As Bizarre as It Gets

The next day I put on my torn blue jeans, black Nikes, and a tight Bauhaus t-shirt. I combed my purple shoulder-length hair and put put some wax on it to bring out the choppy layers and the bangs that were almost falling over my left eye.

I was carefully putting some mascara on and humming Bela Lugosi's Dead when my aunt knocked on my door.
''Come on in.''

''It's almost noon and you haven't eaten anything yet, dear. I made some french toast if you'd like.''

''No, thanx, aunt. Whoah, wait. How come you're home?''

''It's Saturday, dear.''

''Oh, yeah. I knew that,'' I said but I knew she didn't believe me.

''You're going somewhere? Oh, meeting that boy to get your cell phone back, right?''

''Yes. I bet he is some weirdo who stole the cell from my pocket just so he would get to see me again.''

I was joking but her utterly serious face told me she thought I was serious.
''I'm joking. Jeez.''

''Oh, yeah. I knew that,'' she said and we both laughed.

I wasn't late but time was one step ahead of me when I was lasily strawling towards that bus stop with a box of Milka Praline in my hand.

Once I'd lost my wallet and I got it back, I said thanx to the finder with a pack of his favourite cigarettes. Once I'd lost a book but I had a habit of writing my email addy and my phone number on the last pages of the books I bought. I thanked the girl who returned it to me with a pack of coloured pencils. Why cigs and pencils? Because it had turned out I knew both of them so I knew what they liked. But that Shin character and his friend? I didn't know. I presumed I couldn't go wrong with some quality chocolate.

I arrived to the bus stop at 12:05. They weren't there yet. Nobody was there, actually. I sat down and listened to Aerosmith on my mp3 player. And stared into the distance. Hoping the boys would soon show up and we could this thing over with.

I was beginning to like summer in Germany. It wasn't hot as hell. As a matter of fact, it was a bit chilly compared to what I was used to.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by someone's hand waving in front of my face. That was when I noticed there were two guys sitting next to me, one on each side. I took the earphones out of my ears and they laughed. I laughed too. Nervously.

''I'm sorry, boys. I was in deep thoughts.''

''We noticed. We've been sitting here for a couple of minutes.''
They laughed again.

''Now, let's get to business. Shin, since you were kind enough to return my cell phone, I'm giving you this,'' I said and gave him the Praline.

''Actually, he stole the phone so he could return it to you,'' the other guy said and I turned to the left to meet his eyes.

''You're not the guy who called me, are you?'' I asked.

''No. That was Strify. I'm Yu,'' he said.

''I'm Carly,'' I replied and shook his hand.

What kind of a name was that? Another Chinese guy who wasn't Chinese? Another stealer of names? Probably. He had a specific sense in fashion too. But nothing too surprising and no leopard print. He was wearing a pair of worn out black Converse, some sort of baggy capri pants (dark brown) and a black t-shirt. I noticed he wore black nail polish that was chipping away. His hair was more or less shoulder length, blacker than the blackest black. There were a couple of piercings on his face and his skin was quite pale. He had a seductive look in his eyes. You know what, I could have sworn I'd seen those eyes before.

I was staring for a second longer than it would be appropriate and Shin distracted me by saying something like:
''Hier ist your cell phone.''

''Thanx,'' I said and smiled.

He smiled back but with down cast eyes.

''So, Carly. You wanna go for a drink or something?'' Yu asked me.

''Nah, actually, I should be going,'' I said but my own stomach interrupted me by growling. I rubbed it gently.

''Or maybe an early lunch?'' Yu teased me.

I thought about it and decided this would be a fun way to kill some time.
''I could go for some hot capuccino,'' I said.

''Excellent. I know just the place,'' he replied and the three of us got up and started walking.

Soon we were in a cosy cafe, the name I've forgotten by now, sipping capuccino. We were being quiet when suddenly Shin laughed. Yu and I looked at him questioningly.

''It was so funny'' he said, ''Strify wanted to be the one who finds the owner of the cell phone so he called about twenty numbers from the phonebook. He was so mad because none of the people who answered could speak German. He said some Polish people are answering.''
Yu and I laughed at that too.

