Chapter 26a/56 - Through the auditorium, Part 2

Nadine and Susanne quickly join them. Karina considers following, but then decides against it. "You go, I'm too lazy..."

"Where are we heading that fast?" Susanne wants to know, who - because she is a head shorter than the others - has difficulty following Leonie's fast step.

"To the secretary's office. Leonie wants to get a cash card for the cafeteria..." explains Jessica.

"You do know that they're still on break, right?" Nadine points out.

"No, not anymore. It's THREE minutes past," Jessica replies after checking her watch.

"But you don't have to run like that, the lunch break isn't over yet...", Susanne gasps behind them.

"Sorry," Leonie slows down. But just a little bit. "At the moment most of them are still eating. I want to take advantage of that." She laughs dryly. "Because to be honest, I don't want the whole school to see me 'like that' when I walk through the main hall..." She points to the metal bow that is currently spanned around her face.

"Then you shouldn't have put it on in the first place," Nadine addresses a sore point.

"I already regret it," admits Leonie. "But it's too late for that now, I won't take it out again now..."

That earns her a few surprised looks.

"Really, Leonie, I don't understand you. Yesterday you didn't want to wear the stupid brace. And then you walked across the cafeteria to the snack machine. And now you know you have to walk through the main hall, and you put your headgear in anyway. Even though you already regret it... that's just stupid and...", Susanne doesn't finish the sentence and instead concentrates on not losing the connection.

Leonie presses her lips together. »Damn, I have to be REALLY careful not to overdo it!« And loudly she says "That's just because..."

"...you want to get used to it as soon as possible, we understand that," Jessica replies. "Still, Leonie. You're the one creating all the stress for yourself."

By now, Leonie's heart is pounding in her throat: Should she really do this? Should she really walk through the main hall with her headgear on? Where she can theoretically be stared at from dozens of eyes? Should... should she REALLY do that?

Susanne is right after all: it sounds like a stupid idea. No... it IS a stupid idea. After all, yesterday she had hardly been able to stand her classmates staring at her. It had cost her so many nerves that she had almost started crying. Why - why the hell - does she now want to walk through the MAIN HALL with her brace on, where there are at least as many people? Has she learned nothing from yesterday?

Her breathing is fast and shallow, she presses her lips together. Yes... yes, she HAD learned from yesterday. Albeit a 'different' lesson from what one might expect: Because when last night she had thought back, one thing had become clear to her. It HAD been bad yesterday, to be stared at. But... BUT: There had also been a certain tingling in her stomach.

And now... That feeling is back! Just a few minutes ago! When she had stood in front of the mirror in the girls' bathroom. When she had imagined what it must feel like to walk through the main hall with her headgear on. The tingling had made her totally flustered.

Leonie knows that it's a stupid idea to walk through the hall with such a conspicuous treatment device. But she also knows that she will only feel this tingling if she leaves her headgear in now. THAT is what drives her forward.

But the closer she gets to the main hall, the more uncertain she becomes. Should she really? REALLY really? Yesterday she had told her friends that she had once walked through the auditorium with her brace on. And then came to regret it because the fifth graders had run after her jeering.

That had been a lie, of course. After all, yesterday was the very first time she had ever worn her headgear to school. Still, should she really risk it now? Should she really risk being laughed at by potentially dozens of kids? Wouldn't it make more sense for her to.... well... start SLOWLY? If she's content to wear her brace to her own class first? And only then, when she has gotten used to THAT...?

But an invisible force moves her legs without her doing and sends her towards the main hall.



"I wasn't sure if you would actually put that thing back in today," says Jessica. "Yes, I know you said you had to wear it and stuff. Still, seeing you with it is still kinda..."

"...embarrassing?" Leonie completes the sentence tensely.

Jessica laughs: "Not for us, only for you. I have NO problem with you running around with that thing in your face. Doesn't faze ME in the slightest."

Leonie smiles lopsided. And yet, at the same time, she's very relieved. Memories of yesterday's conversation with her father come back to her. And so, Leonie is quite relieved about what Jessica had just said: Her wearing headgear does not cause the others to be ashamed of her!

"No, I did want to say something else: It's still... unreal," Jessica corrects. "Or 'surprising'. Or however you want to put it. I still can't really believe it."

"You might as well believe it, Jessica. I'm definitely going to be wearing it regularly from now on." Leonie smiles relieved, "Seeing me wear headgear will become a lot more normal for you in the coming days - and weeks."

Jessica shrugs her shoulders in an eloquent gesture: She doesn't think she'll ever get used to seeing her classmate with it. "But the facebow can't be folded up, can it?" she asks suddenly.

Leonie looks at her bench-neighbor as if she's gone nuts. "Huh? What do you want? Why should this thing 'fold'? The bow is made of metal. If you were to fold it, you'd just bend it..."

"That was a joke," Jessica feels misunderstood, but has no opportunity to explain herself.



They are now walking through the main hall. Leonie visibly stiffens and her head points to the ground. There weren't many people in the corridors, so it was bearable. But there are already more people in the large hall than she had anticipated. So many people want to spend the rest of their lunch break here that it will be impossible to avoid everyone's looks. She didn't imagine it like this!

There are only a few options: Turn around and take out the headgear? But her legs are still guided by an invisible force. Turning back is impossible.

