2025-07-12, 03:28 PM
Florian, called Flo
Tom, Flo's arch enemy
Max, trainer of Flo and Tom
Gaby, Flo's best friend
Christian, friend of Gaby
Martin, friend of Tom
Henk, roommate in Max's shared apartment
Laura, an acquaintance of Flo, Gaby and Christian
Prolog
Dear Tom,
Does everything end as it began?
Although... - why were we never able to clarify how we met? Our first memories only go back to the time when we definitely didn't get along—well, hated each other, that's probably more accurate. But there was a time before that, a time when we knew each other but didn't pay attention to each other, completely subconsciously.
But then the time came when we really got on each other's nerves. So much so that Max got pretty angry with us...
1.
blackmail
Flo still had the words clearly in her head: "I don't care how you treat each other outside; on the field, you have to be a team. Either you pull together or you're out." That was almost exactly four weeks ago. Now they were both sitting in the coach's office again.
The coach, known to everyone as Max, was a bit younger than both of them. All three worked here at the university, albeit in completely different departments. They met at training, occasionally on campus, or at the occasional party.
"Is it possible that my sermon four weeks ago didn't have any effect? I even have the impression that things have gotten worse." Flo noticed how annoyed Max was. "Where does your hostility come from? I just don't understand it." Max took a moment to breathe. "For whatever reason, I'm giving you another chance. You can take it or not, it doesn't really matter to me. If you don't take it, then you're both no longer on the team."
Tom was about to say something, but Max was quicker: "From now on, you'll go jogging together, not each on your own. That means you'll agree on when you'll jog, where you'll jog, how long you'll jog, and so on."
Flo felt his stomach tighten. The mere thought of having to go jogging with Tom made him feel quite uneasy. Before he could say anything, he heard Tom say: "What's up with this? Why should I jog around with Florian?" He apparently didn't like the idea either.
"It's quite simple, Tom. You'll learn to adapt to each other and be a team of two while jogging. Because you'll be jogging side by side and probably argue at every fork in the road about which way to go. Little by little, that will pass, and then hopefully you'll finally be able to play together on the field again."
“And if I don’t want to?” asked Flo.
“Then you two won’t be on the team anymore.” Max’s voice was very determined.
"That's not fair," protested Tom. "Why should I be kicked off the team if Florian doesn't want to?"
“So that means you’re in, Tom?” asked Max.
“I didn’t say that.”
"As you wish. I'll clarify: If one of you two isn't there, you're both off the team. I admit that's a bit mean, because you're so dependent on each other. But who says life is fair? No one."
"Shit," Flo exclaimed, then immediately turned to Max: "I really don't feel like doing this. Isn't there another solution?"
"No, that's my final offer," was Max's reply. "You can think about it now. I want a decision by the time I get back. I have a practice right now; I'll be in the cafeteria at 5:30. If you're there, you can both show up there."
Max had to get going so he could get to his practice on time. He left his office with Flo and Tom and disappeared.
2.
Decision
At first, Flo and Tom weren't sure what to do. They went outside, where it had been quite pleasant for a few days. April had brought a few beautiful spring days, which everyone who had the time and inclination took advantage of. Almost all the spots in the sun were taken.
Why Flo and Tom couldn't stand each other remained a mystery to many. Even Flo wasn't entirely sure. They shared a mutual dislike, which had grown stronger recently. They used to simply avoid each other, but on the pitch, they were part of the team. But Max was right; lately, their behavior had been disrupting the game, and even one or two teammates had openly complained about it.
"We can sit over there," said Tom. Flo just said, "Okay." The bench was in the sun, and as soon as they sat down, Flo noticed how pleasant the warmth was.
“I don’t feel like going jogging with you,” Tom stated.
“You mean me?”
Both were lost in their own thoughts, neither of them saying anything. This went on for a few minutes before Flo said, "What the hell is Max doing putting us under so much pressure? In order to stay on the team, I not only have to jog with you, but I also have to get you to jog with me. What a load of crap."
Again, there was silence. This time, Tom broke the calm: "Maybe we should talk to Max again and explain that this isn't a viable option."
“It’s no use, he was so determined earlier, we have no chance.”
“Then we’re left with no choice but to either accept his condition or be kicked out of the team.”
“I’m afraid you’re right.”
Meanwhile, a small cloud had moved in front of the sun. Flo immediately felt colder, but the few clouds raced across the sky, so that the warming rays soon struck her again.
"What do you say we tell Max we'll give it a try this weekend?" Tom asked. "If necessary, we'll just split up. Max won't notice anyway."
"You're the only one who thinks that. Max might not notice things like that right away, but you can't fool him in the long run." Flo looked at Tom briefly. "Maybe we should really try it. We don't have much to lose."
"Okay, so let's try this weekend. Saturday or Sunday?"
"Sunday suits me better. How about three?"
"That's bad, I can't come until later. What about five o'clock?" said Tom.
“No problem, I’m still very flexible on Sundays.”
"And where?"
“Hmm... how about we walk along the stream?”
“Okay, then at least we don’t have a problem with forks in the road.”
“So at the mill at five,” Flo summarized.
He wasn't exactly happy about having to meet up with Tom on Sunday, but Max hadn't left them any other choice. Tom would probably much rather jog around alone or with others than with him. "So be it," thought Flo, "I'll probably manage to run alongside him for an hour. It won't be that bad."
"I'm going back to the office. We'll meet at the cafeteria at 5:30," said Tom and disappeared.
Flo still had three-quarters of an hour to spare. He was actually surprised at how long they'd been sitting there. The place had become a bit emptier by then, but the sunny seats were still well occupied.
