Chapter 3

"The only way to have a friend, is to be one." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Flight 408 to London now boarding at Gate 7. Flight 408 to London now boarding at Gate 7."

10 minutes later……

"Last call for Flight 408 to London. Last call for Flight 408 to London."

I could feel my ass going numb. We had been sitting on hard airport lounge seats for over an hour now.

Many holiday goers had come and gone, most in a hurry to get to their places, but we didn't move.

I looked at the seats around me. Gustav sat beside me, his legs neatly crossed with a thick, hard-backed book in his hands. Directly in front of me was Bill, his usually tall Mohawk was down and his bare, tired eyes were fixed on his large coffee cup that he had been gulping down like air.

To his left was Georg. He was sleeping with his head right over the back of the chair, loud snores coming out of his open mouth. Tom was to Bill's right. He was wearing his usual apparel of baggy jeans, a black tee and blue check shirt with black Nike's. He was sitting very still, not doing anything, really. So still, I wondered if he was alive. With the big black shades he had on, I had no way of telling.

"Tom?" I asked. His head snapped towards me.

Yep. Alive.

"Never mind." I waved him off. As he turned back to his original staring position of the empty seat beside me, I realised I had to be seriously bored to be questioning Tom's living.

Bill sighed into his coffee cup,

"What time is it?" He asked the room.

I checked my Blackberry,

"4:30." Am, that is.

They all moaned in response. Even Georg, who snored at the same time. We arrived at JFK airport at around 3am, and have been sitting here ever since. Our flight to Las Vegas was delayed and no one we asked seemed to know when it was changed to. I sighed, feeling hot and sticky in the New York summer heat. I could tell this was going to be a long day, and we weren't even on the plane yet.

Tom

I hate waiting. I hate sitting still. Yet I was doing these things very well. It was so early in the morning, I didn't even have to energy to shake my leg or get my ipod out of my back pocket. I glanced over at Scarlett, something I did when I was bored. I had my large tinted sunglasses on, so she couldn't see me taking her in.

Her eyes drifted around the airport, gazing at people for no longer than a second. Her large, dark green eyes were bright and alert, her skin, as always, was pale and smooth. Her long, chestnut hair was naturally curly, and reached down to her waist. She was chewing on her bottom lip. I frowned, what was the matter with her?

Scarlett's long fingers fiddled franticly with the zip of her navy hoodie, her crossed legs bounced nervously. I couldn't help but look at her tight jeans for longer than I should have. She had always been skinny, her boyish figure was something she hated, but from the age of 13, she had developed a good pair of breasts…. Along with a nice ass.

"Tom?" My whole head snapped to look at her face.

She smiled faintly, it was still beautiful.

"Never mind." She let go of her zip to wave me off. I turned my head back forward, but my eyes never left her.

"Maybe I should die my hair red…" Bill thought out loud.

Scarlett frowned at him, then a smile spread wide across her face.

Gustav snorted, "I think you'd look like a Jelly Tot if you died your hair red." He said, lifting his head from his book. Scar laughed as she checked out Bill's head, probably picturing this. Bill stuck his tongue out at him.

"Depends on what Tom thinks, you know, cause he has a habit of stealing your hair colour." Georg piped sarcastically.

I turned, looking away from Scarlett for the first time, to glare at him.

"Shut up, Hagen. You put more product in your hair than Lady Gaga." I snapped back.

His grin fell from his face,

"Lady Gaga wears wigs, Kaulitz. Shows how much you know." He shot

"Who the fuck are you, her mother?" I shot back.

"STOP fighting!" Bill yelled, rubbing his temples, his face scrunched in pain.

"It's 4:30 in the morning. Scream in my ear one more time and I will not hesitate in killing you." With that threat, the our group turned quiet again. When I looked back to Scarlett, she was smiling at Bill. He smiled back and nodded his head once, before turning back to his coffee. What were they doing?

After 10 more minutes of bored silence, the only sounds being Bill's slurping, Gustav's page turning and Georg's snoring, Scarlett finally had enough. She sprung to her feet so quickly, I was sure she would get head rush. Everyone looked up at her.

"I'm… um…. Going to…. Get something to eat." She explained, scratching her head awkwardly. And with that, she turned for the food court right behind her. I watched her walk away, even after everyone else went back to their business.

Scarlett

I had to do something. I couldn't stand another second of that stupid lounge. It was stuffy and loud and boring.

I needed food…….

