Metus

We'd gotten back to out respective hotels with minimal smiling for cameras. The guys would have stayed with us, but we figured we'd share the paparazzi load and go our separate ways. I'd had the faintest wish that it had been like the first time we'd met. That my friends and sister were still at home, and it was just us. Just Bill, Tom, Georg and Gustav and I.

"Lor? Bill's on the phone for you."

I nodded and took the phone from her outstretched hand. "Bill?"

"Hey Lor."

"Why didn't you just use my cell number?"

He chuckled. "Because you left you phone with me, remember? You didn't have pockets."

"Oh right, sorry about that."

There was shouting on the other end of the phone. "Hey Lor, do you suppose there's somewhere we can go where no one can hear us?"

I glanced around the hotel room. I didn't suppose there's anywhere I could have gone except the bathroom, and that would just be awekward. I could kick them out of the room of course, but they'd probably make them suspicious.

"Not really any privacy here, you?"

"Nope."

There was a short silence. "What about IM?"

"That'll work." He paused. "I'm signed in."

Lexi, who'd been eavesdropping, handed me my laptop, already signed in. "Kay, I'm on."

You can hang up now. it said.

"Bye Billa."

"Bye babe."

L: Did you just call me babe?
B: Did I?
L: You did.
B: Well you called me sexy. On live television.

I laughed.

L: You started it.

There was a pause.

B: Lor, do you like me?
L: . . . .
B: Lor?
L: Yeah?
B: You don't just like me because I'm famous, right?
L: Like I really need more fame. Billa, what's wrong?
B: . . . .
L: Oh... um Bill, we barely know eachother.
B: So?
L: So not now. Plus, you remember the age difference, don;t you?
B: What's three years?
L: Tell me Bill, what would happen when you were on tours? Or when I'm at home? I live in California, you live in Hanburg. How is that going to work?
B: We'll make it work.
L: No Billa.
Bill is now offline
G: Hey Lor, it's Georg
L: Hey Georg
G: You don't like Bill?
L: I didn't say that.
G: He's not happy.
L: I didn't think he would be.
G: Just let it blow over. Don't do anything to freak him out.
L: Does he have anything against Cinema Bizarre?
G: Lets just say Bill really wants to 'protecte' you. Don't tell me...
L: Interview. Tomorrow, 10 AM
B: What, are you looking for new bands or something? I'm not good enough I guess.
L: Fuck off, Bill. It's none of your buisiness.
G: Sorry about that.
L: It's fine. I'm gonna go, thanks again Georg.
G: Good luck.
Lor is now offline

------------------------------------------

"So what got you into Visual Kei?" asked Strify, the lead singer of Cinema Bizarre.

"Partly my prother, partly myself. He got me into cosplay and I saw some lolita pics mixed in with ours once."

The interviewer interrupted us then. "So Lor, do you have a boyfriend?"

"Oooo, I want to know!" said Strify.

"Is it Bill?" Someone in the audience called.

"No it isn't Bill. He's just a friend."

"So you're songle?"

"I am indeed."

The interview went on uncomfortably long and ended with much screaming, but at least it ended.

"So you and Kaulitz, huh?"

I turned to see Strify holding two cups of coffee. He handed me one.

"Thanks. And no, I'm not dating him."

"Liar."

"You know, if I wanted to be really evil I'd ask you about Kiro or Yu."

"I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about."

"Really? You don't remember the Malchik Gay incident?"

His eyes widened and we both laughed.

"Strify?" Yu called. "We have to go."

He smiled at me. "Nice meeting you Lor."

"You too."

I took out my cell phone (I'd gotten it back from Bill) and quickly texted Melanie that I was done.

Don't come down yet. she answered.

Why?

Pictures.

I sighed. It was probably just some pictures of me running with Bill. Turns out I was beeing overly optimistic. Plastered on the cover of every magazine in the lobby was a picture of me sliding down my sleeve and showing some shoulder skin. Tom's expression didn't help eiother, considering he was grinning at the newly exposed skin.

"Does Lor Runscott Strip For Hottie Tom Kaulitz?"

"Fuck Lor, it's not that outrageous."

"Only because you'd love to be in the situation."

He heasitated. "It's no big deal."

"Really? Because I thought posing naked usually deemed you whore for life."

"No, we can fix it, we can fix you--"

"I'm not fucking broken!"I slammed the door behind me, the satisfying thud of Bill hitting it followed me out.

"Little backstabber!"

"Full of yourself!"

"Kid!"

"Diva!"

"Visual Kei wanna-be!"

"Metrosexual idiot!"

"Media whore!"

"Control freak!"

"Closet case!"

That was it. "Maybe I'll go hang out with Strify and Yu then? We'll be wanna-bes and closet cases together!" I continued my way out of the room steaming, pushing Tom out of the doorway as I left.