Fantasia

XXVIII

"So, we met at math tutoring you said?"

Brett's soft, slightly curious voice echoed through the vast corridor and mixed with the barely audible music, played by the two musicians on that red lit walkway further away. A simple question, which yet displayed so much of Eddy's once great friend's character.
He could have just straight up asked what had been the reason for them not keeping in touch anymore. Could have just demanded to know about Eddy's wrongdoing. Instead, Brett chose to pave a smoother road for Eddy to start his story. Maybe also for himself to digest what he was about to hear? And who'd be surprised? Brett had always had this great ability to bring up uncomfortable topics without actually making the people involved feel, well, uncomfortable. Apparently, the Brett in this world was no different.

That's why Eddy actually had to smile a bit, when he answered, "Yes. We did. I sat there in the last row or something, because I was so mad at my mum that she made me go there. I was just gonna sit there and sulk the whole lesson. Then you walked in. First, I didn't even notice you, but you walked up to the empty seat next to me and asked, if it was free. And then you sat down and put down your violin case. I still remember the light from the classroom window being reflected on your black, shiny case and then I just blurted out 'Do you play the violin?'. And you were like 'Yeah!'. And then I told you that I also played and we just hit it off, starting from the first second, which had never happened before in my life and never has since."
Brett nodded, showing he was listening. He didn't have to though. The shiny eyes were like an open door to his wondering heart and that didn't pass by Eddy unnoticed.

"I helped you not get taken apart by Huang Laoshi, that math teacher there, and math tutoring was really fun because you were there. When we went home, I knew I was going to see you the week after and was already looking forward to it. Turned out I'd meet you the day after already. Saturday morning, the first day of youth orchestra. I walked in with my dad and I just saw you sitting there in the front row, pointing at me with big eyes. It was so funny!"
"It sounds awesome...", Brett breathed wistfully.
"It was", Eddy confirmed, his heart as warm as it hadn't been for a long time. Normally, he just went on with life and didn't allow himself to reminisce, knowing it'd end up with him having to deal with his regrets and all the pain.

"And then?"
"Well, we started to hang out outside of youth orchestra and math tutoring. You were at a different school, but we lived like fifteen minutes apart by foot, so we saw each other a. lot.! We played games, did homework together and practiced. We practiced tons! Especially later, when we had important competitions and recitals coming up. You always practiced so much! So many hours. And I was so sure you were going to be a soloist one day. You've always sounded really awesome, you had, and still have, by the way, a really sweet, nice tone and I always envied you for being able to pull off those super technical things on the violin, which I just didn't manage to get."

Eddy was sure, the gaze he threw Brett was a fond and very appreciative one. Maybe a tad too intimate for them not really knowing each other anymore? But Eddy didn't care. He didn't put a filter on the way he was talking about their shared past, so he didn't want to control the emotions which came with it either.
Brett just looked at him, silently encouraging him to continue.

"We busked a lot. Made quite some money actually, especially when we were younger and people thought we were cute and hard-working or something."
Brett snorted at that. "How old were we, when we met?"
"Like thirteen, fourteen. You are one year older than me."
"Oh..."
"Yeah. In some parts you were more mature. Like I always forgot my stuff everywhere and sometimes you even brought me things from your house or someplace else where we'd been."
Brett laughed his clear, unburdened laugh at that. Like back then, when they played so much smash they couldn't keep track of time anymore and their guffaws were as uncontrollable as their handling of joysticks.
"I'm sure there must have been situations where I wasn't that mature", Brett commented and rubbed away some tears from the corner of his eyes.
"Of course! You were quite the prank master in your class apparently. I haven't met many of your classmates, but they all said they had been victims of your pranks at least once. Of course you pulled some on me too. Like this one time, when I stood in line to get bubble tea for us, I had to wait forever. You said you were going to get us a table, but when I finally paid and got the bobas, you were gone! You made me walk around the store twice and call for your name like a lunatic until you jumped out behind me from thin air and scared me to death. I dropped a cup because of you and you were laughing so hard everyone was looking at us."
Brett was nearly rolling on the floor again, quite similar to that time Eddy'd just recalled for him.
"Oh God, that sounds terrible."
"At least you paid for the second round."
"What else?", Brett chuckled.
"Another time, you made me wait at the cashier even though I had no wallet and you did. Like some typical Asian mother."
"Hahaha!"
"Yeah..." Eddy fondly smiled at Brett. "Life was a lot of fun with you. You never joked about music though."
"What about competitions and recitals? You said I joined some?"

Eddy pondered on it for a moment, trying to remember the names of all those contests Brett had competed in.
"You did tons of Eisteddfods. I did those too. Every year. And we always got those medals. But the most important ones were the Brisbane International Youth Music Festival, the Mathilda Jane, some Bach prize which name I don't remember and probably countless more when you did music uni."
"Wow", Brett marveled over his own accomplishments, "Did you do those too?"
"Some of them. And I even did the NYCC, a nationwide competition, where I had to play a whole concerto with an orchestra."
"Woow, that's huge!!!"
"I only got second prize though", Eddy tsked with a joking tone.
"Still!"
"Well, I felt like I was never as good as you."
"I've never heard you play, here I mean. But I'm sure you played super well if you have attended a nationwide thing!"
"I've tried my luck... And my mum was more or less proud, so it was okay."
"Ah yeah, were my parents like that too?"
"Nah. Yours were way more chill! When you applied to music uni, they reacted quite okay. They understood. And when you got in, they threw a little party for you at your home with hotpot, bubble tea and stuff. It was pretty cool."
"It does sound cool! They seem to be decent people!"
"Yeah, they rocked. They liked me too, I think."
"'Course! You sound like you had a good influence on me."
Eddy chuckled. "Haha, maybe..."
"And then? What happened?"

Eddy's smile faltered a bit. His eyes turned serious, as his sad voice declared, "What happened is the reason I broke off all contact with you."