12. Henry

Issue 3 of “Hopeless Henry”

By Alice Bennet

Taken from the University Gazette

“Free drinks for Henry! All night long,” Rush shouted, slinging an arm over my shoulders and fisting his other hand into the air victoriously as a crowd of fellow band players cheered us on.

My face heated in bashful delight as I glanced at everyone who’d showed up at the bar to celebrate because of me. Then I glanced down at the fake ID Rush had set me up with. He’d planned for everything.

As soon as the director had announced me as the new trumpet section leader, set to take Baxter’s spot, Rush had been a flurry of excitement, making sure tonight was epic.

“We’re going to get you so damn drunk and happy,” he told me, shaking my shoulder enthusiastically. “You’ll be hitting on every woman in this place before the night’s over.”

“Oh, ho!” I cried, laughing and trying yet failing to picture such an outcome. “I’d like to see that.”

“You will, buddy. That’s a promise. Because, check it out, the first rou