That night, Berlin
The family had just finished listening to Ludwig's story of his first day back. Apparently Feliciano, the carefree Italian that Ludwig had made friends with in junior high, had come in with a bad cold. Ludwig was forced to help his suffering friend through the first day without directly touching him. His other friend, Kiku, a reserved young Asian man, tried to help but almost made matters worse, and tried to console Ludwig at the end of the day.
Everyone was seated at the dining room table eating some of Elizaveta's home cooked food. Elizaveta was a master chef, and had taught Lydia how to cook. The skill was mostly for self-preservation when they were back in Syilvei and she had to work late. Roderich looked over to his adopted daughter. "So was your day just as hectic? Or was it calmer?"
Lydia quickly swallowed the food in her mouth. "Um, it wasn't quite like that, but it was a little crazy."
Elizaveta perked up. "How so, dear?"
"Um, well… I was almost hit by a bicycler this morning, only to find out he was in my class."
Ludwig stared. "Again?"
Lydia looked at the floor suspiciously. "It wasn't my fault. He wasn't paying attention." Lydia had this happen to her on a number of occasions before, and Ludwig always scolded her afterwards. "Anyways, before Bruder can lecture me, I think my homeroom teacher might be an unregistered sex offender."
Elizaveta gave a small grimace. Ludwig, looking worried, spoke. "Which one?"
"Some guy named Bonnefoy. He's French."
Roderich looked over. "Oh, I know him. He's the crazy guy that was the same year as me. He said that he was going to do something big, but I see that never happened."
Lydia looked over to him in surprise. "Wait, you're telling me that you know that creep?"
Roderich gave her an unimpressed look. "Don't worry, he's harmless. Though he may get a little off topic sometimes."
Lydia looked disappointed, and Elizaveta somewhat horrified. "Oh god. I probably didn't want to know that…"
Elizaveta, not wanting to continue on the mood ruining topic, asked a different question. "So, did you make any friends at least?"
"I guess so."
Ludwig had an almost calculating look on his face. Elizaveta was now smiling. "Who is it?"
"A Spaniard named Antonio Carreido and his cousin named Bel Cornelis. They seem nice enough."
"Well that's good." The conversation was about to die, and Lydia didnt want to stay for a long awkward silence.
"I think I might go to my room." Lydia took her plate and gave it quick rinse. She crept up the dark stairs and back to her room. Lydia sat on her bed, allowing herself let loose. She found her thoughts going over the day.
Lydia now decided that she didn't like the academy. Or at least, she didn't really like the people. Lydia came to realize that she would have to get over it. This would be her life for the next three years.
…
Lunch time seemed to the break Lydia needed. Mr. Bonnefoy had made an announcement that people could now start checking out school clubs and that there would be another orientation on that. Lydia was not in the mood for another long, boring speech, and she was probably going to nap through it.
The only place that seemed to be a good place to eat lunch was on the roof. It was cooler up there, and when Lydia came up, it was devoid of life. But soon, Bel and Antonio came up to join her. They were probably best thing at the school.
Bel was the first one to talk. "So are you going to join any of the clubs?" She was munching on a waffle.
"No, I don't think so. What about you two?"
Antonio was finishing a tomato. "I think I might join the Music club. I think…"
"So you're musically inclined?"
Bel piped up. "Yeah, he plays the guitar. He's really good!"
"N-no, not really. It was just something I picked up when I was a kid. But any ways," Antonio turned towards Bel. "What clubs are you thinking about?"
Bel sighed. "Well, you know dad. He might want me to work a bit here and there, so it might get tricky with that and I won't have the time."
"Oh, that's too bad. What would you have joined?" Lydia asked.
"I dunno… maybe the botany club or something along those lines."
Antonio tried to stifle a chuckle. "That's seems so unlike you…!"
Bel's face went red and she started to lecture him. "Well, jeez! So who cares if I want to start growing plants? We all know that you can kill anything!"
Antonio smiled, though it seemed a little forced. "Well, everything except tomatoes."
Lydia stepped in to try to calm Bel down. "Well, if it helps anything, I don't imagine Antonio being able to do much of anything. No offense, Antonio."
Bel glared at her cousin. "Good lord…"
Antonio decided he wanted to talk about something else. "So, if I remember correctly, your dad is Roderich Edelstein?"
"Yeah, he's my adoptive Vater. Why?"
"Just wondering. So he's the guy who conducts that big orchestra we have here, right?"
