Chapter 2: No Matter What
Krista slammed the car door that belonged to her mother and waved timidly at the rapidly retreating vehicle. Mrs. Reiss' warnings were a one-time thing, apparently, and she hadn't bothered to repeat herself, nor wish Krista good luck or say good bye. Krista shrugged, undeterred, and skipped joyfully to the front entrance of the school. She spotted Ymir and, with a grin, greeted her in front of the students gathered.
"Hey Ymir!"
Ymir turned around, eyes wide with surprise, but she quickly put on a cool mask, scoffing. "Fuck off!" she snapped, stomping inside the school.
Krista flinched, hurt, and sighed, lips pulled down. Around her, people were whispering again about Ymir's bad attitude, and Krista couldn't take it, running inside with tears in her eyes. She sniffed, steeling herself. She couldn't cry, she couldn't give up now! Not after what she swore to herself yesterday. Krista breathed in a shuddering breath and calmed herself down. She remembered the Ymir from yesterday, and convinced herself that Ymir was playing hard to get, again. Krista noticed that Ymir tried hard to uphold her reputation as untouchable and unapproachable.
Nodding resolutely, she started walking again, hoping to bump into Mikasa or Sasha. The latter happened quite literally, with noodles flying all over the place.
"Noooo!" Sasha cried, falling to her knees and threading her fingers through the fallen food. She sobbed and clutched the noodles to her chest. Krista giggled then crouched and opened her book bag to pull out a pack of instant noodles. She offered it to Sasha, who looked up from her tears at the blonde's insistence. Grinning, she snatched it and hugged her tightly.
"Goddess! She's a goddess, I'm telling you!" Sasha exclaimed.
Krista blushed and patted the girl's back. "Sasha, you're making a scene!" she whispered, glancing at the amused stares of the students, but she couldn't hide her smile. She spotted Mikasa and waved excitedly, pointing at the girl holding her.
Mikasa raised an eyebrow but walked to them, pulling on Sasha's collar to make her stand up. Sasha complied and waved the food cup in Mikasa's unimpressed face.
"Mikasa! Mikasa! Look at what Krista got for me!"
Mikasa sighed, pushing the cup away and greeted Krista, who returned the greeting warmly.
"I heard what happened yesterday from Eren," Mikasa muttered, eyes flicking back and forth. Sasha stopped her cheering to look at Krista, who blushed and looked down.
"Really? Well, I know better now so I'll make sure it won't happen again!"
"Just be careful out there, Krista. Not everyone is as nice as they seem," Mikasa warned. Sasha glanced between them, confusion written across her face.
"Wha?" she asked dumbly.
"Don't worry about it," Mikasa said, grabbing the girl's wrist and dragging her to first period. Krista followed the two, smiling at their bickering. Well, Sasha's bickering and Mikasa's one-worded answers. It suddenly dawned on Krista that Mikasa seemed to be much more receptive to Sasha than Jean, and she thought about the possibility that maybe...
"Nah," she murmured, "no way."
They reached room 104 and entered, Mikasa sitting behind Jean and Krista sitting behind Reiner. Sasha plopped down behind Mikasa and stuffed her noodles into her backpack, pulling out a bag of chips instead.
The two boys seemed to be comparing sheets of paper, and when Krista leaned in to see, she saw they were music sheets.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, "you guys play music?"
Startled, Reiner turned to her, smiling slightly. "Yeah, we're in a band, along with Bertholdt and Marco. We're the school's rock band: the Scouting Legion. We play gigs for school dances and festivals and stuff."
"Oh wow! That's so cool!"
Reiner gained more confidence, his smile stretching. "Yeah! It's loads of fun! Maybe you could come by for one of our practices someday?"
Krista smiled and was about to nod when a thought came to her. She relied on a neutral verbal reply instead. "Maybe someday!"
Reiner seemed satisfied, turning back to his sheets with a grin, but Jean gave her a weird look. He stood up and went to her desk, leaning down to talk to her. "Is this about what Levi said yesterday? Well, you can trust us, for sure! We defended you and risked our necks for you!" he whispered harshly, glaring.
Krista shook her head, waving her hands. "No, no! That's not why I gave that answer," she replied lowly, "My parents are really strict and protective, so I didn't want to disappoint Reiner with a positive answer and not show up ever."
Jean sighed in relief, straightening. "Good! I thought that you were thinking of us as some kind of bad guys or something. That's far from the truth, actually!"
