get the complete book here! {Or here (US)}
 
 
*Chapter 2*

Normal as it gets

 
 
“Now just remember, no jumping about,” Dad ordered as we got out at the Tanzklub.
“I’ll keep an eye on her,” Mand volunteered.
Thanks, ‘friend’.
“I’ll pick you up at nine.”
“Yes, Dad.”
We were a little early for Hannah but Pia and Margot were already waiting.
“Hi guys.”
“Feeling better, Gab?” Margot asked.
“Yeah, nearly back to normal.”
“No she isn’t,” Pia put in, “it’ll be weeks yet.”
I smarted at P’s honest appraisal, “But I am feeling better.”
“So what happened to your Aigenbrauen?”
My – bum, I forgot to draw them in, “Oh yeah, someone,” I glanced at Pia, “decided I’d look better without them, they’re taking forever to grow back.”
“Wasn’t me,” Pia stated, “blame Brid.”
“Mand, you got a brow pencil?”
“Probably, I’ll sort it out inside,” she sighed.
“Cheers.”
“Hi girls,” Hannah greeted, “Gab, good to see you, I was running out of stuff to do.”
“Hi Han, I’ve got plenty here,” I patted my move book.
 
 
Instead of the natural look that Hilde taught me I ended up sporting a distinctly unnatural single line arch over each eye, which looked faintly ridiculous but was marginally better than nothing. Well nothing would be a fib, they are growing back but being blonde they are very fine and quite sparse, it’ll be months before they’ll look like me again. I’ll get you Bridget, just you wait and see.
 
 
“… And two and three and end.”
The assembled dancers were a little ragged, game ready but not competition by a long chalk.
“Okay, that’s it for tonight, keep practicing those turns, it needs to be much smoother,” I pronounced.
The girls all headed to the changing rooms leaving me with Hannah.
“Good session tonight.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, “they’re getting the hang of the moves, most of it now is practice.”
“Do you think they’ll be ready for a show at Weihnacht’s, I’d like to put them in the club show.”
“I’m sure we can do a short routine. I meant to ask, is it alright if I ask my old cheer coach in England for some tips?”
“You wouldn’t be stepping on any toes. So really, Gaby, how are you?”
“Better, I can’t do lifting or anything that might pull things for at least another week, it might be Christmas before I can do more than shuffle around or do Garde.”
“Patience, Gab, you’ll be doing stuff soon enough.”
“That’s what everyone says,” I sighed,” I’ll send Fran an email, she might say no.”
Mand and Pia returned to the hall.
“Ready, coach?” Pia queried.
“I guess, see you next week, Hannah.”
“Okay, bye, girls.”
As usual P was catching a lift, we go past her door so it makes sense. We headed out to find Dad, he and several other parent taxis were waiting in a car park slowly turning white under the snow that had started falling whilst we were inside.
“Brrrr!” I allowed.
“Didn’t think this was coming so soon,” Pia observed.
“It only started half an hour ago,” Dad told us as he swung the Mercedes onto the road.
“I hope it doesn’t come to much,” Mand stated.
“You coming to Thesing’s in the morning, Gab?”
“Possibly, I might be getting a lift,” I noted, “If I don’t get can you get my lunch?”
“Sure.”
Nothing in the valley is a huge distance apart, it’s less than ten minutes down to the Sebenschuh place in Rech and only a couple more to Bond Acres in Dernau.
 
 
“She behave herself, Amanda?” Mum started the interrogation.
“Yes, she just walked us through the moves.”
“I am here,” I pointed out.
“But you’ll tell me what I want to hear whilst doing the opposite.” Mum accused.
“Do not!”
“I’ve not got the energy to argue with you, Gaby.”
“You’ve set everyone on my case,” I railed.
“That’s enough, young lady,” Dad instructed as he joined us.
“Whatever!” I huffed before stomping up to my eyrie.
 
