Schrei So Laut Du Kannst

"I cannot believe you guys have been here for a month and a half already."

"It is insane," Tom agreed.

We were walking through my hometown, waiting for Bill and Anal to come back out of the ice cream shop, and our hands were clasped. It meant nothing to us, for we were just friends. It was a sign of our closeness.

"Thank God!" I declared when our friends finally exited with two fudge and two caramel sundaes. "Ice cream!"

"Ahem."

"Danke!"

Bill smiled widely, appeased, and handed out ice cream: caramel went to him and me, hot fudge to the other two. We continued our walk to the school, where there was a bonfire already burning brightly. I rested my head on Tom's shoulder and stared into the flames as they danced higher and higher into the sky that was draining of the sun's light and being speckled with little pinpoints of stars.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Hershey loves this stuff, so I wish she could be enjoying this."

"Yeah. So how exactly did she break her ankle?"

"She was running to Anal's house and tripped over her own two feet."

"Painful."

"Yeah."

"Katy?"

"Tom?"

"When will you tell someone besides your best friends?"

"Never. No one needs to know."

"If someone knows, they can get you out of there."

"I'll be fine, I promise. If not, I'll be on the first flight to Berlin."

"Good. Babe, you're my best friend, besides my mom, stepdad, brother, and bandmates. I don't like seeing you hurt."

"Okay, Corny. Let's go dance."

"No!"

"Why not?"

"He doesn't know how," Bill snickered.

"Neither do you."

"Yeah, but I'm not the one being asked to dance."

"Bill?"

"Yes, Erin?"

"Let's go dance."

Erin and I managed to persuade the guys to dance in a darker, more solitary area. They eventually got into the music and moves. All of a sudden, a new artist came over the speakers, and Tom froze.

"Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag."

"You got them to play Samy Deluxe?"

"Yeah."

"Have I mentioned how much you're my best friend?"

"Yeah, a few times, but it's still great to hear all the same."

I switched dancing partners as Nena's "99 Luftballons" began playing. I wished Bill a happy birthday also, and he kissed me lightly.

"Danke."

"Gern geschehen."

Yeah, I forgot to mention: the guys were teaching me German. It wasn't a lot, just enough to use main phrases. I placed my forehead against his chest and sighed.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just thinking. Don't worry about me. It's your guys' birthdays. Have fun."

"We'll only have fun if you are okay."

"I'm fine."

"Swear?"

"Yes."

Around midnight, everyone broke up, got in their vehicles [for those who lived farther away], and we all went our separate ways. Erin and Bill complained that they were starving, so we stopped at the café. Georgia Reed, my uncle's girlfriend, smiled and headed toward us.

"Well, good evening, Katy. You, too, Erin. Where's the other Erin?"

"She broke her ankle."

"Oh. Ouch. And who are these cuties?'

"Georgia, this is Bill and Tom, uh..."

"Kaulitz."

"They're from Germany."

Georgia's sparkling brown eyes hardened and snapped. "Oh?"

"Yeah. Are you okay?"

"I've got a headache. What'll it be?"

Once she took our orders, she stormed away and never came back. Carly was the one to bring our food and gather our money. I asked her to give Georgia a note from me. We stopped at Erin's house first and said quick good-byes. The twins helped me in through my bedroom window before climbing in themselves. We collapsed onto my mattress and covered up; I whispered "good-night" before falling asleep.