Chapter Text
‘’Wolfgang, breakfast! Come on.’’ He could hear his mother beckoning him to come out of his room. School was very much not on the list of places he wanted to go today. Yet, if he didn’t come out, he might get a beating. He didn’t like violence, just as much as the next person. At heart, Wolfgang was a normal boy. He was too extroverted for his own good, he had friends at his school, he got good grades, for Christ's sake he was average! Wolfgang would never tell his mother, but he may have had a girlfriend. Her name was Constanze. Pretty, was she. Again, his mother called his name. This time louder. Wolfgang lifted his bruised legs off the bed, grunting in pain. His hand shook as he opened the door, despite nothing behind it.
‘’Eat up. Be grateful, boy. I barely have money to feed you.’’ He wished his sister was here. She would likely know what to do. He sulked as he ate, nearly choking as he scarfed down his porridge. The thought of seeing his friends nearly cheered him up enough to want to go to school, but at the same time, he thought of how his mother would scold him for not getting better grades, and how his father was never there. Never. In reality, Wolfgang’s father hadn’t been home since last week. Thoughts of where his father might have gone plagued him til he eventually knocked into a pole near the school gate. At school, he was popular. No one had to know of his reality, as long as no one asked to stay at his house.
‘’Wolfie!’’ A familiar voice greeted him at the school gate, just as soon as he walked in. Constanze was always too sweet to him. Wolfgang wondered if things would be the same with her if she knew of his home life. Would her comforting gaze change? Would her soothing voice fail to ground him if she yelled? He shook the thoughts out as he wrapped an arm around Constanze.
‘’You’re in a good mood, I suppose?’’ He kissed her cheek, a soft smile playing on his lips. It wasn’t just Constanze being happy, that made him happy. Simply seeing his friends, teachers, and occasionally parents happy, made him feel that same joy. How could someone not? He didn’t know. The two laughed and gushed about their weekends, Wolfgang of his music and how incredibly hard it was to practice.
By the time they got to the classroom, lessons had already started. This would be the third time he was late.
‘’Wolfgang, how many times must we tell you? Wake up early, and you get to school early. It is as simple as that.’’ A friend of his whispers when he sits down next to them. Wolfgang wants to give a smart reply, but they are right. He should be waking earlier. Apparently, by the vaguely scientific terms the teacher is using, it seems they are in science class. How joyous. He can’t help but dream better dreams of playing his piano in the music room, or eating lunch with the older boys in the afternoon.
‘’Psst! Wolfie! Wake UP!’’ The yell his friend lets out jolts him awake. Wolfgang looks around. The entire class has left, minus the friend who woke him up. This was a very common occurrence. If he hadn’t had friends, Wolfgang would likely sleep the whole day.
‘’What’s the rush this time? It’s only the start of morning break.’’ His friend looked from side to side hesitantly, eventually coming close to his ear to whisper something.
‘’There’s a new boy. He’s from Germany.’’ Normally, this would have been great news for Wolfgang.
He was already not short on friends, so what was one more? Wolfgang dragged himself out of the chair and towards the door into the hall. He heard voices, some louder than others. When stepping into the hall, one boy immediately caught his eye. Long dark hair framed his face, just long enough that it could be tied into a short ponytail at the end of his scalp. His eyes were brown, supposedly, but Wolfgang could barely tell with the darkness that shadowed him in the middle of the hall.
‘’Ah, that’s him. Some say he’s older than the rest of the grade.’’ His friend whispered again, but Wolfgang was not listening. Not at all. This boy…he looked like a sweetly played song, on a viola that may have needed a bit of tuning. And now, Wolfgang had noticed the bit of dirt on his cheek.
‘’You-your cheek. Theres…’’ The boy looked at him. His eyes seemed to pierce the soul, breaking all of the layers Wolfgang had put up with careful precision.
‘’Oh. Right.’’ A small smile painted his face as he wiped it off.
‘’I’m Ludwig. You are…?’’ He held his hand out towards Wolfgang, suggesting a handshake. Wolfgang wasn’t sure how to feel. So he walked away.
The air felt thick as Wolfgang hyperventilated in the tiny bathroom stall. He shouldn’t feel like this. He’s just as normal as any other boy-any boy at this school, He had a girlfriend! He was not a homosexual. Sure, a few other boys were, and even some of the girls at the boarding school far up north. But he was not one of them. Wolfgang looked at his hands, hoping the soap and water would get rid of just how dirty this felt. Eventually, he’d have to come to terms with what he was. But not today.
The rest of the day, Wolfgang would laugh with his friends, and be too vocal about his love for fellow classmates and family members, and walk home with his beloved Constanze.
‘’Wolfie?’’ She looked at him sweetly. She was pretty, just like-never mind.
‘’Yes, love?’’ He smiled, maybe a little less energetically than usual.
‘’I want to see your home today. Please?’’ A dark feeling struck him, in the pit of his stomach. What would she say? Would she hate it? Would his mom be home early to beat him, make him look weak? Gosh, the possibilities were endless and he very much hated her for asking that.
‘’Fine.’’