Take out the headgear here and now? No, it would be far too embarrassing to be watched.

There is only one thing: Push on with eyes closed. Or better: Push on with eyes OPEN. Closing the eyes and then unavoidably colliding with someone would only draw unnecessary attention. And the more she tries to avoid groups of people, the more she turns away and tries to shield her headgear with raised hands, the more she will attract attention as well. And thus make everything worse.

So, with her eyes fixed to the ground, she quickly struts across the auditorium. And then also past the main entrance.



She made it! Here in the administration wing, there are significantly fewer people around. This amount of attention she can tolerate! "Phew," Leonie sighs. "It went well. I didn't hear anyone calling me out."

"Because no one did," confirm her companions.

"But if I may say one thing," Nadine begins. "Even if it's difficult for you: next time, walk a little slower. Not many people noticed that there was something 'strange' going on. But the people who did, probably did so, because you rushed through like an express train. And we followed behind. THAT stood out, I think."

"Embarrassing," Leonie grins when Susanne and Jessica nod in confirmation. "I really have to get used to it... This is the first time I've worn headgear in front of so many people after all!"

This makes the eyebrows of her companions rise: "The first time?"

Leonie grins awkwardly, nods and turns to Susanne: "You said you didn't dare to... well, you know... that you didn't dare to wear that thing in public." Susanne nods, her face red.

Leonie continues: "It's the same for me: I hadn't worn that brace that much in public before either. In all the time I have worn it until now, I had it on - just like you - almost exclusively at home. So, I'm not that much ahead of you."

"I thought that in the three years...", Susanne doesn't finish the sentence.

Leonie shakes her head, "So far, I've always managed not having to wear that thing outside."

"Didn't you say that you were once chased by kids from the lower school?", Nadine interjects.

Leonie looks to the ground. "Well... almost always. At the very beginning, I actually had worn my headgear to school, you're right. But then this stupid thing happened you were talking about. And since then I've only worn my headgear at home. Well... until yesterday, that is! And that..." she points with her thumb over her shoulders toward the main hall. "that was the first time I ever walked through a group like that."

"But then it really would have been easier if you had taken that thing out before you marched through the hall..."

Leonie is pretending to be far calmer than she actually feels. "I could have done that. But then I never get used to wearing headgear."

"You don't have to choose the hardest path for that", think her classmates. "Really, Leonie, you cause all the stress to yourself. You don't have to be hell-bent..."

The fact that Leonie felt a tremendous tingling sensation in the stomach area was the real reason why she kept her headgear in. But she certainly won't tell her friends that.

Chapter 27a/56 - A few errands, Part 2

"I... All right," Leonie gives in. She doesn't want to get on the wrong side of the secretaries on her second day. In the meantime, Mrs. Rudolf gives the impression of really being at the end of her patience.

She goes back to where she was before. A few more brief instructions, and then the secretary is also satisfied with the image composition. Leonie just hopes that she put on a halfway 'normal' facial expression. Apparently not, because Ms. Rudolf admonishes: "Don't look so angry at the camera!"

Leonie forces a smile on her face. "Much better!" exclaims the secretary behind the camera. With burning cheeks, Leonie waits for the picture to be taken. When Ms. Rudolf shows her the screen of the mobile phone again, her eyes widen:

Her cheeks are crimson. Her head is turned a bit to what is probably called a three-quarters portrait. While her hair is neat now, she managed to drape it in such a way that her neckpad is clearly visible. She smiles at the camera. No, that's not true: she's not smiling, she grins. She grins widely. VERY widely. So wide that both her braces are clearly visible. And of course her headgear. Oh my gosh! The metal bow catches the light from the ceiling lamps and reflects it towards the camera. Her braces - all the metal in and around her mouth - glints silver.

No, she can't leave it like that! Leonie stares at the display. Her braces are so noticeable! She didn't want that. She didn't want to grin THAT widely. She gets goosebumps: Her face seems to consist only of braces and silver glints. No, that... that's not...

"Yes, the picture is indeed better than the first one, we'll take that one," says the secretary satisfied.

"I... uhm...", Leonie begins, but she is ignored.

Mrs. Rudolf is already connecting her mobile phone to the computer. "You can pick up the ID in two - or better three - days."

"Uhm...", Leonie starts again.

This time, she is heard. "Yes?"

"I... I didn't really want to be in the picture with my brace on," Leonie points to the silver bow around her face.

An indifferent shrug is all Frau Rudolf offers in reply. She doesn't seem to attach any importance at all to that metal bow. "Then why didn't you remove it?" with a large pinch of »Don't you dare to blame ME! How am I supposed to know that YOU have a problem with your headgear if you leave it in for the photo?«

"I... uhh... maybe we could...", begins Leonie.

The secretary is not amused at all. She seems to regard being asked to take a third picture as a personal affront. "You are free to submit a photo from a professional photo studio!", she replies piqued.

Leonie swallows nervously. "I... OK, that's fine. We'll take the one you made," she then gives in.

That was the 'correct' answer, Mrs. Rudolf nods contentedly. "Your ID will be ready in three days."

"Can you maybe send me the picture? Would that be possible?"

"Of course. If you tell me your phone number."

A minute later it goes 'ding' and Leonie stares at the picture on her phone. »Oh my god. Is that really going to be my school ID picture?« A tremendous tingling sensation spreads through her stomach.