"I admire your honesty, Jean."
"Thanks!" Jean grinned, walking back to his desk and sitting. Krista felt ashamed and guilty. What she'd told Jean was only half the truth. The other half was Reiner's attitude toward her yesterday regarding her interest in Ymir. He seemed to be over it, but Krista did not want to promise anything while the possibility of a grudge remained. She learned a lot about human behaviour yesterday, and she refused to remain naive.
Krista stared at the back of Reiner's head. She didn't want him to be mad at her, not now, on her second day of school! Gathering her courage, she tapped his shoulder, returning his smile.
"Reiner? Could I ask you something?" she started nervously, twirling a lock of blond hair.
"What is it?" he asked gently.
"Are you mad at me for yesterday, when I said I was interested in Ymir?"
Reiner's eyes widened but he composed himself, laughing it off. "Not really mad at you, just mad that her name reminded me of bad things in the past."
"If you don't mind me asking, why do you dislike her so much?"
"I don't dislike her," he paused, "I hate her, and no one in this school likes her. I'm sorry, Krista, but I can't tell you why I hate her. It's personal and between me, her and Bertholdt."
"Bertholdt?"
He nodded. "Yeah, but don't bother asking him: he's better than me at keeping a secret."
"I'm sorry, Reiner, I didn't mean to upset you."
"Nah, nah! It's cool! I get why you're so interested, just remember that getting too close to Ymir will get you burned. Or bitten, whatever that bitch feels like doing."
"This bitch will fuck you up if you talk shit about her again, asshole," a voice angrily said above.
Krista looked up and met furious brown eyes, shrinking back slightly. Ymir ignored her, completely focused on Reiner.
"Bring it. You wouldn't dare touch me," Reiner taunted, standing up and glaring down at Ymir. Ymir growled under her breath and scowled.
"You know what? You're not worth the trouble; Keith is coming down the hall right now and I need my eardrums," Ymir spat, stomping off. She stopped suddenly and whirled around. She marched up to Krista and pulled her up by her collar. Krista flinched at the fury in the girl's brown eyes, putting her hands around the brunette's fists. Mikasa, Jean and Reiner stood up to interfere, but Ymir's warning glare held them back.
"You promised to leave me the hell alone yesterday, so why are you talking to me like we're friends? We are not friends, and we never will be. I don't need some prissy, holier-than-thou bitch trying to purify me or cure me or whatever, so stop bothering me!" she snarled, shaking the girl. "Got it?"
Krista nodded fearfully and Ymir dropped her, marching back to her desk. Krista let out a breath she never knew she was holding and trembled, gripping her elbows. Mikasa put a hand on her shoulder while Sasha asked if she was okay.
"I'm fine, really, just a little shaken."
"We warned you to stay away from her," Jean sighed. "Now you see why?"
Krista kept quiet, deep in her thoughts, and resigned to simply nod at every question. Eventually, the group tired of trying to comfort her and awaited their teacher.
Keith walked in, sniffed deeply and glared at Sasha, who shoved a handful of potato chips into her mouth, crunching it with her mouth opening and closing widely.
He snatched her chips and Mikasa had to hold the girl back when she leaped forward. The frightening man ate the rest of the chips and licked his fingers, tossing the bag in the garbage bin.
"Any more food?" he asked Sasha. She shook her head and put her head on her desk, Mikasa patting it gently.
"Good. Class, we will be picking up from where we left off yesterday. Also, I will be handing out your manuals today."
He picked up his attendance record leaflet and started calling out names. Krista tuned him out in favour of her thoughts. Ymir seemed really upset, no, downright furious, when she'd lifted her up. What was she so angry about? Did she really want to be left alone? Krista didn't believe her. No one wanted to be left alone. Interaction with others was a fundamental aspect of human life; you needed it to be happy and healthy. So why did Ymir insist on being alone? Why did she flip out when Krista broke her promise and reached out to her? What was she truly afraid of? Did she really hate people as much as everyone said she did, or was she simply afraid of them? Why was she pushing Krista away?
"...Lenz!"
Krista gasped. "Yes, sir!"
Keith scowled but remained firm. "Roll call is a crucial part of the day here at the Academy. I will not tolerate your daydreaming again. You will answer when I call your name, understand?"
"S-sir, yes, sir!"
His scowl faded to a smirk. "Excellent. Alright you worthless piles of meat, let's start today's lesson."
