Previous Key played – F Major…… I was invited along but had already been told by mom we had appointments tomorrow so I begged off albeit reluctantly, but not before having Mr. Dean shake my hand and thank me for my efforts adding that we seemed to make a good team.

A Different Key – F Minor

When I woke up through sleep encrusted eyes the next morning, the “buzz” from last night had me quickly looking on my phone for any messages. WTF it was showing 53 unanswered messages and I hurriedly looked through for the names I wanted to text back first. By the time mom knocked and entered my room to see if I was awake there still needed to be 30 texts replied to.

Excitedly showing mom my message bank had her snatching the phone out of my hand and telling me it was Saturday and that she and dad were leaving for the shops in half an hour before walking off with it. Knowing what her tone of voice signified I quickly got showered, dried off, dressed, raced to the kitchen kissed both of my parents while saying good morning, ate a piece of toast and swallowed some OJ, put my things in the dishwasher, got in the back of the car and buckled up as dad turned the ignition key. Mom turned around from her front passenger seat and then handed me back my phone.

But instead of allowing me to keep going answering texts, mom kept interrupting my thought processes and kept making me have to talk with her while dad drove. Once he’d parked and we were all headed inside the centre, friends quickly raced over to say hello that saw mom finally concede and tell me in exasperation they’d meet me at Chico’s for coffee in an hour before leaving me and my friends to rehash about last night.

It took hearing my phone ring and seeing “MOM” on the screen to make me leave everyone and go find my parent’s outside Chico’s, where they were seated and armed with their heart starter mugs of cappuccino. After a short confab about any needing of necessaries such as pantyhose and the like, poor old daddy had to then endure another uncomfortable hour of waiting around inside several clothing stores while mom and I tried on several dresses or skirts, because I really did need to unwind and mom knew how to make me do so.

On Monday morning and I hadn’t even walked more than twenty feet inside the school grounds before I’d received at least ten shouted complimentary remarks from other students, with even one of the cheerleaders coming up to me and giving me a hug with air kisses while telling me how much the school Band rocked Friday night.

Between morning registration and the bumping and swerving along hallways as well as sitting through morning classes, by lunchtime I discovered anyone who was involved with the football team or was a cheerleader, or even an ensemble musician was now a school celebrity, depending on who you were hearing shout out to you. The unexpected football game win appeared to have raised the school spirit beyond anyone’s expectations although probably 90% of the school population hadn’t been at the game. But the power of social media with all of the Facebook videos that had apparently been doing the rounds throughout the weekend, it now had everyone wanting to be at the next football game.

Five weeks later and completely unexpected by anyone, our football team who even their own coach had said would have a mediocre season this year had so far managed to win every game they’d played.

In the four years I’d attended FDR high I’d never seen so much spirit being displayed. Almost every yard of the school’s hallway walls was covered in painted signs of victory slogans or photographs of players, coaching staff and even aerial photographs showing the floodlit field and the jam packed stands along both sides of the field.

Rumors appeared to have started making the rounds after FDR’s third win in a row that some of the football players had been interviewed for possible college scholarships. When the local paper released a story about receiver Miles Donovan signing a letter of intent and he began telling other teammates and school friends about it, school spirit fever rose even higher. By half way through the week leading up to a possible 6th straight win in a row, not only had eight more football players confirmed they were now going to colleges on football scholarships, but so had three cheerleaders as well as several Music students under different scholarships.

Admittedly the scholarships were only to lesser colleges within the state, but there might be the possibility that the football players might be able to transfer out to one of the better known colleges if they performed on the football field. For such a lesser known high school’s students (if they weren’t star athletes) to even be offered full scholarships was very unusual, but in the Band ensemble’s case our reputation for performing was now becoming quite well known thanks to T.V. news media showing a 30 second film of one of the school’s pre game performances, with a regional sports program showing the cheerleaders dancing so provocatively to “Legs” that it was now part of the T.V. show’s opening each week.

Mr. Dean was behaving like a dynamo preparing for each home game’s Band performance. The next game’s Theme was “Phantom” and he was at pains to make sure the Band ensemble would be at its best. Home football games on Friday evenings now saw both sides of the field’s grandstands packed tight with spectators. The other side of the field’s stands had just as many FDR supporters as the opponent’s side had, while our own grandstand was overflowing to filling both ends of the oval.

Our school’s Audio faculty had somehow managed to obtain two transportable large video screens that with the use strategically placed cameras, could now show replays of exciting moments throughout the football game. At halftime the cameras concentrated on the FDR’s cheerleaders who were now considered local sex symbols once close ups showing how sexy they looked as they high kicked to a song were replayed.

Needless to say that at our 6th straight win playing over at Queens Port High playing field, the pre-game Band performance as was as good as could be expected considering the lack of power connections available, while the cheerleaders performed there planned away game cheers and dancing performance to Queens Port’s band playing well enough to enthuse FDR’s travelling supporters.