"If there is nothing else..." Ms. Kempff slowly seems to prefer the quiet of the empty office.



A few seconds later the girls are on the other side of the door.

"Sometimes I don't understand you," Jessica shakes her head. "What was that now?"

Leonie grins stupidly: "What do you mean? I applied for my school ID card."

"You know exactly what I mean," replies Jessica.

Susanne also asks: "Why didn't you take your headgear off? You said you didn't want to be in the picture with it."

"I didn't want to, but did you see how Mrs. Rudolf looked at me? She almost pounced at me!"

"Where did you get that idea?" is one answer.

And another: "Oh, Mrs. Rudolf is very docile. She may hiss a bit, but she is actually a cuddly cat."

"»Fully grown tiger with anger-issues«, you probably meant to say," replies Leonie. "You know, I really wanted to leave the office for a moment so that I could take the brace out unseen. But then I didn't dare. I was afraid that Ms. Rudolf would maul me if I so much as touched the door handle!"

"Never! She's really nice. Well yes... She has a bit of a harsh charm. You'll get used to that however.", is Susanne's opinion.

"If I were you, I would go back and say that you will submit another picture in the next few days," says Nadine. "Or... we could take a quick picture of you here..." She points to the wall. "Just stand there, take out your headgear and I'll snap a shot of you."

Leonie looks back and forth between the wall and Nadine uncertainly for a few seconds. Then she shakes her head. "I think I'll leave it as it is..."

"My goodness, Leonie," Jessica rolls her eyes. "Shall I go back in the office for you if you don't dare?"

The girl shakes her head hastily. "No, that's fine... Really Jessica. I'll leave it the way it is now!"

"You do know that the picture will be printed on your ID card?"

"No, I didn't know." Leonie shrugs her shoulders in a deliberately calm manner: "But: So what? Hardly anyone sees the ID except me."

"That picture is not only on your ID-card. It is your official school photograph! Do you really want to leave it like that? In the annual report at the end of the school year, every student will be printed with their official photo. Do you really want to appear there with headgear?"

Leonie swallows hard, her eyes get big. "Really? Oh... I... I didn't know that. Maybe I really should..." she breaks off and a second later she shales her head. "I'll leave it as is is."

"Really now?"

"Yeah! Taking a new picture and all that stuff … that's too much effort for me now."

"Too much effort?", Susanne shakes her head: "It's really quick. Not even a minute."

Leonie sighs theatrically. "OK, I'll admit it: I WANT to leave it the way it is now."

"THAT is clear. But why?"

Leonie smiles lopsided "Why? It just occurred to me, that is actually isn't half bad that it worked out the way it did!"

"Huh?", the girls look at her askance. "Why is it a good thing?"

"Well, it's actually quite simple: I have to wear headgear to school. I explained that to you. And if... if my official school picture now also has headgear... well, then that's sort of a reminder to myself not to slack off. Can you understand that?"

"No," laughs Jessica. "Susi, would you like to be my new neighbor? Leonie is too crazy for my taste!"

"Whoa, you're mean!" Leonie exclaims. But then she laughs. Unsure whether she's gone too far.

But at the same time, she almost doesn't care. The thought that the girl in every picture of her in this school will wear headgear from now on makes the tingling linger for a long time.

Chapter 28a/56 - An unpleasant encounter, Part 2

"Now you stay, where you are," Leonie suddenly hears Jessica's voice. A voice that sounds much more emphatic than usual. "What do you want here anyway?"

"None of your business," one of the boys cries. But the authority Jessica placed in her voice is having an impact. The crowd of lower school children comes to a halt.

"Now, listen!", that's Nadine. "You have no business here. This part of the school is out-of-bounds for you."

"You're not ordering us around!", the same boy again. He seems to be something like the leader?

"Get out of there, leave us alone, you little pests," Susanne feels audibly uncomfortable in her role as an authority figure. Perhaps because she herself is hardly taller than the children she faces? Therefore - unfortunately, one has to say - she doesn't cut a particularly good figure.



Nevertheless: Jessica, Nadine and Susanne stopped, confronted the pursuers and are now blocking the corridor. Her friends are buying her time to find somewhere to hide. Her friends stand up for her without knowing that Leonie has already solved the 'problem'.

A big lump forms in her throat. Oh man, her friends are so nice! She's only known the girls one single day and she's already crying with gratitude.

Leonie ponders whether she should join her friends or whether she can stay in the background. Can she let her friends handle this situation? No, she cannot! She brought it on herself, so at least she has to help solve it.

Jessica sees her friend approach. And the leader of the pests also recognizes her. Just as he's about to make a racket, he realizes the reason they pursued the girl in the first place has gone. And the other kids look at each other confused. Most of them hadn't even seen Leonie with headgear. They were just running after their 'leader'. And now he's standing in the middle of the hallway meekly. The children become insecure.

And Jessica takes advantage of that. She puts her hands on her hips and suddenly seems four inches taller. And then she teaches them a lesson they probably won't forget for quite some time. With every sentence they shrink further. The first children turn around and want to disappear. "You stay put until I'm done with you," orders Jessica. But the children don't do that, instead they run away.



