Author's Note: I figured I'd upload another chapter before my big leave Saturday. I'm soooo excited!! But also extremely nervous, too. Anyway, I just realized how close I made this story to my own life. Now, I STILL have no idea how an actual college band camp works, but Annie really is ME. I guess I based her off myself (I know I based a few other characters off people I know, like Mr. Faraway and my HS director). Which reminds me, that introduction scene with Annie and Jason, well, I kinda know how that goes now. Wednesday was the last summer practice, but I didn't get my hug then. NO! I got my hug Thursday after the band's first public performance. I was happy.

Oh, whatever... On with the story.

“Today,” Mr. Brown smiled at his drowsy students. After breakfast, he took them out for an hour of physical training, now, about thirty minutes later, the band sat sluggishly in their seats exhausted from the morning workout, “we’ll start off with sectional work. Temps are free to use the time to their wishes; you may work on field music or audition music. Remember, though, at noon we are going to start calling you by section. Lunch will last from noon to one thirty, so those of you auditioning first will have time to eat and relax. Are there any questions?”

Nobody in the chairs moved; they all either sat with their eyes closed or stared at him half-asleep. Thomas sighed. He had his whistled hanging around his neck. Rarely did the man ever use it indoors, but rarely did his band ever slack. Slowly he lifted the whistle to his mouth, and, waiting a few seconds, blew it loudly. A wave of surprise jerked the students awake, and a few he noticed, jumped out of their seats, running for the door, only to trip over a few empty chairs. The rest of the band laughed.

“Now that we’re all awake,” his gaze shifted to the students sitting on the ground, “let’s all head out for sectional work.” He dismissed the group with a wave of his hand.

The students slowly got up from their chairs and retrieved their equipment. Annie caught up with her friend Eric, a saxophone player, and they fetched their instruments together. Aiden stood by the door, waiting for Annie. When he saw her, he smiled, and then the trio left the room.

Thomas Brown watched his students leave. He did not move from his standing position until the students cleared the room. Then he grinned.

‘*’

Out in the Triangle, Gabriella sat under one of the three trees, shading herself from the sun. The rest of the trumpet section had crowded beneath the remaining trees. A smug grin appeared on her face as she commanded the section from her spot.

“Alright, we’re all going to use this time to prepare for auditions,” Gabby announced. “You may scatter around campus if you wish, or work together; the choice is yours. I will be taking a practice room inside, alone. If anyone should have any questions, I will have my cell phone on. Good luck today, everyone; you’re all dismissed to work.”

With the wave of a hand, the trumpet section bolted away from the Triangle. The junior watched as each member left in his or her own direction, some in a small group. She noticed that Andrea and her brother, Aiden, disappeared toward the football field. A sort of nervousness struck her, but she shook it off. There was no way a freshman was about to ruin her chances at being section leader, even if that particular freshman was a very good trumpet player.

‘*’

“Are you ready?” grinned Annie, peaking through the bushes of their hiding place. Behind her, Aiden chuckled, holding a water balloon in his hand.

“They won’t know what hit them.”

“Or who,” Annie reached back to grab a blue one. “This is payback for tripping me yesterday. What about you?”

He shifted next to her, two small red balloons in hand. “I really don’t have a reason. I’m a guy; this is just too much fun to pass up.”

“Okay, on my signal, we throw. And then, we run.”

Aiden’s reply was a simple nod as his partner-in-crime looked over the bushes again. Immediately, she tapped his shoulder. Sitting up, he aimed his first balloon at Sophia; Annie aimed for Olivia. Once they settled into position, she looked at him.

“Go.”

The twins on the opposite side of the bush never saw the water balloons coming.

‘*’

Somewhere off to the East of the band practice field, the flute section rehearsed their field music together, covering and fixing any problematic spots. Afterwards, the head flute and first piccolo player, Sharon Ruther took the general flute players off to another part of their section territory. The two junior piccolo players, Leah Marko and Veronica Meyer, stayed behind to work as a duo. They were new to the small instrument, and Sharon requested the two work alone. Walking off, they found a lone tree within their territory and took shelter from the sun under it. However, instead of practicing, they talked.

“I don’t like how the drummers look at that new trumpet girl, especially Zack,” Leah complained, disgusted that the lead snare could be interested in a freshman over her.

“Don’t think anything of it, Leah,” Veronica said, twirling her hair. “He’s a guy; it’s probably nothing.”

The second piccolo sighed. “You’re probably right. Besides, Zack does not date freshmen. I,” she grinned and leaned back against the tree, “have nothing to worry about. Come on, let’s get to work before Sharon comes over and yells at us.”

“Yeah,” Veronica agreed, grabbing her piccolo and flip folder. “Are we starting from D? I always have trouble with that part.”

Leah nodded. “I was thinking E, but D works, too.”

‘*’

In one of the practice rooms, Gabby rehearsed through her audition music. She was determined to protect her chair; no freshman was going to upstage her. She had to be the better trumpet player. Licking her lips, she placed the mouthpiece to her mouth and blew into the instrument. The audition music sat on the stand in front of her as she played through it again.

It’s not perfect, but it’s better than what any of the others could play, she thought scanning through the music for any trouble spots that needed tweaked. She found a few and marked them with the pencil she always kept in her pocket. Gabby never went anywhere without one.

Before she could run through the music again, she heard a light tap on the door to her practice room.

“Yes?” she replied, setting her trumpet down and walking over to the locked door. The knocker did not have time to respond as the door opened. “Ellen!”

A girl brown-haired girl with glasses stood in the doorway. “Sorry, Gabby, but it’s noon. Mr. Brown wants all practice rooms closed now. He’s ready to call in the first section.”

Gabby nodded, understanding. She went back into the room to gather her trumpet and music before following the senior out. Ellen had her flute; she would be one of the first to audition. The girls entered the lobby and the parted ways.

“Good luck, Elle,” the junior smiled.

“Thanks,” she said, sitting down in one of the chairs. The rest of the flute section nervously looked over their material. The three piccolo players sat together in the corner while the flute players crowded around one another with last minute questions primarily coming from the freshmen of the group.

As she left the lobby, Gabby set her trumpet and music down next to the music room door. When she turned around to leave for lunch, she saw Aiden and Annie together outside. The windows were not sound proof so she heard them singing through their audition music. Although she was inside and they were outside, Gabby realized that the freshman had a good voice. In her mind, a good voice meant that the musician had a good ear and good judgment.

No! She thought. I will NOT let her beat me. I have worked too hard and long to for this to let a freshman ruin everything. I WILL beat her! I will!

Her thought train derailed when her cell phone rang. She quickly reached for her phone and grinned when she saw the name of who was calling her. With a flip of the top, she answered it.

“Hey, Leah, everything okay?”

Like before - any questions, comments, concerns = let me know!

Yes, short chapter. Next one will probably be longer.