Chapter Two
"Fucking hell…who does that horse face think he is…I could kick his bony ass any day!" Mikasa angrily flung Jean's old Trost University Titans hoodie into a cardboard box that was already overflowing with photos, clothing, and a random assortment of mementos that she'd accumulated from their relationship over the past two years.
Sasha nervously peeked at Krista, mouthing silently to her, "What do we do?" Krista shrugged her petite little shoulders worriedly in response as they continued to watch Mikasa storm about the apartment muttering expletives underneath her breath. Ever since the explosive powwow on the field and her breakup with Jean, Mikasa's fiery volatility had simmered down into a cold, deadly rage.
Sasha was at a loss at how to comfort their fuming friend. Her heart broke for Mikasa—first their soccer team got cut, then Jean humiliated her in front in public. Mikasa's indignation may have seemed drastically way out of proportion to an onlooker—but Sasha knew how much soccer meant to her. The other girls on the team weren't quite as invested in the game—Krista joined to impress her parents, and Ymir joined because of Krista. Annie…well, who knew why Annie joined, but the girl was self-sufficient to a fault. No one ever knew what she did…or where she even was right now, for that matter. And Sasha herself only played because it was a lighthearted, fun activity to release endorphins. Endorphins made her happy. And she liked feeling happy.
But Mikasa—she loved the game. Lived for it. Played since she was a little girl, was scouted by UoT for her talents and received a full-ride scholarship. It wasn't just a sport, it was her identity.
"Maybe…maybe we can try to talk to Shadis again? Or I could try to convince Connie to help." Sasha suggested meekly. But even she had to admit it was a lame, empty solution.
Mikasa paused from her rampant purging and sat next to the girls. "Thanks, you guys. I really appreciate you trying to help—but right now, it doesn't really seem like there's much we can do to get the team sponsored by the time school starts again. It's just so…sudden, and I don't really think trying to appeal to Shadis is going to get us very far. It just isn't fair."
The girls sat together in defeated silence for a while, trying to brainstorm possible solutions. A few minutes later, they were jarred out of their musing by the front door swinging wide open.
Mikasa's adoptive brother Eren breezed through the doorway, towing a large suitcase behind him. "Heya, Mikasa! Oh, you're all here too…hi, Sasha, Lesbians." he nodded to Krista and Ymir. "Um, wow…what the hell happened here?"
It looked as if a tornado had passed through the entire apartment. Drawers were pulled out of their tracks, cabinets hung open, and random objects littered the living room floor.
"Purging the apartment of horse manure. Jean and I broke up."
"Wait, what?!" Eren quickly scrambled to kneel in front of Mikasa. "Since when?! And why?!"
"Since I realized he's a sexist asshat. Shadis cut the women's soccer team, and Jean called me a liar in front of everyone." She quickly relayed the story to him.
"Wow, that's…that's horrible, I'm sorry." Eren gave Mikasa an affectionate hug and kissed her hair. "That seriously sucks. But, if it makes you feel any better, I'm kind of glad you broke up with Jean? I always thought he was a little shit."
Mikasa pulled back. "Yeah, well, I was bound to break up with him sooner or later; I think everyone saw it coming. But relationship drama aside, now I have to figure out a way to get Shadis to reinstate the team. Or at least let us try out for the guy's team."
"You'll find a way, I know it! You always kick ass and nothing ever stops you!" Eren grinned at her, optimism exuding from his brilliant smile and Mikasa couldn't help but regain a little bit of hope. Eren's presence and indomitable spirit always comforted her.
"Thanks Eren, that means a lot. I'm so sorry to bombard you with such stupid things. Anyway, how are you? Have you eaten yet? I feel like I haven't seen you around all summer…" her gaze faltered to the suitcase by the door. "Wait, where are you going…?"
"Ah, Mikasa…I should have told you earlier, but I'm here just to pick my passport up. I'm going to Ecuador with Armin for two months! I actually should be leaving now; our plane departs in an hour!"
Mikasa blanched.
