Behind His Brown Eyes

As I walked into the crowded venue, the electric energy in the air was ecstatic. The excitement of the concert was contagious, engulfing me in a wave of anticipation. The scent in the air was crisp and cold with hints of perfume.

I contributed half of the scent from the perfume I wore to the concert. I made sure to smell good for the occasion. As for my appearance, I was quite pleased with myself. I had styled my short, light brown hair into pigtails with ribbons and left half of it down. My top was a striped, hot pink lace shirt with a skull embroidered on the side. My pants were just simple, miss me jeans adorned with gems on the back pockets. My shoes were basic sandals, but they complemented the outfit well. My makeup was particularly stunning, consisting of highlighter, eyeliner, some skin-toned eyeshadow, and mascara around my hazel eyes.

I was there to see the German band Tokio Hotel, and it was my first time seeing them in concert. When the band took the stage, the crowd and I erupted into applause and screams. I was especially excited to see Tom Kaulitz, the guitarist, and cheered the loudest for him.

Tom had long dreads that were often tied up in a ponytail, and he wore a bandana and hat. He even had a cold, silver lip ring. His style was rebellious, with baggy pants, long shirts, and random accessories. The girls around me cheered for the other members of the band.

Bill Kaulitz, Tom’s twin brother, was the lead singer. Unlike Tom, Bill’s style was dark and gothic, with black hair and white stripes all spiked up. He usually wore dark makeup around his eyes, along with a black eyebrow piercing. His clothes were often dark and tight, sometimes leather. He also wore spiky chokers and necklaces. When he wore smaller shirts, his star tattoo along his lower abdomen would peek out.

Georg Listing, the bassist, had straight, long, light brown hair. His style was a mix of Tom’s and Bill’s, with dark and tight shirts, but baggy pants. He usually wore a belt, but it would be covered by his shirt.

Finally, Gustav Schäfer, the drummer, had short, messy, dirty blonde hair. His style was similar to Georg’s, with black or white shirts and baggy jeans. However, what set him apart from Georg was the hats he would wear.

Bill spoke to the crowd for a bit before they started performing, engulfing us in a mix of dark and happy genres that weren’t emo or grunge.

Amidst the flashing lights and strumming bass, my attention was instantly drawn to Tom. His angelic presence was impossible to ignore. I knew I wasn’t the only girl to feel this way. Many girls fangirl over him. Getting him to notice me would be 1 in a million.

As the first song played, I couldn’t take my eyes off Tom. It was like everything else faded into the background, and all that mattered was his captivating stage presence. His fingers expertly danced along the strings of his guitar, weaving melodies that effortlessly climbed into my heart. I just couldn’t take my eyes off him.

After a moment of enjoying the concert, I felt a vibration coming from my back pocket, which confused me. I reached my hand around to see what it was and pulled out my flip phone. My dad was calling me, but I didn’t want to miss any part of the concert. So, I put my phone back in my pocket, not wanting to be rude by ignoring his call.

I was delighted when the band took a short break after the song to get Gustav a new drumstick. One of his drumsticks had a huge chip missing. While they were on break, my phone vibrated and I took it out of my pocket. It was my dad calling again. Now that the music had stopped and the crowd was calm, I could easily answer the call.

I flipped open my phone and answered, “Hello?” Speaking clearly, I waited for a response from my dad. He grunted loudly before asking, “Hey, Natalie! You’re at the Tokio Hotel concert, right?” His tone was suspiciously joyful. “Yeah, why?” I could hear him chuckling on the other side of the line. “Look up on stage to the left.”

I raised my eyes and saw my dad peering over the side of the curtains, waving at me. “Oh my god,” I groaned in annoyance. “Why are you back there?” He chuckled before disappearing behind the curtain. “I knew you were going to be here tonight, so I asked to work here tonight! Isn’t that amazing?” He replied. I looked around to make sure no one was staring. “Dad, I’m 16. You don’t have to baby me,” I said. Suddenly, a girl beside me screeched as Tom and Georg waved to the crowd.