He asked himself again why he didn't like Tom. Tom wasn't one of those people he immediately disliked or couldn't relate to. He just knew the dislike was mutual. "Maybe Max's actions aren't so bad after all," Flo thought. "Maybe someday Tom won't be so unbearable anymore."
He got up shortly before 5:30 to go to the cafeteria. He didn't want to go to the office until afterward; it had been too nice in the sunshine.
Max and Tom weren't there yet, so he found a free table and sipped his coffee.
Shortly after half past five, Max showed up, but there was still no sign of Tom.
“Hello, Florian,” Max greeted him, “I’m just going to get something to drink.”
When he returned a few minutes later with his orange juice, Tom still hadn't shown up.
“And?” asked Max.
"We want to try it. We've arranged to meet on Sunday afternoon," said Flo.
"Interesting. But where is Tom? Or is this a one-sided appointment?"
"He was supposed to be here at 5:30. I have no idea where he is. He just wanted to pop into the office for a bit."
“Then we’ll just wait for him,” said Max.
They chatted about this and that until it was almost six o'clock. Tom still wasn't there.
"I wonder if he's changed his mind?" Flo thought aloud. "I don't understand. That's just typical. No wonder I don't like him."
Max ignored the comment. "I have to go soon. It's best if you come by again tomorrow. I'll be here more or less all day."
Just as they were both about to get up, Tom came.
"Sorry, but I ran into my professor. And unfortunately, he really wanted to discuss something. As if it couldn't wait until tomorrow."
"Oh, I know that! Mine's always like that too," Max said simply. "Flo told me earlier that you two had a date for Sunday."
“Yes, we want to meet at the mill and jog up and down the stream.”
"Very nice." Flo noticed how pleased Max was. "But I really have to go now. See you next week at training. And don't even think about trying to make a fool of me. I can tell." He was gone.
Flo and Tom looked at each other and just said "Bye." Flo went to his office to check his emails and then left.
3.
Gaby
“Hello, hello. How are you?” Since last semester, they had started meeting in the cafeteria every Friday morning.
"And yourself?" Gaby and Flo hugged each other briefly. They were the last remaining members of their former group, which had formed during their first semester. Everyone else hadn't pursued a university career after graduating, so they didn't see each other as often anymore.
After talking for a while, Gaby and Flo brought up the topic of training.
"Just imagine: Max wants to kick me off the team if I don't go jogging with Tom!" Flo fumed. "But the best part is yet to come: If Tom doesn't want to go jogging with me, I'll be kicked out too!"
“Then just go jogging, what’s the problem?” Gaby’s comment was typical again.
"You're making it easy for yourself again," Flo started to get upset. "But I can reassure you, we've arranged to meet on Sunday afternoon. It's sure to be fantastic."
"I don't understand you. What do you have against Tom? Why don't you like him? Explain that to me."
"I just don't like him – and he doesn't like me. So it's mutual. At least we have that in common." Flo tried to remember what it was like when he first ran into Tom. For some reason, he must have repressed the memory.
"Should I tell you something, Flo?" Gaby asked thoughtfully, as if she wasn't sure yet whether she really should. But she was sure, because she continued almost without pausing: "When I met Tom, I thought he was exactly your type." Gaby looked Flo in the eyes. "I don't mean that in terms of looks, I don't really know exactly what you're into. I mean more in terms of Tom's personality."
"Me and Tom? Me and Tom, of all people? You've lost your mind." Flo turned away. "How could you possibly come up with such nonsense, Gaby?" He simply couldn't believe what she had said.
How many years had he known Gaby? Seven? The answer wasn't important to him right now. He knew she was his best friend by now. She'd supported him through both good and bad times, just as he'd been there for her when she needed him. While that hadn't happened as often lately, when push came to shove, the clique still pulled together. Some things were easier for her to get off her chest than to vent to her boyfriend.
That's precisely why it was difficult for him to simply brush Gaby's comment aside. He probably would have done so with anyone else, but since it came from Gaby, it wasn't so easy. He didn't have much time to think about it, though, because they both had to leave.
"Think about what I said, Flo," Gaby said. They hugged each other briefly as they said goodbye.
"You're completely wrong, Gaby. Tom of all people!" Flo shook her head. "I just can't believe you thought of something like that."
"It's okay. See you, Flo."
“See you later, Gaby.”
As he walked home, he pondered Gaby's words again. "Is Tom exactly my type?" Flo wondered. He couldn't get that idea out of his head. "Me and Tom, of all people?" The question kept creeping into his mind.
Already on his street, he was wondering what type of guy he actually fancied. What was it like back when he was with Peter? What made him special? How long ago had that been?
As he unlocked his front door, he was still thinking about the questions.
4.
Be silent in the Forest
"Hi." Tom was already there. His greeting was more of a polite one.
"Hi. I'll just lock my bike for a moment, then we can get going."
The mill hadn't been in operation for a long time, and the mill wheel was rotting away. It stood right next to a small road, from which a forest path ran along the stream. On Sunday afternoons, it was quite crowded; it was simply too close to town. Nevertheless, many people came by car to take a walk from here.
Tom and Flo set off. As with the occasional jog with the whole team, finding a common pace wasn't a big problem. They constantly had to pass pedestrians, which meant it was hardly a relaxed jog. Added to that, neither Tom nor Flo said anything.
Flo wouldn't have known what to talk about either. He was quite uncomfortable with the silence, and he had the impression that Tom felt the same way. He didn't ask himself why he felt that way about Tom.
