New Twins in Town Pt. 01, Ch. 01

As they approached the cabins, the students began dividing into different rooms.

"Uh... I wasn't paying attention to which number we're in," Miles tried to hide the panic he suddenly felt.

"Oh, it's cool."

"You know which one?"

"Yeah, dude," Chris shrugged. "It's whichever one all the other kids from our bus are going in."

Gotta hand it to him, he's kinda clever.

The reassurance Chris's answer provided diminished slightly with each door they passed.

"You sure the people we're following know which cabin is ours?" Miles asked as they walked past the bathrooms.

"Huh, hadn't considered that option. Nope, but I'm pretty sure the ones we passed were all drummers and the chaperones or meal prep."

They walked by two cabins without any activity.

"How do we know those aren't ours?" The anxiety was starting to come through in Miles's voice.

"Cause the doors are closed, and the lights are off. It's probably for the Color Guard. They should be showing up later today."

"Oh okay," Miles attempted to dismiss his panic. "Chris... what's Color Guard?"

"Mmmm," Chris tried not to get distracted by the thought. "I have no idea, they look and act like cheerleaders but instead of cheering they march with the band. And whatever you do, don't make comparisons to them and cheerleaders."

"I'm gonna pretend like that was more helpful than it was," Miles shook his head again.

"This must be us- Nope. Woodwinds. Nice, that puts us in Cabin 2."

They walked up to the door Chris had mentioned and found Topher had already claimed the bottom bunk nearest the door.

"Took y'all long enough," The Junior said as they entered. "Miles, did Chris mention that section leaders take front bunks."

"Oh," Miles said with slight disappointment, then looked towards the back for an empty bunk.

"No," Chris rolled his eyes as he set his bags on the bunk across from Topher. "You're first trumpet for the boys. So, you're up here with us."

Phew, Miles saw someone else intended to take the bunk above Chris, so he tossed his bag above Topher.

"Sorry, Tanner," Chris smirked at the guy attempting to take the spot above him. "Top trumpet goes to Miles."

"Who the fuck is Miles?" The boy uttered, not attempting to hide his disgust.

"Hey, sorry. We haven't met yet," he extended a hand out to Tanner, who simply batted it away.

"I don't give a shit who you are! I'm the most experienced Trumpet player here," he said loud enough for others in the cabin to start taking interest. A quick glance down the length of the room and Miles's eyes were met with scowls from several kids who likely had been in class with Tanner since elementary school.

Why did I think taking this bunk was a good idea? Miles wondered. I can just forfeit it, no big deal. Problem solved.

He grabbed his bag and attempted to make relocate to the back of the room. Instantly he collided with a muscular boy slightly taller than himself.

Holy shit, that guys built like a tank. Isn't he supposed to be on the football team? What the hell is he doing in band?

"'Scuse me, Lurch," Miles said, hoping the other boy would give him room to pass.

Instead of responding, the behemoth merely growled.

"Seems like Andrew approves of you being first chair as much as I do," Tanner cackled.

Andrew confirmed the speculation with a grunt.

Does he speak? Miles set his bag down again.

"Now hold on," Chris interrupted. "Miles auditioned the other day. Tune and Seph said he was going to be the other section leader. If you have a problem with that, you take it up with them."

"So, this piece of shit is going to lead everyone? Does he even know our routines?" Spat Tanner.

He's got a point. He'll know all the marches, and I've never even attempted it.

Andrew grabbed Miles's shirt with both hands and, with little visual strain, lifted him inches from the ground.

He shouldn't be on the football team. He should be the football team. He's a fucking comic book villain!

Realizing anything he said would likely further exacerbate the situation, Miles put his hands up.

"Everything alright here?" Someone asked curtly from behind Miles.

Andrew released him. A small ripple of relief washed over Miles as his feet made contact with the ground. He turned and saw a chaperone standing in the doorway.

"Everything is fine," Tanner casually stated, the other students in the proximity agreeing.

"That the case," the chaperone directed at Miles. "Everything fine?"

Miles glanced around then nodded.

Tanner took it as permission to claim the bunk above Chris. The chaperone put a hand on his shoulder."

"It might be best for you to find a different bunk, son."

Tanner scowled, then opened his mouth but regained his composure before speaking up. He rolled his eyes and retreated to the back of the room. They all knew there was no point in arguing further. Tanner had lost. And he shot a look at Miles to let him know he wouldn't soon forget it.

