Disclaimer: I don't own Spring Awakening.
Anna's house was one of the only houses in all of her little German town that had a front porch. It was sheltered which meant she could sit outside during a hot and sunny summer day, and stay cool, or she could sit outside in a spring rainstorm, and stay dry. At an early age she took a liking to this porch. She would hide things in broken floorboards, draw with chalk on every visible spot (much to the dismay of her mother), and even fall asleep staring at the house on the other side of the street.
The other side of the street contained a house that was much smaller then Anna's. Perhaps this was due to the fact that the family living there had only one child. (Anna herself had two more sisters.) The child living there, a son, was only a year older then Anna. The mother rarely left her kitchen and the father was gone until the late hours in the evening leaving the son to have hours to himself.
Anna wished she had that kind of time, but being the youngest sister, she was the one who was always given the most chores and errands out of the house.
But when Anna managed to sneak an hour or so to herself, she would come outside to the porch and sit in a rocking chair placed just next to the window. Sometimes Anna would bring a book or some knitting, but mostly she just brought a blanket, cuddled up, and listened to the wondrous music coming from the house across the street.
Ah yes! It was the most wondrous music! The notes were so delicately played, yet they were both powerful and beautiful at the same time. Anna had lived in this same home all of her life, as did the boy living across the street. Anna had listened to him ever since she started playing outside. She could still remember how awful it sounded for the first few years, and how she would run inside covering her ears, but then how it had transformed into magnificent playing she so loved to listen to. Unfortunately, she could only hope that one day she would muster up the courage to march over to his front door and knock asking him to please play a song for her. And then tell him how marvelous he sounded. But that was only her wishful thinking.
Anna was never nervous when boys were concerned. She loved to tease Thea about her crush on Melchior, and Martha's strange attraction to Moritz. She was always the girl, beside Isle of course, to march up to the boys and ask them to play with her and her friends. She'll admit though, Hänschen was very creepy and Otto was not her favorite, but other then that she was usually fine.
But how come this one boy, and why him out of all of them, could make her fluster and trip when he's around or when she's simply thinking of him?
It seemed that all because of her piano-playing neighbor, Georg Zirschnitz, Anna was thrown into a frantic state of confusion on a daily basis.
One particularly sunny Saturday, Anna finished her chores as early as she could just so she could hear Georg practicing his latest piece. Her mother was out buying new stockings with her elder sisters and her father was working. She grabbed her blanket from her bedroom and happily waltzed humming out her door. As she settled down she realized something, there was no music! What was this? She went back inside to check the time, and yep, it was 2:00 pm. Georg always practiced his piano around now. Just as Anna began to ponder this, there was a knock at the door. Sighing, she went and opened it.
Wouldn't you know, it was no other then Georg.
"G-Georg!" She yelled a little too excited. "I mean, h-how do you do?"
Georg starred at her with wide eyes. He obviously didn't expect her to answer the door. "I-I'm fine thank you. And you Anna?"
"Very well, thank you for asking." She could of slapped herself for her super-formal tone. "Do come in." What was she doing? Anna knew that she was not allowed to have a boy in her house unsupervised. The reasons where unknown to her.
She bade him to follow her into the kitchen where he set down a box Anna didn't even realize he was carrying. For a second or two, they simply starred at each other. Anna broke the awkward silence with the obvious questions. "H-how can I help you?"
This seemed to wake him up. "Ah yes! Your mother asked my mother to make this dress."
This sparked Anna's curiosity. A new dress? "May I see it?" She asked with a twinkle in her eye.
"Um, yeah. I don't see why not." Georg carefully took the top of the box off and set it aside. Anna peeked her head inside and gasped. This dress was puffy and pink with white linings and trimmings. She pulled it out of the box only to see it matched her height exactly. This dress was for her!
"Oh! It's for me! Georg it's for me!" She chortled happily as she spun around with it.
Georg smiled to himself at her childless but when he looked at her more closely, his breath caught in his throat. She was beautiful, but not beautiful in the sense you might think. Her brown hair was messy, her face had some dirt on it, and her skin was pale. Yet, he couldn't stop eyeing her in a longing way.
Anna seemed to realize he was starring at her and stopped her joyful dance. She looked up at the boy and saw an… off look on his face. Was that… longing?
"Georg?"
"Oh! Um, uh, yes I guess that's it! I'll see you later Anna." He began to walk nervously towards the door when Anna called:
"Wait! Uh…" What did her mother do when someone she knew delivered something or visited… Oh right "Uh, thank you again." She murmured as she ran up to Georg and kissed him on the cheek. His face turned red as he looked down at her with mild shock. He nodded rapidly and walked out as fast as his feet could take him.
"What was that?" They both thought simultaneously in different places wondering what the other had just done.
Next Saturday
It took a whole week for Anna to ask her mother a question that had been burning a hole in her head. She took a few breaths before shyly asking "Mama, don't get mad… Please don't!"
Her mother smiled and looked up from her knitting. "Well then continue dear."
"How come it's such a bad thing if a boy comes into the house while I'm alone?" Anna questioned innocently.
This made Anna's mother turn bright red and stutter. "Th-that is not something you ask child!"
"But-"
"No! Do not ask or so help me-"
"Mama-"
"No Anna!" She said sternly before going back to her knitting.
Anna could take it no longer. "Well you know what! I'm going to go invite Georg over right now! And I'll take him up to my room! How would you like that?" She laughed evilly to herself.
"Anna! Don't you da- Georg? Georg! Goodness! You did invite Georg in last weekend when he brought the dress over, oh Anna! How could you?"
"What's so wrong about boys anyway! Why are you so secretive!" Anna screamed right back.
"Anna it's something you wouldn't understand! Y-you need to be older!"
"When will I be old enough Mama? When?"
