The first time he saw her walking he fell in love with her. This was back in kinder garden.
He never paid attention to any other girl, just her.
She was petit, serious and tomboyish. He never really talked to her… he was scare of doing so.
He wanted to tell her how he felt, but before that he had to become her friend.

She never talked to anyone and he was timid to begin a conversation with her. He didn't know what to do but he really wanted to do something. Their senior year was about to be over and he needed to do something about it, he wanted to at least be her friend and know more about her.

"Bertholdt, you have to do something about it. You keep staring at her." Reiner, his friend said to him.

"I… I don't know how to talk to her." Bertholdt said sighing

"Do it! That Armin guy is already making a move on her."

Bertholdt looked pass Reiner to the next lunch table and truly enough Armin was with the girl he wanted.

He really wanted to talk to her but just thinking about it made him sweat like a pig

"Bertholdt stop sweating so much!" Ymir said

"Ymir, don't mean towards him." Historia said looking at her best friend

Ymir laughed and then looked at Bertholdt

"Look, you have to go and talk to her. We have two weeks until we graduate, after that you will be at lost"

Bertholdt hide his face in his big hands. He really wanted to talk to her he wanted to do many things with her, but all he really want was to embrace her in a big hug and just hold her for a long time. But that would probably freak her out. After all they didn't know each other.

After lunch he went to his next period.
He had that class with her.
It was history with Professor Levi Ackerman, it was a boring class since this teacher never did something fun. He was short and very serious he never cracked a smile in front of his students he always looked like he wanted to kill someone. But sometimes the class would get interrupt by his wife Hange Zoe (who never change her name), and that was quite fun.

"Today we are going to talk about the High Middle Ages." Mr. Ackerman said in a boring voice "Most of the ignorants out there think that the medieval period was full of sickness and death and nothing good happen. Those ignorants didn't put attention in their History class like this person" he said pointing at Eren Jaegar who was sending notes to one of his frenemies Jean

Eren looked like a tomato after the teacher said that.
Bertholdt wasn't putting any attention to that he kept looking at that girl he really wanted to do something about it.

"Today we're going to be in groups" the teacher said. "But I am going to pick your groups today."

Everyone complained after hearing this.

"Shut up, or else I'm going to fail you in this class and make it look legit!" he said a little more angry than normal

Everyone quite down and looked towards the midget

"Annie and Bertholdt will be in a group"

At the sounds of these words Bertholdt's heart sank to his stomach.
This was his opportunity and he wasn't going to waste it.

When the teacher finished talking the students move to be with their partners.
Bertholdt grabbed his stuff and moved to where Annie was sitting.

"Hello" he said "I'm Bertholdt…"

She looked up at him with her bored eyes.
He saw deep into her. She looked lonely

It was not her eyes, but this just confirmed everything he thought about her, he had noticed that she was lonely, she never smile and she didn't really care for anything since her father past away.
He could never forgive himself he didn't do or said anything to her or helped her.

"I know" she said "You're very tall, you know. Everyone knows who you are"

Bertholdt felt his cheeks warmer and sweat begin to appear. He couldn't say anything else; he had a nub in his throat. He simply couldn't talk. Now this time he could never do anything or said anything for this girl he loved so much.

The homework was quite difficult for both of them since they hated this subject. He wanted to do the work right because he wanted to impress her. He wanted to show her that he could be a man.
He didn't know why he had fallen for her. A little kid couldn't know what love was, but they were almost adults and he could feel how his heart beat a little faster every time, how he couldn't keep his eyes away from her, he didn't know what to do.

The door of the classroom opened with a loud sound.

"Get out."

"Listen Levi, I finish my history book! I just had to tell you. I'm finally done with my tenth book!"

"Calm yourself Hange" Mr. Ackerman said trying to keep his wife from jumping

"You should understand! You're a history teacher! Don't you see that I've finish this book! I've been working non-stop since three months ago!" the teacher said

"Okay woman! Calm down! I'll read it when I have time!"

"Really?!" she said a little too hyper

Bertholdt looked at both of the teachers loud conversation.
How could that relationship worked? She was too happy to be with a serious guy like Mr. Ackerman.

"She needs to shut up" Annie said getting some hair out of her face

Bertholdt looked at her. This was one of those moments when he totally was all over her. That movement was just too much for him.

"Please stop staring at me" she said a little annoyed.

The bell rang. Hange and Ackerman stopped talking at the sound of it but Hange continue after a moment.

"A-a-annie, we didn't finish…" he said

They were both standing. She was so little and cute and beautiful. He couldn't resist her.

She looked at him with those lonely eyes

"Do you want to go to the café in the downtown of Trost and finish the homework there?" he asked

She looked up at him and looked him directly in the eyes

"Yes, that would be okay." She paused and looked at her watch "I don't know how to get there though. I don't have a car or anything…"

"I could pick you up" he said almost immediately

"Okay. Is tomorrow fine?"

"Yes…" he said attempting a smile.

"Pick me up at 2:30PM so we can finish this in time"

He nodded without thinking. He couldn't believe what had happened
She left him there standing, he was happy.

"Oi, get out. You 're going to be late for your next class…" Mr. Ackerman said "You look like an idiot staring where she was."

Bertholdt grab his stuff and went to his next class with Professor Nanaba. Reiner and Historia would be there. He had to tell his best friend of what had happen.
He couldn't wait till tomorrow; it was a good thing that it was a weekend, he couldn't wait. That Friday was going to be one of the longest Friday's of his life.

This is an alternate Universe where the trainees go to school.
I'll try to post the next chapter as soon as possible.

Thank you for reading (^^_^^)