''Actually, we had a bet going, Strify thought you were Polish, Luminor thought you were probably Chech and I thought you were Slovakian,'' Yu explained.

The name 'Luminor' rang through my mind. These boys really knew how to pick names. The name 'Strify' I connected with that chatracter from the movie Final Fantasy - Advent Children my friends made me watch a few years earlier. But 'Shin', 'Yu' and 'Luminor'... Whatever.

''Well, I must say all of you are wrong,'' I tried to clarify the situation.

''Then... Where are you from?'' Shin asked me.
I wasn't ready to talk about it. Where I came from and why I left the place... It was all too fresh to discuss it. Both boys looked at me waiting for an answer.

''A small country in the ex SSSR,'' I lied (what do they know, right?).

''What do you do?'' Yu asked me.

''I graduated from university a month ago, now I'm visiting some relatives who live here in Berlin. I'm taking some time before I start working. Meanwhile, I read a lot and I collect horror movies. And what do you guys do? Still in highschool?'' I asked to get myself out of the focus.

''No, no. We're out of school. It's over,'' Shin said.

''You collect horror movies? You have to meet our friend Kiro,'' Yu said excitedly.'Kiro'? What kind of a name was 'Kiro'? I should have gotten used to exotic names by that time, shouldn't I?

''And what are your plans in life now that the school is over?'' I asked, pretending I'd overheard the comment.

''We're in a band,'' Shin explained simply.

''Great,'' I said (and meant it).

''Yeah, he's the drummer. I'm the guitarist. The guy who called you, Strify, he's the singer. There is five of us, we're called Cinema Bizarre.''

''A cool name. Cinema Bizarre. The name gives many ideas for visualization,'' I commented.

''In a way, that's the idea. We're influenced by Visual Kei,'' Yu said.

I just nodded, too embarrased to say I didn't know what 'visual kei' was. I felt like these guys came from another planet and there was no way I could've had anything in common with them.

''This has been a delightful conversation and a kick-ass capuccino but I should be going now,'' I said and put a fistful of coins on the table.

''No, this is our treat,'' Yu said.

''I insist on paying for my own drink,'' I answered.

''Ok, but we walk you home,'' Shin said.

The three of us strawled, dragging our feet towards the apartment I was staying in. We were all quiet again; eyes on the pavement.

''This is it,'' I said.

We stopped walking and I turned to them to say goodbye.
I shook hands with Yu, trying to look polite but uninterested when I met his gaze. He was playing a game, it was obvious. And it was amusing. He had that I-could-have-anyone attitude.

''It was a pleasure meeting you,'' I said.

Then I turned to Shin and shook his hand too, thanking him for my cell phone once again. He thanked me for the chocolate.I suddenly remembered how the bus gate closed on his wrist so I pulled his sleeve up, exposing a big bruise that encircled his thin, fragile arm.

''Does it still hurt?'' I asked.

''What the fuck is that?!'' Yu sounded shocked.

Shin blushed, let go of my hand and pulled his sleeve down. He briefly explained to Yu what had happened, as far as I could understand. Yu was even more shocked but it was obvious there were some ideas forming in his head.

He said: ''So, that's why he insisted we give you the phone back! Because you saved his life! And no wonder he sucked at the rehersal yesterday, the bus almost cut his hand off. Fuck!''
He ran his fingers through his hair and turned his back to us. Shin was still blushing and fiddling with his sleeve.

I felt so horrible, bringing up what had happened. How was I supposed to know Shin would keep it a secret? And why would he keep it a secret?

''So... Does it hurt?'' I asked quietly.

''Yes. But not much,'' he replied.

Yu turned to us again and said. ''Now I understand why he's wearing long sleeves in summer.''

I smiled with relief and so did Shin. Yu put his arm around his shoulders protectivly.
''We are very busy but if you'd like to hang out again...'' Yu said.

''Sure. I don't have any friends here. My aunt and uncle aren't exactly the most fun people in the world,'' I said.

He let go of Shin and said: ''The two of us added our numbers into your phonebook. The rest is up to you.''

''Well, alright.''

He flashed me a smile. We said goodbye and I watched them walk away. Yu turned around and mouthed the words 'Call him'.