had to knock on wood

But I know someone who has

Which makes me wonder if I could

It makes me wonder if I."

Yes. Friday night in the stadium, comfortable in the stands, waiting to perform the show. This was good. The good life. The best life.

Those haters didn't know what they were missing.

"Trumpets!" Mr. Thye called during the third quarter. "Get on the track!"

Specs sighed and stood up, but only to let the others pass by easier. Aura gave him a glare and Hawk muttered an obscenity in his direction, and when they had all passed, Specs remained standing.

Am I really being a jackass? He thought. I just thought I was being a good band student. I'm not the only one...

But he was. Snoddy had taken an interest in one of the pit girls and had joined the strike for her. Phoenix's section had created a Braid Block so Phoenix couldn't get her hair braided until she agreed to join. And either Specs was imagining things, or Mayfly and a dark-haired boy in civilian clothes were convincing Davey to join right now.

The question is: which is played sex object? Specs blinked, then laughed. No. Davey's not gay. ... Is he?

Well... Davey's sexuality wasn't the problem.

The problem was: how would Specs gain better popularity and still stick to his guns?

Oh well, he thought as the football players cleared the field and his section, headed now by a lunatic (Shad) and an idiot (Snitch), took over.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Mrs. Kirkendall announced. "Please welcome to the field the Desert Vista Band's own Trumpet Section in strike exhibition! Headed by James Jackson, Casey Ehrler, and Daniel Riccio, the trumpets are..."

The cheering, screaming and hyping from the band drowned her out. Sparks and Hotshot threw their massive amounts of friendship mail into the air like confetti, squealing at the trumpets, who, of course, were in a perfect block formation as they stood on the fifty yard line. Shad and Snitch stood at parade rest before their troops, and there was no doubt that these were fine, upstanding young men and women, the kind that make their parents smirk and beam with pride at every mention of their name.

Yeah. Right. Whatever parents want to think.

"Band, 'ten hut!" Shad cried. The trumpets snapped to attention.

"Follow my lead!" Snitch shouted, his voice deep and mature with the power of section leaders.

On that, every trumpet opened their mouth and sang in harmony:

"We'll be singing

When we're winning

We'll be singing."

Shad and Snitch looked at each other and nodded. "One, two, three!"

The trumpets fell back onto one hand, kicking out and snapping back up, doing what every trumpet was taught to do as soon as they got to their first sectional; this was the breakdancing trumpet salute.

"I get knocked down

But I get up again

You're never gonna kick me down

I get knocked down

But I get up again

You're never gonna keep me down."

It was Aura, Smalls and Kate who stood at the front of the block now, hyping on excited applause from the spectators; Chumbawumba? Now that's what kids these days want!

The trumpet chicas, wearing navy shirts that declared such under their bibbers, giggled and blushed as they sang yet again in perfect harmony:

"Pissing the night away

Pissing the night away..."

The stands cheered, and the cheers only got louder as Blue, Hawk, Sutty and Shad took a place in the front, shoving the girls out of the way. They were more lively, as they always were, bouncing, dancing, feeling the music, enjoying the pissed-off look on Dr. McDonald's face and the shocked looks on the parents' faces.

"He drinks a whisky drink," Blue said.

"He drinks a vodka drink," Hawk replied.

"He drinks a lager drink," Sutty interjected.

"He drinks a cider drink," Shad's turn; then they all came together:

"He sings the songs that remind him of the good times

He sings the songs that remind him of the better times."

The girls chimed in again:

"Oh, Danny boy

Danny boy

Danny boy..."

"I get knocked down, but I get up again..." The chorus repeated itself, and now kids in the stands were up and dancing; the beat was quicker than the last song, and Tubthumping was a more recent hit, easier to get in to. Most kids were singing along. And when Snitch lifted his trumpet to play the solo, the crowd cheered, pleased that they could now say they knew someone who could play that song. The girls sang their part again, and this time, Skittery played the solo behind them.

Then, the extended chorus. Because the trumpets are just that cool. The block split into two parts and sang at each other:

"I get knocked down, but I get up again..."

"We'll be singing..."

"You're never gonna keep me down."

"When we're winning."

It was a success. The football played stood on their benches, hooting as Snitch and Shad wrapped up the song, saluted to the crowd, and led the trumpets off the field in an amazingly orderly fashion.

The band, of course, was on its feet as their favorite brassy (meaning 'annoying') section crawled back among their ranks. Skittery grinned as Kandy touched his shoulder when he passed, and Hawk and Blue exchanged chest bumps with Tab and Pie... only for all four to end up bowling over in pain, coughing.

