Because Dandelions Are Pretty

The girls' foil fencing was over after a while, and so the girls' saber matches were about to begin. Unfortunately, Melanie was the only one from the United States with a clear-cut victory, putting the U.S. out of reach for a gold medal, but hey, at least they won one match.

Bill, Tom, and Aubrey were heading up the aisles to the concession stands that were set up outside. The sun was beating down on everything, so it was a stroke of luck that the food vendors had set up little picnic tables with umbrellas opened up to shield customers from the sun.

"All this excitement had made me super hungry," Tom admitted, rubbing his stomach thoughtfully. "A hamburger sounds really good right now..."

Bill nodded in agreement as the three of them stepped in line at one of the many food vendors. He tapped Tom on the shoulder and pointed at the food stand, indicating that Tom would have to order Bill's food as well.

"I have no idea what I want. Everything looks so appetizing!" Aubrey whined.

"Order one of everything," Tom joked, nudging her in the ribs.

"Yeah right," Aubrey rolled her eyes. "I'd never be able to fit back into my fencing uniform if I did that."

We'll help you eat it all, trust me, Bill wrote on the marker board.

Aubrey read it and laughed.

She ended up ordering a hot dog, a Pepsi, and French fries. Bill and Tom, true to their word, ordered a hamburger each with two Cokes and fries as well. They all took a seat at one of the umbrella-shielded tables and began eating.

"Are you staying in Germany for the whole Olympics or are you going home once fencing is over?" Tom asked after he took a bite of his hamburger.

"I'm staying for the whole thing. Might as well enjoy myself while I'm here, right?" Aubrey shrugged. "But I don't have to watch all of the sports. I wouldn't want to anyway. Some of them are boring."

We should hang out for a day then if you want, Bill wrote, silently pleading that Aubrey wasn't bored of their company already.

She grinned widely. She had been thinking the exact same thing. "That'd be awesome actually! I'd love to!"

"I was thinking we could go out and celebrate tonight anyway," Tom said, "What with Bill's and your surgeries, and Melanie's victory."

"That'd be sweet. Where were you thinking of going?" Aubrey asked.

"Well there's this really cool place near-"

"Me pardonner, miss, but aren't you Aubrey Vasser?" a new voice sliced through Tom's sentence. (French: Pardon me.)

Aubrey turned around to see the speaker, but Bill and Tom only had to look up from their meals. It was a boy about their age, incredibly tall and slender. He had brown hair that swept towards his face gently and a lip ring quite similar to Tom's. He had a pair of black sweatpants on his legs and a plain white T-shirt that was tight enough to accentuate his muscles. Clearly, he was an athlete, and wanted everyone to know it. (This is the boy. If this picture is of you, I'm not stalking you in any way. Don't blame me that your picture is on photobucket for the world to see ;])

Aubrey nodded slowly. "That's me. Can I help you?"

"Oui. My name is Nicolas Dubont," the boy introduced, sticking his hand out formally.

"Oh, right! You're the A-strip French foilist." Aubrey recognized him and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"And you as well. I heard you were unable to fence today," Nicolas said, his French accent now completely noticeable.

"Yeah, my leg was amputated. I have a prosthetic one now." Aubrey's voice was a little strained, as if she were tired of telling people the same thing over and over again.

"I am sorry to hear that. It must be terrible coming here and being unable to compete," Nicolas said, and indeed he did look genuinely upset. He then seemed to notice Bill and Tom sitting at the table. "Oh, me pardonner. Are you both fencers as well?"

"Nein. We're just here for the show. I'm Tom Kaulitz, and this is my brother Bill," Tom said casually. "We're friends of Aubrey's."

"It is a pleasure to meet you."

Bill wanted to vomit. Nicolas's formal sentence structures were getting annoying. Or maybe it was the way Aubrey was looking at him that annoyed Bill. It was hard to miss; Nicolas was definitely handsome in his own pretty-boy sort of way. Aubrey had a twinkle in her eye that Bill would've normally enjoyed – if it was him she was looking at. The better-than-thou athlete Nicolas Dubont didn't deserve that sort of look.

