Dance With Me in This Rain

"Bella, are you okay?"
Tom's voice sounded curious, but with worry.
I then realized I hadn't said anything for the last ten minutes. Tom's grip on my hand tightened, and I continued staring up at the ceiling, a sigh escaping my mouth.
It was the next day. The next day in which Gustav knew about us.
Of course, I was relieved to have him know. But on one side, my mind kept thinking about how the others would react and if their reaction would be at least similar to Gustav's.
Shocked; confused; shocked again; happy. That last reaction had completely caught me by surprise, but I was relieved, nevertheless.
It was now 5 o' clock in the afternoon. Everyone had decided to go to the mall. I wasn't in the mood, so naturally, I passed. Tom pretended to be tired and told them he'd be sleeping in.
Of course, this statement didn't fool Gustav one bit, but luckily, it sounded convincing to the others.
Before they left, I saw Gustav smiling at us. I wondered what he'd been thinking Tom and I would do in their absence.
Boys and their dirty minds.
"Bella?" Tom shook me lightly, as he prompted himself up on the bed by his elbows, staring down at me. "You haven't said anything for a long time. What's going on with you?"
I let my eyes close for a second, then opened them, staring into Tom's curious eyes.
"Nothing's wrong," I replied in a tone that didn't sound convincing to him nor even to me.
He clicked his tongue. "Yeah, right."
I rubbed my forehead, trying badly to erase all the thoughts circulating around in my head. I wanted to think of nothing. I wanted to be blank, even if it were just for a tiny minute.
"Come on, tell me what's wrong. You've been pretty quiet ever since last night."
Ugh, Bella.
"Tom, everything's fine," I lied. Stop lying!
Tom grumbled, laying on his back again, releasing my hand. He crossed his arms over his chest; his jaw tightened.
Great, he's mad.
"Tom," I said with a sigh.
"Why are you lying to me?" He snapped, not looking into my eyes. "What the hell's the matter with you?"
"I'm not lying!" I retorted, though I knew I was doing it again.
"Right. And I'm the queen of England," He mumbled sarcastically with a roll of his eyes.
I groaned, sitting up on the bed. I pulled my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around my legs.
"What is so bad that you feel the need to hide it from me?" I heard him saying.
"I told you, it's nothing. God, Tom, you're impossible!" I muttered.
I heard him snort. "I'm impossible? I'm not the liar."
I gritted my teeth, shooting him a glare. He ignored, and looked at the ceiling above him.
How was I supposed to tell him what was wrong when I myself had no idea. I just wasn't feeling myself today. But Tom couldn't seem to understand the fact that I too didn't know why I was being so.....distant.
"Is it about Gustav finding out?" Tom asked after a minute of dead silence.
I stiffened, looking thoughtful. "No."
"Then what?" He pressed.
"I'm not sure, really. I'm probably just...scared," I replied hesitantly.
He stared at me and slowly sat up. "Scared of what? Bella, Gustav won't say anything. We can trust him," He started saying, but I quickly shook my head, letting him know that wasn't the reason for my fear.
"I know he won't," I said quietly.
"You're scared about the others, aren't you? You're scared they won't take it in like Gustav."
I nodded once. "Georg might.......but Bill and Clara?"
Tom shrugged. "Who knows."
I shook my head. "This has to end," I mumbled. "It's driving me insane."
It wasn't meant for Tom to hear, but I guess he did, judging by the look on his face.
Tom's eyes went wide as he looked at me confusingly. "You're thinking of ending this?" His words broke at the last part of the sentence.
I looked away from him.
Bella, be reasonable. You can't end this. You love him, remember? That's a ridiculous thought and you know it.
I debated internally.
Tom watched me, as I still hadn't answered his question. He then got off the bed, standing in front of me; his hands trembled slightly.
"Well?" He said impatiently. "You wanna end it? Because, I gotta say Bella, if you do, you'll be the stupidest person on the planet."
That comment caught me off guard and my head shot up to meet his gaze.
"What?" I whispered.
"Think about it. What good will it do to end this? Gustav already knows, Bella. It won't be so hard to get everyone to take it like Gustav."
I chewed on my bottom lip, letting his words sink in. "We shouldn't have started this. I mean, I knew one day we'd have to face this situation."
Bella, what are you saying?!
Tom groaned. "You're so overreacting, Bella."
"Am I?" I said, with a touch of anger in my voice. "What if this screws up my friendship with Bill and with Clara? Ever think about that? Of course you haven't."
I stood up from the bed, and shoved passed him, making my way towards the door.