His thoughts revolved around the silence and also Gaby's words, which he just couldn't get out of his head. How did Gaby get the idea that Tom was exactly his type?
Who was Tom, really, and what did he know about him? They had met on the team; Tom joined shortly after Flo. That was some time ago. Since then, he'd remembered that there was someone else he would have liked to get together with. Apart from a few friendly words, nothing had come of it, and they lost touch afterward. He probably wouldn't have had a chance either, as a happy fatherhood proved to him much later during a chance meeting.
Back then, Flo hadn't paid any attention to Tom, just like he had to anyone else. They exchanged a few words, but they were only about the game; nothing personal came up. They greeted each other when they saw each other, but that was all.
This didn't change for a long time, but over time, a mutual hostility arose. This gradually worsened. Flo couldn't remember, for the life of her, what triggered it.
He didn't know much about Tom anyway. He must have been about his age; they were similarly tall and similarly athletic. Both had come here for college. Unlike him, Tom had blond hair and no glasses. Oh, and he was pretty good at playing. Like Flo, Tom was an important member of the team.
The latter made Flo suspicious, now that he thought about it. Why would Max take such a big risk, losing him and Tom? Sure, they weren't irreplaceable, but they would have been a loss for the team. Or were they so bad by now that it didn't matter anymore?
While Flo was lost in thought, they arrived at the star. Tom simply chose one of the five paths, leaving Flo no choice but to take the same route. A slight irritation rose within him.
By the time they arrived at the children's playground, they still hadn't said a word. Flo was sweating, not quite dry anymore. The jogging hadn't just left its mark on him; Tom also looked a bit tired. They agreed to turn back.
When they reached the road, they unlocked their bikes and headed home. They only briefly took the same route. As they parted, they said a quick "bye." Flo was glad to be alone again.
5.
In the Bar
May was quite rainy. As soon as the sun shone, everyone tried to be outside. It didn't happen often, so there was plenty of time to huddle around at their desks and work. The days in the office were correspondingly long.
Flo made really good progress with his work. He managed to delve deeper into the topic and prepare an important presentation. He was able to put the preparatory work to good use for his dissertation.
He continued jogging with Tom. They now met every weekday evening, usually on Tuesdays. The "silence in the forest" routine had remained almost unchanged. Greetings and farewells were friendlier, and occasionally they even exchanged a few trivial words. Flo had gotten used to the radio silence between them. It no longer bothered him. While he was essentially running through the forest with Tom, it wouldn't have made much difference if he had been jogging alone.
To his surprise, there were no problems, neither in scheduling the meeting nor in deciding where they wanted to run. They changed routes quite frequently, sometimes using one of Tom's and sometimes one of Flo's home courses.
Last Tuesday, they met at a place neither of them was particularly familiar with. At crossroads, they both headed in the same direction without thinking. Flo didn't notice this until she was walking home.
Gaby occasionally teased Flo about jogging when they met on Fridays. But she was careful to only mention it to Flo when they were alone.
After Gaby, her boyfriend Christian and Flo had been to the cinema on a sunny Saturday, they wanted to end the evening in one of the student bars.
To Flo's dismay, they ran into Tom there. That wouldn't have been a problem if Gaby hadn't made sure Tom sat down with them. Tom didn't do it entirely voluntarily, but Gaby left him no other choice.
Tom seemed just as uncomfortable with the situation as Flo. Immediately after sitting down, he said he couldn't stay too long because he was out with a friend.
Gaby drew Tom into a conversation, which Christian also joined in. Although Christian knew about the strained relationship between Flo and Tom, Gaby hadn't told her boyfriend that she thought Tom was exactly Flo's type. This was just between her and Flo.
Tom stayed for a surprisingly long time. The three of them had a lively conversation, and Flo had the impression they were getting along. He only said something now and then; at first, Gaby practically forced him to.
After a while, when he briefly left to go to the toilet, Tom wanted to go back to his friend, but Gaby wouldn't let him go without further ado.
On the way to the toilet, Flo was approached: “Have you seen Tom by any chance?”
"How come?"
"He's disappeared. You should know him, right?" They only knew each other by sight, having met a few times on campus.
"Yes, of course. He's sitting over there at our table in the corner." Flo pointed in that direction. But he couldn't be seen from here.
"Oh, thanks. What's your name? I'm Martin."
"Florian, but everyone calls me Flo. So you're a friend of Tom's?"
“Yes, but tell me, aren’t you the one who always goes jogging with Tom?”
Flo nodded.
"I thought you were talking..." Martin bit his lip. "Sorry, I didn't mean to."
"All right. I think I'll go on then. I was just about to go to the bathroom."
On the way back, Martin was talking to someone Flo didn't know. By the time he got back to the table with the other three, Tom was really about to leave. He said something to the effect that it was a nice conversation and then left.
“Why can’t you two get along?” Tom was already out of earshot when Christian asked.
“We just don’t like each other.”
Flo didn't feel like talking about his relationship with Tom. Gaby and Christian looked at each other and changed the subject.
6.
Max will jog along
At the next training session, Max approached Flo and Tom. He asked them both to come to him after they showered.
"So, what's up?"
“I wanted to hear from you how your jogging is going.”
Flo spoke again: "Once a week we go out, usually on Tuesdays, often on a new route, although usually one of us knows the area." Tom just nodded in agreement.
"Very good. Has your relationship improved?"
“You mean, did your blackmail work?” As harsh as the wording sounded, Tom’s voice was softer.
"What kind of blackmail?" Max shook his head. "But back to my question: Have you buried your hatchet?"
