DIANE DAKERS The cellos open it Ba-da-da-dum Ba-da-da-dum Ba-da-da-dum-dum-dum-dum-ba-da-da-dum dum-dum Then the violins come in all whiny and eerie We switch to pizzicato That means we pluck the strings with our fingers instead of sliding the bow across the strings The music builds and we the cellos and basses play in syncopation off the beat Gives me chills every time I know right Dorky When we finish playing Marche Slave in rehearsal this afternoon I will everyone to stay quiet and still I want to savor the final notes as they float through the auditorium Great job everyone Mr Holmes the orchestra conductor wrecks the moment Let’s take fifteen I lay my cello on its side and loosen the horse hair on my bow I stand up and stretch I place the bow on the music stand I share with Tawni She’s my bff and she should be here by now She said she was going to be late because of a big gymnas tics meet But the competition must have ended an hour ago It doesn’t take that long to get to the rehearsal hall from the gym 2
STRINGS ATTACHED Tawni plays principal cello She’s the best of the six of us in the cello section I play second cello so I sit to Tawni’s right That’s the way it’s been since we started playing cello together in fourth grade First we played in our elementary-school strings program Then we played in the middle school orchestra Now we’re in our high-school orchestra We also play in this orchestra the intermediate City Youth Orchestra Musicians from all over town audition for this group Tawni and I auditioned together when we were twelve Three cellists moved up to senior orchestra that year leaving three openings Tawni and I got two of them Not only that but we immediately became the youngest first and second cellists ever to play in the cyo The fourteen and fifteen-year-olds were choked They figured they would automatically be promoted within the cello section when the others left They didn’t count on us little kids as they called us coming along They had to admit pretty quickly though that we deserved the top jobs Ever since then it’s been Tawni and me always first and second This year we have a new third cellist Colby just moved here He’s fifteen 3
DIANE DAKERS a year older than we are and he goes to a different high school That’s one of the great things about playing in this orchestra we meet kids from all over the city Ella our sixth cellist is also new this year She’s only twelve but she’s pretty good She’ll move up quickly Grant and Jaron sit beside her in the back row They’re both sixteen so this is their last year in intermediate orchestra No way Jaron will get accepted into senior orchestra He’s too lazy and annoying Grant has a shot at it He’s a solid player and a reliable quiet guy You should be principal cello Colby says to me during our break today You’re just as good as Tawni And you never miss rehearsals I blush and look at Tawni’s empty chair beside me at the front of the stage I sit between Tawni and Colby I actually like playing second I tell him I don’t want to sit right at the front of the orchestra I like having Tawni between me and the audience Seriously You never think about it You never dream of being principal cellist Don’t you 4
STRINGS ATTACHED think it would be brilliant to be in that top spot knowing you’re the best in the band I lower my voice Well it has been kind of fun today playing first chair I mean I’m still sitting in the second chair but first chair is empty so I’m sort of playing first today Colby looks confused My words don’t always come out right when I talk to him Come on Brielle He laughs You know you’d love to play principal Admit it He pokes me in the ribs Okay okay I admit it Sometimes I dream about playing principal Just for a little while Just to see what it’s like to have the audience watching me for change instead of Tawni Just to see if it makes me play any better or feel differ ently about the music I take a deep breath But that’s one dream that will never come true as long as Tawni is in the orchestra She is so good So are you says Colby seriously Anyway I say quickly Tawni should be here any minute She’s only missing the first half of practice because it’s an important meet for her gymnastics team 5