Tom immediately placed both hands on my shoulders, wheeling me around so that we were merely inches apart.
Seeing his face, it was obvious that my decision in ending what we had was a complete nonsense.
"You're being ridiculous! You're thinking too much into this!" He said roughly. "Of course I've thought about that. Bill's my brother. It's hard to keep this from him. I'm surprised he hasn't found out for himself already."
"I'm not even sure if Bill's the problem right now," I mumbled, staring down at my hands.
"Clara?" He guessed, raising an eyebrow.
I nodded.
"What's the worse that could happen?" He asked. "Answer honestly."
"She'll never want to be friends again," I answered blankly. "I betrayed her."
"What?!" He screeched in disbelief. "Betrayed her?"
"Tom, you broke up with her because of me," I reminded him. "Did you know that she was talking about you these days?" I asked, now remembering the little conversation Clara and I had a while back. About how she missed him and hoped he came to his senses so they'd get back together.
He frowned. "She was?"
"Yeah. She told me she misses you. She misses you, Tom. All the while, not knowing that her best friend is dating you behind her back!"
He sighed, lowering his head. His hands were still gripped on my shoulders. I tried freeing myself away, but it was useless. He was strong and I was stupidly weak.
"I told you that I have nothing to do with her anymore," He said calmly. "Clara was.....there for me at the right time, I guess."
Now it was my turn to look confused. I raised an eyebrow, getting a good look at his face. "What do you mean at the right time?"
He hesitated before answering my question in a barely audible voice. I had to lean in to fully understand what he was saying.
"When I realized I had feelings for you, I didn't know what to do. I thought that if I told you, you'd freak out and never speak to me again. And that day when I went back to the club, I saw Clara. She looked pretty happy to see me and we both just started talking. I knew she was a great girl, but I still couldn't get my mind off you. And then, she asked me out."
He paused, as if debating whether to continue on with his brief explanation.
I had my arms crossed over my chest. He took my silence as a signal to proceed.
"When she asked me out, I didn't think much so I decided it wouldn't hurt. I never really liked her as more than just a friend, but she seemed to think differently...." He trailed off, staring at me.
I raised an eyebrow. "And?" I asked expectantly.
"And then, that day I picked her up from the school, I saw your face. I saw your shock. I knew you weren't expecting me to be her..date. But I thought that by dating Clara, I'd forget my feelings for you. It didn't work. It just made me think about you more."
He let his hands drop from my shoulder.
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked.
"Because. I want you to see that what Clara and I had......it was nothing compared to this."
My stomach flipped; my hands twitched.
"Don't end this," He said quietly. "Just don't. We'll work everything out, I know we will. Any problems we'll face, we'll face them together. It's simple."
I stared at him, blinking a couple times, trying to register everything in my head. Would everything really work out? Would Clara ever forgive me if she found out?
"I don't know..." I said, half answering the questions in my hand, half answering him.
He took my hand, squeezing it gently. "Please?"
I gulped. See what you're doing? How could you even think about ending this?!
My conscience bickered, and I lost all focus.
His eyes were so locked to mine, he hardly blinked.
"Don't look at me like that," I said quietly, feeling a smile slowly forming my lips. "You know I can't resist that face."
His face suddenly lost all trace of worry and a wide grin took over.
"That's precisely why I used it," He answered, taking my other hand, intertwining our fingers.
"You know it's been you all along, right? It was never Clara," He said.
I didn't answer. I released my hand from his, placing it on his cheek. I stretched up to kiss him, and he automatically placed his hands on my back, bringing me up closer to him.
He promised we'd work out whatever problems we'd face. And I believed him.

___

"Shit, where's my blue shirt?!" I groaned, rummaging through my suitcases in search of a long sleeved shirt that I loved. I was beginning to wonder if I had forgotten to pack it.
"It's probably way at the bottom," Clara said, while she put on her earrings.
I digged deeper through the pile of clothes in the suitcase, making a complete mess, as a few pants and shirts fell out.
"Aha!" I chimed, holding up the shirt I was looking for. "What on earth were you doing at the bottom? You're one of my favorites!" I clutched the shirt closely.
Clara shook her head, as she laughed at me. "Talking to a shirt. Calling you a freak would be an understatement."
"Shut up," I said, throwing a sock at her.
I quickly took off the white tank top I was wearing and placed the blue shirt over my head, pulling it down. I then slipped on my faded blue jeans, running over to the mirror to check myself.
"Ugh, my hair looks like a bee's nest," I muttered, grabbing my brush that was on the bed and brushing it down, so it wouldn't look so tangled.
