Andante

LXV

Electricity coursed through Eddy's system as he stood looking out the window. 
He knew he was being ridiculous, they weren't leaving until tomorrow afternoon, but he had everything packed down to his toothbrush. A far cry from his normal tardiness, but this time it mattered. 
It mattered a lot. 

¨I have some awesome news!¨
Todd's voice sounded incredibly excited over the phone. What, did he have yet another boyfriend or something? Not that that would be big news per se, as it would be his tenth or so this year. 
¨Tell me then, what's your awesome news?¨
¨Right, so, remember the conductor from AYO a couple years back?¨ Todd asked, and Eddy's heart flipped at the recollection. 
¨Seriously, Todd, you're asking me if I remember that AYO?¨ 
Todd laughed. ¨What, your snog-fest with Brett? Yeah, no, I get that you remember that. But do you remember mr. Davids?¨
Eddy smiled at Todd's words. 
He did remember mr. Davids, he remembered him very well in fact. The conductor had called him a promising young violinist. He had called them both that.
¨Yeah, of course I remember him. He was awesome.¨
¨He was! Well, he still is, and he's asked me to play in a concert he's conducting with a youth orchestra. He wants a quartet to play that Mendelssohn! So we kind of both suggested you and Brett play too. How 'bout it?¨
Eddy was quiet for a long moment. Wait, what?  They were being asked to play a solo quartet?
¨Erm, Todd, Jeez, wow, of course I'd love to! What's involved?¨

Todd had explained what was involved, so now they were off to the other side of Australia to spend the week there, all expenses paid. And at the end of the week they would be performing this beautiful quartet on a massive stage, in front of a grand auditorium that was already sold out.  
If it wasn't the corniest sentence in the world Eddy would say it was a dream come true. 
He was also worried, though. Would Brett and he relapse again? Would they lose themselves and kiss in one of their rooms, or after a rehearsal somewhere outside in the dark again? Like they had on his sixteenth birthday, a few months ago? 

¨So, did you have a nice birthday?¨ Brett said, closing Eddy's door behind him. 
It was pretty late already, and Brett would have to leave in a few minutes. Still, it was nice to just talk to him for a moment after their other friends had left. 
¨It was the best! Feels good to be sixteen.¨
Brett smiled. ¨I know! Take it from someone who's about to turn seventeen.¨
Eddy rolled his eyes. ¨Yeah, yeah, I know. You're ancient.¨
There had been no warning, no forethought. He really wasn't planning to, but suddenly he was very close to Brett. And then, unexpectedly, he was pushing him against the door so no one would be able to open it from the outside, and he was claiming his mouth with his own. 

Eddy shook his head to snap out of it. Awesome though those moments were, they weren't worth the angst that came after. He knew that. 
Still, he remembered that AYO, that fantastic, awesome AYO. Should they perhaps allow themselves another week like that? Now that being 18 was less than two years away?
He shook his head again to stop the thoughts dead. 
It was time to go to bed, stop thinking about all these things and get some sleep. 
Tomorrow they'd be getting on a plane, flying across the country and arriving at a venue... like soloists.
Like soloists.
He smiled to himself as he got undressed, put his bedclothes on and brushed his teeth, making sure to put the toothbrush right back into his suitcase. 
He slipped under the covers with the iPhone 3GS he got for his birthday and opened whatsapp quickly.

     'Sleep tight, Bretty'

The answer came as quickly as he knew it would. 

     'Sleep tight, my lovely Eddy.'

He smiled fondly and then deleted the message quickly, just like he knew Brett would be doing on the other end. 
Then he turned the light off, turned on his side and closed his eyes. 
Tomorrow was finally the day.