"CAUSE WE'RE MIGHTY TROJANS BOASTING BURGUNDY AND SILVER HAIL TO SOUTH HAMPTON HIIIIGH!!"

The crowd of band members burst into a mass of whoops and cheers at the close of the school's fight song. It was a momentous closer to each rehearsal, no matter what bad they had to say of marching band and how nobody really wanted to be there. The words rallied everyone together under one banner and for the briefest of times, it felt like all their suffering meant something.

"Everybody get some rest, we're loading up for the competition at Melville directly. The buses leave at three on the dot so everyone make sure you are on them before then -- ahem, talking to you, trombones."

Abbie watched from her spot on the grass as Micheal, their drum major starting calling out which sections had to help the pit break down and haul the equipment back to the band room.

She looked up to see her friend, Lisha approach her. The dark glimmer of the field lights reflecting off the alto saxophone hanging from her neck was enough to keep the guard girl staring for a couple split seconds.

Lisha took a long drag from her water bottle before plopping down on the grass beside her and removing her sunglasses and baseball hat. The sax player grinned toward the navy colored sky. "I wear my sunglasses in the dark," she chuckled.

"Don't take my line," Abbie laughed and playfully pushed her friend over onto the wet night grass.

"I can do whatever I want," Lisha smiled and laid back on the grass comfortably. After a moment she relaxed and jerked her chin up. "Look at the sky."

"What do you see tonight?"Abbie asked quietly, ignoring all the people walking around them to get to their cases and cars. Lisha patted the ground beside her and Abbie laid back beside her friend, so relieved for the rest that even the cool dew soaking through her thin tank top went unnoticed.

Lisha hummed the opener to their show for a moment before answering. "I see....a new beginning..."

Abbie thought about that, but her mind came up blank. "How do you get new beginnings out of the night sky?"

Lisha paused for another count. "You know what? I really don't know. Seems like it would be more like an end wouldn't it?"

"Not if you're nocturnal," Abbie snickered. To that, Lisha didn't seem to have an answer. Abbie sat up and looked down at her friend, who appeared to be frowning up at the sky like something there was that disappointed her. "Is there something wrong?"

"Do you ever feel like something bad is going to happen?"

"Did you forget to use protection or something?" Abbie asked with an all too serious tone.

Lisha didn't even move her eyes to give her a look.

"You'd tell me if you're pregnant right?"

"Yeah, yeah," the sax player laughed easily and swatted her friend with her baseball cap, which instantly broke the dark mood. "You'd probably be the only one to know, in all honesty."

With a tip of her head, Lisha flicked her sunglasses back onto her face before bringing the mouthpiece of her sax into her mouth and blowing a weak stream of air through the instrument. Abbie smiled as she watched her old friend lay on the grass, her sax resting against her chest. The loud metallic clicking of its keys was rather noticeable in their own little bubble. After a moment, she looked up and saw Tony and a guy with a trumpet -- Ian -- jazzing their way back to the bandroom Mardi Gra style.

The bass drum player seemed to feel her gaze, because he waved a couple jazz hands in her direction and made a telephone gesture at Lisha before returning to his two man parade down the back alley behind the football field that sounded like someone was literally killing a duck with a bass drum.

"So, you free tonight?" Abbie laughed, just glad that the people of New Orleans weren't around to kill Ian and Tony.

"Are you asking me out, Richards?" The sax player asked incredibly after removing the mouthpiece from her lips. "I'm not saying no, but how do you think Mr. Drum Major will feel once he finds out you're dumping him for another girl? At least break up with him first. I don't need him mad at me. My section's in enough trouble already."

The guard girl's black bangs fell into her face as she leaned over and whispered as seductively as she could manage into her best friend's ear. "No one has to know." Her teeth sank deeply into her lips just to keep herself from falling to the ground laughing.

Lisha sat up and smirked at Abbie from above her sunglasses. "I'll get us the back room..." her smirk turned to a devilish grin. "Unless of course you want a change of scenery. That room probably already has a lot of memories of you and Mike --"

"What is wrong with all you people!" Abbie exclaimed and lunged to push Lisha back down onto the grass. "We fell asleep! Nothing happened!"

"Hey girls, am I interrupting something or can I steal Abbie away for a while?" A distinctly male voice asked from somwhere above them. It appeared that Micheal, their drum major and the butt of every joke on Abbie's relationship status, took his girlfriend's clear distress and arm flailingness as an invitation to join them on the grass.

"Mike, nothing happened that night we fell asleep in the practice room, right!?" Abbie asked before he even had a moment to get comfortable.

"Of course, we only slept together," he laughed and winked.

The guard girl groaned as Lisha gasped loudly and screamed out to anyone who might be listening. "I got a confession! Stop the presses this is breaking news! Small Town Band's IT Couple Concemates Relationship In Practice Room!"

Fortunately there weren't that many people around at that point. Just the band director, who took one look at them, then promptly walked off in the direction of the band room with his tablet in hand, muttering about teen drug usage in small cities in Pennsylvania.

"Why do I even bother with you people?" Abbie sighed and laid back on the grass, only to hit her head on her rifle. Today her equipment just really didn't like her.

"You love me," Lisha and Micheal said at the same time.

"Whatever," she rolled her eyes and gently massaged the back of her head. "Anyway.....Tony and Ian want to hang out at Debbie's. You two game?"

"Now?" Michael asked.

"Well as soon as we're all ready and they're done insulting Orleans with their bad parades, yeah." Abbie amended.

"Well I need food," Lisha moaned and mimed passing out.

[Chorale from Jupiter]

"I'll go if you're going," Mike agreed and stood, offering Abbie a hand to her feet. Lisha also stood, and stretched largely. The sax player flipped her ponytail back into her baseball cap before clipping her sax to her neck strap and walking very slowly toward the band room. Abbie watched her friend roll her feet through her steps as she brought her mouthpiece back to horns up and started playing a slow, almost awe inspiring melody.

"The chorale from Jupiter," Micheal noted with a huff as he helped Abbie carry her flags. The two of them walked behind Lisha, both listening to the blooming song.

"What?"

"That song, I never did understand what Jupiter was so hopeful about."