Another night of studying; thought Ludwig to himself, walking out of the school's gates. He carried most of his books in his bag, but a few he held in his hands. It was just another plain, bland and boring day for the sixteen-year-old Ludwig Beilschmidt. It was the same thing every day. Go home, do homework, study for tests, shower and sleep, an ongoing cycle that made high school life rather uninteresting and unexciting, unlike stories he had heard on how "it's the best four years of your life," for him the two years so far hadn't been the best.
Until one day, a peppy little auburn-haired Italian boy came along, like sunshine after a hurricane.
"Excuse me!" A little voice rang from behind Ludwig, "Sir! Mister! Um, student with the blonde hair! I have a question!"
Ludwig hadn't noticed this little voice was directed to him until he felt a light tap on his shoulder. He turned around and saw a small boy with big amber eyes and neat auburn hair, with one curl that managed to stick up from the rest, he was quite cute too.
"I'm so sorry if I disturbed you! But I have a question," He spoke with an Italian accent, and seemed to have a permanent smile but his brow and eyes read as confusion. "In the English workbook, what page is the homework on? And-and what questions do we have to do?"
Luckily, one of the books Ludwig was holding (and wasn't in his backpack) was the notebook where he wrote all his homework, he opened it and skipped to the page with the day's homework written on it. "Hmm, page two hundred and six, questions one, two, five, six and seven."
"Grazie, I mean-thank you!" The boy shrugged off his mistake. "By the way, are you Ludwig?"
Ludwig eyes widened at the fact that this boy who he had never seen in his life actually knew his name. "Why yes, I am, how did you know?"
"You have some classes with me, I hear the teacher say your name and it sticks out to me. Everyone else's name is Anthony, Ryan, John, etcetera, you name is just so…different…Ludwig. I like it." Ludwig knew he wanted to start something, a friendship perhaps.
"My parents were from Germany," Ludwig said. "That's why my name is Ludwig, and that's also why I have an accent."
"My name is Feliciano, Feliciano Vargas, I'm full Italian but I have a Spanish last name, I'm not sure how that happened," He appeared to move closer at every word Ludwig said; he looked rather absorbed in the conversation too. "I moved here from Italy, so sometimes I will get confused with my English words and Italian words, by any chance, Ludwig, do you speak German?"
"Yes, that was my first language." Ludwig said with just a hint of pride in his voice.
Feliciano looked amazed. He looked amazed at everything he said. Every word was intriguing to him. Ludwig was also pretty interested. He's never had someone to really listen to him, it felt really nice.
"How do you say 'good morning' in German?" Feliciano asked.
"Guten morgen."
"Good, I want to greet you every morning."
Ludwig was almost going to ask why he wanted to know, until he heard that answer, which when he did he turned his head sharply towards Feliciano, he was surprised, and no one has ever "greeted him every morning."
"Well, how do you say good morning in Italian?"
"Buon giorno, but if you forget kisses on the cheeks are just fine."
"Are you flirting with me?!"
"No! It's just how we say hello!"
Ludwig looked at Feliciano a little funny but after a few seconds of staring Feliciano asked him "Do you need a ride home?"
"You're sixteen! You can't have a car!"
"No…but I have a Vespa!"
"A Vespa? You mean like a little scooter?"
"It's not little, two people can fit! It's an LX 150, look, I'll show you, what's your address, I can drive you home,"
Ludwig gave him the address and before he knew it Ludwig's arm was in Feliciano's surprisingly strong grip for someone so non-muscular. One arm was grasping his books and the other being dragged across the school campus. Ludwig didn't mind going with Feliciano, sure, he's only known him for two minutes but he didn't seem like the suspicious type. Feliciano was almost running, he seemed so excited to show this student he's only seen but never contacted until only a few minutes ago his Vespa. Before he knew it Ludwig was standing in front of the pleasant white scooter, and yes, it was little, but could fit two people, and by two people he means two preferably small Italians, just like the ones who made it.
"Here she is!" Feliciano announced proudly, like a mother announcing her perfect and talented honor roll child to the family, but with a Vespa there isn't that one cousin who feels bad about themselves not being good enough, that's the good part about announcing a scooter and not a cousin, no jealous family members, just the proud mother, in this case is Feliciano.
Ludwig observed the Vespa. "Is it safe?"
"She," Feliciano corrected. "And yes she's safe as long as the driver is good."
Let's not forget, kids, Feliciano is Italian after all, so God only knows how he defines a safe driver.
Ludwig looked for a moment in confusion whether he should trust the Italian or not but then decided, why the hell not! He shoved the books in his arms into his backpack and swung it back onto his shoulders. He motioned Feliciano to get on first. Ludwig sat behind him and gripped Feliciano tightly around the waist. It was almost like he was holding on for dear life, which he definitely should be.
"Do you have a helmet?" Ludwig asked as Feliciano started up the scooter.
Feliciano laughed at the question. In other words, this means no.
Feliciano pulled out of the school parking lot rather slowly. In front of the school and a good five blocks away he drove at a moderate speed, it seemed perfectly safe for Ludwig, right? And then at the fifth block something hit. That something was Feliciano's actual driving skills. He zipped through the streets now, squeezing through cars in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Fast turns. Hearts were racing. People's faces didn't even have features and were just blurs of skin tone. It was intense. Ludwig had never experienced this before. Things moved so fast you'd have to wonder if they were really there.
There were two things both Ludwig and Feliciano felt, the wind in their hair and Ludwig's tightening grip. Things that they didn't have mutual feelings about were happiness and excitement, Feliciano's feelings of course. Ludwig's feelings were more like terrified or extremely nervous about falling off the Vespa and dying a tragic and painful death.
Before you knew it the ride was over and the two were at Ludwig's house. The ride was only ten minutes but it felt like far, far more. Ludwig got off completely dizzy with a hint of motion sickness, but Feliciano looked happy and fine, of course.
As soon as Ludwig regained balance he gave Feliciano a displeased, frustrated look. Feliciano's smile then slowly formed into a frown. They both exchanged stares for some seconds but then Ludwig broke into a tiny smile.
"That was some of the most fun I've had in my entire life." Ludwig said.
Feliciano's smile regained its natural form.
"Good," He said happily. "I'm glad you enjoyed it, you can come any time, but next time, try not to leave bruises on my stomach!"
Ludwig smiled lightly at him. Feliciano wasn't half bad, Ludwig either. The seemed so unlikely to be friends but who knew they would after this short time.
Ludwig rang the doorbell to his house. He patiently waited for his older brother, Gilbert, to answer the door. Right after he rang the bell he turned around to Feliciano.
"We may be friends now but you still drive like a psychopath." Ludwig said half-jokingly to Feliciano.
"I don't drive like a psychopath," Feliciano let out a light-hearted laugh and responded "I drive like an Italian, I am one after all."
Ludwig smiled at his answer. After a good two seconds of staring back at each other Gilbert finally answered the door, bombarding Ludwig with questions. Ludwig waved at Feliciano and he waved back, when Ludwig was finally in the house off Feliciano went, speeding down the road in his little, white, two-seater Vespa.
This was the start of an unlikely friendship.