Behind the Wall

Chapter 3

A sigh escaped Mikasa's lips. School had just ended and she had been walking out of her final period. It had been two days since the last incident.

Mikasa walked through the school parking lot, off-campus, and to the bus stop that was across the street. The bus stop harbored two types of students. Those who took the paid bus, and those who took the free bus. The paid bus went further, while the free bus went into neighborhoods. She took the free bus.

As she waited to be able to cross the street, a voice called out to her. Turning around, Mikasa saw Reiner Leonhardt. The two had known each other since third grade, yet they never really talked. She had heard rumors about him sexually assaulting girls, but Mikasa didn't believe it. How could someone like him hurt a person? Mikasa new Reiner was a sweet boy despite his size. He practically towered above her.

"Hey," The blonde boy was out of breath after running to catch up with her, "'Kasa!" He was so friendly towards her. He always had been. "Hey." She offered a weak smile. The traffic light turned red, so the two of them began walking across the street.

"How was school?" Reiner asked. Mikasa shrugged as the two made their way to the bus stop. She felt weird knowing someone cared about her. Once they made it, Mikasa set her bag down on the bench, Reiner doing the same. He went on and on about something. Mikasa didn't care. Nothing made her ears perk until Reiner asked about her home life.

"It's fine." She lied. Reiner looked down and softly muttered a reply. There was a pregnant silence between the two of them. Mikasa's anxiety caused her to ponder what Reiner could've been thinking. She decided to pull out her phone in an attempt to distract herself. The sound of a familiar voice broke the silence, "Hey, Reiner!" a brunette boy approached them with a wide smile on his face. Mikasa looked up, but quickly lost interest and went back to scrolling on her phone.

"Hey!" Reiner jogged over to his classmate, Bertholdt Hoover. The two were on the football team together. "How's it going?" Bertholdt asked, a gentle smile on his face. Mikasa never understood how someone like him was on the football team. When she imagined football, she thought of roughhousing, fights, and head butting. None of those things seemed to suit Bertholdt, but he was on the team regardless.

Bertholdt's smile faded when he saw Mikasa. "Oh, hey Mika." He said. Hearing that nickname made her cringe. She tried not to let it bother her. None the less, Mikasa looked up to see the tanned teen. Blush painted his cheeks. They also knew each other since elementary school. Things had been awkward between them for a while though. "Hey." Mikasa looked back down at her phone. She didn't want to get into a conversation.

Thankfully, she was saved by the bus that had just arrived. As it pulled in, two more boys ran to the bus stop. "Hold on!" One of the boys said, making their way to the bus. Mikasa stepped on first. She didn't hold the door open for them. Reiner did though. "Hurry up, Porco!" Reiner said, a little angry. He didn't like Porco for multiple reasons.

After Porco, followed his brother, Marcel. Porco was an asshole, while Marcel just tagged along. He wasn't rude, but he wouldn't attempt to stop Porco from bullying other students. Porco had a long history with Mikasa. They had known each other since middle school. Ever since the two had met, Porco always bullied Mikasa. When Porco got onto the bus, Mikasa shot him a glare. He sneered, "I see you're still wearing that dumb scarf." She ignored him.

As she did on her bus rides last year, Mikasa grabbed her phone, put her headphones in, and blasted some music she liked. It was quiet for a moment in her little world. Nothing but the sound of music invaded her senses. It felt nice to get away from the harsh reality that she was embed in.

"Mikasa!" Reiner pulled a headphone out of Mikasa's ear. She glared at him, "Can you not?" She reached out for her headphone, but her pulled it away, causing her other headphone to come out of her ear as well.