After dinner, we had a bit of free time before the bonfire - or, as Ms. Blue called it, the "bond" fire - that was scheduled for tonight. Instead of going back up to the cabin (the color guard scared me a bit), I sat down down next to the tetherball pole and pulled out my book. Or, at least, I tried to. Samantha, my friend from the tuba section, sat down next to me and asked me what I was reading.

"Hunger Games," I replied, not looking up from my book.

Samantha gasped. "I love that book! I wish I had more time to read it."

I laughed. "You kidding me? Just read."

"But I have band," she said.

"Right. I forgot."

"Really? You're at band camp and you forgot about band?"

I shrugged. "I'm not exactly a down-to-earth person, if you know what I mean. Middle school has ruined me."

"Same."

Just then, Ms. Blue announced that we were heading over to the fire pit to start. "Want to walk with me?" Samantha asked as I stuck my bookmark back into the book and stuffed it in my bag.

"Sure," I responded. I slung my bag over my shoulder and followed her down the hill as she asked me about who I ship Katniss with.

We were one of the first ones there; most of the other band kids were trailing shortly behind us. I remember hearing Alen tell us to sit with our sections, but I thought they would think it weird if I sat with them, so I just sat in a random spot with Samantha and Andrew (who just happened to be Samantha's boyfriend).

As the beaches around the fire pit was filling up, Ashley, the band council president, and a few other flutes walked around to pass out marshmallows, pieces of chocolate bars, and graham crackers.

I watched as the band kids said good-bye to their friends and took their seats with their sections. The trombones were sitting a few yards away from where I was. Dylan and Caiden were messing around and chatting, while Andrea was laughing at the rest of her section and adding the occasional remark. They all looked so close.

I wondered then if I would ever be a part of a group like that.

I can't remember why - maybe because I was just really tired - but I caught myself staring up into the sky, kind of wishing I was back home. I was missing quite a few activities for this. No matter the reason, a comet shot across the night sky as I was staring blindly up at the unknown. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen; its shining head racing across the atmosphere, followed by its fiery tail. It brought me back to science camp from middle school. We were taking a night hike and looking up at the sky when a comet apparently zipped across the sky. Unluckily, I had chosen that exact moment to sneeze, and I missed the star. It made me smile thinking that I finally got to see one for myself.

Make a wish? I asked myself.

Ms. Blue stood up to speak, and one of the seniors pointed a flashlight at her. "So, this year is kind of a weird start; we lost a lot of great seniors last year, but we've also gained a lot of great, new people, and I think this is going to be a great year."

She waved and sat down, and we all clapped for her and cheered. David then took her place, sitting at the edge of the burning fire. "When we get to you," he announced, "stand up, tell us your name, what you play, how many years you've been in band, and one goal you have for this year."

Slowly, we went down the rows. The flutes were first, followed by the trumpets, then the trombones. I don't remember a lot of what was said, but I did learn a lot about the other members of the band outside the trombone section. I knew quite a few people in band, I just hadn't really taken the time to learn what instrument they played or how old they were. Most of them had been playing their instruments for at least five years. Others had been playing since middle school. Either way, it seemed like I was the newest person to this kind of thing.

When it was my turn to introduce myself, me being a very enthusiastic person when I want to be, stood up and said, "Okay, just so you guys know, my name is not 'band person-'"

I didn't even get to finish my sentence because everyone around me burst our laughing. A few of them shouted, "No, now it's 'trombone person!'" which made me start to laugh.

"My name is Kaylee," I continued. "I'm a freshman, and I have been playing the trombone for...2 weeks, now?"

This brought on a lot of protests from the band. "Why?" they inquired. They knew I had been in band last year.

"Many, many complications," I answered. "Either way, I want to thank the trombone section." I kind of waved my hand to where they were sitting, but I couldn't really see them because of the flashlight on my face. "Thanks. Love you guys."

I wanted to facepalm myself right there. Really Kaylee? "Love you?" You barely know them, and you're probably not going to be playing the trombone for very long anyway.

Apparently, my brain knows me better than I do. That, or I am turning back into a french horn and have this hidden ability to predict the future.

Either way, what I said next really shocked me. "Anyway, probably my goal for this year would be to actually learn how to play the trombone. Ever since I picked up my first instrument, I've just always been scared to death to just put the thing to my lips and actually play." That was a surprise. I had been hiding that from pretty much everyone up until now.

"Also, I want to apologize if I talk to much - I've learned that if I don't speak up people learn to push me around, so, yeah. Sorry if I may irritate you." I completed. Wow. How inaccurately I sum up my life in, like, five sentences. That wasn't the exact reason why I talk so much, but I guess that I just didn't want to come off so dramatic.

I sat back down, and everyone clapped for me. I was kind of shaking afterwards - that usually comes from me talking about myself in front of other people. As the night went on and the night seemed to grow darker, I watched as the fire danced across the pile of wood in the center of the center. Its amber glow pulsed excitedly, casting bouncing shadows along the sandy floor. I've always loved the evening. It's when I really get the chance to reflect back on my day, my life. As time dragged slowly by, for that one moment, I felt part of something. Not like in middle school, feeling like a burden, useless, a waste of space. It felt like a fantasy to me, being a part of a group like this. I've wanted to be in band for as long as I can even remember, and whenever I saw the high school band laugh, play, and mess around together, I wanted that even more. I've always felt like that one person just sitting in the back of the class, not serving any purpose. I've always yearned to be part of something worthwhile, something that someone could ask me about and I'd be able to be proud of it.

But I knew that would never happen.