Whatever

Valerie walked quickly down the sidewalk with her books in hand, weaving in and out of the kids who coincidentally were all making their way to the same destination.

School.

A kid twice her size, both vertically and horizontally rammed into her as he pushed his way past her. She dropped her math text book to the ground and it flopped open.

God she hated this place.

She kneeled down to pick up her book, placing it on top of her binder before standing up again. A male voice rang out softly in another language.

Val turned so quickly she almost smacked into the guy. He was tall. Scrawny. Yet, his elaborate black styled hair, facial features and make-up made him almost feminine in appearance. But coupled with his attire, everything about him screamed rockstar.

Val couldn't help but smile, he was without a doubt thee most beautiful creature she'd ever seen. "Thanks." She whispered even though she had no idea what he'd just said to her.

"Ahhh english," he smiled softly and patted her text book before handing it back to her. "Have a good day."

That was the last she saw of him, at least until her first period class. She'd only been there three days, but already she'd been banished to the back of the room. She was the outcast. The American amongst Germans.

She hated her parents. Hated them for going on their trip. Hated them for drinking then driving their rental car. Hated them for getting into an accident. Hated them for dying. And hated, that because of all of it, she was sent to Germany to live with her nearest relatives.

"Nearest my ass," she muttered as she slunk down into her seat.

"Hello again."

She glanced to her left to see the same boy that had talked to her on the street.

"I am, Bill," he reached out across the row of desks to shake her hand.

She obliged, slipping her hand into his, taking note of his black nail polish. "I'm Valerie."

"American?" he asked as he glanced from the door to the room then back to her.

She nodded, "is it that obvious?"

He smiled. "Other than the accent, not really."

She sighed. She could dress the same as them. Change her hair. Her eyecolor, everything. But vocally, she'd always be different. People would always know.

Bill was about to speak again when the teacher walked into the classroom and slammed the door shut. He began speaking in German. The harshness of the language hit her ears and she groaned; another day in hell.

***

"So, you are American, and your name is Valerie?"

Val lifted her head and closed her locker door a little to see Bill leaning against a closed locker to her right. In the past week, she hadn't spoke to him. But he had acknowledged her everytime he saw her with a kurt head nod. That had to have meant something right?

"Yeah," she whispered sheepishly before grabbing the books she needed for her next class.

He stood up straight and closed her locker for her since her hands were full.

"Here, let me carry these," he said afterwards and took her books from her.

She wasn't entirely sure what to do or say around him. She liked him. Alot. Yet, she didn't even know him. Confused, she gripped the cuffs of her sweater in her hands, closing them off from the cool air circulating within the school and walked with him anyway.

"What kinds of things do you like?" he pressed. He was going to get her to talk one way or another.

"You know, music, sports, regular stuff."

He chuckled, "what kind of music?"

She looked up at him that time, "I listen to everything."

"My brother and I are in a band," he spoke abruptly, "do you know of Tokio Hotel?"

Val thought as she walked, "I've heard of them. Just never heard them, or seen any pictures or anything though."

He grinned again, "well, that is my band."

"Really?" She remembered her best friend back in the states saying how much she liked it. Even the German versions.

"You should come watch us play sometime," Bill walked her to a classroom and stopped at the door, "we play a show tomorrow night. I'll get you a ticket."

She glanced up at the door and was amazed that he'd actually taken her to the right class. Though, her books probably gave it away. "Alright," she nodded in agreement, even though she knew there was no way in hell her aunt and uncle were going to let her go.

***

She wasn't wrong in her assumptions either. Her aunt and uncle swore off her 'seeing' boys and hanging out with any girls that did in fact intend to see her. They even went so far as to begin dropping her off at school and picking her up afterwards to ensure she wasn't mixing with the wrong types of kids. She wasn't allowed to go out at night and she spent her days off helping her aunt do everything from clean house, to grocery shopping. They made sure Bill was nearly completely eliminated from her life.

Now, after a few months, most of her days were spent in a deep depression. How the hell her life had turned around so drastically was far beyond her. She use to be, what her mother would say, a very happy, healthy teenager. But now, crawling into a hole and dying seemed like a blessing. The only thing she looked forward to now a days was seeing Bill in class, in the hallways and at lunch.

Today was no different. Her met her by her locker with two lunch bags in hand.

"I'm not really hungry, Bill." Over the past few months, she'd grown far more comfortable around him. He became the rock in her very unstable life.

He sighed heavily, but undefeated. "Please eat, Val," he handed her one of the bags. "You've lost so much weight, you're starting to scare me."

"I'm not hungry," she repeated for what seemed like the millionth time.

Bill set the bags down on the floor before wrapping his arms around her, hugging her small frame against his body. It was such a simple gesture yet it shocked her to the core. The last time she'd been hugged was by her mother. She couldn't help herself, she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face into his chest and cried. He didn't ease the pressure he was putting on her by holding her so tight. He didn't care that kids were watching, that teachers were glaring. He simply held her and let her cry until she couldn't cry anymore.

"I want you to talk to me, Val," he kissed her on the forehead. "I want you to tell me everything that is hurting you."

She tilted her head back and looked up at him. Everything about him was perfect. From his make-up, to his soul. Why on god's green earth he insisted on hanging out with her, was beyond her.

"Baby, I wanna help," he brushed his thumbs lightly over her cheek, wiping away a few stray tears.

She shivered slightly as his fingertips brushed against her skin. He leaned down, lightly brushing his lips over her own. Her lips parted on their own accored. She'd wanted this for so long. Tingles ran throughout her body when she discovered for the first time that he in fact had a tongue ring. She'd known about the three tattoos and lip ring, but she'd missed the tongue ring.

What seemed like only a moment later he pulled away, when in fact it had been a few mintues.

"Please, talk to me," he whispered near her lips.

From her peripheral vision, she could tell that the hallways had cleared. That helped immensly.

"Please," he whispered again.

She finally gave in. She stood there in the hallway, wrapped securely in his arms and told him the story of Valerie's life. When she was done, she was crying again.

"I am so sorry, Val," he tightened his arms even more, her ear pressed to his chest as she listened to his heart beat, "but I swear to you, that whatever you need, or comes your way, I'm going to be right here helping you, because you are my best friend, and I love you."