Chapter 9: A Very Different Week at Camp

Once again, a big thanks to everyone who has read and contributed feedback to the story. AuroraIncident, adub, and Boots continue to help me with each chapter. I’m also still trying out other Beta Readers in hopes of further refining things, reducing spelling and continuity issues, and really building a believable reality in this universe that AuroraIncident lets me play in.

As always, any characters involved in sexual activity of any kind are at least 18.

Tuesday, August 22, 4:00AM, Belews Lake Cabin

Restless nights from the week prior weren’t welcome upon their return. Nor was the compunction that had settled in his lower intestine. Yet Miles had another night of almost no sleep.

Guilt is a funny emotion.

Humans feel guilty for things out of their control just as much as they feel it for the things they have complete control of. In the hours he’d laid awake hoping for sleep to overtake him, he had a lot of time to think about it. He could only stifle a laugh as he tried to determine whether an emotion like guilt itself was something humans had any control over.

His guilt gave him a headache.

He wanted to be there for his sister. Wanted to ensure her safety. Wanted to supervise her friends who claimed they’d be keeping watch. Wanted to make sure the people who attacked her got what they had coming to them. Wanted to know why she’d been attacked at all.

But most of all, he wanted to know what he’d done to upset her.

He hated not knowing.

Almost as much as he hated knowing that neither his sister, nor her attack, were the source of his guilt.

His guilt could be traced back to the dock at the lake. Not the one where she was attacked.

That dock he’d missed as he wandered, nearly blind, through the woods. When Chris had led him to the lake in the middle of the previous week, he’d chalked it up to seeing it in different lighting that made it so unfamiliar. But after spending hours there as they waited for the first responders to do everything they needed to, he was certain it wasn’t the same. Somehow, he’d wound up at the dock to another campsite.

And Pixie had found him at that other dock. She’d let him hold her. Kiss her. Caress her. Fondle her. Taste her.

The source of his guilt.

Not that he felt guilty about fooling around. He’d spent enough time like that last week.

His guilt was because last Tuesday, at 5 in the morning, he’d been holding someone else. Kissing someone else. Caressing ... fondling ... tasting...

And now, one week later, he was no closer to finding out who she was.

Yet, he was drawn to her.

He couldn’t determine if it was because of the mystery of not knowing who she was or if it was some ineffable connection that neither logic nor science could explain.

His heart raced as he got out of bed. With every step toward the door, his inner monologue cursed at him for taking Pixie for granted. There was a real connection with a person whom he adored. More importantly, he knew. Her name. Her face. Her personality. Things that actually qualify as a connection.

The girl from the lake? It started and ended with mystery.

And a little sluttiness.

He couldn’t ignore the appeal of that.

He took hold of the door handle, unable to ignore his desires that had been halted so abruptly a week prior.

Slowly, he pulled. There was no concern that it might creak or get stuck. But swinging it wide and fast could still rouse one of his bunkmates.

Glancing out, his heart sank.

Two figures, making their rounds on the path. Chaperones that had been tasked with keeping watch.

Their presence eliminated his chance to sneak out to the lake. And with it, the last opportunity he’d have to find out who the girl was.

7:22 AM

“After everything that happened yesterday, I can’t believe you snuck out again,” Cleo chided.

“You’ll be happy to know that there were multiple chaperones out and about by six this morning, and even more when I was walking back,” Zoe glanced at her watch. “You’re up earlier than usual. Something up or...?”

“Too excited to sleep. I nearly followed you to get a makeup tutorial but figured I’d sweat it off in like an hour or so.”

“I’d hook you up with stuff you can rely on,” Zoe smiled and rolled her eyes. “But a tutorial would take way longer than we had time for.”

“Well, it’s not like I don’t know anyth-” The look on Zoe’s face warned Cleo that she might as well be telling a flat-out lie.

“Don’t worry. We’ll get your makeup game on point,” Zoe assured. “Are you more nervous about the new position or having to work with Kristina and Boon?”

“Well, it’s not Boon I’m worried about,” Cleo contemplated which of the alternates was most accurate.

“Boon’ll make sure she’s not too brutal,” Amber spoke up without a trace of being sleepy.