Specs stood up again as his section returned to their seats. But this time, he smiled and said, "Good show, guys."

Hawk and Blue were, for once, speechless.

After every home game, the band would head to Peter Piper Pizza for relaxation and more fun before another weekend of deprivation.

Snitch stood in the line, listening to Skittery and Shad argue about whether Benny Goodman was better than Louis Armstrong, and watching as Sutty bought Kate a slice of pizza; as Skam paid for Classic's breadsticks; as Shock forked over a twenty and got Atlantic her own pepperoni so she wouldn't starve off his Bacon-Double Cheeseburger pizza.

"Hey, Shad," Snitch said, nudging his sectionmate. "Is that how it works? Guy buys girl food at Peter Piper?"

Shad shrugged and nodded. "Mostly, yeah."

"Really?" Skittery asked, raising his eyebrows. "I better find Kandy then." He got out of line by sliding under the divider, and went to search the games for his dark-skinned date. Snitch sighed.

"They're pairing off, one by one," he said mournfully. "Soon, all that'll be left is me and Mush."

"Aw, c'mon," Shad grinned and patted Snitch on the back. "Hawk and Blue are perpetually single too."

"Oh, that makes me feel better."

"I'm kidding, man." Shad rolled his eyes. "Here, y'know what? I'll help you out."

"What?"

"You want Swinger? I can so help you there."

Snitch blushed and sputtered," What... what makes you think I want Swinger?"

Shad smirked. "Oh please. You've been following her all day."

"...Oh."

"Don't worry. She likes you back. Trust me, I know."

Snitch frowned. "How?"

Shad rolled his eyes again and counted on his fingers. "Seventh grade, we met, she fell in love with me. Eighth grade, she was with Trick and I was there to witness that whole event. Ninth grade, she laid off of me because her best friend liked me. Tenth grade, she fell back in love with me, but forced herself out of it because I started dating Smalls." He stared at Snitch. "If anyone would know when Swinger's crushing, I would."

Snitch sighed. "Okay, proof enough. Wait," he frowned. "How do I know she's over you?"

"Snitch, trust me. Lute McDonaghey and Casey Ehrler never were and never will be." Shad pursed his lips. "Are you done being jealous, Mr. What-Makes-You-Think-I-Want-Swinger?"

Snitch blushed. "Yes."

"Good. Here's what you do: her secret pleasaure is Hawaiian pizza. She loves it, but never gets it because she can't eat one by herself and no one else likes that kind. If you buy her a Hawaiian pizza, she'll love you forever."

"Really?" Snitch blinked. "I like Hawaiian."

"Really? She'll love you even more. Now go."

Snitch hesitated, then took his turn at the counter. Specs, standing behind Shad, smiled.

"That was nice of you."

Shad blinked. "It was?"

"Yeah. Telling him how to get a girl?"

"Oh. Well, whatever. She won't date him anyway." Shad grinned. "He's too shy. We gotta get him a bit more outspoken before we set them up. She does like dominant men." He laughed. "I predict we'll be playing matchmaker by California trip."

"You're kidding. Snitch? He'll never be outspoken. He's too stupid."

"Good point. Ah well. It's not meant to be then."

"You're optimistic."

"I am?" Shad smirked. "I saw you making eyes at Hotshot. Now that's optimistic."

Specs blushed. "Stop playing matchmaker and order your pizza."

"Mm-hm. Love you too, Specs."

Next Chapter: March-in-a-thong! Oh, wait, I mean: March-A-Thon! Nightmare of the band... or dream come true?

***AUTHOR'S NOTE***

Okay, sorry about the delay and sorry about the crappiness of this chapter. I just had to get the Mountain Ridge game out of the way before getting to March-A-Thon. Which I'm excited about. Yay March-A-Thon! ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ And yay for me having band practice tomorrow morning! ^_^

Anyway, yeah. The reason this story took so long was because I hated the first version and rewrote the entire thing. Then I just left it sitting in my notebook because I still hated it. Then people started to bug me about it, so I'm updating and getting it out of the way to get to March-A-Thon.

But don't expect that chapter soon. I've also got two one-shots, a new chapter of Kvinne and Homem, and the first chapter of my new Sheer Insanity of Senior Year story to type up. That, and I just started the next chapter for It Don't Mean A Thing. And I've just finished editing a publishable version of Angel of Sin, Demon of Virtue and have dedicated a nice amount of time to editing Outkasts to make that publishable too. So yeah, I've got a lot of catching up to do before I get the chance to write March-A-Thon chapter.

But whatever! I'll see you at my next update!