FRIEDRICH LAID IN HIS BED HEARING
the bed squeak as he moved under the sheets.
Then he looked to his left and saw an empty bed with pillows and sheets on it. It looked as if someone was expected to arrive.
He turned his head to the right.

"Christoph?" He whispered.

"What?" The boy in the bed next to him hissed.

"I just wanted to know.." Just like that, Christoph's head flew to the right as he interrupted the blond boy.

"It's forbidden to talk during bedtime." He said sternly, before looking up at the ceiling again and closing his eyes.
Friedrich sighed and lay down straight again. Then he thought about everything that had happened in the last few hours.

How he had left his family and run away from home, how he had tried on the school uniform and sung with the other students. For the first time, he felt like he belonged. These people valued him and were willing to push him in boxing. He would be able to graduate from this school and from then on he would belong to the elite. No more fighting for money, no more dirty water for showers.
Friedrich closed his eyes, tried to sleep and block out the thoughts of his mother finding his letter.

He could already feel himself drifting off to sleep when he heard the sound of a car.
He got out of bed, went to the window and looked out. A car had come to a halt in the courtyard and people from the castle were running towards it.
Then he saw people getting out of the car. A man in uniform, a boy in a suit and, to his surprise, a girl.
They greeted each other before walking to the entrance of the castle and disappearing from Friedrich's sight.

The next thing the blond boy knew, was jumping up into a sitting position and looking towards the door, startled, as a loud bang woke him up. One of the older students was standing in the doorway.

"Get up! Make your beds and then line up for morning practice!" He shouted and then disappeared back into the corridor.
Friedrich looked over his shoulder at the bed next to him, which was no longer empty. A boy with brown hair sat up and jumped off his bed.

They put on their sports clothes, which were warm and thick, because summer was coming to an end and it was getting cold outside.
Friedrich then struggled to make his bed, as he had never done it like this before.

"Hurry up Friedrich!" His friend said and the blond boy saw the brunette boy who had arrived last night standing next to him. He stepped forward and helped him with the bed.

"Thank you," said Friedrich.

"It's all right! I already learned it at my old school." He said and then turned around.

"I'm Friedrich." Said the blond and shook the smaller boy's hand.

"Albrecht." Said the brunette.

"Can't this go faster?!" The guy who had woken them and apparently had a serious problem with Friedrich spat at them.

"Seems to me the lack of morals here are starting to break down-.." He walked towards Friedrich, but stopped his words when he recognized Albrecht behind him. The older boy bowed his head slightly.

"Go on, make sure you get into the courtyard!" He said and the two boys hurried to get past him.

🜊

"Anyone who does not want to fight in this world of eternal struggle is not worthy of life. Good food!" Liselotte heard one of the students say.

"Have a good meal!" Said the other students in unison.

"Boys! I am particularly pleased to welcome the son of a good friend and old comrade from the early days of the movement to our institution. Albrecht Stein. Son of our new Gauleiter, Heinrich Stein. Welcome!"

"Welcome Albrecht! You're lucky! You got the best group!"
Christoph greeted the brunette boy.
Liselotte walked around with her pot of coffee and got a lot of looks from the boys. She took a few cups to refill them.

"What's your name?" One of the boys asked. He had brown hair and looked like he was one of the older students. Lise smiled at him, but didn't answer. She shall not motivate them to 'misbehave', is what she got told.
She shall not talk unless she's asked, she will stay in her room and will only be allowed in the kitchen, washing rooms or her own chamber.

Katharina came in from the other side of the room, put a cup down in front of Albrecht while smiling at him.

"Who's that?" asked Friedrich.

"That's Katharina," Christoph replied and looked after the girl with a grin.

"But she's already taken, just so you know." He added and Thomas, who went by the nickname 'Hefe', frowned.

"Says who?" He asked and the brunette boy glared at him.

"Me, you sponge-head." He replied, seemingly offended.

"Guys, there's a new girl!" Another guy said and Friedrich looked over his shoulder. He saw a girl, probably his age, who went to the other table and served the boys coffee. Friedrich looked her over and thought she was quite pretty.

"That's the Gauleiter's daughter. She arrived yesterday." Another boy, whose name Friedrich didn't know, said.

"That's your sister?" Christoph Albrecht asked, nodding shyly.

"Yes." He said and the boys looked surprised. They turned their heads back to the new girl, who now disappeared through the door leading down to the kitchen.

"She's pretty." Hefe said and Christoph glared at him again. He then nodded to Albrecht, who was sitting right next to the boy and who seemed to be really uncomfortable with them talking about his sister.

They continued eating when Friedrich caught the gaze of the thirteenth-grader who had woken them up this morning and had made fun of him the day before. With narrowed eyes, he slurped the contents of his spoon and didn't take his eyes off Friedrich. This guy was certainly no friend of the blond.

Friedrich looked back at his plate and his empty cup. Then he saw a hand next to him and looked to the side. His eyes met the brown ones of the new girl, who grinned at him in a friendly manner. She filled his cup and leaned forward so that the boy could take a look at her brown hair, which was braided back.
Then she straightened up again and let her eyes wander across the table.

"Thank you," said Friedrich and their eyes met again. She nodded politely and walked past him.
His friends looked at him with amusement and giggled as soon as the girl had gone.

"Someone's caught your eye." commented Christoph, to which Friedrich just shook his head without admitting anything.

But the girl had definitely piqued his interest.

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