“Does anybody sleep in this cabin anymore?”

“Probably not,” Lindsay said as she sat up.

“Don’t worry about the Drum Captain responsibilities,” another girl stated from further in the cabin. “If Tamera could do it, then you definitely can too.”

Zoe smiled at the vote of confidence Cleo was receiving from girls outside of their small circle of friends.

“Plus, everyone likes you. So, it’ll be easier to work with you.”

“See,” Zoe leaned in so they could speak without having the rest of the cabin overhear. “You got this. Everyone has faith in you.”

“What’s one of the things I’m afraid of,” Cleo whispered.

10:30 AM Belews Lake Field

Instead of rehearsing together in the auditorium as had been scheduled, Boon and Kristina worked privately with Cleo to bring her up to speed.

While their marching band wasn’t quite large enough to merit having a Brass Captain, it was understood that Seph was the de facto leader when the Conductor, Drum Major, and Drum Captain were absent. Her section had long exceeded her expectations, in no small part thanks to the observations and advice of Miles. They ran through a single routine without error, at which point she put Miles in charge of the next, while she went to check on how the other sections were progressing.

“Looking nice, Chris,” she called after watching the trombones for a few minutes. Once they wrapped the exercise they were practicing, she stepped closer and spoke softer so the other members wouldn’t hear. “Keep an eye on your rookies, I think one of them is having trouble keeping up.”

He nodded and made a note to keep an eye out.

Seph moved on to her brother’s section. They were doing fine, and she didn’t have any comments to make.

Watching Pixie lead a group of her peers was a highlight to Seph. It helped that she was well-respected by those following her. The veteran flautists had all played and marched along with her for years, and she never asked them to give her any special treatment. In return, they saw her work hard to make sure she was always prepared and able to coach anyone who needed extra assistance.

“Squads looking good this year, Pix,” Seph complimented.

“Fierce Floutists!” Pixie barked with more authority than Seph had heard from her before. As one, the group clicked their heels together and turned to face Seph. “An intruder has come to steal our secrets. Do what must be done!”

Without breaking step, the ensemble advanced on her, brandishing their silver pipes as if they had sharp blades instead of capped keys.

Wide-eyed, Seph wasn’t willing to linger to discover what happened if they caught her. She turned and fled toward the next section. “Pix, I love you, but don’t think I won’t get you for this later.”

As she sprinted away she heard Pixie give more commands to her section, “Nice work, Troops. The enemy is retreating. Back to one!”

Seph couldn’t help but laugh as she processed what transpired. When the heck did she find the time to get them to coordinate that? And more importantly, why?

Her eyes fell upon Mel’s section and her heart sank a bit.

Instead of the rigid, almost robotic poses of the other sections, each of the sax players moved with a slight dip and swing to their step.

“Wha- Mel, what’s going on here?”

“I figure Tune put the girl from Nawlins in charge of the funkiest section of the band ‘cause he wanted some of that Mardi Gras stank to break up that stick-in-your-butt marching y’all got going on,” several members of her squad had trouble keeping composure at Mel’s statement.

“Kristina is going to crucify you,” Seph marveled.

“Oh, shush, we saw what you were up to and were having a little fun,” Mel stood upright and gave a fresh count for her squad to start on.

To Seph’s relief, the squad fell into near-perfect traditional chair-step.

“Not funny,” she called as she began moving to the clarinets. “By the way, it looks like a couple of your players can’t shake that ‘Mardi Gras stank’ you introduced them to.”

“What?” Mel shrieked and looked at the members of her squad, who were still dipping. “Noooo!”

Serves you right for teaching them that, Seph laughed under her breath as she moved on to the next group.

She had nothing of note to provide Sam, who was leading the clarinets. Which meant Seph could either move on to the drums or go back to the trumpets. As much as she feared going to the drummers, she knew she was seen as a leader for the entire band and didn’t want to let any section down.

“Amber!” She hadn’t realized that one of the girls she’d been hanging out with at the bonfire would be leading the snares. Or at least, attempting to lead. There was almost no point in voicing the question. “How ... are ... things?”

“Let’s take five, y’all,” Amber called to her bandmates as she turned to face Seph.

“Is everything alright?”

