Often // Attack On Titan

Chapter 10

The warm water cascaded over Eren's body like a blissful waterfall, a brilliant contrast to the bitterness outside. Surely it couldn't get any colder - Eren didn't think such a temperature existed. He closed his eyes and let the water fall  over his face, dreading having to get out and go to school. Washing his messy hair, Eren thought about how he could skip school - what would his excuse be after so many failed attempts? He was pretty sure his mom knew every trick he could even intend to play so he guessed it was out of the question.

The cold air hit him like a brick and Eren involuntarily shivered as he wrapped a towel around his shoulders, leaving the bathroom and returning to his bedroom. All he wanted to do was lie in bed - forever - and not have to do anything, not school or homework, not tutoring or worry about getting a job.

"Are you staying for breakfast?"
Eren's feet tapped on the floor. Even after being up so early, he was still going to be late. Procrastination? Tick.
"Uh, yeah, sure," Eren said, despite it being ten minutes past eight - ten minutes past the time he needed to leave at. His mother was actually offering to make breakfast, at least he wouldn't go hungry until lunch.

[...]

Jean gave Eren a smile (if it could be called that) as he walked into the classroom, somehow before the bell rang. Eren had taken his bike today, despite the rain, and it had definitely paid off. The brunette faked having a heart attack as Jean rolled his eyes, still a smirk sat on his lips. Eren laughed and sunk down in his seat next to him. Reiner tapped Jean's shoulder and raised his eyebrows.

•Eren's POV•

"How come you ditched us on Saturday?" He questioned, letting his eyebrows fall back into a scowl. "Chickened out?"
Jean blew air out of his cheeks and turned away from him. I did the same and faced Jean.
"Is Marco in school today?" I asked, just quiet enough for him to hear. He shook his head.
"No, he's taken the day-"
Reiner grabbed his shoulder, forcing Jean to look at him.
"I asked a question." He growled, tapping impatiently with his foot. Jean was beginning to grow agitated so I shoved Reiner's arm away and glared at him.
"Can you just mind your own business for, I don't know, a second, Reiner? Would that be too much strain on your little brain?"

The blonde's lips twitched as though he was refraining from saying something that he didn't want to. I turned back around in my seat and rolled my eyes sarcastically at Jean. God Reiner could be such an asshole. I felt a grip on my collar and then I was being pulled down out of my seat. My neck was yanked tightly against my shirt and I struggled to breathe.p
"I didn't think I asked you to interfere did I? Jaeger?" He let go of my shirt with a rough swing and I fell backwards onto the floor as my form tutor walked in. Reiner was reached over the front of his desk with a clearly angry complexion and I was on the floor with a hand around my neck. It didn't look good for him...

"Eren, do you need to go to the school nurse?" Sir said, his back towards Reiner. His hands were folded across his chest as he glared at me.
"I'm fine," I said, averting his concerned look and glaring right back at Reiner.
"Your mother will be getting a phone call shortly, so I guess you'll have to come with me. Eren, you're fine to go to your next lesson after registration has finished." My form tutor said, first addressing Reiner and then me. Before walking off, he turned back to me once again.
"Take the register, will you?"

Jean greeted me with a proper smile when I returned. I gave him a grin back and swiped a pen from my desk before taking the register. Everybody but Reiner was here, so I didn't have to interact with anybody else. Wow, how antisocial. Jean came with me to take the roll call to the office, we needed to talk anyway.

The air was clear and crisp as we cut through it, fog covering the school grounds as though we were in the clouds. Every step we took echoed through the space and Jean didn't have to say anything to let me know what he was thinking about. It made me wonder if I was like this, if I had the same habits that he did. He huffed and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"He'll be back by Wednesday," Jean said without looking at me, staring at his shoes as though they were the most interesting things in the world.
"That's good," I nodded, looking out over the field. The grass was slick with dew and tinted a silvery colour. My school was fairly big and although the distance from our form room and the office was already quite a trek, we made sure to go the long way so that we could skip a little bit of class with a reasonable excuse - 'the office' usually was. "Is he in hospital still?" I asked, trying not to sound disinterested because I really wasn't. I was just really tired, insomnia always got the best of me. Jean yawned and stretched his arms out behind his head.
"Nah, he's staying at home for a while. When he got called in the test results were pretty bad so I think he's just spending some time with his family, you know? I'm not really sure what's happening but I think I should give him some space."
I nodded with agreement and held open the office door. Jean mumbled something I was vaguely aware of as a 'thanks' before I followed in after him.

The warm air somehow made me shiver and sigh with happiness. I wasn't looking forward to catching hypothermia in the upcoming months so I'd already started relishing in any heat I could find. The three ladies in the room nodded at our entrance and one smile at me, collecting the registration from my hands and thanking me. We promptly left without a word and headed off to our class, science. Jean was in the majority of my lessons and we just so happened to have the same class.

"Eren, catch me after maths, I need to talk to you about something," Jean explained before I could ope the lab door. I nodded, my eyebrows pulled together in confusion before we parted to go to our separate seats. The teacher, Dr David, didn't look pleased when we waltzed through the middle of her demonstration and asked us where we were.

"We were in the office with Mr Hodgeson." I spoke for the both of us, still standing behind my usual seat. The teacher nodded in understanding and continued with heating the bunsen burner in front of her. I turned to Annie, who was sat beside me with her chemistry file open, and checked what we were doing this lesson. "Again?" I groaned quietly to her amusement. "Yeah, I know," she rolled her eyes and slid her file to me. "Separating rock salt and iron, God. Remind me why I need this in the future?" I gave her a half smile and picked up my pencil, scribbling a not on the back of a sheet.

Reiner is an ass

Annie smirked and took the pencil from me to write a reply.

I know right what did he do this time

he was annoying jean so I pushed him away and he dragged me out of my seat

I tapped on the desk with my hand. i think he got a detention I added for good measure. Annie let out a quiet snort and flipped her folder shut. "Christ, he can't even pretend to act like anything but a child."

[...]

Jean was waiting outside my maths room when I was let out. Sure, the teacher was slow, but five minutes late out of class? I nodded my head in a sort of greeting and he indicated to go the back way out from the department. I followed him outside, where we leaned against the wall wishing that we'd brought coats. Jean yawned and looked at his feet.
"So, are they..." Jean trailed off, as if he suddenly wished he hadn't said anything. "Are they going to pull the plug on Armin?"
I looked at him in horror - what was he trying to say? Jean noticed my expression and looked back at the floor.

"You know, are they gonna turn off life support?" I swallowed and realised that I'd never really thought about it too much. I shook my head - of course not.
"I wouldn't let them do that, obviously," I said, I mean, really? Was he really asking that? Jean sighed and looked me in the eye.
"It's not your choice, Eren."

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