Faith Bock

Felix Schrock is in a hotel room, a woman in his arms, and he calls Hilde to tell her he can't come again. He tells her the reasons why:

* he's busy filming for his upcoming game

* he needs time alone to process what happened earlier today

* he's tired

* he's been thinking lately

* he misses her.

Hilde listens carefully to every word Felix says before ending the call. She's disappointed that he wouldn't come but decides to put her heart and hopes into their upcoming meeting. He promises to visit the race club sometime soon.

She sends him a text telling him he shouldn't work too hard because she expects him soon. She spends almost half an hour texting Felix to ensure he knows everything's all right. By the time she's done, it's already eleven o'clock, and she knows she needs to catch some sleep.

"You're going home early again?" Annie asks, donning an affronted expression.

Hilde glances at the time on her wristwatch. "Yeah." she exhales softly. "I want to catch my beauty sleep."

Annie snorts. "Right." She crosses her arms across her chest and frowns.

Hilde stands up and stretches her limbs, yawning widely.

"Go to bed," Annie says in a low voice. "Before your boyfriend gets bored and leaves."

"He's not my boyfriend," Hilde scoffs, shaking her head with a faint smile.

Annie rolls her eyes and smirks. "Whatever."

Hilde walks past her to leave. Annie watches her go and waits a little longer before picking up the glass and throwing it against the wall. It hits the wall with a dull thud, making her wince, then falls to the floor. Annie sighs in frustration. After a pause, she picks it back up, tosses it against the wall again, and lets it fall to the ground.

*******

It's Sunday morning, and the apartment is eerily quiet. The living room door is slightly ajar. Hilde sits with her laptop propped open on her lap, typing furiously. When she realizes her fingers are trembling violently, she stops typing and rubs her hands together. She will need more time to finish the project if she keeps typing at this rate.

"I'm working too hard..." she sighs, staring out at the dark parking lot outside the window.

The only sound in the room is the clicking noise of her mouse on the keyboard. She's trying so hard to concentrate, but it's impossible to focus on something when there's a constant reminder floating in her mind, reminding her of what happened yesterday.

Felix has been increasingly busy this week, and she doesn't know why. However, she figured out that his personal life is his own business. But he seems even more withdrawn than usual recently.

"Maybe you should talk to him about what happened," Annie says, peering over Hilde's shoulder. "You were upset yesterday, after all."

She puts a hand on top of Hilde's and squeezes her palm in sympathy.

"I know. That's what I've been meaning to do since last night. It's just…it doesn't seem like the right moment. You know?"

"I understand completely. Trust me, Hildegard, I understand."

Hilde smiles gratefully at Annie and returns to typing. She takes her glasses off and cleans them with the edge of her sweatshirt while continuing to type.

The rest of the morning goes by without any further incidents. When Annie leaves to go to her room, Hilde decides to eat lunch. She makes a peanut butter sandwich and munches on it while watching TV. She finds the news station interesting as it shows pictures of various places in the world, showing how much progress the USA is making. Then she switches her TV off and lays down on the couch, pulling a duvet over her for an afternoon nap.

******

"Faith, I'm sorry I was late." Felix apologizes to his girlfriend as he enters the room carrying a bag. "I had to pick up some things from the store."

"That's okay." Faith smiles brightly at him, putting aside the papers she was reading.

"So, are we going to go somewhere fun tonight? We haven't gone anywhere in a while," he asks.

Faith looks like she wants to say something but instead opts to nod her head.

"Where did you wanna go?" he inquires.

Faith hums, pretending to think for a bit before shrugging her shoulders. "I guess whatever you'd like."

"Let's start with dinner, then." Felix offers with a wide grin, holding the bag close to his chest. "How does Italian sound to you?"

"Sounds good to me." Faith replies before kissing him on the cheek.

They get in a black Bentley, and Faith commands the driver to drive to an Italian restaurant.

"So, are you doing well in your sports endeavors?" Faith smiles, her lukewarm presence making Felix's hair stand on end.

"Yes, I am." Felix nods, feeling uncomfortable under her gaze. He plays with the bag's zipper as Faith turns her attention to the scenery outside. She looks thoughtful and doesn't bother saying anything else.

******

When they arrive at the restaurant, she orders their meal while Felix tries to calm himself down.

When the food arrives, they spend most of their time eating. It's strange because the atmosphere feels exceptionally awkward, despite the pleasant weather outside.

"Are you feeling better?" Faith asks quietly, taking a sip of her drink.

"Uh...yeah," Felix stutters, glancing at her briefly. "Why?"

"I really care about you, Felix... I want you to become a success. I've always supported you, and you'd better make it." She says. Her tone sounds serious, but her words sound soft and loving, making Felix blush.

"Of course, Faith," he manages to answer. "You know how I feel about you."

"Good, because otherwise, I might change my mind and leave you."

Felix gulps. He wants to reassure Faith that he won't ever lose his respect for her, but he doesn't know how. Instead, he forces a small smile.

After eating a few more bites, he leans forward and kisses Faith on her cheek.

*******

At around nine o'clock, Felix finally leaves the apartment. He takes his keys out of his pocket as he walks down the stairs. He takes a deep breath before he opens the car door and slides into the seat. He reaches for the radio dial and selects the classical station on the radio, turning up the volume.

Felix is listening to classical music. He loves this kind of music because it reminds him of his beloved mother. She used to listen to classical music all the time. She would dance when the music played, humming along to the notes until a song finished. He remembers being very young and seeing her move with such grace.

Now, the memory of her dancing brings tears to his eyes. How could he be so selfish to ignore her pain for so long? It breaks his heart knowing how much his mother suffered because of him.

"Excuse me, sir, have you reached a decision yet?" the cashier asks after a couple of seconds.

Felix snaps out of his thoughts and turns to face the man. "Uh, I'll have the microwaveable Lasagna."

******

It's already nighttime by the time Hilde wakes up from her nap. She sits up and stretches her limbs before standing up and heading toward the bathroom. She splashes water on her face and runs her fingers through her damp, tangled brown hair. She's still wearing her clothes from yesterday.

Suddenly, there's a knock on the bathroom door. "Hey, love, can I come in?"

It's Annie's voice, followed by the sound of someone opening and closing the door.

She quickly finishes washing her face, dries it with a towel, and heads towards the bathroom door, where Annie is standing.

"What's wrong?" Hilde immediately notices the distressed look on her best friend's expression.

Annie sighs deeply. She averts her gaze from Hilde and starts pacing in front of the dresser.

"Nothing's wrong, Annie," Hilde assures her.

"Oh, I see." Annie retorts sarcastically. "So what is the matter?"

"Can you please sit down?"

Annie furrows her brows disapprovingly. "No, I need answers now."

Hilde's heart aches to hear those words. She hates it when people treat her this way; it makes her feel vulnerable. "Fine. Come here," she says, pointing to the spot next to her on the bed.

Annie walks over and lowers herself onto the bed.