School days

Erica and Ursula both attended the same school in Karalsland. It was a strict school with even heavier handed teachers and rules. It did not sit well with Erica's free spirited personality. Rottweil was a School that Functioned under a tight military-style discipline. The school regulated the student's classes along with their Leisure-time activities. You could clearly see why Erica was so opposed to going there. Every weekend seemed to Erica like liberation from prison. We join Erica, Jonathan, and Ursula walking down the street on their usual rout to school.

"Ahhh! I hate Rottweil!" Erica shouts waving her school books over her head in anger.

"It's not the school you hate. It's the teachers." Ursula said. She is deep in a book as she walks with the others. Not looking where she is going she is heading straight for poll. Jonathan pulls her to the side without missing a stride as they continue to walk. Jonathan had grown used to her reckless reading habits and occasionally had to assist her when she was going to get herself hurt.

"Oh... thanks Jonathan" Ursula said covering her red face with the book.

"Its alright." he said taking her hand to help guide her "I think you hate getting up early Erica" Jonathan jokes

"You're both right. I hate everything about it. The rules, the teachers, and especially getting up early to get there!"

"Come on. Not all the teachers are that bad" Ursula said putting her book away but still continued holding Jonathan's hand.

"Oh come on Ursula. Every teacher is a God, and we are the slaves." Erica said as they climbed the steeps to Rottweil and headed for their class. The three walk into the physics room and take their seats at one of the tables.

"Alright class" the teacher said quieting the students. The man was tall and bald with a thin, dark, beard. "Today we will be making gunpowder from Charcoal and sulfur"

The class worked through the period quietly mixing the powders. Time went on and the teacher was ready to allow the students a break.

"Alright. Place your products on this iron plate" he said putting a plate in the center of the room as the children began to pile their powder on it. "Do not play with the materiel during the break. I will be back in a moment." the teacher said as he walked out the door.

As soon as the door closed all the students promptly gathered around the large pile of powder. They were fascinated by the explosive power it contained. A few of the boys struck matches near the powder but weren't willing to risk the trouble they would get in if they ignited it.

"Come on I dare you" one boy said to another

"No I dare you" a girl said across the room to another boy

Everyone was daring everyone else to touch the powder with the match but no one was game enough to do it.

"Come on Usch. How about you" one boy said to Ursula who was not paying attention to the students because she was too busy reading.

"I'd rather not." she said not breaking her focus from her book.

"Alright. How about you Erica" the boy said. Erica just grinned and got up from her seat.

"Big mistake" she said grabbing a match and striking it on the box. She then shoved it right into the powder. A large flash followed by an explosion sent all the students diving under the tables. A large cloud of black smoke filled the room. Everyone was covered in dust but Erica got it the worst. Her once blond hair was now a dark black along with her face. She just stood there laughing.

Within seconds of the blast the teacher came back in and everyone rushed to their seats.

"Alright... Who was playing with the powder?" he asked angrily. No one said a word.

"No's going to talk huh. Maybe you would all like to stay and clean this up" He threatened. Erica sighed and raised her hand.

"It was me. I lit the powder okay" She said.

"Well miss Hartmann. If you find it so fun to make messes than I guess you won't mind cleaning them up. You will stay after school and clean all the apparatuses used for my lessons for the rest of the marking period!"

"What! That's blowing this totally out of proportion" Erica complained rising from her seat.

"Do you want me to make it for the rest of the year" He snapped back.

Erica was quiet and sunk back into her chair.

"Good. Now clean up this mess while I continue the lesson"

...

Three days later Erica stands by the sink scrubbing a glass beaker. She yawns as she finishes the last of the equipment she had to clean.

"Are you ready to head home?" Erica hears from behind her as she turns to see Jonathan and Ursula had been waiting to walk home with her. They had stayed late these past few days to accompany Erica on her walk home. It was the right thing to do after being given such an unfair punishment.

"Yeah let's go" she says throwing her arms out in joy. When she does this she accidentally hits the table with all of the beakers on it causing it to shake. Erica watches in horror as all the beakers fall on their sides and roll off the table to hit the ground with a smash.

As this goes on the physics teacher walks in and turns red in the face with anger.

"HARTMANN!" he shouts "you have destroyed EVERYTHING! You are going to stay and put them all back together even if it takes you into the morning!" He finishes by slamming the door.

"But that is impossible!" Erica shouts after he leaves.

"Erica... what are we going to do with you" Ursula sighs about to take a seat to wait for her sister when the door opens back up and the teacher leans through it.

"And your sister and her friend will help to!" he shouts still boiling with rage.

"Wait what! But we didn't do anything" Ursula complains

"I don't care!" he shouts at her and a slam the door for the last time and locks it so they can't leave until the job is done.

"What a jerk" Jonathan says leaning over to help Erica with the glass.

"I hate this school" Ursula said

"Finally. You are starting to understand my logic" Erica said dropping the glass she had picked up already and stood to her feet. She walked over to the window and opened it.

"What are you doing?" Ursula asked

"He won't be back to open the door for a while. I think I have worked hard enough" Erica said sticking her leg out the window. "If you want to stick around here and build beakers its fine by me. I'm going home."

