The March Forward

The heat was dreadful. I hated Texas and everything about it especially this new school and it's band meeting a whole month before school actually starts. It was only 11 am and I was starting to pour sweat. It wasn't like I was out of shape or anything because I like to work out.

You see my name is Jacob Swanson and I have been a recent victim of a parent's transfer. We had to move from the nice weather of central Kansas to the stupid humidity of southern Texas. Don't get me wrong I love my family very much, but I miss Kansas. It feels like the only constant in my life is music, it's the one thing in my life that I can count on never changing.

I play the tuba but I'm no the stereotypical fat guy with brown hair and freckles that had red cheeks from blowing so hard in the instrument that you see in movies. I don't like to brag but I think I'm fairly decent looking. I have noticeable biceps, I'm naturally tan (courtesy of my Hispanic heritage), short brown hair that I like to spike up in all different directions, brown eyes, broad shoulders and a hard chest. My dad is kind of tall and my mom is kind of short which makes me 5'11'.

In my old school we had sousaphones (the tubas that wrap around your shoulders to march with) but this school actually has marching tubas that you carry on one shoulder.

So I'm thinking to myself that my life can't get any worse when I'm looking at my new instrument while feeling the sweat run down my back when I hear someone talk to me, 'You must be Jacob'.

I looked up to see who was talking to only stare at the most good looking guy I have yet to see in Texas. He was standing in front of me almost eye to eye (he was just a bit taller than me) leaning on some kind of mace.

'You're the only new person added to the roster so I just matched the face to the name.' he said with a slight southern accent and a smile of pearly whites. I quickly realized that I had not said anything for quite some time and snapped out of my daze. 'Yes I'm Jacob, but my friends from Kansas just call me Jake.'

'Well Jake it's nice to meet you my name is Cody. I usually play the trombone but I'm first drum major that's why I have this mace. Welcome to Texas.'

I had been in Texas for a week now and had hated it since i got here and then just within a few minutes I went from hating it to loving it. He said the last sentence with a wink. I watched him as he went up to other people greeting them as well. His body type was similar to mine except for his shoulders mine were broader than his. His hair was a dirty blonde and styled to look like a mess of hair. Then the most wonderful thing happened. I guess Texas is hot for everyone, even native Texans, because to cool off Cody peeled his shirt off. Then the worst thing happened he caught me looking.

I quickly looked away due to embarasment but couldn't help but look once again. His reaction wasn't what I thought it would be like running over to me and beating the crap out of me. Instead he was lookin at me and smiling.

He then grabbed a whistle that was dangling from his neck and blew it two short times emitting a very high pitch. He then bellowed in a very commanding way 'Band! Attention!'. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stood straight with their arms to their sides. I didn't know what to do except try and mimic to the best of my ability. I didn't break eye contact with Cody. He let go of his whistle and winked at me.