Episode 42

Translated by hephylax

Edited by Globe

 

Bea: Leave my classroom at once.

Bea: I don’t care anymore whether you manage to get your Abi or not. But I won’t allow you to pull the other students down with you. So get out!

 

Ben: You made it very clear to me that you don’t give a damn about me!

Bea: That’s not true.

Ben: Then show me, goddamn it.

Bea: Ben…

Ben: Show me, damn it!

She shoves him away, like you do when someone grabs you and you don’t want them to. And he slowmos it down the stairs in a tumble.

(Ah! That felt really good somehow. Was it wrong to cheer as he was falling down?)

 

Intro

 

[Pestalozzi, staircase]

 

Caro: Ben? Is everything okay?

Bea: Ben? Ben? Can you hear me?

Caro: You pushed him down the stairs.

Bea: I didn’t push him.

Caro: I saw it.

Ben: No one pushed me. I fell.

Bea: I’ll call an ambulance.

Ben: Careful!

Caro: Hey, I’ll drive you to the hospital. – Slow.

They leave and Bea rushes to the restroom to fall apart. (Not becauseshe was the near victim of sexual harassment at her workplace, but because her justified self-defence accidentally sent her attacker down a flight of stairs. Boohoo.)

 

 

[Pestalozzi, schoolyard]

 

Timo: Hey.

Luzi: Where’s Sophie? Normally you two only appear as a pair.

Timo: Haha, very funny. What’s up with you, anyway?

Luzi: What could possibly be up?

Timo: You’re my friend. I can see that something’s wrong.

Luzi: Everything’s fine with me.

Timo: That’s why you sleep at Ben’s house, hang out with him and Caro, and sink Hotte’s rental in passing.

Luzi: Maybe you should just ask your girlfriend what’s up at the moment.

Timo: Luzi, what happened?

Luzi: That new top you liked so much? It was stolen…and all the other new clothes I was wearing too.

Timo: What?!

Luzi: And Sophie was there, that’s why I didn’t tell you.

Timo: You’re kidding me. Why?

Luzi: Oh, Timo. I could never afford such clothes. And you really liked them all too, and…Anyway, we got caught…or better, I got caught. Sophie managed to dodge all the trouble. And you can imagine what happened when the police handed me over to my mother.

Timo: Oh fuck!

Luzi: Totally fucked. My mother completely lost it and…then she threw me out.

Timo: What? You got kicked out?!

They hug.

Luzi: Oh damn, recess is over.

Timo: Don’t you have a free period now?

Luzi: I do but I have to go home. Grab a few things. But we’ll see each other at STAG later, right?

Timo: Yes, sure.

Luzi: See you later.

Timo: Bye.

 

 

[Bergmann villa]

 

Karin is cleaning up the remnants of the party. (I hope all you people have the worst hangover ever.)

 

[Beschenko home]

 

Luzi comes in.

Luzi: Mama?

She starts to pack up her things but stops to stare at a picture of her and her mother..

 

[Bergmann villa]

 

Karin’s phone rings.

Karin: Hello?

Michael: Frau Beschenko, Michael Heisig speaking. The guidance counselor. We met yesterday in the hallway at school.

Karin: Yes, hello. Were you able to talk to Luzi?

Michael: I tried to, at least. Maybe you’d be interested in having coffee with me?

Karin: Coffee?

Michael: To talk about Luzi. Only if you want to, of course.

Karin: Yes. Where?

Michael: At Saal 1? Let’s say in one hour?

Karin: Fine. Okay.

Michael: Alright. See you soon.

 

 

[Pestalozzi, stairs]

 

Caro: Geez, you got lucky that it’s only a contusion.

Ben: I told you. Nothing dramatic.

Caro: And what are you going to do about Vogel now?

Ben: Caro, Vogel didn’t have anything to do with it. I fell, that’s all.

Caro: Why are you protecting her? If I didn’t know better I would have sworn you wanted to kiss her, the way you leaned over to her. You didn’t want to kiss her for real, did you?

Ben: Bullshit.

Caro: I’m just saying that it looked as if. What did you want from her, anyway?

Ben: Now listen to me…you look really great and sex with you is a lot of fun…but everything else, you’ll do your thing and I’ll do mine. Okay?

 

 

[Pestalozzi, hallway]

 

Sophie: Hey. I was afraid I wouldn’t be seeing you today. Is something wrong?

Timo: Why didn’t you tell me anything about the shopping trip with Luzi?

Sophie: I knew she wouldn’t be able to keep her trap shut.

Timo: Hey! Luzi only told me about it when I wouldn’t let it go. But why didn’t you tell me about it?