“Listen, kiddo. I am not trying to baby you. As your father, it is my responsibility to ensure your safety.” His voice had turned stern. “Whatever,” I replied with an eye roll and a sigh. He chuckled once more and spoke clearly. “Would it make you feel better if I told you I got you a backstage pass to meet the band?” My jaw dropped, but quickly turned into a smile. “Really?!” I exclaimed in disbelief. “Oh my God, Dad, I love you!” A few people stared at me like I was crazy, so I lowered my voice. “Thank you.” He chuckled “Yea, just wait til the performance is over and I’ll come get you. Oh, to make it even better, I’m gonna treat you to dinner tonight.”

I couldn’t believe I’d be able to meet them. I couldn’t believe I’d be able to meet Tom. “Thank you, Dad,” I said before hanging up.

As I attempted to put my phone back in my pocket, the girls surrounding me erupted in screams and cheers, calling out Tom’s name. Confused, I looked up to see what was happening. To my surprise, he had shifted his guitar to the front of his tall frame to symbolize a woman’s body and thrust it up and down on his lower abdomen. I cheered him on, not just out of horror but excitement.

They resumed playing shortly afterward. We all cheered until our voices gave out. After a while, I ended up just jumping and singing. I couldn’t take my eyes off Tom once again. The way his lip ring shined when he smiled, the way he played, and looked while performing was breathtaking. It was so beautiful that I couldn’t help but cry and cheer with excitement. I didn’t care if my makeup smudged all over my face; I just wanted to cherish these moments at the concert, gazing at Tom.

From all the cheering and crying, I hadn’t noticed they were performing their last song for the concert. 10 songs had passed by so fast. I screamed and cheered once more before they finished. Bill bowed, Georg held up a hand as a short way to wave, Gustav held up his drumsticks, and Tom waved to the crowd. Of course the crowd went wild.

As Tom exited the stage, he took a sip from his water bottle and threw it to the crowd. The girls behind me began fighting over it while my dad made his way over to me in the front row. He held a backstage pass attached to a lanyard and said, “C’mon, kiddo. Let’s get out of here before you get dragged into that mess,” before laughing.

I slipped the lanyard around my neck as he led me backstage. Once we arrived, I noticed a table of food, backstage staff, cameramen, and the world’s cutest German band.

Bill was lounging on a couch, sipping water, while Gustav was grabbing a plate of fruit. Georg was engaged in a conversation with one of the staff members, and Tom was grabbing a soda from the vending machine. The atmosphere was peaceful and serene until I broke the silence by fangirl screaming and hugging my dad. Gustav was unfazed by my scream, but everyone else turned their heads towards me. Bill raised an eyebrow, Georg continued to talk to the staff but casted me a glance, and Tom sipped on his soda before taking out a pen.

“Alright, what do you want me to sign?” Tom asked, approaching me. His thick German accent was apparent. “Excuse me, but I was hoping you could chat with my daughter or hang out with her. She has been a fan of yours for some time,” my dad interjected. Gustav turned around, chewing on a strawberry, and gave his approval. Bill smiled and crossed his legs. “We don’t usually do this, but since you are such a kind stage manager, we’ll make an exception,” Bill said in a gentle tone, softer than Tom’s. Tom shrugged and sat on the far end of the couch opposite from Bill. Gustav settled in a chair in front of them while Georg continued his conversation with the staff.

I smiled and squeaked a bit before stepping towards them. Bill patted the space between him and Tom, inviting me to sit, and I hesitated at first before joining them. Soon, their attention was turned to me. “So,” Bill said, “what’s your name?” I took a short deep breath and replied “Natalie Hayes. But everyone just calls me Nala. Also I already know your names of course,” I giggled.

Tom’s lip ring caught my attention as he smirked. It completed his already beautiful face, shining in the light, making him look even more angelic than he usually does. He’s such a beautiful boy, I was lost in thought until someone snapped their fingers in front of me, bringing me back to reality. “Earth to Natalie,” Tom said, interrupting my thoughts. “Does that happen a lot? Are you high?” I looked at him in slight discomfort. I have smoked weed before and gotten high, but I didn’t need anyone else to know.

Bill laughed. “Leave the poor girl alone, she’s probably nervous” I shook my head.

“No, no. I’m fine, I didn’t get much sleep last night so I’m just pretty tired.” I lied.