I glanced around the food court. There were long lines for In-N-Out, Starbuck's, Dunkin' Donuts, Subway and Burger King. All the nice places, I thought, sighing. Beside me was Jamba Juice, with no line at all. Fruit it is!

A short, bored-looking girl with a fiery red pixie cut sat behind the counter, picking at her long blue nails. I smiled, thinking about Bill's strange conversation starter. He always made me feel better, no matter what. She didn't look up when I reached her, didn't even blink her small brown eyes.

"What'll it be?" She asked, her words slurring like she didn't have enough energy to annunciate.

"Ehh….." I looked up at the board. The bright coloured juice names hurt my eyes. "I'll try the Pomegranate Pick-Me-Up, please." Hopefully that will make the morning easier.

She sighed like I'd just asked her to bounce on her head, and sauntered behind the door to make my drink. I made a face behind her back. Stupid girl. I felt my cell vibrate in my back pocket. I slipped it out and took and glanced at the screen… no number. Weird.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Well, well, well. She speaks."

I frowned, " Excuse me?"

"After 6 years of not hearing from you, I just thought you'd lost your voice." I could hear the strange male voice smirk.

"Who is this?" I asked, glancing over at Tobi, my heart racing.

The man laughed. It was cold and sharp.

"No daughter should ask who their father is."

My heart stopped beating altogether.

After a minute of the only sound coming from me being my heart beat, he spoke again, sounding…… troubled. Surely my father would never sound like that.

"You look….. Old. The last time I saw you, you were only 4ft tall." He sighed. " Guess it's been too long, huh?"

I realised I wasn't breathing. I took a mouthful of air,

"Where are you?" I barely croaked. My father was here… in New York….. How did he get my number??

For a few seconds, he didn't say anything. Then,

"Behind you."

My jaw clenched, tears filled my eyes. I didn't want to turn around. I wanted to be sitting back in that stuffy, stupid lounge that a minute ago I hated. Anything but him…..

I spun around quickly, like ripping off a band aid. And there he stood. The man that made my life hell for 13 years, then when I left, didn't stop me or go after me, until now. Aleczandar Rosnovski.

"Scarlett…." He breathed. Dark brown eyes that I vaguely remember ever looking at me, widened, wet with… tears? Impossible.

"Dad." I choked, not really knowing how to greet him. I shuffled my feet and opened my mouth, but nothing came out. How have you been? No, that's weird. It's nice to see you? That's stupid.

My father was some what tall, and unlike me, his skin was swarthy. He had dark hair ,that was slightly more grey than brown, and dark eyes. Although he had always looked more Italian that Polish, I found him to be cutting.. assertive…hard. Never warm or kind or soppy, like now.

My fathers eyes bore into mine, making me feel slightly uncomfortable. He didn't even look at me this much when I was born! Taking a deep breath, his mouth opened again,

"I'm sorry."

Suddenly, this day just got a whole lot weirder. Words I was positive my dad had never uttered in his life, but here he was, in JFK airport, saying them to me.

A door behind me was swung open angrily,

"Pomegranate Pick-Me-Up!"

Something told me I was going to need more than fruit to pick me up off the ground.

10 years ago

"You know…. I'm thinking about dying my hair red."

The small boy glanced at the girl hopefully. She answered with a smile, then it turned into a giggle. The boy sighed, relived. He thought he would never hear her laugh again!

"Why would you do that?" The little girl asked, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"Because I like red……" The boy with the black spiky hair turned to the little girl with the long brown hair, that was wild and sticking out in random places, from the lack of sleep she'd had the day before.

"And I want to make you smile. I don't like it when you cry."

The girl smiled again, smaller this time.

"Okay, then I promise I won't cry anymore."

He laughed at her attempt of trying to make a joke. Then, he turned serious again,

"I promise too."

She frowned, " Promise what?"

"Every time you get sad or lonely, as long as we're best friends, I'll be there to make you smile. I promise, Scarlett." He replied, his small face sincere.

"We'll be best friends forever, Bill. That's a lot of work."

"Then that will be my job when I'm older. To make you smile!"

"And it's a very important job, Billy! Take it seriously." She warned.

"I will, Scarlett." The boy smiled.

The girl slipped her hand into his, and that's how they sat, on the roof of the small house, as the sun rose over the water.

To stay like that forever.

For my only reviewer! Haha. Can I get some more maybe? Please tell me if it was okay!!!

Katie