A minute later everything is over, the four are alone again. All alone! Apparently, Jessica's harangue was so powerful that it didn't just drive off the younger kids. Even the middle school children - who actually have their classrooms here - don't want to find themselves on Jessica's wrong side and have therefore scampered off. 'Unmolested' the four walk back to their classroom.

Leonie grins awkwardly. "Thank you, guys. Thank you so much! You saved me."

"What for?" Jessica dismisses. "No matter what happened, the little ones have no right to cause such a fuss!"

"But it was the right decision to take out your headgear," Nadine points to Leonie's face.

"Sorry guys. I was in panic-mode and completely forgot I could have just taken that thing out. It didn't occur to me until way too late. If I had thought of it sooner, it wouldn't have come to this in the first place."

"You have nothing more to fear from them," says Jessica. Leonie looks around, but the little ones are indeed nowhere to be seen.

"I was almost afraid that you would start a fight with them, Jessy!" Nadine looks at her classmate.

"What's going on? Jessy wants to fight? That's so typical! With whom and why?" Karina was attracted by Jessica's loud voice. She is now told what happened.

With a red face, Leonie presses her lips together. "Girls, I'm sorry for leaving you alone. I wasn't really thinking straight and..."

Her friends wave it off. Susanne in particular hurries to assure Leonie that her reaction was quite normal.



"You suddenly sounded so 'different', Jessica. Like... I don't know... 'emphatic' and 'authoritarian'?" Leonie is impressed.

"If you have three little brothers, you learn not to put up with everything," the girl smiles. And to Nadine she says: "And you also learn to assess how far you can go without getting physical."

Then she points back over her shoulder: "They'll behave for now. You have nothing to fear from them for the next few days."

The new girl breathes a sigh of relief. "Nevertheless, I probably will not wear headgear in the main hall for the time being."

"That might be wise," is the opinion of all bystanders.

"Thanks guys! Really. I'll buy you all dinner tomorrow!"

"Now don't exaggerate, Leonie! That wasn't worth mentioning!"

Her heart is still pounding in her chest as they make their way back to their classroom together.



However, as they approach their classroom, Leonie's eyes automatically drop. Even without seeing the faces of her classmates - she knows that she is being stared at. By EVERYONE. She knows that smirking stares bore into her head. And that only Jessica's still dominating presence keeps the others from behaving 'too badly'. The news that Leonie has made a fool of herself has - as feared - already made the rounds.

"What's the matter with them? Why do they stare at you like that?" Nadine wants to know.

"Let's go a few steps further, then I'll tell you," Leonie asks with a red face.

At the end of the story, Susanne in particular has turned bright red. "If that had happened to ME... I think I would have puked!"

"I wasn't far off," Leonie laughs dryly.



Luckily Marcel is still not here. Even if he will surely find out about it sooner-than-later, Leonie is glad that this idiot did not witness the 'spectacle' with his own eyes.

Then she grins mischievously at Jessica: "Do you think your intimidation tactics will also help with Marcel, in case he makes such stupid jokes again?"

Karina laughs while the others shake their heads. "With HIM, it's too late. The only thing that helps is to hit. Hit hard!"

"Is there a place where we can sit a bit 'apart'?" Leonie points to the rest of her class with a terse gesture. "I don't feel like being stared at all the time."

A suitable place is soon found: This wing - in addition to the upper-school rooms - also houses handicraft and workshop rooms. And next to the workshop is a bench. Luckily, the bench is behind a wall and thus out of sight from her classroom.

Sighing, Leonie sits down on the bench. "Really: Thanks guys. Without you I would have locked myself in the toilet by now! And hoped that the 'little ones' wouldn't crawl over the partition!"

Karina laughs: "That would have caused a lot of ruckus if the boys had tried to go into the girls' toilet!"

"I don't even want to imagine it!" Leonie waves it off.



A plaque on the bench on which they sit proudly proclaims that this was a project work of the seventh classes of 2013. Despite its age of almost 10 years, the bench still looks quite sturdy: "Not that many people come back here, the bench is not used that much," Nadine explains.

"We also have a bench with such a plaque on it in Thalfeld. But that's pretty much all, Thalfeld has to offer," smiles Leonie and then talks about the walk with her father yesterday and the bench in the center of the village.

Of course, she changes many of the details or omits them entirely. In the end, the classmates get the impression that it is normal for Leonie to take evening strolls with her father.

In a family that has lost most of its members in a horrible accident, this might be normal? Father and daughter enjoying time together? That's a nice picture, isn't it?

And telling this story helps Leonie to calm down a little. Damned. Yesterday she had said that she had once been followed by a group of fifth graders. Of course that was a fib. Yesterday she had worn her headgear to school for the very first time!

She shouldn't have jinxed it. Because now this stupid situation has become reality! Now that's what she gets for lying. Small sins are punished immediately!

Leonie firmly resolves to be more careful from now on. Because THAT really wasn't nice. It was very different from walking nervously through the main hall not knowing if she is being watched or not. THAT now hadn't triggered a pleasant tingling sensation in her, but rather a cold panic. That must never repeat!

Leonie can only hope that the little ones will actually calm down in the next few days and not start hunting her again! Luckily, she had friends who averted the worst. And who would hopefully come to her rescue again if need-be?