"Uh, yeah. Actually, he's the lead conductor." Lydia had a small smile on her face. She had always been proud of what her father accomplished. His music was part of the many things that he had personally given his daughter. When she was four, he had taught Lydia how to play the piano. Lydia had always thought it was like a gift, and she had mastered the skill. She was able to move her fingers with equal grace and was produce quick arpeggios and long strings of melodies. It was all because of Roderich. "Vater actually taught me how to play the piano when I was four."
Antonio was surprised to hear the news. Bel just seemed interested. "That must have been cool. I bet you're really good at it now."
Lydia blushed with modesty. "I guess so, but Vater only really taught me the basics. I just kind of taught myself from there."
"Oh, that's just as impressive."
Lydia chuckled. She hadn't really talked like this with anybody for a while. It was refreshing from the mature, serious conversations she would have with her Mutter's coworkers. "I guess. We should probably start heading back."
Antonio tried to engulf the tomato he was eating and Bel threw out all of the garbage. Lydia got up and started towards the stairs. She would have to start having lunch up on the roof more often.
…
Lydia started on her way home as soon as the bell rung. Most of the other students got up to run to the club rooms to fill out paper work, but some of them just wanted to leave like her. She quickly gathered her books and papers and made her way out of the class room. Mathias Kohler followed her out. She sighed when she caught view of him. He didn't notice, and went up to her. "Hello there miss. Are you willing to talk to me now?" Lydia pretended she didn't hear him and made her way to main foyer. "Hey wait up! God, you're fast." He ran down the stairs then caught sight of his friends.
Lydia made her escape to the outside and slowed her pace. She now let herself go with the fact that she could head home and not worry until tomorrow. She heard someone running towards her and take her arm. "What the heck!" The grip was tight and she couldn't pull back. Behind her was the tall one with the glasses. "Hey, let go! This is extremely rude." He gave her look that denoted an apology and nodded at her.
She could see the rest of the group run towards the two of them. "Thanks Ber, you can let her go now." The tall one let go of her and she stepped back quickly to look at them. She glared.
"What the hell was that for?!" She grounded herself, preparing for a long argument.
"Oh, come on. We just wanted to talk." Mathias Kohler was grinning as if nothing had happened. This irked her more.
"Good god. You should have just come up to me like a normal person, rather than having your lackey come and grab me by the arm." Mathias Kohler just laughed.
"Are you kidding? Ber's not my lackey. Anyways," His face went more serious. "Would you be willing to listen to us?"
"Fine, just please leave me alone afterwards, ok?" She could tell that her face was desperate.
"Cool! I knew you'd come around at some point. We would-" He cut off by an elbow to his rib cage.
The shorter one with the long bangs started talking to him. "Good lord, Mathias, we may as well introduce our selves first. You really don't have manners, do you?" Mathias smiled at him as he rubbed his side. The shorter one looked at Lydia with cold eyes. "My name is Lukas Valjalmsson. The taller one is Berwald Oxenstriena, and the one next him is Tino Väinämöinen. Tino and Berwald are second years. Oh, and the annoying one is Mathias Kohler."
Lydia did the only thing she could. "My name is Lydia Beilschmidt Edelstein. Nice to meet you. Now what was it that you wanted to say?"
Mathias grinned at her again. What is he? The Cheshire cat? She thought. "Well, what I was trying to say is would you like to join the Scandinavia club?" Mathias looked hopeful, like if he introduced himself, Lydia would say yes.
She looked at him for a moment, trying to find the right words to say. "Um, I hate to break it to you, but I'm not really interested in joining a school club. And I'm not from any of the Nordic countries, so I'm not even qualified."
Mathias glanced at Lydia then back to Lukas. He had a dumbfounded look on his face. Berwald looked over to him. "T'ld ya she was't ev'n Nord'c." He said it so bluntly, Lydia almost laughed.
"Crap! Wait, have you been to any of these countries?" Mathias looked hopeful again, like he was waiting for a piece of candy.
"Well, I lived in The Northern Rim for almost ten years. But like I said before, I'm not very interested in joining any school clubs."
Tino spoke up now. "Greenland would probably count. And this isn't a club. We just call it a club so that our groups sounds official."
Lydia was unimpressed. "Seriously?" Mathias nodded his head. "Listen, I'll think about, but it's probably no. I have to get home." She turned on her heel, feeling quite exhausted. What a waste of time. She thought.
…
Dinner was long over, and Roderich and Lydia were finishing up a song. Roderich took the lead with the violin, while Lydia played the background on the piano. Of course, Roderich would let Lydia have a solo at some parts of the song, letting her show him how much she improved. When the song was over, Roderich put his violin away.
