Battle of the Bands

2.

It was sudden and abrupt and extremely irritating but it was final.

The band students had moved next door. They'd "needed" more room for their giant ass instruments and the teacher would accept just about fucking anyone into her forever growing Band Program.

And now Ludwig sat alone in the strings room after school. It was finally quiet. All day, they'd had to endure the loud music from next door. Sure, the rooms were sound proof but there was one little loophole that the sound found its way into.

The double doors.

They separated the band and strings room. They'd been there forever and never caused a problem because there was never a 75 person band ensemble next door.

But now that there was, the boisterous music powered through the not-so-sound-proof wood of the dreaded doors. And all day, the strings ensemble had to deal with this... this invasion!

Their beautiful strings ensemble was no match for the (so perfectly placed) goddamn brass section right near the door. And those drums, the drums. How could something be so loud?

They'd fallen apart at every song, not used to the distraction which was so hard to ignore. The conductor's baton was no use when all they could focus on was the band conductor's yelling over her huge ensemble.

But now, Ludwig was alone with his violin, he could finally get some good practice in. It was after school hours but the room was always open for anyone who wanted to come in and practice.

Ludwig sighed contentedly as he listened to the blissful silence. He adjusted his shoulder rest and tightened his bow, straightening his music out on the stand before him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, bringing the bow down to touch the D string to draw out a nice, deep-

KSSSSHH

Ludwig clenched his jaw and his instrument made a god-awful sound as he jolted at the sudden noise.

Cymbals? Are you kidding me?

He waited for more of this bombardment to continue but it did not come. He settled in again, getting into playing position and getting through the first two bars before-

BRRRRRRRUMM

A fucking drum roll?

KSH KSH KSH KSH

Ludwig screamed through his teeth and pinched the bridge of his nose with his bow clasped between his fingers. One minute, one solid minute was all he wanted.

The German paced furiously as the noise continued and then laughter, laughter (because this was sooooo funny!) also sounded from behind the double doors.

Ludwig stormed over there and burst through the double doors, instrument grasped tightly in his hand.

"WILL YOU PLEASE SHUT UP?!" He roared as they all went silent and then continued on, speaking through clenched teeth. "I am trying to practice.
And you, you... band people! You think you can just waltz in here with your overly-large drums and your stupidly loud tubas and your fucking triangle players!" He huffed and glared at the three students strewn around the room. "Which doesn't even count as a god damn instrument!" He whisper-yelled.

"Heyy!" A guy with shaggy brown hair whined from the corner, who Ludwig assumed was their triangle player.

"Oh shut up, you know it!"

He watched the guy shrug and nod a little and he took it as a tiny victory. And then some russet-haired guy ran in through the other set of doors to the band room, once again, laughing.

"Hey guys! I found the drum mallet you threw into the hallway!" He laughed breathlessly and plunked down into a chair, smile faltering slightly as he realized everyone was tense and quiet. "What?" He turned and his eyes finally found Ludwig's. He pointed his thumb at him and pushed his hair back. "Who's he?"

Ludwig rolled his eyes and made a very annoyed sounding noise before pivoting on his heel and shoving his way back through the doors.

The shaggy brown haired guy in the corner (who Ludwig would later find out's name was Danny) looked at a confused Feliciano (who Ludwig would also later find out was the guy who went to play fetch with a drum mallet) and patted his shoulder as he walked by.

"He doesn't like us very much."

~