"Two coffee, one white one black,” I called back to Kris, "Three euros please.”

Its been mental today, not sure why but we’ve not stopped since mid morning. Coffee, sausages, Pommes – you name it they’ve been buying, in fact we’ve been cleaned out of our chicken pies, bang goes my lunch. I shouldn’t complain, its good to be busy right?

"This might explain things,” Con suggested returning from table clearing duties with a discarded newspaper.
"What?” I queried as I turned out another basket of deep fried potato.
"The Zeitung, here,” she thrust the rag at me.
“’Putting the Schnell back into Imbiss’,” I read out.
"Not a bad article,” Con opined as I scanned the words for myself.

To be fair there’s not a lot going on in the valley but even so the three photos and slightly rambling article was a most generous use of page space. We had a bit of extra custom after Gertie Schmidt’s piece but I guess that went out to the whole Mittel Rhein area while the Zeitung is much more local. Hmm, we should invite the paper guy along to the RTF, bit of free advertising.

"That the paper?” Kris queried, "I meant to mention we were in there.”
"When did it come out? we’ve not had one yet.”
"Saturday I think.”
"We always get it last,” Con mentioned.
"Lets hope this lot isn’t a one day wonder.”
"Yeah,” Con agreed, "You gonna get your lunch?”
"Can do,” I allowed, slightly mystified at Con’s sudden interest in me eating.

However the incessant putt, putt of a Mofa suggested she’d spotted who was riding it. I shovelled a good portion of Frites and a couple of Würst onto a plate, added a good dollop of mayo and grabbed some cutlery.

"Here,” Kris stuffed two bottles of pop under my arm with an amused grin.

 
"Hey Gabs,” the lummox offered as I headed to the only spare table left in ‘Gab’s Garden’.
"Here,” I offered him a fork and the bottle of cola.
"Er right,” he allowed.
"Well sit then, everyone’s watching,” I observed.
"Oh, right,” he managed taking the seat opposite, "So er how did it go yesterday?”
"Okay,” I supplied dipping my Bratwürst in the mayo.
"Really?” Max grimaced.
"You want me, you get my foibles too,” I suggested. Did I actually say that?
"Er right, so just okay?”
"Top step, Mand got third. Dig in, I'm not eating this lot on my own.”
“’Kay, top step?”
"Of the podium?” I clarified, "As in first place.”
"Cool,” his take on the use of mayo on his food is more traditional – a good load on his forkful of Pommes.
"So what’re you doing?”
"Eating my girlfriends lunch?”
"Dimwit, why are you here?”
"Can’t I just come to see you?”
"You came down from Kreuzberg,” I pointed out.
"Oh that.”

I speared a few more fries and started nibbling them.

"Just been up to the stables.”
I raised my eyebrows, "Didn’t know you rode.”
"I don’t, well I can of course, its Mum’s horse.”
"Didn’t know she rode either.”
"Ha,” he took a swig from his bottle of pop, "You might have the amber but there's still plenty you don’t know about us.”
"Apparently,” I allowed, "So this Pferde?”
"Oh yeah, needed shoeing, so I got volunteered to sort stuff.”
"You shoed the horse?” I gaped.
"Dur, not me, the Schmied of course, I had to get Marmaduke out of his box.”
"Er right, whatever that means.”
"I'll have to take you riding sometime.”
"When hell freezes, once was enough.”
"You’ve ridden?”
"With Sara and Soph at New Year, thought my bum would never recover.”

Max chuckled at that.

"Not funny!” I complained.
"The kiosk’s busy.”
"Yeah, there’s an article on the opening in this months Zeitung.”
"That’s cool, you need a ride home later?”
"Got my bike.”
He shrugged, "Another time.”
"Yeah,” I sort of agreed.

 
"Gab?”
"Hmm?”
"I said, see you later,” Kris offered.
"Er right, yeah.”
"Tschussie!”
"Tschuss.”
"We’re gonna have to ban Max,” Con suggested.
"Ban, what for?”
"You’ve been away with the fairies since he was here.”
"Have not.”
"If you say so,” she snorted.
"I haven’t have I?”
"Anyone would think you two are a couple.”
"We’re...”
"Not a couple, I know, I hear it every time his name’s mentioned,” she interrupted. "So what’s he got you mooning about this time?”
"Er nothing,” I hurriedly filled.

Well not actually nothing, I mean its every girls dream right, the white horse, shining armour and stuff, right? I guess his mofa doesn’t quite qualify as a caparisoned charger does it? Oh well.

"Did you know the von Strechau’s keep horses?”
"Doesn’t surprise me, twenty one.”
"You ever been riding?”
"Went a few times when I was about eight, fell off and broke my arm.”
"Maybe I should learn,” I mused.
"You fall off your bike more times than enough, you’d kill yourself.”
"Yeah.”

 
"So if you do the fall thing again Susan.”

Susan gave her fellow cheerleaders a dirty look, they managed to drop her last time we did it.

"They will hold you this time,” I suggested pointedly, "So from the top.”

Whilst the next cheer competition isn’t for a few weeks, we still need to practice and work on new moves.

 
"You alright Gab?” P asked.
"She’s been like this all afternoon according to Kris,” Mand supplied, “pizza!”

I ignored them of course.

"See?”
"She hit her head or something?” Pia suggested.
"Might be something to do with a certain lanky aristo.”
"We are not a couple.”
"I think you’re right,” Pia noted.

 
The door flew open.

"My lady.”
"Sir Strechau, how cometh thee?” I asked as I draped myself on his arm.
"My charger Beowulf brought me with all haste when news reached me my love.”
"What of my father?”
"He awaits your safe return at the Schloss. Come we must make haste before Ogidir awakes.”

With that he swept me into his arms, I barely had time to gather my skirts before he set off out of the tower. In moments I was sat side saddle ahead of him on Beowulf, he snapped the reigns and after an impressive Pesade , we took off across the countryside at a gallop. Across the meadows, through the forest into farmland we seemed to be almost flying.

The Schloss of my father came into sight at last but as we crossed a last field a menacing shadow overtook us.

"Sir Strechau, its Ogidir,” I quailed.
"I will protect you my lady.”

 
"Gaby!”
I awoke with a start, “um?”
"Its half past seven,” Dad advised with more than a hint of exasperation.
I snapped more fully into consciousness, "Sugar!”
"I'll give you a lift up,” Pater sighed.
"Er thanks,” I allowed, waiting for him to retreat before throwing the covers back – well I've only got a vest and knickers on, it was a bit warm last night alright.

 
"Alright?” Dad asked as we waited to join the main road having collected the kiosks supply of bread, pies and cake.
"Er yeah, sure, why?”
"You’ve been wool gathering all morning.”
"Er sorry.”
"What’s got into you kiddo?”
"Nothing,” I defended.
"If I didn’t know better I'd say its a boy, Max maybe?” he hinted.
"No!” I denied, "As if!”
"If you say so.”
"I was just wondering whether we’ll be as busy today.”
"Lets hope so eh?”
"Er yeah.”

 
I wonder if he’ll come up today, I hope so, I'll keep a couple of pies to one side in case. Hope he likes chicken. he’s a lad, he’ll eat anything! Wonder if we can sneak a quick snog today, we can hide in the bin shed – not sexy but it is private – ish.

 
"Get the door Gab.”
"Er yeah,” I shook myself back into the present and opened the door for Kris.
“’bout time, I was knocking on the shutter for ages,” she advised.
"Er sorry, I was in the back,” I suggested.

Come on Gab, you need to snap out of this, this malaise.

 
Maddy Bell © 07.04.17