Keeping in Line (11 page)

“We did.”

Lance finished a long roll, “Things were different then.”

Mark looked across the seats, and said with a cocky smile on his face, “Don’t worry too much, B, we’ll take care of things.”

Feeling overcome with emotion for the fourth time in the past hour, Bronwyn looked away and put on her headphones. Losing herself in familiar tunes, she settled back into her seat. The three seniors had given her a lot to consider.

Why do the rest of the sophomores dislike me so much?

Not one person had stood up for Bronwyn during her outburst. No one in her class had come up to her to see what was going on, if she was okay, or if she needed any help. It was a disturbing fact and one Bronwyn wanted to get to the bottom of.

When the band pulled up to the opposing high school for the evening, Bronwyn was no closer to figuring out what to do about J.D., Drew, or the rest of the Line. She knew the cause of the sophomore class’s irritation with her was mostly due to Tony’s persistent personality. With nothing particularly great to focus on in the present, she thought ahead. Where did their current relationship get them? Although she was begrudged to admit it, Tony was the next most talented drummer in their class. If they still hated each other by the time they were seniors, what would that mean for their last season? Would they be repeating the same mistakes of J.D. and Lance? Would each practice be a power struggle? Every performance a chance to show up the other? Lance’s question really struck a chord with Bronwyn. She thought about her ultimate goal on the Forrest Hills drumline – to be its Captain. Bronwyn was almost positive that a girl had never held the position, but knew she could lead the section. However, would she want to manage a group of people who didn’t believe in her?

“Let’s go, B,” Lance said, bringing her attention back to the noisy bus.

As she walked over to collect Stewie from the equipment truck, the snare drummer tried not to notice, but she was getting some weird stares from the rest of the band as they warmed up. She tried a few times to get Drew’s attention, but he wouldn’t even look up to give her eye contact. Shrugging, she decided it would probably be best to keep her head down and drum her ass off this evening. On the field, Bronwyn was always happy – everything else seemed to disappear as she marched the drill and played the notes.

As was tradition, the third quarter left everyone filling up on caffeine and candy at the concession stands. While digging out some change from her uniform pants, Bronwyn spotted her friends, who proceeded to bodily drag her away from the gathered teenagers.

“What gives, girls?”

Meredith looked curiously at Bronwyn, “So…?”

Bronwyn, oblivious, sipped her drink, “Yes?”

Meredith continued, “Anything you want to tell us?”

“You mean you guys have already heard? I thought the news would at least be contained to our bus until maybe next week.”

Meredith put her arm around Bronwyn and explained, “It’s not your fault. Sandra walked by the percussion room at exactly the wrong time.”

Bronwyn groaned. Sandra was the band gossip. She summoned her courage and asked, “How bad is it?”

Megan replied, “I’m not going to lie to you, there were a lot of rumors on our bus.”

Bronwyn sighed, “This is so not what I need. For your information, Drew simply informed our section that he does not have any control over the Line. That’s all. I don’t really see what the big deal is or how it affects everyone else.”

They were back at the stands. Since the third quarter wasn’t quite over, Bronwyn went and sat with her friends in the woodwind section. Meredith looked around and said, “I wish that’s what Sandra had overheard.”

Bronwyn had a sinking feeling in her stomach, “Wait, what exactly did she hear? What has she been telling people?”

Meredith and Megan shared a look.

“Guys, you’re scaring me! What does everyone know?”

Megan said slowly, “She overheard the part that Drew made a bet that you would go out with him.”

Bronwyn let out a string of expletives she had been overhearing all season. Her friends looked at her as if she had sprouted a second head. When the redhead collected herself, she replied, “Sorry girls, it was either that or start sobbing uncontrollably.”

Meredith asked, “What are you going to do about it?”

“I don’t know, but I’m sure that this is exactly what J.D. wanted to happen.”

The buzzer sounded loudly, ending the third quarter. Bronwyn sighed and got up, “I gotta get back to Stewie. See if you can’t help me with damage control during the rest of the night.”

Megan asked, “What do you want us to tell people?”

That it wasn’t true. That I put Drew up to the whole thing. That I’m the world’s biggest idiot…

Instead she instructed, “Just tell everyone that Sandra must’ve misheard.”

Unlike earlier in the evening, Bronwyn was actually grateful to get on the drumline bus to avoid the rumors regarding herself and the senior drum major. Now that the entire band thought Drew had “bet” on her and she had turned him down, there was really no way of public reconciliation. His reputation was also totally in question. People were wary of following the direction of some guy who had nothing better to do than bet on whether or not girls would go out with him. Bronwyn had heard what people were saying in the stands and felt terrible. Things were spinning out of control faster than the Guard could twirl their flags.

What’s the alternative? If you come clean…

…no one will believe me! There’s got to be something to make this situation normal.

Let’s hope, because now the ENTIRE band is one dysfunctional mess.

For what seemed like the millionth time since they got on the bus, Bronwyn sighed loudly. How could she not have guessed what J.D. was going to do?

Lance looked over at her strangely and commented, “You’ve done that way too often on this trip.”

Mark looked across the aisle, “Yeah, what’s up? I mean I thought we had talked everything through on the way up here.”

Jared chimed in, “That’s the problem with girls. Way too much talking.”

Bronwyn took a deep breath and looked around to see if anyone else on the bus was paying attention. They weren’t. She said quietly, “I didn’t tell you guys the bet was my idea.”

Mark and Lance exchanged a doubtful look. Lance asked skeptically, “Your idea?”

Bronwyn crossed her arms and said defensively, “Yes, as a matter of fact, it was.”

Mark asked suggestively, “Why would Drew go along with it? Did you make him an offer he couldn’t refuse?”

Bronwyn sighed and pretended to dig her iPod out.