“Flo and I have always been one and the same.”
"Interesting, apparently I completely misjudged you." Max turned to Flo: "What do you say to that?"
"You heard Tom: We're one heart and one soul. How can I disagree?"
Max looked alternately at Flo and Tom. "And I am the Emperor of China. You may leave." He emphasized his last words with a corresponding hand gesture. "By the way, when and where are you meeting next?"
"On Tuesday at 7 at the big stone. Why?"
"It's simple, Tom. I'll jog with you."
This could get fun, thought Flo.
7.
The Plan
After Tom and Flo left Max's, they didn't split up immediately as usual. Initially, they wanted to sit down at Flo's or Tom's office to talk about Tuesday, but then the weather was simply too nice for them to stay indoors. They drove to the lake, sat on one of the jetties, and dangled their legs over the water.
"I thought Max had actually achieved his goal," Tom began. "We should have improved."
"Do we have that?" Flo was more likely asking himself this question. He immediately followed up with the answer: "Yes, we do. Otherwise, we wouldn't be out here talking."
"Well, our relationship isn't really that great right now. Basically, Max pushed us to sit together now."
"Okay, you're right. Still, Max should have achieved his goal. What else does he want from us?"
"Maybe it's some kind of final exam?" Tom put his hand to his head. "I really think Max is capable of anything."
Both were lost in their thoughts.
“I’d really like to let Max run wild, but I can’t think of a good idea,” said Flo after a few minutes.
„Hm.“
Again they were silent.
"Well, I'd be there. But I don't have an idea yet."
This time the break lasted longer.
"What options do we have? We could go jogging on Tuesday without saying a word to each other."
“We’ve had practice.” Flo was sarcastic.
“Come on, we’ve gotten used to it.” Tom turned his head to the side and looked at Flo.
"Yeah, okay. By the way, I found the silence quite uncomfortable at first." Flo was a little surprised at his own openness.
“Me too.” Tom had long since turned back to the horizon.
Again the conversation stalled.
“What do we do now?” Tom thought.
“We’re not alone...” Flo began.
“Yes, otherwise we wouldn’t have to worry.”
"Now let me finish," Flo said indulgently. "Well, we're not alone..."
“I already know that.”
"Are you actually trying to annoy me?" Flo looked at Tom. Tom glanced back briefly.
Flo wasn't upset. He was just wondering if they'd ever really looked at each other.
"Come on, don't be offended," Tom interrupted his thoughts, "I won't interrupt you anymore."
"Uh... what?" Flo jumped, but immediately started lecturing: "As I've explained several times, we're not alone. Max is with us, so we can talk exclusively to him and don't have to exchange a word with each other."
“Hmm.” Tom didn’t have anything else to say for the moment.
“What do you think?” Flo asked after a while.
“It’s better than being ignored, but I still don’t really like it.”
“Do you have a better idea?”
"I'm just wondering if we shouldn't take Max's wish literally."
“What, literally?” Flo didn’t know what Tom meant.
"Max seems to want to test us. If I'm interpreting him correctly, he wants to know what it's like when we jog. So we should fulfill that wish."
“I don’t understand, we didn’t want to keep quiet about it.” Flo was still perplexed.
"I don't want to either." Tom turned back to Flo. "So, what's different about this next jog from the previous ones?"
“Max is playing examiner.” Flo looked back.
"Yeah, right. What does that mean?"
“Is this going to be a quiz show?”
“Just answer my question, you can trust me that far.”
"What does that mean?" Flo repeated the question to gain time for the answer. "Max will see how we get along. Whether we understand each other, what we do, etc."
"I think my question wasn't good enough. Let me try another way: What would we do if Max wasn't here?"
“To ignore us.”
"That brings us back to the first option. What would we have done in the second?"
“We would have kept quiet, but at the same time talked to Max.”
"Yes, exactly." Tom was still looking at Flo. "And what's the exact opposite?"
It slowly dawned on Flo. "We're not ignoring each other, just Max. Or rather, we're ignoring Max."
"Finally." Tom breathed a sigh of relief. "That was a difficult birth."
"Yeah, yeah, don't be like that. The little one's doing great. A C-section doesn't have to be bad."
"Don't distract us." Tom smiled back. "So, Max just isn't here for us. We'll arrive after him. It's best if we wait a little further up the path and only go to the big rock once he's passed us. Don't greet him, just each other."
"But... do you think we can just treat Max as air?" Flo wasn't a particularly good actor. "I don't really know."
"Well, that's probably the hardest part. Maybe we should just say 'hi' to him and then ignore him as much as possible. What do you think?"
"That sounds better. And if it can't be avoided, we can answer his questions in monosyllables." Flo increasingly liked the idea.
“Then the biggest problem remains how we both deal with each other.” Tom looked back at Flo.
"Hmm. What are we supposed to talk about for so long? We don't even know each other." Flo turned back toward the horizon.
Tom was silent, and so was Flo.
“Then we have to practice that.” Flo was determined to make Max look bad.
“Practice what?” This time it was Tom who couldn’t follow the thought.
“Well, to talk to us.”
“What, practice?”
“If you keep going like this, the next question will be who should practice.”
“What... who practice?” Tom didn’t understand Flo.
"Yes, exactly. You didn't ask the question about who should practice." Flo grinned. "But I'd be happy to explain it to you again: 1. Who: You and me. 2. What: Conversation. 3. How: I can't answer that question yet."
"Now I get it. Are you always such an asshole?"
“Only to a select circle.”
"Thanks. It's nice to be included and not just ignored." Tom grinned back.
“So the question remains how.”