"When… When you're older!"
"That makes no sense!" Anna groaned throwing her arms a bout to exaggerate her point.
"Anna, look. Why don't you just go outside? I'm v-very busy."
"Fine. I'll go out." She grabbed her coat and looked at the clock. 2:14. Ah perfect. Georg would still be home.
It took only half a minute for Anna to realize what she was doing. Actually, she didn't really know what she was doing. Georg's front door was getting closer and closer, and she kept on getting more and more nervous with each step. She froze as she realized she had nothing to say to him. What could she say? 'Hi Georg, how are you today?' No, that wouldn't work.
She reached the front step and starred at the door. But then she got an idea. Perhaps she could ask Georg her question! Yes, he would answer…. Right?
She breathed before knocking on the door. The piano playing stopped abruptly. She tapped her foot for a second or two before the door opened revealing Georg. He looked up and his eyes widened.
"A-Anna, what brings you here?" He asked shaking a little.
"I wanted to see you."
He nodded quickly before showing her inside. He took her coat and hung it up.
"Can I get you anything?"
"Could…Could you play the piano for me?"
Georg was taken aback by this question. "Um, yes. Yes, uh, the piano in here, I mean, is in here." Anna smiled at him as they sat on the tiny piano bench.
Georg couldn't help but wonder a few things. One; did she care about what happened last week and did she even know what she was doing? Two; Why did she have to sit so close? He began to play a quiet tune.
Yes, it was exactly like what Anna thought. Georg's playing was beautiful.
Georg continued to play effortlessly until Anna put a hand on his shoulder. It was now or never. "G-Georg, why does my mama, and other mothers as well, not approve of a boy and girl being alone in a house?" She looked at him sincerely not removing her hand.
Georg began to sweat. Did she not know-understand?
"Please answer Georg. My mama won't tell me!"
Ah, that would make sense why she's asking him. He bit his lip trying to figure out how he could explain it.
"Well, your mother, and the boy's mother-"
"Your mama right?"
This was getting awkward for Georg. Of course, Anna saw nothing awkward about it.
"Um, yes my mother as well… They don't want, something to happen."
"Like, someone getting hurt?"
"Um, sort of."
"Well could you show me an example?" Anna saw the surprised look on Georg's face. "U-unless its really bad or some-" But Anna was silenced by Georg's lips crashing onto hers.
They pulled away from each other panting a little. Georg looked away embarrassed while rubbing the back of his neck. Anna touched her lips silently. Georg's lips were so soft… and so gentle yet Anna felt a fire when his lips met hers.
Anna remembered seeing through her bed room window, her eldest sister kissing Franz Mailer. Her sister danced up the stairs and into her bedroom, and Anna didn't understand. But now she did, and se also understood why Georg left so abruptly after she kissed him on his cheek.
Georg covered his face with his hands. "I'm sorry. I should of not done that…"
"Wh-why does mama wan to prevent that?" She wondered out loud ignoring his previous comment.
"B-because it's not proper!"
"What? I don't understand."
"Anna!" Georg exclaimed. She was getting on his nerves. How could she not understand? "Anna, we're not allowed to do those things! We can't kiss, hug, let alone touch!"
"But that's the worst that could happen right? Why is kissing so bad?"
Ah, realization hit Georg. Anna still believed in the stork. He leaned in towards her to whisper in her ear, "Anna, there's no such thing as the stork."
She gasped and jumped of the bench. "What does that have to do with anything? Babies! My goodness!"
Georg then jumped up after her and tugged her into a hug. He wrapped his arms around her and she did the same as he leaned down again to explain the whole 'baby thing' to her.
Of course, he didn't think this through well enough and Georg was not only madly blushing the whole speech, but Anna was pressed up against him. This was not helping his talk in any sense of the word.
He finished and she looked up at him with tears in her eyes. Anna could barely let out a whisper as more small tears bean to flow. She buried her head deeper into his chest and he held her tighter. He sat down on the bench with her still quietly sobbing on his lap. Georg found it extremely hard to control himself with her crying in his lap, but he just barely managed anyway.
After minutes of him cradling her, she yawned and murmured, "Sleepy; I'm sleepy." She had worked herself to exhaustion.
Georg looked around for a place for her to sleep. Couch? No someone might see. Guest room? Wait, what guest room? The only place was his room. So he scooped her up into his arms-So light, so fragile-, and carried her up the stairs making sure his mother was still busy in the kitchen.
Anna awoke in an unfamiliar bed that had an unfamiliar smell and feel. Where was she? She looked around, white walls, no pictures, red curtains, mahogany furniture, Georg sleeping in a chair, candle holder- wait what? Georg? Oh, yes. Georg.
Anna sat up from under the warm covers and yawned before continuing. "Georg? Georg please wake." After a few moments Georg stirred and looked at her. "Anna, feeling better?"
"What happened?"
"You had a crying fit and worked into exhaustion."
The memories flooded back to Anna's mind as well as what she had been told.
"Georg… Thank you." She silently said.
"It's fine. Well, you slept for about and hour and a half… it only around 4'oclock, you'll be home before your mother finds out were you were."
Anna swung her legs out of the bed and tied up her shoes (that Georg must of taken off). She stood and smoothed out her dress before gaining some intrepidity. She jumped onto Georg wrapping her arms around him and smashed their lips together. He was surprised and his lips parted, which Anna realized she could take advantage of and 'explore', so to say. Their lips danced and hands roamed, but it had to come to an end. They slowly moved away and Anna let out a giggle. Georg just smiled. She fixed her hair and dress again before climbing off of him.
"I'll see you later Georg. Perhaps you could show me something new next weekend!"
Anna meant this in a innocent way, (sort of) but knowing Georg, he understood it in the most non-appropriate way he could think of.