Chương 8: This One Time at Band Camp

As it turned out, Olivia did end up getting more than the simple movie she'd requested. Far more. Her mom took it upon herself to plan an entire day's worth of events, starting with lunch and culminating with dinner at a relatively nice restaurant downtown. They capped it off with a shopping trip that might have seemed impromptu if not for the precise planning that had characterized the rest of the day.

That last event placed Olivia in a rather awkward situation, since she was torn between shutting down her mom's attempts to foist clothing onto her or letting herself be rolled over by the woman's sheer enthusiasm. She ended up going with the latter, for the most part, and letting her dad run at least some defense for her. They still ended up leaving with a couple of bags that Olivia resolved to stick in the back of the closet with the others.

Even if she did actually like a few of the styles her mom had picked out. But all too quickly, the day came and went. After one more night of restless sleep, Olivia found herself standing before her alma mater—Ridgeview High School. The campus RHS was rather unique compared to most, something that Olivia didn't realize until well into college. A few central buildings clustered like fallen branches with classrooms studded along their entire length.

Around them, spreading out toward the edge of the campus, rows of portables and a few smaller, more permanent structures formed groups that were loosely organized by subject. Weaving amidst it all were winding paths of pavement and the occasional set of stairs that allowed students to more easily navigate the more uneven sections, where hills led classrooms to tower imperiously over their neighbors.

Whether the outdoorsy, naturalistic design was a result of inspired architects taking advantage of the local climate or a complete and total lack of foresight was anyone's guess. Olivia preferred to imagine the former, though the rather haphazard sprawl of the place suggested the latter. Either way, the system worked well except for in rare instances of actual rain. Then everyone unanimously cursed the designers for not adding more covered areas or drainage.

The sight of the bright red front gates greeted Olivia as she stepped out of the sedan. Beyond them, a cartoonish depiction of a raccoon shot her a thumbs up from its perch atop the auditorium.

"Have a good day, sweetie, alright?" Olivia smiled at her dad as he idled in the sedan. He was already dressed in his work uniform of a polo and khaki pants.

"I'll try. You too!" She gave him a fond wave as the little car puttered away, then headed inside the open gate. There was still half an hour before school started, so the campus only hosted a few scattered freshmen. At least, she assumed they were freshmen on account of how young they looked. It wasn't until an actual freshman crossed her path and gawked at the unfamiliar campus that Olivia realized her mistake. Dang. They really are just kids, aren't they? She couldn't help but smile.

They always seemed so much older and more mature and all that, but now… They're older than my kids, sure, but still way closer in age to them than to me. George would've had what, seven, eight more years until high school? She wondered what he would've looked like. Even at seven, she couldn't help but see echoes of the baby phase her eldest had long since grown out of. And that likely would remain the truth for the foreseeable future. The thought of her kids immediately caused her smile to falter.

Maybe she'd never see him grow into that young man. Not unless she got this right. It's time for me to become the gawking freshman trying to find her classes. That's what I would have done, right? Scout out where I'll need to go so that I'm not scrambling between periods. Hefting her backpack and the thin black instrument case in one hand, Olivia began heading deeper inside the maze of squat buildings. There was one stop she intended to make before any other, if only to drop her flute off.

It was time to visit the band room. … At least, that was what she intended. What should have been a short trip ended up taking her on an unwilling sightseeing trip around campus. How did I get here? She asked herself, staring at the library. The band room is right by the entrance. I couldn't have gotten that lost! Shaking her head, she tried to reorient herself and trace back her steps. Jason always made fun of her for her sense of direction. But this had been her school for four years.

Surely there should've been at least some muscle memory that accompanied that? After a frankly embarrassing amount of meandering—during which she could only be grateful for the relative lack of students to see her repeatedly pass by—she finally found it. The large, squat structure stood near the edge of campus, meaning it wasn't a far walk. Its double doors stood propped open as a welcoming amber light seeped out from within. A relieved Olivia stepped inside with only the slightest bit of hesitation. All right.

Here we go. Let's see how good I am at this acting thing. Doing it with her parents was one thing. But here, in front of people who she'd never met? It should be a piece of cake. In theory, at least. The inside of the room was a broad expanse of faded red and tan carpet that had clearly seen better days. Stacks of chairs and racked music stands overflowed from one corner, while rotund copper timpani and other percussion instruments flooded out of the storage room in the other.

The two groups massed as they prepared to invade the unclaimed territory in the center. The back wall was lined with rows of cubbies covered by wire grates that already hosted instrument cases of every possible size and shape. There were even a couple of textbooks and personal belongings among them. A surprising number of students already loitered about the space. It made Olivia wonder if the campus wasn't actually as empty as she'd initially thought. Maybe everyone else was just hiding inside as well.

