The second time that I saw Marco Bott, it's needless to say that my breath was taken away.

That freckled fucker was beaten up so badly, and he was still receiving blows.

Kicks to his sides, punches to his face, and worse than that.

Now, I wasn't one for being a hero, but I guess there are some exceptions. I mean, for one, this kid was new here, so he probably didn't fit in well, but there was no need to go this far. Secondly, he looked close to blacking out, and this was too goddamn far for my own liking.

To say that I marched up and swooped in like a hero is way too much of an exaggeration, but Marco was always one for exaggerations. It suited him though.

Wait.

If I'm going to tell the story of Marco Bott, this is not where it's going to start. No... it's going to start from the VERY beginning.

Marco was born on-

TOO EARLY, JEAN, FOR CHRIST'S SAKE.

"Who's the new kid?"

"Is he... what? Is that a girl or a boy?"

I groaned at the squealing girls and turned to where they were looking, spotting him quickly. I mean... he was the only guy wearing a frilly skirt and an oversized white sweater. He stared at the school with a sweet smile on his face.

Oh, God.

He was going to die here.

I hoped he wouldn't, or maybe he'd end up learning what he should wear, because this wasn't it.

This isn't even my own opinion, because for me to say that he didn't look adorable as all hell would be a lie, but more like the school's opinion. Severely homophobic, transphobic, anything like that. Most of the students here were, but the group that I usually hung out with thankfully wasn't.

I mean... it would suck if they were considering I'm about as straight as a rainbow.

I'm gay. Hella gay.

The only people who knew were my friends and my parents. Well, technically only my mom. We have yet to tell my father. If we did tell him... well... let's just say that it wouldn't work out.

Anyways, back to the new kid.

He turned away from the school and saw the two girls and I standing on the sidewalk approaching said school. His tanned face turned slightly red before waving and walking into the school.

"He's a... boy..."

"Ew, why is he wearing a skirt then?"

"How about you two, I don't know, shut the fuck up?" I asked as I walked past them and glared. They flinched and starting talking in whispers. I rolled my eyes and entered the school as well.

You see, I wasn't one to control my fists, and if I felt that a fucker needed to be beaten up, well... he got beaten up.

Sure, I've saved some kids by doing so, but not intentionally. I am NOT a hero.

No matter what anyone tells you. Especially a certain freckled angel.

I walked straight to my class and sat in my seat, being one of the first kids there. I took out some random book and started reading as I waited for everyone to arrive.

When the class finally filled up, the teacher stood in front of the class and began droning on and on about something. I think at some point and time she introduced Marco because I caught view of his pink skirt as he sauntered by.

I didn't pay much attention to anything in that class, and not in any of my other ones after that. Eventually, lunch came around and I headed outside and to the large tree that everyone usually gathered under.

Eren and Armin were already there talking about something. Eren's face was very red and the coconut was mostly just laughing at him.

"Oi, Jaeger, you have a fever or something?" I asked when I was close enough and Eren turned even redder.

"Shut up..." he muttered through his gritted teeth. Armin laughed again and poked Eren's arm.

"He's just embarrassed about his little crush on a junior," Armin mocked and Eren swatted at him. I just raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, aiming high, I see? A full year ahead, wow."

"I'm not aiming high, really. He's quite short," he muttered and smiled slightly.

"Aw fuck, he's already in love," I groaned as Mikasa walked up with Connie and Sasha in tow.

"Where's Ymir and Christa?" Armin asked and Mikasa shrugged.

"Probably off being gay somewhere else," Connie said and Sasha nodded. "But they haven't even admitted to one another yet..."

"They're obviously in love, Cons," Sasha added.

"True."

And we all sat down and began to eat our lunch. Armin kept talking to Eren about his crush (I think his name was... Lenny? Lee? ...Levi?) and Sasha kept stealing food fr Connie who was yelling about some videogame. I started talking to Mikasa about this one book that I had recently read and we got into a full blown discussion. I hadn't even realised that lunch ended until I checked the time on my phone.

This was how it usually went, all of us together like this. We just need Ymir and Christa there and that would've been our everyday, everything group. Sometimes we were joined by Bertholdt, Reiner, or Annie, but they weren't full blown members of the cul- group.

I'd never admit it out loud, but... I loved that group. I loved the hell out of it. It felt incredible to be wanted by a full group of people, considering how unwanted I am. I just... loved it all.

I'm not sorry to admit that whatsoever.