Sophie: Because I knew you’d think it was a really shitty thing to do.

Timo: Completely right. Damn it, I’m your boyfriend. Why don’t you trust me?

Sophie: How is she doing now?

Timo: Miserable. She got kicked out.

Sophie: Really? So where’s she living now?

Timo: At Ben’s. And he’s behaving like a complete jackass at the moment. I think you should talk to Luzi.

Sophie: And what am I supposed to tell her?

Timo: Maybe how crappy it was that you left her to take the fall? What gave you two the idiotic idea to steal clothes, anyway?

Sophie: Luzi really liked the top and…but it was too expensive and … then I just showed her how to do it.

Timo: And how do you know something like that?

Sophie: Well, I enjoy wearing cool designer clothes too, from time to time.

Timo: (aghast laugh)Stop it. Promise me. And the next time something like this happens…you tell me immediately.

 

 

[Pestalozzi, at the upper landing]

 

Alexandra: Normally, I’m not carrying other people’s stuff for them.

She hands over Caro’s training clothes.

Caro: I know. Thank you very much.

Alexandra: What’s wrong?

Caro: You’ve known Vogel for some time, haven’t you?

Alexandra: Unfortunately. Why?

Caro: Something happened, that I don’t really get.

Alexandra: What happened?

Caro: There was an accident earlier. I saw how…Vogel pushed Ben down the stairs. And he acted like nothing happened.

Alexandra: What?! Tell me what happened exactly.

 

 

[Saal 1]

 

Karin: So you think she’s doing okay?

Michael: As well as the circumstances permit, I’d say. You can tell with Luzi as well as with you, that both of you are hurt.

Karin: She’s all I’ve got. We were so close. What am I supposed to do now?

Michael: Give it time. Be patient. Wait until tomorrow or the day after. I’m sure Luzi will take the first step towards you.

Karin: Thanks for your efforts.

Michael: That’s my job.

Karin: Well, it’s not something you can take for granted. How many teachers did you have who were as sympathetic?

Michael: Well…one?

They laugh a bit and smile at each other. (And I still like Michael. Even if he uses a professional talk as an excuse to ask someone out. Eek!)

 

 

[Pestalozzi, couch corner]

 

Sophie: We have to talk. You told Timo about what we did? Thanks. Even for that I was too much of a coward. Just as much as when I just left you standing there with the store detective. That was a shitty thing to do. And I’m truly, honestly, totally sorry.

Luzi: It felt pretty shitty too.

Sophie: I can imagine. Thanks for covering for me.

Luzi: It’s okay.

Sophie: Really okay? I think we just have to start again from the beginning. Not with the stealing…with becoming friends.

 

 

[Pestalozzi, hallway]

 

Ben: Say, can’t you be more careful, dipshit?!

Bea: Ben! (And if you think teacher Bea is about to chastise a student for calling his fellow student a dipshit, think again.)Ben, how are you? How is the arm?

Ben: Contusion of the elbow. No big deal.

Bea: I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean for this to happen.

Ben: I believe you … since it’s not the first time. You never mean for the things you do to happen. But maybe you should start thinking about the consequences.

(Well, look at him lecturing people about thinking of the consequences of one’s actions. Wasn’t he the one who was about to forcibly kiss his teacher in school in plain view? Fucking hypocrite! Throw him down the stairs some more.)

 

 

[Saal 1]

 

Michael is eating cake

Karin: Do you have children?

Michael: Mhm. 150 … and a little brother.

Karin: That’s not the same thing.

Michael: I know it’s not. But seriously, I think raising children is the greatest thing one can accomplish. Especially if they turn out to be like Luzi. You have my utmost respect, I wouldn’t dare to do it.

Karin: Earlier when you called me, I was feeling really bad…now I’m a little bit more hopeful that Luzi will calm down again.

Michael: She will, don’t worry. I mean, she’s a teenager. They don’t have any other choice but getting on the nerves of everyone around them. You know how it is. Thanks to the hormones, the brain is one big construction site. (Sometimes even with a few skeletons buried in there.)Oh, try some.

Karin: I shouldn’t.

He holds out a spoonful.

Michael: You have to try it. So?

Karin: Not bad.

Michael: But…?

Karin: I just don’t have much of an appetite at the moment.

Michael: Give yourself and her a little more time. She’s going to approach you, believe me.

Karin: Unfortunately, I see something else approaching me - my next job.

She starts digging for her wallet.

Michael: Okay. I’ll take care of this.

Karin: Thanks. For everything.

 

 

[Pestalozzi, auditorium]

 

The STAG plus an unknown extra are joking around when Bea arrives.