"Why are you so jumpy?" Clara then asked, as she too was in front of the mirror, applying light pink lipstick on her mouth.
"I'm not," I said, immediately loosening up.
Sheesh, take a chill pill.
"It's just that I've never met Tom and Bill's mother before. Guess you could say I'm a little nervous," I stated with a shrug.
She raised an eyebrow. "Sure. But hey, it's not like your dating one of her sons, right?" She joked, nudging me in the stomach, which sent a wave of nervousness throughout my whole body.
How ironic.
"Uh, right," I said, with a nervous laugh.
"You guys ready yet?" A voice suddenly met our ears, thankfully interrupting. It was Bill.
He entered the room, with his hands covering his eyes.
Clara and I laughed.
"It's okay, Bill. We're dressed," I said, as I began putting on my converses while Clara applied black eyeliner around her eyes.
Bill uncovered his eyes, sighing in relief. He smiled.
"Ready to go, then?" He said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
He was wearing a cap over his straight black hair, which he hadn't spiked. He wore a simple black shirt and dark jeans, along with his white etnies.
"Bill, does this look presentable to you?" I asked, as I stood up after putting my shoes on. I spread my arms out, looking down at myself, so he too could look.
Bill cocked his head to the side, smiling. "Yeah it does. But you don't need to look presentable to my mom. She'll love you no matter what."
I blushed slightly. "Thanks. But since this is the first time I'm meeting her, I have to give a good impression. Outfits count for something."
He shrugged.
"Hey Bill, what about this? Does this look presentable?" Clara asked, standing next to me, and spinning around so that he could see her outfit.
She was wearing a cotton checkered dress which came down to her knees. Her blond hair was wavy, and some of her fringe fell over her eyes. She also wore black flats, which I kindly let her borrow.
She looked great, actually. A thousand times better than the plain outfit I had picked for myself.
I hardly ever wore dresses. I wasn't much of a girly-girl. And now, comparing Clara's looks to mine, I didn't know how Tom could've picked me over her.
She was way prettier than me. She was much more graceful. I was a klutz. Whenever we'd go out, guys would always hit on her and I'd just be the invisible friend which no one paid the slightest attention to.
"Bella!" Bill said, snapping his fingers in my face. "You there?" He laughed.
"Sorry," I mumbled, regaining my posture. "I daydream too much."
"Yes, Bella is quite the daydreamer," Clara said with a laugh. "You can never hold her attention for too long."
I playfully shoved her by the shoulder and Bill laughed again.
"Come on. The guys are all ready and they're waiting downstairs in the lobby."
I nodded, and grabbed my bag, placing the strap on my shoulder. Clara, however, never wore bags or purses. She just fluffed her wavy hair, and we both followed Bill out the door of the hotel room.

___

We drove for what seemed like hours. I looked out the window absent-mindedly. My heart beated rapidly against my chest and the anxiety took over me quickly. Luckily, no one noticed.
Well, at least I thought. Tom, who rode in the passenger's seat, eyed me every now and then, giving me a comforting smile.
He knew how nervous I was about meeting his mom and stepdad.
He had told me a few things about them. His mom's name was Simone and his stepdad was Gordon.
I hope they like me, I thought.
A few more minutes of driving, we finally arrived. Bill turned off the engine of the car, as we all got out one by one.
We were stopped in front of a white house. It wasn't big, like I'd imagined it to be. It was actually fairly small. But seeing it from the outside, you could tell it was a homey place. Like a nice family lived there.
There was a front yard, which was surrounded by bright green grass. Rosebushes were lined around the house; a big tree stood beside it, its roots and leaves hovering over the roof.
The house itself looked like something out of a fairytale.
We all walked along the cemented path which led to the front yellow door of the house.
When Bill was ready to knock, the door suddenly swung open, revealing a smiling woman on the other side.
She was brunette, and had short straight hair which was held neatly into a bun. Her eyes glistened with joy at the sight of her two sons in front of her.
"Bill! Tom!" She squealed, holding her arms out in front of her. The boys immediately threw themselves at her, almost knocking the poor woman down in the process.
She laughed happily, as she managed to maintain her balance. She kissed each of them on the cheek, giving them one more tight hug, before releasing them.
"Ich bin so glücklich!" She said, looking at her twin sons, grinning from ear to ear.
Clara and I stood awkwardly next to Georg and Gustav. We were a few inches behind Tom and Bill.
Then it was Gustav's and Georg's turn to be hugged by the loving mother. She planted kisses on their foreheads, which made them blush.
