I saw Hans more and more after that. Eventually we became friends and were doing the typical things teenage boys do when they hang out. Punch each other in the shoulder and come up with pranks. Some pranks we carried out, others remained on the drawing board in our minds. The one thing I never forgot though, was Hanna. She would, at times slip from my mind, but then my fast-paced life at the camp would mellow down when night fell and thoughts would keep me awake at night. Most of those thoughts were on Hanna, but sometimes my mind would wander through the woods behind our camp. My thoughts would break through the trees and follow my memories home. There I could see our ricketty, run-down, abandonned trailer I had called home for so long. I thought about my mother, and thoughts of where she was and what she was doing. Then I'd chase those thoughts away. I couldn't think about home, it hurt too much. It wasn't that I missed that wretched place, I felt guilty for leaving. I felt guilty for everything. My life, my hatchlinghood, my situation. Then one night an entirely different thought hit me. 'She doesn't deserve a scoundrel like you. Let her go'. That was like a punch in the heart. I couldn't. I loved her.
For the next few days after that night I started avoiding Hans and paying more attention to Hanna. I think that pissed Hans off. He started glaring at me. He started avioding me as well. As a result our friendship crashed and burned. I didn't let that get to me. Years flew by and I was enlisted into the army at age 16. I was kept strictly to training. I could hit the bullseye well enough, but not as well as Hans. That was the only thing that disturbed me about Hans disliking me. That was at the back of my mind however, when I married Hanna. I'd been through a few battles, a few gun fights during the age period of 16-17, but I had no idea what was in store for me after making the move I'd just made.