--------

Zoe was overcome with trepidation as she came to her cabin.

Please go smoother than picking the bus seat went.

An impatient girl pushed past her and entered the room.

You can do this.

She started walking forward, not certain what sort of sign might indicate where to stop. A tap on the shoulder caused her to freeze.

"Hey. You're new, right?"

She spun to see who was speaking to her. It was a short girl with curly, brunette hair pointing to the bunk adjacent to herself. Zoe nodded and realized all the girls nearby had their eyes on her.

"Well, you can find another bunk if you want, but I promise you these girls are gonna be your best friends by the end of the week, so I don't know why you'd want to be anywhere else," the curly-haired girl declared.

After another second of hesitation, Zoe placed her bag on the bunk being offered.

"Good," stated the outspoken girl. "I'm Cleo, snare in marching band, this is Amber, also snare, this is Judy, tenor, and this-"

Zoe knew she wouldn't remember anyone's name except Cleo's, but she smiled and nodded at each of the girls as they were introduced.

"You gonna give her a quiz now?" Asked one of the girls whose name Zoe had missed entirely. A few of the others chuckled at the remark.

"Alright, new girl, no quiz today. But we do have a couple questions," uttered Cleo.

As Zoe glanced around, she suddenly felt like those surrounding her had been deprived of food and were looking at her as if she were a succulent pig being served to them on a platter.

"Go ahead," she hesitantly responded.

"Okay. First, how could you stand the whole bus ride next to Dennis? I'm pretty sure the last girl who did that slapped him and changed seats," Cleo joked before adding, "Where did you move from? Where did you get that top? Do you think I could pull that off?"

"No, first tell us your name!" Shouted one of the girls from a direction Zoe hadn't been looking in.

Elsewhere, someone else added, "No, first tell me how to do my hair like yours."

The feeling of claustrophobia evaporated, and Zoe felt as if she'd found a group eager to welcome her into their little family.

12:30 PM, Cafeteria

"Yeah, so we used to be a small school," Cleo explained as they found a mostly open table. "But then we won a bunch of State Championships in Football. For like a straight decade. And when our volleyball team also started taking home some Championships, people just started seeing Carter as where winners go. So more and more parents wanted their kids to go to Carter."

"Okay, that makes sense," Zoe remarked between tiny bites of her sandwich.

"The influx of students never resulted in a dip in grades, so the state has approved better facilities at the school," a girl said as she plopped her lunch tray next to them. Zoe recognized her as one of the girls she'd been introduced to but missed it in the flurry of introductions.

Zoe smiled and decided it was better to ask instead of feigning like she knew the girl's name. "I'm sorry, I-"

"Amber," she said warmly. "Don't worry about it."

"All the other seniors just have to worry about remembering one new name," the girl who had the bunk next to Zoe also joined them. "You have to learn a whole new school, full of people who have known each other for their entire lives. And somehow you need to not disrupt that while finding your own identity among them."

"Thanks, Lindsay," Cleo rolled her eyes. "I'm sure Zoe appreciates having her anxieties dictated to her in a list."

"Hah, it's better than if no one had a clue what I was going through," Zoe tried to laugh it off.

"Well, Lindz is good at that, even if she doesn't always pick up on social cues," Amber said.

"So, what new facilities has Carter gotten?"

"The pool is the big one. Though it's technically property of the city, it's across the street from the high school," Cleo said.

"Oh, I thought the only public pool was the Y at the edge of town," Zoe recalled Miles's complaints when he'd looked into it.

"Used to be. The pool hasn't even been open a full year yet," Cleo corrected. "Wait, how did you know that? Are you a big-time swimmer? Do you have records? Oh, I bet you look good in a suit. Do you do one piece or two? Mom hates the idea of me in a two-piece. Do you think I could pull it off?"


Zoe tilted her head to the side and took a second to process all the questions Cleo had just directed at her. Chatter behind their table caught Zoe's attention.

"See there she is."

"Oh, wow. She is pretty."

"Now, I'm too nervous. You go."

Zoe cast a look over at Cleo.

"Uh... sometimes Lindsay isn't the only one who misses social cues," Cleo shrugged.

"You fuckers save me a seat?" Yet another girl from their cabin sat down across from Zoe. "Oh sweet, new girl is joining us? Maybe that means more cute boys will want to sit with us, too."