“Or the question of what about.”
Tom, Flo's arch enemy
Max, trainer of Flo and Tom
Gaby, Flo's best friend
Christian, friend of Gaby
Martin, friend of Tom
Henk, roommate in Max's shared apartment
Laura, an acquaintance of Flo, Gaby and Christian
Prolog
Dear Tom,
Does everything end as it began?
Although... - why were we never able to clarify how we met? Our first memories only go back to the time when we definitely didn't get along—well, hated each other, that's probably more accurate. But there was a time before that, a time when we knew each other but didn't pay attention to each other, completely subconsciously.
But then the time came when we really got on each other's nerves. So much so that Max got pretty angry with us...
1.
blackmail
Flo still had the words clearly in her head: "I don't care how you treat each other outside; on the field, you have to be a team. Either you pull together or you're out." That was almost exactly four weeks ago. Now they were both sitting in the coach's office again.
The coach, known to everyone as Max, was a bit younger than both of them. All three worked here at the university, albeit in completely different departments. They met at training, occasionally on campus, or at the occasional party.
"Is it possible that my sermon four weeks ago didn't have any effect? I even have the impression that things have gotten worse." Flo noticed how annoyed Max was. "Where does your hostility come from? I just don't understand it." Max took a moment to breathe. "For whatever reason, I'm giving you another chance. You can take it or not, it doesn't really matter to me. If you don't take it, then you're both no longer on the team."
Tom was about to say something, but Max was quicker: "From now on, you'll go jogging together, not each on your own. That means you'll agree on when you'll jog, where you'll jog, how long you'll jog, and so on."
Flo felt his stomach tighten. The mere thought of having to go jogging with Tom made him feel quite uneasy. Before he could say anything, he heard Tom say: "What's up with this? Why should I jog around with Florian?" He apparently didn't like the idea either.
"It's quite simple, Tom. You'll learn to adapt to each other and be a team of two while jogging. Because you'll be jogging side by side and probably argue at every fork in the road about which way to go. Little by little, that will pass, and then hopefully you'll finally be able to play together on the field again."
“And if I don’t want to?” asked Flo.
“Then you two won’t be on the team anymore.” Max’s voice was very determined.
"That's not fair," protested Tom. "Why should I be kicked off the team if Florian doesn't want to?"
“So that means you’re in, Tom?” asked Max.
“I didn’t say that.”
"As you wish. I'll clarify: If one of you two isn't there, you're both off the team. I admit that's a bit mean, because you're so dependent on each other. But who says life is fair? No one."
"Shit," Flo exclaimed, then immediately turned to Max: "I really don't feel like doing this. Isn't there another solution?"
"No, that's my final offer," was Max's reply. "You can think about it now. I want a decision by the time I get back. I have a practice right now; I'll be in the cafeteria at 5:30. If you're there, you can both show up there."
Max had to get going so he could get to his practice on time. He left his office with Flo and Tom and disappeared.
2.
Decision
At first, Flo and Tom weren't sure what to do. They went outside, where it had been quite pleasant for a few days. April had brought a few beautiful spring days, which everyone who had the time and inclination took advantage of. Almost all the spots in the sun were taken.
Why Flo and Tom couldn't stand each other remained a mystery to many. Even Flo wasn't entirely sure. They shared a mutual dislike, which had grown stronger recently. They used to simply avoid each other, but on the pitch, they were part of the team. But Max was right; lately, their behavior had been disrupting the game, and even one or two teammates had openly complained about it.
"We can sit over there," said Tom. Flo just said, "Okay." The bench was in the sun, and as soon as they sat down, Flo noticed how pleasant the warmth was.
“I don’t feel like going jogging with you,” Tom stated.
“You mean me?”
Both were lost in their own thoughts, neither of them saying anything. This went on for a few minutes before Flo said, "What the hell is Max doing putting us under so much pressure? In order to stay on the team, I not only have to jog with you, but I also have to get you to jog with me. What a load of crap."
Again, there was silence. This time, Tom broke the calm: "Maybe we should talk to Max again and explain that this isn't a viable option."
“It’s no use, he was so determined earlier, we have no chance.”
“Then we’re left with no choice but to either accept his condition or be kicked out of the team.”
“I’m afraid you’re right.”
Meanwhile, a small cloud had moved in front of the sun. Flo immediately felt colder, but the few clouds raced across the sky, so that the warming rays soon struck her again.
"What do you say we tell Max we'll give it a try this weekend?" Tom asked. "If necessary, we'll just split up. Max won't notice anyway."
"You're the only one who thinks that. Max might not notice things like that right away, but you can't fool him in the long run." Flo looked at Tom briefly. "Maybe we should really try it. We don't have much to lose."
"Okay, so let's try this weekend. Saturday or Sunday?"
"Sunday suits me better. How about three?"
"That's bad, I can't come until later. What about five o'clock?" said Tom.
“No problem, I’m still very flexible on Sundays.”
"And where?"
“Hmm... how about we walk along the stream?”
“Okay, then at least we don’t have a problem with forks in the road.”
“So at the mill at five,” Flo summarized.
He wasn't exactly happy about having to meet up with Tom on Sunday, but Max hadn't left them any other choice. Tom would probably much rather jog around alone or with others than with him. "So be it," thought Flo, "I'll probably manage to run alongside him for an hour. It won't be that bad."
"I'm going back to the office. We'll meet at the cafeteria at 5:30," said Tom and disappeared.
Flo still had three-quarters of an hour to spare. He was actually surprised at how long they'd been sitting there. The place had become a bit emptier by then, but the sunny seats were still well occupied.