Actually, Bill didn't even know if Nicolas was an egomaniac. Hell, he just met the guy. But it was the way he spoke and the way he presented himself that just screamed 'elitist.' He carried his head up like he was trying to balance a glass cup on his nose.

"Anyway, Aubrey," Nicolas directed his attention back to her, "I was wondering if maybe later today or tomorrow you would like to hang out together. It would be a pleasure spending time with America's top foilist. Maybe we could even swap tricks and advice."

Bill had to control his gag reflex at that point. The sugary sweetness was oozing from Nicolas's tone, but he doubted that Aubrey noticed. Tom, on the other hand, looked just as uncomfortable as Bill. He had one eyebrow raised as if asking, 'Is this guy for real?'

Unfortunately, like a fly to a Venus flytrap, Aubrey fell for the trap. "Sure. Tonight's not so good, but tomorrow is fine. Aren't you fencing tomorrow anyway?"

"Oui. I am competing against Alaric Ritter, the German foilist." Here he glanced over at Bill and Tom, as if one of them was really Alaric Ritter in disguise. "I have no doubt that the match will be, how you say, 'short and sweet.'"

"Whoever Alaric is, I hope he kicks this guy's arsch," Tom whispered in Bill's ear.

Bill stifled a smirk and nodded gently.

"Good luck with that," Aubrey said teasingly. "I heard Alaric Ritter is amazing. You'll need all the tricks up your sleeve to beat him."

"We'll just see how amazing he is tomorrow then," Nicolas said with a smirk. "And I will see you tomorrow as well, oui?"

"Yeah, definitely," Aubrey grinned, clearly smitten by now.

Nicolas suddenly bowed, which Bill thought was beyond strange, but then his gaze hardened when he saw Nicolas take Aubrey's hand and kiss it for just a second longer than Bill would've liked. He grew even more uncomfortable when he saw Aubrey's cheeks flush.

"Au revoir," Nicolas said, waving, before he rotated on his heel and loped away gracefully. (French: Goodbye.)

Aubrey smiled after him before turning back to face Bill and Tom, both of whom looked like they had just learned the hamburgers they ate were really human fetuses.

"What?" Aubrey asked, clueless.

"You've got to be kidding me," Tom blurted. "You couldn't tell he was sucking you in?"

"Sucking me into what? Hanging out tomorrow?" Aubrey rolled her eyes. "Ooh, what a danger."

Stupid elitist prick, Bill thought, but he didn't write it down. He didn't want to make Aubrey angry, not when only a moment ago everything had been pleasant.

Well whatever. Forget about the little French boy. Tom, where did you want to go tonight? Bill wrote down instead.

Tom read the board aloud to Aubrey before saying, "That club over on Vogel Straße."

Leave it to you to pick a club.

"Well alright then, what did you have in mind?" Tom folded his arms and looked at his brother, challenging him.

I'm not sure, but I wasn't planning on celebrating by surrounding myself with a horde of girls wanting to get in my pants.

"That's the only way to celebrate." Tom faked a sigh and slung an arm around Bill's shoulders. "Kleiner Bruder, you have a lot to learn."

"Besides Bill," Aubrey cut in, "there's no room in your pants for anyone but you."

Tom busted out laughing while Bill stuck his tongue out, his tongue ring flashing for a second before he retracted it.

Aubrey rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I'm with Bill on this one. No clubs please."

Tom stopped laughing to let out a defeated cry and dropped his head on the table. Bill smiled and gave him a pat on the back.

"No girls, no clubs...this celebration isn't much of a celebration anymore," Tom groaned into the table.

Aubrey caught Bill's gaze and giggled. He grinned back.

"So where do you propose we go then?" Aubrey asked the younger Kaulitz.

Bill scribbled away on the marker board.

Have you ever seen the Elbe River before?