 
In the end the snow didn’t come to much, by the time I set off for school everywhere was just wet rather than white. I say I, Dad took me down to Silverberg although I’d be making my own way home later. Yeah I was nearly late again, how comes when we ride down we can get here on time but get in a car and tardy becomes the norm.
“Bond?” Frau Dürst called out.
“Here!” I gasped pretty much sliding through the doorway with the momentum of my arrival.
Our teacher glanced up, “Really, Gaby, go sit down.”
“Yes, Miss,” I allowed.
Yep, things are back to normal.
 
 
“Some entrance,” Con grinned as we waited for the bell for the start of first period.
“I should’ve got the Express,” I muttered.
“P’s dad’s gonna check out the Weihnacht’s stall for us today, can you believe some of the markets start on Friday?”
“Geez, where did the year go?”
“It’s been quite eventful.”
“You can say that again,” I agreed.
“It’s been quite eventful,” she giggled.
“Duh!” I allowed rolling my eyes.
“Hey, Gab,” Marty called over.
“Preiser.”
“Got a letter from Bernie yesterday,” he beamed.
“More baby pics I suppose.”
“Well some,” he admitted, “she wants to come for a visit.”
“That’s good isn’t it?” Con put in.
“With Drea?” I added.
“Not sure, on either count,” he admitted.
“But you want to see her – and the baby?”
“Well yes, I really like her but...” he shrugged his shoulders.
“Does it matter what others think?” I proposed.
“People might think Drea is mine.”
“And?” I queried.
“Everyone we know knows better,” Con observed.
“I guess.”
“What’s the problem with that anyhow?” I asked, “you two are an item, Drea comes as part of the package.”
“You’re right, Gaby, I’ll write her later.”
“Tell her we want to see the kinder,” Con told him.
Further conversation was halted with the first period bell sounding and a need to get to Herr Ansbacher’s room for German history.
 
 
“Strechau!” I called down the hallway, “wait up.”
The object of my yell turned to look for his assailant, spotting me he stopped walking to wait for me.
“What’s up?”
“Can I have a word?”
“Sure,” he allowed, “good do at the weekend, eh?”
“Yeah,” I allowed falling in beside him as we headed for the refectory.
“So what’s up?”
“The guys, well the girls, we’re thinking of doing a Weihnacht’s stall again.”
“Cool.”
“I, well we really, wondered if you and the lads could help out like last time, you know with the stall and stuff?”
“Probably, I’m sure Mart and the others will muck in, when is it?”
“Three weeks I think, Helmut Sebenschuh is checking it out today for us.”
“Okay, I’ll sound the others out but I’m sure they’ll be up for it, same sort of thing as last year?”
“Think so,” I allowed.
By now we were at the food hall, it’s not exactly the weather to eat outside so the room was busier than usual.
“I’ll let you know as soon as what’s happening.”
“Okay, liebchen,” he mentioned.
“Max!”
Instead of desisting he dived in and kissed me on the forehead. So of course we had an audience, a now catcalling audience.
“Give over!” I stated forcefully whilst colouring up.
“Laters!” he offered before slipping away.
I wanted to melt into the floor, leave the room, anything but be where I was except of course Pia has my lunch and the girls had already laid claim to a table across the room. I plastered a smile on my face and brazened out the walk across to the Angels.
 
 
“Not your boyfriend, eh?” Nena stated with a giggle.
“He was mucking about.”
“If that’s mucking about I want some,” Steff proposed.
“Hmmpf!” I allowed plonking myself into the vacant seat next to Con.
“So did you ask?” Brid enquired.
“Yeah, that my sandwich P?” I asked eyeing the bag on the table.
“There you go,” Pia stated as she passed me my food.
“Cheers.”
“And?” Brid pressed.
“He thinks they’ll be up for it.”
“Good,” Pia mentioned as she played with her handy, “Dad’s got us a cabin!”
 
 
Maddy Bell 22.01.16