He asked himself again why he didn't like Tom. Tom wasn't one of those people he immediately disliked or couldn't relate to. He just knew the dislike was mutual. "Maybe Max's actions aren't so bad after all," Flo thought. "Maybe someday Tom won't be so unbearable anymore."
He got up shortly before 5:30 to go to the cafeteria. He didn't want to go to the office until afterward; it had been too nice in the sunshine.
Max and Tom weren't there yet, so he found a free table and sipped his coffee.
Shortly after half past five, Max showed up, but there was still no sign of Tom.
“Hello, Florian,” Max greeted him, “I’m just going to get something to drink.”
When he returned a few minutes later with his orange juice, Tom still hadn't shown up.
“And?” asked Max.
"We want to try it. We've arranged to meet on Sunday afternoon," said Flo.
"Interesting. But where is Tom? Or is this a one-sided appointment?"
"He was supposed to be here at 5:30. I have no idea where he is. He just wanted to pop into the office for a bit."
“Then we’ll just wait for him,” said Max.
They chatted about this and that until it was almost six o'clock. Tom still wasn't there.
"I wonder if he's changed his mind?" Flo thought aloud. "I don't understand. That's just typical. No wonder I don't like him."
Max ignored the comment. "I have to go soon. It's best if you come by again tomorrow. I'll be here more or less all day."
Just as they were both about to get up, Tom came.
"Sorry, but I ran into my professor. And unfortunately, he really wanted to discuss something. As if it couldn't wait until tomorrow."
"Oh, I know that! Mine's always like that too," Max said simply. "Flo told me earlier that you two had a date for Sunday."
“Yes, we want to meet at the mill and jog up and down the stream.”
"Very nice." Flo noticed how pleased Max was. "But I really have to go now. See you next week at training. And don't even think about trying to make a fool of me. I can tell." He was gone.
Flo and Tom looked at each other and just said "Bye." Flo went to his office to check his emails and then left.
3.
Gaby
“Hello, hello. How are you?” Since last semester, they had started meeting in the cafeteria every Friday morning.
"And yourself?" Gaby and Flo hugged each other briefly. They were the last remaining members of their former group, which had formed during their first semester. Everyone else hadn't pursued a university career after graduating, so they didn't see each other as often anymore.
After talking for a while, Gaby and Flo brought up the topic of training.
"Just imagine: Max wants to kick me off the team if I don't go jogging with Tom!" Flo fumed. "But the best part is yet to come: If Tom doesn't want to go jogging with me, I'll be kicked out too!"
“Then just go jogging, what’s the problem?” Gaby’s comment was typical again.
"You're making it easy for yourself again," Flo started to get upset. "But I can reassure you, we've arranged to meet on Sunday afternoon. It's sure to be fantastic."
"I don't understand you. What do you have against Tom? Why don't you like him? Explain that to me."
"I just don't like him – and he doesn't like me. So it's mutual. At least we have that in common." Flo tried to remember what it was like when he first ran into Tom. For some reason, he must have repressed the memory.
"Should I tell you something, Flo?" Gaby asked thoughtfully, as if she wasn't sure yet whether she really should. But she was sure, because she continued almost without pausing: "When I met Tom, I thought he was exactly your type." Gaby looked Flo in the eyes. "I don't mean that in terms of looks, I don't really know exactly what you're into. I mean more in terms of Tom's personality."
"Me and Tom? Me and Tom, of all people? You've lost your mind." Flo turned away. "How could you possibly come up with such nonsense, Gaby?" He simply couldn't believe what she had said.
How many years had he known Gaby? Seven? The answer wasn't important to him right now. He knew she was his best friend by now. She'd supported him through both good and bad times, just as he'd been there for her when she needed him. While that hadn't happened as often lately, when push came to shove, the clique still pulled together. Some things were easier for her to get off her chest than to vent to her boyfriend.
That's precisely why it was difficult for him to simply brush Gaby's comment aside. He probably would have done so with anyone else, but since it came from Gaby, it wasn't so easy. He didn't have much time to think about it, though, because they both had to leave.
"Think about what I said, Flo," Gaby said. They hugged each other briefly as they said goodbye.
"You're completely wrong, Gaby. Tom of all people!" Flo shook her head. "I just can't believe you thought of something like that."
"It's okay. See you, Flo."
“See you later, Gaby.”
As he walked home, he pondered Gaby's words again. "Is Tom exactly my type?" Flo wondered. He couldn't get that idea out of his head. "Me and Tom, of all people?" The question kept creeping into his mind.
Already on his street, he was wondering what type of guy he actually fancied. What was it like back when he was with Peter? What made him special? How long ago had that been?
As he unlocked his front door, he was still thinking about the questions.
4.
Be silent in the Forest
"Hi." Tom was already there. His greeting was more of a polite one.
"Hi. I'll just lock my bike for a moment, then we can get going."
The mill hadn't been in operation for a long time, and the mill wheel was rotting away. It stood right next to a small road, from which a forest path ran along the stream. On Sunday afternoons, it was quite crowded; it was simply too close to town. Nevertheless, many people came by car to take a walk from here.
Tom and Flo set off. As with the occasional jog with the whole team, finding a common pace wasn't a big problem. They constantly had to pass pedestrians, which meant it was hardly a relaxed jog. Added to that, neither Tom nor Flo said anything.
Flo wouldn't have known what to talk about either. He was quite uncomfortable with the silence, and he had the impression that Tom felt the same way. He didn't ask himself why he felt that way about Tom.
