By Your Side

Bill’s POV

I watched Tom talk to the young DJ for quite a while. I didn’t mean to stare, but I just didn’t get it. How could he manage to flirt with so many girls all the time? Sure, we all had girls after us – oh the joy of being in a famous band—but, sometimes it was ridiculous! To be honest, I was a little jealous. Not because he was talking to yet another girl. No. It was more because he was able to do it so easily. I waited and waitedokay; I’m still waiting for the perfect girl to come along while he talked to almost everything with a vagina and boobs. It was insane.

The feeling of jealousy passed when it looked like the girl rejected whatever it was he had said. If only I were a little closer to hear them. . . or even see her face more clearly I thought. I laughed lightly to myself. Tom’s charms obviously didn’t affect everyone. Serves him right, though. He needed to learn that not everyone thought he was ‘hot shit’.

With a confused look on his face (and looking back numerous times at the girl walking away in the other direction) he came back to the table. I took a drink to stifle another laugh. Then I cleared my throat and asked, “Who was that girl you were talking to, Tom?”

He looked at me as if he had no idea I noticed the two of them. He looked back to where she was standing then shook his head. I felt bad for him. He looked upset, confused, and a little bit like what she said might’ve bruised his ego.

“I don’t know her name, but she was hot, huh?!” He smirked and at that moment I knew his ego wasn’t bruised at all. He was pleased with himself for talking to such a hot girl. Typical Tom. I merely shook my head at him as he continued. “She did seem to know us though. . .”

“Most people know us, Tom. We’re famous, remember?” I rolled my eyes at him. Sometimes I wondered about this kid.

“No, no. I mean, like. . .” he paused, trying to figure out how to word his next statement so I didn’t make fun of him. “I don’t know. It’s just she called me ‘Kaulitz’. Not Tom. Just Kaulitz and she knew you were my twin. Without even seeing you, either! It was weird. . .”

He continued to think about her. I watched him as he did so. I thought about what he said as well. Hardly anyone called us by our last name. I tried thinking of the only people that did so. A light bulb went off in my head.

“What is it?” Tom asked. He could see the flash of remembrance in my eyes.

“I have to go to the bathroom. Meet me at the car, okay?” I said in a rush. I didn’t want to tell him what I was thinking in case I was wrong. I couldn’t get his hopes up. Even if he was an idiot for not remembering like I did.

“Okay. I’m going to finish my drink first,” he said as he sipped at it. “It was free after all.”

I rolled my eyes and walked away. However, instead of going to the bathroom like I told him, I snuck out the back door. I turned to make sure no one saw me, and then pushed open the door. Luckily, no one else was out there taking a smoke break. Otherwise, it would’ve been awkward.

I had a feeling she would be out there. And I was right. She was walking out to the parking lot.

Without thinking before I acted, I called to her.

“Hey!”

She turned around, freaked out. I forgot that young women were more fearful at night, walking alone, in an empty parking lot. It didn’t help that it was dark and I probably looked like a crazy killer running after her.

“Stay away from me asshole! I’ve got mace and I know how to use it.” She started rummaging through her purse. Still panicked, she took a few steps back.

“No, no. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Scare me? You’re fucking running towards me yelling and you didn’t mean to scare me? Are you on drugs? Of course it would scare me!”

“Listen, I’m sorry. I just. . . I saw someone talking to you earlier.”

She stared at me wide-eyed for a moment. The street light barely made her features visible so it was hard to tell if it was who I thought or not.

“And?” She said impatiently.

Not exactly the response I thought I would get but, okay. I thought and continued anyway. “Well, the guy was my brother.” She froze again. I now knew it was her. It had to be. “Did he tell you his name?” I asked.

“Not really, no,” she started. “He said that most people call him ‘Sex Gott’ or ‘Tom’ not—“

“Kaulitz?”

“Who are you?” She squinted her eyes trying to see me. Although she asked the question, I knew she knew exactly who I was. The tone of her voice gave it away. I stepped further under the street light. Both of us were more visible now. She gasped and dropped her bag.

“Anna, it’s me, Bill.”

“Bill?!” Her eyes flooded with tears. “I knew you guys were here. I could feel it.”

I took two long steps toward her and embraced her in a hug. We both needed it. As close as she had been to Tom, she was still my friend and I missed her like crazy.

“I’ve missed you guys. So, so much.” She sniffled as she tried to keep herself from crying.

“I’ve missed you too, Anna. We all have.”

We let go and stood there smiling at each other. It wasn’t really an awkward silence. We were both glad to finally see each other after so long.

“Dude, Bill? Did you get lost? Really, it’s not that hard to find my—“ he stopped as he saw the both of us standing together. “Hey! You’re the girl from inside. Bill, do you know her?”

We both shook our head at him. And I saw how hurt Anna was. It was painfully obvious. Tom was her first, well, everything and I could see the pain it caused her for him not to recognize her.

She started to walk away as she said “I should go.”

“Wait a minute,” I said, taking her hand and pulling her back. “You both need to talk.”

She sighed and Tom stepped closer to us.