SENIORS
JULCHEN BEILSCHMIDT
Julchen had almost made Monika late for school. What could she say? She'd overslept and probably wouldn't have woken up until later that afternoon if Monika hadn't rudely pulled the blankets off Julchen and opened the blinds, exposing Julchen to the cold light. Julchen had been a disorganised whirl of chaos trying to get ready to drive Monika to school on time, because really Julchen couldn't care less about whether she was in on time, and had resorted to eating toast in the car which Monika gave her plenty of disapproving looks about. But Julchen managed to arrive to school before eight. Monika had sprinted into the building without a backwards glance to her sister, totally preoccupied with the possibility of being late for class.
Julchen watched her gallop away in a totally not weird way. Julchen loved Monika more than anyone else in the world, Old Fritz wasn't in the world anymore he didn't count, and she would do anything for Monika, fight anyone, she would defend Monika's honour. It was her duty as a big sister. And that was why the author was going to pay. Julchen had that piece of paper from Wednesday, the demo-List and whoever had been making The List hadn't originally included Monika. Sure it was Emily Bondervick, who Julchen acknowledged as at least partially awesome, but Julchen wouldn't care nearly as much because attacking Monika was over the line.
Julchen didn't even bother going into the school. She just began walking straight towards Kerry Park. At some point she was going to meet up with Monica Bonnefoy but Julchen had 'obtained' her number and would summon the fancy blonde girl whenever she felt like it. Which would be soon of course. Julchen really did want to know who the unawesome author was but she just needed a little time to herself.
Julchen was already at Kerry Park, her route was really fast. The park was pretty empty, just a couple people running around, getting their daily exercise in before work and some little kids walking to school, their bright bags taking up their entire backs. Something Julchen liked about going to Kerry Park this early was that anyone in the park was too preoccupied with what they were doing to wonder why she was there. Julchen strode off the path, jerked her jean leg off the brambles where it got caught and entered the clearing with the Bunker.
Julchen swung herself onto the roof of the Bunker. There were more beer cans scattered nearby than usual. There must've been some kind of party. Julchen had originally been wary of leaving stuff in area that people used for less the legal purposes before reasoning that anyone who came here was probably too far gone to be able to climb a tree. Julchen flung herself onto the deckchair and whipped out her phone. Time to convince Monica to skive and come meet Julchen. She punched in Monica's number and sent a text.
You: U leve class and meet at mein awesome Bunker and tell me everything u bout unawesome List
Yeah that would work. Julchen tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for Monica's agreement to meet her. A cool wind blew, rustling the trees and causing more leaves to fall in a golden rain. The leaves still on the trees were beautiful shades of yellow and red, surrounded Julchen but between them she could see the pale blue of the sky. Down on the ground the leaves were all murky brown, in the process of being trodden into mud and had crumpled beer cans thrown thoughtlessly around, glinting in the sunlight. Julchen was above it all.
Bleep.
Monica: Who is this?
You: the AWESOME me
Monica: Julchen
You: JA!
Monica: What do you want and how did you get my number?
You: hahaha u will nvr no
Monica: Well, why do you want me ditch class?
Monica: I don't do that!
You: cos if u dont ill tell Germania that u no stuff bout the list and then ull have 2 tell it 2 her not me
Julchen waited patiently for Monica's response. Julchen had the upper hand in this negotiation easily, all she wanted was to know what Monica's knew and if she didn't want to say well then Julchen would just have to inform someone that Monica was with holding information and if that didn't work then Julchen could bring up the fact that Monica was deeply involved in the illegal gambling that their school was notorious for. Julchen was fairly certain that Monica and one of Chun-Yan's brothers, Lee something or other, ran it. She'd had to prod Luka to reveal that little nugget of information but you could never have too much black mail. Hmm maybe Julchen should mention that.
You: btw heard ur good at cards
Well that should do it.
Monica: Where do you want to meet?
Monica: (I still don't like ditching)
You: The Bunker
Monica:?
Julchen sighed. Why couldn't the name have caught on. It would've made communicating so much easier.
You: the building in Kerry Park were ppl drink
Monica: I think I know the place.
You: ull no it when u see it
Monica didn't reply so Julchen simply presumed that Monica was starting to leave the school. It was almost almost funny the way that Monica was so reluctant to leave school but really what would she even be missing? Julchen sighed. It would probably take Monica ages to get to the park. What was Julchen supposed to do in the mean time?