"Was wondering what was taking you so long," Cleo welcomed the girl. "Zoe, in case you missed hers earlier too, this is Judy."

"Zoe?" A voice inquired from behind her.

She turned to see a couple of girls.

"Yes."

"Oh, we just wanted to make sure you were getting on. We didn't get a chance to meet you earlier in the cabin or on the bus. Anyway, have a good lunch."

"... I still haven't met you," Zoe said softly as the duo walked away.

"You'll have to forgive them. Like Lindsay said, we all know each other. So, now they're excited to meet someone new."

"Okay... Please, tell me I'm not the only one who thinks that was a little odd."

She glanced around her table and was met with mostly shrugs.

"You guys are serious? One new person and-"

"Excuse me, Zoe?"

Her eyes went wide and she gave Cleo a confused look. Again?

"Brenda Strong," The girl said as soon as Zoe turned to look at her. "Wow, Tiffany and Ashley said you were sweet. I just had to come and meet you myself. Anyway, ta-ta."

"You guys are messing with me, right? Like... This is some 'new girl hazing' or something?" Zoe asked the girls sitting at the table.

"It's not that weird. They're just being friendly," Amber swatted her hand in the air like she was waving the idea away.

"Two girls who I never said a word to told someone else I'm 'sweet'. You guys don't think that's strange?"

"They're just excited to say they were the first ones to meet you."

"Saying 'hi' and then walking off before I can respond doesn't constitute a 'meeting'," Zoe huffed, "It's like a drive-by introduction."

"Hey, are you--"

"Listen everyone!" Cleo stood on her chair and pointed, "This is Zoe. Yes, she's new. So far, she's been very polite. You're going to have the next two weeks and then a whole school year to get to know her."

Zoe smiled up at her new friend.

"So, let's start by forming a line and proceeding with the introductions in an orderly fashion," Cleo instructed.


Zoe's heart started racing as a handful of students bolted for the spot Cleo had just indicated.

"What's wrong with you people? Can't you tell when a person's joking?" Cleo laughed. "Let her eat before they kill us all with drills this evening."

Note to self: Keep Cleo nearby and stay on her good side.

Zoe smiled and thanked her new friend.

--------

The rhythmic footfall of the trombone section assured Chris. They matched the trot he'd set on the path encompassing the field. Each shoe struck the dirt simultaneously in their small group.

Not like jogging together is a difficult task, he acknowledged. But the more comfortable they are thinking of our section as a unit, the better.

A stray hit disrupted his thoughts. Followed by a second, louder. By the third, it was obvious that another section had caught up to his.

We racing? he didn't bother changing pace or looking around. The interloper would make themselves known in a matter of seconds.

"On... your... left," panted the voice behind him.

Miles? Huh, what's with the pace he set?

"Dude, Seph usually has the trumpets jog to warm up," Chris said as the other boy drew near. "What's with the sprint? You're making me look bad."

"It's... healthier."

"Maybe if you were more acclimated to the weather," Chris said. Seph has him leading the pack, smart.

"Figured... it's a good way... to see... who's ready for marching," Miles stated.

Chris looked at the damp shirt clinging to Miles then glanced back at the people trailing him, "I'm pretty sure the answer to that is 'everyone but you'."

Miles matched pace with Chris once he'd caught up. "Nah... Did you know that... people who sweat sooner... are in healthier shape?"

"You sound like that kid from Malcolm in The Middle."

"Trying to... make me... self-conscious?"

"I'm trying to make sure you don't overexert yourself."

"Psh, I could do this all day," Miles smiled.

"Y'all hear that?" The familiar voice informed Chris that Tanner was barely giving Miles room to breath. "We've got Captain America leading us here."

A few of the other trumpet players snickered at the comment.

That might explain why he set the pace so quick.

"Don't worry about them," Chris said, unsure if his voice would be picked up by the others. "If you play as well as Seph says they'll back off."

"Hope so," Miles didn't look convinced.

Not the strongest confirmation, but not a denial either.

"But dude, maybe if you weren't running so fast they wouldn't have reason to resent you?"

"You saying that out of concern for their well being or my own?" Miles chuckled. "Like I said, this pace isn't too much."

"Yeah, well, If you die from heat stroke, that means Seph won't lead the trumpets, and Tune'll lose his job, and suddenly I have to pray I'll get an academic scholarship?"

"If it helps at all, I really don't think I'm going to die from heat stroke."

