Eddy clutched onto Brett's arms and buried his face into the crook of Brett's neck, which was an extremely intimate spot to push one's face into. Brett may have not known this as "common knowledge" but he certainly "felt it". Perhaps Eddy had meant to push his face against Brett's chest, except at age 15 Eddy just had his growth spurt and had grown taller than 16 year old Brett.
Brett furrowed his eyebrows into a massive knot and widened his eyes in confusion. His heart started to race when he so did not want Eddy to notice it.
"Um... um.. so..Eddy, you..you're.. scared of cockroaches?"
Eddy groaned.
"The sight of them can actually make me physically ill."
"F*ck. Look, I'm just glad you didn't end up falling down those stairs as you came rushing down. Geez, I've never heard anyone come down a flight of stairs so fast."
Brett let out a chuckle but Eddy groaned again.
"I.. I really, really hate them.."
Brett hesitantly placed the palm of his hand on Eddy's back and had a bit of a start when he felt the speed of Eddy's heartbeat. He gently stroked Eddy's back in an attempt to soothe him.
"Ooookay.. so, Eddy, do you have the lightbulb?"
"Huh? What? Um... Um.."
"Geez Eddy calm down. Did you manage to bring down the lightbulb?"
"N.. no.. Agh, I f*cked up, I.. I panicked and dropped the stupid thing on the floor.. it was still in its little box and the floor upstairs is carpeted so I don't think it's broken though.."
"Okay.. lemme go upstairs and fetch it, okay? You can stay here."
"Will you!? You'll do that for me!? Oh, Brett, thank you, thank you, thank you...! I'm so grateful that you've offered to do this for me, cos there is no f*cking way I could go back up there when I know now that there's one of ... those things in the proximity of that lightbulb."
"Well, we really do need that lightbulb, don't we. It would just be near the door, wouldn't it?"
"Y, yeah.. I would've just dropped it just outside the door.. just watch your step as you go up the stairs, okay?"
"Okay, Eddy."
"Good. Thanks, Brett."
"Okay, Eddy."
"...Brett?"
"...Eddy, you do need to let go of.. me and let me.. um.. move away from you."
"Oh. Um. Sh*t. Yeah. Sure. Of course. There."
"Okay, thanks. Okay, I'll see you in a bit.
"...Eddy?"
"Brett?"
"..It's locked."
"What?"
"This door here.. to the ground floor of your house.. it's locked."
"OH F*CK..!!"
Eddy heard Brett's footsteps coming down the stairs. Eddy also heard Brett's voice sprinkle down the staircase, a soft, soothing voice that was very pleasant to listen to.
"So Eddy.. when you slammed the door.. It must have locked from the other side of the door? But that's okay Eddy, isn't it? Like we can still get out from the garage door, can't we? Y'know, the way you got us in here the first time?"
Eddy closed his eyes in the dim basement to savour Brett's voice. He was so grateful that Brett wasn't shrieking in a panicky high pitch because that would have definitely made things 100 times worse. Even though the situation was far from ideal.
"N..no, Brett.. We.. we can't get out of here from the garage door..."
"Huh? What? Why not?"
"I... I left my keys to the house upstairs.. on the other side of that locked door..that includes the key to open the upstairs door from our side and also the key of the garage to go outside."
"Oh f*ck. Okay.. so.. can you call your mum or sister and tell them that we're stuck down here? Get them to come back home and get us out?"
"..My mum took my sister to attend a piano masterclass. They have a dinner and a mini-concert afterwards.. they're meant to stay the night at my grandparent's house."
"Oh sh*t."
Brett's voice was no longer showering down from somewhere above but was now projected toward Eddy from the front. Eddy opened his eyes and saw the bright light of Brett's phone on torch mode, Brett had arrived back down the stairs and was now standing right in front of Eddy.
"Hey.. welcome back Brett."
"Thanks."
"..Um.. look, Brett, I think you should turn off your torch on your phone.. to save battery.. and maybe text your mum that you're stuck here..."
"Stuck here.. till when?"
"I.. I have no idea.. I'm sorry Brett.. I bet you're getting hungry..?"
"Oh, it's not too bad..."
Right at the moment, their stomachs rumbled in harmony.