Julchen glanced at her box. She still has that torn music sheet she needed to put back. Julchen carefully removed the music from her bag and opened the box. Julchen unfolded the sheet and stared at the notes dotted across the page. The music was one of the last things Fritz had given her. He'd really wanted her to keep playing, not to forget like so many people would. Julchen had promised to keep practicing but she couldn't even pick up a flute anymore. The written music was her only substitute.
Julchen hastily slotted the repaired sheet in with its fellows, snugly nestled between two of her diaries. Her awesome diaries, detailing her awesome life. She'd written a report everyday of her life since as far back as she could remember. They worked as record of everything and could be surprisingly useful for embarrassing stories.
It had hurt so much when she'd caught her Mom reading her diary. She'd stared at her Mom in shock before screaming at her to put the diary down. Julchen had felt so angry she thought she might actually punch her mother but then she saw West poke her head out of her bedroom to see what the noise was about and suddenly all Julchen's anger turned into tears and she snatched her diary and rushed into her room, slamming the door in her mother's face. She'd then cried silently clutching the book to chest, the tears never quite leaving her eyes. They were tears of anger.
Her Mom had been reading her reading her diaries because she was worried for Julchen or something stupid like that. Julchen had been fine. Okay so Fritz had died a few months ago and she was being more impulsive, staying out later and the school had sent a letter to her parents saying she needed to be disciplined but really Julchen had been fine. There was no reason for her Mom to read her personal diaries, it was like if someone had a nice rummage around her mind.
The last item in her box was a cheap camera. Elizaveta had given it to Julchen for her birthday back in freshman year, she'd bought it with her own money. Julchen, feeling nostalgic, pulled out the camera. She flicked through the photos saved to its memory.
Julchen wasn't a good photographer, she wasn't like Elizaveta who could capture people's emotions and personality in a still image, she didn't know any of the rules of composition and often took too long to take a photo meaning that whatever she was trying to capture had passed but there was so many photos that a few of them were half-way decent. Like a picture of a chick in running running around or that glorious picture of Toni after she and Francine had pushed him into a pool of mud. Then she'd pushed Francine into the mud and cannonballed in herself. This had quickly devolved into a mud fight. There was picture of that too, Francine and Toni bolting for the nearest showers with muck covering their bodies, Francine's careful plait stuck to her back by mud, Toni's skin was coated in gunk with several twigs sticking out of him. Julchen had been just as muddy but really hadn't cared. She's gone to give Monika a big hug before showering. Monika's squeal of disgust had been worth any punishments she would get. Julchen chuckled to herself.
She missed Toni and Franny. But at the same time she couldn't stand to look at them being all cute and lovey-dovey together. There was just a pain in seeing them be happily in love together and knowing that she wasn't loved like that. That Toni had chosen Francine and not her without even realising it. And then Francine had to be so smug about her victory and it had been more than Julchen could take. Her world had come crashing down in just a few months. Elizaveta had left her for the lipstick girls and Toni and Francine were a couple and she was the permanent third wheel that neither of them wanted.
And that was it, wasn't it? She wasn't wanted. Not by her former friends, not by the person she'd loved, not her parents, not even Old Fritz.. . . . Why did he have to die? It wasn't fair! Nothing was fair! She'd tried to make it fair by getting back at them all Francine and her new friend, Elizaveta's new group, her stupid boyfriend and what had Julchen achieved? It all stayed the same except worse.
Julchen threw the camera into the box, stood up and began kicking the tree.
kick-It- kick -wasn't- kick- fair!
"Julchen?"
Julchen whirled around, almost loosing her balance and falling off the roof, to see Monica Bonnefoy looking dreadfully out of place looking all prim and proper in her neat skirt and tidy shirt surrounded by mushed up leaves and beer cans. It was almost funny.
"Well, Monica you sure took your time." Julchen said confidently before swinging down off the bunker, landing heavily on the ground facing and standing up to face the neat girl. "Now then, let's discuss The List."
..
ELIZAVETA HÉDERVÁRY
Elizaveta stared dully at the board and tried to remember why she needed to know about vectors. She glanced to her left and spotted Bella eagerly taking notes. Crap, were they supposed to be taking down what was on the board? Elizaveta cranes her neck to see what the rest of the class were doing. Half were taking notes, the other half was staring raptly at the board. Sometimes she envied Yeketerina in the easier classes.
