Swell (Complete)

Chapter Eight (Part Two)

"I don't know love, I don't know hate
I am numb, wish I could find the words to say."
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Will pulled his guitar strap over his shoulder and headed down the hallway to the front door.
"Oh! Going to practise? Let me drive you!" Tom jumped up from the lounge as Will passed the entrance. He stopped in surprise at his brother's enthusiasm and laughed little.
"Tom, it's just around the corner. Their house is on the side of the pub, like ours backs off the bakery." He explained. "Hardly need a ride when it'll take me minutes to walk."
Tom's excitement and shoulders dropped. "Oh. Well..." Tom looked out of the window. "I need to go to the store anyway, and get fuel for the week." He was already pulling his keys out of his pocket and moving into the hall beside his brother.
"Alright." Will was sure Brett wouldn't mind if he was a few minutes before one. Was only the two of them planned for the practise anyway. Will felt ridiculous as he put the guitar into the back seat and sat in the passenger seat for under five minutes as Tom drove.
Before he could even get out of the car, his brother had run to the back door and pulled out his guitar case.
"Tom, what are you doing?" Will asked as he closed the door.
Tom forced an overfriendly smile; Will knew there was an ulterior motive. "I'm just helping you."
"Tom, I don't need help to walk with my guitar, or carry my guitar inside." They stood on the passenger side of the car and Will reached his hand out to take his guitar from Tom.
The garage door started to roll open and Brett ducked out from under it.
"Hey guys." He walked towards them with a friendly smile and looked down at the guitar. Will gave him a smile and he could see Brett battling to make sure he knew which twin was which.
"Tom, thanks for the help, can I have my guitar?" Will raised an eyebrow at his brother, who's attention was now directed towards the open garage.

Inside there were several amps, a couple of stools and music stands and the walls were full of guitars.
"Uh, yea. Here. What time do you want me to pick you up?" Tom held the guitar bag out and Will heaved a sigh as he took the handle.
"I don't. I can walk home." What was Tom trying to do?
"But what if it's late? And dark? If I come and pick you up we can make sure Adora gets home safely too."
That was it.
Will scoffed and shook his head. "We're not betting on her being able to come."
Tom looked from the empty garage to Will. "Oh."
"She doesn't always get away from the Escape for practises." Brett added.
"Right, well, call me when you're done." Tom's disappointment was obvious and Brett and Will watched as he got into the car and drove away.
"Did he really drive you in the hopes of seeing Adora?" Brett looked at Will with a frown.
"I think he really did." Will nodded and jerked his head towards the garage. "I think he's in love, again." Will smirked.
"Again?" Brett led Will into the garage and pushed the button to close the roller door.
"Tom falls in and out of love a lot." Will took his guitar out of the case and sat on one of the stools. "Is this strictly for music?" He asked, looking around at the garage.
"Yea, Tara plays a bit too, and Dad. So we have a carport around the other side for the cars." Brett sat opposite Will and took a guitar from his stand. "The house got a bit overcrowded once the three of us started and Mum kind of blew her top." He laughed.
Will looked at the collection of guitars in the garage. There were some expensive looking ones, and some cheaper looking ones. "Your Mum doesn't play anything? She could have joined in." He joked.
Brett shook his head as he started to check the tuning of his strings. "Nah, she's not remotely musical."
Will forced himself to stop admiring the guitars; some were hung on the wall like they would be in a music store, and some were in floor stands. He checked the tuning of his own strings and then looked up to his new jamming buddy.
"So, what do you want to start with?" Brett shuffled his stool closer and dragged the music stand between them so they were both looking at the same music.
"Whatever you're in the mood for. I've strummed most of them and I'm pretty sure I've got the strumming patterns down." Will answered.
"Right, well, let's do this one then." Brett leaned forward and flicked through the folder of music for a few pages.