Okay, he does. Unbelievable. “My fathers are the best thing that could’ve happened to me.”
“Fathers?”
“You’re pretty curious for your age.” He’s small and slim, probably younger than Luca. At least he looks that way. He’s taller than Louis though, and Louis is twenty-four.
“How old do you think I am?” He laughs, openly and warmly, not appearing offended.
“Fifteen?”
“Seriously? Oh God!” He dramatically hides his face in his hands and fake cries. I want to roll my eyes, but the corners of my mouth twitch upward.
What’s wrong with me? We’re talking and... fuck, we’re talking. I’m talking to a stranger. As if it’s the most normal thing in the world. That’s never happened to me before.
“How old are you?”
“You really want to know?” Lifting his head he looks at me with a piercing gaze as if he can see right through me. The thought is creepy and I try to look away, to put my walls back up, but he doesn’t let go. I nod quickly.
“I want to know your name too.” Did I really say that? Why?
A broad smile reveals a row of gleaming white teeth. “I’m Dayyan and I’m nineteen. And you?”
“You’re older than me? Damn! I’m Jannis and I’m eighteen. Why have I never seen you here before?” Since when do I ask questions? What’s wrong with me?
“We just moved here six weeks ago.” He shrugs sheepishly.
Chapter 2
Dayyan
“My father got a job as a senior physician here at the hospital.”
“Your father is a doctor?” The question sounds completely normal, but there is something peculiar about the way he asks it. There is something in his eyes, but I cannot quite put my finger on it. He barely makes eye contact, his gaze constantly darting away. I’d love to take a closer look though. Never in my life I’ve seen eyes like his. Amber-colored, like cat eyes, framed by dark eyelashes and eyebrows that form a strange contrast to his blond shoulder length curls. He could be a model for someone who paints angels—Gabriel or Michael or whatever their names are. Oh look, a little bit of what I learned in four years of religion class in elementary school must have stuck after all.
Fortunately, as a non-denominational student, I have ethics classes in high school. My father was Muslim, my mother Catholic, but both stepped back from their religion, and neither felt the need to pass on their faith to their children.
“Um, yes, my father is a urologist.”
“Where are you from?” He’s curious, against his will, at least that’s how it seems to me.
“From Frankfurt.” Suddenly, the leash in my right hand jerks and I start to sway.
Jannis grins at me defiantly. “Who’s the boss here? You or your dog?”
“Me, but she’s a husky, she needs to move. I just haven’t found a place where I can let her run off the leash. She’s not getting enough exercise.”
For the first time, he looks me straight in the eye, his eyebrows raised questioningly. “Maybe you need to try harder?”
Is he serious? Perplexed, I laugh out loud and Jannis’s gaze drops back to his feet immediately, the sparkle in his eyes fades. “If you follow the road ahead, there’s a small footpath on the right. It leads to the vineyards. Most people let their dogs run free there. Or you could go to the dragon meadow, but that’s a bit further away.”
Jannis’s voice is suddenly quiet, and I don’t understand what’s happening. “Would you like to... um, would you like to come with me?”
He shakes his head decisively, and I know he expects me to get up and move on, but I find it damn hard to tear myself away from him. I do a few seconds later though, not wanting to seem like a total weirdo.
All my friends are in Frankfurt, and I won’t officially be changing schools until after the Pentecost holiday, which is still six weeks away. I have no idea who came up with this stupid idea, but the fact is, I’m bored, I’m lonely, and Jannis is... okay, maybe “nice” is an exaggeration, but he kind of is.
Deep in thought, I walk along the small footpath, which I was 100% sure was a driveway the last time I passed by. In two minutes, we’re off the street, and at the vineyards. With a click, I release the leash from Flocke’s harness, and she runs off. Ilet her go for a while before hooking her back up, and walking home, the guy from the bench still on my mind.
“Hey sweetie, you were out a long time today. Everything okay?”
