The Silence Between

Chapter 22

On Tuesdays, Sophie studied with her friend Brett at the school café. In fact, with the end of the semester just around the corner, everyone was studying all the time, as long as they weren't practicing. Just look—even Brett, who usually spent the afternoon scrolling through his phone, had a textbook propped open in front of him.

"I'm surprised," she remarked. "I didn't know you owned any textbooks."

"Hey now. I do study sometimes." Brett gave her a smile that was so forced that it almost looked pained.

"You don't have to smile if you don't want to."

Brett promptly dropped the pretense and let his shoulders droop again.

"You are like this because Professor Chen is leaving?" Sophie prodded gently.

"You've heard about it too?"

"He had to tell his other students."

Brett frowned. "So I was the only one who didn't know. . . ."

Sophie glanced at him sympathetically. "Perhaps he had his considerations. I don't think he was trying to keep in you in the dark for, I don't know, mean reasons. Anyway, have you tried talking to him about it?"

"I . . . can't. Besides, what is there to talk about? I can't stop him."

"Then, do you want to talk to me about it?"

"What?"

"I mean," said Sophie with a smile. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll still be stuck here with you for the next three and a half years. And Sumina, and Jordan. They're gossipy though, so I am probably a safer bet, if you did want to talk."

Brett blinked a few times, then smiled back slowly, a little more sincere this time. "Okay. I'll let you know."

"Cool. By the way, your book is upside down."

Brett chuckled awkwardly, then groaned. "I'm going to fail, aren't I?"

"We both know the school won't let that happen."

"I feel like that's an insult."

"Yes."

*

Actually, even if he had wanted to, Brett didn't get much of an opportunity to speak to Eddy after that. The end of the semester closed in on them like a black hole and swallowed all their free time. Eddy had to prep his other students for competition, had to finish writing his finals, had to find a new apartment, and had to practice for his concert. Every time Brett saw him, his wan face featured prominent dark circles.

"Did you know that lack of sleep causes receding hairlines?" Brett quipped, once.

"It's genetics," he replied sullenly, too tired to argue. "Although, if you want to help me sleep better, that's fine too." He rested his head against Brett's shoulder and suggestively tightened his hold around the smaller boy's waist. "You just need to—"

Brett swatted his hand lightly and rolled his eyes. "You have too much to do. You don't need me disturbing your rest."

Eddy sighed with palpable depression. Having grown used to Brett's presence in his bed, it now seemed insufferably cruel that he would deprived of him. But that was all right, there would be time enough in the future.

*

Brett was busy too, or tried to keep himself busy. He spent more time hanging out with Sophie and his other friends and even his mother. He'd also slowly begun to transition to his new professor, who was funny and kind and, in all honesty, a much better teacher than Eddy, who usually oscillated between yelling at him and (now) flirting with him (in an unnecessarily handsy way). Even in the few sessions he had with her, he'd begun to develop a better sense of his strengths and weaknesses, and where he wanted to go, musically.