She had always been told the joys of seeing color, from her siblings, from her superiors in the band, and her parents.

However, she considered herself too busy for color.

---

Elizabeth had started playing the trombone in 5th grade, never thinking much of it. She had assumed it to be something like youth soccer, do it once and be done with it for the rest of your life.

However, the low brass instrument stuck to her. She continued the musical lessons throughout her middle school years, while most friends around her dropped the instruments, abandoning music altogether for something more "mature". Most cases, the boys she surrounded herself with took up a sport, while the girls around her took to learning the art of makeup and turning themselves from foolish small children into attractive young women.

It wasn't until high school where Elizabeth rediscovered the joy she had for the art of music.

She signed up for the class with a bit of reluctance, planning to have dropped the band altogether by the end of her freshman year. She joined, regardless, in search of an extra class and an easy way to raise her GPA.

She encountered many things that freshman year with her trombone section. from her friendly senior section leader to the eager mother junior. The combined effort of the two led Elizabeth to continue playing that instrument, signing up to join the band on a country-wide trip that summer.

She only had one problem with it, however.

The other girls her grade found themselves caring over nothing but the drama of color.

---

The practises leading up to the trip were nothing major. Apart from the bickering between her section and her right end fawning over her every mistake to turn her into a better marcher, Elizabeth found herself enjoying the process of marching. Besides, being a trombone player positioned her in the back of the formation, away from the drama of the girls she knew, who for the most part held the flags of the color guard, led the band playing trumpet, or formed the middle playing saxophone.

(She ended up discovering that, for the most part, the trumpets and the saxophones cared the least about band. There were the exceptions, of course. She'd have to make sure to befriend those exceptions.)

---

The first week of Elizabeth's trip left her feeling incredibly lonely.

Being one of many new members to the band, Elizabeth often felt herself cast aside from the rest of the group. This didn't bother her; she came to march, not to socialize.

What annoyed her the most, however, was when she heard the cries of girls seeing color for the first time.

Elizabeth herself had never experienced the sight of color, she didn't hang around boys enough to even consider the thought. But when Caitlin, a color guard girl in her grade, first saw color, she made sure the entire band knew.

She wove tales, brightly depicting the colors of the uniform they all wore. Supposedly, they were vivid blue and pale white, the plumes of their hats sparkling with a light and shiny color that stood against one much darker. (Whatever "blue" meant.)

The thought of color was interesting to Elizabeth, but after a talk with her section leader (he had been dating a percussionist girl at least since Elizabeth entered the band, word had it they'd been dating since their sophomore year) she discovered that the uniforms were in fact a deep maroon, a heavy color at first glance but beautiful as time went on. Elizabeth knew how strong the relationship between her section leader and his girlfriend was, and that he was filled with honesty, so she dismissed the thoughts of Caitlin entirely.

This little epidemic caused for Elizabeth to detest her grade even more, but also left her wondering if she'd ever be able to see the maroon her section leader spoke about.

The first week of the trip passed by in Elizabeth's head as a blur, nothing more than a stain on her otherwise perfect summer.

---

The second week of the trip gave Elizabeth a bit of a new hope for herself.

The bus travels between locations had been Elizabeth's most despised factor of the trip, but slowly, she began to meet the people she sat across from.

The bus was separated into two sides: boys on the left and girls on the right. This made it easy for chaperones to start a scavenger hunt, though, pitting the two sexes against each other in a race for bragging rights.

During the times when the chaperones didn't have a game in mind, she found herself listening in as the boys across the isle had conversations with each other.

She learned their names, slowly; Daniel, Kaden, Christopher, and Rich. Daniel was a clarinet player a grade ahead of her, one of the brave, few male woodwinds. Kaden was a percussionist, in her same grade, although probably smart enough to be a grade ahead. Christopher was also a percussionist, one of Kaden's best friends. Rich played Mellophone, which he was adamant about insisting that he was not in fact a player of a "fat trumpet".

She struggled to start associating herself with these guys, she knew there would be taunts asking her what kinds of colors she saw.

The guys, however, did not seem to mind what others thought of them. They rather quickly opened up to Elizabeth, allowing her to join them when the band split off into different groups of tourists.

Elizabeth finally started feeling welcome with those in her band.

---

The last week was hard for Elizabeth, mostly from all the goodbyes she had to say.

She was overjoyed to say goodbye to the girls of her band, beginning to sulk over the fact that she would be stuck associated with these people who didn't care for their instrument or the marching of it at all.

She found herself shedding a few tears at saying goodbye to her beloved section leader. He had taught her so much, and she had learned a few pieces of advice on what to do if she had ever become the leader of the trombones. (He told her that he wanted her to lead over the other two boys her grade.)

The most... interesting of goodbyes was to the boys, however.

The night before they were going back home, the band had gathered in a lobbylike room of the hotel they were staying at in order to do closing announcements. She had decided to sit with the boys once more, quietly listening in to the conversations they held, debating over a movie they had seen prior to leaving for the trip. She sat mostly unnoticed, until she saw something slide into her view.

Kaden had slipped his phone in front of her, a page open for her to put her phone number in.

Sly move.

She laughed a bit before picking up the phone, typing her number in.

"Hey, you finally got a girl's number!" One of the boys began laughing, to which Kaden shook his head.