"WHAT?! Eren, your classes start NEXT WEEK! You can't just leave, you literally got expelled for academic failure at UoT last semester; it's a miracle Sina U even accepted you in! What're you thinking in that thick, stupid brain of yours?!"
Eren hopped off of his knees and trotted towards his bedroom. "I'll be back before midterms, and I can just catch up on assignments then anyway! Speaking of which, can you call the university and tell them I'm sick? Just forge a doctor's note from Dad. And if you can get my syllabi for me too, that'd be great, I don't really think there's Wifi in Ecuador."
"What?! NO! Eren! You can't blow this; you made a commitment to join their track team! That's the only reason you even got into Sina; this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and you're blowing it all to hell!"
"And Ecuador is also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" he called from the inside of his room.
"YOU CAN'T MISS THE FIRST DAY OF CLASSES AT A NEW UNIVERSITY! EREN!"
Eren emerged with his passport in hand.
"Thanks Mikasa, you're a doll, I owe you one!" he landed a quick kiss to her cheek.
"DON'T YOU DARE WALK OUT THAT DOOR…"
"Uh oh, Armin's calling, gotta go! Good luck with soccer, Mikasa, I'll see you when I get back!"
"EREN! GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE!"
But it was too little too late. With that, Mikasa watched her foster brother slam the front door shut, gone as swiftly as he arrived, leaving a silent wave of dazed bewilderment through the apartment.
"Well, what'd you expect from an moron like him." Ymir said dryly.
"Stop it, Ymir, you're talking about her brother". Krista berated.
There was no one else in the world that Mikasa adored more than her brother…but Ymir had a point. For as long as she'd known him, Eren was the kind of guy that was impulsive, brash, and rarely thought about long-term consequences. He wore his heart on his sleeve and flew by the seat of his pants. His spontaneous tendencies and constant skipping of classes led to academic expulsion his freshman year at UoT. Miraculously, however, his prowess for track and field didn't go unnoticed by Sina U, so shortly after his expulsion, they poached him on the condition that he could maintain a GPA above 2.0 and would join their track team come winter.
Damn it all to hell if Mikasa saw Eren throw his future away one more time.
"Great, as if a failed relationship and my entire soccer career turning into a shit-show wasn't enough, now I have Eren playing hooky for two months to stress over…" Mikasa grumbled.
"You know, you're not responsible for the decisions he makes, Mikasa." Krista offered gently. "Eren's an adult, and sometimes, you just have to let him fail for his benefit. Otherwise, he'll always have you as a safety net, and he'll never grow up."
"That's my Krista, always so wise!" Ymir jubilantly threw her arms around her girlfriend. "She's right, Mikasa, what were you gonna do, go take his classes for him? Ha!"
Mikasa let out a frustrated groan. She knew Krista was right—Eren had to grow up. Even though it was in her very nature to nurture and coddle him, they were 19 now…perhaps it was time to let him spread his wings, even if that meant risking imminent failure and expulsion from yet another university.
But Ymir's sarcastic words lodged in her head.
Go take his classes for him….?
Mikasa's gaze drifted to the coffee table where a pile of unopened mail was haphazardly thrown. On top of the pile was a thick white envelope with a shiny green and gold monogram seal on it.
To: Mr. Eren Jaeger
Sina University Admissions Department
She hastily tore the seal open and rifled through the contents.
Orientation Day…Eren's class schedule…residential housing move-in dates…
Mikasa greedily scanned the documents, eyes widening in excitement and a devious smile slowly forming on her face.
"I don't like the way she's reading that letter…she's definitely up to no good…" Sasha muttered out of the corner of her mouth to Ymir and Krista.
Mikasa slammed the letter down on the table and looked at her best friends square in the eyes. "You guys…" she paused dramatically. "…I'm going to enroll at Sina U as Eren."
"…"
"…"
"…THE FUCK, MIKASA?!" Ymir bellowed.
"Lie down, Mikasa, I think you took too many soccer balls to the head…" Krista started rubbing soothing circles on Mikasa's back.
