"I think I saw Melchi Gabor looking at you in geography class!" 14-year-old Anna told her friend Wendla, while giggling.
"My hair looks a mess - that's probably why," Wendla, also 14, shrugged.
"I wish Melchi Gabor would look at me - for any reason! He's such a radical!" Thea, another friend said.
Ilse rolled her eyes. "You are so sweet on him!"
"So what if I am Ilse Neumann?" Thea shot back.
"I'm so glad we're finally allowed to take classes with the boys this year," Martha chimed in sighing. This year, the boys' boarding school and the girls' one had merged into one larger building.
"You like Melchi Gabor too?" Thea asked. She loved her friends, but the last thing she needed was more competition.
"Actually, I have a bit of a crush on Moritz Stiefel myself," Martha sighed, referring to Melchior's best friend.
The other four girls gasped. Melchior was a straight-A student, good at everything. His best friend Moritz was a bit of an underachiever, and had gotten accepted into the school because his uncle was on the board of trustees.
"All the boys in the school and you pick Moritz?" Thea asked. "Even over Melchior?"
"Melchi's nice and all - but Moritz is…wow," Martha sighed dreamily again.
"Someone hose this girl down!" Ilse teased.
"Shut up, Ilse!" Martha closed her locker. "We're going to be late to Latin class."
"Ew!" Thea groaned.
"You know who's gonna be there," Wendla gave Thea a playful poke in the side.
"Herr Melchior," Anna chimed in.
"Let's go!" Thea said, nearly dropping her books in her rush.
Her friends laughed and followed along.
Despite the new coed setup of the school, the teachers, who were overwhelmingly opposed to the change, had girls sit on one side of the room and boys sit on the other.
Melchior and Wendla both had aisle seats in Latin class - directly across from each other. Wendla had grown up with Melchior, and enjoyed sitting near her friend. Melchior, however, had developed a crush on her and while he appreciated her friendship, he was hoping it would turn into something more. He knew he was only fourteen, but he saw a future with Wendla Bergmann.
Melchior arrived at class first and took his seat. Moritz entered shortly thereafter.
"Hi Melchi," Moritz said softly.
"Hi Moritz. How are you?" Melchior asked. He had been reading his book but put the leather bookmark his mother had gotten him for his birthday once he saw his friend. He noticed Moritz seemed upset.
"Not great," Moritz replied honestly.
"Why?" Melchior asked.
"I've been having…dreams," Moritz answered awkwardly.
"Haven't you always had dreams?" Melchior asked. He was confused. That was a pretty normal thing, wasn't it?
"Well, these dreams are…different," Moritz took a breath.
Melchior didn't say anything but looked at his friend quizzically.
"I've had to wash my bedsheets three times this week!" Moritz said, trying to keep his voice down. "Pretty soon, Georg's going to think I'm some kind of bedwetter! But I'm not, Melchior, I swear. This is…different but I don't know what it is."
"Do you…want to know?" Melchior asked. He was trying to fight a smirk.
Moritz's eyes widened.
"Yes…but not right now," Moritz whispered. Whatever it was, he knew it wasn't something he wanted his classmates or teacher to overhear.
"Here," he handed Melchior his notebook.
"What do you want me to do with it?" Melchior asked.
"Write down everything you know about…this," Moritz said. "You can give it to me in gym class - just slip it into my bag. If you want you can…draw pictures."
Melchior smiled and slipped the notebook into his bag.
Wendla soon arrived and she and Martha took their spots next to each other.
"Hi Wendla," Melchior greeted.
"Hi Melchior, Wendla smiled.
"Hi Moritz!" Martha said excitedly.
Moritz, taken aback, blushed a bit. "Hello Martha."
Melchior quizzically glanced at Wendla who simply smirked back.
Herr Sonnenstich soon called for attention. Wendla was focusing on him carefully, taking neat notes. Melchior was *trying* to focus on the lesson - he really was. But Wendla was much more interesting - and much better looking than Herr Sonnenstich.
Melchior quietly tore a piece of paper out of his notebook and scribbled a message. He reached over and held it out.
"Wendla," he whispered.
Wendla turned. She smiled and took the note.
"You look nice today," was what it said.
Wendla's smile turned even bigger but disappeared when she heard the "crack" of Herr Sonnenstich's ruler on his desk.
"Wendla Bergmann!" He scolded. "What is the meaning of this?"
"Um…" Wendla froze - she looked as though she was going to cry.
Herr Sonnenstich snatched the note out of Wendla's hands.
"Who gave you this?" He demanded.
Wendla looked straight ahead. She did not want to rat out Melchior. If she did, she knew he would be sent to the headmaster's office for a paddling.
"Well, then, if you don't want to tell me - perhaps I ought to send you to Herr Knochenbruch's office. And you know what happens to the students who get sent to Herr Knochenbruch's office, don't you Wendla Bergmann?" Herr Sonnenstich snarled harshly.
Wendla swallowed hard. She'd never been sent there before - but she knew that Herr Knochenbruch paddled the boys and his secretary, Fräulein Knuppeldick, paddled the girls. She'd seen the faces of Melchior, Moritz, Thea, and others after leaving there - it sounded like it really hurt.
"It was me, Herr Sonnenstich!" Melchior cried, standing up.
"Melchior Gabor! You wrote this?" Herr Sonnenstich asked.
"Yes, sir," Melchior replied.
"Well, Herr Gabor. You know my policy on note writing in class," Herr Sonnenstich took out the pad of paper with disciplinary forms for students. He picked up his pen and began to write.
"Sir, please!" Wendla cried.
"Fräulein Bergmann! I suggest you sit back down next to Fräulein Bessell and remain quiet! You and Herr Gabor have disrupted the class enough as is," Herr Sonnenstich barked.
Wendla obeyed and tried to fight back tears. Martha put a comforting hand on her arm as Herr Sonnenstich tore the form off the pad and handed it to Melchior, who walked wordlessly out of the classroom to the headmaster's office.
Herr Sonnenstich resumed his place at the chalkboard and carried on with the lesson.