Mr. Proilet continued his announcement. “Jim will be holding auditions for the jazz band again this year. If you are interested in jazz band, you will see him after school on… which day, Jim?”
“Thursday,” I said automatically. “Tomorrow.”
Mr. Proilet handed out some music and we started practicing some of the numbers for our first concert. As was expected when most students hadn’t played their instruments since last June (and some of the newer people probably hadn’t played for years!), the band didn’t sound as bad as one might think. Of course, there were rough spots, and it isn’t easy for everybody to do a cold reading, but it was obvious to me that the band would come along pretty nicely.
After the period ended, I went up to talk with Mr. Proilet. A man entered the room, and Mr. Proilet introduced him as Roger Harris, the person who was hired thanks to Kristen’s donation to the school.
“Hello, Jim,” Mr. Harris said. “I’ve heard many good things about you.”
“Same here,” I said. We shook hands.
Mr. Harris looked as if he were in his late twenties, about five or ten years younger than Mr. Proilet.
“I’m sorry to hear that I won’t be able to get you for the marching band.”
I shrugged. “It’s not personal,” I said a bit sheepishly.
Mr. Harris simply laughed and said, “I hope you don’t mind if I sit through one or two of your Jazz Band rehearsals. Jean has really told me a lot about your musical talent.”
Now I was really embarrassed. “Sure thing.”
Gym class followed music, which was followed by lunch.
Sherry and I shared the lunch period again this year, and I was happy when I saw that June also had lunch during this period. The three of us sat together, and it turned out that our table ended up being the “cheerleader table.”
June told everybody about our adventure at Purdue, including the concert that we put on.
“Kristen sings like an angel,” June said.
Sherry nodded, having heard Kristen play at our apartment. “I wish I could have seen that concert. Oogie and Kris must have sounded awesome together.”
“Archy was there, too!” June said.
Everybody laughed, but I noticed that a lot of cheerleaders had nodded when Sherry made her comment.
At the end of the school day, I met Merry in front of the school. I couldn’t find June, but Sherry came by and told me that June had to run an errand for her mother, and that Sherry would drive my sister and me to our homes.
Sherry dropped off Merry first, and then drove me to the Swift’s estate.
“I guess you didn’t record your concert,” Sherry said, a bit sadly.
“No,” I admitted. “I didn’t even think of doing that.”
Sherry was quiet most of the way back to Kristen’s. I noticed that she didn’t stop the car. “Do you want to come in?” I asked.
“Maybe some other time,” Sherry said. “I have homework, and I also need to do some chores around the house.”
“OK, Sherry,” I said, leaving the car.
Before Sherry pulled out, she opened the driver’s window and said, “When you make your first album, I’ll be your first customer!”
Chapter 39—Wild Weekend I
On Friday, I talked with Mr. Proilet after band class.
“I have an idea for the talent show.”
Mr. Proilet looked a bit surprised. “An idea?”
That look made me feel a bit sheepish. “Well, I was originally thinking about entering the talent show this year. When I told Sherry, she told me that if I entered, nobody else would show up. I think she was probably exaggerating, but she did make me think about it.”
Mr. Proilet smiled. “It could be intimidating to others to know that you are on the schedule to perform. What’s the expression? ‘Nobody wants to follow Jimi Hendrix?’”
I protested that remark. “I don’t even play the guitar!”
“You were saying that you had an idea for the show,” my teacher said, bringing us back to the topic at hand. “Do you really want to perform?”
“Actually, I had an idea,” I said. “What if we donated the services of the jazz band for the people who wanted to perform?”
“Donate?”
“The big problem I’ve seen with school talent shows is that you get a few people playing the piano, or a few of the musicians in the band or orchestra playing duets and stuff like that. There are a few people doing other things, like juggling or even telling jokes, but the majority of them do musical things.”
“Uh, huh.”
“I remember in elementary school, kids used to mouth the words to songs on a record. I think we might be able to get a few people to do that again… but with a band behind them, so that instead of just mouthing the words, they’re really singing.”
Mr. Proilet was quiet for a few moments. “Wouldn’t that turn it from showcasing the talents of the students into showcasing the jazz band?”
“We could use the band as the glue to keep everything together. Put on a show like Ed Sullivan… you know.”
Mr. Proilet laughed. “Maybe that could work. I don’t remember you bringing this up at the rehearsal yesterday.”
“I didn’t,” I said. “I had the idea last night.”
“You may want to find out how the other members of the jazz band feel about you volunteering them.”
“Actually, I figured that I’d just ask for volunteers and see who does. We have quite a few people, and this would be a good way to find out who really has the drive to play as opposed to simply being a part of something that’s become popular.”
“Hmm, that’s a good idea,” Mr. Proilet said, pondering that thought. “Let me talk it over with Mr. Ryan and Ms. Kendall. I think they’ll love the idea of the jazz band getting involved.”
Those two people were the orchestra leader and the chorus instructor, respectively. They, along with Mr. Proilet, were running the talent show.
I nodded. “Thanks.”
I had some other ideas about the talent show, but I decided to keep them to myself for the time being.
I saw Sherry at lunch, and she didn’t seem as disturbed as she was yesterday. I did notice some looks exchanged between June and Sherry when they didn’t think I was looking.
Sitting in the cafeteria, I kept thinking about the previous school year when I had Patty and Kristen at lunch with me. I really missed those two very much.
“What’s on your mind, Jim?” June asked, breaking me out of my reverie.
“I was just thinking about last year.”
“You were frowning… does that mean you are missing Kristen?”
I think I must have blushed as June knew exactly what I was thinking. “Yeah.”
June pulled me toward her into a hug. “Poor Oogie.”
This generated some giggles from the other cheerleaders at the table.
“Thanks, Juicy,” I said to June, as I got up from the table.
“Juicy?” Sherry asked, confused.
“Ask June,” I said, suppressing a giggle myself. I wondered if June would actually tell Sherry about that nickname that, up until now, I had only used with her privately.