It was around 4 I believe? I was in the hallway by the band room, or as guard called it, the guard hallway. Me and another guard member Wil were playing head frisbee, a game we made up for before football games to keep us busy. Although this wasn’t like any normal football game. Tonight we, Juniper High, will be playing our enemy Briar High. And the Pride of Juniper Marching Band will be battling the Marching Briars. We had beat out Briar at every competition making us enemies.

“Hey Fay come on, We need to go to the commons.” 

“One second Wil, I wanna see Parker!” 

“You can see your boyfriend at pregame.” 

“Wil he’s not my boyfriend! We’ve been over this!” 

“I know, I know, it’s just fun to tease you. But let's go. Do you want to be yelled at by Jessie again?!” 

“No..” 

“Exactly so hurry up!” 

“Fine lemme get my equipment and bag.” 

“Alright Fay, can we finally leave now?” 

“Oh shut it Wil, it’s been five minutes Jessie isn’t even here yet. And yeah I’m ready.” 

“Let's go then!” 

Wil walked with me, he just listened to my mindless rambles about whatever popped in my mind. We had to walk around the school because the band room was on the opposite side of the school. We arrived just in time to see our coach pulling up. He greeted both of us while getting the radio out of his car. We walked up to the entrance of the school entering the commons to see less than half of my team on time. It looked cluttered with our bags carrying our costumes and makeup along with our equipment bags. I came with my makeup on (but kept some in my bag in case I needed a touch up). I saw a few of my teammates getting makeup on and joking around. Our coach walked in a couple minutes after me and Wil. I was wearing my leotard, or undergarment as my coach liked to call it. I got into my pregame uniform, the word JUNIPER was spelled out vertically along my right leg. The color of the words were coincidentally juniper as well. My teammates kept arriving, the last few being the seniors on the team. Most of us had our flags out and ready for when we heard the band marching up. 

As on cue we heard drumline playing a recognizable cadence. The trumpets were the first in sight. Still being in the commons, I rushed to the window to see Parker. He’s been my best friend for about 10 months now. When I saw him my face lit up.

“Get in line! Captains in front, seniors behind, and so on.” 

We all got lined up. Our pregame flags were stripped and cradled on the left side of our body. We marched down in unison, sometimes one of us falling behind and having to speed up. We made it to the field and went to the space on the track where there was space for band and guard, a place I along with everyone else would be revisiting during half time. Jessie reminded me that tonight needed to go perfect due to the battle of the bands. We needed to stay victorious. I felt a strong devotion to my team and I want them to win tonight. The battle was something I totally hadn't forgotten until he said something. 

“You forgot didn’t you?” 

“No!” 

“Sure.” 

I smiled at Wil’s tone of voice. Wil opened his mouth to say something else but Jessie told us to get into our two lines. Signifying we were going to the opening in the bleachers to run out for pregame. I was in the right side row, the very last person to be exact. 

The announcer's voice rang through my ears as he introduced the Pride of Juniper Marching Band and Color Guard. Our head band director told us to start running. Each side ran to the 25 yard line, and some even went across at the visitor hash mark. The color guard made three lines connecting around the band. The band made three letters “JHS” ; they were stepping in place, looking like bumble bees. A snare drum made three taps, signifying that the band was getting ready to play the pregame music. Consisting of our fight song, the national anthem, and the Juniper High School’s almamater. Fight song was about to begin, As drumline rolled off I stood proudly wanting to intimidate Briar High’s band. Everyone was in perfect sync. Our flags flapping in the wind. Smiling looking into the crowd. A surge of confidence rushed through me. I was sure we were going to win this battle. The fight song ended, the national anthem followed. The guard faced the flagpole while the band played the anthem flawlessly. The almamater was next. I was in awe at how good we were doing! That all faded when Briar’s guard came up to us. Critiquing every flaw in that performance. But one comment stuck with me “I thought you guys were the best.” We were, every competition we entered we won, grand champions, we had more trophies than Briar. Yet, I still let it get to me. I was nervous walking back to the commons. My mind had totally blanked. I didn’t even realize I was walking to the commons until I almost ran into Wil. 

“Something is on your mind. What's up?” 

“I thought you guys were the best.” I don't know why that stuck with me but it did. I don't know why, I think the stress of this whole thing is starting to get to me. I mean this is my first actual marching season even though I’m a sophomore. It’s just weird.” 

“I mean this is all new to me too, plus don't sweat it too much, plus you do get to spend time with your boyfriend.” 

“Oh sush!” 

“C’mon we gotta get ready.” 

“No, you need to get ready! I’m already done!” 

“And? You need to do my makeup!”

 “After all this time? It’s literally just a line and dots.” 

“Then what would I need you for?” 

“Stay Still!”

 “You’re no fun”

“And? you’re inpatient.”

“Children, Children stop it, hurry up we need to do mental run throughs” 

I finished the final dot on Wil’s face. 

“Coming Jessie!” 

After that we laid on the floor of the cafeteria (disgusting I know, yet a tradition we all had picked up) Our show music, blaring while we ran through the movements in our head. Jessie got a call from the marching band director telling Jessie to bring the guard down to the field. My anxiety was very present. I was trying my best not to let it get to me. My hands were visibly shaking. Wil tried to calm me down by making jokes but it only helped a little bit. 

