wandered about the room, looking at nothing in particular. There was a sort of sweet awkwardness about him. It seemed as though he may have wanted to say something, but never did.
“Well. Imagine that,” Friedrich said sarcastically as he reentered the room, “everything seems to be in order here. If you can believe that.” He sighed heavily then tilted his head, looked at Marko and motioned toward the door, “Let’s go.” While he collected his things he looked around the room again, not so much in the crazed way he had done before but more like someone that was just curious to see what sort of things were filling a space they just happened to be in. He started in the direction of the door, pausing as he approached me. “So how have you been? I haven’t seen you in quite a while.”
So, he did remember me, or at least this version of his personality seemed to. I couldn’t decide whether he had been pretending not to know me earlier or if he honestly just realized that we knew each other.
“Oh, uh, not bad,” I answered, feeling uncertain about how friendly I wanted to be with the guy. I couldn’t immediately recall the nature of our relationship during school and wasn’t sure if familiarity should be considered a blessing or a curse.
“Good, good. Good to hear,” he replied as he continued past me.
They were so close, so close to the door, when Friedrich stopped abruptly, his eyes fixed on something under the coffee table. He plunged forward and in one fluid movement pushed the chair to one side, lowered himself to the floor grabbed whatever he’d seen and returned to a standing position. He looked at it quickly, then shoved it into my face. I had to pull myself back to avoid being hit with it.
“What do you call this?” he nearly shouted.
It was the girl’s bunny. It must have fallen from her bag when Anja dropped it.
“Looks like a stuffed toy to me,” I said mockingly, amazed that I had resisted the urge to give everything away at the mere sight of the girl’s toy.
His head jerked back, “Oh really. You expect me to believe this thing is yours? This is your stuffed…” he turned it over in his hands to take a better look, “bunny?”
“My grandmother made it.” I said softly, hoping my low tone would help cover the lie.
He let out a long sigh, his mouth scrunched up, moving side-to-side while he thought. I could tell he was embarrassed again and looking for a way to save face.
“Okay, whatever,” he snapped as he flung the bunny at my chest. “But now that you’ve given me more time to think about it, I realized there are still quite a few unanswered questions, so…” he looked victoriously toward Marko, “you're gonna have to come back to the station with us.”
“What questions? Anything you want me to answer, I can answer right here.” I looked to Marko for support, he swallowed hard and looked away.
Friedrich cleared his throat, “I said… we’re going to need you to come with us.”
I looked around apprehensively, wondering when I might see my apartment again.
“Am I being arrested?” I asked.
“That’s up to you.” Friedrich answered.
“Is it? Is it really up to me?”
I’d gone too far. Friedrich’s expression turned cold and unforgiving. His face was starting to take on a dark purple undertone and it looked as though his necktie had suddenly been cinched too tight. Marko was starting to appear nervous, he looked at me pleadingly, his dark, thoughtful eyes begged me not to continue to press Friedrich. He reminded me of a child that was used to seeing his parents bicker and had become painfully perceptive of the cues that would lead to a full blown argument.
I asked for a minute to grab a few things and after a quick dash through my bedroom and bathroom, I stood by the door with my bag and told them I was ready to go. Friedrich reached for the door. The knob was fussy and he struggled to open it, he backed away humbly and allowed me take over. For a
“Well. Imagine that,” Friedrich said sarcastically as he reentered the room, “everything seems to be in order here. If you can believe that.” He sighed heavily then tilted his head, looked at Marko and motioned toward the door, “Let’s go.” While he collected his things he looked around the room again, not so much in the crazed way he had done before but more like someone that was just curious to see what sort of things were filling a space they just happened to be in. He started in the direction of the door, pausing as he approached me. “So how have you been? I haven’t seen you in quite a while.”
So, he did remember me, or at least this version of his personality seemed to. I couldn’t decide whether he had been pretending not to know me earlier or if he honestly just realized that we knew each other.
“Oh, uh, not bad,” I answered, feeling uncertain about how friendly I wanted to be with the guy. I couldn’t immediately recall the nature of our relationship during school and wasn’t sure if familiarity should be considered a blessing or a curse.
“Good, good. Good to hear,” he replied as he continued past me.
They were so close, so close to the door, when Friedrich stopped abruptly, his eyes fixed on something under the coffee table. He plunged forward and in one fluid movement pushed the chair to one side, lowered himself to the floor grabbed whatever he’d seen and returned to a standing position. He looked at it quickly, then shoved it into my face. I had to pull myself back to avoid being hit with it.
“What do you call this?” he nearly shouted.
It was the girl’s bunny. It must have fallen from her bag when Anja dropped it.
“Looks like a stuffed toy to me,” I said mockingly, amazed that I had resisted the urge to give everything away at the mere sight of the girl’s toy.
His head jerked back, “Oh really. You expect me to believe this thing is yours? This is your stuffed…” he turned it over in his hands to take a better look, “bunny?”
“My grandmother made it.” I said softly, hoping my low tone would help cover the lie.
He let out a long sigh, his mouth scrunched up, moving side-to-side while he thought. I could tell he was embarrassed again and looking for a way to save face.
“Okay, whatever,” he snapped as he flung the bunny at my chest. “But now that you’ve given me more time to think about it, I realized there are still quite a few unanswered questions, so…” he looked victoriously toward Marko, “you're gonna have to come back to the station with us.”
“What questions? Anything you want me to answer, I can answer right here.” I looked to Marko for support, he swallowed hard and looked away.
Friedrich cleared his throat, “I said… we’re going to need you to come with us.”
I looked around apprehensively, wondering when I might see my apartment again.
“Am I being arrested?” I asked.
“That’s up to you.” Friedrich answered.
“Is it? Is it really up to me?”
I’d gone too far. Friedrich’s expression turned cold and unforgiving. His face was starting to take on a dark purple undertone and it looked as though his necktie had suddenly been cinched too tight. Marko was starting to appear nervous, he looked at me pleadingly, his dark, thoughtful eyes begged me not to continue to press Friedrich. He reminded me of a child that was used to seeing his parents bicker and had become painfully perceptive of the cues that would lead to a full blown argument.
I asked for a minute to grab a few things and after a quick dash through my bedroom and bathroom, I stood by the door with my bag and told them I was ready to go. Friedrich reached for the door. The knob was fussy and he struggled to open it, he backed away humbly and allowed me take over. For a
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