Andante con Brio

LXXI

It had not been a terrible summer really, all in all. His sister had stayed for a like a week, and by the time she left there seemed to be a new equilibrium in the house. He had seen his friends every day, and he had even gone out to bars and stuff a few times with them. Which was not really his scene, perhaps, but it was Brett's, and he loved seeing Brett in his element like that, so it was definitely worth it.
To be honest, for the last week he had just been counting down the days. It had been vacation long enough. It was time now to go study, time to start his future, time to start doing the big things with his life he had promised himself and Brett, a couple of weeks ago. 
So even though he was shitting himself right about now, that he was looking out of his window at the street, waiting for Brett with his violin case lamely already on his back, he was more exhilarated than anything else. 
Today he would be walking into the con and he would belong there. He would be a student there, one among many. He would be walking next to Brett and have a place. 
Oh, and he would meet his new teacher. 
So no pressure, or anything. 

He saw the figure coming up as soon as it turned into the cul de sac. Black hair, violin case. He would recognise that gait anywhere. He could feel the smile spreading over his whole face as he grabbed his keys, phone and wallet and ran out of his room. 
"Okay, mum, Brett's here. I'm off!" he said breathlessly before the doorbell even rang. 
She came out of the kitchen with that tiny smile he was getting used to. 
"Okay, Eddy." she said in English. "Good luck. You work hard. Make me proud."
"I'll do my best, mum." 


"You nervous?"
He had smiled once at his mum like he wasn't shitting himself and closed the door behind him. Now he was walking next to Brett, to the bus stop. He knew Brett could have taken a more direct route to the con, like he had all year last year. He loved that he was coming with him anyway. 
"Yeah. Is that stupid?"
Brett's eyebrows flew to the sky. "What? Of course it's not. I know what it means."
Eddy nodded and they walked along in silence until the bus stop came up. 
"And you're meeting Mr. Hill today as well, right?"
Eddy nodded. 
Mr. Hill. He had jumped up and down in the kitchen like a little kid when he had found out he had been accepted as a student by the blond haired kind eyed chairman of the committee, who he had liked the look of so much when he auditioned. The same teacher Brett had had for a year now and loved. 
"Yeah, I think we both have a meeting at the same time? To plan the lesson schedule with all the students?"
"Oh, right. At three, right?"
Eddy nodded again. He had only checked that schedule about five hundred times. He should bloody well know it by now. 
"Yeah. And orchestra rehearsal at one. I can't wait to see what that's like."
Brett grinned. 
"You'll love it. It's a bit different from youth orchestra."
The bus was coming up in the distance and with it came a huge surge of nerves. Jeez, how would he fare? Would he even fit in?
At the very least he would have Brett there. And Todd. And Ian. 
He would be fine, right?
He took a deep breath and got on the bus.