My Freshman Year

Chapter 2

Band camp

July 22, 2010

The next morning getting there was intense. There were so many people crowding around the parking lot. I got out of the car and awkwardly walked to the band room with my trumpet case. The first person I saw was Drake tangled up with some other girl over to the side. I couldn't see her face but I could tell by the body language they were pretty into each other. Sam was over at our usual spot and she waved at me to come over. I smiled and saw Tony and Jackson with their instruments already out standing beside her. I walked up and got my trumpet out and we all walked outside.

The band was huge. It was amazing and nothing like I'd ever seen before. Sam and I walked up to Drake where he was with some strange kid we had never seen before. He was kinda odd looking, he was short with short brown hair and he was stocky. It took all I had not to laugh at him. I know that's mean but well it's true.

Drake looked at us hopefully and said, "this is Jack, the other kid in my section. Did you guys decide to join?"

Sam and I looked at each other and nodded and I said, "yes, we will join. But we don't know how to play the mellophone."

Drake snickered, and said, "you'll learn."

Sam and I just looked at each other and shrugged. We took our places in the marching block. Me beside Drake (unfortunately) and Sam in front of me. Jack was on the other side of me.

We marched most of the morning until the director let us go in to group up with our sections to start practicing show music. Sam, Jack, and I followed Drake inside and he showed us where to go. We set up our chairs amongst about 30 other chairs. We practiced with the sax section. We all sat down and waited for the director.

Drake looked over at Sam and I and said, "I need your cell numbers, just in case."

We gave them to him just before the director got there. We played until lunch trying to learn the first song.

Around twelve the director dismissed us for lunch and told us to back at one.

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We got back from lunch and gathered back into our practice room. We ran through the song just sight reading for a good our or two. After awhile the head director came around and told us to all go outside and gather into the marching block. We did so and practiced till about five until he dismissed us.

I went home that night and was sitting on my bed reading and my phone went off. I picked it up and looked at it, Unknown number..? It wasn't Drake's. I texted back and asked "who is this."

A few minutes passed and the person texted back and it said, "oh, I'm sorry. My name is Miles. I'm in the trombone section, I'm one of Drake's friends."

I should have thought this was weird but I didn't I was eager to find some new friends. I texted back, "oh, well ok, I'm Ellie."

He quickly texted back, "mhm I know."

We texted for awhile just getting to know each other. Harmless questions, favorite food, favorite music, etc. around eleven he and I both said bye and I put up my phone. I was exhausted and ready for sleep.