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𝕁𝕦𝕟𝕖 𝟚𝕟𝕕, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟛, 𖡡 𝕆𝕕𝕖𝕟𝕤𝕖, 𝔻𝕖𝕟𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕜
I knocked sharply on Paul's door again, my impatience growing. "Come on, Paul! You're running late!"
It was already fifteen past ten, and we were falling behind schedule. I hadn't heard from him, and he hadn't shown up at breakfast. "I know you had a rough night, but c'mon, man! The vans are waiting!"
Till stood just behind me, while the rest of the band lingered by the elevator at the end of the hall. His hand rested gently on my shoulder, his voice soft but firm. "Excuse me, doll."
He stepped forward, taking over with a more authoritative tone. "Heiko! Ich schwöre, wenn du nicht in der nächsten Minute auftauchst, breche ich diese Tür auf." His fist pounded against the door with a force that made the wood groan.
We didn't wait long. The door swung open, revealing Paul, who looked disheveled and barely awake.
"Ich bin wach," he mumbled, his voice slurring with sleep.
"Jesus, Paul..." I sighed, feeling a pang of guilt. I knew last night had been tough; I'd felt the aftermath myself when I woke up. But I was in better shape than he was. I glanced at Till, then at the rest of the band. "Go to the venue. I'll deal with Paul and catch up later."
I guided Paul back into his room, where he collapsed onto the bed with a groan. "Alright, buddy, let's get you sorted," I said, trying to sound more composed than I felt.
Paul's room was a mess, with clothes strewn everywhere and the remnants of last night's revelry scattered about. I moved with practiced efficiency, grabbing a damp cloth from the bathroom to wipe his face.
"Come on, Paul. You need to pull yourself together," I said gently, though my voice was firm. I helped him sit up and offered him a glass of water, which he took gratefully, sipping slowly.
He glanced at me, eyes half-closed. "Thanks, Anna. I'm sorry for holding everyone up."
I gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it. Just focus on getting yourself ready. We've got a show to do, and we can't do it without you."
I helped him with his clothes, picking out something presentable from the pile of crumpled clothes. As he dressed, I tidied up the room a bit, trying to make the space less chaotic.
Finally, Paul managed to pull himself together enough to stand. He gave me a tired smile. "I owe you one."
I shrugged it off. "Just make sure you're in top shape for the show. You can repay me with a great performance."
With one last look to make sure he was okay, I grabbed his bag and slung it over my shoulder. "Let's get moving," I said. "We're running late, and I'm not looking forward to explaining this to the rest of the band."
