Dimm light shined through the window, a breeze set in. Moritz woke up from the sudden morning chill, and felt his head throb. That morning was agonizing to be frank, he didn't want to move from his bed nor did he want to meet his father's eyes. He was even prepared to be late for school to make sure his father was already out of the house before he was. But alas he would rather not experience his dad breaking into his room and yelling at him to get up and go to school. He forced himself to swallow his headache and open his eyes. His legs felt numb and his breath was shallow, he knew it was all because of stress and his anxiety that was building up to this day of coming back to face everyone. He also knew that no one knew about what happened not even Melchior, but still it was the thought of pretending that made him sick.

He lifted his head and turned to the clock and in shock he realized he was already going to run late. He at this moment he fell of the bed in a hurry and quickly hopped into the shower. It was a quick wash, as fast as he possibly could. He dried off, and with little precision, and time put on his school uniform. He ran out the door before his father could even say anything.

He ran, and hopped on his old bike hoping that it was still in condition to be ridable. In his luck the bike was fine, and he round like a phantom to get to school.

He always ends up with messy hair.

He arrives at school, and puts his bike in the bike stand, he didn't bother locking his bike, for he he forget to bring a lock, because of the rush he was in, he didn't think too much about it. He got his schedule the other day so he knew what classes he was in. He didn't bother to look if Melchior was in any of his classes, he thought that "ignorance is bliss" for certain things. To his surprise he got to his first class which was english, and there wasn't a lot of students in there."Maybe they are all running late for class, for the first day of school." Moritz thought to himself.

He took a seat by the window a front of the class, he knew that there might be a seating plan. If he was lucky maybe the teacher will assign the seats they will sit in as the seats they choose the first day of class. "That would be wonderful"

He felt nervous just sitting waiting for more classmates to come in, even the teacher seemed to be running late. He stared out the window to calm his nerves. At this exact moment he was wondering what he will say to Melchior when he sees him again. Then the thought became much more darker. He started to think that maybe Melchior forgot about him, for he has Wendla now. And he didn't contact him all summer long. A feeling of dread started to grow with Moritz's chest he felt like he couldn't breath, he was about to grab his stuff and go run away to somewhere that isn't school. But just then without warning, he hears behind him "Well, well, well. Isn't Moritz Stiefel." He knew that voice better than his own. It was Melchior. Moritz looked at him, seeing his best friend smiling at him also giving him a curious look. He was stunned he didn't know what he wanted to say, but luckily Melchior loved talking.

"It seems we are in the same English class Moritz." he smiled and sat next to him. Moritz jumped a little in his seat. Still the messy haired boy was not saying anything, he knew if he opened his mouth he would say something strange if not clumsy. But Melchior already knew Moritz's nature. He continued

"What kind of teacher do think we are going to get?"

Moritz finally felt he could say something "ah.. Hopefully one th-that isn't so strict and let us choose where we want to sit for now on."

"Yeah that would be cool, hopefully a teacher that gives us some creative freedom."

"Don't be ridiculous Melchi, we go to a religious private school."

Melchior cracks a gentle smile.

Moritz caught himself smiling lightly back. It felt like the olds days alright, like nothing truly happened. He thought to himself that maybe everything will be fine, no one knows right? No one can know. The teacher finally enters the classroom, and Moritz's and Melchiors prayers where answered yes. She let them choose where they wanted to sit, and she seemed pretty nice, compared to the other teachers of their school.

The day went on and surprising enough, Moritz and Melchior were in one more classes together. Latin. Which was more like religious studies than anything else. Oh god how melchior dreaded that class. But their was someone who dreaded it more and that was Moritz. Although they did have most of the old gang in that class lucky. hanschen Rilow, Ernst Robel, and Ilse Neumann. It was nerve wracking seeing them and saying "Hi" But they just acted like how they usually did. It seems they never change much.

After class it was lunch and Melchior and the gang asked Moritz if he wants to go eat lunch with them. Outside on the picnic tables by their school. When Melchior "Asked" Him it wasn't a "Hey you wanna join us?" it was more like "Let's go moritz" like it was common sense that he would come with, but I guess in his case it was.

They all casually sat down at the picnic table and started talking like they did last school year. Moritz felt almost out of place, he wasn't speaking, only if he was spoken too, but then again he always even with his closest friends been quite, and more observant. Old habits die hard. Melchior though as unreadable at times he is, was always glancing toward him. So much so that even Moritz noticed. He would get little anxiety attacks like

"Oh my god do I have something on my face." or "I'm being too quiet, too suspiciously quiet"

Out of fabricated panic he spoke up and asked a sudden question

"Where is Wendla?"

Suddenly the whole table became quit, moritz felt heat reach his face, it was so embarrassing for him to randomly speak up like that, and ask such a random question, but he couldn't help it either

He had been thinking all day long about how Melchior and Wendla are dating, though he had only heard this information through Ilsa who wrote him text one day in the summer "Spilling the tea" as she calls it.

Melchior looked at him in a confused manner. And Moritz felt more self-conscious than ever

"Probably hanging out with Thea, or Martha, why the sudden interest?" Melchior raised his eyebrow.

"Ah! Melchior honestly how can you be so casual like that, you act like you never even kissed her!"

Ilsa says out of nowhere

Moritz just sat there stunned as if he had been hit by lightning he wasn't really sure what they were talking about, but he swallowed back his nerves and said "Well I'm just asking cus.. Well Ilsa told m-me that you and Wendla were dating so I thought ma-maybe she would come and join us." He mumbled

"And she didn't tell you that we broke up?" Melchior mused at Ilsa

Ilsa just smiles "Well The whole thing was so dramatic, I thought it would stress out my dear Moritz."

Everyone lets out a light chuckle, expect for of course Moritz. The one in the dark

"Really? Why did you guys break up?" He asked curiously

"Ahh nothing too big Moritz, it was a summer fling is all."

Hanschen laughs "Hardly! You guys seemed quite infatuated with each other."

Ernst elbowed him lightly to indicate to "Cut it out."

Melchior's gaze becomes a little sad. Which hardly ever happens in Moritz's experience. Melchior never had his heart on his sleeve he was good at maintaining his ground, though he says he never suppresses things. Moritz knew that some things he clearly does.

Moritz just looked down and mumbled "It's alright you don't have to tell."

In a way he almost sounded hurt, if Melchior even noticed. After lunch moritz went to his next class. He felt throughout the day after that conversation at lunch, disgusted with myself. That was because he innerly felt relieved that Melchior and Wendla were broken up. He didn't want to feel this way but he did, which only confused him more. He felt like a terrible friend.

It was the end of the day and Moritz was relieved it was over, he experienced more stress then he should by just trying to seem as normal as possible amongst his friends, but even that becomes depressing.

His mind is cloudy, so is the sky. He wants to see the sunset before he goes to sleep, feel the late summer air leave him. He would rather take the long way home riding through the fields, trying to forget about his distant memories of those touches, the guilt, the feeling of metal against his head. He wanted to feel that fleeting wind coming toward him. Sadly

His bike was gone.