Elizaveta considered herself fairly smart, not top of any class but nowhere near failing; Yeketerina wasn't the brightest bulb which was odd considering how intelligent her sisters were, although even more odd was the fact that Yeketerina expressed no jealously over this; and then there was Bella, Elizaveta was convinced that one day she'd explode from the amount of work she did and high standards she set.
Elizaveta glanced up at the clock in the hope that more than a minute had passed in the minute she hadn't checked the time, unfortunately no, the hands were crawling across the clock face. Elizaveta let her head fall to her desk and groaned. Of Elizaveta only had one day to live she'd spend it in Mr Hussein's classroom, time always moved impossibly slowly.
Could she check her phone? Mr. Hussein wasn't looking over at her, he was too busy explaining the problem to a boy. Okay, just a quick check to see if she'd gotten any messages. She hadn't.
Elizaveta picked up her pen in the hope that it would somehow help her focus. She began tapping it against her desk.
Tap.
Why was she even in this class right now? There were things she needed to do. After she and Julchen stopped hanging out Elizaveta had vowed to not skive class out of boredom and she'd stuck to it but this was the first time she'd been severely tempted.
When was the bell going to ring? Elizaveta needed to find Monica. If Luka was to be believed, and Elizaveta was inclined to think so, then Monica might be able to point them in the direction of the author and from there-
"Ms. Héderváry, do you have the answer?" Mr. Hussein said, with that hopeful look all teachers had when it's almost their coffee break.
"Er….." Elizaveta was spared having to answer that when the bell rang. Oh thank God for the bell. She was free.
The class streamed out before Me. Hussein had time to give them homework. Elizaveta slung her bag over her shoulder and turned to Bella. "What was that class? Because I had no idea what was happening." Bella gave her an affectionate disapproving look. "Liza, were you not paying attention again?"
Elizaveta gave her a sheepish grin. "Not exactly."
"Elizaveta! You should pay attention it's- oh my god." Bella pointed behind Elizaveta in shock. Elizaveta spun round to see Julchen storming up the corridor towards them. She was livid. Her law was clenched and her hands were fists. Julchen looked as though she was about to set fire to someone's locker. And she was stomping towards them. Shit.
But then Julchen didn't.
"YOU!"she roared. Her glare fixed on one person, which thankfully wasn't Elizaveta or Bella. She thundered past them to a group of juniors. The whole corridor collectively held its breath as Julchen came to a stop in front of Francine, opened her mouth and yelled.
"YOU FUCKING BITCH- You are the most fucking bitchy- I hate you so much- Fuck you!"
Francine gave a small confused look to the girl beside her who shrugged. Francine turned back to Julchen and said in her best condescending voice. "Julchen, mon ami, I do not know-"
"Don't 'mon ami' me- you know- you fucking know what- why would you- Monika- she was so upset- And you did that!- You always do that- You and Toni- You took him- but I know, I know everything- Luka and Monica told me how you – You- You Evolutionsbremse. I hate you!" And then Julchen swung.
Later Elizaveta would hear people taking about how what happened next happened in slow motion. They talked about how they saw Julchen arm slowly swing and Francine's eyes widen. For Elizaveta it was all at once.
Suddenly Julchen's fist was colliding with Francine's face, Francine was knocked to the ground and the world erupted into noise. Francine's friend was yelling at Julchen, Bella gasped loudly and gripped Elizaveta's arm, a freshman screamed. Oddly enough, the quietest people were Francine and Julchen. Francine was lying on the ground with her arms shielding her face. Julchen was standing over her. Elizaveta couldn't see her face from where she stood but Julchen's stance was still aggressive.
Elizaveta shook Bella off and ran up the centre of the corridor, the students had parted like the Red Sea when Julchen had appeared. Julchen was raising her foot to kick the cowering girl. Elizaveta grabbed Julchen's arm and whirled her around. "Stop!"
Elizaveta stared into Julchen's face. She breathing heavily and her face was flushed red with rage. But the strangest thing was the tears in Julchen's eyes. They were just in her eyes, there was no threat of them overspilling and to see them you would have to be as close to Julchen as Elizaveta was now.
