{LeviHan} Educate Me

Chapter 23: New Friends

Dean's POV

Minutes after the bell rang to declare the end of the day, Eren tapped me on the shoulder with a huge grin on his face. "Hey, are you going to be busy after school?"

"I don't think so... why?"

"I got permission from my mom about us hanging out at the outdoor mall that's close to here. Jean, Connie, and Sasha are going to be there too- will you join us? It'll be cool to be your friend, Dean." The one thing that popped into my head was Elizabeth. "We... kinda want to know how it feels to be living with Ms. Zoe and Mr. Ackerman... plus, we haven't had any new students, so... yeah..."

"Let me go ask Ms. Zoe and Mr. Ackerman," it wasn't a lie. "I'm not sure what they think... they're fostering me and... I don't want to disappoint them. Besides, Elizabeth and I have been alone for a while... and they're the first ones to accept a 15-year-old boy and his younger sister. I expected them to kick me out or something... no one fosters kids my age... most of the time. So I don't want to give it up."

Eren nods his head as Mikasa walks up behind him. "I got it, Dean. Hey, let's all walk over to Ms. Zoe's classroom. Mikasa, can you-."

"Grab Armin from his English class? Yeah. I'll tell Jean, Connie, and Sasha too."

"Thanks." Eren smiled and tapped on my shoulder. "Come on, we're wasting time, Dean! Let's go!"

We quickly sprinted over to Ms. Zoe's class, where Mr. Ackerman was too. Ms. Zoe started packing her things up while Mr. Ackerman carried Elizabeth in his arms. He must be some sort of vampire or something- he knew someone was at the door. 

"Who's there?"

"Dean..." I whispered slightly as Eren proudly said his name. "Hey, Mr. Ackerman, Ms. Zoe, Eren, and others were asking if I can join them to an outdoor mall... is that fine by you guys?"

Mr. Ackerman had calmed down his scariness. I mean, he still had that glare on his face... but it seemed gentle. Even Elizabeth was smiling in his arms. Ms. Zoe had her usual smile on her face as she nods her head. "Why wouldn't it be okay with us? I still have papers to grade and Levi is supervising detention-."

"Which someone is supposed to be in if I didn't let it slide this morning." Mr. Ackerman grumbles as Ms. Zoe smacked his arm. "What? Hanji, I was being nice."

"Well, when you're being nice, you shouldn't rub it in, Levi." She turns her attention away from the two of them, "We'll be close by. And Levi is going to take care of Elizabeth. Don't worry. Remember the phone we gave you this morning? It has our numbers in it already. If you need anything, and I mean anything, call us. No matter what."

"Thank you, Ms. Zoe."

Eren and I took a few steps away from the classroom until I heard the two adults whispering among themselves. "Hanji,  you're just going to let him keep calling us like that? Especially the way you're treating him? Shouldn't it be nice if he at least called you by your first name?"

Ms. Zoe chuckles softly before a kissing sound was made. "Levi, I'm in no rush. Besides, you hate it whenever people call you by your last name, right? I remember you told me it was your pet peeve. But you only tolerate it since you're technically a teacher. Do you hate it?"

"Hanji, if he's going to be a part of our family, I don't want him to treat us so formally."

"Levi, let him go at his own pace. It's fine. Now, don't you have some kids to supervise?"

"Just the one."

"Huh... and who might that be?"

"Elizabeth."

Ms. Zoe laughs a bit, almost like she's trying to hold it in. "Levi, is that your way of telling me that there are no kids in detention? I guess since the trio is with Dean, there shouldn't be any trouble-."

"Not unless Eren's influence of being a brat affects him."

"Levi, you're overreacting."

"Am I?"

"Yes. Now, take Elizabeth somewhere outside or something. I need some quiet time while grading these papers."

Once Eren and I heard the footsteps echoing in the classroom, we began to sprint away. Sharply turning the corner, Eren's foot somehow slipped and he beautifully glided on the shiny floors. A few feet forward had a wet sign. What luck, Eren.

He stumbles to his feet, hunching over as if he was an old man. "O-Ow... come on... M-Mikasa and Ar-Armin should be by the gym entrance."

"You okay?"

"I'mfine." He waves his pain away, but the fact his voice seemed slightly higher when he replied to my question... I guess he was in pain. Slipping on wet floors seems... dangerous. 

*   *   *

"I still can't believe Ms. Zoe and Mr. Ackerman are in a relationship..." Connie shook his head, looking at me the entire time. "Hey, what is it like? Do they yell at each other often?" He starts sprouting questions like a leaky faucet. Unable to stop.

Jean bopped his head with a fist. "Idiot, stop talking. But, Connie does have a point... Ms. Zoe and Mr. Ackerman are completely different."

"Different?"

Sasha jumps slightly, bursting into laughter. "Oh yeah! When Mr. Ackerman first came to the school last year, he went to Ms. Zoe's first class. It was a... I forgot which group it was, but Mr. Ackerman got so mad at the teacher that he tried to fix the entire curriculum. And we had to make that fake email to Mr. Ackerman-."

"Sasha! Too much information!" Jean elbows her. "Jeez, you guys are talkative idiots..."

"But if we're such idiots, why do you hang out with us, Jean?" Sasha stopped in her tracks, hunching and laughing. "Does that mean you're an idiot too?"

"I'm not! It's you guys! All of you guys! Except for Mikasa! And Armin."

Eren turns around, facing Jean. "Hey! I'm not an idiot!"

Both Armin and Mikasa sighed and stayed to the side as the two boys shouted at each other. It was like they were trash-talking right before a fight. I hope they don't... but at this point, do I step in and attempt to stop it? Or should I just let it play out? Doubts flooded my head as I tried to make heads or tails from this thing.

"Hey," Armin gently nudges me in a soft tone, "don't be intimidated by those two. Don't worry about their shouting matches and stuff. You'll grow used to it- only if you want to continue hanging out with us."

"You're the only one who reached out to me today... so... I think I will stay with you guys. But between Jean and Eren... do we stop them or...?"

"We have stopped them before," Mikasa smiles softly, digging into her backpack for a scarf. I didn't think it was chilly today... "But I think we should leave them alone for now. We'll see what they'll do without us."

"Eh? We're walking away, Mikasa?" Armin followed Mikasa's footsteps, constantly looking back at the fallen friends behind him. "Mikasa..."

"Dean, do you want to join walking away from them? We'll watch them freak out once they realized the three non-idiots are gone." Mikasa has this sort of charm to her that made me smile. She didn't call me an idiot...

"Um... is it okay to do that?"

Mikasa, once again, nodded her head. She quickly wraps her neck with the red scarf, pulling it over her nose. "Yeah, it's fine. Besides, we have a new friend. They shouldn't be bickering like that. Anyways, hungry?"

"Definitely."