The rehearsing for both the “Phantom” night and then our final home game Theme Night had been going on for the past few afternoons after school at the nearby park, where because of the extensive local media coverage about the Band ensemble’s musical playing at games, we had been granted permission to continue practicing until 7.30pm if we wanted. The home owners along the street next to the park that had been listening to us from our first afternoon, now often numbered over 400 sitting on the wooden seating or bringing their own fold up chairs.

There was even a mobile food truck parked parked there now doing a thriving business selling hot and cold food and drinks, which the local authorities now charged a rental on, to allow the food truck’s owner/driver exclusive rights to trade there. Once the additional time extension (which had not been asked for by the school board) had been given, (entirely due to requests by citizens surrounding the park) it became possible to now have the time to rehearse the music not only for Theme night games more thoroughly, but also to ensure the non-electric away game performances were as good as possible, which because of "Old Sid’s" pedantic need for excellence had to see us always rehearsing to the best of our playing abilities.

The Thursday morning local newspaper contained its four page hand out in the middle of the paper showing the lyrics for that week’s Theme night songs, but for the past few weeks had also been publishing photographs of the local populace taken either at the park while we rehearsed or on Friday nights at the game itself. This in itself garnered a lot of interest among them because everyone does like their 15 minutes of fame and they could always show it to family relatives whenever they visited. The three radio stations serving our region (not including FDR’s own low output transmitter) were taking turns to also broadcast the football team’s games both at home and away, which was to the complete amazement of everyone living here as it had never been done before even when a school in our regional conference had had an exceptionally talented team.

When Mr. Dean had first handed out the list of Theme Nights to the Band, everyone in the ensemble had been skeptical as to whether the local populace would even be interested, let along actually want to come along and listen to us play. The first home game Theme “Dance Yourselves Crazy Night” had certainly seen the people who turned up and participated seeming to have enjoyed it if the publicity about it afterwards was any indication. Our second Theme night “Barry M” while again not entirely accepted by ensemble musicians saw just how many of the public liked Barry Manilow songs, which although termed an evening of musical schmaltz by every singer in the choir during rehearsals, saw them deliver a brill rendition of every song they sang that had the crowd happily swaying to and fro.

Our third Theme Night “How Britain Invaded America” was when it became obvious to even the worst sceptic in the ensemble that stupid “Old Sid” must have been wiser than anyone thought he was. Admittedly the publicity surrounding the ensemble’s playing might have had part to do with the final acceptance, although no one had the slightest trouble in agreeing that our half time cheerleading show music was totally unique to play, sing and listen to. All of us had “at least” a couple of photographs downloaded to phones or tablets showing individual girls dancing to one of the songs being performed. Heck the raunchy performances had been captured so well by the regional TV station’s audio and camera crew, it had become not only a part of the opening theme on the station’s sport’s NFL show, but must have been seen by college recruiting scouts since three of the girls had since been offered scholarships.

And perhaps the local newspaper editor must like musicals too, because for the past four weeks he’d been mentioning in small spaces inside the paper about the “Phantom” night even outside of the four page hand out spread. Certainly the local people living around the park we were using to practice at were enjoying the music judging by the enthusiastic applause each evening we practiced the program.

On the Friday morning of the "Phantom game” as Mr. Dean now termed it, everything looked set for an evening where the ensemble could enjoy ourselves, because initially “Old Sid” had been able to obtain (through good friends he told us) a genuine copy of the New York production musical score which we had used to practice with. He’d also been amenable to incorporating several small changes to suit the ensemble’s instruments and the choir’s vocal musical ranges. Michael Lee sounded brill as The Phantom, while Jenny vocally “was” Kristen, while Geoff Smartz as the Count Phillipe Chagny’s had his well known and loved duet with Kristen bottled and ready for everyone to enjoy.

Mr. Dean had also arranged for the ensemble to do the full 30 minute performance several Sundays from now at the region’s hospital, where we would also play and sing an additional hour long program of songs that the ensemble had performed from the other Theme Nights all in aid of charity. Being the perfectionist he was and with the blessing of our school principal and the student's teachers concerned, we were going through one the absolute final dress rehearsal before the 5.30 starting time. The show this evening wasn’t simply just our usual stay in the same places at microphones and sing. This time the main singers were using throat microphones that allowed them to move about the field, with during “The Phantom of the Opera” song Kristen needed to be led down the grandstand’s stairs by the Phantom but sometimes needing to look behind her to see if she was being followed.

