Broken String

XIII

"Hey. Got a sec?"
Todd has cornered Brett first chance he's gotten, now that they've had lunch as a group and Eddy's gone off again to yet another practice room. Todd is pretty sure that he hasn't been to any of his other lessons for several weeks now, which is worrisome enough as is, even if Eddy is the most musical of all of them. Ian has just left to go to his viola lesson, leaving only Brett and he and empty coffee cups strewn around the drab brown table.
"Sure. What's up?"
Brett looks at him, his face deadpan as ever, but something in Brett's wide, floating eyes tells Todd that he's not as deadpan as he seems.
At all.
"Just... is Eddy okay?" he asks, softly so they won't be overheard.
Brett draws in an audible breath. His pupils narrow, and his cheeks seem to sag. He's quiet for a long moment, then he shakes his head as if in defeat. 
"You've seen that."
"Yeah."
Brett heaves a sigh that seems to come from his toes. Then he shakes his head again.
"To be honest, I don't know, Todd. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried."
"You think it's just that he's so busy?"
Todd knows Brett well, of course, as well as pretty much anyone does, apart from Eddy, obviously. The guy is like an oyster, but he watches his friend's face now as a shutter seems to open, somehow, and for a moment he can read the worry in his eyes. 
"To be honest, no. I think he's making himself crazy. Don't tell him I said that."
Now it's Todd's turn to draw in the shocked breath. Brett and Eddy... they're basically twins. Brothers. Don't tell him I said that?
"Wait... but the two of you... you're okay, right?"
"I don't even know." Brett shrugs. "He won't let me in. And I have no idea why."
"Brett..." Todd starts, then stops because if he gets anything right today, it needs to be this. He sees Brett's worry, and his pain, clearly written on his face. "I... Jeez, I'm sure it's nothing to do with you. I really am."
"Yeah?"
"Positive. You guys are joined at the hip, and if I were to guess you're his one constant."
Brett's lips tense as he shrugs again.
"I hope you're right. I just can't seem to find the right things to say to him at all at the moment."

That's it, that's all he's going to get out of him today, because Todd can see the shutters closing again with an almost audible whoosh, and just like that Brett smiles.
"So. You gonna practise too?" he says as neutrally if they have just been discussing the weather, or which romantic composer is the best or something. Worry, pain, all blocked behind the pleasant, deadpan face.
"Yeah, fuck knows I need to." Todd answers, following his friend's lead, giving him the out he's asked for without words. "Shos is kicking my arse." he smirks. 
"Cool. Me too. Not Shos. But practice."
Todd grins and gets up, but just as he's slinging his cello on his back he turns around. 
There's just one thing he needs to say. 
"Um, Brett?"
"Yeah?"
"Just... you know you can talk to me, right?" 
Brett nods almost imperceptibly. 
"Yeah."

Todd walks up the stairs, playing the conversation with Brett back in his mind. Did he get it right?Brett seemed okay, walking off to his lesson, but how much does that really say?
"Hey! Watch it!"
A girl with dark hair is eyeing him angrily and he realises he must have missed her there and almost sent her tumbling to the ground. 
"Sorry! Big cello. I do apologise." he charms, waving at the instrument case on his back.
It works. She flutters her eyelashes at him and tosses her hair back.
"No harm done." she says, but now in a very different tone of voice. "I didn't actually quite fall down the stairs."
Todd laughs. 
"I'm very glad you didn't."
"You could make it up to me?" she tries. "Some coffee, some point?"
He smiles kindly and suppresses his inner sigh. Oh God, not this, not right now, that was very definitely not his plan. 
"Who knows." he says sweetly and yet completely noncommittally.
Look. He doesn't feel like saying any more, right now. His head really is full enough without also letting a girl down easy. And maybe she just means friendly coffee?
He almost scoffs. He's seen that flutter a few too many times before to really believe that.
"Cool." she says, and she springs down the steps, leaving him to carry on upstairs feeling even heavier. 

God, now he's hurting an innocent girl's feelings too. Fucking awesome. Why can't he just fix everything for everyone? And what the hell is he going to say to Eddy later? Because one thing is blatantly obvious to him, after the talk with Brett, if it wasn't already before. 

His dear friend Eddy Chen is not okay.