Chapter 8
That day he was at the library again, studying alone, when he heard someone pull a chair out from the table he was at and sit on it. He glanced up, ready to tell them to leave, and saw that it was the one and only Melchior Gabor.
This was all Gabor’s fault. If he hadn’t dared me, I wouldn’t have Ernst’s number, and I wouldn’t be acting strange.
I fucking hate him for this.
“Mind if I sit here?” Melchior asked, not bothering to wait for an answer and pulling out his textbooks. “Moritz is busy working with Otto on their Bio project so I’m all alone today.”
Hanschen glared at him.
“Can you go bother someone else?”
“I can’t. All of my friends are out doing things.”
The world fucking hated Hanschen, he was sure of it. This can’t get any worse.
Ding.
Hanschen felt his phone buzz in his pocket and prayed to whatever God was out there that it wasn’t Ernst.
Ernst
hey hanschen are you ok?
“Oo, who is it?”
Hanschen quickly turned the screen away from Melchior, giving him an irritated look.
“Fuck off.”
“Who is it though? Someone you’re trying to get with?” Melchior looked like he was thinking for a moment and then corrected himself. “Nevermind, you don’t text people you’re trying to get with. This person must be special then”
“Why can’t you assume that it’s my father or something?”
“Because from the way your face lit up and then went through all 5 stages of grief I can tell that it isn’t someone like that. So who is it?”
Fucking Melchior Gabor always knowing everything. Why can’t he be dumb for once?
“Moritz..?”
“Good one.” Melchior said, grabbing for Hanschen’s phone. “Look, I’ll put in a good word for you. Let me at least know who it is.”
“Leave me the hell alone, Gabor.” Hanschen said, the struggle from keeping the phone away in his voice. After a moment, he gave up. There was no point in fighting. “His name is Ernst.”
Melchior instantly stopped trying to get the phone and raised his eyebrows. “Ernst?”
“Yeah.”
“What’d he say?”
Hanschen glowered at him, incredibly annoyed. Melchior was such a handful. How could Moritz tolerate him?
“He just..” Hanschen thought about how he would phrase it, “I’m leaving him on read and he’s concerned.”
“Psh, I guess he doesn’t know you then. You literally never respond to anyone.”
“Yeah, but I’ve been responding to him.”
“Why doesn’t he just come and find you if he wants to speak to you that desperately?”
“Because he can’t.”
Melchior looked incredibly confused. His eyebrows were furrowed and he had subconsciously pressed his lips together, making them pale.
“What do you mean ‘he can’t’? Doesn’t he go to our school?”
“No.”
“Oh. How do you know him then?”
He could lie. He could very easily lie right now. Just a simple ‘he’s my mom’s friend’s kid’ or something like that. After all, why would he trust Melchior?
“You remember that dare last week?”
“Yeah?”
“He gave me the wrong number.”
“Ooh.” a pause, “Why did he give you the wrong number?”
“He bullies Ernst at school, so…”
“That’s unfortunate. So why don’t you respond to him?”
“I can’t.”
Cue Melchior’s confused face.
“Why not? Is he like— weird, or something?”
“No. I just…”
For the love of God, Hanschen, don’t be honest.
“I just can’t. He makes me feel…” Hanschen looked at Melchior, hoping that he would know what he meant.
“You’re in love with him?”
“What, no!”
Not yet.
“Well, Hanschen, you can’t just leave the poor guy on read because you’re too scared to face your feelings. Maybe it helps you, but does it help him? Think about that.”
“I’m not scared, I just—“
“Can’t handle it? I’m guessing you’ve never felt like this before or you would’ve had a partner by now.”
Holy shit. Why did Melchior know him so well? He didn’t like this.
“…I suppose so.” Admitting that was hard. Especially to Gabor. The look on the other boy’s face didn’t say ‘you’re a weird freak for that’ or ‘haha I knew it’, it was something else. Something that looked more like understanding. That was a look he rarely saw on Melchior’s face.
“That’s alright. I suggest you text him before he thinks you’re ghosting him and hates you for it.”
“Fuck— yeah, you’re right.”
Hanschen Rilow
Good morning, Ernst
Sorry I didn’t respond earlier, I was busy
How are you doing?
“Nice.” Melchior mumbled, peeking over Hanschen’s shoulder. Hanschen turned his head slightly to make eye contact with him and then swatted him away. “Damn, not even I use punctuation in texting. It really isn’t necessary.”
“We all have our preferences.”
“Fair enough.”
“I know.”
Ernst
ah ok im glad youre fine :)
im doing good
just turned my project in
Hanschen Rilow
Nice
Let me know when you get the grade back
I bet you’ll get an A
Ernst
haha i hope so