S2/02. Bad Blood

2.7 Mariella Schnautz

Spring 1998, Schnautz residence, Oasis Springs

"I'm telling you, she's into my dad," Mariella finished while she carefully examined her nail polish for chipping. Not even a scratch, they were perfect.

Fernandez stopped strumming the ukulele and laughed.
"What? But Mrs. Brandenburg is married. I bet they're just talking teacher stuff."

"Mr. Brandenburg is also a teacher, she could talk to him," Mariella reminded her best friend, Fernandez was such a blockhead sometimes! "But she always butts in here, as if she doesn't have her own family to boss around."

 

Fernandez eyed her suspiciously.

"Maybe she's just trying to be helpful?" He said weakly. "She's sorry for your dad's divorce too..."

Mariella groaned. "No way – she's glad about it! Just look at her, how she's all giggly around him! Yeah, I know! My dad's no John Rzeznik, but he's definitely a better catch than a maths teacher. She's in for an upgrade."

"I don't see it..." Fernandez hesitated.

 

The blockhead would probably not even see it if they'd made out right in front of him.

She cringed at the image that'd involuntarily crept into her head.

 

"Well she is and we'll have to find a way to make her look ugly before she'll be –"

The noise of keys turning in the door lock abruptly shut her up.

"Damn!" Mariella cursed under her breath and ignored her straight-laced friend flinch at her language. "Dad's earlier home than he said!"

Not enough, Herbert wasn't alone. Mrs. Brandenburg's voice exploded in a shrill laughter that was undoubtedly intended to sound flirty. 

She could choke on it, Mariella had more pressuring problems now.

"Quick, we gotta hurry," she whispered and straightened her bed sheets.

A few seconds later she climbed out of the window, Fernandez following her closely.
They snuck along the wall to their bikes and rode away, taking a route where they wouldn't be seen from the kitchen windows.

They stopped at the nearby park and sat down at the playground in the shadow. It was so hot that not many people were there. If it weren't for Mrs. Brandenburg's meddling, Mariella and Fernandez would've stayed at home too.

"I can't stand this anymore!" Mariella was so mad. "Just because of her we have to meet in secret – what does she even think we're doing?!"
It was the sports teacher that'd talked Herbert into this, on his own he'd never thought to forbid his daughter and her best friend to see each other. Mariella and Fernandez knew each other since kindergarten, they were almost like siblings to each other!

"I just hate everything!" Mariella fumed. "I wish I could run away."

"Then let's do that."

Mariella blinked. She'd lost her words and stared at her best friend in disbelief. Usually it was her that got them into trouble and Fernandez would try to talk her out of it before he'd eventually give in and follow her lead.

He never just agreed with her. 

This was a first and she wondered if he was maybe sad too. His parents also recently divorced, though his dad'd rarely been home anyway, busy being a rock star and all.

This, and Fernandez not saying much otherwise, she'd assumed he was fine.

"Really? You'd run away with me?"

Sad or not, she was awfully curious to see how far he'd go. Running away was a great deal more serious than clogging all the school toilets with toilet paper.

"Yep. Let's go to San My," he said.

 

Crap, that was far.

Now it was Mariella who'd rather opted out – another first time – but she couldn't lose face in front of him now.

 

"What we're gonna do in San My?" She hoped she didn't sound as weak as she felt now. She didn't really want to run away; it would definitely get them into a hell of trouble. She'd just said it without really thinking.

 

"Do you know that Toxic Purple plays at Averfest?" Fernandez asked. "I'll get us tickets."

Mariella let out the breath she'd been holding for a few minutes already.
It was just for a concert! She was so relieved. She'd just have to find an excuse to disappear for a day or two. Too bad she couldn't use Fernandez' house anymore. It'd been so convenient, his mother was always so distracted with his older bitch sister and his baby siblings that she had no clue what goody-two-shoes Fernandez or his friends did, nor did she care as long as he wasn't in trouble.

But an excuse she'd have to find, because Toxic Purple!

She had to resist hard to not jump up and freak out like a little kid.

 

"That'd be really cool!" She said with all the coolness she could muster, before another thought crossed her mind. "But we're just fourteen... they won't let us inside!"

Fernandez' smirk grew a bit wider, it was almost mischievous but not quite. Most of all, it was so unlike the Fernandez Mariella knew that it threw her off a little. 

Nope, he certainly didn't look as if he was sad.

"My dad's band is at Mountaver Records," he said. "Bet I can get us in?"

"Awesome!" First time that it came handy to have a rock star dad! Or rather a friend with one. "And he'll let us stay the night too? Your dad is so cool!"

Fernandez squirmed.

"I – no, he can't know we're going... he'll tell my mom and she'll ground me for life!" 

No problem, Rita kept forgetting who she grounded and for how long, but she'd definitely tell Herbert too, and it'd be unforgivable if Mariella would miss out on Toxic Purple's concert because of it!

 

"Then how will we get in?" Mariella asked. "And where will we spend the night?"

Looked more like having a rock star dad was still completely useless.

"I can talk us in, that's no big deal," Fernandez said, a little more confident. "And... I thought we can stay at the station until the train comes... it's a big city, it's lively there..."

Holy crap!

He was so naive! Or did he really just have the guts? Mariella didn't know if she should admire him for it or not, because she certainly didn't dare to!

"I'm not gonna spend the night at a train station," she said, that was much too scary!

"Okay, okay, I'll ask my dad... we'll find a way, okay?" Fernandez pleaded.

"No, don't!"

Better not risk anything.

"I... I think I know someone who won't tell on us and will let us stay the night too," Mariella said.