I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing. Again. Knowing that it wasn’t going to stop anytime soon, I groaned and sat up.
Ignoring my phone, I climbed out of bed and headed for the bathroom. I climbed in the shower, glad that the running water drowned out the sound of my cell phone. When the water began to cool, I climbed out and wrapped a towel around myself. A quick brush through my naturally red hair got rid of any tangles.
A couple inches past my shoulder blades, with side swept bangs, it was a few shades darker than it usually was because it was wet. I loved my hair. And, up until now, so had Tom. I sighed, turning away from the mirror and back towards my room to get dressed.
Still ignoring my phone, I pulled on a pair of grey skinny jeans and a red Paramore T-shirt. I couldn’t afford to think about Tom. Childhood best friends with him and Bill, I’d had a crush on Tom for years. But it was only just recently that Tom had stopped sleeping around so much and we’d decided to try dating. We’d been together for a few months now but Monday night was the first time we’d actually done anything….risqué. Tuesday morning, coincidentally, was when I’d stopped picking up my phone. I’d woken up Tuesday morning to find…that area itchy and covered in little red bumps.
I’d left while he was still asleep and gone to the doctor to get tested. I knew it wasn’t anything I’d done—until that night, I’d been a virgin. Which only left Tom. He’d never mentioned anything and he should know if he did…unless it was recent. And if it was recent it could only mean one thing. Tom Kaulitz, my best friend turned boyfriend, had cheated on me.
I tried to find anything to distract me so that I wasn’t thinking of Tom or worse, what my test results might say. But unfortunately, nothing seemed to work. And my phone still rang. It had stopped for a short while but now was ringing as relentlessly as before.
I sighed, and ran a hand through my hair before picking up my phone. The caller ID said it was Bill. “What, Bill?”
What I heard first was a string of German before he switched to English. That wasn’t good. “What do you mean what, Bill? You know damn well what Jen. Why haven’t you picked up before now? I know about Monday night. Tom told me. He said you were gone when he woke up. Why?”
“Why don’t you ask Tom? He’s the one that cheated.” Okay, so I was mad too.
There was a beat of silence before Bill tried to speak. “Jen—“
“Forget it. Bye Bill.” I hung up.
I couldn’t talk to Bill. He was Tom’s brother, his twin. He might not always like or agree with what Tom did but he would always stick by him. I didn’t want to think about it anymore so I flopped down on my couch and turned on the TV. Ten minutes later I was still flipping channels trying to find a decent show to watch.
I’d only just decided on a show and settled in to watch when someone began pounding on the door. I turned off the TV. Getting up from the couch, I quietly walked over to the door. One look through the peephole confirmed my guess. It was Tom.
He stopped pounding on the door almost as abruptly as he’d started. I saw him take a deep breath and pulled back. I didn’t want to hear what he had to say but I couldn’t seem to make myself walk away.
“Jen, come on. I know you’re there. Talk to me.” Silence. “I know you talked to Bill Jen.” He tried again, “He told me what you said. Jen, I didn’t cheat. I haven’t—“
I couldn’t take it anymore; I opened the door. He looked surprised but cautious. “Don’t lie to me Kaulitz.”
“Jenny, I’m not—“