We, (well Jenny anyway) must have done this at least a dozen times during practices held at the playing arena without the slightest hiccup. But whoever the wiseass was that termed the phrase “good luck, break a leg” must have been looking on, as Jenny somehow got her shoe or foot tangled up Kristen’s long flowing white dress while she was turning her head round as if to see if anyone was following her and the Phantom before doing a face plant onto the concrete stairs. Her microphone amplified the terrified shriek she made as well as the sound of her body hitting the concrete stairs loud enough for the ensemble to immediately cease playing and several of the girl singers screaming in horror. When she didn’t appear to move to get up, everyone in the ensemble began standing up and a number were racing around to where she was now surrounded by a small huddle of panicking people. "Old Sid" had raced across from conducting us and as soon as he got to where Jenny had fallen and seen the result, had simply put his face in his hands and shook his head in despair.

The ensemble as one all started to head for where Jenny had fallen and when I was stopped by the scrum surrounding her was left in no doubt from the students in-front of me that tonight performance was in deep faeces. As soon as an ambulance siren was heard the crowd started to disperse with "Old Sid" asking several girls in the chorus to get ready to rehearse singing Jenny's songs. The ensemble was soon back and seated while Mr. Dean announced which of the girls he wanted to rehearse first.

After the forth nervous singer tried their best, "Old Sid" simply stopped conducting and despairingly said it was a complete disaster and that we’d better start thinking of ways to move the other songs around as well as ways to lengthen the instrumental sections of the score before turning to look at me and ask if I had any ideas then asking the ensemble as a whole if anyone had ideas.

I’ll swear if I’d been able to I would have gone and throttled Rick when he suggested that Jane could sing Jenny’s part if we started practicing straight away. Gavin was just as enthusiastic as he came over from his own kettle drums and asked me for the drumsticks I was holding onto. As if hit by an electric shock Mr. Dean stood stock still, open mouthed and looked at me as if I was an escaped lunatic before he changed into a sudden gust of wind, telling me to get up and move away from the drums and tell me the key I was expected to sing “Think of Me” in.

After twenty minutes of me being completely unable to hit the high soprano notes of the song in tune, he said we’d leave it for the moment and then asked me to sing “All I Ask Of You” with Geoff Smartz, which didn’t sound too bad and even “Old Sid” thought so as well.

By 1pm, except for “Think of Me” everyone including me thought I could sing “Kristen’s songs and duets that involved Michael Lee and Geoff Smartz. Jenny’s white dress had been somehow been returned and after some hurried alterations to the dress’s front hemline had been given to me to get dressed for tonight. A very hurried lunch break saw 'Old Sid' discussing with me and Anne our 1st chair the problem of me not being able to sing the high notes in the song. He was certain I could sing them as he said he’d heard me sing just as high an octave note in my recordings which certainly had me fooled because I knew for a fact I hadn’t sung anything that high for C.M.R.

Anne had the idea of having me sing the high notes a third of a tone lower and simply slide up onto the higher note that way. After about 4 or 5 attempts with Anne’s violin only, I was managing to sing the high notes acceptably well for someone with no opera voice training. Just how knowledgeable most of the ensemble musicians were quickly became apparent as they quickly understood what Anne was doing and with “Old Sid’s” comments managed to play “Think of me” with the now ascending slide into the high notes sound like they were the original score.

While all of this had been going on, the audio and visual people had been setting up the large screens on the sides of the field and checking that everything worked properly. Michael managed somehow to convince “Old Sid” into letting me attempt to walk down the grandstand stairs that Jenny had fallen on, that with a cleverly sewn in lace loop hidden in the folds on the front of my dress now allowed me to lift the front of the skirt up high enough for me to not trip on and I tentatively walked down the steps quite easily.

Just after 4pm the buses carrying Tempe High’s band turned up and they began to walk over and start setting up for their 5pm pregame show. Their football team had arrived an hour before them and had had to listen to me proving I could be lead down the grandstand’s stairs and sing as the same time for our very last rehearsal as they came out for pregame warmup exercises.

As I was being led off to have makeup put on, I could see that the number of people outside lined up waiting to get in sure was impressive, before Vivian our head cheerleader hurried me into their change rooms where a makeup station was in full operation behind a large curtain and where Michael Lee and Geoff Smartz were already seated and being made up. The other cheerleaders were wondering what I was doing here wearing Jenny’s “Kristen” dress and Vivian had to explain to them what had happened, however the heck she’d found out!

After explaining to me about how to move about without the crowd being able to see me, I waited nervously for when I was to follow Michael and climb up a rickety extension ladder placed at the back of the grandstand in the shadows and stand very still at the back wall before the ensemble finished it’s opening theme and the narrator had given a brief synopsis of the story yet to unfold.
Then I’d be highlighted by a spotlight as the ensemble played the short introduction to my first song.

The wobbly swaying climb had me hoping that if I slipped and fell the cheerleaders waiting below (to catch me in case I did slip and fall) were able to catch me! But eventually I was able to lift a leg over the top of the mesh and place a foot onto solid concrete (without snagging my dress) and trying desperately to recover my breath and relax enough to sing. Michael had silently managed to disappear until his first duet with me, which would follow shortly after my solo.

