counterpoint

caught up in an overflow

blurb: eddy's tired of getting beaten year after year after year by some hotshot prodigy who keeps playing the exact same pieces he does every year prior. what the hell is this guy's agenda?

→ twosetweek #4; prompt: tradition + talent

warnings: none

title from lose it by oh wonder.

• • •

the first christmas they meet, they don't meet as competitors.

"eddy!" the boy raises his head, pivots to wave at the people clapping for him as he walks off the stage, having successfully performed a medley of popular christmas songs. his own creation, of course.

it might seem silly, but for eddy, the annual christmas talent show is important. it's the one time he can show off, be known amongst the other neighborhood kids for at least one day before he fades into the background again, labelled neatly as just another music nerd.

well. here, he can be loved, and so he tries his best to join and win every year.

eddy walks back into the crowd, chest warm with the spark of triumph, when he's suddenly stopped by another small body in his way.

"that was really cool," says the bespectacled kid before him, reaching his fingers out to shake eddy's hand. "my name's brett! what's yours?"

"i'm eddy," he replies, slightly confused by the other's sudden approach, but then brett points to the instrument he carries, and then it all makes sense.

"i'm a violinist too! i really like how you arranged those pieces." brett's smile is giddy and excited, and maybe eddy loses himself in that smile, just a little.

"maybe you can join in next year," comes tumbling out of his mouth before eddy can stop himself, but when he thinks on the matter, he actually does mean it. why not? the talent show could use some more variety of the classical musician kind.

the sight of that brilliant smile growing even more is just a bonus on the side.

• • •

the next christmas they meet, brett's won the talent show by a landslide.

if he's really being honest with himself, eddy would've been just fine with it. he can always try again next year, and the year after that if need be. but brett had won with a rendition of eddy's own christmas medley from last year. he'd almost fallen out of his seat the second brett started playing.

at the back of his mind, eddy's impressed brett had memorized the piece by just hearing it that one time eddy had performed it an entire year ago, but really, all that's left at the forefront of his mind is simmering annoyance.

is winning with that even possible?

"you told me to join up, so i did," brett tells him, showing him the little golden trophy he'd won, and yes, he actually does have a point there.

"yeah, yeah, that's great," eddy responds, forcing a bright smile onto his lips. "i see you've played my medley from last year."

"oh, uh," a blush spreads across the other boy's cheeks, and eddy almost forgets his irritation at the sight of it. "sorry, i hope you don't mind. it was such a great piece so i had to, uh, play my own interpretation of it."

"oh, okay." he can feel his own eyebrows furrow at the words, but brett remains stubbornly cheerful, waving at him before he disappears into the crowd. "guess i'll just try again next christmas," eddy mumbles under his breath.