His thoughts revolved around the silence and also Gaby's words, which he just couldn't get out of his head. How did Gaby get the idea that Tom was exactly his type?
Who was Tom, really, and what did he know about him? They had met on the team; Tom joined shortly after Flo. That was some time ago. Since then, he'd remembered that there was someone else he would have liked to get together with. Apart from a few friendly words, nothing had come of it, and they lost touch afterward. He probably wouldn't have had a chance either, as a happy fatherhood proved to him much later during a chance meeting.
Back then, Flo hadn't paid any attention to Tom, just like he had to anyone else. They exchanged a few words, but they were only about the game; nothing personal came up. They greeted each other when they saw each other, but that was all.
This didn't change for a long time, but over time, a mutual hostility arose. This gradually worsened. Flo couldn't remember, for the life of her, what triggered it.
He didn't know much about Tom anyway. He must have been about his age; they were similarly tall and similarly athletic. Both had come here for college. Unlike him, Tom had blond hair and no glasses. Oh, and he was pretty good at playing. Like Flo, Tom was an important member of the team.
The latter made Flo suspicious, now that he thought about it. Why would Max take such a big risk, losing him and Tom? Sure, they weren't irreplaceable, but they would have been a loss for the team. Or were they so bad by now that it didn't matter anymore?
While Flo was lost in thought, they arrived at the star. Tom simply chose one of the five paths, leaving Flo no choice but to take the same route. A slight irritation rose within him.
By the time they arrived at the children's playground, they still hadn't said a word. Flo was sweating, not quite dry anymore. The jogging hadn't just left its mark on him; Tom also looked a bit tired. They agreed to turn back.
When they reached the road, they unlocked their bikes and headed home. They only briefly took the same route. As they parted, they said a quick "bye." Flo was glad to be alone again.
5.
In the Bar
May was quite rainy. As soon as the sun shone, everyone tried to be outside. It didn't happen often, so there was plenty of time to huddle around at their desks and work. The days in the office were correspondingly long.
Flo made really good progress with his work. He managed to delve deeper into the topic and prepare an important presentation. He was able to put the preparatory work to good use for his dissertation.
He continued jogging with Tom. They now met every weekday evening, usually on Tuesdays. The "silence in the forest" routine had remained almost unchanged. Greetings and farewells were friendlier, and occasionally they even exchanged a few trivial words. Flo had gotten used to the radio silence between them. It no longer bothered him. While he was essentially running through the forest with Tom, it wouldn't have made much difference if he had been jogging alone.
To his surprise, there were no problems, neither in scheduling the meeting nor in deciding where they wanted to run. They changed routes quite frequently, sometimes using one of Tom's and sometimes one of Flo's home courses.
Last Tuesday, they met at a place neither of them was particularly familiar with. At crossroads, they both headed in the same direction without thinking. Flo didn't notice this until she was walking home.
Gaby occasionally teased Flo about jogging when they met on Fridays. But she was careful to only mention it to Flo when they were alone.
After Gaby, her boyfriend Christian and Flo had been to the cinema on a sunny Saturday, they wanted to end the evening in one of the student bars.
To Flo's dismay, they ran into Tom there. That wouldn't have been a problem if Gaby hadn't made sure Tom sat down with them. Tom didn't do it entirely voluntarily, but Gaby left him no other choice.
Tom seemed just as uncomfortable with the situation as Flo. Immediately after sitting down, he said he couldn't stay too long because he was out with a friend.
Gaby drew Tom into a conversation, which Christian also joined in. Although Christian knew about the strained relationship between Flo and Tom, Gaby hadn't told her boyfriend that she thought Tom was exactly Flo's type. This was just between her and Flo.
Tom stayed for a surprisingly long time. The three of them had a lively conversation, and Flo had the impression they were getting along. He only said something now and then; at first, Gaby practically forced him to.
After a while, when he briefly left to go to the toilet, Tom wanted to go back to his friend, but Gaby wouldn't let him go without further ado.
On the way to the toilet, Flo was approached: “Have you seen Tom by any chance?”
"How come?"
"He's disappeared. You should know him, right?" They only knew each other by sight, having met a few times on campus.
"Yes, of course. He's sitting over there at our table in the corner." Flo pointed in that direction. But he couldn't be seen from here.
"Oh, thanks. What's your name? I'm Martin."
"Florian, but everyone calls me Flo. So you're a friend of Tom's?"
“Yes, but tell me, aren’t you the one who always goes jogging with Tom?”
Flo nodded.
"I thought you were talking..." Martin bit his lip. "Sorry, I didn't mean to."
"All right. I think I'll go on then. I was just about to go to the bathroom."
On the way back, Martin was talking to someone Flo didn't know. By the time he got back to the table with the other three, Tom was really about to leave. He said something to the effect that it was a nice conversation and then left.
“Why can’t you two get along?” Tom was already out of earshot when Christian asked.
“We just don’t like each other.”
Flo didn't feel like talking about his relationship with Tom. Gaby and Christian looked at each other and changed the subject.
6.
Max will jog along
At the next training session, Max approached Flo and Tom. He asked them both to come to him after they showered.
"So, what's up?"
“I wanted to hear from you how your jogging is going.”
Flo spoke again: "Once a week we go out, usually on Tuesdays, often on a new route, although usually one of us knows the area." Tom just nodded in agreement.
"Very good. Has your relationship improved?"
“You mean, did your blackmail work?” As harsh as the wording sounded, Tom’s voice was softer.
"What kind of blackmail?" Max shook his head. "But back to my question: Have you buried your hatchet?"
“Flo and I have always been one and the same.”