"I think we should follow her. You know... we shouldn't let her walk home alone" Jonathan said as he stands up and puts his hand out to help Ursula up.

"Good idea" She said taking his hand.

Erica drops out the window into the bushes that lined the walls of the school. Jonathan helps Ursula out the window and meets up with her by the wall. They make a sprint through the courtyard and out through the front gate. As Hartmann is off the school grounds and home free she can faintly hear the screams of her Physics teacher who had walked back in to check on her. She looks back on the school and stops to playfully salute it.

"See ya latter Rottweil! These are three students you will never hear from again!" she said as she ran to catch up with Jonathan and Ursula

"Do you think mom and dad will be mad?" Ursula asked

"I'm sure they will understand" Erica responded.

"So where are we going to go now. If we can't go back to Rottweil where will we go to school?" Jonathan asked

"Don't worry John. I will figure something out." she said reassuring him. "You guys will stick with me right?" Erica asked.

"Yeah everywhere you go I will follow sister" Ursula said with a smile.

"Don't worry Hartmann. I still owe you for helping me escape the bikers. I will stick with you two." Jonathan said

"Awww. You don't owe me for that. You should be more concerned with staying with Ursula. You don't want her running away with another boy at some other school now do you?" Erica said as Ursula began to blush. Erica than ran ahead laughing.

"Ursula you would never do something" Jonathan began to when he was interrupted by Ursula. She took his cheeks in her palms and kissed him on the lips reassuring him that she only had eyes for him.

"Does that answer your question" she asked as she ran ahead with her sister giggling to herself.

"I... it... Hay waits up!" Jonathan said running to catch up with them.

...

Erica ran ahead of the two because she wanted to get home before the news got to her father. Jonathan and Ursula went at their own pace so they could talk along the way.

"So what is your dream in life Ursula...? I know it must seem strange for me to ask now... I just always wondered" Jonathan asked her.

"Oh... you're going to think I'm weird if I told you" she said

"Try me "He responded

"Well... I have always wanted to join the air force and work on the strikers. I have so many ideas and designs that would make winning this war so much easier." she said

"That's amazing... I have always wanted to do that to" Jonathan said

"No... You're just saying that. You would never want to do something so boring" She said looking down at the sidewalk.

"Ursula..." he said taking her hands "If what you do is boring... then I want to be by your side doing it either way. I enjoy it. My father was a mechanic but I was always more interested in planes... do you believe me"

"Y-yes... I don't know why I would say that wasn't your dream... I'm sorry" she said sadly. Jonathan gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"It can be our dream... together we will win this war with our creations" Jonathan said as Ursula leaned her head on his shoulder and they continued to walk.

"Thanks John... You're the best" she said

...

Erica quietly pushed open the door and surveyed the room. No one was to be seen. She attempts to climb the stairs but she hears her father's thick voice from the other room.

"Erica... Please come in here" he said calmly. Erica curses under her breath and walks back down the stairs and into the living room. She sees her father sitting in front of the fire in a large arm chair.

"Yes" she said shyly

"Come her Erica... I wish to speak with you" He said waving her over.

"Dad my teachers are horrible people. It was all an accident... well half of it was. The punishments were unreasonable and" Erica began to defend herself but her father put up his hand to stop her from speaking. Her father was a tall strong man with a weathered face from many years of medical practice. His trimmed beard showed his formal appearance well.

"Erica I understand. Ursula told me of what was going on and why you haven't been home on time. I also received word from your teacher that the three of you ran from your punishment. You are my daughter and I only want what's best for you." he said taking out some paperwork from beside him and handing it to her.

"How does Korntal sound?" he asked her

"Korntal?" she said looking over the flyers.

"Yes... it is a very nice school. Be it far away. But they treat their students as if they were family making for a much better environment. They also have boarding rooms where you Jonathan and Ursula will be staying during the week. Seeing as you felt they needed to be dragged along with you" he said with a smile.

"Oh! Thank you father!" she said giving him a hug.

"Very good very good. Now go get packed we will be leaving tomorrow." he said as Erica ran to pack her things. At that moment Ursula and Jonathan walked through the front door.

"Ah just the two I wanted to see" Dr Hartmann said as he explained everything he had said to Erica to them. He then leans in and speaks directly to Jonathan as Ursula quietly watches.

"Now listen here son. You will be spending the nights with my daughter in this school. I am grateful that you took such a beating to protect my daughter from those bullies and I show this by allowing you to date her. Listen to me and listen good... If I hear anything about you fooling around with my Ursula when you two are in those dorms together... there is going to be hell to pay" he said darkly "do I make myself clear"

"Y-yes sir" Jonathan said scared for his life.

"Good" Dr Hartmann said as his angered expression quickly turned to a smile "now go get packed you two." he said sending them upstairs.

"I'm sorry about my father... he's a bit overprotective." Ursula said as she packs her bag

"It's alright I understand... As long as I am close to you I am fine" he said wrapping his arms around her and kissing her on the cheek once again.

"I think this is for the best… this change… for all of us." Ursula says leaning back on Jonathan and closing her eyes.

Erica didn't know it at the moment but the change in schools would play a big part in her future. She would meet a very special person at Korntal that she would love for the rest of her life.