First period ended quicker than Krista expected, and she followed Mikasa dutifully to their next class, along with Sasha. They met up with Bertholdt and Connie on their way, and with exchanged pleasantries, the group arrived to their second class of the day. Ymir was already seated at the back, and when Krista made eye contact with her, she received a scowl and a glare. Krista swallowed nervously, and sat behind Sasha, who had taken to sitting next to Mikasa at the front. Bertholdt sat next to Krista and Connie behind him.
"So, Krista," Connie started.
"Mm?" Krista hummed in reply, turning to Connie.
"Why are you so into Ymir?"
Krista coughed a bit into her fist, blushing. "I-it's not l-like that! Um, how should I explain this? Well, you see, I don't think she's as mean as people say she is. She's hiding something, that's for sure," Krista explained. She noticed Bertholdt was listening in, appearing uninterested but leaning back into his chair and glancing at her. What was his issue? Why was he listening in like he was gathering information? Did he really not want her to be friends with Ymir? Why? What happened in the past between these people? Such were the questions Krista asked herself after Connie nodded and left her alone. Once more, he warned her of Ymir's harsh personality before turning around to greet their teacher.
Hanji decided to give them a free period coupled with homework, in order to thank the students for being good yesterday. Krista appreciated this, as it gave her more time to think about Ymir.
It seemed that everyone was against her for one reason or another. Krista already had that established. Now was the time to find out why. Why did these people resent the brunette so much? Maybe if Krista found a pattern she'd be able to properly approach the girl.
"Hey, Connie, can I ask you something?"
"You just did."
They both paused, Krista giggling and Connie chuckling before he nodded to show he understood what she meant. "I'm sorry if this is personal, but, what did Ymir do to you to make you dislike her?"
"Out of all the things to ask me!" he muttered. Sighing, he looked her in the eye. "I guess it's okay to tell you; maybe it'll discourage you from trying this."
Krista nodded but bit the inside of her cheek.
"Well, it was two years ago, during the last year of junior high. We had gym class and Ymir was partnered up with me for the basketball drills. Every time I messed up a lay-up or missed a shot, she'd shout at me and call me names. She never did this before until we were partnered up," he paused, blinking a few times, "she refused to work with me for the drills and we both got punished, but for some reason I was laid off the hook. I guess the coach felt sorry for me."
Krista compared his story to Jean's experience. It seemed that in both cases Ymir avoided cooperation with others, but what was weird was that Connie's case ended up with him unpunished, yet Jean received a failing grade.
"Were you friends with Ymir before she turned weird?"
Connie laughed. "Hell no. But we were okay, in the sense that if she asked for a pencil I'd give it to her and vice versa. And it's not like she turned weird or anything. She's always been like this, but during junior high she became more vicious and violent than usual."
Krista nodded and smiled. "Thanks, Connie. I think I understand a bit better now."
"You know, it was thanks to her that I took basketball more seriously and trained harder," he muttered, "but she's still a bitch."
Krista caught that and glanced at Bertholdt, who quickly raised his arms to make it look like he was stretching. Weird, she thought. What's up with Bertholdt, and why was he interested in Krista's curiosity concerning Ymir?
The bell rang, and Krista grabbed her things, following Mikasa and Sasha out the door.
She'd have to find out later.
Krista returned to the oak tree at lunch with Mikasa and Sasha, greeting the people already there. She noticed Annie, the blonde from yesterday, leaning against the tree and nibbling on a sandwich. However, when she spotted Mikasa, her face twisted into a scowl and she walked away.
Krista turned to Mikasa. "Say, you never told me what you and Annie have a rivalry over."
Mikasa pulled down her scarf and sat next to Eren. Armin joined them and Krista sat next to him, book bag in between them. Sasha sat next to Mikasa and slurped the noodles from the instant cup given to her by Krista.
"We do kickboxing," she answered simply, pulling out a sandwich and biting into it.
"Oh! That's, uh, violent? I never thought you to be the fighting type, Mikasa."
"My sister's the strongest in the school!" Eren laughed. "Which is what makes Annie so mad!"
"No, I don't think that's it," Armin quietly pointed out, "I think it's because Mikasa has something Annie wants."
"Huh? Like what?"
Armin coughed into his fist and leaned back. "It's not my place to say, but let's just agree that it's what Mikasa treasures the most in the world."
"Her scarf?"
