This is supposedly a time which Eddy has acquired more wisdom. At least that was what Eddy Chen thought to himself when the dentist pulled out the last wisdom tooth, leaving a gaping bloody hole in his gum.
"You know, some cultures refer to this as "love tooth" because they show up around the time a person first falls in love," the dentist cheerfully commented as he showed the little bastard, its roots long and twisted around the edges. No wonder the procedure took hours. The tooth looked nasty at first sight.
"It does look as twisted as its owner," Eddy grumbled as he rubbed his cheek, swollen and tender. First love? That was a long ass time ago, back when Eddy was naive enough to make a career out of the youtube channel with his best friend, Brett Yang. What was the channel even called... Eddy scratched his head as he pulled out his credit card to pay the dental bill.
"Twosetviolin," a voice chirped from his back as if it read his mind. "- has been officially dead for 8 years, 7 months, and 4 days. How are you doing, mate?"
Startled, Eddy sharply turned his back to see the face that he dreaded to see. Even after all those years, the man looked the same: a short slender feature with messy black hair and glasses. Brett Yang, his other half of twosetviolin channel.
"Brett, what...what are you doing here?" Eddy stuttered, turning white.
Brett shrugged, sipping on his bubble tea. It seems like Brett still had sweet tooth. Eddy always knew what Brett liked: Taro milk tea with boba, 75% sugar. Or dirty boba with extra cream on top. They used to be inseparable, the other half of the soul and mind for the other half, until... until -
Eddy noticed Brett staring at his right hand in complete silence. The gaze has changed - Brett's eyes used to be the warmest hazelnut color ever. Now it was cold, almost sinister even, as the eyes bore into something shiny on Eddy's finger, reflecting the light from the ceiling of the dentist's office. Eddy's wedding ring.
"Oh," Eddy sheepishly put his hand back in his pocket, turning red. "I-"
"I did hear that you got married," Brett smirked. "That is some huge fucking diamond, I'm happy for you, dude."
Before Brett could turn and leave the office right then and there, Eddy caught Brett's wrist in panic.
"I...I got my love tooth removed."
"Yeah, I can see that," Brett replied dryly.
"You should have seen the roots. They were all tangled up like a thorn bush, it took hours for it to come out and the doctors gave me days of medications to take-"
"How is your wife doing?"
"-and I have been working out, see? Look at my arms. You used to say that we will need to actually work out to play that devilish Paganini pieces, remember? So I did work out-"
"Eddy."
"-to .. to meet you, again."
Eddy bit his lower lips, swallowing his dread. Brett's expression was unreadable as he looked back at Eddy with hollow eyes. Eddy used to love that Brett's soft facial curve that was mysterious to read at times. That narrow eyes, round nose, pale cheek, soft lips. Those were all that could mesmerize Eddy for days, weeks, years. Eons.
"It was rough without you, Brett. I missed you," Eddy feverishly continued on.
"It is too late to say these things now," Brett's eyes landed on Eddy's ring again.
"You know how it was back then. I did not have a choice."
"Didn't have a choice?"
"I had to move on."
The silence was almost unbearable as Brett sighed, readjusting his violin bag on his shoulder.
"Do you...do you still play?" Eddy carefully asked, pointing to the violin.
"Of course. Practice 40 hours a day, that was our motto, right?" Brett raised his eyebrows.
"And..you are a soloist or in an orchestra or..."
"I'm still continuing my own Youtube business. The same studio, the same editor, the same..." Brett looked up at Eddy with a small smile. "...the same apartment. I'm still there."
"You are still there? Everything has been the same...for eight years?" Eddy looked back at Brett with wide eyes.
"Yes," Brett nodded. "It's a bit dusty though because I don't clean my place. You know how I am," Brett smiled.
"Can I go visit?" Eddy blurted out without control, almost regretting immediately. What kind of a scumbag is he? He is a married man with a sturdy soloist career and four different stages to perform next week - how the hell does he have time to go to this rusty old studio that they used to film together?
"Of course. We can shoot a new twosetviolin video. Imagine how the old fans would react to a new video, finally after eight years!" Brett laughed out like a child. The giggles seemed to bubble like a glass of champagne inside Eddy's ears. He could hear Brett laugh all day. He could count the creases on Brett's eyes as they bent like a crescent moon on a summer night.
Eddy knew right at that moment that every attempt to erase Brett out of his mind for all these years have been futile. How many times did Eddy have to bury memories of Brett under his deepest subconsciousness, locking Pandora's box within ten layers of iron chains and silver coffins? How many nights did Eddy have to pray next to an unfamiliar body of a woman next to his bed, until he did not wake up in cold sweat?
Watching Brett's shoulder shaking with laughter, Eddy realized he couldn't stop now. No, he will savor this moment and will do everything within his power to make it last. Even if that meant being the biggest idiot in the universe then be it.
"Yeah, yeah. Sounds like a plan," Eddy stifled a laugh.
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<Author's note>
This is a very short story (possibly ending in three chapters or less) that I just had in mind! Hope you enjoy it.
