Attractant

Date/Timing: 22 May 2006
Setting: outside Bastien's school; Berlin, Germany
.
Hermann climbs down from the bus, hobbles over to the front gate of Bastien's school, props himself against the wall to wait.
Traffic hums past; wind shuffles leaves and teases Hermann's feathers.
He rolls his shoulders and sighs.
The end-of-day bell /clangs.
Hermann shifts his grip on his cane, shuffles his feet.
Laughter, running feet.
The first children dart past.
Shrieks, happy.
Another knot of students.
Someone slinks up, greets, „Um, Hermann?“
He straightens. „Good afternoon, Miss Sofie.“
Sofie smiles, then lowers her eyes and scuffs her feet. „Bastien asked me to tell you he'll be a little late. Director Doctor Schmidt is talking to him.“
„Please tell me he wasn't caught passing notes.“
„That's not—it was, umm ... Niklas was pulling Katharina's hair during quiet study, so Bastien pushed him out of his chair.“
Hermann gazes heavenward and counts down from ten.
„You're not mad at him, too, are you?“
„Not at all,“ Hermann assures. „I'm only surprised it doesn't happen more often.“
„Yea, he's kinda heroic.“
„Not /quite the word I was thinking of, but close enough.“
„Who're you talking to, Sofie?“ asks another girl.
„This's Bastien's brother, Hermann,“ replies Sofie.
„Pleased to meet you, Miss ...?“
„Laura.“
„Miss Laura.“
She turns to Sofie, stage whispers, „He looks just like Bastien.“
„Mmhmm.“
Hermann suppresses an eye roll.
„They're both really cute,“ adds Laura.
„Mmhmm!“
Hermann can do nothing about the blush which heats his ears.
„Sofie! Laura!“ A third girl skips up, double-takes Hermann. „Hi, Bastien's brother!“
„Hello, Miss ...?“
„Julia!“
„Miss Julia.“
She glows, then sniffs the air.
Hermann braces—
„Who smells like strawberries?“ Julia glances around, lasers in on Hermann. „Is it you, Bastien's brother?“
„I, uh—“ Hermann clears his throat. „I believe I do—“
Julia squeals, hops on the spot. „What perfume is that? I wanna smell that good!“
Hermann blinks rapidly. „Wha—what?“
„Your perfume! I want my Mummy to buy some for me so I can smell pretty, too!“
„Boys don't wear /perfume,“ scolds Laura. „It's called /cologne.“
„Whatever. It smells so /pretty!“
Hermann rubs the back of his neck. „It's a strawberry shower gel sold at Edeka. The kind that comes in a white bottle with a label mostly in English.“
Julia nods with enthusiasm. 
„Did you use it on your hair, too?“ asks Sofie.
„I want my hair to smell like strawberries,“ sighs Laura.
„Umm, no, I didn't. I used my regular shampoo. It's chamomile-scented.“
Someone's pocket /shimmers.
„Ohmygoodnesswe'regonnamissthebus!“ squeaks Laura, grabbing Sofie and Julia by the arms and dragging them toward the shelter.
„'bye, Bastien's brother!“ calls Julia.
Hermann sketches a wave, exhales shakily and slouches back against the wall when the trio disappear into the waiting vehicle.
Another bus comes and goes before Bastien shtumps up beside him.
„Hey.“
„Are you alright?“
„'m fine.“ Bastien shrugs. „Or I will be 'til Father hears about it.“
„You should've just told the teacher what was happening.“
Bastien's eyes flame. „Mrs Wolf /told him to stop. /Twice. And he was /hurting her.“
Hermann gestures for calm, starts them for home.
Bastien stomps along at a matching pace.
„What's your punishment?“
„No free time this week or next and Director Doctor Schmidt is calling Father.“
Hermann winces.
„Yea, so I'm probably a dead man.“
„He's not going to kill you,“ sighs Hermann.
Bastien scoffs.
„He won't.“
„Yea, of course not. I'll just /wish I was dead.“
Hermann's wrists itch; he stops walking. „Bastien. Don't /think about that, let alone /say it, even as a joke.“
Bastien cringes. „I'm not—I won't—“ He sighs. „Sorry, Manny. I remember my promise.“
„Me, too.“ Hermann smiles as kindly as he can. „We'll get each other through this.“
„Yea. Right. We will.“
They walk the rest of the way in silence.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Hermann
Category:Hermann's POV
Category:Hermann has wings
Category:Hermann (ficlet)
Category:Bastien
Category:Bastien (ficlet)
Category:Sofie
Category:Sofie (ficlet)
Category:Lars (mention)
Category:Berlin (setting)
Category:Ficlets with images
Category:Pages with comments
2006 05 22
Category:Celestial Mechanics