Chapter 29a/56 - Several questions, part 2

"How does the library work here?" Leonie then changes the subject. "Do I need the school ID for that? Did I understand that correctly?"

"Exactly," is one answer and Karina asks in astonishment: "What do you want in the library? It's just dusty and musty there. And there aren't any good books either!"

Nadine laughs: "Don't listen to Karina. She's at loggerheads with Ms. Diestel - that's the librarian!"

"I almost got a reprimand because of her," Karina exclaims.

"Because you don't want to understand that talking loudly is a no-go in the library."

"It wasn't loud. Ms. Diestel just has it in for me!" Karina rolls her eyes and then turns to the newcomer: "It's a long story. It doesn't have to be told now."

Leonie would have loved to know how one can be reprimanded for speaking too loudly in the library. But she nods: Karina clearly does not feel like talking about it now.



Another change of subject: "If I read the timetable correctly, we have Sports tomorrow. Where do we have to go? Is the gym here at school?"

"No, not here. It's hard to describe. We share the sports hall with the secondary school next door," explains Jessica. "The best thing is, you just follow me tomorrow."

Leonie nods. "And what are you doing at the moment?"

"What do you mean »What are we doing?«" Susanne looks blankly. "Just sport..."

"Yeah, but what? Floor exercises? Ball sports? Equipment training?"

"You made such a strict distinction in Kiel?" Susanne is surprised.

"You don't?" Now it's Leonie's turn to look amazed.

"No, not really; it always gets mixed up," is the answer. "But last week we did high jumps and not everyone had had their turn. So, it may well continue with that."

"Oh great," Leonie sighs, looks down at herself and pats her stomach. "This is my 'favorite discipline'!"

"But you don't leave your headgear in during sports, do you?"

Leonie shakes her head. "No, definitely not! If I get a ball in my face with it, I can pick up my molars off the floor. It's certainly enough if I hit the mat with my head during a high jump. SO, no! Headgear in sports is MUCH too dangerous!"



Leonie presses her lips together and looks around nervously. They are alone right now. Nobody else is there. Can she ask the question? "Susanne, you said yesterday that your headgear..."

"Shhh," she is interrupted. Faint footsteps can be heard in the nearby stairwell.

Leonie is contrite: "Sorry, I didn't hear that", both have turned red again.

She looks around the corner: She doesn't know the boy who walks past them a few seconds later without paying them any attention. "Was that someone from 11B?" she then asks to break the awkward silence.

"No, that's someone from 12th grade," is Jessica's astonishingly loud answer. "Those from 11B would at least have had the decency to say hello. But those from 12th don't want anything to do with us. They always think they're better than us!"

As a response the boy raises his middle finger as he walks away.



That's how the conversation continues until the bell. And then even further, because the first two hours after the lunch break are free periods. They talk about everything under the sun; what Leonie liked about Kiel and what not. Whether Northern Germany really is that flat? And Leonie asks for more details at the school: Things she maybe should know. Which teachers to be wary of and so on.

She also learns a few things about Dr. Pfeiffer, her economics teacher. Leonie was surprised that a teacher with a doctor's degree teaches at a normal school. And now she learns that he is probably not here voluntarily. Even though no one knows for sure, it seems that he had a relationship with an - adult! - student.

In any case, he was transferred here as a sort of punishment. In a few years he will then be able to apply to be reassigned to his old teaching post, but until then the students at the Obereisenbach Gymnasium have to put up with a teacher who couldn't care less about his students.



After an hour, Leonie gets a little restless. That is being noticed. "What's up?" she is asked.

"Actually, I should put my headgear back in..." she says. "I'm supposed to wear it in the afternoon after all."

"That that you were chased by a horde of fifth graders wasn't enough for you?" Jessica is amazed.

And Nadine adds: "If I were you, I'd have enough for today!"

Leonie, on the other hand, shrugs her shoulders and says: "To be honest, I really don't wont to, either." And that's not a lie. She REALLY doesn't feel like putting her bridle on again today.

"Then don't do it!" is one reaction.

"I would like to, but... The little ones have since left for home; I don't need to be afraid of them anymore. And I haven't worn my brace enough for today yet. When..."

"My goodness, Leonie, screw those two hours. You really don't have to stress yourself out like that!"

Susanne shakes her head: "You're really insane."

"Why?"

Susanne rolls her eyes: "Well, if you don't even notice that, there's no more helping you!"

Jessica adds: "Give up, Susi. Leonie is a hopeless case!"

"Woah, you're mean!" Leonie puffs out her cheeks and 'sulks'.

However, she has become insecure. Did she exaggerate now? She wanted to reiterate her story about having to wear her headgear in the afternoons. But did she do too much now? Was her reaction so unrealistic that the others must have noticed?

Maybe. No...: Probably!

The more she thinks about it, the more she has to come to the conclusion that she definitely has gone overboard now. Even with her braces-fetish, Leonie right now loathes the idea of strapping her facebow back on. Today was 'adventurous' enough. Probably even too much so already!

Even her fetish-addled brain refuses. Then the girl she plays in school - the girl who doesn't want to wear headgear - would have even less reason to put it back on. Yes... even hinting at putting it back on might be too much.

That's why she decides to 'stop resisting' and to follow the advice of her friends instead. "You might be right," she nods. "I think I've really had enough for today."

