The pathway between the Band Room and the Marching Band Practice Field was made up of the side of the high school, a decent walk with a beige, basic backdrop. After that, the line passed the football field before reaching the backside of the home stands for the field. It was a decent distance, but required skill for all of the band kids to move in a line at a decent pace there and back, as many tasks would be waiting for them and the sun would only continue its voyage across the sky, never stopping for a break.
... The band, on the other hand...
"I'll never get used to this..." Maya complained, struggling to hold her water jug in one hand and her flute case in the other.
"And we have to do this every practice?" Arthur questioned, as he felt the same pains growing in his arms.
"Yeah. And not only that, when everyone's caught up on how to be at attention, you'll have to march in line, SILENTLY, all the way there and all the way back."
"Why?"
"Endurance, most likely." The male Sophomore, in front of Maya, commented. "Either that, or someone twenty years ago thought of a good punishment for their band and forgot to revert it!"
"Oh..." The Sophomore quietly stared at Arthur, only then realizing the nerves he was having.
"I'm Preston." He nodded to Arthur, allowing him to do the same.
"... I'm Arthur. Nice to meet you."
"You too man."
Going further down the line, the next section in the line were the clarinets, a section well-known for having the most varied personalities mixed with the quietest and most average leaders. This generation held no exception, as their Section Leader remained silent, leading to the of the group becoming quiet but increasingly irritable. The only one of the bunch without any worries, was Michiko.
"You alright, Michiko?" Teller quietly whispered to her, as he walked alongside the line with folders of paper and a water bottle of his own. "You seem a bit... too happy for everything that's happened to you."
"I'm just excited to get to be a part of the show this year." She whispered back, an audible excitement clear and verified by the excitement in her eyes. Michiko was a Sophomore who wore large, rounded red glasses, a skinny gray shirt and short-shorts, with a small set of band-aids wrapped around both her hands.
"Just... let me know if you need anything, alright?"
"I'll be fine." She snapped back, not necessarily in malice, but Teller could tell she most likely just wanted to be quiet for the remainder of the walk.
He slowed his steps, letting the clarinets make their way past him before the Saxophones began to pass. While not much more energetic than the clarinets, they were at least talking in between each other. Teller smiled, looking at the excitement of the rookies as they got to meet new people, learning more about their instruments from the upperclassman.
If Teller was looking for excitement, however, he would find his cure within the next few seconds, as the next section he would let pass were the Trumpets. One of the largest sections with over fifteen kids, most of them were loud and excited for anything other than walking around in a line. Most of them, that is.
"Teller!" Vernon waved to the Drum Major tiredly, as though he hadn't even slept the previous night. He had soft, dark-blonde hair with a tie-dye t-shirt and shorts, with extremely worn sneakers scraping the concrete of the sidewalk.
"Are you alright?"
"Not really, but I'll be fine." His voice rasped a little bit, but was overall really light.
"Dont push yourself. You're the only Junior who can help the rookies, so we cant have you falling down for the count on us."
"Do you want me to swear it in blood or sonething?"
Teller gave the teen a judgemental look.
"Fine!" He raised his hand up in a pledge. "I swear I'll watch my health!"
"Thank you, Vernon."
Teller watched as the quiet trumpet passed, and the mellophones passed by. They were mostly quiet (and tired), holding their variation of the concert French Horn in both hands like cradling a child.
Soon enough they passed, and the excited Baritones passed by. They were mostly girls, the two notable examples being the sisters, Senior Charity and Feshman Destiny. The two sporty blondes probably talked talked the loudest of the groups, which was fine for the day and expected coming from Charity's previous outbursts.
"Getting tired yet?" Charity teased the girl, pushing her to the side with her shoulders as her hands were full.
"Dont even test me. I could probably last at attention far longer than you can."
"You've never even marched a ten-minute show before, Des."
"That doesnt automatically mean strong, you know? I know you barely practiced outside of school anyway, where as I've been doing stuff all summer."
"Oh yeah, huh? Let's test this theory of yours out once we're on the court, then!"
"You're on!"
Teller smiled as the two continued to bicker, the other Baritones watching in laughter and hilarity. Their over-excited nature were exactly the same, and anyone within a few miles could tell, Teller thought.
Once the Trombones and Sousaphones passed without issue, Teller thought about the vacant spots in the back of the line, Percussion and Colorguard. In the two weeks of Band Camp, they would be inside as long as the main Marching Band was still learning fundamentals. That would usually give them a week, but under Mr. Penn's plan, they would only have one day to prepare for the steps that followed.
There were only a few people Teller cared about right at the start, he could tell. It wasn't than any other year, but something felt different about the people surrounding them. Three years before, he was a Freshman too, and Teller met all kinds of weird people in band. While not the same people he once knew, he hoped those younger than him could make something of each other and all their unique skillsets.
He'd seen it once, a few years prior. A band that made him question how good East Coast could really become. But that, was for after the basics, and the first runs, and the first shows. He was getting ahead of himself, something he'd rarely ever do. But that day, dreaming about the future felt just right.