“Nooooo,” Amber, nearly in tears, whispered. “Tamara was center snare, then Cleo would have been the next best. I am way underprepared for this and they need a ton of work. We’re a mess.”

She looked over at Zoe who had come over to stand next to her. “No offense.”

“Hey, it’s not like I’d be doing any better,” Zoe shook her head.

“Tam had us working on routines, but I’m afraid all I’ve done is set us back a day or two ... or ten,” she let out an exhausted sigh. “I think maybe I should just have us move back to conditioning. At least I can’t set us back any further than I already have.”

Seph bit her lip, unsure what she could say to give Amber the confidence she needed.

“You’re doing fine,” Zoe offered. It’s just ... this group is short three of its top players now.”

“Uh...” Amber furrowed her brow. “I don’t think anyone considered June a top player.”

Had it not been discussed at their dining table, Seph wouldn’t have recognized the name of the other snare who had quit.

“Not June. You!” Zoe rolled her eyes, “They put you in charge because you’re the best drummer out there. You know the patterns and routines better than anyone else. But you’ve been so distracted trying to think of what Tam or Cleo would do, not to mention keeping an eye on everyone else, that you’re letting it affect your own playing.”

Damn, that’s a good point.

“Hey Zo,” Seph called. “Who’s the better dancer, you or Miles?”

“Uh...” Zoe Shorty Georged her way closer. “Me of course. Why?”

“Uh huh,” Seph leaned back to fully witness the strange movement. “No chance it’s Miles, eh?”

“Not unless you ask him,” she said, transitioning to a lock-step and ending with a full turn. “Or my mom, but you can’t trust her. She coddles him.”

The few drummers from their squad who’d stopped to watch gave a quiet yet uncomfortable applause.

“Thanks, I’ll be here all week,” Zoe boasted with a wave.

“Oh ... kay then, what was I ... Oh yeah!” Seph turned her attention back to Amber. “Pull Zoe and have her observe the squad.”

Amber cocked an eyebrow.

“Zoe, could you do the routine turned around?” Seph asked.

“What, you mean like from the last step to the first? Uh ... I mean, I could probably make it work, but it’d take me a moment.”

“No, I mean like literally turned around and keeping an eye on the guy behind you.”

“Oh, uh, Yeah, that shouldn’t be too bad. Why? Has he been staring at my butt or something?”

“NO!” Seph sighed, frustrated at having to break it down so much. “Could you watch the other players, so Amber can focus on the timing and her own steps?”

Both Zoe and Amber burst out laughing.

“I knew exactly what you were getting at the second you asked if I was the better dancer.”

“Uh...”

“Plus,” Amber said, barely able to hold herself together. “She’s had Josh P behind her all week. And you know he’d be looking at her ass.”

Zoe didn’t find this revelation as amusing, though it nearly brought Amber to her knees. A glance to her friends caused Amber to adopt their more solomn tone.

“Miles told us you used him to check on the rest of your squad. I think you were still in the meeting with the section leaders and Tune,” Amber clarified, wiping the tears that had formed in the corners of her eyes from laughing so hard. “I’m just annoyed I didn’t think of it first.”

“Y’know what?” Seph wanted to be mad at them but found their laughter too infectious. “You two are on your own now.”

Her attempt at storming off was undermined by a grin and giggles.

Checking on the bass drums, which included Judy, and then the quads, which Lindsay was now leading, wasn’t as eventful. Both groups were doing fine on their own. As she approached the cymbals and the mallet sections, she realized she’d shared classes with many of the students in these groups, but had no idea who any of them were. Like most of the rest of the band, they all seemed to be functioning quite well on their own. Though, it reminded her once again that she might not have been the warm and friendly person she’d always considered herself.

12:20 PM, Belews Lake Cafeteria

By lunch, which was now a two-hour shared block instead of the single hour for drummers followed by another for everyone else, almost all the students were feeling more exhausted than they had the previous week. The majority of her friends had nearly finished their meals by the time Cleo set her tray down amongst them.

“How’d it go?” Seph asked.

Zoe couldn’t help but notice how much of an effort Seph had been putting in to make sure Cleo was acknowledged.

“Ugh, kill me now,” Cleo groaned. “How did y’all talk me into taking that position?”

