Keeping in Line (4 page)

“Take care, Flueger, we’ll make sure J.D. takes his time inside.”

She watched jealously as Steve and Tony went into the dining hall. As early as it was, the weather was already heating up, plus she was getting hungry. Still, there was no way she was going to break attention until J.D. personally said it was okay. When the freshmen were dismissed, Valerie and Beth gave her sympathetic looks as they walked by. Bronwyn waited and waited. Her back was cramping and she was desperate to move or stretch her legs.

How long does it take J.D. to eat his damn cereal
?!

As the minutes turned into at least a half hour, Bronwyn felt as if half the band had walked by and given her strange looks before Drew passed by and asked, “Didn’t you hear Izzo? You’re dismissed…”

Bronwyn looked at him pleadingly, but refused to say anything. She tried to communicate the message;
you’re not the one who can dismiss me…only my good for nothing Captain can do that!
She knew if she said something that would be the exact moment J.D. walked out and accused her of breaking attention.

“What are you doing, Drew?” A familiar voice asked.

“Trying to tell Bronwyn it’s okay to break attention. You’re a section leader, J.D., not a dictator. This is a public high school and not your messed up military academy.”

“Well, I’m looking after my section, bro.”

Drew stepped closer to Bronwyn, positioning himself between her and J.D., crossing his arms in front of his chest, and asked, “You know I am the senior drum major, right?”

“And?”

“That means I lead the band.”

“Well, I’m Captain of the drumline.”

With the amount of testosterone that was currently flying back and forth, Bronwyn suddenly had a mental picture of the guys unzipping their flies and measuring. She couldn’t help it; the image was too random and she cracked a smile and almost burst out laughing. J.D. looked at her strangely and asked rudely, “Something funny, Flueger?”

Wisely, the sophomore snare drummer didn’t answer.

J.D. looked directly at Drew and said, “You’re dismissed, Flueger.”

Bronwyn looked pleadingly at Drew and then walked off in the direction of the girl’s dorm, rubbing her shoulders. She had definitely lost her appetite.

* * *

CHAPTER THREE: A Simple Plan

By the time full band practice started that morning, J.D. had made sure everyone on the Line had heard about his and Drew’s little standoff. Bronwyn couldn’t control how much her Captain had completely blown things out of proportion, because it seemed no one wanted to hear her opinion. She also didn’t understand why J.D. would want to cause trouble with the person who led the band. While occasionally there were disputes among the leadership, it was far too early in the season to have trouble like this.

“Thinks he can boss my section around…” J.D. grumbled.

Bronwyn rolled her eyes and put her snare on. After her mistake this morning, and given J.D.’s current crazy mood, she thought it would be best to keep as low a profile as possible. She was talking with some of the cymbal players when J.D. approached her.

“Flueger, if Drew ever tries to pull some shit like that again, just let me know.”

Not likely, buddy, thanks to your idiocy this morning, I’m pretty sure you’ve made him want to avoid our section at all costs for the rest of the season. Thanks for that.

“Okay,” Bronwyn said with as much sincerity as she could muster.

“Seriously, he needs to know his place here.”

Bronwyn had to catch herself from rolling her eyes for the second time in as many minutes in front of J.D.

Stupid boys…why can’t they just let things go?

One day blurred into the next for Bronwyn. The sophomore concentrated extra hard on making sure she was always in step and a model drummer, keeping perfect attention and not talking back. She knew J.D. was looking for any excuse to catch her messing up again and the verdict was still out for the rest of the Line. Seeing how she could easily keep up with the demands of the music, they accepted her, but there was another kind of tension present.

As Bronwyn lay awake on Thursday night, she remembered Lucy’s warning from earlier in the spring and wondered how on earth she could prove herself to her section. The redhead sighed and rolled over. Even though she was physically exhausted, her mind refused to shut off and relax. Even with the steady sounds of her friends breathing around her, sleep escaped her for the moment. She wondered why the acceptance of her section was proving more difficult than she had ever thought possible. She tried to come to terms with the walking paradox she was turning into. When she was around the Line, she was quiet and reserved, but when she was on her own, away from the Line, she felt nothing but the confidence that being in the section gave her.

How do I change that?

Bronwyn was no closer to an answer the following morning. She automatically rolled out of bed and prepared for the last full day of rehearsals. Like last year, there was no break between all the events that made up band camp: sectionals, learning drill, running through the show, meals, and night activities. As much as last year had been an introduction to all things marching band, this year was definitely a glimpse at all things male. As a member of the female led Front Line last year, things hadn’t been so full of testosterone.

Earlier in the week, Tony created a new game to keep himself entertained while the band was learning drill. He kept coming up with overwhelmingly gross and disgusting things to say to Bronwyn to try and get a reaction out of her. Bronwyn had taken Lucy’s advice seriously and had decided it would be best just to ignore Tony. However, once in awhile the things he was saying were too gross even for Adam, and Tony would get called out for it.

Of course, Bronwyn’s irritations with the first bass player were nothing compared to the clash between J.D. and Drew. The two young men were now involved in some sort of huge rivalry and the whole band was suffering because of it. Neither of them wanted to back down and neither would admit they were wrong. Worst of all, what started as a standoff between two individuals was quickly blossoming into a section wide conflict. Members of the Line weren’t being obvious about it, but they were choosing to make things difficult for the drum major. If J.D. thought he was on the beat, Bronwyn only had to look up at Drew to know he was conducting something completely different. The struggle was definitely slowing the process of learning the challenging half time show.