“Hurry up, Get in line! You know the drill.” 

My anxiety was still going wild, I had an uncertain look on my face. Smile through the pain right? The doors of the commons opened. And my uncertainty grew. We made our way to the same spot on the track. The band was already in their music block.

“Alright let's go over a few things as a whole.” The band started playing what I knew to be scales. Jessie called out for us to all get set. We all managed to get through our flag work. Of course we all messed up one thing. None of us were perfect. My hands were still shaking, It was hard to get through the flag work. Kids from Briar came over to tell us words of discouragement. I tried my best to ignore them. My stress was even higher. I didn’t want to mess it up for my team. My coach told us to get all of our equipment so we could get lined up at the end zone. We waited there for a little bit, the band joining us so I went over to Parker. 

“You’re gonna ditch me for your boyfriend, dang Fay, you are a traitor” I smiled, Wil was still trying to make me feel better. As I walked over to Parker I yelled back to Wil 

“You’re just jealous you don't have a boyfriend.” I giggled. I saw Parker, My face lit up. He saw me walking over to him and started walking towards me. 

“You nervous?” 

“A little, yeah.” 

“Hey it's gonna be alright, I know you are going to do amazing as always!” 

I smiled again, he always made me feel better.

“So will you!” 

My nerves were still all over the place but they were less now, due to Parker. Wil had also made it better. I had to make a mental note of that so I wouldn’t get teased later. Parker told me about his day, going into extreme detail about his cross country meet before this. Complaining about how he had to put his band jacket all on his own on the cross country bus heading back to the school. 

“Oh my god you are such a big baby.” I gave him a playful shove 

“Am not!” he said in defense 

“Uh huh.” 

“I hate you.” 

“Sure you do, yeah totally.”

 “I could never hate you.” 

“I know Parker, I know.” 

the timer had run out. Football players were running off the field to relax. It was time. Parker gave me a hug and told me that everything was going to be okay in the end. I believed him. My shaking hands were shaking less. I walked back to my team and the band director called us into attention. “Band ten hut!” The chant “Hit!” boomed from the field. We got in our lines. Band was pretty much in their formation. Another command “Mark time mark!” the cadence from the tenor snare started. 

“Left, left, left.”

“Forward march!” 

“Four and left, left , left.” The chant continued all the way to the middle of the field. Guard on the other hand was running down the sideline to get all of our equipment set. The prop team was setting up our props. I was getting my flag set when Parker came over to me. He gave me a fust bump. A ritual we picked up at games and performances. 

“Remember only w’s.” 

“I always do.” 

“Good luck” We both walked away smiling. I sat down next to the first flag I set. The rest of the guard there already. I sat down until “Runaway Baby” was done. While the band played the drill team was dancing, so was cheer. I wasn’t paying attention though. My mind once again got fixated on Briar. I kept repeating in my head what Parker always tells me when I get anxious. Only w’s. Runaway Baby had finished. It was time. I passed by Parker. He gave me another fist bump. My nerves had died down. I walked to my opening set. Once everyone was there the drum majors started the count off. I heard the bass drums and I let the music consume me. I lost all worries about Briar. Our work was far from graceful but we were giving it our all. It was loud and the crowd was cheering. We made it through the opener almost flawlessly. Cheers on both sides could be heard. The second movement was when my anxiety hit again. Not only did I have a solo, I was in the middle of every block on the 50 this entire movement. I was hiding behind a prop. I stood up with the two other people on either side of me. I did my dance as well as I could. My hands were still a little shaky. I finished the dance block and got my swing flags. I did my solo and finished the movement. The closer was my favorite Wil was encouraging me while everyone else was finishing movement 2. I couldn’t let Briar get to me. Not yet at least. I ended the show dead center of the field and I couldn’t fail that. I needed to do my best. The crowd cheered once again. The closer started. We nailed it. It ended perfectly, the cheers doubled. Guard grabbed our things and took them to the end zone. As soon as he saw me Parker gave me a hug “See I told you, I knew you could do it!” I smiled. The band director called us and Parker let go of me. We along with everyone else in the band were eagerly waiting for what he had to say. “Briar High dropped out.”

“What?” 

I mumbled. I could hear the small murmurs of confusion.

“A kid who goes to Briar got hurt, they dropped out, we win by default!”

I was nervous for nothing? For them to drop out? I was so confused. My face probably showed many emotions. Confusion, anger, happiness, and probably more. I assume Parker saw my face because he gave me a hug. More like a squeeze.

“Jesus Parker! I’m upset, not dying!”

“Do you want me to stop?”

“No.”

“Exactly” 

The rest of the night was fun. Parker and Wil made me forget all about the anger and the other emotions I had felt. I was just having fun with my best friend. The band continued to play throughout the game. Parker teased me making sure I was still okay at times. When the game ended we went down to the band room and watched our performance as we cleaned up. I waited for Parker to hang up his uniform. All of guard had left already. They knew where to find me. Wil bid his farewell and Parker walked me to my car and gave me a hug 

“I’m proud of you! You did amazing! Good job tonight!”

“You too! Bye, thanks for walking me out!”

“You know I always do.”

“Some of us want to go home!”

“Sorry mom, Bye Parker thanks for the amazing night!”

“Anytime text me when you get home.”

“Will do!”