"God, this whole day has made you crazy!" Sasha began babbling, "Okay, baby girl, we're going to get you some ice cream, blow off some steam at the gym, knock you out with Nyquil, and by tomorrow, you're gonna forget about this whole thing…heh…heh…heh…" the poor girl was on the verge of hyperventilating.
"No, I'm serious. Listen to me." Mikasa nodded resolutely. "I'm going to Sina next week as Eren. I'm going to get on their damn soccer team, and I'm going to become a Scout. And…in two months…I'm going to obliterate Jean and the rest of the stupid Titans at the first game of the season. I'm going to stick it to those stupid sexist trash bags, and they'll have no choice but to admit that I'm better than them and let me on their team."
The rest of the girls looked unconvinced.
"You've gotta be fuckin' with us…" Ymir said with a stupefied expression.
"Yeah, Mika, I gotta say this isn't your sharpest idea…" Krista offered.
"What are you gonna do about, you know…school?! And your tits, and your hips, and hair all that…girly stuff…" Sasha cried out, gesturing to Mikasa's very obviously feminine figure.
"Listen…this is the only way, don't you see?! I can help Eren from flunking again and prove a point to those damn boys at the same time! It's just like adding on another major; nothing I can't handle! And I'll just commute in between campuses!"
The girls mulled over her logic in awed contemplation. Mikasa was a star student. She had a 4.3 GPA and was slated to graduate in three years instead of four, so she could academically let loose if she wanted to. Her natural aptitude in the classroom wasn't confined to just her Kinesiology major; she excelled in any subject she'd ever attempted to study.
"I'll just drop my current course load to 12 credits this semester and rearrange my schedule to fit around Eren's!" Mikasa continued. "I'm good at self-studying, and all I'll really have to do is show up for midterm exams! As for Eren's business courses…I mean, regardless of what I do, it'll still be better than Eren not even showing up for class, right?" Mikasa paused, watching her friends intently for any sign of support.
"HA! HAHAHA!" Ymir suddenly burst out in boisterous laughter. "God, you really are a crazy bitch. Okay, if you want to fuck yourself over, be my guest. At least it will be entertaining to watch. Hell, I'm in!"
"Thank you, Ymir. Sasha? Krista? Will you help me?"
Sasha was torn. It was an absurd plan, but hell, Mikasa could do anything once she set her mind to it. "You said you'd only do this for two months, right? Until the first game against Trost? And then you'll come back?"
Mikasa nodded.
"God, girl. Okay, but you're gonna owe me a lot of cheeseburgers when it's all over…fine, I'll help you, you complete lunatic. Krista? What about you?"
The pretty little blonde sighed. "Well, someone's gotta give Mikasa convincing makeover, right? You pretty much can't do this without me…"
Mikasa beamed at her very best friends. "Thanks, everyone. I can't wait to see the look on Jean's face when he realizes he got his ass kicked by a girl; it's going to be so worth it. And we're going to get our team back. Okay, here's what we're going to do…"
The girls huddled together excitedly to draft up a plan of action.
Operation Turn Mikasa Ackerman into Eren Jaeger 2.0 was a go.
A/N: HEY THERE! Thanks for the reviews last chapter; I really appreciate it :) Please, please, please do drop me a note and let me know what you think! Again, FIRST TIME NOOBIE-BOOBIE writer over here...so reviews bolster my confidence and keep me motivated! I'm also open to plot suggestions. What did you guys like or dislike? What would you like to see more of?
Also...I'm aware that Annie is basically nonexistent in this chapter. I admit I love her to pieces, but I just can't seem to get in her head and be able to write a good Annie voice. In this AU, I see her as a self-sufficient, lone-wolf type of friend...like, she'll be there for you if she really has to, but she won't put up with prolonged interaction or stupid shit. Hence her being absent from the girls' dumb shenanigans. With that said, I'm not sure she'll really even be in this story at all.
Have a good weekend, lovebugs!