Sitting in Starbucks Matthew thinks about his girlfriend Delilah. He looks down at his left jacket pocket thinking about the ring in it. He wants to propose to her but he can’t. His friends get his attention to walk out into the mall again to buy so new shoes for the big contest coming up tomorrow. Distracted, Matthew walks out to the mall, Delilah still on his mind.
“Delilah!” A voice from the crowded mall shouts out. Delilah looks around to catch Matthew finding her. She jumps in his arms with delight and happiness. “Delilah is a very talented color guard member at the Corps Santa Clara”, says Matthew to his friends. She smiles and comes back quick announcing that he is the drum major and lead trumpet at Crossmen Drum Corps. Matthew just laughs and gives her a huge. They haven’t seen each other since last year’s national Drum Corps competition. They fell in an instant unstoppable love. They had walked around for some time now, but Delilah had to get to evening practice with the color guard. She gives him a kiss and runs away with her friends, screaming back at him, “I love you Matthew Morris”. He responds with his own yell across the mall, “I love you Delilah Peterson!” He and his friends walked back to Blossom Stadium where they are camped with the Corps. He tells them how Delilah’s dad the caption head for Santa Clara would never let rival Corps date. Matthew becomes depressed at the thought of him not being with the love of his life. He and his friends fall asleep soon thinking about the big competition the next day.
The next morning the caption head for Crossmen comes in to talk to the corps. He explains how big this one is for them to beat Santa Clara Vanguard. As they clear the room after the meeting to go to the field to practice, Matthew hears the Caption head Steve call him to tell him about a little something special they have planned for them tonight. Matthew is scared for the plan but excited, to use this secret weapon to win. He thinks about David, the caption head for Santa Clara, also Delilah’s father, how if he wins then he’ll accept him. Matthew goes to the field for practice and a run through of the show. When they’re done, he and his buddies board the bus for the AT&T Center. When they arrive they un-board and go the instrument truck to get ready for warm-up. Matthew is all dressed up in his drum major uniform and ready to go for the performance. Just as they approach the warm-up area, Santa Clara pulls up. Delilah and her father David exit with serious intent and faces. Delilah looks at him as she goes to the color guard warm up area. He feels like today is the day he finally gets to walk up to her with her dad around. Matthew gets to the warm-up area, and they play so loud and perfectly. He’s directing and feels the emotion coming from the sound and air coming from the trumpets and tubas. He looks at Steve and nods; they know that the corps is ready. He gets down and leads his corps into the stadium. Steve walks by him to the front and as he does says, “Todays the day we win, and you get the girl” He winks and Matthew finds what he’s been looking for that day, pride.
They walk onto the field of the AT&T center with Matthew center field. He reaches the podium and raises his hands on the monster platform. The Crossmen have launched into sound and emotion, the band sounding better than ever. David for Santa Clara looks on in disbelief, ‘They could do it....’ he thinks to himself. The trumpets and baritones in perfect harmony, the drum line and pit matching sound and performance, it’s the best performance of the day no doubt to anyone watching. Matthew stands on the edge of the platform now, only his heels left. He leans forward jumping into the air off the six foot platform to the field. The crowd jumps to their feet in awe, astonished and delirious, clapping and screaming. Matthew stands and runs to grab a trumpet, then runs to center field. He glances at the score screen above the press box and sees the score; they beat Santa Clara Vanguard by ten whole points. He finishes his solo and realizes the Crossmen have won the National Championships.
After they exit and get the trophy, he walks to the bus alone, when out of nowhere Delilah and her father are there. Matthew looks at her dad, scared he says, “hi sir”. Delilah’s dad reaches out to shake his hand and says, “Congratulations, I’m glad she chose you”. He then walks away to board their bus to return to Austin. Matthew embraces Delilah and almost starts crying with the thought of her finally being with him freely. He grabs her arms gently and looks into her eyes. Matthew pulls out a beautiful ring form his uniform coat, and kneels. She is shaking and crying as he ask the most amazing question she’s ever heard in her life. “Will you take the real trophy? You won my heart a long time ago and that’s all that mattered, spend the rest of your amazing life’s with me?” Shocked and overwhelmed, she’s the only thing she can think of. She says “Congratulations on the win today and hugs him tight accepting the ring”.