Not that you haven’t been looking up at the drum major’s podium a fair amount this week
…

Bronwyn wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but she had been paying extra attention to the dreamy drum major all week from across the field. She sighed, remembering how he was usually somewhere in the vicinity of the Dance Line or Guard, chatting up its cute members. She knew things were getting a little out of control and her emotions were moving from sometime crush to borderline obsession.

It’s not like he’s shown you any special attention. Just because he remembered you, it doesn’t mean he likes you. Also, if there was one way to piss off the Line, having something start with Drew would definitely be the way to do it…

Determined she would one day actually be accepted, and even liked among her section, Bronwyn had to admit dating Drew, or even openly liking him in the near future, had the potential to make her an outcast on her own Line.

During one of their last rehearsals on Friday afternoon, while trying to ignore Tony’s antics, Bronwyn did her best to think of how to do what Lucy had suggested – to do something to ‘prove herself.’ Obviously, drumming her ass off wasn’t going to do the trick. Suddenly, a brilliant idea occurred to her – the best way to get on the good side of the Line would be to publicly get on the bad side of Drew.

Strangely, while she personally didn’t agree with her own idea, Bronwyn could see how it might be able to solve a few of the problems she was having. If she could somehow be responsible for making Drew look like an ass in front of the entire Line, she might be able to gain the acceptance she really wanted, and at the same time, maybe end the power struggle between her Captain and the drum major.

If you do something to humiliate Drew, you can kiss off ever getting together with him. What guy do you know that wants a girlfriend who has publicly made him look like an idiot?

Another voice entirely entered her mind…and it sounded a lot like Lucy’s.

Here’s what you do, girl…kill two birds with one stone. Go to Drew first, all wide eyed and damsel in distress and tell him you need his help. Guys are a sucker for that kind of thing.

I’m listening…

Once Drew is on board, you pull a stunt in front of J.D. and the rest of the Line. They all have a good laugh, but you haven’t completely wrecked it with Drew…because he knew what was coming. He feels all warm and fuzzy because he helped out a cute girl, and the Line will have a new champion. Even J.D. won’t be able to argue with you.

You honestly think Drew would do something like that for me? I’m no-one.

I disagree. I think you are definitely someone. Besides, what’s the worst that can happen? He says no? Who cares? His loss.

I guess so…

You guess? Come on! Go for it. Find him tonight and talk it over. Just make sure the Line doesn’t see the two of you talking or the jig is up.

Great
, thought Bronwyn,
my subconscious sounds like a cross between Lucy and a gangster mol, maybe the sun has finally killed all of my brain cells
. Determined to do things on her own, and not contact the real Lucy unless absolutely necessary, the redhead knew she had to act quickly, and time at band camp was running out.

A few hours later at dinner, everyone hurried through the meal so they could scurry back to their rooms to primp for the Band Camp dance. While there were a lot of flirtations during the week, couples could make things official by dancing a few songs together that night.

Bronwyn had been nervous throughout dinner and had picked at her food, knowing she had to make her move tonight. All week she had longingly looked at the rest of the Line always sitting together. They hadn’t told her to not sit with them, but they never specifically invited her over either.

Maybe next year…

Bronwyn kept her eye on Drew until he finally left the dining hall. It was now or never. She quickly scanned the room to make sure no one else on the Line was around before she practically sprinted over to Drew’s side just outside the doors of the cafeteria.

“Hey Drew!”

“Hey, Bronwyn.”

Even though she was panting like a marathon runner, Bronwyn smiled, realizing she liked it that Drew called her by her first name. Many in the drumline had followed J.D.’s lead and referred to her only as “Flueger” or “B,” which Bronwyn thought was a bit impersonal. She liked the nickname, but wished for something that didn’t totally negate her gender. Names aside, her plan to go unnoticed by the Line was immediately interrupted when she spotted some of the cymbal players coming up the path. Hesitating for only a second, she grabbed Drew’s hand and pulled him in the other direction.

Drew asked, “Something you want to share?”

Bronwyn wanted to curse as her cheeks got noticeably redder.

Remember, he’s just part of the plan…be cool.

With as much “coolness” as she could muster, Bronwyn stated, “So, you’ve probably noticed some tension this week within the Line.”

“Really?”

Bronwyn paused, but awkwardly kept talking, “Well, I mean, maybe you haven’t noticed but…”

Drew was grinning and answered, “Of course I’ve noticed. The whole band has noticed. However, J.D. doesn’t strike me as the type to call a truce.”

Bronwyn gulped, but forced herself to go ahead with her plan, “What if I told you I knew a way to make things better?”

“I don’t really trust that tone of voice, Bronwyn.”

“Well, how about you hear me out before making any decisions? It’s just going to take a little counterfeit on your part.”

She decided if Drew was going to make a giant sacrifice on behalf of the greater good of the band, the least she could do was tell him the truth…even if it was pathetic. He paused, and Bronwyn wondered frantically what other plan could possibly work at this point.

Finally, he said, “Let’s hear your plan then.”

After pacing for a moment, she started, “Okay, here’s the thing. The Line, for whatever unknown and probable masculine reason, has not fully accepted me. This fact could make for a very long season on my part. Now, I happen to love being on the Battery and I’m a good snare player, but the only way for me gain acceptance is…” Bronwyn paused, unsure how to put the words together.

“Is?” Drew prompted.

She rushed ahead, “Is to make you look like an idiot.”

Obviously wondering how this plan was instrumental to the marching band’s ultimate harmony, Drew opened his mouth to ask a question, but Bronwyn cut him off, continuing, “If, in J.D.’s mind, you have been properly humiliated, I think he will drop this whole competitive thing and the entire band can go back to normal. Does that any make sense?”