Band Banding Together

(I am a marching band student that is also on the school’s swim team. Our current swim coach is away on maternity leave, so we are stuck with a grumpy, 60-year-old woman that yells at people for being late. Due to my schedule, I am sometimes late to practice, and because of this, the teacher yells at me the most, even if half the students aren’t here yet. My friends in marching band have heard her yell at me, and they’re getting sick about it.)

Substitute: “[My Name]! Why are you late again?!”

Me: “Sorry, ma’am, I had marching practice again!”

Substitute: *in a mocking tone* “I just had marching practice! NO! YOU WILL SHOW UP WITH PROOF THAT YOU ARE WORKING HARD IN BAND. UNTIL THEN, SHOW UP ON TIME, OR NOT AT ALL! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?”

Me: “Yes, ma’am.”

(After practice, I pull in a few favors, and manage to convince my friends to help me with showing her proof of our work in the band. This time, we post a friend inside to signal us when we should come into the scene.)

Substitute: “[Friend]! Did [My Name] show up today?”

Friend: “Nope, he had some… other problems to take care of, but he’ll be coming into today, with the ‘proof’ that you wanted.”

Substitute: “The nerve of him! When he comes back, I will kick him out of the team, and give him so many detentions, he’ll—“

(At that moment, half of the marching band barges in through the doors, and surround the substitute, all 79 of us, with us playing our march as loudly as we can, without making a bad sound.)

Substitute: *adjusts her glasses* “Very well then, [My Name]. As long as you come to practice, I will not yell at you.”

(After that, the sub never yelled at me again for being late.)