Stand by your Band

Last night on the very back row at the local high school football field, I'm sitting pretty close to the band. I like the band. Okay, I was in the band. I played the saxophone and I happen to think that being in band gave me a really good.... never mind. Anyway, these two teary-eyed girls come running up the stands, one in a tiny glitter costume, the other is in street clothes. "They called her a skank" the taller one shrieks to an adult couple sitting a few rows in front of me. The woman springs into action following the girls down the bleachers while the man sits calmly without even a twitching. Was this something he was used to or was he just not the fighting type? Interesting.... He quietly went along watching the next two quarters of the game. I checked the crowd every now and then for a "girl fight" or for signs of whatever the equivalent of the Mean Girls group "The Plastics" could possibly look like in terms of band kids, but nothing on the horizon. Still the man sits calmly, not even looking towards the avenue of descent where the mother and two scorned band girls had gone. Finally, the Mom climbs back up the stairs and proclaims "She lied, wouldn't own up to callin' her a skank," and with that took a big swig of Mountain Dew and the man/Dad/boyfriend/unknown male companion went back to the game.