Laughter filtered through the room as I felt my face heat up. Why did I even come here? Why do I ever? Why do I ask myself these questions when I already know the answer?
Denial? Probably.
It's school. I have to come or my will grades drop and Bam...right back where I started. In a classroom full of people who hate me. Jesus fucking Christ. Why does world hate me?
I look up from my desk to see a ball of paper coming directly toward my face. Or, well, near my face. I flinch anyway, knowing it had been meant for me...it misses me by a foot.
"Oh, come on, Yaeger! Don't be such a pussy!" I wonder if I angle it just right I could kill him with my pencil.
The bell rings as I begin a new round of questions centered around my sanity. Have you ever heard the saying 'Saved by the bell'? Yeah? Well, my life pretty much revolves around that saying.
Before my classmates can find a new way to torture me, I round up all of my junk and walk out the room. Algebra and bullies. Not a good match on my part.
Walking down the hallway, I round the corner to head to my locker when I spot a blonde bob of hair coming toward me.
"Eren!" Armin shouts, waving his hands like a mad man. "Eren! Guess what!"
"What?" I lay my hands on Armin's shoulders in a way to get him to stop waving his hands in my face.
"You have to guess, you jackass." Armin juts out his hip to the side and pouts. This kid, I swear.
"Uh...The Unitoctalus went discovered?" I shrug at him as his eyes light with an almost terrifying fire.
"That's not even a real animal, Eren."
"That's what they want you to think."
He glares me down as I begin to fidget. Geez, when did he get so scary...spending too much time with my sister, his girlfriend, Mikasa.
"Uh," I chuckle nervously, shuffling to the side, "I should be getting to class-"
"No! I have to tell you something." Armin sticks out his leg to trip me as I begin to walk past him.
"What the fu-," I catch myself on the wall of lockers to the left before my face can make its acquaintance with the floor. "Dude!"
"I told you I have to tell you something first!" Armin growls at me. Yep, definitely too much time with Mikasa. His eyes stay narrowed until I stand up straight and move my gaze from the floor to look at his face. "You have 7 minutes till your next class anyway."
"What?" I drag out the word in the most childish way I can.
His eyes immediately light up, ignoring my immaturity. How can this kid go from ferocious beast to little puppy in seconds? I'll never understand.
"There's two new kids! They're bro-,"
"So?"
Ignoring my interruption, he continued with even more vigor. "They're brother and sister but not really. The brother was adopted when he was a baby or something. The sister is a little...," Armin paused, considering his words, "Okay, so, all-out weird. She's really into science...I have chemistry with her and she almost melted the lab table. On her. First. Day. Her name's Hanji Zoe. Oh! And she's non-binary, like you!," He squeals.
My eyebrows rose slightly in interest, I don't commonly meet anyone else who considers themselves non-binary. I have seen myself this way since I was 14, I'm 17 now. I prefer male pronouns rather than female or ones such as they or their. It tends to, uh...make me a regular target of bullying in school.
"I don't know her brother's name but I've seen him. He sorta intimidating but and he's definitely your type!" By the end of Armin's speech, he's bouncing on the balls of his feet. I can't help but start to sputter as I try to word my reply.
"What? I don't- I mean. I'm not really- Type? I don't-", I broke off with an 'ahem'.
"Ha. Ha. Ha. Don't you lie to me, bitch.," My eyes went wide. Did this little shit just call me a bitch?
"I- whatever. I have class, you little shit." I step around him and begin to make my way to my next class before he can think up some remark.
"We're talking about this later!" He screamed down the hall at me. People turned to stare but it was easy to ignore, being used to the stares.
I shook my head as I walk to my next class, Art. I love Art class. It's the only classroom in this school that I could feel accepted in. No one judges my choices when it comes to my sexuality. I don't get called a freak when I'm there. It's different, a good different. It's a reminder that I'm not going to be judged by everyone in this world. It's a relief.
Plus, I can do my art on any topic I choose, unlike most other classes. So, no one is breathing over my shoulder every second of the day. No helicopter teacher. It's just Pixis, the art teacher. He's cool, always seems drunk, though. But, it serves as great entertainment and he gets really creative. He seems to really like me, too. He always tells me about how creative I am, that I bring some hope for humanity. Like Armin, he is also a man I will never understand.
Too distracted in my own thoughts, I don't notice someone walking behind me until I'm shoved into the wall to my right.
