By Your Side

I got home from school the same time as I always did. Today went by much more smoothly and with less immature remarks than there had been a few weeks ago. I guessed that it was because I had Brianna to talk to. She and I had become quick friends, thankfully, and she made the days seem to go by faster. I appreciated having her there at lunch so I didn’t look like a complete “weird foreign kid” to everyone. I didn’t mind them saying I was foreign. Hell, I was. It was the shit they made up about me that really got to me. They didn’t know me, they don’t know who I was friends with, they didn’t know anything. And that only made me miss life back home even more.

Dad’s home? I thought as I walked inside and up to my room. Usually he was still at work when I got home.

“Anna, is that you?”

“Yeah!” I called so he could hear me while I set my bag down in my room.

“Will you come into my room for a minute?”

I stopped by my door, wondering what he wanted. I hadn’t done anything bad at school so I shouldn’t have to deal with that. But I didn’t do anything else that could’ve gotten me into trouble either, right?

“Yeah?” I walked into his room, deciding to face the wrath sooner then later.

I was shocked to see him pulling junk out of one of the boxes we had yet to unpack. He was actually smiling. Well, at least now I knew I wasn’t in trouble.
I froze in place when he pulled something else out of the box and held it up so I could see.

“Where-- How? I thought I lost this.” I was almost on the brink of tears as I took the object from him with shaking hands.

He smiled as he told me that he had found it in the box he was unpacking today and that I must’ve forgotten that I put it in there before we moved.

“Can I put it in my room?”

“Of course, that’s why I showed it to you. I thought it might help since you have been having a rough time with school and all. Besides, I can tell how much you miss them. I’m not stupid, you know,” He chuckled and went back to rummaging through the box

“Thank you,” I whispered as I went to my room.

I closed the door behind me and sat on my bed.

I held the picture in my hands. It was as if I couldn’t stop staring at it.

We all looked so happy. So—without a single care in the world… Tom, me, Gustav, Bill, and Georg all together in front of the school smiling like a bunch of idiots as we posed in front of the camera. God, I missed them so much it hurt. I could feel my heart… I wasn’t sure what it was doing but it hurt. I felt like a huge part of me had been taken away from me and I was so scared that I wouldn’t get it back.

Then it hit me like a rock; I hadn’t heard from them in a long, long time. It had to have been almost a month, if not more. Not a single letter or phone call from Tom or the others. I figured they must be really busy with their band to respond or contact me or anything. I didn’t blame them, though. I mean, I was so damn proud that those guys had finally had their chance.

I had read some news reports online that they had just started recording for a new album that would be out as soon as they were done with the planning and when all of the important papers were done. I smiled remembering the article. I sure as hell didn’t want to be the old friend that messed it up for them. No, not when they’ve made it this far.

Deep down, though, I had a feeling that the new album wasn’t the only reason. I was actually afraid to think of any other reasons but, thanks to my stupid brain, I did anyway. I had these random thoughts that he had forgotten me. Sure, we were close and all, but with fame and everything growing on them… I knew it wasn’t the fame that would change them. They were too good of guys to let that get to their heads. I was just worried that all of the other girls that threw themselves at them would be the reason he wouldn’t exactly remember “some chick that moved awhile ago”.

I sighed, yet, surprisingly, I didn’t cry. I knew since the day I moved that the day would come when this would happen. It hurt a lot but it’s not like I could’ve called and demanded if he remembered or not. Besides, that would be quite weird and if he hadn’t called recently why would he answer when I randomly called today?

Ugh, I needed to get out of the house. All of these thoughts were racing through my brain and I really didn’t want to think about it right now.

“Dad?”

“What?”

“Can I… uh… well, there’s this girl that I’ve become friends with at school and I was wondering if I could go to her house for awhile?”

“Um, yeah, sure,” I could tell he was smiling as he said it. “Just make sure to call me and check in okay?”

“No problem!”

I set the picture down on my dresser and went to call Brianna. Hopefully she would answer and wouldn’t mind hanging out for awhile.