Dynamics (Twoset Violin Fanfic)

Chapter Eleven

Eddy was freaking out. Not because he'd probably have to answer some embarrassing question in playing truth or dare. Not even because he had to ask some weird lady with unnatural flexibility to play truth or dare with him. No, he was freaking out because he'd accidentally held Brett's hand.

He hadn't been meaning to. It was Brett who had grabbed his hand, and their calloused skin just seemed to fit together and—

Nope, not happening, Eddy thought. You've got a plan. Build your skills, graduate the program, travel the world. And Brett will just slow you down.

Eddy turned his attention back to the game. If they weren't training today, he could at least show Coach Henry he was serious about circus. And if that meant talking to random people, then he would.

After settling into a full split (which she insisted was comfortable), the woman introduced herself as Iris.

"Hi Iris," Destiny said. "So, are you taking the next truth or dare or should we tortu— I mean, ask Brett?"

Iris considered this for a moment. "Um... Brett, is it?"

Brett nodded.

"Would you mind..." she trailed off again.

"It's fine," Brett said.

"Excellent," Destiny said. "Brett, truth or—"

"Wait a minute," Eddy said. "You just gave me a dare. It's someone else's turn."

Destiny looked like she was about to object, but all she said was: "You know what, go ahead."

"Brett, truth or dare?" Eddy said.

"Dare," Brett said, way faster than Eddy had only a few minutes before.

Could Brett really be hiding something? Eddy wondered. Something so horrible he was willing to go through mild embarrassment from a random dare? But then Eddy shook the thoughts from his head. Brett was relaxed, easygoing; the type of guy who would sleep soundly at night. Belle, with her deep-rooted grieving and goth habits that were practically a double life, had way more secrets.

"Let's see, let's see... I'm going to need to telepathically contact my deceased great-uncle for this one," Eddy said.

Now it was Destiny who rolled her eyes.

Too childish, too humiliating, none of these are right, Eddy thought, trying to think of a dare. Unless... no, that's way too cliché...

"Any day now," Destiny said, but it was more humorous than mean-spirited.

"Ok, I've got it," he said.

"Just keep it PG, please," Brett said, looking past Eddy's shoulder.

"Keep?— oh, right," Eddy said, looking over his shoulder as well. Sure enough, there was a line of school-age kids taking a shortcut through the large room. They were all wearing t-shirts with the studio's logo, so they were probably part of the summer camp the circus ran. The camp counselor leading them looked bemused at the fact that the supposed performers of the future were sitting around playing truth or dare. Eddy didn't blame him, either.

"I'm just warning you, it's pretty basic," Eddy said.

"We're playing truth or dare. That train has left the station," Destiny said.

Pointedly ignoring that statement, Eddy said: "Hug the most attractive person in the room."

Brett's eyes flicked towards him and met his gaze for just a fraction of a second before he looked away and said: "Do I really have to?"

"Yes," both Eddy and Destiny said at the same time. Eddy felt a twinge of annoyance, but he didn't quite know why.

Brett heaved a dramatic sigh and wrapped both arms around himself.

Iris burst out laughing, so suddenly that her split collapsed and she was just lying on the floor.

"Chill, girlfriend, chill," said Destiny, awkwardly patting her on the back as Iris laughed so hard tears began to leak out of her eyes.

"I'm okay, I'm okay" Iris gasped, using Destiny's leg to push herself back to sitting.

"Okay there, I'm sure you're lovely but I'm asexual," Destiny said, moving Iris's hands off her leg.

"It wasn't on purpose!" Iris squeaked.

"Just messing with you," Destiny said with a grin. "I am ace, though."

When she saw Eddy's shocked expression, she added: "Please don't tell me you're one of those guys who thinks being ace is 'just a phase.'"

"Oh, not at all," Eddy said. "I'm gay, actually, and I just wasn't expecting to meet another LGBTQ+ person here."

"Oh," Destiny said. "Well, one more person, and we'll be the queer musketeers."

Eddy laughed, and he almost missed Brett saying in a quiet voice: "I'm bi."

"That's awesome," he said, giving Brett a quick one-armed hug.

"But I'm not fully... open about it? I guess you could say? So just..." Brett didn't finish his sentence.

"Don't worry about it," Destiny said. "I'd never out someone who wasn't comfortable with it."

"Yeah, same here," Eddy echoed. "If I ever do that, feel free to never talk to me again."

"Right," said Brett, but he looked pained.

"Iris, is everything okay?" a voice from above them said. Eddy looked up to see a heavily tattooed circus student standing next to Iris, looking concerned. For a moment he was surprised, but then he realized that Iris was still wiping tears of laughter away.

"All good!" Iris said, catching her breath at last. "Brett here is just super funny."

"It was just one bad joke, really," Brett said, but the woman was already sitting down next to Iris. Eddy tried not to think of her as another stranger to talk to.

"Iris, truth or dare?" Brett said.

"Truth."

"How did you start contortion?"

"Well, one of my good friends," Iris said, elbowing the woman next to her, "asked me to take a class with her, and it just went from there."

The game continued, and it gradually became bearable, even enjoyable. It turns out that Brett also used to play the violin, but quit once his parents stopped forcing him to. (He didn't mention his parents again). Not only that, but another one of the trainees had gone to Brett's old gymnastics studio. As the day went on, other students joined their game, usually after Brett had made some sort of joke, or simply because they wanted to be a part of it all. The expanding group played truth or dare, setting up challenges and asking questions in circle after circle until it was one big conversation about circus and passion and life.

And before he knew it, it was time to leave. Eddy hung back, though, until most of the trainees had cleared out.

"How did you do that?" he asked Brett.

"Do what?" Brett said.

"Get everyone to join the truth or dare game. It was just you, me, and Destiny when we started."

"They just wanted to join. I didn't do anything."

Eddy shook his head. "You definitely did something. It was pretty impressive, actually."

Brett smiled. "Well, in that case, I take full credit."

Eddy laughed, and they just stood there for a moment, not knowing exactly what to say.

It was Brett who spoke first. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Eddy said.

And they went their separate ways, each with a smile on their face.