Nina stared at the mirror in her hotel room. A towel wrapped around her shoulders, her brown curls falling over her face. She glanced at the clippers in Isadora’s hands and took a breath.
> “Do it before I change my mind.”
Isadora didn’t hesitate. Not because it was easy, but because Nina needed strength — not sympathy.
Tom, Bill, and the rest of both bands crowded the room, cheering her on with snacks and music playing on an old boom box. The moment the first strands fell to the floor, someone shouted:
> “Babe, you’re gonna look better than half the dudes in metal right now.”
Nina rolled her eyes, laughing — a full, real laugh — as more hair came off.
When it was done, Isadora handed her a mirror. Nina stared at her reflection for a moment.
> “Holy crap,” she whispered. “I look like a warrior.”
> “You are one,” Isadora said, hugging her tight.
---
But joy didn’t last long.
At 2:47 AM, Nina knocked on the adjoining door to Isadora’s room, looking pale and sweaty. Her hands were shaking.
> “My chest hurts… like bad.”
Isadora jumped out of bed and grabbed her phone. Within minutes, Nina collapsed in the hallway, and they called an ambulance.
---
The waiting room smelled like disinfectant and heartbreak.
Nina’s parents arrived just after the ambulance, her mother in tears, her father speaking in hushed tones to the doctor. Isadora sat curled in one of the plastic chairs, her fingers trembling as she texted Tom:
"At the hospital. Nina collapsed. It’s bad."
Minutes later, Tom and Bill showed up. Tom immediately wrapped his arms around her from behind, whispering, "I’m here. We’re here."
Isadora was too exhausted to cry. Too scared to speak.
The nurse finally came out, face serious.
> “We’ve stabilized her, but we need to keep her overnight for observation. Her immune system is very weak.”
Nina’s mom gave Isadora a fragile smile. “She kept asking for you.”
Without hesitation, Isadora walked into Nina’s room, sat by her side, and gently took her hand.
> “You scared the crap out of me.”
Nina smiled weakly. “Still prettier than you with no hair though.”
They both laughed, even through the fear.
YOU ARE READING
"Strings Between Us
Romance2004. Germany. Tom Kaulitz is used to getting what he wants - the stage, the crowd, the girls. As Tokio Hotel begins to rise, so does his ego... until she shows up. She's the Brazilian guitarist in a rival band - quiet, sharp-tongued, and completely...
