Vol 2 ~ What if I ain't no Violinist?

20. Twoset Gloved V

Eddy walked away from Brett for the second time that evening. Something wasn't right, but he couldn't work out what it was. Whatever it was, it was causing a lot of pain in his chest. He thought what felt like a little graze on his heart before now felt like a dagger had been used to pry open a wound wide open.

Brett stood still, pale as a sheet, frustrated and confused.

Mum, Eddy is at Uni and from Taiwan, too..!!

"Brett, so you be gentleman and walk Monica home, yes?"

"Yes, mum. I'll see you at home. C'mon Monica, let's go..."

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Eddy just wanted an opportunity to get to know Brett better. But there seemed to be too many additional characters joining their scene with a vested interest.

Eddy whipped out his phone.

"Eddy?"

"Ray."

"Eddy, little bro."

"Ray."

"..Wassup?"

"I.. I needed to talk to someone."

"..Is this about that Brett kid?"

"..Yeah."

"I told you he's too much work."

"He.."

Ray's voice softened.

"Where are you, little bro?"

"Out."

"Eddy, I'm actually at your dorm seeing a friend. Text me when you get back, I'll come over to your room."

"Okay... in about half an hour? Thanks, Ray..."

"Hey, that's what Uncle Ray's here for.  See you in a bit."

Brett just wanted an opportunity to get to know Eddy better. But there seemed to be too many additional characters joining their scene with a vested interest.

As they walked side by side, Monica asked Brett;

"Brett, did you get to speak to Eddy?"

Brett mumbled back to Monica;

"Yeah.. things were good and we were just about to go get a coffee together but I had left my phone in the eatery and we had to rush back then run into my mother.."

Monica smiled.

"Your mum.. she was very sweet. She was so nice."

Brett shrugged.

"She.. wasn't as nice to Eddy as she was to you.."

"Oh. Is she keen for you to.. have a ...girlfriend?"

Brett shrugged again then grimaced;

"I guess so. I'm sorry about that.. hope it wasn't too awkward for you. She seemed to like the fact that you are a uni student and have a Taiwanese background. But so does Eddy.. but she wasn't as enthusiastic about Eddy.."

"That's just typical of our mothers though. Michael gets the same treatment."

"Your brother?"

"Yeah. Mum keeps harassing me to introduce my friends to him. So gross. That's not what my friends are for."

Brett nodded understandingly.

"No.. definitely not."

"Yo, Eddy, little bro, open up."

Eddy opened the door to his dorm room.

Ray stood with a facial expression of something between a warm smile and a cheeky grin.. He reached out and ran his hand through Eddy's hair, messing it all up.

Eddy bit his lower lip as he realised he may not ever get Brett to do something like this with him.  Would Brett be guilt-ridden to run his hand through Eddy's hair, thinking he would contaminate it with his germs?  Would Brett refuse to let Eddy run his hand through Brett's hair, thinking Eddy's hand would get contaminated with the germs in Brett's hair?

"..Eddy? You okay?"

"..Yeah.. Thanks for coming over Ray. I'm sorry for interrupting you with whatever you were up to with your friend."

Ray sat down at the small dining table. Eddy sat across from him.

"It's okay, we were just going through an assignment and have since finished, so all is good. So what's happened between you and Brett?"

"..I brought him back here when  you called me when he got drunk, he woke up the next morning and freaked out."

Ray shrugged.

"Well, I guessed that much. Man, I hope it wasn't too bad when he freaked out."

"Oh, it was okay. We since had a chance to talk about stuff. He is okay. And I think I really like him."

"..What? Didn't he regard you as the filthiest piece of sh*t that ever existed on the planet? I once tapped him on the shoulder and he screamed at me."

"He doesn't. I mean I first felt that way too but he doesn't, really."

"I don't get it."

"I.. I can't go into details but yes he does have problems with touching people.. but no, he doesn't think people around him are filthy."

"So what's the problem then?"

"..His mum doesn't like me. She ships Brett with a girl he went to school with."

"Hmm."

"She's a younger sister of a guy Brett went to school with. Taiwanese background."

"Oh sh*t, I can almost hear what she was thinking, a nice Taiwanese girl my son's known for years. A match made in heaven."

Eddy dropped his eyes to his lap.

"Awwww Eddy, you poor dude."

"It's a bit hopeless isn't it?"

"Awww Eddy, little bro. I'm so sorry.."