Emma: No, I don’t want that.

Hotte: Of course.

Bea: Hey! Why the good mood?

Hotte: We got a new one.

He shoves the extra to the front.

Per: Hi, I’m Per from class 10C.

Bea: Great that you’re here.

Sophie: I have a suggestion for our performance: “Big Girls Don’t Cry”by Fergie.

Bea: Okay.

Sophie: But I would like to sing the song with Luzi. Do you know it?

Luzi: Sure.

 

[STAG perform Big Girls Don’t Cry]

 

 

[Pestalozzi, Götting’s office]

 

Alexandra: Now forget about this stupid thing.

Götting: Stupid thing? You almost ruined my career on a whim.

Alexandra: As you say: almost. It was never my intention to seriously harm you.

Götting: To accuse me of sexual harassment just to get one over on me…

Alexandra: A round of pity for Mr. Götting.

Götting: Now listen to me, okay?!

Alexandra: No, you listen to me now! Don’t you understand what a great opportunity we have here to finally oust Bea Vogel? First Bea, then Krawczyk - just like we always wanted.

Götting: Who saw Vogel pushing Ben down the stairs?

Alexandra: Just Caro.

Götting: Then we can forget about the whole thing. If Bergmann says that it was entirely his fault it’ll be his word against hers.

Alexandra: Right. But Caro’s word would surely be of interest to certain people. Wouldn’t you like to know how Ben’s father would respond to this whole thing?

Götting: Why do you have to be so damn sexy when you’re being evil?

He grabs his phone.

Götting: Pestalozzi Comprehensive School, Julian Götting speaking. I urgently have to speak to Mr. Bergmann. It’s about his son.

 

 

[Pestalozzi, auditorium]

 

[STAG – Big girls don’t cry]

(Emma!!! “Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry.” I’ll do my best but I just miss youso. And Jenny. And you and Jenny.)

Luzi hugs Sophie.

Luzi: Oh wow, your singing is so awesome.

Bea: That was great. That’s the ticket.

Frau Jägerover loudspeaker: This is a message for Frau Vogel. Frau Vogel, please come to the principal’s office immediately. Thank you.

Luzi: Did something happen?

Hotte: It’s probably about some administrative or other stuff.

Bea: Probably.

And without another word the Vogel flies out of there.

 

 

[Pestalozzi, principal’s office]

 

Stefan: Just a contusion?! My son could have broken his neck!

Götting: We will of course investigate the incident thoroughly and take the necessary measures. You see this the same way, don’t you?

Frau Krawczyk: First I want to hear all sides. (knock knock)Yes? Ah, Frau Vogel, there you are. Frau Vogel, it has come to our attention that you had an altercation this morning with the student Ben Bergmann, which ended with him falling down the stairs. Is that in fact what happened?

Bea: Yes, it’s true.

Stefan: That’s enough for me.

Götting: Frau Vogel, Frau Vogel…

Frau Krawczyk: I would like to hear from you exactly what happened.

 

 

[Pestalozzi, auditorium]

 

While STAG are talking inside, Karin is wiping the floor outside.

Timo: Maybe Frau Vogel doesn’t even have a parking permit.

Luzi: Well, maybe it’s about Ben. I mean, she did throw him out of class this morning.

Luzi sees Karin and they stare at each other. Karin smiles a little. Luzi almost smiles back but thenturns away with tears in her eyes and walks off leaving Karin behind fighting with her own tears.

 

 

[Pestalozzi, principal’s office]

 

Frau Krawczyk: I’m not sure if I understood you correctly, Frau Vogel. So you’re saying that you argued with the student Bergmann and pushed him away from you, which resulted in him falling down the stairs.

Bea: Yes.

Frau Krawczyk: And you don’t want to tell us the reason for these actions.

Stefan: What is there still to discuss?

Frau Krawczyk: Did you get provoked somehow? Did the student do anything that made you push him away from you?

Götting: Frau Krawczyk…

Bea: Ben Bergmann didn’t behave incorrectly towards me. I reacted completely inappropriate. That’s all.

Frau Krawczyk: I just don’t understand you. (Welcome to the club, Gabriele.)

Götting: Frau Krawczyk, you wanted to get a clear picture of the incident. Now Frau Vogel has even given a full confession and admitted that she acted inappropriately.

Stefan: I don’t understand what there is still to think about. This person physically assaulted my son. She’s no longer tenable.

Götting: That’s true, I’m afraid. There is only one possible response, you know that as well as I do.

Frau Krawczyk: Frau Vogel, even though the whole thing doesn’t really make much sense to me… you are suspended until further notice.