big red truck

Okay, well, it’s time for me to tell you about Saturday I guess. (Saturday=regionals)

Practice was at 6:45 in the morning at school. We’d had a good practice on Friday, and we had a good one Saturday morning. (it was too early for the sun to be in our eyes anyway) It was a 2 hour bus ride to the competition. I got stuck sitting with Theresa, and there weren’t many people around me to talk to. Just David, so I “flirted” a lot there.

Warmups went fine, just as usual, and we were headed to the field. I guess I fought tears a lot, thinking about how much I did NOT want this to be my last show. I wasn’t scared though, like I usually was at regionals. I felt totally in control. As we marched to the field, the senior next to me told me to just have fun. Then we stood on the edge of the field, waiting for the official to let us onto the field. Our band moms seemed to take up half the stadium with their red pom poms. We have some pretty loud moms, too. And dads. One of the dads is notorious for screaming so loud it’s completely embarrasing. The moms stationed at the top of the stadium released balloons. Then they sang another cheer. Our entire band was standing down there giggling at all of this. Our director asked, “alright, who brought the cheerleader mom?” at the last cheer.

Finally, we took the field. We stood in our places, waiting for the drum major to start us, and our fans started up again. They finished with our customary “Wee-boggies” (our brum line instructor calls it out every time we perform). The band was laughing again at the that.

The show was so much FUN. Hardly ever this year have we actually done our BEST at a competition. And now, when it really mattered, we kicked it in. When we stopped, I stood there shaking.

Well a guard went down during the show again, a different one this time. Lindsey went down on the way back to the buses. A snare drum kid got hurt. Other than that, we were all fine. After changing we headed up to the stands to watch for 3 hours before awards. I found my parents after a while in the line for concessions.

For awards our band gathered with some others at the goal line. The announcer was almost impossible to hear. First they went through the 18 bands and announced the divisions. Of the division ones, 5 would go on to state. The announcer said he would announce the state contenders in performing order. I moaned. We were the 3rd band. We would know first whether our season was over or not. Well, I heard “North Po” before I screamed. So did everyone else. My scream would have been awesome in a scary movie, I was a little embarrassed when I realized that I had done that. But then, no one could have heard it. Immediately our orderly band of lines and silence well into hugs, jumping, crying, and more screaming. I stood there for a minute, my hands to my face while I cried. I couldn’t believe how good it felt to be crying because I was HAPPY. Then I started looking for people to hug. I hugged just about everyone I could, then I found our drum majors with our trophy and hugged them.

The bus ride home was odd. That silence as everyone looks out the window or turns on their headphones while they cried was gone. It was just any other days on our bus, really. Except we were going to state. It feels like the whole meaning of my life thus far lies in our advancement to state. Have I accomplished anything like that with my life? At first the bus ride sucked as bad as the rest of my day as far as social status. I just don’t belong anywhere, and sometimes there’s no one to talk to because of that. But after a while things looked up. I refused to switch seats with David, so I just sat in his lap. I talked to some of the girls that I’ve been hanging out with a little, and I listened to some of their music (Straight No Chaser, go find them).

We rode the fire trucks through town. Fun stuff. Then I wound up at a guy’s house watching the ladies man. After the movie we joined up with some other kids with a mission–tp our director’s house. It wasn’t an easy mission. First, it’s a new house with only some tiny trees. Second, she was having a drinking party with the staff and parents, and people kept leaving. But we did our best, and then some of us ran in and tp’ed our director herself. She told us to get a life. We laughed and ran out the door. (she gets tp’ed almost every year after regionals, she’s used to it)

So now, I’m just so happy. I have today off from school, and not a damned thing to do. Except some chores. We finished my car yesterday. As soon as we get insured, I’ll be driving it again. I’ve almost got the money to pay for insurance, and I’m sure my mom will loan me some. My band is going to state. Finally I’m going to find out what those seniors keep talking about. Walking through the air locks, seeing the lights and the people, marching on carpet. We’ll probably stay in the embassy and go to the mall and the zoo. I’m excited.