“Hey, Boon made up his mind without our involvement at all,” Chris put up his hands in defense.

“And, you’re trying to get a read on what Kristina is up to,” Amber reminded.

“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer,” Lindsay added.

“About that...” Cleo looked at her friends around the table. “I’m not so sure she was behind the thing at the lake. Or the bottles in my bag. In fact, she seems just as upset as any of us are about it.”

Cleo’s revelation caused every head at their table to turn towards her.

“Oh, God!” Pixie gasped. “She’s been brainwashed. Or Invasion of the body snatched.”

“Pixie!” Chris scolded.

Judy shook thoughts loose from her head, “I’m sorry, I tuned out. Whozawut, someone said snatch?”

“Don’t you start,” Chris warned.

Miles brought a hand to his mouth to cover his reaction.

“I wasn’t brainwashed,” Cleo sighed.

“Exactly what someone who was brainwashed would say,” Amber joked.

“No, someone who was brainwashed would ask if they were,” Lindsay corrected, her friends unable to determine whether she was being serious or just deadpan.

“Why don’t you think it was her?” Zoe asked, more concerned about the news than the sidetrack.

“She apologized for the bottles that were in my bag. And she said she’d find you and apologize to you, too,” Cleo said. “She said as the leader of the band, it’s her fault that something like this happened. And it’s also up to her to make sure that everyone involved gets what they deserve.”

“And that was supposed to be reassuring?” Mel exclaimed.

“Right?” Joe laughed. “That sounds ominous as shit.”

Chris grunted his disproval of the word choice but the comment succeeded in reviving the jocular mood from before Lindsay’s statement.

“So, if that wasn’t her, what about her threat of getting us on Monday?” Zoe asked.

“Apparently she was going to have us polish all the instruments in the storage area.”

Zoe pictured the chrome pieces on each of the drums, the cymbals, then tried to imagine what else might be resting there waiting to be polished. It would have been a decent punishment, and the fact that they still likely needed to be polished made her nervous.

“Huh,” Seph said. “So either she changed her mind about it after what all happened ... Or you’re right, she’s not involved and we just had the wrong impression about her.”

“Mmmm-hmm,” Cleo agreed as she quickly tried to swallow the bite of sandwich she’d just taken. “And she was actually super helpful with me this morning. There is so much stuff to do and remember.”

It was a role the rest of the table hadn’t ever put much thought in. It was understood that it would be more responsibility, but the extent of that was a mystery to the others.

“So, what about the rest of you?” Cleo continued as she polished off the remainder of her meal. “Are you just doing sprints and marching like last week? What about the section leaders who quit, did anyone take their places?”

“I’m leading the snares until you take over,” Amber stated.

“Well, obviously,” Cleo chuckled. “Anyone know who’s leading the cymbals or the quads now?”

“I’m heading the quads,” Lindsay said.

“Awesome, and the cymbals?”

A long pause informed them that they had no idea about the status of the other percussion sections.

“Didn’t you go around checking all the sections?” Amber asked Seph after no one answered Cleo’s question.

“Uh ... I did,” Seph answered tentatively.

“Then how come ... oh. Yeah,” Cleo realized why Seph hadn’t spoken up.

“They seemed like they were managing,” Seph stated defensively. “But ... I didn’t catch any names.”

“Well, you’ll get an opportunity this afternoon. Boon is having us make up the missed rehearsals at the auditorium, and we’re officially choosing who the new section leaders are.”

“Challenges?” Joe asked with a fair amount of enthusiasm.

“Probably. You gonna see if you can move up a chair?” Cleo suggested.

“I dunno. I worked on it a bit over the summer, but I don’t know how much of a noticeable improvement I made.”

Seph briefly glanced at Miles before turning her attention back to Joe, “If you’re interested in it, I could try to make some time to work with you. I think you could take Tanner’s spot.”

“Don’t let him hear you say that,” Chris chuckled. “He wanted to kill Miles when he found out he got bumped. Hey, you think he’ll challenge?”

Miles shrugged, “I haven’t even heard him play, but if I were him, and I’d gotten bumped without hearing the person who took my spot, I’d definitely consider it.”