Mikasa sighed and slapped Sasha's hand when it reached into the kickboxer's backpack. Krista tilted her head to the side in thought and noticed how close Mikasa was sitting next to Eren and how she seemed to loom over his shoulder, like she was awaiting any attempt on the boy's life. Her eyes lit up and she faced Armin, who chuckled when he saw the understanding in her orbs.
She didn't notice, however, Armin's suspicious gaze as she laughed with Sasha, nor the way his eyes snapped to the initials on her expensive leather book bag.
K. H.R.
It was in Levi's class that Krista asked Marco about the band 'Scouting Legion'. He blushed, scratched his cheek and opened his bag to present a brochure. Krista took it from him and smiled at the front picture. It was from a concert: Jean was at the front, singing and playing a guitar. Marco was playing bass and leaning back to back with Bertholdt, who looked to be performing complicated chords and manoeuvres. Reiner was the drummer, grinning and looking like he was having a great time.
"We started the band last year, after we suggested the idea to principal Erwin. We managed to convince him it'd bring more music lovers to the academy and give us more variety! It was all Reiner's idea. He's very driven and passionate, but Jean was the one who convinced the principal. He may not look it, but he's very clever."
"What kind of music do you guys play?"
"Well, we like to try different things. Indie, Rock, Alternative, and when Jean can convince Reiner, the occasional Pop and R&B."
"I see..."
"We have rehearsals after school every other day. I'm sure nobody would mind you there," Marco offered.
"I'll have to pass it by my parents first!"
Suddenly, two pieces of chalk were thrown at their heads. Levi glared at them, jaw clenched and teeth bared. He looked quite intimidating despite his stature.
"Get back to work!" he barked.
"Sorry sir, right away sir!" they exclaimed in unison, performing the salute.
Krista glanced at Marco briefly, wondering something. "Hey, Marco."
"Yes?"
"Has Ymir ever done anything to you?"
Marco whipped his head around, gasping. "Krista! Why are you asking such a thing?"
"I want to know more about why people seem to dislike Ymir so much!"
"I don't feel very comfortable talking about it," he admitted, glancing down at his sheet and continuing his work.
"Oh, I'm sorry Marco. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"No, no! It's fine, really. Promise."
Krista sighed when Marco concentrated on his work. So far, Ymir seemed to be the kind of person who hated the company of others and loathed cooperation. The fact that Marco didn't want to talk about it must mean that she was particularly nasty to him as well.
This just gave Krista more resolve than before. She would solve the mystery that is Ymir, one step at a time – starting after school!
The final bell rang, and Krista quickly gather her things and rushed out, shouting out her farewells to her friends on her way. She pushed the school doors open and squinted her eyes against the sun. She noticed a lone figure walking outside the fence and school driveway. Breaking out into a jog, she reached the person, who, thankfully, turned out to be Ymir.
"Ymir!"
The girl stopped, turned around and glared at Krista when she recognized her. "What do you want?" she muttered venomously, "why won't you leave me alone?"
"I don't believe you when you say you want to be alone!" Krista boldly shouted, closing her eyes and clenching her fists.
Ymir appeared shocked. "Huh?"
"You act all tough and mighty, and you keep saying mean things to me and others, but I know it's all an act!"
Ymir snorted. "You must be high or something. What do you want, a cookie for your analytical skills?"
"See? The fact that you're still here, talking to me, just proves my point," Krista continued, grinning.
Ymir scowled and turned around. "You're wrong, I hate people, just like everyone says I do. You're a moron, now go bother someone else with your shitty theories about me."
"Ymir! Wait up! I'm not done with you!"
Ymir raised a hand and continued walking. Krista would've followed her if not for a hand on her shoulder. She looked behind her to see Sasha grinning brightly.
"Hey! I was wondering if you'd like to go to the mall with me tomorrow after school. I asked Mikasa but she said she had kickboxing practice tomorrow."
Krista nodded. "Okay, I have to ask my parents first. I'll let you know tomorrow in the morning."
Sasha clapped in joy. "Yay! See you tomorrow! And bring me lots of food!" Sasha shouted as she walked backwards, pulling out a loaf of bread from her bag. She bumped into Mikasa, who stared blankly, snatching the bread and shoving it in her own mouth. Krista watched as Sasha, horrified, cried out in dismay and shouted to the heavens. Mikasa appeared unaffected, patting the girl's head and following Eren and Armin.
The strangest thing happened then. While Mikasa and Eren talked, Armin turned around, made eye contact with Krista and frowned, narrowing his eyes. Krista gave a questioning look and he mouthed words that brought great fear into Krista's heart.