With a blinding brilliance from the spotlight, I somehow managed not to fluff the start of my solo song thank goodness. The person operating the spotlight had managed to lower the spotlight just enough so it was no longer blinding me, which allowed me to sing in key and to also hit the high notes with the slide up we’d rehearsed a bit over an hour before. As I hit the final high note and cut it off, the ensemble finished off the music and the spotlight turned off leaving me once again temporarily blinded while all around the arena there was tumultuous applause.

With perfect timing the ensemble then began playing Michael Lee’s and my duet (and the Theme night’s) major song, “Phantom of the Opera”. While the crowd had turned around slightly to listen to me sing my opening song, once the spotlight had switched off I managed to silently walk over to the concrete stairs and could just see Michael’s faint outline as the introduction was played. Kristen’s part of the title song isn’t sung in such a high pitched key so I was comfortably able to commence on the starting note while Michael now wearing a partial face mask took my hand and placed it on his arm before leading me slowly down the stairs to loud spine tingling organ music and loud drums. We would pause walking after each opening verse was sung for Michael to make sure we were in the right position before continuing to walk down the stairs sing our duet verses and near the bottom of the stairs I began singing higher while Michael shouted sung encouragement and as the song came to a sudden end with me hitting a short high note the spotlight turned off allowing both of us to walk the last few steps to the bottom landing and hurry down and off the grandstand then disappear behind it.

The applause was deafening as he calmly told me where I had to stand for my next song before he raced off to sing a solo of his own which I was only now able to accept that so far the performance had seemed to go very well for so little rehearsal time with me singing. When I had finished my next song, I managed to walk onto the field in the darkness caused by the spotlights changing over to another position as the start of “Music Of The Night” commenced.

I realized that Michael was now standing fairly close to me so I could slowly move towards him as if drawn by his musical words. He would then move away from me and make me have to walk/glide towards him, until he was almost finished singing the song, where it had been planned for me to gently touch his face and for the mask to fall off in my hand, whereupon I was to faint into his arms. I managed to do this while he was able to sweep me up into his arms as I dropped and while still singing in key, he carried me slowly and carefully in his arms over to a makeshift cot lying over white satin drapes and place me onto it (with me still supposedly unconscious) and as he finished the song. Then the bugger leaned down and quite deliberately kissed me lightly on the lips, which I knew wasn’t supposed to happen and then the spotlight dimmed and in darkness I heard him softly chuckle and whisper to me that he couldn’t resist doing it before moving away for the next instrumental break.

In those few moments of darkness I moved from off of the makeshift bed and off the grass to stay in the shadows beside the grandstand to wait for my duet with Geoff Smartz "All I Ask Of You" which saw “him” kiss me as well at the end of the song when we were only supposed to hug that had the entire arena cheering while our narrator ended up the story before the ensemble played the end of “Music of the Night” loudly and dramatically before the lights all went off for a minute. The entire crowd erupted into loud applause and shouts of appreciation before the field's floodlights were turned back on to show the three of us now standing beside one another in the quickly brightening light holding hands before we bowed together and hurried off.

The crowd was still very excited as Tempe High’s football team ran onto the field to a pretty average rendition of “Eye of the Tiger”. Then Jeromy’s entire brass section stood up and began playing the commencement the school’s unofficial war song the William Tell Overture then being joined by the entire ensemble, which had all of the FDR High supporters once again cheering loudly as the now generally accepted conductor mimicking was done from both sides of the arena while our team raced onto the field.

I then went around to the cheerleaders changing rooms and got undressed and changed back into my Band uniform before waking back out of everyone's sight around behind the grandstand to where the band was set up and gave Gavin a friendly tap on the shoulder to get off of my stool, which I sat back onto as everyone around me offered their congratulations.

Our guys played a good game that night and had the game sown up by half time when our kick ass half time cheerleader’s show once again saw the other schools’ cheerleaders stop cheering until the kick off for the 3rd quarter. FDR High wound up winning the game by 42 to 14 and as we packed up everything a number of the crowd came over and told "Old Sid that they had come here tonight on a friend’s recommendation and would have paid a lot more at the gate if they’d known how good we were going to perform.

Mom and dad were waiting for me at the usual place where they parked and mom was gushing in enthusiasm for what had taken place. Dad agreed and asked if the kisses had been part of the performance and almost wet his pants when I curtly told him they weren’t and said I’d have to explain it to Jenny on the phone tomorrow because Michael and her were thought of as a couple although neither would admit to it if asked. All the way home dad kept repeatedly asking me if the kisses were deliberate or not and just couldn’t believe they hadn’t been staged for the crowd’s benefit. After dinner my face was still scarlet colored according to mom.

Final key – G Major probably uploaded next weekend.