chose some kids from the brass section including Lem And me I’ll be ready I promised I’ll practice tonight I wanted to anyway but I wasn’t so sure it would happen We’re all counting on you Lem said I know But Lem wasn’t the only one counting on me Last night my mom worked second shift at Dottie’s Diner So she’d counted on me to help my little brother and two little sisters with their homework And then they counted on me to cook them supper Hot dogs macaroni and cheese and toast have become my specialty ever since my dad moved out Good thing no one’s counting on him Not anymore anyway You can count on me I added And I was serious Helping out at home and preparing for the concert somehow I’d make it all work 6
Lem held out his hand for a fist bump Don’t let moi down I won’t Our knuckles thumped together So is that the only French word you know or what Of course not After you mademoiselle Lem held the band room door open for me Lem is related to French royalty But only by marriage And that was so long ago cavemen still walked pet dinosaurs on leashes Lem found out about his fancy ancestor when we studied our family trees Now he throws in French words every chance he gets Like now All the way into the band room Lem talked in an exaggerated French accent Lem is cool At least most of the time Sometimes we don’t get along so great But that’s because we both want to be the best in band Being the best is easy for Lem For me not so much Especially with Jack Cassilly III playing trombone too He’s such a showboat And today he was at it again 7
When Lem and I walked into the band room half the band was gathered around Jack What’s Jack up to now Lem asked Who knows But I was about to find out Excuse me please I said Comin through Watch it Kori Neal Jack said You can’t just plow your way through here with your raggedy old case Hey Jack Cassilly III I’m just tryin to get to my chair But when I got closer to my seat I saw why everybody was gathered around Jack In his hands was the shiniest most perfectly gold trombone I’d ever seen In my whole life Jack must’ve noticed me staring Impressive isn’t it My parents special ordered it He held the mouthpiece up to his lips then and a lock of blond hair fell across one of his blue eyes He looked like he was posing for an ad in some band instrument catalog That was Jack 8
Mr Perfect Perfect hair Perfect family And now perfect trombone It’s nice I said Really nice Yeah too bad I’m stuck sitting next to you and your ratty school loaner The tip of Jack’s snobby nose was so far in the air it practically pointed at the ceiling lights I hugged my case against my chest There’s nothing wrong with Russell That’s what I named
