Andante

LXIX

They met Todd and Ian in the drab grey hallway outside of their adjoining rooms.
¨So, happy with your quarters?¨ Todd asked them, his face carefully neutral as he pressed the button for the lift, but Eddy didn't miss the undercurrent in his tone. 
¨Yeah, sure, it's fine I guess.¨ Eddy replied non-committally, trying not to grin at Todd's unspoken words. Or childishly stick out his tongue at him. He had no need for Ian to start guessing things at all. ¨I could get used to having a personal driver chauffeuring me back and forth to venues though.¨
Todd grinned. ¨You already have that, Eddy. She's called mrs. Chen.¨
Everyone laughed, and Eddy rolled his eyes and shoved Todd lightly.

It was true, though. Todd, who was only like six months older than Brett, was doing an awful lot of stuff by himself already, taking buses and trains everywhere, while Eddy and Brett were still being driven around most of the time. Todd had even gotten his provisional driver's license a few months ago, and would be driving on his own in the not too distant future. 
Eddy wondered, as he stood looking at the fake wood panelling of the lift, creaking slightly on its trip down to the ground floor, if he would ever be allowed to drive by himself. 
He wasn't holding his breath, for now. 

The little group filed into the dining hall and Eddy was very relieved to see several rice dishes in the rows of metal chaffing dishes in the large counter. Good. Something edible. Now he just had to see if they had chopsticks anywhere. Forks and he seriously did not see eye to eye. 
They all loaded up their plates and then they installed themselves at a biggish round table in the corner of the dining hall. Eddy looked around him at their group and at the other diners sat at the tables surrounding them, which were mostly older couples, and for a moment he had to pinch himself.
Oh my God. They were really here, just the four of them, with no direct adult supervision, at the other end of the country. He'd never felt more mature, more self-sufficient in his life. 

Suddenly he jumped.
¨Shit!¨ He said out loud, causing several people at other tables to turn their heads and stare. ¨I forgot to call my mum straight away!¨
Brett's eyes widened slightly and then he quickly dug his phone out of his pocket, giving it to Eddy without a word, clearly realising that Eddy's phone was in his bag upstairs. Eddy all but ran to the hallway and rushed to dial his mum's number. 
She answered the phone instantly, almost as if she'd been holding it, waiting for him to call. 
Wait. Had she been holding it, waiting for him to call? 

¨Hello?¨
¨Hi mum! We've just arrived at the hotel and everything's gone well!¨
He knew that simply babbling to her about the day would be likely to diffuse her anger, make her more amenable, so he did.
¨It was so cool, mum, the flight was fine and get this: there was a driver with a sign with our names on it waiting for us at the airport and he took us to the hotel! And the hotel is fine too, and the violist is a nice guy, and we're just going to eat now.¨
He heard her sharp inhale, and suddenly he felt like a right dick. She'd clearly been worried about him, and he hadn't checked in.
He sucked!
 He waited breathlessly for what she would say next.
¨I'm glad it's gone well, Eddy.¨ she said then in a kind enough tone, making him sag in relief. ¨Now, you make sure you work hard tomorrow in rehearsal and don't go to sleep too late!¨
¨I will mum, and we'll go to bed on time.¨ He wasn't really sure about that last promise, but hey. ¨I'll call you again soon, mum.¨
¨Okay, Eddy. Good night.¨

Eddy walked back to the table and handed Brett his phone back.
¨She okay?¨ he asked.
Eddy nodded. ¨Yeah. I should have remembered to call straight away though.¨
He shook his head briefly at himself before sitting back down and tucking into his food at last.