Chapter 6

Authoress note: Sorry it's been so long since I last updated! Life has been pretty crazy lately, so yeah… sorry! I'll try to update more often from now on but I can't make any grantees. Hope you enjoy

Alex sat at her computer desk, alone and thinking. The other girls were outside playing with her brute of a dog, Taurus. She put on some Tokio Hotel music and recalled the previous day's events. The others, besides she and Bill, had been up early enough to eat breakfast at McDonalds. Bill came over to her house to find her still asleep at 1 pm. She awoke soon after and walked out into her living room to find him watching her from the couch that sat diagonally from her door.

"Guten Morgen, meine leibe." He smiled warmly at her. Alex's initial reaction to seeing him was joy. She smiled back and started across the room to him. Then she paused, embarrassed. I must look horrible! She thought. I haven't even taken my meds yet! Yes, she did realize how bad that sounded, even as she thought it. It was just medicines for her lungs and depth perception, though. There were also various meds for allergies and acid reflux. Nothing that interesting.

"Hold that thought." She turned back and ran to her door once more, calling over her shoulder "I have to make myself pretty!"

Alex slammed her door shut and Bill shook his head. He wasn't even going to try to argue with that; he wouldn't get anywhere. He waited about ten minutes before she re-emerged. His breath caught in his throat as he looked at her. She was dressed in a very low cut black shirt and skinny jeans that were red and black check patterned. Black converse boots with red laces came to half way between her knee and ankle. She had on a variety of necklaces, about six total. Her eye liner had been applied to symmetrical perfection. It made her dark green eyes stand out more than usual against her ghostly complexion. Bill stared, absolutely speechless. Her deep reddish hair fell in graceful ringlets around her head and shoulders. Her bangs were straightened to the left side of her face.

"Meine leibe, beautiful is an understatement…" He still couldn't find words to describe the sight that graces his vision.

"Danke," Alex crossed the room, only tripping once, to sit on his lap. He kissed her neck as she sat down, wrapping his arms around her.

"How did you sleep?"

"Very well, actually. How about you?"

"Well enough. I was looking forward to seeing you, though, which made it a little difficult."

"That's sweet." Alex blushed, which was rare for her.

"Let's go out to eat," Bill suggested. "I need some coffee." It was widely known among Tokio Hotel fans that Bill was a certified coffee freak. Alex was too.

"Coffee!" Alex jumped up and ran for her wallet. Bill caught her hand and pulled her back towards the door.

"No need, it's on me. Will your parents care if you leave?"

"No, but it wouldn't matter if they did. They probably won't even notice that I'm gone."

"Okay, if you're sure. I don't want to get you in trouble."

"I'm sure it's fine. Let's go!" Alex ran for the door, closing and locking it behind Bill. She headed down her front steps but her feet had a different idea than her brain. One foot went off the side of the porch, causing her to have to jump to stay upright. The attempt failed. She jumped up quickly after landing on her ass, arms flailed out to her sides. She retrieved her phone, which had gone flying as she fell, from a nearby bush and got in Bills car.

"Are you ok?" Bill asked, concern etched into his face.

"Yeah, I'm fine. My brain and my feet don't always agree with each other. They aren't usually on the same page."

"Aren't usually?" Bill cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Ok, so they're never on the same page."

"That's more like it." Alex was known for being clumsy. Bill out the car in gear and with that, the pair made their way to Burger King for breakfast… well, more like lunch… and Mocha Joe's.

Once inside, the couple sat in a corner booth, tray heaping with all kinds of food. Two extra-large iced Mocha's sat in the middle of the other food. Alex and Bill laughed and joked as they ate and drank their drink of life; coffee. Suddenly, when they were done eating, Bill's face turned serious.

"Hey, Alex?"

"Yeah?" Alex looked puzzled at his sudden lack of animation.

"I need to talk to you about something."

Colista and Georg strolled casually through the park. Allie and Gustav, Collette and Tom, and Asha walked ahead of them. Well, Asha skipped ahead of them. The group had decided to spend the day outside; it was sunny and warm, very nice. Collette had texted Alex and told her where they were, but Alex was probably to occupied with Bill to answer.

"So, what are your parents like?" Georg asked, chuckling as Asha tried and failed to climb a nearby tree.

"My mom is great. We fight a lot, but we always make up. We're getting better though."

"What about your dad?"

"He lives in Iowa. He and my mom aren't together anymore; they divorced about five years ago. His job transferred him a few years back and he couldn't say no. It was a good opportunity for him. I miss him a lot though."

"I'm sure you do. Do you get to visit him often?"

"Three or four times a year… once on Christmas break, once on spring break, and once or twice in the summer. I just got back from visiting him about two weeks ago. I'll go back the week before school starts."

"That must be tough."

'Yeah, it's not as hard on me as it is on my sister, though. She was so little when he left, only eight. I've had to be almost like a parent to her ever since. She's doing better now that she's older. She still misses him a lot more than I do. It's taken a bigger tole on her than me."

"You're strong, you know that? Very strong."

"Thank you. I do what I have to."

"A lot of people would be resentful of their father for leaving, but you don't seem to be. Are you?"

"No. He had to go. There's nothing to resent. It is what it is."

"Wow, I'm impressed. You're more mature than your fifteen years."

"Thank you. I've heard that before." They both chuckled.

"That doesn't surprise me. I bet you have. Hey, can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure, anything you want…" Colista was silenced by the sudden seriousness of his expression.

What could this possibly be about?