"That's good. I really don't think I'm going to get an academic scholarship," Chris said as he looked toward the horizon. "Seriously though, don't overdo it. Those clouds are going to roll in tonight and tomorrow's going to be even more humid."

Miles followed his gaze and nodded.

"So, you agree to slow it down?"

"Nah," Miles said as he pulled away a little. "Like I said, going faster yields healthier results."

"Whatever, dude," Chris chuckled, then spotted a different group headed toward them. "I think one of the other sections is running opposite us. I'm gonna drop so it doesn't get congested when we're all trying to use the same stretch of path. I'll catch up with you later."

Chris glanced at the foreboding clouds in the horizon, then cocked his head to try to keep an eye on Miles. Within seconds he felt confident that his suspicions were confirmed. The look on the oncoming section leader's face assured Chris that they'd seen it as well.

Maybe having him lead their group wasn't such a good idea after all.

At the tail end of the Trumpets, Chris found Seph along with another trumpet player, Joe.

"Hey Chris," Seph called warmly but when she didn't get a reply she asked, "Everything alright?"

"I'm not sure," he confessed. "I think Tanner's pride is a bit hurt by Miles being here."

"I thought I heard something about that," Joe admitted.

"Well, unless I'm mistaken, some of the others think Tanner got screwed over," Chris clarified. "Needless to say, morale is at an all-time high."

"Yeah... right," Seph replied. "Good looking out, we'll keep an eye on it."

"Alright, catch up with you soon."

--------

Once Chris dropped back, the students at Miles's heels reminded him how welcome he was to join their ranks. He would have preferred warm smiles and handshakes, what he got was aggressive shoulders and elbows.

Jokes on them, he thought as he put more distance between him and those following. We're getting more out of this jog than any of the other sections.

True to Chris's prediction, a dozen other students came bounding toward him. He'd hugged the side when coming up on Chris's pack, but he felt the need to redouble his efforts as the oncoming group came within range. He couldn't help but notice they were being led by a girl who looked like she'd have to be the kid sister of one of the band members.

Maybe their parents volunteered to chaperone, so they're stuck out here with all of us. Wait, didn't I see her on the bus?

"Miles," Seph's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Cafeteria."

He put a thumbs up and then bee-lined towards the large building. By the time they got to the doors, the first students were trickling out.

--------

Zoe was so engrossed in her conversation with Cleo as they exited the lunchroom, that she nearly missed the simple wave Miles gave her.

"Oh, hey," she called out as the crowd continued past her brother and others waiting to eat. She shouted to be heard as she moved further away, "We'll catch up later tonight."

"Shit, is that your brother?" Cleo whispered, "You have to introduce me later. We could go to the lake. Does he swim? Does he skinny-dip? Do you skinny-dip? We should totally do that. No, wait... That'd probably be weird if you went with your brother. Would you mind if I skinny-dipped with him?"

Zoe laughed quietly to herself as she became more accustomed to her new friend's habit of rapid-fire questions.

8:30 PM, Bonfire at Belews Lake

Beneath flames, wood sent snaps and pops into the early evening as it charcoaled. A warm breeze kept the oaky musk from overwhelming Zoe and Cleo as they roosted on logs encircling the fire. In the distance, someone attempted to play Wonderwall on an acoustic guitar. Cleo ignored the imperfections of the performance and bobbed along as she would if it were the album version. Zoe smirked, unable to share Cleo's patience for the subpar performance.

If I'm annoyed by this rendition, Miles is going to be in agony. She tried to keep a straight face. No use watering down Cleo's enjoyment.

"Figured you'd choose this spot to unwind."

The voice was so familiar Zoe didn't bother turning. Instead, she cast a smile at Cleo, whose eyes twinkled at the thought of who would be joining them. "I knew you'd show up here once this thing came to life. Even if you didn't know yet."

"Relaxing by a large fire seems like a decent way to end the evening," Miles said as he took the spot on her free side. "Besides, that direction has the most tone-deaf rendition of-"

"Miles!" Zoe interrupted. "This is Cleo, also a snare, and my unofficial tour guide. Really, she's been a lifesaver."

"Oh," Miles said, clearly surprised by her presence. He gave her a weak smile and a nod.

Come on, Miles. Remember what Mom said.

"Pleased to meet you, Miles," Cleo said warmly.

"You too," he said, matching her tone.