Why did he offer to walk me home? Ernst Robel wondered for the twentieth time that night as he tried to focus on his Latin translations. He wasn't anything special; just a weak little boy who can easily fade into the background.
Hanschen Rillow, on the other hand, was the second smartest in the class, next to Melchior. Second most attractive too. The only reason Georg, Otto and Moritz had chances with any of the girls is because Hanschen is a little intimidating with his straw blonde hair, strong jaw line and fine broad shoulders. Melchi was smaller, more like the rest of them, and had a kind face; that's what drew Ernst towards him. But something about Hanschen was so… so… so mysterious. It beat out Melchior's unpredictableness any day.
Not that this really mattered. Ernst could only be acquaintances with them. He was the second worst student in class, thanks to Moritz. It wasn't that Ernst didn't know his Latin or how to do quadratic equations (though they did give him a bit of a headache). He just didn't speak well in front of others, especially his classmates. They made him nervous. Especially Hanschen. There was just something about him that threw everything Ernst knew out the window; religion, Latin, school.
Giving up on his Latin for the night, Ernst put on his pajamas and climbed into bed. He hoped that his mind would clear and he'd be able to finish his homework in the morning.
When Ernst woke up the next morning, he didn't feel any better. He'd had trouble sleeping. All he could think about was Hanschen. Occasionally Melchior would make an appearance, but only for a moment. Then it was right back to Hanschen. It was horrible and made Ernst feel so awful to think of the things he'd dreamt about; Hanschen in his arms, he in Hanschen's, how full Hanschen's lips were… no, he mustn't remember. And to make matters worse, he woke up late with unfinished Latin. He'd have to live without breakfast. Such were the sacrifices made for sinners. Christ was crucified; certainly Ernst could go without a meal.
He quickly sat at his desk overlooking the vineyard and focused on finishing his Latin. There were always bad consequences when a student didn't finish their work; Moritz always found that out the hard way.
"Ernst, you're going to be late," his mother called up the stairs as he was pushing his books into his bag. There would be no time for Bible reading this morning.
Ernst flew down the stairs and right out the door, saying goodbye as he passed his mother.