The Forbidden Six

March 24th, 1933

"Another amazing event has happened," Frau Keller said that morning with stars in her eyes.

Werner sighed. At least it was a Friday. He tried to catch Liese's eye. She was looking at Mena. Werner slumped down and listened with mock interest as Frau Keller animatedly spoke.

"Our chancellor passed another law yesterday," she announced with a great smile.

"He passes too many laws," Werner blurted out. Mena threw a wad of paper at his head. Since he was her tablemate, she hit her mark.

The teacher cast him a dark look. He opened his mouth to say something else. He remembered that she would most likely hit him and he sank back into his seat. Mena threw another piece of paper. She missed this time and the paper fell to the floor.

"On another note," Frau Keller continued, "on the thirteenth, the Nazi Party raised their flag on the Frankfort city hall. I hope all of you are placing your flags in your windows. I know I have." She gestured to the Nazi flag hanging in the window of the classroom. There was another one hanging on the classroom door.

Leyna exchanged a glance with Mena. Leyna rolled his eyes, causing her to lightly laugh. Her eyes flicked back to the teacher for a moment, telling Leyna that they should focus on what Frau Keller was saying. She nodded and looked at the front of the room.

"I suspect all of you have heard about this on the radio but I will explain it for those less aware." She sent a pointed look at Liese, who was talking to Mena. Liese leaned back into her seat, her face turning red with embarrassment. "The Enabling Act lets Hitler pass laws without the parliament's or the president's approval. Sadly, it will end in April of 1937," the math teacher explained.

"What about the president? Will he still have power?" someone in the class wondered.

"The president's rights will be undisturbed. President Hindenburg's duties will be the same as before the Enabling Act. Someday Hitler will be president. And when he is, he will rid the country of those terrible Communists. The same Communists that burned the Reich and will destroy our country if we don't take action."

Liese leaned forward to tap on Mena's back. She turned and Liese whispered to her. "Why does she only seem to be alive when she talks about Hitler?"

Mena shrugged.

"There were ninety four votes against the act," another student noted.

"Ja but there were four hundred forty-four votes for it," someone else spoke up.

Half of the forty-five minute class was dedicated to Frau Keller making a speech about how Hitler was the most amazing human being to ever exist and that he should be ruling the world. Werner fell asleep during class and was awarded with a detention and Mena hitting his head with a thick math book.

In the final minutes of class, the teacher made one more announcement. "There was a concentration camp established in Dachau two days ago. Hopefully it rounds up the Jews and keeps them away from us."

Leyna quietly gasped. She bent her head to avoid Frau Keller's eyes. Lines of worry appeared on Pieter's forehead. He tried to catch Leyna's eye but was unsuccessful. What was going to become of him and Leyna?

When the class was finally dismissed, the six friends met up outside of the gym. Werner opened his mouth to say something. Liese looked around to make sure nobody was near.

"Frau Keller makes me want to simultaneously bang my head on my desk and cry," Werner told his friends. They nodded in response. Mena stifled a laugh.

"Could we skip again?" Leyna pleaded. "I do not want to go to gym. I've had enough school for one day. I might just go home altogether."