Prologue
Collision in coral red.
He was the leader of the pack. She could see that instantly. Though walking amid the other boys of his group, he was not just one of them. He was leading the way. Surprisingly, he was taller than she was on her high heels. Most boys weren't. He was looking at them now, she was sure of it. But she did not look at him a second time. She looked at the open door at the end of the corridor, through which she could see the moon. It filled almost the entire opening. Before it now stepped the contours of the man she was expecting there. He was here to pick her up and teach her. She picked up her pace and smiled at the man. Behind her she registered whistling sounds. The other boys, she thought.
The first thing he noticed about her were her boots. He had never seen such things. Coral red leather reaching up to her knees. Gold embellishment over the whole length of it, very high heels that made no clicking noise on the ground, a row of button after shiny gold-coloured button. These creations made her taller than she was, and from the look of it she was taller than most girls even without them. This girl was not afraid to be considered too tall. Eyes fixed on the footwear, Tom walked through the corridor, looking up at her face a fraction of a second before he had passed her. She was not looking at him, but straight ahead, with a look of determination. In the moonlight it had not looked like the face of a human, but like something else, that was maybe even better. He had never seen this girl before. He knew almost everybody here by name, if not more. He had been here the longest. Two long years. All fresh winds were welcome.
Tom inquired after her name with the others, who had decided to whistle at her. 'No idea,' said Evan, 'she must be new here. Want me to check the notice board?' 'No.' This thing he wanted to find out by himself.
Collision in coral red.
He was the leader of the pack. She could see that instantly. Though walking amid the other boys of his group, he was not just one of them. He was leading the way. Surprisingly, he was taller than she was on her high heels. Most boys weren't. He was looking at them now, she was sure of it. But she did not look at him a second time. She looked at the open door at the end of the corridor, through which she could see the moon. It filled almost the entire opening. Before it now stepped the contours of the man she was expecting there. He was here to pick her up and teach her. She picked up her pace and smiled at the man. Behind her she registered whistling sounds. The other boys, she thought.
The first thing he noticed about her were her boots. He had never seen such things. Coral red leather reaching up to her knees. Gold embellishment over the whole length of it, very high heels that made no clicking noise on the ground, a row of button after shiny gold-coloured button. These creations made her taller than she was, and from the look of it she was taller than most girls even without them. This girl was not afraid to be considered too tall. Eyes fixed on the footwear, Tom walked through the corridor, looking up at her face a fraction of a second before he had passed her. She was not looking at him, but straight ahead, with a look of determination. In the moonlight it had not looked like the face of a human, but like something else, that was maybe even better. He had never seen this girl before. He knew almost everybody here by name, if not more. He had been here the longest. Two long years. All fresh winds were welcome.
Tom inquired after her name with the others, who had decided to whistle at her. 'No idea,' said Evan, 'she must be new here. Want me to check the notice board?' 'No.' This thing he wanted to find out by himself.