I'm happy =)

Okay, not a lot of action in this one but hopefully the next one will tickle your fancy more and you won't hate me =p

------

Two beatings in one night. Hanschen could barely move as he awoke. He couldn't bring himself to examine any of the bruises as he showered and dressed, instead he stumbled half-conscious through the day, avoiding Ernst when he approached. He wasn't sure why he didn't want to speak to him, and he didn't want to think of himself as resentful after the beating but...

Herr Sonnestich dismissed them abruptly at the end of Latin and Hanschen, with no more than a furtive glance back at Ernst, whose eyes were already locked on him, headed out of the building. Walking briskly down the road, he didn't allow himself to dwell on what could have been a good evening at Ernst's, instead he forced his mind upon his Science homework (a/n: You know the German word for Science is Naturwissenschaften? Good times.)

It took him twenty minutes to walk home, a long time not to think about Ernst, but he hoped that as soon as he got in and set his mind on some homework or chores or something it would be easier.

He let himself in silently, dropping his bag in the entrance hall as he wandered into the kitchen. The room was empty but he could hear his mother's voice ringing through the house - 'Heather, don't forget your chores!' He rolled his eyes slightly as he sank down on a chair, before his gaze fell upon a pile of letters on the table. He knew it was wrong to peek, but his mother really shouldn't have left them out...

He skimmed through the top one. That couldn't be right; it was... a love letter? Addressed to his mother? He flipped through the pile. There were at least a dozen, the most recent dated the previous week. He checked the bottom of one. Adam Berat? He'd never heard of him.

It was then that Frau Rilow came back into the room.

'Hanschen!' she said as she walked in. 'I thought you were going to the Robel- what are you doing?' She raced over to the table and snatched the letter away.

'I - you left them out, it...' He watched her frantically shove the letters into an envelope and tuck that into a photo album. 'Mother?'

Frau Rilow tried not to look up at her son's hard stare that intimidated even her. 'Hanschen, please...'

'What are you thinking of?' he asked, agitated.

'I wasn't thinking, Hanschen but your father-'

'Yes, my father! What's he going to do when he finds out?'

'I don't know, dear, I just - Please, you know it is at home, how difficult it is, Adam is just...'

Hanschen felt sick.

'I can't - I have to...' He turned and ran upstairs to his room. To his razor.

-------

Sniff sniff.

Slightly good news though, I have finished the plot outline of my next chapter fic! Yay! And one idea that didn't quite fit in with that could be turning into a whole 'nother one =)

If my English teacher could see me now...

Regardless of how much or how little action was contained in this chapter, reviews would be awesome =)