Rehearsal

Part XVII

One day earlier...

Brett sat at home. Tomorrow would be the day Eddy would give his statement infront of the judge. He admiered him for his bravery. He could never do it. His memories about that day were bad enough. Telling somebody about it was just too much. Even at the thought about talking about it made him shiver and caused his heart beat to jump. But maybe he could give Eddy a litte bit of company. He knew his best friend hoped for it. And he wanted to support him. He let out a deep breath. "Okay." he whispered to himself. "I will go." Immediatly we could feel the fear creeping up on him. So, he did what he always did in the past couple of weeks. He called his friend Ray.

"Hey, any plans for todays evening? Could use some distraccion again."

- "Hey Brett. Are you sure you don't want to take it a little bit more easy? We went out a lot lately. I'm not that young as you are anymore."

Brett frownded. "please? I heard there is a big event tonight in town."

- "I know. Okay. But then we need a break from parting and concentrate more on our true passion. The violin, remember that thing in your closet? ... 10 pm at the usual place?"

"Sounds good. See you there."

Brett had not go to many parties in the past, but now it let him forget about everthing. It made him light and happy. But maybe he confused it with numb and tired. He didn't care.

He headed for the bathroom. The creepy feeling of being watched took over him. Like he wasn't safe in his own house. But he shook it off. In a couple of hours he would be drunk and then he could relax again. He could manage an afternoon. But after taking a shower he couldn't resit, went to his fridge and opened a beer. Just one, as he told himself. Just to get into the mood for partiing.

A few hours later he stood downtown around a corner of the nightclub Ray and he wanted to enter. Ray wrote that he was a little bit late so Brett had a few minutes for himself. He already felt a little bit drunk and leaned onto a wall so nobody would notice.

Then he heard some voices behind him and the sound of a bottle breaking on the street. He looked behind him. In the darkness of the alley he could make out three figures. Two males standing around a small young woman.
„Come on. We know you want it." said one of the males and touched the girls head. „Don't be so shy." the girl shivered all over her body and shook her head. She whispered something Brett couldn't understand. It seemed to make the men angry „what did you just called me?" said the man furious. He  grabbed her by her wrist and pinned her to the wall. The girl screamed. The other man laughed. „Look at her" he giggled. „Dresses up like a slut but I bet she didn't even had her first kiss yet."
Bretts pulse rose. He knew he should call for help but at this moment he wasn't thinking straight. There was this anger within him that he just lost control over. With long steps he made his way up to them „Hey!", Brett yelled at them „leave her alone!" the men turned around looking at him and without hesitation or another warning, Brett formed a fist with his right hand and punched of one them in the face.

Brett had never hit somebody. The energy had made him stumble and nearly fall. The men had been taken completely by surprise and everybody just stood there for a moment in stock of what just had happened. The injured man touched his face to find a little bit of blood in his hand.
In this Moment the female had began running down the alley and Brett knew he should flee as well. He was not trained to fight with somebody especial not two men at the same time. Just now he noticed how tall and muscular they both were compared to him and that was when ,despite the alcohol, fear overcame him again. But when his legs finally obeyed him to turn around and move, it was already to late. One hand grabbed him by his shoulder, turned him back around and a fist jammed into his left eye, breaking his glasses. Brett fell to the floor and lost his breath for a moment. He felt a kick in his back and then a second one in his stomach. He tried to curve himself into a ball, his hands over his head to protect him. But one of the man knelt over him. The man forced Brett to lay on his back, he put a knee onto Bretts chest making it hard to breath. He forced Brett to look at him by taking him by the chin „what were you thinking? Attacking my friend just like that?" Brett tried to loosen the mans grip but couldn't. A tear escaped his eyes. „Are you gonna cry now?" the men laughed. „It's not going to help you, I tell you that!" then another fist flew down onto the little mans face.

When Brett returned home it was just 11pm, but it felt like another lifetime ago when he had left. He walked into the bathroom, trying not to put too much weight on his right knee that was getting swollen and hurt every step.
In the bathroom Brett reached for his second pair of glasses and then looked at the mirror in front of him. He saw a picture of a broken man. A blue eye, dried blood under his nose, a swollen lip, brushes around his neck. He lifted his shirt and saw his body covered with large blue areas. The man in the mirror began to cry.
Brett couldn't look at himself anymore. He made his way to his bedroom. On his way he left every light on to make himself feel a little bit more safe. When he lay in his bed his head was spinning.
He reached for his phone. It had a multiple cracks on the screen now but fortunately it still worked. 9 missed called from Ray. Brett sighted. He would call Ray later when he was sure his voice would not give in and he had a good excuse for not meeting him.
Right now he wanted to talk to somebody else. His best friend. ... who had an important day tomorrow. No, he could not ask Eddy to come over tonight. Eddy had enough on his mind already. Thats why he just wrote him: „sry. I can not come tomorrow."
It broke his heart to let his friend down again but he couldn't show up like this. He began weeping and cried until the sun came up and he finally fall asleep.