Who Said Anything About Love?

Tom’s POV

It was around 6:30 in the evening and I was sitting on the couch with Bill and Gustav. Bill had texted me around 5 letting me know Andi’s mom got home early, and that he was on him way home. Good thing Bill was overly courteous, not like anything had happened between Cerise and I after the whole shirt thing. Gott, I don’t know what her problem is. I was trying to be romantic, something that doesn’t occur often, and she has to go and ruin it. Really, half the time I wonder if she’s with me for more than just the sex, although I do admit it’s good.

Georg and Gustav and gotten home shortly after Bill and now we were all sitting around watching a movie. Bill was curled up in a ball sitting next to me; that’s how he always sat. The movie didn’t even have to be scary and he’d still have he’s knees pulled up to his chin.

I inwardly laughed and a smile played at the corner of my lips. I remembered this one time when Bill and I were younger, we were sitting on the couch, just like now, only we had a huge comforter draped around us; we were 6. Bambi played on the television screen across from us. We had pulled all of the curtains shut and closed all the doors so no light shown in the room.

The movie hadn’t been on long and it was very happy and cheery, but still Bill sat curled up into a ball. I’d told him that it wasn’t even a scary movie, nor was it cold in the room. He said that it was just how he sat. I shook my head at him and continued watching the movie.

Then it happened. The worst part of the movie. That’s right; you guessed it…Bambi’s mom died. I couldn’t help but cry; I was 6. I remember slowly pulling my knees up to my chin as I cried. Bill just laughed, but then told me it was ok. I’ve always been happy to have a brother like Bill.

That was something else about being with Cerise that was starting not to sit right with me. If Bill found out and still had feeling for her, I didn’t want him to be hurt.

I was pulled out of my thoughts as Georg paused the movie and announced a small intermission. He left to get something from the kitchen and I saw Cerise get up from the corner of my eye.

“Well I’m going to use the restroom.” she looked at me expectantly as she left. This looked all too familiar, but I had already decided that I wasn’t going to follow her; I was still upset about earlier.

Only a minute had passed when I heard a loud crash in the hallway out side out apartment door. Gustav, Bill and I looked at each other in confusion then I got up and went to the door.

I stuck my head out of the door and down the hall to the right a bit was a girl hunched over picking up items and putting them back into a cardboard box. I couldn’t see her face but she had dark brown hair that spilled across her shoulders, and she looked small.

I started walking toward her to help her out some and that’s when she looked up. She had the brightest blue eyes I’d ever seen, and they were rimmed with dark smoky makeup. She had full pink lips that looked soft to the touch. She stood to face me after I approached. I was right; she was small. Not only her figure but she was fairly short as well. She only went to shoulders. She was very pretty, I won’t lie.

“Umm, do you need some help with this?” I asked gesturing to the floor.

“Uh…yea…I mean yes…please. That’d be nice…of you.” her speech was broken up and I guessed she was nervous. Whether she knew me or not, I didn’t know.

I bent down I started picking things up and placing them back into the box.

“What happened, anyway?” I questioned.

“Oh, umm…the bottom of the box gave out.” she stated rather timidly. She didn’t meet my eyes; she kept them on the floor as she organized a few papers that had scattered.

“Oh, well that sucks.”

“Yea.”

“So…where were you taking it? The box, I mean.” I asked kindly. I was hoping to make her a bit more comfortable.

“My friend, Samantha, is moving in just a few doors down. My sister and I are helping her to move in.” she stated. Only then did a take notice to the faint accent in her voice. It wasn’t German, but I’d heard it before.

“That’s nice of you.” I smiled, but she again had her eyes on the floor. I don’t think she was trying to be rude, and I didn’t take it offensively. I just really wanted another look at those eyes.

“Thanks.” wow she really wasn’t one for talking much.

“So, you’re not from here are you?”

This got her to look up at me. Her eyes locked on mine and my breath about caught in my throat. Her eyebrows stitched together in the middle of her forehead as she said, “What makes you say that?”

“Umm…” I forgot what we were even talking about. She just kept staring waiting for an answer. Danke Gott I finally found one. “You have an accent. But it’s not German.”

Her cheeks flushed and looked down at her shoes as one aimlessly toed the floor. “No, umm…it’s French.” That was why I recognized it. Cerise is French.

At the thought of her name I almost felt a pang of guilt in the pit of my stomach. Almost, but I brushed it off.

“That’s cool. My friend’s cousin who is actually staying with us is French as well.” she raised her head and smiled a bit.

“That is pretty cool.” her smile faded a bit as she peered around me shoulder. She became shy again and looked back to the ground.

I turned around and noticed three pairs of eyes peeping from behind the door of our apartment.

“Why don’t you guys come out and introduce yourselves instead of scaring the poor girl.” I laughed and the guys came out from behind the door with a silly-guilty look on their faces.

“I wasn’t scared.” I heard…her…protest from behind me.

I turned to see her frowning slightly and I smiled slightly at her expression. She once again blushed and looked away from me. She was so timid, and it was adorable on her. I became very intrigued very quickly.

“Umm, these are my friends George and Gustav and this is my twin brother Bill.” I pointed out each one as I stated their names. At the mention of Bill being my twin her eyes lit up immensely and I again lost my breath and all train of thought.

“And you are…?” she questioned.

“Uh…Tom. I’m Tom.” I finally got out. Gott did I feel stupid.

“Nice to meet you all. I’m Madeline.” her smile brightened in a very proud manner, as if she were happy to be no one other than herself. It wasn’t conceded at all, still very timid, but proud.

Madeline.

I don’t know how she did it, or what she even did, but I was going to have to learn more about this girl.