Doors

Date/Timing: 28 February 2006
Setting: Hermann's bedroom; Berlin, Germany
.
Bastien stomps into Hermann's room, throws himself into the desk chair, sending it skidding into the side of the mattress—
Hermann glances up from his textbook, raises an eyebrow.
—crosses his arms, scowls.
„Do I want to know?“
„That Geiszler /asshole wrote back.“
„What did he say?“
„He /said he's an /asshole, but used a /lot more words.“ Bastien sulks lower. „I don't care /what Father says. I'm not writing him again.“
Hermann frowns, holds out his hands. „Pass me my laptop, please.“
Bastien does, returns immediately to pouting.
Hermann boots up the machine, waits for it to connect to Father's wifi, checks his email.
Sure enough, a reply waits for him, too, and he clicks it open.
-
/From: Newton Geiszler (ng2505@columbia.edu)
/To: Hermann Gottlieb (HG_CP1919@gmail.com)
/Subject: RE: Greetings from Berlin 
WTF DUDE HOW OLD ARE YOU? EIGHTY? -
Hermann growls low in his throat.
„Told you.“
„He insulted me in the first 'sentence'.“
„Same here.“
„At least he's consistent.“
„Yea, a consistent /asshole.“
Hermann snorts.
- The maternal unit said you were MY AGE!!1!
WHICH REMINDS ME:
OUR PARENST ARE DATING????
EEWWW. SRSLY.
So ... HERMANN, you're starting school in a couple of months. What'll you be studying? Columbia wants me in their biology department so bad they're letting me take take a couple courses each semester at home on top of the usual high school shit. I'm starting grad courses over the summer, since this stuff isn't hard at all.
I'll probably finish my M.S. at Columbia, since there already -
Hermann's eyelid twitches.
- since there already talking full ride. The other schools (Stanford, Harvard, Berkley, Princeton, Yale, Cornell, Duke, the usual suspects) are just fishing, nothing on the record yet.
Dad says TU's a pretty good school, so it's cool they've let you in a little early -
Hermann snarls.
„Did it again, huh?“
„Worse.“
„I'm almost impressed,“ drawls Bastien.
- Dad says TU's a pretty good school, so it's cool they've let you in a little early, but you really should get your major picked out so you don't waste too much time screwing around trying to "find" yourself. -
Hermann slowly, deliberately closes the laptop, sets it aside.
'Well?' says Bastien's eyebrow.
„He's a complete and utter /asshole.“
Bastien grins.
Hermann takes a deep breath, tugs his cuffs farther down over his bandaged wrists. „He is, however, an asshole with whom we're allowed to communicate.“
Bastien tilts his head, expression suddenly cunning. „You think he can help us?“
„I don't know, but it doesn't strike me as wise to close one of the few doors open to us.“ He side-eyes the laptop. „I'll just need a few minutes to calm myself so I can face reading the rest of his note.“
„It's not gonna get better.“
„Probably not, but I want to approach with an open mind.“
Bastien snorks, slides to his feet. „Want a snack?“
„An apple, if there are any left.“
„I think there are. Back in a minute~!“ He skips off.
Hermann gazes heavenward, mumbles, "Why can't he be more like Edan?", then gently bangs his head against the wall.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Berlin (setting)
Category:Hermann
Category:Hermann's POV
Category:Hermann (ficlet)
Category:Bastien
Category:Bastien (ficlet)
Category:Newt
Category:Newt (ficlet)
Category:Conversations via email
Category:Monica (mention)
Category:Lars (mention)
Category:Edan (mention)
Category:Jakob (mention)
Category:Ficlets with images
2006 02 28 
Category:Celestial Mechanics