Dreams Can Come True

57. Great opportunities

The silence in the living room was only interrupted by the soft buzz of the television as I nestled into the comfortable couch after Bill and Jacob had left, wrapped in a warm blanket that embraced me like a safe cocoon. My hands glided over the remote control as I flipped through the channels, searching for something to capture my attention. But nothing seemed to really captivate me.
With a sigh, I got up and walked to the huge bookshelf filled with an eclectic collection of DVDs. My fingertips trailed over the spines of the DVDs, searching for something to pique my interest. A soft smile played on my lips as I blindly picked a DVD and inserted it into the player.
As the movie began to play, I quickly noticed that my thoughts were elsewhere, back with David and the awkward confrontation we had had. His words continued to resonate in my head: he knew I wasn't his Elise. A shiver ran down my spine at the memory of those words. Was it just drunken talk, or did he really know something about reality shifting? I shook my head, hoping to dispel those unpleasant thoughts, and tried to focus on the movie. But no matter how hard I tried to concentrate on the film, I couldn't really follow the storylines. Eventually, I decided to turn off the DVD player and walked to the sideboard on the other side of the room. With my fingers, I ran over the smooth surface, looking for any dust I could clean to distract my mind. But to my surprise, there was not a speck of dust to be found. A smile of recognition played on my lips as I remembered that Bill and Tom had hired a cleaning company that regularly took care of the apartment.
With a sigh of slight disappointment, I plopped back down on the couch, my gaze drifting to the clock on the wall. My eyes widened in surprise when I saw that barely half an hour had passed since Bill had left the door. I could hardly believe that I was already feeling so bored.

Just as I wondered what to do with the rest of my afternoon, my phone started ringing. With a grateful sigh, I picked up the phone, becoming aware of the faint tremble in my hands. On the other end of the line, Paul, our manager's voice sounded, clear and lively. His enthusiasm was contagious, even over the phone. "Elise, I have great news," he began, his voice trembling with excitement. "I've been contacted by a record label, and they're interested in releasing a CD of you and Bas!"
A wave of excitement washed over me at the news. It felt like a dream come true, an opportunity I had never dared to dream of. "That's fantastic!" I exclaimed, my voice filled with genuine joy. My heart pounded in my chest, and my thoughts raced in all directions as I tried to grasp what this news meant. Despite this originally being the dream of the other Elise, I felt excited and happy.
"Yes, it's a dream come true," Paul replied with a smile in his voice. "Bas is also extremely excited."
Paul continued with details about the schedule as I listened breathlessly. "We'll have to spend a lot of time in the studio starting tomorrow, not only to rehearse for Tokio Hotel's opening act but also to record our own CD," he explained. "And we urgently need to have a meeting about our band name because so far, we haven't even thought about it." The CD had to be released on the day before we went on tour with Tokio Hotel so that Tokio Hotel's fans would also have the chance to buy our music.
I nodded in agreement, although my head was spinning with excitement and fear at the same time. It was a huge responsibility, but also an incredible opportunity to share our music with the world. I felt honored and overwhelmed by the task ahead of us.
As Paul continued talking, I felt a wave of happiness wash over me. Making music, performing, singing—it felt like my calling, as if I had finally found my place in the world. I couldn't wait to get started, to let my voice be heard and to share my passion with others. But my happiness was briefly interrupted when I felt a vibration on my phone screen.
A message from Bill. My heart skipped a beat as I read his words: 'Can't wait to have a cocktail on the beach with you X.' A warm feeling spread through my chest, and I couldn't help but smile at the thought of the time we would spend together.
But then reality hit me again. "Paul," I interrupted him softly, my voice a whisper of hope and longing, "is it possible for me to go to South Africa with Tokio Hotel next week?"
There was silence on the other end of the line, and my breath caught in my throat as I nervously bit my lower lip. Paul's voice sounded more serious when he finally replied, "Elise, with all the work ahead of us, that's really not possible. We need you here if we want to release our own music."
I nodded understandingly, although a pang of disappointment pierced my chest. I knew I had to stay here and focus on this amazing opportunity before us. It was an opportunity that wouldn't come again soon, and I was determined to do everything in my power to make it succeed.

It was late at night when I was suddenly awakened by the sound of Bill entering the bedroom. With sleepy eyes, I looked up and saw him stumbling into the room. It was immediately clear that he had been drinking a lot, and I couldn't help but smile at the sight of his cheerful, albeit slightly tipsy, appearance.
"Elise," he mumbled with a slurred voice as he tried to lay down beside me to cuddle. I reached out to him, trying to catch him and brought him to bed. His breath smelled of alcohol, and I could feel the warmth of his body as he leaned against me.
"Kiss?" he asked with glazed eyes as he looked at me with difficulty. I gave him a fleeting kiss on his forehead, knowing that he probably wouldn't remember much of this night.
Suddenly, the atmosphere changed when Bill suddenly didn't feel well. "Oh Elise, the room is spinning," he groaned, as he brought his hands to his stomach. A wave of concern washed over me as I saw him struggling with nausea.
"I'll get a bucket right away," I whispered, jumping out of bed and rushing to the bathroom. I grabbed the bucket and placed it next to the bed, ready to catch Bill as he emptied his stomach. I rubbed his back reassuringly as he threw up, my heart filled with care and compassion for my beloved. "Let it all out," I whispered softly, supporting and comforting him in his moment of weakness.
When he was finally done, he slumped back exhaustedly onto the pillow. "We need to talk tomorrow," I said softly, sitting down next to him and holding his hand. "But for now, you need to rest. Everything will be okay, sweetheart."