After school, Melchior went straight back to his dorm room - not talking to any of his friends. Wendla felt guilty.
She and some of the others were sitting outside of the building and talking.
"Have you talked to Melchior at all?" Wendla asked Ernst Robel, who was Melchior's roommate.
"When I went back to go get my inhaler, he didn't even look up from reading," Ernst said, taking a puff of said inhaler.
"I feel awful," Wendla sighed.
"Why?" Dietrich, an annoying kid they'd all known since starting school, asked while passing by. "Gabor was the one who passed the note in the first place. He knew the consequences."
"Shut up, Dietrich," said Otto.
"Nobody was even talking to you!" Anna chimed in.
Dietrich shrugged. "Whatever. I'm off to the library."
"Who even asked?" Thea said, after Dietrich had gone.
"I hate that kid," said Otto.
"Too bad Marianna Wheelan thinks he's all that and a bag of chips," Thea said.
"What? Why? How? He's such a nerd!" Otto stammered. Marianna Wheelan had been his crush since…forever.
"I don't know, but she was telling Martha and me all about it in science class," Thea said.
"Damn," Otto said, looking down.
Georg glanced at his watch.
"Shit! I'm late for piano lessons," He stood up.
"Since when do you take piano lessons?" Otto scoffed, temporarily distracted from his heartbreak.
"Since Fräulein Grossebüstenhalter started offering private lessons," Georg winked and left.
"Fräulein Grossebüstenhalter *is* a babe," Otto commented. "Nice rack, too."
"You pig!" Anna swatted him.
"I'm just saying it like I see it," Otto shrugged. "Anyway, I'd better get to the library myself - I've got some research to do," he groaned.
After the rest of the group departed, Wendla followed Ernst back to the boys' dormitory.
"Will you let me in?" She asked.
"I suppose," Ernst said slowly. "You want to try and talk to Melchior?"
Wendla nodded.
"We'll have to leave our door open, of course," Ernst said. "And you'll have to leave by 6:00 - before the RAs make their rounds."
Wendla nodded again. "Of course."
"I'll go down to the lounge so you two can talk," Ernst said, as he and Wendla made their way to room 210.
On the way, Ernst nearly ran into Hanschen Rilow, Otto's roommate.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Ernst," Hanschen said, in the intense low-tone he'd always spoken in.
"That's okay, Hanschen," Ernst said kindly, though taken aback by the close call.
"Good afternoon Ernst…Wendla," Hanschen said, though he didn't take his eyes off Ernst.
Wendla and Ernst nodded politely and continued on their way.
Ernst unlocked the door and pushed it open.
"Hi, Melchi - you have a visitor," he said, grabbing some books and heading off for the lounge.
Melchior looked up from his book.
"Wendla?" Melchior asked, setting the book down.
"Yes. How are you feeling?" Wendla asked.
"I've been able to sit down again for a couple hours now, if that's what you mean," Melchior said.
"Melchi, I feel terrible," Wendla said, sitting down on the edge of Melchior's bed.
"Why? It was my own stupid fault - I passed you the note in the first place," Melchior said.
"I know…but I wish I would've taken the blame - said I was about to pass it to somebody. Then you wouldn't have gotten hurt," Wendla said.
"No, no - Wendla, then you would've been punished for my actions and that wouldn't be fair. And that punishment…it fucking hurts, man," Melchior said, wincing at the memory.
"It sounds like it," Wendla said. "That time Anna and Ilse got caught talking in class - they couldn't sit down for practically the rest of the day."
"You've never been paddled?" Melchior asked.
Wendla shook her head. "I've never been beaten at all. Mama doesn't believe in hitting children."
"Oh," Melchior said. "My mama doesn't really like it either but she used to swat me sometimes when I was little. Father will still use his belt on me once in a while - I think the reason Mama did it was because Father said she was too lenient with me."
"I've always wondered what it would be like…to be hit. What it would feel like. The hard wooden paddle over my skirt. I've never really felt much of anything I suppose," Wendla said.
Melchior didn't say anything, as he wasn't sure how to respond to that.
"Melchior, can I ask you a favor?" Wendla asked, suddenly breaking the silence.
"Sure," Melchior shrugged.
"Could you beat me?" Wendla asked, voice down low.
"Wendla Bergmann, what the hell are you talking about?" Melchior asked.
"I just want to know what it's like! Everybody else -"
"Wendla, surely you realize that's a strange way to want to fit in?" Melchior asked. Had she gone mad?
"But it's not about fitting in!" Wendla protested. "I want to feel…to feel anything - painful or not. I just want to feel it! Melchior, please!"
Melchior sighed.
"You want me to use a paddle?" He asked.
Wendla nodded.
"Meet me outside the school by the old oak tree at 10:00 - I know how to get in. Don't tell anybody," Melchior instructed. He still didn't think this was a good idea and wondered if Wendla had any idea what she was getting into - he'd never heard anyone ask to be paddled before, but it sounded like it was really important to her.
Lights out was at 9:00. So Wendla lay idly in her bed for about 45 minutes before dressing, throwing on her jacket and sneaking out the door so as not to wake her roommate, Gertrude.
She made her way to the school building and went to the tree. Melchior was already waiting there.
"How are we going to get in?" Wendla asked him.
"I'll show you," Melchior gestures for Wendla to follow him.
He led her to the back door.
"I overheard some of the janitors talking about how this door can't be locked - something is wrong with the door frame or something - and Herr Knochenbruch's such a cheapskate I doubt it will never get fixed. Getting into his office will be another story, however. Follow me," Melchior went inside and Wendla followed behind.
They soon arrived at Herr Knochenbruch's office and Melchior took a bobby pin out of his pocket. With some fiddling, he was able to get the door unlocked and he and Wendla went inside.
Melchior flipped on the light, and Wendla's eyes immediately went to the paddle hanging on the wall.
"It's so big!" She remarked.
"16 inches," Melchior clarified with a nod. "Hurts like a bitch, too."
"So what do I do?" Wendla asked.
"Knochenbruch has me bend over his desk, like so," Melchior demonstrated leaning over the desk with his palms flat down.
Wendla copied him as Melchior grabbed the paddle. He stood directly behind her, but instead of paddling her, he just stared at the paddle.
"Come on, Melchi," Wendla urged.
"Are you sure you want to do this? Like really really sure?" Melchior asked.
"Yes! Please!" Wendla turned back around and closed her eyes.
Melchior drew the paddle back and landed the first hit.
Wendla jumped in surprise. It did hurt, but she felt like he was holding back.
"That was nothing more than a pat!" She insisted.
So Melchior drew back again, and landed a harder hit.
"Surely this isn't what brought Thea to tears and made it so you couldn't sit for hours!" Wendla cried.
"Oh you want more?" Melchior asked, feeling his frustration rising. What did she want him to do? Beat her to a pulp.
He paddled her once more, harder than ever.
"That was nothing!" She cried, just as frustrated.
"What the hell do you want me to do? This?" Without thinking, Melchior tossed the paddle aside, grabbed Wendla, and whirled her around. He got about three inches from her face.
"Do you feel anything now? Do you, bitch?" Melchior asked a shaking Wendla.
When Melchior saw the look in his friend's eyes, it finally hit him as to what he had done.
"Wendla, I'm-" Melchior began.
But before he could finish, Wendla raced out of the office and down the hallway.
Melchior quickly hung the paddle back up and tried to make things look the way they had before, then raced down the hallway.
But Wendla was already gone.