Just the Way It Is

Part 1 - Lost in Germany

It took Jamie only seconds to figure out that she had been left behind. All her friends had just forgotten her. They would eventually realize this and come looking for her... she hoped. But at this point in time, she was alone. And even though she loved the rain, this was not the time for it but yet, it kept up. It fell hard against her skin which seemed to leave imaginary dents but she never moved. Jamie stood there, waiting. They would come back for her, right?

She glanced around. Nothing looked familiar and she recognized no one. Jamie was slowly starting to panic. It had all ready been three hours since she had last seen them all. Alex had been screaming about his phone not getting any service outside the U.S. Tyson had been whispering something obviously perverted to his long time girlfriend, Taylor. Taylor's face had turned red and she had been giggling. And then there was Nathan – He had been at the head of the pack taking them all around the city that he was living in for six months. He was only two months in and all ready knew his way around.

Nathan had always been like that. He had a perfect memory, unlike Jamie which she would give anything to have right now. She couldn't seem to remember the name of the hotel they were all staying in or even the name of the city.

Her shoulder length amber hair lay flat against her back from the rain and seemed to weigh tons. She felt wet and cold. She tried to ask people for help as they walked by but they didn't really under stand her. She wished she was taking German instead of currently taking French.

She was having to worst day ever! She had lost her friends in the crowd and her phone was dead. She didn't know how much more she could take. Then out of no where, just like in the movies, a car drove by through a puddle splashing her. Not that she wasn't wet all ready! Her frustration grew until she couldn't take it anymore. Jamie screamed in anger and tears started to form in her eyes. She fell to her knees in the middle of the side walk. She had never felt so lost before.

She sat there for a few minutes and people just kept walking by looking at her as if she was some kind of freak. Jamie didn't care. She just wanted some help.

"Um , Bist Sie meinetwegen?"

She looked up, questioning. "....Sorry. I don't speak...German." Some guy was standing next to her wearing a Metallica t-shirt with a red hoddie and a dark baseball cap. He was sorta bulky but also kinda looked like a big teddy bear.

He glanced to the side before he spoke again and this time with an accent that was still clear, "English, right?" A hint of a smile showed on his face, "I was just wondering if you needed help...? You look a bit out of it or such..."

She sprang to her feet. "Yes. Please?" She pleaded, "I lost my friends and I have no idea where I'm at and I don't know the name of my hotel and....I'm just lost..." The words she said came out in quick spurts of frustration.

The guy just stood there with a concerned look on his face. Eventually, after she was done relieving all her stress he said, "...Let's get out of the rain and try to solve your problem." He nodded towards some sort of coffee shop at the end of the block.

She practically ran there with the guy trailing behind. After getting in side and sitting down in a corner sipping hot cocoa thanks to the mystery guy who was beginning to look more and more like a white knight, she started to feel calmer.

"Does it taste all right?"Her white knight asked as he sat down beside her at the table holding a cup full of what she assumed to be a kind of coffee.

She smiled happily, "It's delicious!"

As she beamed, he also began to smile. "From what you told me, your mobile phone does not work?" She nodded. "You can use mine to call your friends."

"Oh Thanks,....um..."

"Gustav"

"Thank you, Gustav." She smiled again and he handed his phone to her. She dialed Tyson's phone number and it rang four times before going to voice mail. She should have known. Jamie sighed and looked over at Gustav who just grinned back and took another sip of his coffee. This time she dialed Nathan who she knew would answer.

He picked up right away, "Hey, who is this?"

"Nathan! It's me Jamie!"

"Oh my god! Jamie where have you been. We looked for you everywhere! Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just got stuck in the rain but I'm ok now. I'm happy to hear you went looking for me. I thought you guys just left me!"

"We would never. Where are you anyway?"

"Um..." She looked mover at Gustav again. "I do not know...Are you guys at the hotel?"

"Yeah."

"What's it called...?"

Nathan began to tell her and then she realized that she wouldn't be able to pronounce it so she explained that she had been helped buy a guy named Gustav and she would hand the phone to him so he could say the name to him which in turn would some how get her to that hotel.

They talked for a few minutes with some of it being in German which confused Jamie. After he handed the phone back to her Nathan explained, "This guy said he'll bring you here. So we'll see you in the next twenty minutes or so..."

"Okay...bye!" Then she hung up.

When they were outside the coffee shop, Gustav hailed a cab. He opened the door and Jamie got in. He sat down next to her and spoke German to the driver and then they were off.