"Come on, Mel! Tokio Hotel's on!" My best friend, Leah called out to me from the living room. I was in the kitchen, making some popcorn for the Pay-per-View concert; Tokio Hotel's in fact.
Those guys were really good at what they did. Starting out as a popular band when you're really young is amazing, and singing songs in two different languages is also something really amazing. Bill Kaulitz was the lead singer, and the twin brother of Tom Kaulitz. He was so hot when he had his hair in that funky style, but he looked just a little feminine when it was down. His brother's dreadlocks were a little strange, I'll admit, but it didn't take away from the fact that they were awesome.
"Coming! The stupid popcorn is being idiotisch!" (Idiotic) Yes, we liked to speak in german sometimes. We did spend months learning the language just to understand the original songs and commentaries they made in german. I was obsessed, and I knew it.
"Wirklich? Saugt Um Sie zu sein," (Really? Sucks to be you.) "Beeilen Sie sich jetzt! Es fängt an!" (Now hurry up! It's starting!)
"Ja, Ja, kommend!" (Yeah, yeah, coming!) I got to the couch just in time to see the spotlights shine on Bill and then fainter ones on the others. My stomach kind of tightened on me, so I wasn't all that hungry. But Leah was chowing down the popcorn like there was no tomorrow.
"Dieses Konzert überrascht! Tokio Hotel ist das beste Band im Ganzen verdammt Erde!" Leah shouted as she jumped up and down on the couch, jolting me and spilling the snack all over the couch.
Translation: (This concert is amazing! Tokio Hotel is the best band on the whole damn earth!"
"Leah, schauen Sie dem Popcorn zu! Sie verschütten es!" I shouted, trying to make sure that they didn't get crushed into little popcorn crumbs. Leah could be really ignorant and klutzy when she was rocking out to Tokio Hotel. So could I, but I was always too busy keeping the room we were watching t.v in clean.
Translation: (Leah, watch the popcorn! You're spilling it!) (I know I'm using a lot of german, but I just thought that with the theme of Tokio Hotel, it'd work.)
"Traurig, Melanie. Es ist nicht mein Fehler, wenn Sie zu beschäftigter Spielen housemaid sind, draußen zu diesen sexy Burschen zu schaukeln! Wissen he verteilt, Sie, dass sie sind, gonna Hinterden Kulissennausweise und Karten zu ein paar Leuten? Sorgen Sie sich, nicht habe ich Sie auch eingetragen. Ich weiß wie viel, das Sie Bill sehen wollen." She said teasingly, as I lowered my face to hide my blush. Bill was one of the sexiest men in a band, but it was just a fan-girl crush, right? I mean, he was a famous rock star, eighteen-years-old, and I was just a plain fifteen-year-old fan. He had millions of people like me fawning after him. I was just another component to the equation.
Translation: (Sorry, Melanie. It's not my fault if you're too busy playing housemaid to rock out to these sexy guys! Hey, do you know they're gonna be giving out backstage passes and tickets to a couple of people? Don't worry, I entered you, too. I know how much you want to see Bill.)
"Ja, deshalb was? Es ist, nicht wie wenn ich gewinne, wird er irgendetwas von mir denken." (Yeah, so what? It's not like if I win, he'll think anything of me.)
"Aah! Sie haben gewonnen, haben Sie gewonnen, haben Sie gewonnen! Ach, mein Gott!" (Aah! You won, you won, you won! Oh, my god!)
She was serious, I had won. They had a list going along the bottom of the screen. Melanie Hall, my name was one of the few names. (Made up the last name.) She must have put my name in way at the beginning of the contest. But Leah Fisher wasn't one of the names. She wasn't going with me.
"Aber Sie haben nicht gewonnen." (But you didn't win.) I said to Leah, whose face was clearly upset. She would always try to remain under control, but sometimes she just couldn't. It was depressing to know my best friend wouldn't be coming with me, but I was secretly screaming with joy on the inside. I was gonna see Bill Kaulitz, I was gonna get autographs and pictures! Maybe even shake his hand!
"You'll have to get me a picture or something. Autograph, too."
"Yeah, I know. Just another piece to add to your monstrous collection."
"Yep!" It wasn't going to be the same as if she was there with me, but it was sure going to be one of the best nights of my life.
* * *
The place where the concert would be held was jam-packed; people trying to get in, and people scurrying to get souvenirs before they were sold out. I was in way too much shock that I was actually here to even think about buying anything or rushing to get tickets. I had my backstage pass around my neck, and my ticket safely tucked away in my pocket. No, I was merely waiting for them to allow people backstage.
I could remember being thirteen and hearing about some new band that was causing a wide sensation in America, a band all the way from Germany. Leah had come running over with her iPod in her hand, shoving it into my face, screaming for me to listen to the song. It was "Ready, Set, Go!" in German, and though I couldn't understand most of it, I loved it instantly. After that, we were hooked. Buying their American versions of songs, CDs, t-shirts, and other Tokio Hotel novelties.
And now I was here, at one of their concerts, about to meet the men behind the magic. I'd never been able to get a ticket in time before, and I wondered how many of these people were lucky enough to be able to go more than once. And how many people were like me, the first-time concertgoer.
There was a large billboard above the doorway, flashing commercials and the like. Then it flashed the neon message I'd been waiting for:
All Those With Backstage Passes Please Report To The Ticket Booth On The North Side Of The Building.
Ahh, which side was the north side? Well, maybe if I follow the other people…which will not work, seeing as everyone is moving. I look above the doorway, below the billboard, to see which side it was.
EAST SIDE
Oh, I get it now. I just go to my right, and that will hopefully get me to my destination. It did, and I was soon standing in a small room, crowded with other people talking or squealing to their friends, or whoever they came with. Then a man who seemed to be one of those guys whose only happy because they're getting paid a six number figure for only a few hours worth of work. Gotta hate those guys.
"All right, are you all ready to see Tokio Hotel?"
"Yeah!" Came the response of everyone who was there. It seemed too surreal, to strange.
"Well, they unfortunately can't see anyone tonight. Terribly sorry."
"What?!" "You lied to us!" "Cheap!" The crowd around me was enraged, ready to launch themselves at the man. I was angry too, for duping me into coming here, but I wasn't angry enough to try anything like that. No, I was just going to call a cab and go home. As I was leaving the room and striding down the hall, fuming, I bumped into someone who was walking the direction opposite me. (I bet you can guess who it is, can't you?)
"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention!"
"It's all right. I'm kind of in a hurry anyway." This person had an accent, clearly distinct-able as German. I realized that this was Bill Kaulitz, only without his hair spiked up in the outrageous style.
"Are you Bill Kaulitz?" I just wanted to be sure.
"Yes, I am." He seemed prepared to bolt should I decided to go after him in a fan-girl fashion.
"I just wanted to know if you'd let me have two autographs?" He seemed to relax a little, and he signed an autograph to me and Leah, and even took a couple of pictures with me.
"I hope you enjoy the concert." I didn't have the heart to say I'd been duped by someone he probably thought was trustworthy.
"Yeah." He then took my hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing it briefly, but softly. He smiled and turned to continue down the hall. I watched with a euphoric feeling welling up in me, and suddenly it didn't matter that I wasn't able to get into the concert. So what if the passes were fake?
I was right about this being one of the best nights of my life.