"Why are you putting it away so early, Vater?"
"I don't know really know myself. I think I would like to listen to you play."
"What? Please, it's more fun when you play along with me."
"That worries me."
"Oh. Now you're sounding like Mutter."
"Hmmm. You should join the music club then, if you won't do anything else."
"No. I don't really feel like joining a club. It seems like a waste of time" Roderich nodded his head. "Any way's, if you're not going to be joining me, I'll go upstairs." He nodded his head again. Lydia made her way to the hall. It was dark and hard to see the doors.
When Lydia made it too her room she sat down the desk. It was made of hard dark wood, the name which Lydia would probably never know. She didn't care. Her phone buzzed, the sudden noise making her jump. Her phone almost never made any sounds. She picked it up and checked the number. It was Bel.
Hey! Is this Lydia's phone?
Lydia was tempted to text her back saying that it was the wrong number. As funny as it would have been, she didn't.
Yeah. Do you need anything, Bel?
Oh let loose, class is over.
But I am acting loose. Anyways, how are you?
Just fine. So I didn't join the botany club. I have to help my dad with work.
Oh, what kind of work?
It's a secret~! :)
Fine. Did Antonio join his music club?
He did, actually. Why? Do you want to join? You'd have a buddy in there.
No, I'm being stalked by a 'club' as it is. -_-;
Oh cool! Which one?
Scandinavia Club.
What? I've never heard of them.
Because it's not official. They're just a bunch of boys who hang out. They all come from Nordic countries.
So why are they stalking you? I thought you were full German!
I am, but I grew up in Northern Rim next to Greenland, so their leader thinks that I qualify.
Well, are you joining?
Probably not. What do you think?
I think you should try it out. Are you the only girl in the group, and who's part of it?
Yes, and Mathias Kohler, and Lukas, oh god, I can't remember their last name, and some second years, Tino and Berwald. Berwald just looks like he's glaring the entire time.
Isn't Mathias Kohler in our class, the guy with hair that never looks combed?
Yes! He almost hit with his bike on my way to school yesterday!
Oh god. Well I'm sure it'll work out, right…?
Possibly. I just wish he wasn't so annoying, or he could pay more attention…-_-…
Yeah, that would probably be nice. Hey I have to go. See ya tomorrow?
Sure. Bis Spater.
Lydia leaned back in her chair. She was not looking forward to tomorrow. She was probably going to be stalked by the Scandinavia club again, or Mr. Bonnefoy might get really off topic, which hadn't happened yet. That she was thankful for.
Lydia lost her balance and the chair went backwards with a large crash. Lydia cursed under her breath and she could hear heavy footsteps outside her door. When it opened, she could see Ludwig's sky blue eyes stare at her. "Are you all right in here?"
She looked at him from her awkward position on the floor and sighed. "Yeah, just tipped over and lost my concentration. Sorry."
Ludwig went and sat on the bed. "No need to apologize. I'm just worried that you might hurt yourself or fall off the balcony one of these days."
Lydia picked herself up and sat next to the fallen chair. She looked over to it. "Right." She sighed again.
"You know, I will still only ever see you as that 12 year old little sister that thinks that she owns the world."
Lydia looked at Ludwig with a shocked face. "Seriously? I'm not that immature."
"How so?"
"Well, I don't know. I guess I've realized that I won't ever own the world and that I should aim lower for a career." Ludwig only nodded in response. "Hey, how did your day go?"
"Pretty good, I guess. I had to wake up Feliciano in the middle of class."
"That's what you can call immature."
"Hmm. It's late, you should probably get to bed."
"You too." Lydia stood and picked the chair up. Ludwig went to the door. "Guten Nacht." He nodded in response and gave her a smile.
Lydia flopped back on to the bed. Her sheets were soft, and she felt sleep come over her, before she could change or turn off the light.
Man, here I am again. The pit in my stomach that I get when I post stuff is starting to get better. But, i'm still nervous. Any ways, sorry I haven't been posting much... I have a life too!
Any ways, this is the first week at the W Academy so things are still pretty relaxed, and Mr. Bonnefoy is pretty lax for teacher (Think Yukari Sensei from Azumanga Daioh!) Soon, I plan to introduce Arthur. I might even have his brothers, the older ones, have some cameos. I find Arthur so interesting to write. So keep reading, my loyal fans, Despite the low number of you guys, And review!