"Don't hit her again." Elizaveta implored, subconsciously using the tone she always used to convince Julchen not to do something reckless. Julchen blinked slowly and her red eyes focused on Elizaveta. "Think about what you're doing for just a second" Julchen's glare relaxed ever so slightly and her eyes widened. Elizaveta recognised Julchen's rage breaking.
Elizaveta felt the gazes of the other students rest on them, their voices a buzz of noise. Julchen was breathing heavily. Elizaveta grabbed Julchen's arm and forcibly dragged her into the nearby bathroom, exchanging a look with Bella who nodded in understanding. Elizaveta shoved Julchen through the bathroom door and sent a glare out to the other students to dissuade them from coming in before slamming the door closed.
Elizaveta spun around on the ball of her foot and marched up to Julchen. "What the fuck was that?"
Julchen who had been glaring at the mirror now fixed her glare on Elizaveta. "Francine's a little shit."
Elizaveta waited for further explanation when none was offered she prodded further. "Okay, why and why the hell did you punch her?!"
"Because she's the verdammt author!" Julchen snarled, pointing at the door the where Francine was. Elizaveta stared at her former friend.
"Francine?"
"Yes!"
"The author?"
"Yes!"
Julchen was getting angrier with each word, soon she'd be back to screaming incoherently while punching someone and Elizaveta's disbelieving questioning was not helping matters.
"Why?" Julchen looked blankly at Elizaveta who plowed on. "What evidence do you have? Because right now, it looks to me like you just punched someone you don't like for no reason!"
"Monica Bonnefoy, okay! That's my evidence. I went to Luka who told me to go to Monica who told me it was Francine. 'Course you wouldn't have thought to ask either of them." Julchen sneered the last part.
"Actually, I was going to ask Monica today because Luka pointed her out to me because Julchen, you're wrong, I do have a working brain and no, you weren't being subtle." Elizaveta snapped. She hadn't meant to get mad but Julchen right now was reminding her why they were no longer friends. Julchen was irresponsible, impulsive and irrationally aggressive and Elizaveta did not need to put up with it.
"Monica told me that she saw Viet Ling run off and Mei Wang go crying into a bathroom. Then saw Francine take something out of the trashcan. She went to comfort Mei and found out that Mei wrote The List last year and had just thrown the stamp away. In the trashcan. Don't you see? It was Francine the whole time. She did this. All of it!" Julchen slammed her hand down on the sink to punctuate her fury.
Elizaveta stared at her without really seeing, too lost in thought. Francine. Maybe? It was possible, a further escalation of the feud between Francine and Julchen. After all, the signs did point to someone out to get Julchen, as paranoid as it sounded, and Francine did fit the bill as someone out to get revenge on Francine.
"Are you sure about this?"
Julchen scoffed. "Would I have punched her if I wasn't?"
"Yes." Elizaveta replied automatically. Julchen eyes widened in shock and Elizaveta wished she could take back her honesty.
"… well I'm sure about this anyway" Julchen recovered, burying her hurt.
"I'll need to think about this." Elizaveta said after a beat. Julchen looked at her in confusion. "I don't care if you believe me."
Elizaveta raised an eyebrow and in a voice dripping with disdain said "You should, since I can actually do something about it if you're right."
"Because you entered the unawesome crowd and they're more help, right" Julchen said with so much sarcasm Alice Kirkland would be impressed.
"Well Julchen, Francine would be more likely to cave to me and my friends than to a single social pariah." Elizaveta sneered
Julchen glared at Elizaveta, hating her reminder of the school's opinion of them both. "And if she caves, what are you going to do?"
Elizaveta paused. Should she tell Julchen about the loose plan she'd made with Bella and Yeketerina? Julchen could keep secrets but Elizaveta didn't want Julchen involved in any way. It always became messier when she was involved. "You don't need to know."
"If you're not telling me your plans then I'll just have to carry out mine." The two former friends locked eyes.
"And what exactly is your plan?" Elizaveta said after a pause, not breaking eye contact.
"You don't need to know." Julchen parroted her words back at Elizaveta, batting her eyelashes ridiculously.
"Fine then." Elizaveta spat.
"Good." Julchen snarled.
They glared at each other. Then Julchen's eyes softened.
"What happened to us?"
Elizaveta sighed sadly "We grew up."
..
Hi?