Did he look different to the world? Eddy probed around his mind to see he felt any different as they walked along the pavement, side by side, their violin cases on their backs. Could the world see that he was technically an adult, now?
He didn't feel as different as he had thought he would, to be honest. Fundamentally, nothing had changed, had it? He was just two days older, and now he was eighteen. But he was still the same guy, going with the same boyfriend and the same violin to the same shopping centre to busk.
"I wonder if we'll make anything this time." Brett said as the pale buildings of the shopping centre came up in the distance.
Eddy shrugged. Yeah, that was one thing that definitely had changed as they had grown up. People clearly didn't think they were nearly as cute anymore, and even though their playing was getting better all the time they were making a lot less money. He didn't really care so much though, because they were making more than they would if they were stocking shelves or something, and more than that: he still loved playing with Brett as much as he had the first time they had ever gone busking.
Would they still be able to play together, as they went on to the con and into the music world? Would they ever still get a chance to perform together?
God, he hoped so.
"It's gonna get hot, I think." he remarked as they walked to their spot in the shopping street. He pulled his baseball cap a bit deeper over his eyes against the brightness of the midday sun.
"Yeah. Good job we didn't go any later, or we would have fried."
They unpacked their cases with sure hands and Eddy put his shoulder rest on his violin. The little tremor that he always felt at this point pulled through him now. No matter how many times you busked, there was still that little bit of trepidation about suddenly starting to play in a busy street, when nobody had asked you to, but it vanished quickly enough as he tuned his violin and gave Brett his A. It really was quite busy today and they were already getting curious glances from the crowds of people milling about.
"Bach double?" Brett asked him, even though did he really need to ask? They pretty much always started with the Bach double. People knew the piece and loved it, so why not?
"Sure."
He raised his bow and started on the little D minor scale.
He had played this piece so many times that he could basically play it backwards in his sleep, so he had plenty of time to look around. He was too shy to ever look people in the eye, but he still liked it when they commented or smiled at them as they threw some money in Brett's open case.
Brett had launched into Czardas and he was playing the accompanying chords he had made up when there was this tiny little girl in front of him that let her mum's hand go and started walking upto them, her right hand firmly fisted around the coin he knew must be in there. She was maybe six years old with two blonde pigtails, and she was wearing a pink frilly princess dress. She looked just as shy as he was feeling, taking just a few steps at a time until she eventually came to a full stop right in front of the case. Then she looked down at the few coins that were already in the case, and carefully opened her hand. The coin her mother had given her fell and joined the others and suddenly she almost startled him when she looked up at him with a full megawatt, radiant smile, her eyes lit up, her foot bobbing up and down as if she wanted to start dancing. He blinked, smiled back kindly and gave her a little flourish of his head. She mimicked his movement and then she skipped quickly back to the safety of her mother's hand. He looked after the both of them as they vanished down the street.
Wow, that was simply adorable.
"I think we've got quite a bit!" Brett told him as he closed his case again and they walked off to the Bubble tea place.
"Cool, because my teacher told me I need a different violin." Eddy grinned.
He didn't think there was very much wrong with his violin, really. He loved it. He had had this violin since he was ten years old or something.
"For real? You thinking about looking?"
Eddy paused for a moment. Hm. Was he thinking about looking?
"Nah, not now. But who knows, maybe at some point? At the con, maybe?"
They slid into their regular booth with their milk teas.
"So." Brett said, and Eddy looked up straight away because he heard the hesitation in his tone.
"Hmh?"
"You're going to tell her when we get back? Want me to hang around?"
Eddy blinked. He had done a pretty good job all afternoon of not thinking about that, really. Pretty impressively, if he may say so himself. But Brett's words put it firmly back in the forefront of his thoughts, and he knew he couldn't dispel them again, not now.
So was he going to wait, until tomorrow?
He shook his head at the table. Nah. He would probably not sleep all night, and he would be shitting himself all day at school tomorrow. And he had an exam.
He looked up at Brett again, feeling the resolve settle.
"Yeah. I guess. Maybe we should head off, if that's good with you."
Brett nodded. "Of course. You want me to hang around outside, or go in with you?"
Eddy got up and started walking towards the door. It was hot now, seriously hot outside. Was he sweating because of that or because of the nerves?
"I guess... if you could wait outside?"
They were quiet as they walked back to Eddy's house, but this time it wasn't a comfortable silence. Eddy knew that Brett felt the weight of this, too.
But he knew it had to happen. So he gave Brett one last wry smile as he stuck his key in the lock, and stepped into the house to find his mum.