Max was dropped off at the Schloss, any ideas of tonsil hockey effectively stamped on by Dad’s appearance at the Goldene Rose. To be honest I was still feeling decidedly off, whether it was Ralf’s little ‘sweetener’ or the bier I couldn’t say, likely both but I was ready for up-chucking again by the time we got home. Dad had driven in silence, disapproval heavy in the air.
 

"Geez Gab, you look terrible,” my sister opined when I reached the kitchen.
"Thanks for dobbing us in.”
"I was worried about you sis, you look like you need coffee.”

I pulled out a chair and once sat buried my head in my arms.

"Sober her up please Jules, I'm going to bed,” Dad suggested.
"No lecture?” Jules asked.
"She won’t listen, you can try if you want. G’night.”
"Nite Dad.”

I groaned and waved a hand.

 
"So what happened? How much did you drink?” Jules requested plonking a mug of coffee in front of me.
I lifted my head, "Not the booze, Ralf put something in it.”
"The little shit!” my sister exploded.
"Felt off, threw up.”
"You sure it wasn’t the drink?”
"Fritzi there, checked me over, Ralf admitted doing it.”
"I'll rip his bits off, Max know about this?”
"Ut uh, look, don’t tell Dad, he’ll go ballistic.”
"You can’t let it go Gab, you coulda been raped or worse,” Jules fumed.
"Think Max’ll be looking after Ralf.”
"Hmmph? so how was the band?”
"Er, pretty good.”
"Bit on the metal side for me,” Jules advised.

I shrugged, I actually preferred that stuff.

"Look Gab, if you want to go to this stuff you can tag along with me an’ Bo,” she offered.
"Er thanks I guess.”
"You’ll have to get your own togs though, you need your own look.”
"I was thinking a few more piercings and a tattoo or two.”
"Dad really would go ballisto then.” she grinned.
"Yeah,” I agreed, managing a bit of a smile.

 
Dave checked the clock, ten past eleven, oh well, best get it out of the way. The phone rang half a dozen times before it was picked up.

“Hello?”
“Jen.”
“Dave, what’re you ringing at this time for?”
“Yeah sorry love but I needed someone to talk to.”
At the other end of the line his wife tensed, “what’s happened?”
“I’ve just picked Gaby up, from that pub up in Mayschoß.”
“She been drinking again?”
“That’s just it, i’m not sure she has, she looks well out of it.”
“You’re thinking drugs?” Jen filled in her husbands gaps. “she on her own?”
“She was with Max, he seemed pretty riled.”
“I bet, you need to talk to Wilhelm Dave.”
“What do we do about Gab?”
Jen drew a deep breath, “not sure love, give her some space I guess.”
“I’ve not had a rant you’ll be pleased to know.”
“Well that's something,” Jen allowed.
“I’ll give you a call tomorrow.”
“Okay love, goodnight.”
“Nite.”

He returned the phone to the cradle and lay back on the bed. Is Gaby really experimenting with drugs? It doesn’t seem likely but the evidence is there. Have to pop round to see the Strechau’s tomorrow.

 
I didn’t sleep well, my head span and I broke out in a cold sweat, the bedclothes were soaked when my alarm finally roused me. A longer than usual shower brought me round some but I didn’t like what I saw in the mirror. Clearly Dad was no happier, we sat wordlessly over Frühstück – well I only managed half a cup of coffee.

He did give me a lift up to the kiosk but clearly I've got some bridge building to do. This softly softly approach of his is almost worse than previous groundings, at least you know the limits, but this. Its a good job he doesn’t know about the pills, I hate to think what he’d do.

 
"So?” Con queried.
"What?”
"Max, the hot date?” she pressed.
"It never got to the hot bit, Dad turned up to ‘rescue’ me.”
"Bum,” she allowed, "You look like, well not great.”
"Thanks friend!”
"Seriously Gab, your eyes are all bloodshot and you’ve got bags, how much did you drink?”
"Not much, honest.”
An eyebrow crept up her forehead, “really?”
"A couple of bottles of bier,” I didn’t want to admit to her I'd been drugged, maybe later but I still feel a) off and b) pretty stupid.
"You did see the band?”
"BlauHase?”
"Daft name,” my friend suggested.
"They were pretty cool, offered me a job,” I boasted.
"A job? What as, groupie?”
"Huh! If you must know as a singer,” I flicked a braid back over my shoulder.
"And just why would they do that?”
"I er sang along a bit?”
She rolled her eyes, "The Ahr Angel goes grunge, I hope you didn’t say yes?”
"Might’ve,” I teased, “’course I didn’t, I can’t sing for toffee.”
"Says she.”
"I don’t want to be a singer,” I protested.
"Well at least people know what you’re singing, I sound like a squawking goose!”
"You don’t.”
"Do, ot oh, here comes lover boy.”

I hadn’t heard his mofa.

