Rhythm of Music: Jonnor

Chapter 1

This is my first Jonnor fanfic so please leave any reviews or suggestions you have. In this AU Connor and Jude didn't attend the same middle school and are just now meeting in high school. I do not own any of the characters.

Connor's POV

I counted in my head, trying my best to avoid getting off step, or messing up my line. I loved marching band, but trying to keep the upperclassmen happy with both my marching and playing could be slightly difficult at times. The only thing that made the never-ending hours of practice worth it, was the thought of getting to see Jude. It frightened me to think of how just one conversation with Jude could captivate me long after we stopped talking. I could spend hours reading into every single word that the brown haired boy spoke to me.

I was suddenly brought back to the marching sets when the section leader of my section snapped at me by whisper -shouting, "Left, left, left." I was disappointed at myself for letting my mind wander to some place that wasn't marching, but it was hard with Jude next to me nearly the entire show. It constantly reminded me that he would never like me because I was in fact nowhere near as good of a marcher as him, nor a player.

In middle school, before I met Jude, I always had a passion for playing the tenor saxophone and was always good at it, but being a freshman in high school was a real eye opener. I was no longer the best and was constantly worried about messing up, and frankly I think I liked it better knowing I could out play any person who chair challenged me.

We were just heading to our last set of the final song when I caught Jude's eye for just a split second and caught something that could have possibly been something like panic. Just as the song ended and I snappily put my instrument back down to set position. Just then a question occurred to me, when had I even realized I was gay? I thought back to the months and even years before meeting Jude and realized that I had never noticed boys before, not that I had ever been interested in girls either, but the realization still confused me.

I decided to push the puzzling question away for later, as the band broke apart for a water break, and I was bound and determined to talk to Jude. I lightly laid my instrument down in the grass, making sure not to break the reed before bouncing off to find my crush. I quickly spotted Jude closer to the edge of the field drinking out of a water bottle he had brought himself, unlike most of the band members including myself.

"Hey Jude," I confidently said, while approaching the small boy.

"Oh hey Connor, aren't you going to get some water?" he asked, what seemed to me as nervously. Jude bit on his lip for a second before coming back with another question, "Or you know you could just have some of mine," he offered, sticking the blue bottle out in my direction.

"No thanks, I'm not that thirsty anyway," I managed to say rather coolly.

Both of us stood in silence for a minute before we were finally saved by one of Jude's older siblings coming over to talk to him about something. Taking my chance, I quickly mumbled a "nice talking to ya", before scolding myself, while making my way back onto the field, for ever thinking I could talk to Jude without making a complete idiot out of myself. Even though I felt like a fool I had to admit that one good thing had come out of the conversation. Jude was definitely as nervous as I was to talk, and I couldn't see any other reason why he would be anxious unless he liked me back. After what felt like forever the rest of the musicians returned to the field from their Gatorade and water and we began to practice once again, only to be stopped quite frequently for our director to scold us on one thing or another.

Throughout the rest of the practice I couldn't help but think about what it would be like to date Jude, or to even be close friends with him. I knew that Jude wasn't in any of my other classes, which made band even that much more nerve racking, it meant I had one shot every other day to try to get Jude to like me. Every day I anticipated the next band class or Wednesday night rehearsal, and I think it was slowly driving me insane.

I knew as our fun-loving but serious band director called it a night and sent us in by sections that I was going to be scolded by our section leader, Erin for messing up so much tonight, but I really couldn't help it. I began to walk in, trying to put as much distance between me and Erin as possible, and as little distance between me and Jude as possible, when I somehow ran straight into Brandon, Jude's sibling that had come over to talk to him earlier.

"Oh hey, you're Connor right?" asked Brandon hesitantly, not exactly sure if he had gotten my name correct.

"Umm, yeah I am."

"Cool, as drum major it's my job to know everybody's name but I have to admit I'm having a little trouble. I remembered yours because Jude talks about you a lot at home."

With Brandon's words I felt my heart skip a beat. Does this mean that Jude likes me? For all I know he could be telling his family what a terrible marcher and player I am. I resisted the urge to get sick right there on Brandon's Dinkles as my stomach twisted into knots. Nervously I asked, "Does he hate me?"

Brandon chuckled to himself before responding, "No he doesn't hate you, he just talks about you a lot. Not bad things, to be honest I don't know why he talks about you so much. "After giving his answer he wondered for a second and then came back with what was meant to be a joke, "I don't know maybe he has a crush on you!" he laughed.

With that Brandon went to catch up with some of the other drum majors and left me standing there in a daze. Did he really think Jude had a crush on me? Even though what Brandon said was supposed to be a joke it gave me the confidence I needed to go do what I needed to do.

I raced my way back to the band room knowing that Jude was probably already putting his instrument away. I reached our adjacent lockers just in time. Jude was sliding his hefty case into the small band locker. I sat my instrument down and placed myself slightly too close to Jude as we both took off our Dinkles. I swallowed my throat one last time before finally deciding to speak, "So umm Jude I was wondering if you wanted to like hang out sometime?"

I glanced out of the corner of my eye to see Jude show somewhat of a blank expression. Of course he didn't like me; all the signs were just in my head.

"Uhhh, yeah sure that could be fun I guess," he seemed to say somewhat reluctantly. My face fell with disappointment, at the obvious fact that Jude didn't want to spend time with me, but stupidly asked for his number anyway, "Okay well can I have your number so I can text you?"

"Yeah sure, give me your phone so I can put it in and you can just text me whenever," he said this time slightly more enthusiastically.

I gladly handed the brown-eyed boy my phone, before returning my instrument to its case. After handing my phone back to me, he hesitated as if wanting to say something else, before saying goodbye.

"Just text me whenever."

"Alright, I will," I say kindly.

Once I had finished packing up my instrument, I smiled at the previous events. I was so glad I had finally worked up the courage to ask my crush out on a date, even if I was the only one who knew that's what it was.

Thanks for reading and please review.