Andante

CIV

The run through went well. In fact, it went so well that Eddy wasn't quite sure whether to be happy with how well it went, or worried that they may have shown the best of them too soon, as he walked towards the cafeteria. There was a lunch provided today in there, although to be honest, he might have preferred to sit on the grass field one more time. In fact, you know what? That's exactly what he would prefer. 
"You guys wanna grab some lunch and sit outside again?" he asked Todd and Ian, who were starting to queue for the buffet. 
"Yeah, sure!" Ian said. "It'll be good to get some air."
Eddy grinned a little. Ian was still looking a bit pale, but at least he was queuing for food, so that was something, he guessed. 
They grabbed some rolls from the buffet and they were walking towards the exit as a group, when the concert master suddenly approached Eddy shyly. 
"Hi." she said, her voice soft and slightly breathy. "Are you guys going to the field again?"
"Hi! Yep, that's the plan." Eddy said pleasantly. 
She looked up at him almost demurely. "Would you mind if I joined you?"
"No, of course not!" Eddy said straight away. "Please, come and sit with us."
"Cool." she smiled. "My name is Anna, by the way."

They all walked through the now so familiar building, down the familiar steps and onto the field where they'd spent so much time this week. Eddy was feeling very nostalgic, suddenly. This was going to be the last time they'd have lunch here. 
They sat down in a slightly bigger circle than usual and tucked into their brie rolls. 
"I seem to remember that's how this whole week started, Todd." Eddy said. "With a paganini with brie?"
Anna laughed, and Eddy told her the story of the airport last week. 
Wow, had it really only been a week since they were flying here? If felt like it was a lifetime ago.
Anna was really nice, though. She wasn't as giggly as a lot of the girls her age seemed to be, in fact she was very serious. She was fifteen, and she reminded Eddy of himself when he was that age. With a one-track mind for the violin. Well... maybe his mind hadn't quite only been about the violin, but still. 
"Do you want to go on and study violin?" he asked her after she'd finished telling him about her school orchestra, where she was also concert master. 
"Oh yes, absolutely!"she enthused. "Don't tell my mum, though. She wants me to become a lawyer."
"Oh, wow." Eddy giggled. "Mine wants me to become a doctor."
Brett was laughing as well now. "Accountant, I think mine would prefer. But only because I don't have the grades for med school."

A few more orchestra members joined them after a while and the circle on the grass kept expanding, a second circle forming which consisted of most of  the brass section. They seemed to be just as loud in real life as the were in orchestra, but Eddy was loving this lunch anyway. Not that much could sour his good mood today, if he were honest. 
In the end it was time to go inside way sooner than any of them would have liked, but as soon as Eddy got up the excitement started coursing through him again. 
It was concert time! 
Everyone walked back up the concrete steps and headed backstage, and Eddy smiled one more time at Anna, who'd have a lot to do in the coming couple of hours. 
"Toi toi toi!" he called after her as she retreated into the cafeteria to start getting people together. 
She turned around and smiled back at him. 
"Toi toi toi!"