Andante

CVI

Eddy didn't think he had ever enjoyed himself on stage as much as he was today. The nerves he had felt in the hallway were far away now, and somehow he seemed to have space for everything in his mind. He had space for musicality, for lovely lyrical lines, he had space to hear and see all that the others were doing, and he knew they were rocking even as they were playing. And knowing that filled him with so much exhilaration that he raised his bow with even more vigour. His sound deepened and his vibrato widened. 
He never wanted this concert to end, but of course, inevitably, the closing cords of the final movement came sooner than any of them would have liked, he was sure. He blinked as he lowered his violin and looked up, hearing the roar of the applause coming to his right, but for a moment still it was just the four of them in their little bubble, looking at each other, the exhilaration he felt reflected in the other one's eyes. The piece might as well have been a minute long, for how real it had felt, and how it had flown by. 
Then he nodded at his friends and they stood up in unison to take their bow. 

Eddy really looked at the audience for the first time now, the rows after rows of red seats filled with people, all of them applauding them enthusiastically. He beamed into the crowd, and then he straightened his back to indicate that they would bow again to the others. And then he stood for another moment, trying to drink the moment in as long as he possibly could, but he knew it was time to go. So he walked to his right, back to the stage door, back to the row of plastic chairs, his friends following him. Todd was the last man in and he closed the door behind him, and suddenly they were all hugging each other, laughing and smiling, congratulating each other quietly, clapping each other's backs. 
Eddy was grinning from ear to ear. This really couldn't have gone any better, and now they'd get to do it all again tonight! 

They sat back down to calmly wait out the rest of the concert, and as the orchestra was playing their final piece Ian bent over to him slightly so he could whisper to him from his plastic chair.
"Eddy? We're going to be getting some dinner here, right?"
"Yeah, I think so, on the grass outside." he replied quietly. "Some sort of low-key barbecue, I think."
Ian nodded. "Sounds cool. So... the whole orchestra will be there?"
"I think so." Eddy said, cocking his head slightly at Ian's tone. Was there a particular reason he wanted the whole orchestra there, or something?
But before he could ask him he heard the crescendo coming through the pale wooden door, and he knew the concert was almost over. They would be called back on stage during the final applause, of course.
"Anyway, food can't come soon enough, I'm hungry!" he quickly whispered to Ian, and then he got up. "Come on guys, let's get ready, hey?" 

When the applause roared again he cracked the door open a couple of centimetres, so he could just about see when Mr. Davids' gestured for them to come back on. Then he opened the door fully again and he walked towards the rostrum with his friends behind him once more. 
The conductor was beaming at them and he shook Eddy's hand enthusiastically, before turning around to the crowd and bowing once more with the quartet he had invited here. 
"Very well done, guys." he said to the foursome then, under the sound of the applause, and Eddy suddenly felt like he was eight feet tall. 
"Thank you, sir." he replied equally softly. "It's been awesome."