"I'm sure she's good enough friends with all of you to give you guys her number, too," Kaden looked over at Elizabeth with a small grin. She gave him a sarcastic smile before giving him his phone back, starting to put her number into the phones of the rest of her new friends.

They all soon gave her texts back so she too could have their coveted numbers.

She didn't see them at all the next day; she ended up falling asleep on the bus. When they got back to the school, she kept to herself, putting her instrument back in its locker and picking up her luggage.

She left the school without saying a word to them, thus proceeding on with her summer.

---

The first time Elizabeth talked to Kaden again was shortly after the start of their sophomore year.

She knew he was an expert at anything math, and she was struggling with her own math.

Elizabeth sent the text after much deliberation, but after getting help with one lesson, she found it easier and easier to ask for the help she needed.

They stayed after school together, spending time in the cafeteria, with him patiently helping her out. The more it happened, the more she found herself understanding what was happening.

They were just about to start working again when Kaden mumbled something. "Did you say something?"

"Oh, nevermind."

"Oh, okay," Elizabeth raised an eye, but ignored it, starting off on the lesson.

They went through the lesson with almost no problems, so they walked back to her locker together.

She opened the locker swiftly, letting it slam against the one next to her with a satisfactory ring. She started throwing books and scattered pencils into her backpack before letting the locker swing shut, one last echo before the hallway returned to its dormant state.

"So..." The silence cracked with Kaden's voice. "Homecoming is in a few weeks."

"Oh, I guess it is," they started walking to the other side of the school, where Kaden's locker was.

They walked in awkward silence for a minute before it broken again.

"Would you want to go to the dance with me?"

Elizabeth paused.

Awkward silence.

"It's okay if yo-"

"I would be honored," Elizabeth smiled, watching as the shade on Kaden's face reverted from a stressed and forced smile to one of ease.

"So... I'll text you and we can start making plans?"

"That sounds great. Well, see you tomorrow?"

"Alright. See ya."

---

Elizabeth couldn't tell whether the weeks leading up to her dance went by in a breeze, or like a stick in the mud.

Nevertheless, the day came.

Her dress was simple: dark with a light belt across the middle. Her mother told her the bottom of the dress was a dark blue while the top was silver, which reminded Elizabeth of the uniform fiasco at the start of her trip.

When she finally saw Kaden again, she noticed a different charming side she had never seen before. Cute, even.

Their parents were estatic, with her own mother making sure every rule and the curfew was set in solid stone.

Customary of every mother, of course.

After what felt like hours to Elizabeth, the dance came.

Together, they entered the gym. It had been turned from a boring place of assorted athletics to a party with lights, smoke, and fun.

Not to mention volume.

Elizabeth quickly noticed Christopher, Daniel, and Rich. They were all at the dance as a group, although Kaden had been away from them to be with her. They all danced together, letting the music surround them.

She finally heard a shift in the music.

Her first dreaded slow dance.

She hadn't wanted to admit it, but she didn't know how to do a slow dance. She could only hope that Kaden would give her a bit of advice.

It worked, to her relief. A simple awkward look on her face was all it took for him to grab her arms. He lifted them up slowly, moving them towards his shoulders. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, grabbing a little too tightly.

Elizabeth instead focused on the music itself rather than her own awkward self. They slowly danced. She could feel a bit of sweat form across her forehead, which she couldn't tell if it was the heat of the lights or her own nerves. She assumed it was a combination of both, but she slowly felt more and more relaxed.

Before she could understand the feelings entirely, the music shifted back to something more upbeat, just as fast as it had changed into the slow dance.

They lingered together a bit longer than the other pairs, almost letting the first verse of the next song pass by before pulling away.

Strangely, Elizabeth liked the experience overall.

---

The next dance after that was less awkward. Elizabeth felt she knew how to dance this time, while Kaden continued to guide her along.

Once again, the first verse of the next song passed before they finally let their hands leave each others.

Every other dance followed suit to this pattern, growing more and more comfortable to Elizabeth, even something she looked forward to.

The last dance of the night was when it changed.

It had started the same way as the others had. The end was what shocked Elizabeth.

Before the last chord struck out, Kaden quickly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

She was shocked at first, even a bit offended.

Then she realized just how much she liked it.

How much she liked him.

"I'm sorry..." Kaden quickly pulled away, his face an awkward mess. The music died out around them as lights slowly went out, signalling the end of the night.

Elizabeth thought for a moment.

"Don't be."

---

Kaden had just recently gotten his license, so he was driving her back home. When they finally arrived, he came with her, taking her to the door.

Elizabeth noticed his hands in his pockets. "Well, thanks for coming to the dance with me. It was really nice."

She laughed a bit. "There's more to it than that, isn't there?"

"I guess you really do know me. So, you wanna make it official?"

She expected the question, yet it still shocked her.

The effect of awkward silence built up on both their faces, until it was finally broken.

Elizabeth grabbed him and pulled him in to a tight hug.

"I'd love it, and you."

She closed her eyes, not letting herself see his reaction. She could only imagine her response was well received by the way he hugged her back.

It was a long hug, probably the longest one Elizabeth had in her life.

When she pulled away, she started laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"Your hair. It's a very nice color."

---

Summer came again, and as Elizabeth tried on her uniform from the previous year, she could only laugh.

The uniforms were Caitlin's blue.