"Interesting, apparently I completely misjudged you." Max turned to Flo: "What do you say to that?"
"You heard Tom: We're one heart and one soul. How can I disagree?"
Max looked alternately at Flo and Tom. "And I am the Emperor of China. You may leave." He emphasized his last words with a corresponding hand gesture. "By the way, when and where are you meeting next?"
"On Tuesday at 7 at the big stone. Why?"
"It's simple, Tom. I'll jog with you."
This could get fun, thought Flo.
7.
The Plan
After Tom and Flo left Max's, they didn't split up immediately as usual. Initially, they wanted to sit down at Flo's or Tom's office to talk about Tuesday, but then the weather was simply too nice for them to stay indoors. They drove to the lake, sat on one of the jetties, and dangled their legs over the water.
"I thought Max had actually achieved his goal," Tom began. "We should have improved."
"Do we have that?" Flo was more likely asking himself this question. He immediately followed up with the answer: "Yes, we do. Otherwise, we wouldn't be out here talking."
"Well, our relationship isn't really that great right now. Basically, Max pushed us to sit together now."
"Okay, you're right. Still, Max should have achieved his goal. What else does he want from us?"
"Maybe it's some kind of final exam?" Tom put his hand to his head. "I really think Max is capable of anything."
Both were lost in their thoughts.
“I’d really like to let Max run wild, but I can’t think of a good idea,” said Flo after a few minutes.
„Hm.“
Again they were silent.
"Well, I'd be there. But I don't have an idea yet."
This time the break lasted longer.
"What options do we have? We could go jogging on Tuesday without saying a word to each other."
“We’ve had practice.” Flo was sarcastic.
“Come on, we’ve gotten used to it.” Tom turned his head to the side and looked at Flo.
"Yeah, okay. By the way, I found the silence quite uncomfortable at first." Flo was a little surprised at his own openness.
“Me too.” Tom had long since turned back to the horizon.
Again the conversation stalled.
“What do we do now?” Tom thought.
“We’re not alone...” Flo began.
“Yes, otherwise we wouldn’t have to worry.”
"Now let me finish," Flo said indulgently. "Well, we're not alone..."
“I already know that.”
"Are you actually trying to annoy me?" Flo looked at Tom. Tom glanced back briefly.
Flo wasn't upset. He was just wondering if they'd ever really looked at each other.
"Come on, don't be offended," Tom interrupted his thoughts, "I won't interrupt you anymore."
"Uh... what?" Flo jumped, but immediately started lecturing: "As I've explained several times, we're not alone. Max is with us, so we can talk exclusively to him and don't have to exchange a word with each other."
“Hmm.” Tom didn’t have anything else to say for the moment.
“What do you think?” Flo asked after a while.
“It’s better than being ignored, but I still don’t really like it.”
“Do you have a better idea?”
"I'm just wondering if we shouldn't take Max's wish literally."
“What, literally?” Flo didn’t know what Tom meant.
"Max seems to want to test us. If I'm interpreting him correctly, he wants to know what it's like when we jog. So we should fulfill that wish."
“I don’t understand, we didn’t want to keep quiet about it.” Flo was still perplexed.
"I don't want to either." Tom turned back to Flo. "So, what's different about this next jog from the previous ones?"
“Max is playing examiner.” Flo looked back.
"Yeah, right. What does that mean?"
“Is this going to be a quiz show?”
“Just answer my question, you can trust me that far.”
"What does that mean?" Flo repeated the question to gain time for the answer. "Max will see how we get along. Whether we understand each other, what we do, etc."
"I think my question wasn't good enough. Let me try another way: What would we do if Max wasn't here?"
“To ignore us.”
"That brings us back to the first option. What would we have done in the second?"
“We would have kept quiet, but at the same time talked to Max.”
"Yes, exactly." Tom was still looking at Flo. "And what's the exact opposite?"
It slowly dawned on Flo. "We're not ignoring each other, just Max. Or rather, we're ignoring Max."
"Finally." Tom breathed a sigh of relief. "That was a difficult birth."
"Yeah, yeah, don't be like that. The little one's doing great. A C-section doesn't have to be bad."
"Don't distract us." Tom smiled back. "So, Max just isn't here for us. We'll arrive after him. It's best if we wait a little further up the path and only go to the big rock once he's passed us. Don't greet him, just each other."
"But... do you think we can just treat Max as air?" Flo wasn't a particularly good actor. "I don't really know."
"Well, that's probably the hardest part. Maybe we should just say 'hi' to him and then ignore him as much as possible. What do you think?"
"That sounds better. And if it can't be avoided, we can answer his questions in monosyllables." Flo increasingly liked the idea.
“Then the biggest problem remains how we both deal with each other.” Tom looked back at Flo.
"Hmm. What are we supposed to talk about for so long? We don't even know each other." Flo turned back toward the horizon.
Tom was silent, and so was Flo.
“Then we have to practice that.” Flo was determined to make Max look bad.
“Practice what?” This time it was Tom who couldn’t follow the thought.
“Well, to talk to us.”
“What, practice?”
“If you keep going like this, the next question will be who should practice.”
“What... who practice?” Tom didn’t understand Flo.
"Yes, exactly. You didn't ask the question about who should practice." Flo grinned. "But I'd be happy to explain it to you again: 1. Who: You and me. 2. What: Conversation. 3. How: I can't answer that question yet."
"Now I get it. Are you always such an asshole?"
“Only to a select circle.”
"Thanks. It's nice to be included and not just ignored." Tom grinned back.
“So the question remains how.”
“Or the question of what about.”