A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long since I've updated. I got so many complaints about the cliff-hanger! Anyway, this chapter is a FLASHBACK from the last chapter. Remember how Liesel heads home after purchasing the paint and speaks to Ilsa about college, well Rudy heads home and meets someone :) Enjoy!

Chapter 14

Flashback from Rudy's P.O.V

As Liesel slowly walked away from Green Strasse, all Rudy could imagine was how horribly wrong this could go. How a simple streak of white paint across a false fact could cause them so much trouble.

But then again he wasn't exactly doing anything wrong.

Why Liesel had decided to approach this problem the illicit way instead of the legal way was a mystery to Rudy. Even though she had a rebellious streak in her, he had assumed that it would have worn off soon enough, just like it did with him. He was grateful that the girl he loved on Himmel Street was still the one he saw with his eyes everyday, but even she had her own limits.

Rudy imagined how it would have been like if the situation was turned. He imagined Liesel's name on the memorial board instead of his. He probably would have settled with yelling at the painters for displaying wrong information, since the memorial was a sensitive part for the residents of Himmel Street. But to him, it felt as if Liesel purposely was trying to reroute their approach to the issue because of something she wouldn't tell him.

He knew that there was something wrong. He could tell by her reaction the day they figured out. Instead of being disturbed or angry, he saw that she even looked slightly scared. Her eyes would always get this certain look where they would expand as if was trying the capture as much of the scene with her eyes as possible. And back at the mayor's home, she tried too hard to mask it by acting casual.

Did she know about his name? What was behind all this?

She asked him specifically not to tell anyone about what they were doing, even Rudy's father. He had never walked into the newly constructed Himmel Street once, nevertheless spoken about it. But Rudy had no answer to why his name was on the board. It simply could have been a mistake. But Liesel sure did not act like it.

He needed to figure out. He couldn't do something like this.

He started down the street to his home. It was the last one to his right. The street was designed beautifully with trees hovering over the pavement. They gave off a wonderful aura of sweet maple. This part of town was a little bit nicer than Himmel Street. The houses were bigger and poverty wasn't so bad. But even if years had passed since he moved here with his father, it never felt like home. Not even once.

And though it had been years since the bombing, and though Himmel Street was destroyed and built again, that old place would always be his home. He could never deny that.

A couple meters away, Rudy saw a girl across the street, parallel to him furiously looking through the bushes and dirt. Her hair was a dark brown that reached up to her shoulders. He had never seen her before, which was odd since he knew most of his neighbors.

"What are you looking for?" he called out to the girl.

She slightly turned her head back. "A necklace," she said. Rudy couldn't see her face properly. "I was playing ball with my brother here and I think it fell off."

Rudy walked over to where she was standing. "I can help," he said.

The girl turned around to face him. "It's alright-"

When Rudy saw her face, he gasped and abruptly stopped. The girls eyes widened. Not only was she stunningly beautiful, but she looked so familiar.

Maybe a little too familiar.

The girl took a step back from him. Her expression mirrored his perfectly.

He narrowed his eyes at her and studied her face until it finally occurred to him. The long brown hair that reached her shoulders. The sweet high pitched voice. The big vacant blue eyes.

"Kirsti," he announced. "Kirstin Brandt."

The girl cautiously placed her hands to her sides, as if she were deciding what to say. A small smile crept up upon the corners of her lips. "Rudy?"

Rudy let out a small laugh. "You remember!" he said. "What are you doing here?"

Kirsti brushed her hair behind her ears. "I live here," she said brightly. She pointed to a house across from them. "We moved in about three weeks ago."

Rudy frowned. "Three weeks?" he said. "How come I've never seen you around."

Kirsti swallowed and bit the side of her lip. "Been busy," she said. She looked away from Rudy and into the street. "Listen, I'll see you later. I've got to go."

"Wait," said Rudy. He turned around to face her again. "I mean how are you? I haven't seen you in so many years? How's your brother?"

Kirsti looked at the ground. "Fine," she murmured. "Everything's great, Rudy. But I have to go."

Rudy got the sense she was hiding something from him. Even if he had just seen her after nine years. "You know, Kirsti," Rudy said. "You've never been a good liar. Is something wrong?"

Kirsti shook her head abruptly. "No," she said. "It's just with the unpacking and everything I've been busy."

"Did you know I lived here?"

Kirsti met his eyes for a second. "No," she said quietly. "No, I didn't." She sighed. "I'm sorry," she said. She let her foot dig into the dirt. "I've seen you once," she admitted. She let her eyes flutter away. "I could tell it was you so easily. But I never said anything to you."

Rudy stared at Kirsti, expecting another answer. She was gorgeous, everything about her. Her hair complimented the color of her eyes perfectly. Her voice reminded him of honey on his lips. But when she didn't say anything, he just shook his head. "Why?" he asked.

Kirsti's head fell a little. The corners of her eyes looked a little red. She blinked repeatedly and looked at her hands. "I couldn't," she uttered. Her voice was sweet but pained. "Liesel she-"

Rudy's eyes widened when he said her name. "What?" he demanded. "You met Liesel?"

Kirsti closed her eyes and clenched her fists. A few tears rolled down her cheek. "Yes, I did, Rudy." She opened her eyes again and met Rudy's stare. Her eyes begged Rudy to say something, but they also restrained her from doing anything. "I think it's best I stay away from you," she whispered.

Rudy's heart dropped. "Did Liesel say anything to you about me?" he asked harshly. He stuffed his hands into his pockets. A cold breeze blew from the north. Dark clouds started to hover over them signaling a storm coming there way.

Kirsti took a couple steps back and said. "Forget it, Rudy. It's okay-"

"No!" He yelled over the grumbling of the thunder above. "Did Liesel threaten you-"

She shook her head sadly with a wounded look on her face. "I have to go," she said. She turned around and jogged home as the rain started to drizzle slowly from above.

Rudy stood there, confused and speechless about what had just happened.

How did Liesel and Kirsti know each other? He thought. And what did Liesel say to her that made her stay away?

He knew there was only one way to find out.

A/N: How was it? After this, Rudy goes and confronts Liesel at Himmel Street. The next chapter will continue after that. Please review and I will update soon! The more reviews I get, I tend to update faster! I also will like to thank you guys because I am going to reach my 10,000th view soon enough! I am so lucky and it's because of you guys! SO THANK YOU!

Anyway, I will be updating in a few days and please review!

-Emma