Fuzzy Blue Lights

Bill's Point of View

"Seriously, dude. I never got a straight-forward answer out of her. I still don't know. Hey, you okay?"

I looked lazily over at Andreas. We had been talking about something, but, once again, I'd gotten distracted. That seemed to be happening lately. I carefully stared at Tom sitting in one of the seats in front of us- for once he wasn't sitting back here with Andreas and I. Then again, recently it had been Candice sitting next to me, not Andreas.

But, of course, it's hard for someone to be seated next to you when they're elsewhere.

Last night, I would have asked to crash at Candice's- correction, it's Maja's- house, but... I don't know. Something stopped me. I mean, it would have made much more sense for me to stay over there, seeing as our plane leaves early, and we would have to pick her up at her home, where she had been staying since we got back into Germany. If we had all already been there, it would have been faster.

...Then again, everyone else would also be there. It wouldn't be just me. It would be Andreas, Tom, and Georg, too. I'm not sure if I wanted that. I'm not sure if I wanted them going with us at all. And Gustav wasn't even going. I know for a fact that she feels comfortable around Gustav. After all, he's not a very intimidating person. Just one lovable oaf, that's what he is. The intent was for me to go with Candice, to make sure that she had someone there to support her, not so that she would have a hoard of scrutinizing eyes watching her back. Well, that's not actually what they would be doing, but I know for a fact that that's what she would think.

Even if she had been the one to offer up for them to go with in the first place.

Candice could be a really confusing person at times. Like now. With the discussion Andreas and I were having. Speaking about our discussion.

"...I'm sorry, what?" I questioned as I looked back at Andreas once again. He looked rather irritated now as he crossed his arms and gave me a stern look.

"Bill..." his voice trailed off into an almost growl. I grinned sheepishly at him and slowly raised my hands in defense.

"I'm just a little distracted, I will admit. I mean, I am going to a part of America that I've never really been to before," I reminded. He rolled his eyes. He knew better than to believe me with an explanation like that.

I felt our vehicle come to a stop and I turned to look at where we were. Maja apparently lived in a quaint little neighborhood. And, yes, she lived in a house, not an apartment, like I half expected. I stood up and hopped out of the van and started walking up to the house. I could hear laughter on the other side of the door.

"Come in~!" My hand was still poised to knock when I heard the voice. I blinked twice and twisted the door open. Peering inside, I saw Maja rolling around on the floor in a fit of giggles, and Candice... Taped about three feet up off the ground on the wall.

I blinked again, not sure if I was actually seeing things correctly.

"I was half asleep, and you know how I can be convinced to do some of the silliest things while I'm half asleep. Mind helping me down? This tape feels rather painful after being stuck up here since last night, you know," Candice reasoned. I stifled a few laughs myself as I crossed over to her. Maja was still rolling around in her fit of laughter as I slowly started to pull the tape off. Candice hissed and forced down a few yelps when the duct tape attached to skin would peel away, but other than that, she seemed rather... Calm.

Man, was I glad that we had decided to come extra early. I had a feeling that something like this would happen. Well, not exactly like this, but I had predicted there to be some sort of delay, and that we should leave earlier than normal, even if earlier than normal was way to early for anyone to be awake at.

It should be illegal to have to wake up before six for anything, quite frankly.

I caught Candice as enough of the tape was removed for the rest to just sort of tear free from the wall. I stared at her, face level for once. Usually her abominable shortness would leave her staring at my neck, and if I were wearing my boots, like I am now, she would be staring at my chest were she on the ground. I watched her face flash red and smiled. She thought I never noticed some of the looks she had around me, but there's no hiding from me. Not when it came to her.

"Um, Bill? Could you put me down? I need to get my stuff out to the car," she spoke meekly, staring down rather than looking at me in the eye. I sighed and, rather than putting her down, I began to carry her out myself. She looked perplexed for a moment, but then began squirming.

"Maja, grab her stuff!" I called behind me as I walked out the door. Candice pouted, her futile attempts to be set down failing miserably. I heard Maja scamper around her house and quickly follow behind us, something banging into the wall every now and then- I could only assume that it was the sound of Candice's bags swinging from side to side. Andreas and Tom hopped out of the car at the same to help- Andreas opening up the rear end of the car so that Maja could set the bags in, Tom hopping out to help me stuff Candice in. If anyone else were watching, it would have looked like a kidnapping in the making, quite honestly.

I'm pretty sure that after three years of living here, Candice's neighbors were used to this sort of behavior.

"Bitch, you'd better call me the second you get there. We clear?" Maja screamed particularly loudly and stared at where Candice was being seated in her usual spot. Maja struck a pose, still clad in her night clothes that consisted of a pink and green tank top, and pink and green shorts with little flying pigs. The image just sent the entire car rolling with laughter.

"I promise," Candice called out just as Tom closed the van door and settled back down into his seat. I noticed that Andreas had moved up to sit with him, leaving me and Candice in the backseat alone. I heard Candice pull in a deep, long sigh. Instantly, she had my attention. Her eyes glowed a bright, bright emerald green, the most stunning I'd ever seen them. That sort of glimmer never appeared when she was just 'reminiscing'. Which means she was clearly in pain somehow.

"Candy..." Her eyes turned to stare at me, but her head was far off somewhere else. I nearly melted into a pile of overly worried Bill, if it were possible. It was almost as if knowing she would be going home hurt her physically somehow... Or, maybe it wasn't pain. She didn't seem to have a pained expression.

...No, she most definitely was not in pain. She was terrified. Out of her mind. The slight twitch in her hand and her restrained breathing was a sign that she was trying her hardest not to start flipping out here and now. I'd found the third reason for her eyes to look like they used to- or, what she said they used to look like.

Without a single hesitation, I pulled her into a tight hug. She curled up next to me and shoved her face into the crook of my neck. I could feel her shaking more than I thought she had been.

"Shh... It'll be okay, Candy. No need to be afraid. We'll be here for you, I promise," I assured. She nodded a few times, but I don't think she was convinced. I caught Tom trying to casually stare back at us from where he sat and I gave him a sharp glare. He jumped a little and turned back around.

"I can only hope so, Bill..."

I flinched a little at her voice. It seemed to have... Changed. Like it usually would whenever I would bring up her past. It was almost like she was regaining an accent that she'd forgot she had. Now that I thought about it, I wouldn't be surprised if her voice had changed a little when she revamped her entire person and crossed an entire ocean to get away from her old self.

In a way, that thought made me sort of scared, too.

Perhaps it was a good thing that she had left. Perhaps forcing her to go back would hurt her more then it would help. Maybe it would have been better if she had successfully managed to break all her connections. Because, quite honestly, it seemed like going through this was damn well close to killing her in more ways then one.

...Or maybe I was just afraid that I'd loose the Candice I'd come to love.