Reading Hermann Hesse

Chapter 1

God, I feel so stupid. What am I even doing? 

Nezumi leaned against the wall, studying the trash that cluttered the rooftop. Sighing, she popped another piece of gum into her mouth, chewing it slowly. As she deliberated over a scheme, she glanced at the courtyard below. The shouts and battlecries of her classmates were heard, signaling the start of another fight. 

Idiots. That's what you get a yankee school.

She shook her heard, clearing her thoughts. After another minute or so of silence, Nezumi decided to head back inside. As she stood up, a sleek iPod fell out of her pocket. "Bach's Air on a G String" began to play, surprising the girl. She bent down to retrieve her iPod and noticed a small crack on the screen.

"Damn it!" She cursed out loud. Stuffing the iPod back into her pocket, she stomped back into the building, returning to her base.

Her base, as Nezumi liked to think of it, was an empty classroom at the end of a hallway. A small stack of Hermann Hesse books sat, untouched, in the corner. Hanging on the front of the classroom was a large chalkboard. It was covered in equations and drawings, all done by Nezumi herself. People rarely came around to visit her, allowing her to think in silence. The only person who ever bothered the silence was Center. Center was a lean, athletic girl who loved to fight. A smart girl, but reckless. The only thing Center enjoyed more than fighting was reading. Hermann Hesse books in particular. 

Nezumi stepped into the room, breathing in the familiar scent of chalk dust. Half-heartedly flipping through one of Center's books, stopping at a bookmarked page. Center had highlighted a sentence: "If I know what love is, it is because of you." Next to it, a hastily scribbled "Show to Nezumi" was written. The book, Narcissus and Goldmund, was well-worn with dog-eared pages. Curious, Nezumi restarted the book, this time close paying attention.

"Outside the entrance of the Mariabronn cloister..."