𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓 ✞𝑡𝑜𝑚 𝑘𝑎𝑢𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑧✞

part twenty-four

Luckily, Jay wasn't there when Robyn went to visit Elliot. It being midday, Robyn cut her visit short, anticipating that Jay could arrive at any minute and find something else to argue with her about. Despite being on edge about this, she sat for almost an hour with Elliot, brushing her thumb gently over his limp hand and repeating comforting phrases of what had been occurring since he was in hospital. Since her last visit, the doctors had explained that Elliot's coma was now just a physical state and inside, he was fully conscious of his surroundings and what was being said to him. Because of this, she grew more hopeful for her friend's recovery, coming in more often to vent or tell him all about Tom, the band, Jay or her father.

Now, she was debriefing the situation on the pier and the night with Tom, scanning over his features as she talked, imagining he would suddenly wake and reassure her. In the past, Elliot was always one to give her advise and a shoulder to cry on in her existential moments, always being willingly comforting and someone to genuinely listen. Because of this, her heart ached as she saw him beneath the entanglement of wires. She could really use him right now.  

~*~

Now on the subway on the way home, Robyn tiredly lulled her head against the thick glass, her eyes darting back and forth as she watched the crowds of people of the platform rapidly disappear behind the shielding walls of brick. Still hungover and coming down from her drug use, she was thankful for the darkness beneath the ground and inside the carriage, feeling her strained eyes relax in the comfortable dim lights.

As the train sped on, she smiled to herself reflecting on the previous night and the people she had met. Specifically, she recalled how she watched the group interact with each other, being both teasing but also caring. Immediately after Bill threw up, she recalled how they all comforted and cared for him, each helping out in any way they could and terminating the night at that moment. She envied their caring dynamic and closeness.

Of course, her mind shifted to how the night escalated to her and Tom, causing her to smile to herself further as she remembered his tender gentleness around her. With the band or in the press, he was this supposed arrogant womaniser rockstar, but with her, he was entirely delicate and cautious. Her smile suddenly faded as her thoughts shifted once more to her previous conversation with Jay and how in some ways he was right; she did need to tell them about Elliot.

~*~

"Robyn!" a sweet voice called out as she approached her front door. Hearing this, she practically swivelled on foot to face the voice, now seeing a gleaming Lena on the Kaulitz porch, her hair thrown up into a messy bun with a white collared shirt falling from her shoulder.

"Come here!" she called out, flailing her hand as a signal to Robyn. She chuckled at the girl's boisterous invite before sliding the keys back into her pocket and walking the short distance to the neighbouring porch.

Now closer, she saw how Lena had accumulated a collection of large drawing pads and charcoal blocks that surrounded her deckchair in the middle.

"I hope you weren't with that arrogant dick" she teased, referring to Jay as she swept her hair from her flushed face with her elbow. Her hands messily stained with charcoal.

"Oh no, I was just going for a walk along the boardwalk" she lied, smiling as she watched the girl hurriedly compile the drawing pads to the side in order to make room for her on the other camp chair.

"Are these your drawings?" Robyn asked, intrigued as she twisted her head to see. On the large page at the top of the pile, Robyn scanned over the intricate line work, seeing how the various shades of grey blended and dispersed to embody a landscape.

"Jesus," she exhaled "You're really fucking talented"

"Aw thanks" Lena thanked sweetly, turning the one currently in her lap for Robyn to see "This one isn't finished yet, but it's inspired by your town" she explained, the excitement in her words apparent.

"Oh, I see. Wow, where did you learn to draw like that?" Robyn questioned, amazed by the piece in-front of her.

"Mainly school, my friends all think it's a waste and I just do makeup artist stuff instead" she laughed. "They love stuff like that. Not so much real art"

"Yeah, most girls here are like that- not my type of people. Tom told me about your friends back home" she explained, pushing slightly to know more about them.

"Oh, yeah" she took a deep sigh, dusting off the black dust from her palms "Tom surely got his way around them"

"I can imagine" Robyn laughed, looking from the drawings and adjusting her position in the chair to listen to Lena explain.

"He's changed quite a bit since coming here. I have to say, I'm surprised by how he is with you" she remarked, pulling her knees beneath her chin.

"How come?" Robyn questioned.

"Well, he's always quite superficial and temporary with girls back home. But here, I don't know- he must be different. Maybe it's you?" she giggled.

"Maybe" Robyn laughed, seeing how genuine this girl was when she looked over at her.

"I like you, You're good for him" she smiled to finalise the conversation.

Just as Robyn was about to speak once more, the front door creaked as it opened, the slightly surprised face of Georg appearing on the porch. Now cleaned up, he smiled over at the two girls, now realising Robyn was here.

"Hi Robyn," he smiled to which she replied with a small hi. "They're fighting over music again" he sighed at Lena.

"Again?" she let out a frustrated huff, pushing her artwork to the side and rising to her feet to help.

"Do you wanna come listen?" Georg offered to Robyn as Lena pushed past him in the doorway and marched to resolve the quarrel.

Robyn toyed with the idea, humming as she now realised she had never heard their music before.

"Sure, why not?" she smiled, rising from the chair and following Georg into the house.

Directly at the top of the stairs on the first floor, Georg lead her into a small room where the bickering could be heard. Now inside, she saw how the room practically spilled out instruments, Gustav's drums practically eating up all available space inside. Aside from this, there were three other stools accompanied by microphones, stands and headphones, all of which occupied the other three band members. Along the interior of the walls, rows and stacks of cd's could be seen, all displaying various texts, colours and shapes along their uniform spines. Finally, in the corner, there was a small desk with an open laptop and various streams of wires trailing from it to both the microphones and two latch speakers.

Pulling her gaze from analysing the room, her vision reverted back to Bill and Tom who stood beside their stools, Tom clutching his guitar at his side as he angrily spoke over Lena's reasoning. The twins bickered for several moments before acknowledging that Robyn stood behind Georg. Seeing her, the pair awkwardly stood silent and smiled towards her.

"Hi" Tom attempted a smile, his expression softening from anger to innocent.

"Hi" she replied, acknowledging all of the band, including Gustav who waited for their argument to subside, boredly toying with his drum sticks.

The silence was brief but mutually acknowledged, before Bill spoke once more.

"I am right, the bridge needs to be straight after Gustav's part" he stood his ground, seriously raising his chin over to Tom who rolled his eyes with a childish sigh.

"Let her listen. See what she thinks" he defended, signalling over to Robyn who stood confused in the doorway.

"Fine" Bill tutted pettily storming over to the laptop and shifting the mouse to the beginning of the track.

"This happens every fucking time" Georg whispered down to Robyn, rolling his eyes slightly as she chuckled.

"Here, listen to this"