“I think once he hears you, he’ll back off,” Seph reflected.

“You think that’ll make him more pleasant?”

“Hah, couldn’t hurt,” she took a second to consider her words. “Actually it absolutely could. You could really piss him off if he challenges and winds up embarrassed.”

“Or maybe,” Pixie suggested. “You’re too much of a threat, so at night when you’re asleep, he’ll sneak over to your bunk and smash your hand with a-”

“Too close to home, girl!” Seph criticized.

“Heh,” Pixie laughed to herself. “Homegirl.”

“If you’re as good as Seph says,” Chris reasoned. “Might be able to get some of the bones to lay off you. They’ll see you deserve the spot.”

“Well, let’s hope it works out that way.”

Boon was not surprised at Cleo’s uncertainty to inheriting the Drum Captain role. But the weary look on her face was replaced with a grin as the other section leaders voiced their approval when he made the announcement. It was reassuring. After the previous day’s losses, Cleo being the source of such joy was further reassurance that he’d made the correct choice.

Seph leaned over to the other girl and whispered something in her ear. Cleo’s response was to grin even wider as her face turned a vibrant shade of red. Boon couldn’t tell if Amber overheard what was said, but she also appeared amused by the reaction.

Boon decided not to wait for their enthusiasm to die down completely before speaking again.

“Now, as for those of you who have assumed leadership positions and invited yourselves to this meeting...”

An uncomfortable silence fell upon the room.

“I can’t say I’m surprised, and certainly not disappointed, with whom each section has selected to take over the vacancies in leadership,” Boon nodded to those who were new to the meeting. “And I’m proud of all of you for stepping up when you saw the need.”

The students looked among themselves and made mental notes of who would be at their side, guiding their classmates through half-times and competitions.

“That being said,” Boon continued. “I’m a little weary just allowing it without an official vote like we’ve always done.”

“I kinda think that’s what they did,” Seph spoke up. “I mean, at least within each section. I don’t mean to single you out, Amber, but I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t have volunteered to head the snares.”

“No,” Amber blushed. “They kinda insisted.”

With that in mind, Boon took a new look at the students in the room. He’d been viewing them as musicians. How he primarily thought of them. But over the years, he’d seen elements of each of their personalities come out. Different than what they demonstrated when they had instruments in hand and uniforms making them nearly indistinguishable from their bandmates. Amber avoided attention, but it was Lindsay’s presence which made him realize the leadership positions were mostly comprised of who he considered wallflowers.

“That won’t be necessary. I really...” he smiled and nodded. “I don’t have the words to express how proud I am at each of you.”

While the students basked in the praise, one of the doors to the auditorium parted from its mullion. Warm autumn sunbeams flooded the room, backlighting the person interrupting their meeting.

Gulps of uncertainty splashed across the auditory canvas as the door returned to shielding the room from light. Boon frowned in anticipation of how the next several seconds might unfold.

“Tamara,” he acknowledged the returning student. “After yesterday, I didn’t think you’d be rejoining us.”

“Hey, yeah, I, uh...” She surveyed the room. Clearly shocked at Ambers presence, alarmed by Cleo’s, and angered by Kristina’s. “I heard some other girls talking the other night. I think I let them get in my head. Started worrying that I was taking on too much this year. But once I got home, I realized how unfair it would be for the band to have to go on without your Drum Captain, so ... Here I am.”

She gave a friendly wave to the other students. Boon wished one of them would call her out on what he believed to be a bullshit statement. But they remained silent.

“Here you are,” Boon repeated. “Well, as you can see, your classmates have agreed to take on the challenge. So, you’re off the hook.”

The look of uncertainty on her face was something Boon had never seen before. Most students enter high school with a faint idea of what they’re aspiring to get out of it. Some, to get good grades and move on to college or at least keep their parents off their backs. Others, neither grades nor attendance were of value. For Tamara, from the first day she set foot on campus, she knew where her future was heading. High School was a stepping stone to the Marines. The Carter High School Wind Ensemble was a precursor to one of the Marine Corps Field Bands. At some point, she’d parlay the skill and disciplined she learned to play for The President’s Own, or more realistically, The Commandant’s Own.