"OF COURSE we're right!", Susanne nods. The others agree with her.



In the meantime, they had tried to get a place in one of those study rooms above the cafeteria, but they were all occupied. And most of the chairs down in the large room were occupied as well. They could hardly all have sat together. And even if they had, it was so loud there, they almost had to shout to talk. "It's a mystery to me how someone can do their homework in that noise," Leonie shakes her head. So, in the end, they retreated back to the bench next to the workrooms.



Leonie didn't have any more opportunity to ask Susanne about her headgear. But that topic probably shouldn't be forced anyway. Maybe Susanne will be more talkative once they get to know each other better?



The rest of the school day is uneventful, even if Leonie doesn't like the timetable: after all, they just had two free periods. Three if you count the lunch break. And then they have a double lesson in computer science. That's stupid. Now they had to sit around idly and bored for hours! Couldn't the two computer science lessons have been brought forward? No... of course that's not possibly. Typical!

Chapter 30a/56 - Home again! Part 2

"No headgear today?" he asks after a few minutes.

"Where did that come from?" Leonie lowers her pen. She looks at her father nervously. What is he up to now?

But he only casually shrugs his shoulders: "Well, homework is the ideal time for it, isn't it? You can check off two annoying duties at once: Your homework will be done in an hour, and you've already worn your headgear for a bit ..."

"What's going on? Dad, what are you talking about?"

"Well, I just thought...", the father begins, but he doesn't finish his sentence.

But Leonie thinks she understands what her father wants to imply: This is probably his way of once again allowing her to continue wearing headgear. He probably wants to avoid the embarrassing situation of addressing her fetish directly.

After all: In the last few weeks and months, both had maintained the illusion that Leonie was wearing her headgear because she believed that she had to do it. That the first orthodontist was 'more right' than all his successors. That headgear is still important for her treatment, although the last doctors had no longer used this treatment device.

Maybe she still believes that, maybe she doesn't. It is however now clear to the both of them that this a welcome 'excuse' for Leonie to be able to live out her fetish. And to keep it a secret at the same time. Which hadn't really worked, because her father had quickly seen through the flimsy excuse.

But he had 'played along' and pretended to accept the reasoning. In order not to have to speak with his daughter about the embarrassing situation. And apparently, he has now decided to keep doing exactly that?

Even if - after the talk yesterday - both sides now know for sure that her fetish is playing a major role, perhaps the simplest solution is to continue as before? After all, everything has remained harmless so far. And as long as there are no problems: Why should they change anything now?



Well... stop! No, that's worded wrong. What her father is doing right now is NOT 'business as usual'. So far, he had always ignored it when she had worn headgear. He had always pretended that headgear was so perfectly normal that it wasn't even worth mentioning. And sometimes he had pretended not to see the silver bow at all.

So far, he had been unsure on how to handle this situation and had decided to just plain 'ignore' it. So far, he had hardly ever spoken to her about her braces. And he had NEVER asked her to put her headgear back on. He had tolerated her walking around in it, but nothing more.

What he's doing now is new. New and unusual. It's almost as if he now wants to 'actively play along'.

Well no. It can hardly be called 'active'. After all, he had only asked her if she planned to put her headgear back on again today. Nothing more. But even that's more than he normally does. And that's noticeable!

So, the question is WHY he's doing it. Is this just his way of allowing her to continue wearing her brace? Or does he have other motives?

There's only one way to find out! After a scrutinizing look at her father, Leonie gets up and disappears into the bathroom. After a short while she comes back. With the silver bow around her face.

"Jessica - a friend from school - asked if the bow could be foldable," Leonie snaps her finger against the metal.

"What is it supposed to be? »Foldable«?"

Leonie laughs: "I looked just as surprised as you do now!". She then explains that Jessica was only joking.

"So, you wore it again in the afternoon?" That's less of a question and more of a statement.

"If I hadn't been wearing that thing, I couldn't have been chased by the fifth graders."

"Right; you're right of course."

"I AM allowed to, dad, aren't I?" Leonie hesitates. "Or do you mind?"

"Not at all, child. I promised you! Just do what you want."

Leonie nods, relieved. So, he probably really has no unpleasant ulterior motives? Was that why he 'asked' her to put on headgear for homework? Because he wants to do her a favour? Because he knows that she wants to wear her headgear? Because he wants to show her that she's allowed to do that?

And now, several hours after this 'incident', it starts being fun again. Especially so here in this apartment, where she can feel a lot safer.



"By the way: Have you looked for an orthodontist for me?" Leonie puts the math exercise book aside and now takes up English.

The father shakes his head: "I haven't gotten around to it yet. Why are you asking? Have you changed your mind again? Do you want to quit?"

"No, no, no," Leonie hastily dismisses. "I want to continue."

"I didn't know that the topic had suddenly become so important to you," the father gently interjects.

"You said yourself, Dad, that the health insurance is waiting for an answer. And that's why an orthodontist should look over my teeth 'as soon as possible'... and I just wondered how urgent this 'as soon as possible' is!"

"You know, child: My clients won't give me much free time in the next few days. I don't know when I'll get around to it. Let's just do it like this: If you want it to go faster, YOU just pick an orthodontist you want to go to. And I'll make the appointment, okay?"

His daughter quickly nods.

