Collection • TwoSetViolin

I. Music Theory

Summary: Academic integrity is hard to maintain, especially on a music theory test. Brett Yang knows this very well, and decides to ask Eddy Chen for a little bit of help on the next exam. (1978 words, ~15 minute read)

Warnings: None.

Notes: I suck at music theory so enjoy when actual music theory is brought up in this, hehe.

• • •

He was most definitely going to fail.

Brett grabbed a lock of his hair and let out a loud sigh. Schenkerian analysis? Nope, he couldn't do that. Naming chords? He thought that was easy until he started taking this class and failed to name a single chord correctly. Inversions? Hell no.

Not only could he not handle another failure, but his average most definitely could not. It didn't help that his music theory teacher loved making difficult tests and quizzes and supposedly laughed every time he recalled his students suffering, nor did it help that he rarely met with struggling students and was always "too busy."

It wasn't as if the quizzes were getting easier, too. They were getting harder and harder, and would never be curved because of that one kid that always scored too high compared to the rest of the class. While the average was resting in the 50s or 60s, that one kid always ended up scoring in the 90s or even a perfect score. Nobody knew who it was, but everybody either hated or respected that one kid.

Brett tried to focus on the notes in front of him. Pages and pages of sheet music and notations were all blurring into a single blob. His eyes squinted. He couldn't focus anymore, and felt his head begin to get heavier and heavier-

He snapped awake. Nope. Not now. He still had to study and try to understand as much of the material as possible. Brett stood up, pushing his chair back on the wooden floor, and walked over to the small kitchen to make himself another cup of coffee. His sixth one today.

His head rested on his arm as the coffee machine began to spit out droplets of gold. He grinned, the smell of coffee drifting into his nose, and stared outside the window. The sun was just starting to set, and here he was on the verge of falling asleep. It was what it was, he supposed. Music university wasn't supposed to be easy.

Eventually, his cup of coffee was finished. He picked up the mug and returned straight to his seat. He would have added some cream and sugar, but that took up time, and he did not have any time to waste. A yawn escaped his lips, prompting him to take a big sip of his burning hot coffee. Brett ignored the burning sensation he felt on his tongue and continued to try and read his own sloppy handwriting on the pages.

The sloppy notes slipped in and out of focus. He couldn't understand what he was reading at this point. The coffee was a little helpful, but it wasn't great, and Brett found his eyes fluttering shut in no time. His face hit his notes, and he was knocked out.

• • •

Brett woke up to the sound of his door slamming open. He jerked awake, a sheet of paper stuck to his face, and glanced at the door to see his roommate walking back in.

It was entirely dark outside now, and Brett blinked a few times before it had finally hit him: he had fallen asleep. He cursed mentally and looked down at his watch. It was nearly 2am now.

He glanced up at his roommate, still half-asleep. "Where were you?"

Eddy Chen had always been a little odd. He had his own group of friends and his own work ethic that Brett occasionally questioned. Yet, he was extremely talented and Brett couldn't deny that. He seemed like a rather quiet kid, not saying or doing much, but when he performed, he was breathtaking to watch and listen to. When he was in his room and the two of them held long conversations, Eddy was one of the best listeners and one of the best people to talk to.