I'm thinking this could be multi-chapter if people really like it. So let me know what you think.
"Disrespectful!"
The teacher's voice shouted across the room. Young Wolfgang lowered his eyes. He was late again, all because of that one fight he just had to be a part of. All the kids were staring at him… "I'm sorry, sir." he mumbled. Someone giggled. Then a few more people. Wolfgang looked up. Oh no. This wasn't homeroom—he'd forgotten! This was the geography teacher, and she was woman, not a sir! Immediately he felt the teacher grab him by his collar. He winced at the sudden contact. She dragged him out and tossed him into the hallway, hissing, "Get out and put your disrespectful rear in detention for the rest of my class!" With that, she slammed the classroom door. Wolfgang stood still for a moment, trying to calm his racing heart. After a moment he silently walked down the hall, a slight limp in his step from trying to hide the pain. No one liked him. Not even the teachers. After the move to East Germany, he became the most hated kid in the area. It was like everyone knew where he was from, but not at all what he lived in.
At lunchtime, Wolfgang sat at the metal table outside by himself. He didn't have a lunch to eat, but he was too sore to go play on the playground. He wasn't even sure if he knew what play was anymore. When was the last time he played? He used to have a stuffed teddy bear. What happened to that? Oh yeah…Father took it. And destroyed it in front of him. Because he was "too old" to be playing with baby toys. Wolfgang shivered at the memory of seeing his best friend's soft stuffed head being torn from its fluffy body, all the arms and legs missing already. Oh no, the tears were coming again… Just as Wolfgang almost let one fall, he heard the four boys from fifth grade that usually bullied him come up behind him where he was sitting. "Hey Wolfgang!" one of them called. "You're so stupid—calling the teacher a man! So stupid! No wonder you can't pass any of your classes! Did the streetkids beat your brains out too after they kicked the shit out of you? Huh? Why are you so stupid then, Wolfgang?" Wolfgang didn't speak. He just put his hands in his tattered jacket pockets. "Must've been all that West German shit they taught you in school." the fifth grader said. He was only a year older than Wolfgang, but boy was he scary. He was a huge kid; looked like he always ate too much at every meal. In a way, he was lucky—at least he got meals. The other fifth graders laughed. "See if we can beat some sense back into you then…" They advanced. Wolfgang immediately put his hands up to protect himself, knowing full well that these boys could beat him to a pulp and not one teacher would do anything about it—they hated him too. He pictured them all just standing there, pretending not to see him getting beaten up. He was thinking that maybe if he finally cried someone would come rescue him…when suddenly he heard a piercing whistle. "Hey! How about you stand back from him or I'll stick ya!" a high voice yelled. That could only be one person.
His angel. Felix.
The scrawny kid with the long hair he couldn't quite get all the way over to one side stomped over, hand in his jacket pocket, using his finger to make a small clicking sound against the concealed knife. If he wielded it, he could risk getting caught by a teacher. The fifth graders actually did put their hands up though, and backed up a few steps. "That's right," Felix taunted. "you come back here and I'll drive my knife right through you after school. Better not turn your back to me, or you'll get it there too. Ficker." He spat as the fifth graders huddled into a pack and slunk away. Felix took his hand out of his pocket and hopped onto the metal table with Wolfgang. "Hi Wolfie," he said cheerfully, as if nothing had happened before that. Wolfgang felt a wave of relief wash over him. He always felt better when Felix was around, because Felix was smart. He was always two steps ahead of his surroundings. It gave Wolfgang the chance to just relax and let go of the constant anxiety he felt every day, even if just for a little bit. "Sorry I'm a little late, I got detention from detention." Felix explained. Wolfgang cocked his head. "I got caught throwing rocks outside the third story window in detention, and had to stay after for ten extra minutes. Herr Zeiler said it would've been fifteen if I hit anyone, but no one was walking by." Wolfgang felt a smile tug on his face. Felix opened up the brown paper bag he was carrying. "Mama gave me only half a sandwich today. She ran out of bread. But I do have an apple for you!" he offered. He pulled a small green apple from the bag and handed it to Wolfgang.
Felix always gave Wolfgang half of his sandwich every day at lunch. Sometimes, when he could, he'd sneak some candies from his teacher's reward box and give them to Wolfgang to eat when he felt faint. It wasn't often that Wolfgang got fed at home, so sometimes he'd get very dizzy and shaky when he was low on blood sugar. Rationing the stolen candies helped him keep his levels up until lunch the next day. "You're quiet today," Felix remarked as he took a bite of his sandwich. Wolfgang ran his hands over the apple. He shrugged. "Why were you late today?" Felix attempted at conversation. Wolfgang just sadly looked over at his friend. Felix stopped eating. He gently pushed the jacket's hood back off of Wolfgang's head. The bruises, dried blood, and tiny cuts became visible. Felix tried to hold back a sad sigh, but it just ghosted from his lips inevitably. "That wasn't from a street fight, yeah?" he asked quietly. Wolfgang lowered his eyes. Felix gently brushed his friend's cheek to wordlessly ask what happened. Wolfgang sniffled. "He just woke up angry, that's all." he whimpered. Felix bit his lip. "Was it bad?" he asked softly. "Did it last a long time?" Wolfgang shook his head again. He blinked tears from his eyes. "It was very fast," he murmured. "I only felt a few punches, then he knocked me out." Wolfgang rubbed at his eyes as they got redder and more teary. "That's why I was late. I didn't wake up for a while."
Felix reached over and put a gentle arm around his friend, pulling his head close so that Wolfgang could lean his onto his shoulder, and Felix could press his cheek against the top. "I-I don't want to go home again, Felix." the tiny blonde whispered. Felix hugged his shoulders closer, just rocking him ever so slightly. "Shhhh…" he whispered softly. "We can come to my house after school. Watch a movie, maybe? Or we can just sit quietly. Whatever you want to do. Mama has bandages, we can fix you up. You'd like that, yeah?" Felix tilted his head to see Wolfgang's bruised face. The smaller boy nodded and gave a hint of a smile. Felix grinned. "There you go, that's the smile I like to see." Wolfgang hid in his arms again, enjoying the peace and relief that came with being beside his best friend.