"While we're on the subject: I'm going to ask you one last time, Leonie: do you want to continue your treatment or not?"

"Yes, Dad, I do. Really!" Leonie is looking for the right words: "I want straight teeth. Even... disregarding the 'rest'. You understand what I want to say?" Leonie has turned quite red.

"I understand you very well." He allows himself a smile: "And to be honest, I'm glad you made that decision."

"Why? You always said it was MY decision..."

"It is yours. But am I not allowed to think it's good that you still plan to have your teeth straightened? And I also called the insurance company this morning and told them that we are definitely interested in continuing your treatment."

"Oh", Leonie got red cheeks. "And what did they say, why 'we' waited so long?"

"Nothing, because they didn't ask."

"That surprises me."

The father replies thoughtfully: "I think they saw that we moved often and drew their conclusions from that. In any case, the phone call went very smoothly."

"That's good," Leonie is relieved. "Do we have to do anything now?"

The father nods: "Yes, there is actually one thing that is quite important. We must not forget about that."

"And what is that?"

"You have to go and visit an orthodontist."

Leonie scowls at her father for a second: "Ha, ha, dad. Your jokes are getting worse every day!"

He shakes his head: "That was meant seriously, child. The person in charge wants confirmation that your treatment will actually continue. As soon as we have found a doctor, he will have to issue us such a confirmation. And that's why we shouldn't be waiting much longer to pick an orthodontist, okay? So, it would actually suit me really well if YOU could pick a doctor."

His daughter sighs, "I'll take care of it. As soon as I know which doctor I want to see, I'll let you know, OK?"

I agree with Sparky. The way you write is fine.

I have great respect for you, being able to write in two languages. Your translation into English is very well done, and the way you have left some of the German words and way of speaking in your story makes it interesting to read.

In North America, the Native Americans use cousin, uncle and auntie to refer to people in their tribe who are not related to them by blood or marriage. Grandfather and Grandmother are used as a form of honour when talking to the senior members of the tribe they consider to be wise and knowledgeable.

Wednesday morning

Chapter 31/56 - Third day of school

"Good morning," Leonie waves to her neighbor. Who's leaning listlessly against the wall, covering her mouth with her hand just in time to hide a huge yawn.

"How about you go to bed a little earlier?" Leonie teases. "You're still so tired, even though we're starting two hours late today."

Wednesdays are indeed quite unusual this year for the eleventh grades: Lessons only start after the first recess, that is, with the third period. Luckily, there are enough busses driving through Thalfeld, so that Leonie doesn't have to be overly early to school today.

Leonie looks around cautiously. They are alone "Hey, Jessica, may I ask you something?" She hesitates, when the other girl eyes her wearily. But then she forces herself to actually ask the question: "Do you mind if I call you 'Jessy'? The others do that as well..." Leonie doesn't continue and shrugs her shoulders. "If you do mind..."

"Now that was a stupid question! You can see for yourself, right? Of course you're allowed...", Jessica grins. "And what about you? Do you listen to 'Leo'?"

Instead of an answer, Leonie curls her fingers into 'claws': "Rrrrooaawwwrrr!"

Jessica looks confused. "What was that now?"

Leonie admits embarrassed: "That was my impression of a lion. You know - 'Leo' - 'Lion'. And lions DO roar."

Jessica rolls her eyes: "You have to practice a lot if that was meant to be a roar! That was a kittycat-meow at most."

"'Leo' is fine. But I'm not too keen on being called 'Ninni'." Jessica looks confused again, so Leonie explains: "Well, you know: »Leonie. Leo-nie. Nie. Ni. Ninni...«" She shrugs: "In Kiel, a few had called me that. Wasn't meant mean or anything. But if I have the choice, I like 'Leo' better."

"Hehe, 'Ninni', I have to remember that," Jessica grins. "Morning, Naddl!"

Nadine, who just comes within earshot, doesn't look particularly happy to be called like that. Leonie's bus colleague actually prefers the long form of her name. It doesn't really matter to the others who are gradually trundling in, whether Leonie uses the short form or not. In any case, Leonie gets permission from all of them.



"Is the cafeteria already open?" the newcomer asks.

"The cafeteria is always open. At least as far as you can get into the building. But you can't get food just yet. Why do you ask? Do you want to use the snack machine?"

"No, I want to top up my cash card. Better now than if I have to do it at noon and the queues at the counter get even longer."

"Can you do it?" Jessica asks. "Or should I come with you?"

"No, stay here and get some sleep," laughs Leonie and disappears. After a few minutes she comes back: "No luck!"

"Why? Is the machine broken again? Did you let the secretaries know?"

"No, the machine isn't broken. But it doesn't take 50€ notes. I didn't know that. But that's all I have with me right now!"

"Unfortunately, I can't break it down," Jessica shakes her head. Susanne, Karina and Monika cannot help either. Nadine looks in her purse, but that's not enough either.

"Between the five of us we probably have fifty euros, but that won't do you any good either," Susanne announces.

"That's what happens when the rich daughter only gets big bills as pocket money," Jessica teases.

"I'm only doing that because I have to invite YOU today. Otherwise, 20 euros would have been more than enough!" Leonie replies with a grin. Jessica plays offended while the others laugh.

"You can ask the secretaries later if they can break up your bill."

"If it doesn't work out, you'll have to pay for me again today." Leonie turns to Jessica.