"Ah! Fuc- What the hell, man?!," Looking up, any words I had been planning on saying stopped at my lips when I saw the nightmare standing before me.
Jeff Kelley, Quarterback destined to bring our shitty ass school to state, dating the head cheerleader, big wall of a guy, homophobe, hates my guts. Ah, High School, the good ole years.
"Yeager! Didn't see you there, buddy. I mean, you are just a little fairy of a dude, easily missed," Douchebag-McGee spoke in a sugary-sweet tone as he sneered down at me. Did I mention he hates my guts? Well, I meant to say absolutely loathes. And fairy? Did he seriously just call me a fairy? Ooh, good gay joke, prick.
Anger surged inside of me. Knowing that Jeff would simply take joy in my anger, I hid it from my face, standing emotionless. "Hey, Jeff."
"Oh! The fagot speaks! Say, did you parents just know that it was going to turn out that their only son sucks dick for fun? Is that why they gave you the girl version of your name? Hm, Eren~" I felt a new wave of resentment overcome me at the mention of my parents. This prick.
"Fuck you." I whispered out harshly, only loud enough for him to hear.
"What was that, you little fuck? You want me to kick your teeth to the back of your head?" Jeff shoved me against the wall, knocking the air out of my lungs.
Jeff went to shove me into the wall again but was interrupted by a low, rough voice. "Hey! Why don't you back the fuck up?" Suddenly, there's a person standing behind Jeff, yanking him away from me by the back of his shirt.
Once Jeff was out of the way I looked over to the person who had come to my rescue. Ah, this must be the brother Armin had mentioned.
His hair is a dark, sleek black. It's styled into a side sidecut, that strangely looks to also be an undercut, with the rest of his hair flipped to one side of his head. It's a hair cut that would look odd on other people but he somehow makes it work. His skin is really pale, as though he hadn't seen the sun in a couple months. He's wearing black jeans tucked into black combat boots, and a white T-shirt with a neon green jacket over the top. The last thing I notice about him is he's short, and I mean short, like 5'3''.
Yep, Armin was right, he is my type. Fucking Armin and his mind reading powers.
"Who the hell do think you are, fucking midget? Just stay the hell out of it!" Jeff roared down at the new kid. Surprisingly to me, and apparently Jeff, he remained completely unfazed.
Without warning, the new kid reached up and grabbed a chunk of Jeff's hair and yanked him down to eye level. I couldn't help but grin for a split second at the squeak that had escaped from Jeff's lips.
"Listen here, you jackass. If I ever see you fucking with someone around here again, I'll rip off your dick and shove it so far up your ass that you'll understand the pain of going in dry on the first try," He paused, staring into Jeff's face with a terror that could challenge Mikasa. When Jeff looks as though he's going to reply back with the same fire as before, he yanks up on Jeff's hair. The pain of having his hair pulled nearly out of his head elicits a high pitched squeak. "Got it?"
Jeff nods quickly. "Yeah, man. Okay. Can you let me go now?"
When new kid finally releases him, Jeff quickly scrambled away to wherever scared little jocks run off to.
Once Jeff is gone, I can't help but look up at the new kid. He's extremely attractive. I don't know what it is really that makes him so attractive. Maybe his eyes? They're absolutely gorgeous. Light blue, almost grey and shining bright with a fire I can't even imagine.
There's an awkward pause as I lean against the wall, looking anywhere but at the new kid. "Soo..um...Thanks...for that."
"Yeah...well you gotta establish dominance, you know..." He half-heartedly jokes.
I couldn't help the girlish giggle that escaped my lips when I glances up at him through my lashes.
I see him swallow before he began talking again. "Will you be okay?"
I look up at him. No one had really ever asked me that. It's always the same question, are you okay. Never has anyone asked me if I would be okay and I have to stop and think about...Will I be okay? I think of all lot of things. My mom, Mikasa, Armin. They all love me so much. Through thick and thin they're there for me.
So, will I be okay?
"...Yeah...I'll be okay." I say. And I mean it.
"...I'm Levi, by the way."
I looked up at him. Levi. Odd, it fits him. Smiling, I say softly, "I'm Eren."
At that he smiles and it takes my breath away. "I know." I look at him in surprised interest as he backs away, grinning, "See you later, bright eyes."
Yeah, I'll definitely be okay.