Unspoken Norms | Levi Ackerman ✔️

Chp 4 ~ Under The Maple

Fun Fact: Levi's favourite scent is the smell of a summer breeze. 

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Levi's POV

"So that's the new girl..."

I glanced up from my lunch, trailing Furlan's gaze to a distant picnic table, sheltered by a flourishing maple tree—identical to all the trees around the school yard. 

The girl sat with the group of morons in my class, laughing and chatting away as if they'd known each other for years. I scoffed and resumed eating from my plastic container, split in the middle to separate rice and cooked meat.

As soon as I raised a portion of rice to my lips, chopsticks holding it in place, an outburst of movement beside me sent the morsel dropping back into the container. I jabbed my wooden chopsticks into the rice, glaring accusingly at Isabel who had flung back on the silver bench, arms outstretched. 

"Whoo! That was some meal! Now my stomach is—ahh!" She groaned and curled in on herself, arms wrapping around her food belly. "Too full..."

Furlan chuckled on the opposite side of the aluminium table, ripping a bite out of his sandwich. "Ha, that's why you should never eat your lunch in two bites—your stomach can't digest it that quickly." His dove-coloured gaze slid over to me. "Am I right, A-grade genius?"

I rolled my eyes at him, resting my chin on a propped elbow. "You two are the worst."

Isabel let out a whine and hooked her arm around my neck. "C'mon bro – we know you love us! Just say it!"

"You're a pain in the ass," I murmured with a tone of affection, pushing her off me.

A gentle gust of wind drifted past, carrying the aroma of late summer in the air. I deeply inhaled my favourite scent, forgetting everything for one pleasant moment. Until a rumbling, haughty voice lanced through my brief meditation.

"Hey Levi! Heard you got into a little accident with the new girl... And that doesn't usually happen, does it?"

I looked blankly at Riverko, the kid who was always a stick in everyone's asshole. He wasn't popular—because no one liked him. He'd been a bastard all the way from Year 7.

To deliberately annoy him, I reached for my lemon ice-tea on the table, slowly unwinding the lid and gulping from it.

Trying to provoke a response, the cocky guy placed a hand under his jaw, pretending to think. "Unless she bumped you on purpose. I mean that would make more sense right? The new, unpopular girl swooning over the genetically defected runt. Aw, wouldn't that be a cute couple? Both of you being short—"

Furlan shot up, eyes hard. "You can shut the hell up right now."

"Yeah! You better leave our big brother alone!" Isabel put in, standing up as well. Her fists were balled at her sides, and a fleeting surge of emotion went through me. To think that I would have to protect both of them... They were capable of protecting themselves, too.

Riverko smirked, umber eyes piercing all three of us. "Now this is adorable. How come you guys made it all the way up the social ladder? I thoroughly wonder why the grade admires and fears you so much—"

Slurp.

I lowered the bottle from my lips, relishing the taste of lemon tea. It still wasn't as good as freshly made black tea, but it passed my standards at least.

The bastard who thought he owned it all scoffed at my discourtesy. It was ironic though—he was being extremely rude. Not that I cared about anything that came out of his shitty mouth.

"You bunch truly are disgusting beasts," he scornfully remarked, playful manner dissipating into contempt.

I continued sipping ice-tea, face emotionless as always. Seeing no reaction to make fun of, Riverko scowled and turned away, dark brown locks skimming this way and that as he left the shade of our maple tree.