That had been the plan she’d conveyed to him for years. He couldn’t picture a scenario where some other student talked her out of it.

“No need,” she said confidently as she walked up to Cleo and Amber. “It’d be a huge setback, and unfair to them to spring this on them so last-minute.”

Boon frowned and cleared his throat, “I believe the unfair thing would be to ask them to leave at this point.”

“Huh?” Tamara, panic-stricken, looked at the other snares. She pointed to Cleo. “What? No. I’m better than her. And I don’t even know why Amber is here.”

“Amber is here,” Kristina answered. “Because this morning we were without a Drum Captain. So, she led them while Mr. Boon and I went over everything with Cleo.”

“Wait, how? I was barely gone a full 24-hours and you held votes already?”

Cleo and Amber slouched in their seats.

“We were a ship without a Captain,” Boon stated, unsure if Kristina would take it as a slight. “But we couldn’t let that sink us. So yes, it has been decided that Cleo will take over your former responsibilities.”

“Then I challenge,” Tamara said flippantly.

Boon sighed. “You may.”

Cleo looked as though she may throw up.

“ ... after the retreat,” Boon added.

“But-”

“Cleo needs time to learn. The other students haven’t even had a chance to see what she’s capable of.”

“They don’t need to worry about it,” Tam insisted. “I already know what needs to be done. You don’t have to waste time teaching someone new what to do. I’m back.”

“For how long?” Boon asked. “Confident as you may be in your skills, I don’t think you’re grasping that it won’t be shared with many of your classmates.”

“They know how good I am.”

“It’s not confidence in your skills that they’re likely to question,” it pained Boon to have to explain the repercussions to the girl. “It’s confidence that you won’t abandon them again.”

2:30 PM, Belews Lake Auditorium

The auditorium was a barrage of noises as students struggled to find their seats, assemble their instruments, or do a warm-up before the rehearsal officially started. Ed Boon stood patiently to the side as he watched his students get situated. He’d been Carter’s Band Director for over 20 years, yet this was the first time he’d ever felt this nervous to address his students. When it appeared that only a few students were left getting ready, he took the podium.

An eery silence fell over the room as the man stood ahead of them.

“Thank you,” he began softer than he’d intended, he cleared his throat and started again.

“Thank you for choosing to be part of Carter High School Marching Band,” his voice carried with it a confidence he lacked internally. Beads of sweat formed on his brow as every eye in the room stared, waiting for him to continue. “As many of you are no doubt aware, there are a few issues that need to be addressed before we can proceed with the year as we’d planned.”

A murmur passed through the room but quickly died out.

“First, I must apologize to you all. I have failed as your band director, as a teacher and representative of Carter High, and as a member of the community who is responsible for ensuring the well-being of the students left in my care,” his eyes briefly landed on Zoe’s face, and he had to pause. “I let you down.”

He hadn’t been sure whether to expect more murmurings at this. There wasn’t. No one spoke, but several students exchanged glances amongst themselves.

“By now, I believe all of your parents have been informed of the unfortunate incident that occurred on Monday morning,” he grimaced as he thought of how poorly he’d responded to the situation. “I don’t feel it would do any good to go into further detail. I have spent a lot of time reflecting on it and will carry those thoughts with me for any future situations that may arise as long as I am teaching at Carter High.”

However long that may be. He wasn’t sure if he would be relieved of his position, but for the foreseeable future, he would have to believe he didn’t hold the job security he once had.

He cleared his throat as he moved on to the next topic he needed to discuss.

“Next order of business,” He hated the phrase, but it was there, “I realize many of you were eagerly awaiting Tamara Taylor being Drum Captain this year.”

The silence of his audience was interrupted as some students processed this information for the first time. Ed paced himself, unsure of how his next sentence would be received by the rest of the band. As well as Tamara herself.

“For reasons that we won’t go into, Tamara chose to leave the retreat yesterday, forfeiting her role.”

The quiet whispers began to amplify.

“Fortunately, we have a student ready to take over the position and be your field commander this upcoming marching season,” his assumption was right, and the whispers disappeared as everyone in the room seemed eager to hear him name the student. “I am proud to inform you that Cleopatra Goldstein will be this year’s Drum Captain.”