The next day was Friday. Wendla didn't attend any of her classes - according to Gertrude she "wasn't feeling well." Melchior was suspicious of this and had a feeling she just didn't want to see him.
He felt awful.
Melchior's last class of the day was gym. As requested, he slipped Moritz's journal in his gym bag with the information and drawings.
After the notebook had been replaced, Melchior bent down to tie his sneaker. He felt someone looming over him.
"What did you put in Moritz Stiefel's gym bag?" Hanschen asked creepily.
"It's none of your business, Hanschen Rilow!" Melchior snapped. First, Wendla wouldn't talk to him and now Hanschen was being his weird, nosy self. Melchior was about to lose it. How Otto managed to be Hanschen's roommate without losing his mind was beyond Melchior.
"Very well then, don't tell me," Hanschen shuffled off to go bug Ernst. He seemed to be spending a lot of time talking to Ernst lately.
Just then, Moritz rushed over.
"Did you bring the notebook?" He asked quietly.
"Yep," Melchior nodded.
"Good. Thanks," Moritz said. He seemed a bit dazed - but then again, he always seemed a bit dazed in gym class (or any class.)
"No problem," Melchior said as Herr Schneider blew his whistle to get the boys' attention.
"10 laps around the gym - let's go!" Schneider blew his whistle again.
"Oh sweet Jesus," Moritz muttered.
Melchior chuckled. "Come on - I'll run with you."
After the school day ended, Melchior took a walk around campus. He was hoping that Wendla would have finally left her dorm and that they'd run into each other and be able to talk.
He saw Gertrude walking with some friends.
"Hey, Gertrude!" Melchior called. Gertrude and her friends stopped.
"What's up, Melchior?" Gertrude asked.
"Is Wendla still back in your room?" Melchior asked.
"No, she's feeling a little better and studying in the library," Gertrude replied.
"Great, thanks," Melchior said, heading off to the library before Gertrude could respond.
Upon reaching the library, Melchior was stopped by Dietrich.
"Hey, Melchior - do you remember what problems -" Dietrich started.
"Not now, Dietrich!" Melchior snapped, pushing past the boy and heading for the library.
He looked around. He saw Thea doing a school project with Bobby Maler.
"Hi Melchi!" She greeted enthusiastically.
"Um, hi Thea, hi Bobby - have either of you seen Wendla?" Melchior asked.
"Is she here?" Thea asked. "Last I heard from Gertrude, she was sick in bed."
"No, she's feeling better now and studying here," Melchior said. "I've got to go find her."
"Oh, okay. Well - good luck!" Thea said. Damn it - was he always looking for Wendla or what?
Melchior found Wendla off in the corner.
"Wendla," he said softly.
Startled, Wendla jumped.
"Melchior Gabor you nearly gave me a heart attack," Wendla chided.
"Sorry. Look…I want to apologize for last night," Melchior said.
"It was my fault, Melchi - I asked you to do it. You even made sure I really wanted to," Wendla said.
"You asked me to paddle you," Melchior said, voice still low. "But not to grab you and shake you like that."
"That's true," Wendla said. "But I'm fine, honestly. And I'm sorry for asking you to do it in the first place."
At this point, Wendla and Melchior hadn't realized their faces were nearly touching.
"Melchior Gabor and Wendla Bergmann are making out!" Cried Dietrich from a nearby table.
"No we're not!" Wendla protested to the group of students staring at them now. "Melchior is helping me with my homework. The answer is seven, right?" Wendla asked Melchior, pointing to a random paragraph in her textbook.
"Yep. Good job," Melchior played along. "Hey, you wanna go somewhere more private?" He whispered in Wendla's ear.
Wendla smiled and gathered up her books.
Melchior took Wendla to a local park.
"This is my favorite place to go when I need some time to myself," Melchior said. He climbed up to the top of the playground tower.
"I hate to intrude," Wendla said.
"It's not intruding if I invited you here!" Melchior chuckled. "Come on, I'll help you," Melchior reached out to give Wendla a boost.
Once Wendla had gotten settled next to him she looked up at the stars.
"Wow, the sky looks so beautiful tonight," she remarked.
"It's not the only one," Melchior smiled at Wendla who blushed.
Melchior leaned forward and Wendla followed suit. She'd been dreaming about her first kiss since she was a small child, but had never imagined it would be with Melchior Gabor in a park at night.
The pair kissed for a while longer when suddenly Wendla felt an intense poke in her stomach.
"Oh! What's in your lap?" Wendla cried, fearing it was some kind of small animal.
"Just…me," Melchior said awkwardly. He was embarrassed, he had to admit - but his increasing libido pushed the feelings of shame or anything else aside.
"Just you?" Wendla asked. "What do…oh! Oh, I see."
"Maybe we should stop…it's just going to…continue…" Melchior said awkwardly. He didn't want to stop but he didn't want to scare Wendla off again.
"We don't have to," Wendla said, smiling. "Do you have um…a…"
Melchior paused. Wendla Bergmann knew what a condom was? Just two years ago, when her older sister had had her first baby, Wendla had talked excitedly about how because of the stork, she was now an aunt. Like Moritz's parents, Wendla's mother wasn't about to tell her daughter the facts of life so to speak - and the extent of sexual education the school provided was "wait until you're married." They didn't even clarify what the students were supposed to wait to do. Melchior had overheard a conversation between Wendla and Moritz during the pathetic excuse of an assembly.
"What exactly are we supposed to wait to do?" Moritz asked Wendla.
"I have no idea," Wendla shrugged.
Meanwhile, Wendla remembered what her older sister Ina had told her. Mama wasn't spilling the beans and Wendla talked to her sister about everything. Ina had told her Mama hadn't shared this information with her until her wedding night, and even then, Ina wasn't aware of contraceptives until she'd talked to her gynecologist.
Wendla had been shocked to know what her sister had done with her brother-in-law - and what her own parents had done! But she was grateful she knew.
Melchior did carry a condom around with him - he had for about a year; if anything it was in the hopes that he'd be able to use one soon.
He reached in his back pocket.
"Yep!" He said, holding it up.
Wendla smiled.