My Section Leader's Secrets

Chapter Twenty-Six

"Don't worry guys I got it." I shake my head and move past everyone into the band room. There are three doors, but which one has the banners?

I peek in the first room on my right, nope, that's the drum room. I open the door on my left and there's no one in there. I look around and start to get frantic. Why on earth was I sent to get these?

I'm just about to give up when the door opens and in comes Jackson. "What is taking you so long?" He asks, staring at me.

The already small room gets even smaller when he steps in. It's super hard to think about anything except him.

"Uh, just, uh." I stutter.

"Never mind!" Jackson shakes his head and moves towards me until I'm backed up against the far wall.

I look up at his eyes and try to stay calm when I realize he's looking right back at me. I subconsciously start moving towards him and it seems like he's moving closer too.

We're millimeters a part when he reaches a hand up above our heads. "The banners are right here." He looks away, grabs a small box a retreats out of the room so fast I don't have any time to analyze what just happened.

"What the hell!" I whisper into the empty room.

"Emily! What are you doing in here?" Catie and Fern burst into the room and I move up to where Jackson was 2 minutes ago.

"Nothing I'm doing nothing!" I shoulder past them and into the band room again. "Greene." I say to a random band mom who hands me my uniform. "Thanks so much!" I call and run into the hall to change.

"Wanna tell us what's going on?" Fern asks as she does up my jacket.

"Oh I was just looking for the banners and Jackson came in all pissy and took them." I shrug and move to grab my trumpet.

I don't know why I didn't tell them the truth. The moment just seemed so intense and dreamlike. It was like a bubble and if I spoke too loud it would pop.

"Alright let's go." I buckle my hat and we move outside to get into our spots.

"First years!" Stacey calls while I get in my spot. "This is it. You've been waiting and you can do it. Make me proud!"

"Show me your socks!" Jackson calls and we all lift our pants to show long black socks. "No earrings?" He asks when he gets to me.

"Have you ever seen me wear jewelry?" I ask letting go of my pants.

"Fair enough." I see the smile in his eyes as he moves on to Fern.

What the hell is happening? Just friends just friends just friends. I chant in my head as we are called into attention.

This is it.

***

After the game we're all pumped up and my mom says I can have some people over for a party. Catie has to go to her dads so it's just Fern, Nancy, Hannah, and Gertrude.

We all get to my house still yelling our own chants like "hey, we want some booty" and " clay clay clay" a bunch of times because he's hot. 

High school isn't as bad as everyone said it would be! I think to myself as my friends eat pizza and laugh together.

"I can't believe the first day of school is Tuesday." I say to no one in particular.

"I know right!" Fern says. "At least we have band to look forward to!"

"Amen to that!" Gertrude laughs.

"So what's going on with you and Jackson?" Nancy asks, wiggling her eyebrows at me.

"Oh mylanta!" I roll my eyes. "Nothing is going on! I'm actually going to homecoming with Patrick."

"No way!"

"Seriously?!"

"Get it!"

Everyone speaks at once and I shush them. "It's not a big deal, just as friends!" I laugh and take another bite of pizza.

"And does he know that?" Hannah asks dubiously.

"Yes I definitely told him that!" I raise my right hand like I'm taking an oath.

"You're gonna break his heart!" Fern says.

"Oh shut up." I roll my eyes again and grab my phone.

No one is gonna have a broken heart.