"Hey, Olivia!" She blinked in surprise. Turning toward the bubbly voice, Olivia was surprised to see an older girl already making a beeline for her. She was shorter than average, with a blonde bob that framed her round face. A rather generous amount of eyeshadow combined with foundation so thick it was practically visible to give her the appearance of wearing a mask. Her clothing was all sequins and tight fits that weren't quite as flattering as they might've been on a thinner frame.

The girl came to a stop, her chin raised and a hand on one hip. She smiled at Olivia.

"Gosh, you're early! Couldn't wait to start your first day, huh?" Olivia just stared for a moment. She knew who the girl was, of course. This was Alyssa, a junior and the section leader of the flutes. That memory came easily enough. But what really caught Olivia off guard was how Alyssa already knew her name. It's the first day. Did we meet before this or something? I don't think so… And doing research on the incoming freshmen would just be absurd. So how…? A realization dawned.

It was the first day of school, all right. But it wasn't her first time interacting with the band kids. There had been another opportunity for that, one that she'd all but forgotten about. Band camp. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. It started a few weeks before classes began, using the last few precious dregs of summer to get everyone a jumpstart on marching and their new music.

It gave freshmen the opportunity to latch onto a premade social group before being tossed into an ocean of new faces, while also letting upperclassmen settle into leadership roles and familiarize themselves with their new charges. The problem was, Olivia hadn't been there. Well, she had— but to her, it had happened twenty years before. How in the world was she supposed to remember what had happened there? This just got a hundred times harder. She breathed in to steady herself. No, it would be fine.

Even if she had missed out on a couple weeks of band camp during her trip back in time, there was one vital detail that would salvage the situation. It was old Olivia who had been there. Which meant, frankly, that there was absolutely zero chance she'd made friends—certainly not ones close enough to notice subtle personality changes. Heck, she probably wouldn't have spoken ten sentences the whole time. It was a bit embarrassing to admit, but true. She would be fine, so long as she stayed quiet and in character.

Easy. Doing her best to make herself small, Olivia tried for a meek wave in Alyssa's direction. The girl's grin widened.

"Aww, look at you, still being all shy! Don't worry, we'll pry you out of that shell yet. Now, make yourself at home! You've got plenty of time to kill before classes start." Olivia nodded silently, but internally pumped a fist. So far, so good! Seems like that's just what she expected. That's a good sign. She was worried that she'd be overdoing it, but apparently her instincts were right on the money. Now the harder part—actually talking.

"Um…" she tried, pushing down the urge to cringe at her own bad acting.

"My flute…" She shot an uncertain look at the lockers, which Alyssa thankfully picked up on.

"Oh! Yeah, you can totally put it in your locker. That's what they're for, right?" Olivia nodded, frowning at the back wall's multitude of cubbies she hesitated for a moment before realizing she had to ask.

"Um… which one…?" Alyssa's face flickered with surprise.

"You forgot already? Silly! All right, I suppose I can remind you." Hmm… do I go for an embarrassed silence, or flustered apology? Which one makes more sense? I remember being awkward, but more because I had no idea to hold a conversation, so… She decided to just stick with silence for now. It was the easier and safer option. Besides, the idea of overacting too hard honestly made Olivia feel even more uncomfortable. Alyssa led her to the back wall, where a group of other band kids stood talking.

Names rose unbidden to the forefront of her mind. Alexis, clarinet; Matt, saxophone; Tess, another flute. Even with how long it had been, Olivia still remembered most of these people. Which only made sense, given how much time they'd all spent together. Still, she couldn't help but feel that they all looked so… young. Despite every one of them being technically older than Olivia herself, she couldn't help but see them as kids.

Even Alyssa, who had always seemed so impossibly out of reach in comparison to herself now felt like a child playing pretend.

"Here you are!" Alyssa motioned toward a row of the smallest cubbies.

"You're in with the other freshmen!" A single locker with three other flute cases jammed inside greeted her. Beside it sat a comparatively empty one of the same size, containing only a single case and a few cutesy decorations. Perks of being an upperclassman. With a grateful nod, Olivia shimmied her own flute in alongside the others. She expected Alyssa to leave and return to whatever she'd been doing before, but the section leader raised an eyebrow instead.

"Oh, have you checked out where your classes are yet? You really should. It can be totally a pain to get around otherwise."

"No, uh, not yet—" She'd hardly finished before Alyssa was calling over her shoulder.

