Always and Forever.

Chapter Eleven: Lucky Escape Part Two

Mikasa and Jean have gone their separate ways now that they have arrived at school. Their homeroom classes are located at the opposite ends of the school campus and, as adamant as Jean was about walking her, Mikasa talked him out of it. She was desperate for some time alone anyway.

Still, it doesn't take Mikasa long to get to her homeroom class. She's been attending this school long enough to get her destination quickly despite her sombre pace thanks to the shortcuts she knows. Now outside the door, she takes a deep breath. An attempt to pick herself up since she doesn't want to drag everyone else's mood down with her like a sinking ship. She swings the door open and is suddenly drained of all the energy she had just built up. Like in a video game when you charge a super-powerful power attack that takes FOREVER to charge...and you miss. Luckily, the boss (which in this case are her classmates) are all busy with their textbooks. What few heads did turn didn't stay for long, including those of Mikasa's friends. Mikasa quietly takers her seat and rests her head on her folded arms.

"Jeez, I wish I could be that calm," Sasha says.

"I know! I'm sweating just thinking about failing." Connie adds fanning himself with his textbook. Mikasa looks up at them through half-closed eyes. A confused look on her sleepy face.

"Ignore them," Armin says. "They're just panicking because they left all their revision for last night and got through nothing."

"Revision for what?" Mikasa Asks.

"What!" The three of them question in unison.

"Our math exam," Sasha says before biting into some bread she got from somewhere.

"You know. The one from Mr Ackerman," Connie gulps while looking for his bread that's just gone missing.

"You didn't forget, did you?" Armin questions.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't. I, uh, got sidetracked last night and didn't sleep much." Mikasa's head drops back down into her arms.

Connie nudges Sasha with his elbow. "Did getting sidetracked involve our boy Yeager?" Connie asks with a playfully raised brow.

"Maybe," Mikasa mumbles into her arms. Sasha and Connie share a giddy, crisp high five.

"It would definitely explain how our Mikasa forgot about the exam and is so tired." Sasha giggles. "Looks like ship Eremika has finally sailed."

"Didn't think they would tango that quickly though. If the Chief finds out, Eren would be so screwed. No pun intended." Connie says.

Mikasa slowly processes Connie and Sasha's conversation. Slowly being the keyword. Her brain is having to ration what little energy there is like wartime supplies. Tick, tock, tick, tock and Mikasa is still processing. Eventually, like a loud microwave in the middle of the night, there is a really loud Ding!

"Not like that, idiots!" Mikasa yells, shooting up to her full height. Her face heating up thanks to all the blood rushing to it.

"Shhh!" the rest of the class erupt before forcing their faces back into their textbooks. Mikasa sits back down, ignoring the quiet giggles coming from the dynamic duo.

"Although it would explain why Eren isn't here yet," Armin says.

"Not you too, Armin," Mikasa sighs.

"Oh no. I'm on about something much less, uh, personal I guess you could say. He knows he needs to do well on these tests if he wants to stay in the team even if he isn't playing as much as he wants to. Obviously missing them won't help that."

Mikasa rests her chin in one hand and plays with her hair with the other. "Yeah," she says quietly.

"Unless there is something else that has his priority."