Prologue

Ace Levy: Everybody needs a friend like me.
-- Starship Troopers (1997 movie)

Friday, February 12 2010
Freiberg, Germany

Maria idly looked out of the classroom window while the teacher droned on about the importance of the interim reports they were to receive. She snorted, knowing it didn't matter a tiny bit in her case. The weather outside the window mirrored her mood. It should have been a nice and sunny day as the weatherman had promised only the day before, but to the contrary it was grey and cloudy. She was sure it would soon start raining.

Hearing the snort Markus Berg looked over to the walking contradiction that was his pupil Maria Jung. He liked the girl, but he didn't understand her and knew that the other teachers felt the same. She was extremely good academically, having not only the best report of the whole class but the whole eighth grade. Again. But she didn't voluntarily take part in class and seemed to be daydreaming all the time, even though she could answer almost any question when asked directly. She was definitely a brain, sports being one of the few subjects that she was not good at. But she didn't look the part, being blonde and not wearing glasses. Yes, it was a cliché, but one he found over the years to amazingly often fit the bill perfectly.

In his opinion she looked good, even though he would prefer it if she wasn't so small and extremely thin. She seemed to be much more at home in her body than most other fourteen year old girls he had the pleasure to teach. Of course she either didn't know or hadn't yet found out that she could often use her looks to her advantage. But maybe that would come once she finally sprouted breasts. Despite her good looks and being friendly to everyone she had very few friends.

Actually she took being friendly way too far, pulling back if there was even a tiny hint about a possible conflict. If he told her the earth was a disk, she would readily agree if she thought that was what he wanted to hear. He again wondered if she was somehow abused at home, but he never saw any of the bruises or broken bones that usually accompanied these cases. Also the social worker he once asked to have a look at her situation reported she found nothing wrong. On the other hand, she would have been an easy target for the bullies at school if she hadn't – quite strangely – been friends with the Schulze Twins. Patrick and Mathias Schulze were known all over the school as being the stars in every sport they chose to try, including Martial Arts. They were nobody to be trifled with and for years no one had even tried. They were fiercely protective of Maria, even though Markus was sure she didn't even realize it. But he was extremely thankful for it.

While he thought about the girl, he ended his speech and started distributing the reports to the students, saving Maria's for last. "Congratulations, yours is the best report of the class again. I'm proud to have you as my student." He smiled.

"Thank you." She didn't even look up or pretend to be happy about it. She should be, after all not only did she get a report with almost only ones on it, but a week of holiday lay before them all. Deeply troubled by this, he swore to himself he would find out what was up with the girl after the holiday, and help her if possible. He sent the class off to the break ten minutes before the gong sounded.

Max Jung was angry when he got off the phone. His wife Susanne didn't know why and didn't really care, all she knew was that it would probably result in much pain for her later that day. That's the way it was since the day he married her and she knew it would probably be that way until the day she died.

"Get me a beer" he ordered. Knowing better than to answer she silently left his office and fetched a fresh glass, pouring the cold beer in it and putting a new bottle into the fridge. She would need plenty more this day. Back in his office she knelt down in front of him and held out the glass until he decided to take it. He drank the half liter glass empty in one pull.

Then he looked at the glass. "You left a fingerprint on the glass. You should know better. Get ready for your punishment."

Both knew that wasn't true, she had cleaned the glass thoroughly and then only touched it at the bottom. He wanted to punish her and the reason didn't really matter.

Susanne hurried to lay with her tummy over his desk, the ass hanging over one edge and the head over the other. She would never tell him, but the day last year when he told her she was not allowed to wear clothes any more was actually a good day for her. That way he wouldn't get angry with her for taking too long to undress. It was also more comfortable to have no fabric chaffing on her wounds after he worked her over.

Max selected a cane, there would be no warm up today. "Count", he ordered, before crashing down the cane onto her ass cheeks. "One, thank you!" she cried out when the cane cut through her skin and left it bleeding. He decided for starters he would give her twenty-five lashes.

Maria left her classroom and moved to sit under her tree. Despite it being February and pretty cold and damp, she sat there every school day during every break. It was her place to relax and think. Nobody but she and her friends ever sat there or would bother her when she was there. At the beginning of last school year some new boy tried to take the place away from her. It didn't take the Schulze Twins very long to teach him it wouldn't be a good idea. She never noticed anything; the boy was gone before she came to her tree.

None of her three friends were there yet, as she got out earlier that day. She used the time to think about the next week. It would be bad, most of the time staying in her room and trying not to be noticed. On the other hand she would get much studying in, without the possibility of meeting her friends or do anything else to consume her time.

She just didn't understand why her mother did this. Well, if she was honest with herself she actually understood it very well. And she was always honest. But she didn't understand why her mother did it with The Asshole. She often talked to her about it and she never understood the explanations. She was sure there was something Susanne wasn't telling her, and that was bothering her even more.

"Hi!" called a voice from above her. "I'm Toby. We haven't actually met yet, I'm new to this dump. I noticed you sitting here all alone." He waited for her to answer and was astonished when she looked up at him for a moment before looking back down completely ignoring him. "Hey, answer me!"

Nobody had ever ignored him; after all he was the biggest man on campus in his old school. He had watched her since he transferred in a week ago and had decided he would go out with the hot slut nobody seemed to go near, so that's what would happen.

"You didn't ask a question I could answer" she told him and looked back down.

It actually took him some time to process that. "Oh. So, will you go out with me during the holiday?"

"No" Maria replied.

"Huh?" was all he could think of.

"No."

From the edge of her eyes she could see him getting angry and decided it would be best to just leave. Just as she started to get up she heard a new voice from behind Toby.

"Is there a problem?" Patrick asked him. Maria could always tell who it was, even though nobody else seemed to be able to tell the Schulze Twins from each other by their voice. Or their looks, either.

"No, why?" Tobias asked.

"Your being here is a problem, actually" explained Mathias when he stepped next to his brother. "Would you come with us for a moment, then we can explain it to you."

"What makes you think you can tell me what to do?" Tobias had not yet heard of the Schulze Twins and looking at them they were nothing special. He was sure he could easily overpower them.

On that the Twins each took one of his upper arms into their hands and squeezed painfully. "Just humor us for a moment, please" Patrick said in a friendly voice.

Toby tried without success to get loose for a moment, then let the two steer him away from the tree. In the meantime Sabrina Vogel sat down next to Maria, completely ignoring the three boys. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, no problem." Maria lied. Her brittle voice and the shaking of her hands betrayed her. Of course Sabrina would have known the truth anyway. She was the only one knowing everything; even the Twins had only a vague idea.

"That's great" Sabrina lied right back. Then she took Maria in her arms and let her cry herself out.

"Hungry?" Sabrina asked after Maria had put herself back together. Maria never brought lunch with her and had no money to buy one, so Sabrina and the boys brought more with them when they could.

"Yes, thank you." And as every time, Maria swore to herself she would pay her friends back every cent once she could.

When the three boys were out of earshot, they stopped.