Chapter Text
The sound of pens tapping filled the classroom.
Tap, tap tap tap tap, tap tap tap tap, tap tap.
This pattern repeated for a minute, until it was quickly disrupted.
“Sonic! Would you please stop tapping on the desk? I’m trying to study!” Amy exclaimed.
Sonic placed the pens in the spine of his notebook, a grin making its way to his face.
“Sorry Ames, I can’t help it! You know that I have…excess energy. Plus, our season pretty much starts today! Can you blame a guy for being excited?”
Amy huffed, but relented. “Fine! But could you try to tap a little quieter?”
Sonic nodded, still grinning, and began tapping the pens on his kneecap. His mind began to wander, away from his upcoming test (which he had failed to properly study for), away from any academic responsibility really. Because after school, the Station Square High School Marching Band would finally begin their new season.
Sure, maybe marching band isn’t the coolest way to spend your entire summer and most of your weekends. But what it lacked in coolness, it made up for in friendship and passion. Sonic thought of how it felt to fully play through a show for the first time, how it felt to complete a full run through with marching on the field, how it felt to win.
He had decided after the end of last season, which was still a sore subject, that he would do anything in his power to make sure their band came home with the national championship. Station Square High School hadn’t won first place in nearly twenty years. Imagining how it would feel to hoist that trophy had kept him up at night more than he was willing to admit.
Sonic continued tapping. He began to play a version of his snare drum part from a few seasons ago, the rhythm still burned into his muscle memory. His daydreaming was interrupted once again.
“What’s up guys? You guys studying or something?” Knuckles asked.
Amy scowled. “I’m studying. Sonic is staring out the window.” She gestured to her mountain of flash cards in front of her, and then to Sonic’s notebook, which was opened to a blank page.
“I already told you! I studied all night, I’m gonna ace it!” Sonic fibbed. He had not, in fact, studied last night. He got a little sidetracked playing video games with Knuckles and Tails.
Knuckles furrowed his eyebrows. “Really? Because we were up until 2am-”
“Reading over my notes! Yup, Knux helped me go over my notes all night, isn’t he a dear?” Sonic interjected.
Amy quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing further. Sonic took this as an opportunity to change the subject.
“You guys excited for practice later? I wonder what our show will be like this year.”
“I just hope that the color guard gets better costumes this year. I’m still traumatized by those godawful vertical stripes from last year…” Amy said, a visible shiver going down her spine.
Sonic laughed, “My muscles feel like they’re itching for a pair of drum sticks."
“This better mean that you’re going to act more seriously during rehearsal. We can’t get distracted by your jokes and antics this year,” Knuckles replied.
“Me? A distraction? Never! I only make, like, one joke per practice. Or ten. Or twenty. But regardless! I bring energy, that should count for something!” Sonic retorted.
Knuckles rolled his eyes, but a small smile cracked on his face. “Just don’t make my job as your section leader more difficult than it has to be.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it, Knux.”
“Well, there’s more things that we need to discuss later. You know, there’s an open position for drum major and we still don’t know who was chosen,” Amy said.
“We know who it won’t be,” Knuckles answered, eyeing Sonic.
“Hey! I’ll have you know that Ms. Vanilla loves me and appreciates what I bring to the group!”
Being a drum major was a thought that had crossed Sonic’s mind, but just as quickly as it entered he usually forced it out. It required a discipline that he didn’t have, and the ability to assert control over the others in the band, which he didn’t feel quite comfortable with. Setting an example with his dedication was one thing, but bossing everyone around was another. However, he did find himself imagining it sometimes. The feeling of being the one to conduct the band, and being the one to receive the trophy at competitions. It was an enticing thought, but he didn’t think that there was an actual chance of him being named drum major.
Besides, he would need to work with him.
“I would pass on the opportunity anyway. I don’t think Shadow and I are…compatible.”
This was the understatement of the century.
Sonic began to think back. Sonic and Shadow weren’t rivals per se. They just didn’t get along. And sometimes despised each other. And more often than not bickered back and forth long after practice was over. And competed with each other in everything, whether it was who could clean up the field the fastest or who was at practice the earliest.
Huh. Maybe we are rivals, Sonic thought.
The bell ringing shook Sonic back to reality, where Amy was frantically packing up her flash cards and books.
“Come on, Sonic! I don’t wanna be late to this test!” Amy pleaded.
“I’m coming, I’m coming!”
Knuckles put his backpack on and said, “I’m heading to my class, I’ll see you guys downstairs after this period is over.”
Sonic packed his things, slinging his bag strap over one shoulder. “We’ll be fine, Ames! Don’t stress!”
Amy didn’t answer as she beelined out of the room. Sonic laughed, shook his head, and followed.
The test hadn’t gone as bad as Sonic expected, but he could hardly think about that as he and Amy made their way downstairs to the band room. Skipping every other step, he pushed the metal door open and was greeted by Tails.
“Hey, buddy! You ready?”
Tails took a second to respond, as he was busy repositioning a xylophone and tidying its mallets.
“Yup! I’m already thinking of ways to position the instruments for optimal movement and reach. I want to make my playing more dynamic this year,” Tails responded.
