The Lost Comrade

Chapter 6

I was at the back of the bakery again. My hands looked like a rainbow threw up on them from all the different dyes I used today. The piping bags with the colored frosting in them were carefully laid out in front of me. It was around ten and we are supposed to open in an hour but something went wrong with the first batch of cupcakes so here I am starring at the frosting that is supposed to be in use by now.

Mikasa was hunted over in a seat crunching number and to see where we lost and made money. Usually, Annie would look over the book but she had reserves this weekend. Unlike me, she stayed in and every first weekend of the month she goes off to the local Army base. Before the incident, we talked about going to the reserves together but my mental state stopped me. 

The oven dinged and I hustled over to it and slipped on the oven mitts before pulling the cupcake pans out and setting them in the fridge so they would cool down quicker. Hopefully in the next fifteen minutes so I have enough time to decorate them.

"Eren," Mikasa's small voice traveled into the kitchen, "I swear if we continue down this path Annie won't have to be in the reserves." I hear her close the book and the sound of a chair scraping against the tile floor. 

"Let's just hope nothing happens then," I poke my head out the small window and smile at her.

"You just jinxed us," she rolled her eyes and picked a rag and cleaned the display case. While turning back the decoration table I let out a small chuckle. I pulled out the rose nails and a piece of foam. I get to work on the decorations for the cupcakes.

It is an hour before closing and my shirt is soaked with sweat from the heat the ovens give off. It also doesn't help that it is 80 outside today. We have all the windows in the kitchen open but nothing is working. I'm working on my glass of strawberry lemonade when Mikasa calls me into the main room to help. This morning everyone was stopping in for some brunch before heading into work late and now they are stopping in after work to chat with their friends. 

As I enter Mikasa points to a table full of college girls. I shoot her a glair before limping my way over to the table. 

Reminder to myself: schedule a meeting to get a new leg.

I plaster a fake smile on my face before asking, "what can I get you, girls?" They let out high pitched girls before one of them orders ice tea for the whole table. Nodding, I head back behind the counter to grab glasses and the pitcher of ice tea. After serving the girls I take my place behind the cash register and ring people up. The numbing work lulls me into a spaced out state. 

"Eren!" 

"What?!" I jumped awake to see an angry customer tapping his foot waiting. "S-sorry, sir." I stutter. I quickly ring him up and turn towards my sister. 

"I don't pay you to sleep now go clean the tables." He shoves a rag at me and pushes me away. I grumble as I walk over to the table the college girls were once at. I pick up a napkin to see a phone number was scribbled down with a heart and I roll my eyes. Stupid college girls. I'm glad I didn't have to deal with that. 

The bell above the door rang and the sound of laughter followed. I didn't look up as the laughter moved towards the counter. "Mikasa!" A screech rang and bounced off the walls. For some reason, I feel like I know who that person is.

"What can I get for you guys?" My sister's sweet voice cut off the screeching. A list of orders came out and I don't know how Mikasa would be able to keep up with it. 

"Where's Annie?" This time it was a sickly sweet voice. Not like my sister's smooth sweet voice. 

"Oh, it is reserves' weekend." My sister answered the question. "I will have to tell her her old comrades stopped by again." Comrades? 

At that I decided to turn around and standing there is the people I use to sit around a fire and crack jokes with. My heart started to beat faster and faster remembering what caused me to lose them. They can't be real. They all died that day with.... with... 

My vision started to get spotted with black and my hand slipped from the table and I fell down on my butt. "Eren!" I saw Mikasa jump over the counter and rush over to me. "Eren you need to calm down." She pulls me onto her lap and brushes my hair away from my face. 

After a bit, my breathing is still labored but my vision is clear and I can make out what is happening. My sister helps me sit down in one of the chairs and goes and gets me a glass of water. I gulp it down before turning to faces I only see in my nightmares. 

"Hey," was all I could get out of my mouth. They all stood stunned. I don't know if it is because I had a small attack or because it is like seeing a ghost after forever. 

"Boss is going to be so happy!" The girl with the screechy voice screamed. 

"Is that really you Eren?" I turn to see a guy with an undercut and a wrinkly face. His voice sounded stuck up and I knew who exactly he was.

I stand up from my seat and curl my right hand into a fist, straighten my back and set the fist over my heart. "Cadet Eren Jaeger, the ninth member of Squad Levi," I repeat my old standing in the ranks. 

"It is you." This time it was the strawberry blonde girl with the sickly sweet voice, Petra. She rushed over and brought me into a hug. It wasn't long before they were all hugging me and crying. 

"Calm down guys," I gently push them off of me. "I thought you were all dead." 

"We thought you were dead."