 
"Where’s your bike?” I asked once we were out of the girls earshot.
"Just on my way to fetch it now, thought I'd check on you first.”
I went a bit squidgy inside before shrugging, "I'm okay, look sorry about Dad.”
“’S alright, its my fault for taking you there, Ralf said it was okay and I took his word.”
"That scumbag,” I spat, "How many other girls has he drugged?”
"I've er sort of dealt with him,” he mentioned, unconsciously rubbing his hand.
"What’ve you done? you’ve hit him haven’t you?” I accused.
"He gave you drugs, of course I hit him, maybe more than once,” he allowed.

I don’t agree with violence, I've always been a bit small to deal any and it rarely solves anything but sometimes…

"Come here you great lummox,” I ordered dragging him into a tight hug.

 
We were quite busy again – its tailed off a bit during the week but I reckon we’re doing quite well. Fritzi suggested I drink plenty, water not bier duh, to flush the drug from my system and by lunch I was certainly feeling better, my eyes less red, the bags less obvious. By lunch I was ravenous, I couldn’t face breakfast beyond coffee, I did myself a Schnitzel and a healthy pile of Pommes.

"Can I?” a familiar voice asked.

I looked up from my lunch to find Fritzi, in her work uniform sans metalwork, holding a cup of coffee.

"Um, sure.”

She settled herself on the chair opposite.

"About last night.”"Thanks for last night.” we both spoke at once.
"Sorry, you first,” Fritzi offered.
"I just wanted to say thanks for last night, I don’t know what i’d’ve done.”
"Your welcome.”
"How’d you know, you know the drug thing?”
"Unfortunately I've seen it happen before, when I saw your eyes I was pretty certain. You are lucky you aren’t good with alcohol, it could’ve been much worse if you hadn’t evacuated your stomach.”
"I thought it was just the booze,” I admitted, "Anyway thanks for looking out for me.”
"Wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t.”
"So what did you want to see me for?”
"Mostly to check you were okay, your ‘friend’ with the pills, well I spoke to a friend of mine in the Polizei, the bag of pills, there were several sorts not just the date rape but other nastier stuff too, he can expect a visit.”
"Nastier? One of my friends was drugged and raped for months by her boyfriend, she ended up pregnant in prison, how much nastier can you get?”
"In prison for being raped? is she okay now?” Fritzi asked with some concern.
"The prison was for trying to burn down the school, the whole thing has ruined her life. How much nastier than that?”
"As in dead, he could’ve easily killed you, oh not intentionally but unfortunately I've seen it happen...” she let that hang.

We sat in silence for a bit.

"I think Max beat him up this morning,” I allowed.
"Not the cleverest idea,” Fritzi noted, "But understandable.”
"What will the police do?”
"As I took the pills off him, unless he’s got more, just a verbal warning but he’ll be on their radar. You know him well?”
"Not really, just from school, he’s Max’s mate really, he suggested we go to the gig.”
"You sure Max wasn’t involved?”

Am I? To be honest it did cross my mind last night but no, he might be a dolt sometimes but potential rapist?

"Pretty sure.”
She finished her coffee, "Well I just wanted to check up on you, if you are at all unwell the next couple of days, ring 112 okay?”
“Okay,” I agreed, "Thanks.”
She stood up, "Enjoy your lunch,” she leant over a nicked a chip, "Tschuss.”
"Er, tschuss.”

 
"That looked a bit intense,” Kris suggested when I returned to the cabin after clearing my food.
"I was a bit ill at the gig last night, she was just checking I was alright.”

I reckon she’s been taking lessons from Con as she did the eyebrow thing.

"I must change my doctor, I don’t get house calls.”
"She’s not the doctor,” I pointed out.
"Still.”

 
Hen dropped by late on to finalise stuff for the RTF in a fortnight, I'm kind of quite excited that we’re involved. by the time we finished with that, tidied and locked up, it was heading towards six, giving us ten minutes to get to the Bahnhof. Having been dropped off this morning sans bike its either a long walk or the train to get home.

"So you ready for tomorrow?” Con asked as we waited for the Express.
"Think so, Con, do you ever think about dying?”
"Dying? Not really, you’re morbid Gab, I suppose you do all the time?”
"No,” I replied a bit quickly, "Its just, well sometimes I do, you know with Claudia and stuff.”
"But she was ill for like years,” Con pointed out.
"It was still a shock.”
"I guess so,” she agreed.

But it wasn’t Claudia who’d set me off on this train of thought, horrible as it was to lose her like that. No, there was the thing the other week with the tractor – that really shook me up big style and then last night. Well not exactly last night but rather Fritzi’s words this afternoon, ‘as in dead, he could’ve easily killed you, oh not intentionally but unfortunately I've seen it happen...’

You see on the news reports of people dying, accidents, diseases and yes, drugs. But you don’t expect it to be you in that position, I didn’t go to the Goldene Rose expecting to take drugs – well maybe a bit of alcohol but you know what I mean. And then I've come within a smidge of being raped and or dying because someone else is an arsehole.

Angry? You bet I am, I hope Max hurt him and that the Polizei lock him up.

"Gab? Train?” Con mentioned.
"Er, oh right,” I returned my attention to the now and followed my BF onto the Zug.

 
Maddy Bell © 10.04.17