Who looks dejected: "I don't know if that will work, I don't have much left on the card myself."

Just as Frau Wollschläger, the Maths teacher, approaches, they agree that Susanne will step in if Leonie cannot top up her card.



Well, Maths is over at some point. Then German. The German lesson today is no more interesting than yesterday's lesson and so Leonie - and pretty much every other pupil of 11A - is secretly happy when Mr. Fischer has completed his forty-five minutes. The teacher is probably happy as well to have survived these annoying students for the day.

During the second recess, Leonie peers into her backpack again. Should she, or shouldn't she? Should she get the flat pouch out of the backpack?

After what happened yesterday, she doesn't really feel like wearing her brace in school at the moment. And yet: There's a tingling in the stomach area when she thinks about whether she should perhaps strap on the bow ANYWAY. If she stays here in the upper-class wing where the little ones normally won't go, it should be reasonably safe, shouldn't it?

On the other hand, she really shouldn't overdo it! Even if she had fabricated her story in such a way that it is quite important for her to wear her headgear: If she wears her headgear 'too much', it will eventually be noticed. And her classmates might wonder why Leonie behaves so 'unnaturally'. She shouldn't do that!

In the next moment that entire thought is forgotten again. Jessica reminds her that she wanted to change money. She has to go to the secretary's office to do this. And to walk through the main hall with headgear? AGAIN? After what happened yesterday? No thanks. Certainly not! So, no headgear during recess!

Thanks to the helpful ladies in the secretary's office, the 50€ note is quickly broken up and the cash card is topped up with 50€ a short time later.



However, this takes so much time that they now have to hurry up a bit. Because the fifth and sixth period is Sports. And the way to the gym is a bit longer, as Jessica explains. They shouldn't therefore set off too late. Especially since they still have to change.

The gym is attached to the secondary school, explains Karina. The Gymnasium only has a right of joint use, so to speak. She also explains that the gym halls are also used from time to time for regional sporting events. And that there was even a big table tennis tournament last year.

"You almost sound like Christoph!" Jessica rolls her eyes.

"You don't like Christoph?" Leonie asks in astonishment. On Monday they had sat together without any problems. Even if the boy isn't with them as much as he was on the first day of school, he seemed quite nice.

"I have nothing against him, really," Jessica acknowledges. "He's quite nice. And usually easy to deal with. But once he starts 'revealing his untamed knowledge', he won't even stop rambling when no one is listening to him anymore."



As Leonie had feared, they really do continue with high jumps. No matter how hard Leonie tries, she is dead-last and just manages to keep the distance between her and the second-to-last from getting too big. Even Susanne, who is a head shorter, jumps significantly higher than Leonie.

"It's no wonder," the girl gasps. "You don't weigh anything! You can almost levitate over the bar. I'll have to be glad if I don't jump through underneath!"

For the first time she has contact with the girls from her parallel class. Of course, Leonie has seen most of them in the hallway in the past two and a half days. But this is the first time that most of them are consciously aware of the newcomer from 11A.

Leonie had decided to keep an eye out for Christina. The girl from 11B who's the only one who still has braces. Apart from Leonie herself of course. She was quite willing to look at the mouths of all the girls in 11B, but then a more unobtrusive way of identification occurred to her: Christoph had mentioned that Christina had dyed her hair 'gray' - or 'ash blonde'.

With that it is not difficult to recognize the girl in question. But there would have been another way of identification. It would have sufficed to call Christina a 'sports ace': she jumps higher than everyone else. And even when no one can follow her anymore, the 'grey-haired' girl still seems to perform her feats quite effortlessly.

"That's because of her balloons," Jessica teases, "they give her lift." Leonie enviously has to admit that Christina is indeed - well - 'rather well endowed'. Even if that - to be honest - can't exactly be beneficial for the high jump.

When Leonie lets herself be carried away to an impressed "Man, you're good!", Christina smiles back at her. A smile of which Leonie doesn't know whether it's supposed to express joy at the praise or says: »You call that good? I haven't even started.« Or maybe »What does Chubby McChubbington want from me?«

Leonie's heart skips a beat when there's a familiar silver glint between Christina's lips during her smile. She would have liked to talk a little more with the girl. But she doesn't get the chance, because the sports teacher isn't happy with Leonie standing around idly. »Go on, go on, hopp, hopp«

Ms. Sorija is probably the teacher Leonie will have the most problems with. Because the teacher definitely has her favorites. And everyone who doesn't belong to her favorites has to suffer from sarcastic, snarky and sometimes even downright mean comments. It's easy to know, who belongs to the illustrious circle: The more athletic, the higher up the favorite ladder.

Christina is praised to the skies, while Leonie is being told that she should stay on the move lest she accidentally starts sprouting roots.

"Stupid bitch," Leonie murmurs under her breath as the double lesson finally comes to an end. She can't wait to get changed and head back to her normal school.

The one that sounds REALLY odd to me is how, in America, younger people (well on TV and films they do...) will call their seniors "Sir". The only real time we'll get "sir" in England is a worker (eg a waiter/ress, or Customer Service person) addressing a customer, although often, when they know your name will use either "Mr X" or your first name (although they usually ask if that's ok).

Maybe the "Sir" goes hand in hand with the "Child"?