Georg finally made his way over and held out his hand to me for a handshake. It took a moment for me to comprehend what he was offering. I quickly shook his hand. “My fault, I forgot to ask for a handshake” Bill laughed and held out his hand.

I let out a short sigh and replied, “No, it’s okay.” Bill smiled and withdrew his hand. The silence that followed was loud, but Bill quickly spoke up to keep the conversation going. “How old are you? You look about our age.” I chuckled at his question and nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be turning 19 a few weeks after Gustav’s birthday.” Bill raised an eyebrow. “Oh really? Y’know, that’s after ours too,” Bill nodded to Tom.

I smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I know,” I glanced at Tom before turning to Bill. My mind kept drifting to the beautiful man sitting beside me. I started to zone out again. Tom’s brown eyes were like a trap to me. I wasn’t even talking to him, but it felt like we had known each other for years.

Bill noticed my distracted state. He leaned in closer, his voice filled with curiosity.

“Hey, Nala, you seem a bit distant. Is everything okay?” I snapped back to reality, offering a faint smile.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Like I said, I’m pretty tired. Plus, I just have a lot on my mind, you know? It’s just so amazing meeting you guys.” Bill chuckled and nodded.

As our conversation progressed, I found myself struggling to gather the courage to start a conversation with Tom. I turned towards him once again, and our eyes met. I felt a sudden rush of excitement, but I couldn’t decipher his thoughts. It was unclear whether he was interested in talking or if he was simply in a neutral mood.

As I was about to say something, my dad approached me and tapped me on the shoulder. “Hey there, kiddo. It’s time to go,” he said. “Say goodbye to everyone and meet me outside while I smoke, okay?” I let out a sigh and nodded. My chance to speak to Tom was gone. I turned around to face Bill and, to my surprise, he hugged me tightly.

As the hug between Bill and I ended, he asked, “Can I give you my number so we can hang out sometime or go to a party?” I smiled and nodded, feeling that a friendship could form between us. Although I didn’t have any romantic feelings for Bill, I was open to getting to know him better.

Tom gave his pen to Bill, who took Gustav’s unused napkin to write on. I watched as Bill jotted down numbers and was about to hand it over to me when Georg stopped him, “I want to give her my number too!” he beamed. Gustav, meanwhile, munched on another strawberry and gestured he wanted to participate by waving his hand.

Bill nodded and handed the pen and napkin to them. Despite all the talking, Tom remained silent. Maybe he didn’t want to talk. All he said to me was, “Hey, are you high?” and “What do you want me to sign?” After Gustav and Georg finished writing their numbers, they handed Tom the pen and gave me the napkin. I was kind of disappointed I didn’t get Tom’s number.

They even noticed Tom’s mutual mood.

As I made my way to the exit, I smiled and said goodbye. Although I heard footsteps behind me, I didn’t want to turn around, and see a staff member trying to leave. To avoid any possible embarrassment, I kept walking. Suddenly, my mood shifted when I felt a pair of hands rest on my shoulders.

I turned around and my eyes immediately met Tom’s. He was standing over me still holding the pen while his hands were on my shoulders. I couldn’t believe Tom was touching me. I smiled and opened my mouth like I was about to speak but Tom leaned in next to my ear.

“Maybe at one of those parties Bill mentioned, you and I could make out a bit, maybe more? You’re pretty cute y’know.” He whispered, his warm breath hitting my neck. I could feel my face get hot as he leaned back.

There was a wide grin plastered on his face. I remained speechless as he took my hand and wrote his number in my palm. His lip ring shined along the border of his gorgeous smile. I couldn’t help but giggle a bit. Once he finished writing, he leaned in and planted a soft kiss on my cheek. The cold metal from his lip ring stung slightly, but I didn’t mind.

With a grin still on his face, he walked back to the others. I couldn’t believe Tom kissed my cheek, or spoke to me for that matter.

As I heard the exit door open slightly, I turned to see what it was. It was my dad, peering into the room with a serious look on his face. “Come on, Nala, we still have to get dinner,” he said. I looked at Tom, but he had already turned his attention to his brother who was rambling about something random. I then turned back to my dad and started walking towards the door.

“Sorry, I just zoned out.” I said, smiling.

I couldn’t believe Tom Kaulitz thought I was cute.