A Fine Line (22 page)

By Sunday evening, Lucy had lost all ability to concentrate.

If we don’t go to Indoor next weekend…

She didn’t even want to think about the end of that sentence. They had worked so hard and their show was so good, not to mention it was the last show she would ever do as a member of the Forrest Hills drumline.

It’s not fair…

Just have faith in the band.

Lying wide awake in bed, Lucy got a collective hour of sleep. She was absolutely dreading the outcome of tomorrow…which, as the minutes and seconds ticked by, turned into today. She worried that she would be the only one to go forward. She worried that Izzo would kick them all out of the band and her senior year would be remembered in a haze of scandal. She worried that she would let down all the underclassmen that were on the Line. She worried that she would let down Henry.

With all that worrying, it was no wonder that Lucy was confused as she woke up the next morning feeling exceptionally well rested. She slowly blinked and looked over at the alarm clock. As her green eyes focused on the time, a bloodcurdling scream shortly followed. Lucy sat straight up in bed – she had completely overslept on the most important day of her life!

Brown hair flying, Lucy flew out of bed to a very quiet house. Rushing downstairs, she found a note on the kitchen table from her mother, which read: You haven’t been sleeping well in the past weeks, so I didn’t have the heart to wake you this morning. Attached please find a note that should get you into school. I know you want to be there before 5th period! Love, Mom.

Lucy’s eyes watered realizing her mom had not only noticed she hadn’t been sleeping well (which, given her recent life story, she most definitely had NOT) but that she also didn’t mind letting her daughter skipping school as long as she got in before Percussion period. Lucy’s heart began shuddering in her chest. Glancing at the clock on the microwave, she saw that it was already 10AM. Many of the senior class band members, if they had gone through with the plan, had already gone in to tell Mr. Izzo the “truth.” Lucy got ready in less than five minutes and willed herself to slow down on the way to school. She pulled into her assigned spot in the Honors lot and ran up to the front office. They took her note and Lucy quickly joined her AP English class – desperate for the bell to ring so that she could find out what had happened. The clock slowly ticked off the minutes and finally the period ended. Lucy was the first one out the door and found her way to Gina’s locker (the girls’ usual meeting spot) willing her two best friends to instantly appear. As they walked up, the look on both of their faces told her everything. Lucy put up her hands and there was a three way high five, plus a good bit of jumping up and down and squealing.

Gina, who could easily speak the fastest, quickly filled Lucy in, “So, the bell rings for first period and suddenly there’s like this total line outside Izzo’s office. The late bell rings and all of us in line don’t take our seats. We all keep waiting and it’s seriously like almost everyone in the class. The only people who aren’t in line all want to be Drum major next year, so whatever, and he’s all ‘Can I help you?’ so Mandy says, well, Mandy, tell him what you said.”

Mandy immediately chimed in, so fast that Lucy got the feeling this story had been told a few times during the day already, “So, I tell him ‘You wanted to know who was behind the prank at Homecoming. All of us want to tell you who it is.’”

Gina picked the tale back up, “Only he doesn’t get it that it’s us, which is kind of cute, so the first person in line is Fred.”

Lucy’s eyes went soft. Mandy smiled, “And we were second and third…so, we all go in one at a time and tell him the same thing.”

“What did he do?”

Gina said, “Well, it took up pretty much all of class, I mean, like literally there was still a line of people when the bell rang.”

“And what about second and fourth period?”

Mandy continued, “From what I heard it was a pretty big success.”

“But what do you think he’ll do?”

Lucy chewed nervously on her thumbnail, Gina and Mandy looked at each other, before Gina said, “I don’t know, but I mean we’re doing exactly what he asked for, right?”

Mandy put her arm around Lucy, “He’ll have to let you guys go to Indoor.”

Lucy’s heart thundered in her chest as she walked into 5th period that day. She knew it was her turn to go and talk to her band director. Usually, that was such an easy thing to do, but today it was completely different. Lucy felt for sure that she was going to sound different than everyone else and Mr. Izzo was going to be able to tell that she was actually, unlike everyone else who had been in his office today, telling the truth.

The bell rang, and although it was very important that the Line practice, they decided that it was more important if they actually made it to competition in the first place. Billy took the first spot by Mr. Izzo’s office. The band director seemed to know the drill by now.

One by one the Line went in, starting by order of rank. Lucy was fourth in line behind Billy, Tom, and Molly. Before she walked in, the bass drummer wiped sweaty palms on her jeans and took a deep breath.

He doesn’t know…

“Well, Lucy, I must say that I’m surprised to see you in here.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Izzo, I was the one who convinced everyone to participate in the prank. I apologize for my actions. Please do not let the drumline or any other members of this band suffer for my behavior,” Lucy managed to say all in one breath.

Mr. Izzo sat back in his chair. Quiet for a moment, the band director said, “You know, Lucy, I think you should really reconsider whatever your future plans are. You really had me convinced there. Maybe you should talk to the drama department when the season is over.”

I wasn’t acting…

Instead, she answered with a quavering voice, “Yeah, maybe.”

Mr. Izzo sighed deeply, “Well, you better send in the next candidate.”

There it was. She had went in and told the truth and was being sent on her way.

Don’t think for one second that this is over. Nothing is certain until you step on the court for competition.

At the beginning of Tuesday’s practice, Mr. Izzo had the entire band gather in a half arc to warm up. It was strange because it was rare the each section would be together to warm up like this after competition. Instead of the drum majors conducting, the band director himself led the group. He brought down his hands, but no one broke attention. They stood and looked straight ahead. The band director walked through the group.

