A stressful Saturday full of mixed emotions from auditions approaches its end. The sun glows as it falls in the sky, sending bright beams right through the cracked windows. Although a cool breeze seeps in, the bus is still feeling stuffy. No stuffiness could bother me though. No constant screaming from the back of the bus could change how I was feeling. My mind drowned itself in thoughts of all possible outcomes. The rumbling bus stalls as we all wait for the results from a towering man with a deep, growling  voice and fake enthusiasm.
He climbs the steps of the bus as if it were a mountain. One slow, steady step. Then another. And another. He crawls his way to the center aisle and begins calling all new members of the all-state band. Slowly one name. Then another. And another. Does anyone know what eternity feels like? After what could have been days, my name is called. Excitement rushes over me as I literally jump for joy and give my best friend, who also made it, a hug.
It was impossible to hide my excitement because I started to believe that this moment could never happen. For the past two years, my music audition results were not meeting my expectations. This was the first moment where I felt my countless hours of practice were not a waste.