An irish Lovestory - the summer of Life

The school trip starts

They spend the next few days doing lots of homework and then the school trip is just around the corner.
Early in the morning, Carlotta runs through the house to pack the last things. Luke sleepily comes out of his room and rubs his eyes tiredly. "How do you actually fit anything else into your suitcase? Even mine is completely full!" he asks her as he stifles a yawn. Although he's actually looking forward to the class trip as well, he's not really ready yet, as he doesn't know what it's going to be like when all the boys and girls party together and overdo it a bit with the alcohol. But that should not be his concern now before the school trip. He goes back to bed and doesn't get up until two hours later, when his alarm clock rings. But that's actually already too late, because he didn't think last night that he might still have to pack a few things.
Since his parents have to work and Chiara is in Hanover at her job, Carlotta and Luke have to go to school alone. Although the way is not far, they take the bus in order to really arrive on time. But as it happens before school trips, the suitcase has to be unpacked and packed three times before it closes. Carlotta somehow manages to get Luke's suitcase closed. They are at the bus stop just in time to go to school.
Ten minutes later, when they are standing in front of the school with their suitcases, only a few classmates are there and the class teachers, Mr Folks and Mrs Niebeck, are not there yet either. But although only a few pupils are standing there waiting for the others, it is already clear that the class trip is going to be chaotic.
Barely seven minutes after Luke and Carlotta arrive, the two teachers approach the class. By now almost the whole class is present and the bus is also arriving. Of course, the loading of the suitcases is a complete disaster and Mrs Niebeck's head is already bursting. Fifteen minutes later, when they are all on the bus, Mrs Niebeck says: "OK, I'll just go through the list of names and then we can start. You can start thinking about who you want to share a room with. Before you ask, no, no mixed rooms!" After she has called everyone in the class once, a babble of voices breaks out in the bus, so that Ms Niebeck has to shout to make herself heard. "Shut your mouths!" she shouts overhead. They slowly quiet down and Mr Folks says, "I'll pass around a list, everyone sign in a room! And silence! You may listen to music and eat, but please without crumbling and in such a way that the others can still be understood!"
He hands the list and a pen to the girls at the front, then leans back in his seat and closes his eyes in annoyance. After half an hour, the list has gone through all the hands and everyone has been given a room. Ms Niebeck goes through the list briefly and writes it down neatly. Her students start to keep themselves busy and play werewolves, among other things.
Carlotta is immersed in her world and listens to music. When she looks out of the window, she can't believe her eyes. Next to the bus she is sitting on, the same bus is driving along, with a class inside. She looks into the eyes of the girl on the other side of the window and her gaze darkens. Quietly, Carlotta murmurs, "Can't a girl have peace and quiet from that bitch on a class trip?" Luke looks at her for a moment and then out the window. Vera sits there and shows her raised middle finger. He pulls Carlotta close and gives her a kiss, which makes Vera look pretty angry. The bus falls back a little and after a pause it is no longer to be seen.
Mrs Niebeck has finished the list and passes it around again.

Anastasia fetches the key and the five girls set off in search of their little house. No sooner have they found their cottage than the mood is slightly dampened. Vera lives directly opposite with three of her classmates. But they are not intimidated and simply go into their little kingdom for the next week.
The cottage is spacious, has two large bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom. The girls put their things down, discuss who sleeps where and then go back to the courtyard where Mrs Niebeck and Mr Folks are waiting.

When the others all arrive too, the class teacher says, "So, welcome to Lahr. This is where we will spend the next week. About the rules: Everybody is allowed to stay in every cabin in the class, but please use the beds only individually or with your clothes on! We don't want to have to explain to your parents why they are grandparents. You are getting old enough to look after yourselves, but please don't party too late into the night and please, if you do have alcohol, don't have too much! I wish you a pleasant stay and you can go back to your rooms." Mrs Niebeck calls after them that the students from the other school should not go to their rooms, lest something else disappears or no one knows where the others are.
Helen, Anastasia, Elea and Petra go ahead while Carlotta walks a little slower to talk to Luke. He puts his arm around her waist and asks, "Your place in half an hour?" She nods and walks after the others. Helen has also fallen back a little and has been waiting for Carlotta at the next corner of the house. "Is everything good between you and Luke?" she asks her friend. Carlotta nods, however a wrinkle forms on her forehead. Helen knows about the Vera thing and encourages her friend. "Don't worry, Luke will stay with you and if he gets back in bed with that Vera girl, he'll be in for a treat!" Slightly encouraged, Carlotta smiles and gives her friend a quick hug. She knows she can always rely on Helen and she would never let her down.
The two girls follow the others into the cottage and make themselves at home in one of the two rooms. Helen quickly unpacks her suitcase while Carlotta makes both beds and freshens up a bit. When there is a knock on the window half an hour later, the girls are startled, but when they see that it is only Luke, they are relieved.

Helen opens the window, lets Luke in and goes into the living room to join the other girls.
Luke sits down on the bed with Carlotta and looks around the room. "Why are you girls always so tidy? My room is a total mess after only five minutes." Carlotta rolls her eyes in annoyance and shrugs her shoulders. She's not really that tidy, but as soon as her room wasn't tidy in the past, her adoptive parents beat her until she started tidying up. Luke notices that she is uncomfortable and changes the subject. "We're just going to have a wonderful school trip here now and no one is going to spoil this week for us. Afterwards we'll talk to my parents again and hopefully we can move in with you, because I can't stand being at home any longer than that." Carlotta furrows her brow. "What's wrong Carly?", Luke asks her worriedly. "I just don't know how I'm going to last this week with Vera running around the yard here all the time. Plus we don't have anywhere to rest and do anything completely on our own. Please don't get me wrong, but I'm a little afraid of how it will look between the two of us in a week!" Carlotta blushes slightly and looks into the corner of the room. Luke pulls her close and turns her head in his direction.
"Listen Carlotta, I know how you feel. It's not easy to forget about Spain either, but please trust me, I won't even look at her and if I do, it won't be on purpose! I love you and no one else!" She looks at him questioningly. "Only you have a place in my heart!" After a short pause, he says, "Tonight, let's have a little party already. Are you with us? The others too, of course!" She nods and asks, "Do you think it will be completely over the top tonight already?" Luke nods and grins. He remembers Carlotta's first crash too well and better than she does. "Don't worry, I won't drink as much as I did when I was with Johanna or on your birthday!"
For a short while the two of them are just sitting together on the bed when Carlotta hears something outside the door. Quietly she gets up and pulls the door open in a flash. Helen stumbles into the room, caught off guard. "'Scuse me!" she murmurs softly. Luke stands up and says, "Don't worry, it's your room! Girls, get ready, we're going on in the big common room at nine!" Then he disappears through the door.
Shortly after, the other three girls come in the room. "Wow, we've been here an hour and already Luke is coming out of your room? How are you going to survive the next few nights without each other?" asks Elea teasingly. Carlotta says, "It doesn't matter. We still have six hours to explore the grounds and get ready for the first party on this school trip. So, anyone who needs longer, please start now so we can be there on time at nine!"