Then she paused, facing Clara and I. She held a curious smile on her face.
"Wer ist dieses?" She asked, glancing over at her sons for an answer.
"That's Bella and that's Clara," Bill answered. Thankfully, in english.
"Mama, sie nicht sprechen Deutsch," Tom said in german. "They speak only English."
"Oh!" She exclaimed, slapping her forehead. "That's right. Es tut mir Leid."
She grinned at me before embracing me in a warm hug. "Hello. I'm Simone. You must be Bella," She greeted in a strong german accent, but I was thankful for understanding her perfectly. She had a really pretty voice.
"Yeah, I am. Nice to meet you," I said politely. She released me, holding the sides of my arms and taking a look at my face.
"Ahh, sie ist so schön!" She stated, glancing over to Tom and Bill before gazing back at me.
I just smiled, not understanding a word she had just said.
For all I knew, she could have been telling them I looked like a dog or something.
"And this is....?" She began saying as she scooted over towards Clara.
"Clara," Tom answered. "Bella's friend. And ours too."
"Hello, Clara!" She greeted happily before embracing her too in a warm hug. Clara smiled at her.
"Wie geht es Ihnen?" Clara said, once she was released by Simone's arms. I looked at her in surprise, as did the boys. Since when does she speak german?
And then I remembered. She had bought the dictionary.
Guess it paid off quite well.
"Danke, gut," Simone replied with a smile. She looked surprised herself.
"Come in all of you!" She then said, as she began leading us into her house.
We followed, me being the last one to enter.
The sudden smell of roses filled my nostrils. The house inside was just as fairytale-like as the exterior. We were standing in the living room; the walls had a yellowish orangeish color. There was a dark brown three-seat couch, a recliner, and a coffee table in the center. There was a glass vase on the coffee table, filled with roses. So that's where the smell came from. All the living room furniture was pointed towards the grand TV set.
It was a very familiar kind of place. It really felt like home.
After Simone shut the door behind her, she walked into the living room, flashing me another smile, which I gladly returned.
"You from New York, yeah?" She asked in her singsong voice.
"Yes." I nodded. "It's so wonderful to be in Germany."
"You like Germany so far?"
"Very much," I answered with another smile. "It's beautiful here."
She nodded. "It is, it is. But New York has those beautiful lights too, yeah? That's where Tom and Bill met you?"
"Yeah. We met at the coffee house I work at," I replied. "We became friends almost instantly. They're amazing boys. All four of them."
She nodded in agreement. "I miss them so much sometimes. I'm very glad they're here. And I'm glad to finally meet you! They talk so much about you that I became curious."
I was about to answer with another smile, but Tom suddenly appeared beside his mother, putting an arm around her shoulder. She smiled at her son.
"So, mom. Isn't Bella everything you thought she'd be?" He asked, winking at me.
I raised an eyebrow at him, but maintained a smile.
Simone smiled at me. "Yes. She's very beautiful."
I blushed, feeling the heat of embarrassment.
"Yeah, I keep telling her that. She gets embarrassed very easily," Tom said with a smirk. "It's funny to watch."
Simone hit his shoulder playfully. "Stop making her embarrassed! Now come on, I was making food before you guys arrived."
"Ohhh. Food," Tom and Bill said in unison, which made Clara and I laugh.
"Yes. Spaghetti," She answered, walking into the kitchen.
Bill followed his mother, gesturing us to follow him. Georg, Clara and Gustav all went to the kitchen, leaving Tom and I behind.
"So what do you think?" Tom whispered in my ear, though he didn't get too close. I mean, we were right beside the kitchen where everybody was at.
He just kind of stood next to me casually, at normal talking distance.
I smiled. "I like her."
He smiled also. "She likes you, too."
"What did she say after she hugged me before we came in? I didn't understand," I said, keeping my voice low.
"Oh, she said you're beautiful," He said, as if it were obvious.
I smiled crookedly.
"It's nothing new to me, though. I already know you're beautiful," He said with a smirk.
I pushed him lightly, which made him barely move.
He laughed. "I'm glad you like her, Bella. I think you'll like Gordon too."
"Oh, right. Your stepdad. Where is he?" I asked, realizing I hadn't seen him yet.
"Mom says he's out. He'll be back by seven," He answered with a shrug.
"Tom? Bella? Come eat." We heard Simone say, as she stuck her head out from the kitchen doorway.
"Coming mom," Tom answered back. He then gave me a playful shove before entering the kitchen; me following with a smile on my face.