The afterparty was in full swing around him and kids were dancing everywhere, but Eddy was quiet. He had been so incredibly happy as he had stood on the stage after their final chord, knowing that they had all done well. Seeing how excited the crowd were for these young players.
And then he had been even happier, really, standing in the same spot for the very last time during the final applause, staring into the see of faces in front of him. The audience were on their feet by that point, some were whooping or whistling, everyone around him was smiling happily, and it had been all sorts of awesome.
He had lingered, after, taking much longer than strictly necessary to get his stuff together, because he really just didn't want to leave. He wanted to stay, because he knew what leaving this stage meant: it was over.
So he had been one of the last to leave, Brett waiting for him in the hall he knew, as he stood on the empty stage and looked around him at the now-empty auditorium where he had made so many fantastic memories. And he had sighed deeply as he walked slowly down the narrow steps down to the auditorium floor, his violin case in his one hand and his sheet music in the other.
Because this was it, this was really it; it would be back to normal life tomorrow.
Now, Eddy wasn't much of a party person anyway, unlike Brett, who seemed to love these things. So he stood quietly in a corner, leaning against a wall, and watched fondly as Brett and Todd danced raucously with a few girls from the viola section. Brett pretended to walz with one of them, and Eddy grinned. Then suddenly their eyes met and he winked at his boyfriend, egging him on.
Come on Brett, do some more walzing.
But Brett didn't, in fact, he gestured for Eddy to come join them.
And look. Honestly, he really didn't need to dance, right now. But he sure wasn't about to turn Brett down, was he? So he smiled and got out of his corner, walking over to the group somewhat reluctantly.
"Hey!" he yelled in Brett's ear.
"Hey. You okay?" Brett asked him, just as loudly.
"Yeah bro. Fine!"
He started jiggling his hips from side to side, and the girls from the viola section started dancing with him as well, now.
Oh well. He might as well try and enjoy himself, no? The party would only last until like eleven anyway. Some of these kids were only twelve.
So when the party did end and they all filed out of the hall in blobs of students Eddy felt a little bit better. Brett was by his side as they walked through the grand entry hall, and Eddy looked around him one last time.
Would he ever come back here? Would he ever see any of these people again?
God, he hoped he would. The melancholy gripped him strongly again, walking out of that building that was now so familiar to him and onto the concrete steps to wait for Scruffy Suit to pick them up.
"I'm sad, too." Brett whispered to him, suddenly, and Eddy turned to him in surprise. "I wish it wouldn't end, and we could continue to spend every night together, and spend every day making music with good friends."
And there he had it, that was it in a nutshell, and Eddy had to fight the urge to throw his arms around his boyfriend again.
He didn't, of course. He just nodded soberly.
"Yep."
He blinked into the darkness of the night and sighed, when suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey guys, I just wanted to say thanks, and see you soon."
Mr. Davids' face was as sympathetic as ever, calm, pleasant, his smile inviting, as he addressed the quartet in front of him.
"You all did great, this week, and I hope you can take these experiences forward with you into your careers."
"We absolutely will." Todd said, stepping forward to shake Mr. Davids' hand. "Thanks so much for the invite. It's been real."
Mr. Davids grinned. "'real', huh? Well, cool. It's been real."
They were all grinning as the taxi pulled up and Scruffy Suit stepped out to open the boot of the car.
"Safe travels, kids!" Mr. Davids said, and then he turned around and walked away.