Mark put up his hands, “Okay, okay, but seriously, Drew looked like an idiot today.”

“All part of the plan.”

Lance chuckled, “So I’m guessing some part of this magical plan didn’t turn out the way you thought it would?”

“Promise not to tell anyone?”

Mark smirked, “What is this? The dance line bus? Yeah, yeah, we won’t tell anyone.”

“Okay, here’s the thing,” Bronwyn couldn’t believe the words as they rushed out of her mouth, “I saw how everyone was last year with Lucy on the Line. It’s never been that way for me. After band camp when Drew and J.D. were all ‘we hate each other,’ I figured a good way to get everyone to like me would to have me do something heroic in front of J.D. I went to Drew and he actually agreed and then we sort of planted the idea for the bet on J.D. He totally went with it. Are you with me so far?”

Lance and Mark stared at the snare drummer blankly. Bronwyn thought about what she had just finished saying. It didn’t really make any sense at all. She shook her head, put her hands over her ears and said, “I’m obviously going insane. Please pretend you didn’t hear any of it.”

Mark shook his head, “See, maybe that’s the thing that made Lucy so cool. She wouldn’t have done anything like that.”

“Well, that’s because everyone in her year actually liked her. It’s easier when everyone from your class doesn’t totally resent you. Plus, Billy was a much cooler Captain than J.D. will ever be.”

Lance asked, “Are you sure that’s the reason?”

Jared had been listening in. He commented, “Why didn’t you just go to your section in the first place and ask them about it, Bronwyn? I mean it’s not like you guys didn’t practice all summer together. Some of this has got to be in your head. I mean Lance is right here, why not talk to him?”

Rather than admitting Jared was correct or face whatever harsh truth Lance was going to tell her, Bronwyn ignored the bass player entirely and answered, “So, my own mental capacity aside, somehow, inexplicably, let’s pretend everyone is now Team Bronwyn. What do I do about the Drew mess? If J.D. finds out he’s been played, then I’m in an even worse position than where I started and if I don’t do something to set everyone straight about Drew, then he looks like a complete asshole…which, by the way, he did not sign up for.”

Mark asked bluntly, “Why even worry about what the rest of the band thinks about Drew? He went along with your crazy little pact. Let him suffer the consequences.”

Bronwyn sighed; she didn’t want to let Drew burn for this.

Lance asked, “What if you can convince J.D. that Drew set the whole thing up and you had no idea what was going on?”

Bronwyn rolled her eyes, “What does Drew have to gain from that?”

Jared said, “Yeah, I guess you’re screwed.”

Mark laughed, “If the truth gets out, J.D. is going to be super pissed.”

“You’re not helping, Mark.”

Lance continued drumming, but remarked, “Personally, even if you told the truth, I doubt he would believe you.”

Everyone shared a look. Bronwyn said, “It’s highly doubtful.”

Sagacious Lance continued, “So, make amends with Drew. Start a new rumor, and put the whole thing behind you.”

Bronwyn leaned back in her seat and said, “I’ll think about it. Thanks for listening to me tonight guys, I appreciate it.”

* * *

CHAPTER TEN: Discussions

Back at Forrest Hills, Bronwyn knew she had to get her snare in the percussion room and out to Drew’s car before he left. Given his current reputation, she didn’t imagine he wanted to stick around or felt like hanging out with anyone. The bus pulled up and Bronwyn was the first at the equipment truck. She quickly dragged Stewie and stowed her instrument in the percussion room, then sprinted out to Drew’s car and waited. The seconds ticked by like minutes. Finally, Bronwyn saw Drew approaching from a distance. She realized she had no idea what she was going to say to him. In the end, that concern would prove to be irrelevant. Drew completely ignored her as he got in his car and drove off. Bronwyn wasn’t surprised when the emotions she had been trying to keep in check all evening spilled over. She stood numbly in the dark night.

Drew couldn’t help it as he glanced in his rearview mirror at Bronwyn’s small and lonely figure fading in the night as he roared away from the school. Clearing the first stoplight, he found his cell phone and immediately dialed his brother. Frustrated, the Forrest Hills drum major heard his brother’s voicemail. Drew punched the numbers again, hoping Joe was around to take the call. After a few rings, Joe picked up. Drew didn’t even give his older brother a chance to speak, “Dude, I totally need your help!”

For a moment, Drew didn’t hear anything on the other end of the phone. Then, straining his ears, he distinctly heard music, a female voice, some muffled laughter, and a door shutting, before his brother responded, “Drew…”

“Did you hear me? I need some help!”

“Fine, but you owe me big, little bro. Real big.”

Drew did not want to interrupt his brother’s love life, but since his own was in a state of complete chaos, he didn’t feel like cutting his brother much slack, “Fine.”

“So, what’s up?”

“Okay, remember the ‘political situation’ I was telling you about.”

“Umm…yeah. I still don’t understand how there can be politics in marching band, especially since you’re allegedly leading the whole group, but go ahead.”

“Anyway—”

“Hey Drew?” His brother interrupted.

“Yes?”

“I have a, uh, friend here who was in marching band, maybe she can help you out.”

“She…?” Despite how angry Drew was at the world, he had a definite interest in any ‘she’ that was in his brother’s life.

“Yeah, maybe you knew her.”

“What’s her name?”

“Lucy—”

“Karate?”

“Yeah, you know her? She’s a very cool chick.”

Drew sighed – of course he knew Lucy Karate. Everyone in the Forrest Hills HS Marching Band knew of the flirtatious, cute brunette who just so happened to play a mean bass drum. He was also fairly certain that Lucy and Bronwyn were still in touch.

Maybe she can help?

Maybe she’ll go right to Bronwyn and tell her everything.

I say you give her a chance. If she’s good enough for Joe…