Chapter 1 BUT NO s'MORES Room 217 I ran my fingers across the plastic letters on the nameplate just outside the door BAND ROOM A bunch of students had gathered in the hallway waiting for Mr Byrd our band director to arrive Can you believe it I asked Our first year of junior high school at Benton Bluff hasn't officially started yet and here we are I'm super excited Morgan Carmen Trochez squealed Our friend Colby Ellis smiled and chimed in with Me too Puh lease Tally Nguyen mumbled I'd rather be sleeping That's what summer break was invented for
I glanced at my watch But it's two o'clock in the afternoon I know Tally said Nah summer break was invented for fishing Zac Wiles chimed in I wish I were at the lake The fish are probably biting like crazy today I didn't know about the fish but I was pretty sure Tally and Zac were both a little wacko I met them a few weeks ago at Orientation Night for seventh graders Only they weren't there to be oriented They were there with the other eighth graders to welcome us to the band After that night Mr Byrd had called our parents to talk about us helping out with a special summer project I wasn't sure what it involved but I couldn't wait to find out Aren't you guys excited A little I asked No way Zac said Summer vacation means a break from school including band Doesn't Mr Byrd get it
Sure I get it that it's summer vacation Zac Mr Byrd said coming up behind us Zac's face turned as red as the sunset on Mr Byrd's palm tree covered shirt So far every time I'd seen Mr Byrd he wore khaki shorts and a tropical shirt paired with flip flops and topped with a straw hat He looked more like a beachgoer than a Band Geek But summer break doesn't mean musicians take a break from making music Mr Byrd continued In fact summer is the perfect season for nature to spark our musical creativity Think of croaking bullfrogs chirping crickets or a crackling bonfire for a weenie roast That's all music Zac Hey my fellow bandmates guess what else makes music Sherman Frye said not waiting for anyone to answer Here's a hint It's brown white and gooey and it crunches when you bite into it Anything my mom cooks is brown and crunchy when you bite into it Zac joked
Everyone laughed even Mr Byrd Then he said We give up Sherman What's the answer to your riddle Smores Sherman said Get it Chocolate and gooey white marshmallows sandwiched between crunchy graham crackers Stop You're making me hungry Davis Beadle and Zac said at the same time And Hope James said What do smores have to do with anything Sherman That makes like zero sense It makes total sense Sherman said his curly brown hair bobbing up and down as he talked Mr Byrd was talking about frogs and crickets and weenie roasts He folded his arms across his chest Hello Who has a bonfire without s'mores Hope shook her head laughing Wait a minute Sherman went on I think I'm onto something here Are you taking us on a camping trip Mr Byrd