"Hey, Maggie!" A lithe, pretty girl halfway across the room raised her head. Olivia recognized her as a fellow flute, another junior.

"What?" Alyssa smiled sweetly.

"One of our cute little freshmen is on her way to look for her classes, and I definitely think she could use a guide." Maggie quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh? That's so nice of you to help out!" Maggie was already turning back to her conversation when the section leader interrupted her again.

"Oh, I wish I could! Problem is, I'm kinda busy this morning. So… I was wondering if you were free." The other flute turned back, her other eyebrow rising to meet the first.

"You're busy? Oh wow! I didn't realize. It looked like you were just hanging around like the rest of us."

"Well, you know. Someone's gotta be here to welcome the other freshmen. And I actually gotta talk to Mrs. V about some section leader stuff in a bit. So… are you free?" Both girls wore smiles as they spoke. Yet Olivia could plainly see the sparks flying with each exchange, the tension ratcheting up to frankly uncomfortable levels. It wasn't even subtle. Holy—since when did they hate each other this much? I always thought they got along fine. Seriously, did I really not notice something like that?

Whatever the case, she couldn't help but feel responsible for the current situation. Olivia stepped forward.

"It's all right! I can find my own way. I've got plenty of time, after all." Her attempt to defuse fell flat. Neither girl so much as looked at her, though she did see Alyssa's expression turn a little smug.

"Oh, it's really no trouble. Besides, it's only natural for an upperclassman to help a newbie like you out! Right?"

"Exactly," Maggie agreed.

"Especially when those upperclassmen are in leadership positions." Olivia nearly let out a frustrated sigh before stopping herself. It was clear that this wasn't even about her anymore. It was about politics. Dumb high school politics. These girls could use a healthy dose of perspective, honestly. But no, it's not my place to call them out. Still… Maybe I could get away with just slinking off unnoticed? That would be more in character, and it might knock a little bit of sense into them once they realize I'm gone…

Before she could act on any of her ideas, though, a finger tapped her on the shoulder.

"C'mon. I'll show you around." Turning to look, Olivia came face-to-face with a newcomer—a pale girl with piercing blue eyes She wore a long sleeve shirt beneath an edgy looking tee for some punk band, and her layered black hair resembled an anime-style wig in the way it swept unnaturally to one side. The monochrome look contrasted with the multitude of rainbow-hued bracelets and wristbands that crowded each arm. It was a level of care and preparation that rivaled her mom's, albeit with a polar opposite end result.

One that she supposed was relatively new in this day and age. The look gave Olivia whiplash considering how everyone else dressed relatively normally, albeit in slightly dated styles. What was her name again? Lexi, I think? Olivia glanced back at the flute section leader uncertainly. Lexi rolled her eyes.

"She won't even notice. I'm pretty sure they'll keep this up until class starts. C'mon." The scene girl tugged Olivia toward the door, and she saw no reason to resist. A few of the other band kids watched them go with obvious amusement as Alyssa and Maggie both remained completely engrossed in their fight. Olivia was already stepping outside when someone tapped the section leader on the shoulder and pointed.

Olivia got a brief view of the girl's utter surprise before Lexi pulled her through and the door clicked shut. Once they'd put a bit of distance between themselves and the room, Olivia spoke up.

"Uh… thanks. I didn't expect that to turn into a big deal." Lexi snorted.

"I did. Those biotches'll take any excuse to snipe at each other… Anyway. Where's your schedule?" Olivia paused, feeling a bit of whiplash at the casually dropped piece of ancient slang.

"I, uh, appreciate the offer, but really. I'm pretty sure I can find my own way. Probably."

"Might as well, right? Not like I'm going back in there anytime soon." The girl shot a scowl back toward the band room.

"Now c'mon. Let's see it." After a moment's hesitation, Olivia nodded. She rummaged in her bag and pulled out the folded sheet of paper before passing it over. Lexi clicked her tongue as she peered at it.

"Lessee… First period, English. Roche. Ugh." She made a face.

"Might as well get an extra hour of sleep. It's not far. C'mon." With that, the girl made a sharp right turn and marched off with Olivia not far behind. Yet something felt off. Even though she recognized Lexi, it wasn't because they'd been close. Heck, Olivia couldn't recall having spoken to Lexi in any meaningful capacity, only maybe in passing. So why was the scene girl looking out for her now? Maybe she did do this the first time around and I just forgot? But…

I feel like something like this would have left an impression. Maybe I'm wrong, though. With a hint of unease growing inside, Olivia hurried her strides to keep up.