Smiling, Sonic ruffled the fox's hair. "I'm sure you'll be fantastic this year, Tails. I'll catch you in a bit!"
Sonic looked around, his eyes finding his usual seat, and placing his bag on it. Knuckles was already there, setting up his quad drum on the stand.
“Set your snare up when you have a second. We probably won’t be playing today, but I want to hit the ground running once we do,” Knuckles said.
Sonic grinned, “Aye, aye captain,” pairing it with a sloppy salute.
Finding the drum case with his name on it, he pulled it out from the back room and dragged it to his stand. Unbuckling the straps, Sonic pulled open the gray case and smiled. He hadn’t played his drum in a few months. Surely he’d be a little rusty, but it would come back to him quickly. Propping the drum up on his stand, he pulled out a pair of sticks from the side pocket and began to play some simple warm ups. Sonic felt like a part of his soul returned to his body.
After a minute or two of tapping away at his drum, Sonic made his way around the room to some of his other friends. He found Silver sitting in his own seat, diligently polishing his silver trumpet.
“What’s new, Silvs? Ready for the season?”
Silver nodded eagerly. “Of course! I hope that I get more solos this year. Since Shadow will be spending most of his time on the podium conducting, I think it’ll work out.”
At the mention of the name, Sonic looked around for the black and red hedgehog. His bag was on the chair behind the director’s chair, but neither of them were anywhere to be found.
Sonic decided to ask, “Where is Shadow anyway? Usually he’s already here sulking and yelling at everyone for goofing off.”
Silver shrugged. “I’m not sure. Ms. Vanilla asked to speak with him in her office a few minutes ago,” he said as he gestured vaguely at a door down the hall.
“Would you mind grabbing me another polishing rag? They’re on a shelf in the closet next to Ms. Vanilla’s office,” Silver asked.
Sonic nodded, getting up and making his way down the aforementioned hall. He could hear two voices, clearly Shadow and Ms. Vanilla. As he opened his closet, he fought against the urge to eavesdrop. Searching for the polishing rags, he lost that fight. He leaned his towards Ms. Vanilla’s door trying to catch anything intelligible.
“- be kidding me! Of all people?” exclaimed a voice that was clearly Shadow.
“- best choice. Please do you best to work with -” answered Ms. Vanilla calmly.
“On what planet? You need to reconsider.”
“I will not. At the end of the day, it is my choice. I know you have it in you to make it work.”
Sonic pondered what the subject of the conversation could be, but before he could think about it much, the office door flew open.
Shadow emerged from the room, looking as angry as Sonic had ever seen him. Shadow gave him a wordless, murderous glare.
“What’s the matter, Shadow? Did Ms. Vanilla disrupt your pre-practice brooding time?” Sonic jabbed.
Shadow stopped in his tracks, but eventually continued walking down the hall and took his seat. Sonic thought it was strange that he didn’t have his usual retort, but Ms. Vanilla soon followed out of her office, smiling at Sonic with kind eyes. It was a nice change from how Shadow had looked at him just a few seconds earlier.
“Hello, Sonic. We’re going to get started, would you mind taking a seat?” Ms. Vanilla asked.
“You got it!” Sonic smiled, giving Silver the rag, and heading to his seat.
Everyone gave their undivided attention to Ms. Vanilla, eager to hear her plans for their season.
Ms. Vanilla started, “It is so lovely to see you all again. I’ve missed spending time with such creative and passionate students. Much of my recent time and effort have gone to arranging this season’s show, and I’m elated to share these plans with you!”
Sonic was on the edge of his seat now, bouncing his leg in anticipation.
“This year, I’m looking to challenge you. Not just artistically, but emotionally. Our show will implore you to look inward, at how you respond to difficult situations, and at your resilience. Our show will be based on emotions that we all feel: anger, uncertainty, joy, and hope. Each movement will be dedicated to an emotion, and we will be doing a lot of work on how we will convey these emotions to our audience. But to do that, we must first understand ourselves.”
Sonic, and the rest of the band for that matter, sat in awe. Their shows in the past had been great, sure. But this…the challenge ignited a fire deep inside of the blue hedgehog.
“I hope that introduction did my work justice, but you will see in due time! Now, one last thing before I let you go. As you all know, we have a vacancy for a drum major position. After careful consideration, I have made my decision. I looked for someone with clear passion, someone who sets an example for their peers. I trust this individual wholeheartedly to work with me and their fellow drum major,” Ms. Vanilla explained, gesturing to Shadow.
Sonic’s eyes shifted to Shadow, who was clenching his fists subtly, but definitely hard enough that his knuckles were turning white. He continued to give Sonic the same glare as before.
What was this guy’s deal? Sonic thought. On any other day I’d understand, but I haven’t even spoken a word to him today.
“Without further ado, I would like to congratulate -”
Everyone took a collective deep breath.
“- Sonic.”
Sonic froze in place, his jaw slack. Had he heard Ms. Vanilla correctly?
He felt everyone turned to him, eyes wide.
No way! Me, of all people? To work with him?
Sonic moved his eyes from Ms. Vanilla back to Shadow, who looked even more murderous than before.
Now Sonic understood.