Mr. Izzo began speaking, “I have been with this program for fifteen years. I have seen many of your older brothers and sisters come through the school and I know that I will see your younger siblings as well. I have met and worked with your parents. I have seen and will see each of you grow up in wonderful young men and women. I would like to think that I had something to do with the person you will be in the real world. So, in light of recent events and admissions, I offer a solution. I cannot and will not ignore what happened at the Homecoming game, nor can I ignore those of you who stepped forward and admitted to being a part of the prank. However, the overwhelming truth is there. You are working as a group and supporting a section. All of you who have come forward will serve a Saturday school detention to help clean the stadium. Finally,” he paused dramatically, “the drumline will be allowed to play on Saturday. I encourage you all to attend and support the section. On Thursday, I hope they will give us a demonstration of the show.”

Cheers went up through the band. They knew they had done wrong and the “punishment” was kind of perfect – it definitely fit the crime.

As Thursday’s practice came to an end, the Line was let go early to go and change. In the percussion room amidst the cases and music, Molly, Lucy and Bronwyn changed into their Kelly green flapper dresses, which had been purchased on Homecoming evening. Like a page out of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, the same dress weirdly worked for each of the girls. As they all changed from Chuck Taylors to Steve Madden heels, Bronwyn said simply, “I’m glad we get to compete.”

The happy emotion in the redhead’s voice made all the stress of the past week worth it. Lucy and Molly looked at the younger girl, nodding.

Lucy peeked her head out the door into the band room, she called out, “You guys done changing in there yet?”

“Why don’t you come see for yourself, Luce?”

“No thanks, Mark. I forgot to bring my magnifying glass.”

All was back to normal on the Forrest Hills drumline.

As the Line “took the court for competition” (which was really the back student parking lot), there were plenty of catcalls and whistles from the appreciative marching band. The guys certainly cleaned up nicely. At a local thrift store, the section leaders (minus Molly and Lucy) had managed to find white suits. Many of the guys (with the exception of the cymbal line) sported fedoras and spats.

Bronwyn flushed as she set up the marimba for the opening set. She had noticed more than a few masculine glances her way – one of which came from the very blue eyes of the junior drum major. Without a second thought, she pasted on a smug drumline smile and waited for Billy to start the show.

The drumline captain tapped out counts and the performance started. It was a lot of fun for the gathered marching band to hear the same music from the half time show transposed for a smaller stage and different instruments. As the Line finished the show, everyone was clapping and cheering. As was also tradition, Billy stepped forward to invite the rest of the band to come and cheer the Line on at competition, “I want to let you all know that I couldn’t, we wouldn’t, be going if it wasn’t for your help. If you’ve never been to an Indoor drumline competition before, I think you’d really enjoy yourselves. Look for us at Finals in the evening or come out and support the individual competitors in the morning. On behalf of your entire Forrest Hills drumline, thank you!”

From the football practice field, Wes saw the marching band gathered around and cheering. He watched as they walked away – keeping his eyes peeled for the second bass drummer.

Was that…?

Wes knew he would probably recognize the familiar brown ponytail for the rest of his life.

Why is she dressed like that?

From Wes’s vantage point he could see Lucy in what appeared to be vintage clothing

Very short vintage clothing.

Sean came up beside him and looked where Wes was watching, “I thought you and the band dork weren’t together.”

“We’re not, no thanks to you.”

“Hey, don’t put this on me.”

“Whatever.”

Sean turned away, “Is that why you’ve been sucking recently?”

Wes looked at his teammate and asked gruffly, “What do you mean?”

The British footballer knew that his game had been consistently off since he and Lucy had stopped whatever they had almost started. He was missing field goals that he usually would have no trouble making. It really shouldn’t have been an issue, except the football team was coming up on playoffs, and stupid missed kicks were really going to start making a difference.

Sean shrugged, “When you first came to the team, you were like this awesome guy who never missed. Now, you miss more than you make. I heard Coach is thinking of starting Bennett this week instead of you.”

Wes felt like he had been kicked in the stomach. If it wasn’t enough that Lucy wouldn’t talk to him, let alone look at him, and Tiffany was constantly throwing herself at him, the one thing he had left in his life, American football, might be taken away from him.

To Sean, he responded, “That sucks, but it’s his call.”

“But you have the skills.”

Thinking of the past couple of months, Wes said walking away, “Maybe. Maybe not. I’m not sure if I ever had them to begin with.”

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: The Last Hurrah

With the pressure of whether or not they were going to compete lifted from the collective shoulders of the Line, the home game on Friday night was a nice distraction before the only Indoor competition of the year. In the world outside the Drumline, the Forrest Hills football game that week was more intense than usual. So far in the season, the Fighting Flyers had only one loss. Logically, the more the football team won the more chance the marching band had to stay together and keep playing – even if it meant suiting up in freezing temperatures – it still was one last time to run through the show.

During her long drum rolls while playing the Star Spangled Banner, Lucy looked over and saw that Wes was not warming up with the rest of the team; instead he was on the sideline.

Why am I even looking over there?

Lucy snapped her head back to attention and stared up at Fred and Drew, but still her green eyes were drawn to the tall football player who was not on the field.

Does this have to do with the whole Homecoming fiasco?

Who are you kidding? Wes’s ability to kick a ball has nothing to do with you or your pranks whatsoever.