Read Online I Heart Band by Michelle Schusterman - Free Book Online

I looked out into the band hall. Mr. Dante was taping a piece of paper to his office door; five or six kids were already crowded around.
    â€œSit in chair order today,” I heard him say, and my heart pretty much stopped.
    â€œCool, let’s go look!” Gabby hurried out of the cubby room, still hooking her sax to her neck strap. It was hard not to sprint across the room, but somehow I managed. Holding my breath, I reached the door and found my section on the list.
    Â 
    French Horn
    1. Natasha Prynne
    2. Holly Mead
    3. Brooke Dennis
    4. Owen Reynolds
    Â 
    This could not be right.
    I stared at the results, a wave of numbness washing over me. Turning, I dodged elbows and horns as more kids crowded around the door and walked slowly to my seat.
    Second chair. Second best.
    Gabby plopped down in her regular seat. “Congrats!” she said cheerfully, and I looked at her blankly. Was she joking?
    â€œHuh?”
    She raised an eyebrow. “Um, congrats?” she repeated. “Second chair, that’s really good.”
    Oh my God, she was serious. I forced myself to smile. “Oh, thanks. Congrats to you, too.”
    â€œThanks!” Gabby was first chair alto sax—no surprise there. I looked down at my horn, very aware of the empty seat between us and the girl who was about to sit in it.
    â€œTake your seats, please!” Mr. Dante called. I closed my eyes as everyone found their chairs. It was bad enough that I’d cried in science—I was
not
doing it in band. Especially with Natasha right next to me.
    I couldn’t ignore her, though. Taking a deep breath, I looked up just as she sat next to me.
    â€œHey.” My voice sounded normal—cheerful, even. Good.
    â€œHey.” Natasha fake-smiled, and I fake-smiled right back.
    Yeah, this was going to be stellar.
    Rehearsal seemed to drag on forever. When Mr. Dante finally told us to pack up, I was relieved for about two seconds. Then I realized I still had to get through lunch with Julia and Natasha. The whole walk from the band hall to the cafeteria, I racked my brain trying to think of something to talk about besides the chair test.
    But before I even took out my sandwich, the perfect distraction walked by.
    â€œHi, Julia.”
    The three of us glanced up at Seth Anderson, and Julia immediately turned tomato red.
    â€œOh! Hi, um . . . Seth,” she stammered, her voice unnaturally high.
    The second he was out of earshot, Natasha and I started giggling uncontrollably.
    â€œWhat?” Julia cried.
    â€œYou’re
so red
!” I exclaimed. She glared at me, which only made me laugh harder. “And what’s up with your voice?”
    â€œâ€˜
Hi, um . . . Seth
,’” Natasha squeaked, grinning when Julia punched her lightly on the arm. “Did you actually forget his name or something? Or wait—were you trying to play it cool?”
    â€œThat’s totally what it was,” I said before Julia could respond. “She was all, do I know you? Wait, don’t we have PE together or something?”
    Natasha cracked up. “Hang on—
you’re
the reason I got smacked in the face during dodgeball! I wasn’t paying attention because I was too busy staring at your—”
    â€œOkay, okay!” Julia was laughing despite herself. “Enough, guys. He just . . . surprised me. We’ve never actually talked before.”
    â€œIt sounded like the first time you’ve ever
talked
, period,” I said nonchalantly, unwrapping my sandwich. Julia groaned and buried her face in her hands, and Natasha and I grinned at each other.
    For a second. Then we both realized what we were doing and looked away.
    â€œ
Any
way.” Julia sat up, her cheeks still a little pink. “So, hey, I ended up getting fifth chair! Way better than I thought. But geez, you guys rocked it.”
    And we were back to awkward. I focused on opening my bag of chips,