'I know you're hiding something.'
"Mother?"
"What is it, Historia?"
Krista was currently in her home, in her mother's office, standing in the doorway. Her mother was looking over papers and jotting down notes. Her glasses hung over her nose and her tone was clipped and cold.
Krista flinched. "A friend invited me to go to the mall tomorrow and I would like to ask permission to go."
"Absolutely not."
"But, Mother! I'm sixteen years old, and I need to know this place if I ever have errands to run! This is the perfect opportunity; please, Mother, please, let me go!" Krista pleaded, putting her hands on her mother's wooden desk.
"What's going on here?" a man's voice sounded from the hall.
"Father!"
"Your daughter is interested in going out with her friend tomorrow."
Mr. Reiss narrowed his eyes slightly at his wife's town but shook his head. "I don't see a problem with her outing. Just make sure you're back on time before curfew." He smiled at Historia and left, giving the blonde enough time to grin at him before she was forced to face her mother again.
"Fine. I'll allow it. You are to be back by seven thirty sharp. Any later and I'll revoke all of your privileges."
Krista nodded, overjoyed, and hugged her mother, grinning and laughing. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! Oh, Mother, thank you so much!"
"Historia," her mother warned.
"I'm sorry, it's just that I'm so happy! I can't wait!" Krista laughed, spinning and skipping out the doorway.
Mrs. Reiss shook her head and sighed, returning to her work.
The next day, Krista walked into school, searching for Ymir. The girl was nowhere to be seen and Krista sighed. "Guess I'll have to talk to her in first period, and if not there, then after school," she muttered.
She walked by herself to her next class, waving at students who greeted her. She walked in and noticed it was just her and Ymir. The girl sat in the back, as usual, and was balancing a pencil horizontally on her nose. Upon hearing the door open, she lost her balance and the pencil dropped to the floor, rolling to Krista's feet. Krista stared at the pencil, then glanced at Ymir's scowl. This was her chance!
She bent over, grabbing the pencil, and walked over to Ymir, depositing the writing utensil on her desk. She smiled at the brunette, receiving a glare in return. "Alright, you gave me my pencil. Thanks, now go away!" she snapped, leaning her cheek on her hand and facing the windows instead of Krista.
"I still stand by what I said yesterday," Krista quietly said, ignoring Ymir's attitude. The brunette slammed her hand on the desk and twisted to face the blonde fully. Krista flinched slightly, fearing another close physical encounter, but relaxed when the freckled girl remained seated.
"This shit again? Listen, Chrissa-"
"Krista."
"Krista, whatever your name is, I have no idea what you're talking about, and it sounds like a bunch of emotional bull like the stuff I see on those stupid dramas. Stop trying to play detective or whatever, and quit bugging me if you know what's good for you." And with that, Ymir picked up her things and moved to another seat, closer to the windows.
Krista, unsure how to react, walked back to her desk and sat down. Ymir was a tough nut to crack, and though her words stung a little, Krista paid them no heed; they only served to strengthen her resolve.
She greeted Mikasa and Sasha, who walked in, and announced her mother's approval for the trip.
"Oh! That's wonderful!" Sasha exclaimed through a mouthful of bread. Mikasa looked bored, though that was probably because she wasn't implicated in the outing.
"Find another seat, punk!"
The three turned to see Ymir leaning dangerously over a boy, who trembled in fear and nodded, walking to the seat that Ymir previously occupied.
"She's at it again," Jean muttered from behind Krista. "Damn that girl, she seems to be in her worst mood yet. Probably on her period or something."
Krista frowned. "Jean, that wasn't very nice."
"Oh no, don't tell me you're defending her now!"
"Making fun of her and calling her names only makes you look worse than her!"
"Krista, you've only been here three days. Don't act like you know everything about everybody."
Krista bit her tongue to prevent herself from saying any more. True, she was new, but she knew more about Ymir than anyone else here did, and that was because she made an effort to get to know the girl. Unlike the rest of the student body, she wanted to learn and help Ymir. She didn't know why she did, but there was something pulling at her, the look in Ymir's eyes that begged for help yet defied the world, Ymir's lonely figure walking alone down the road to and from school, Ymir's mysterious past that made her dangerously aggressive. She wanted to be beside the girl, cheering her up and walking with her. She wanted to see Ymir smile instead of scowling, laugh happily instead of chuckling wryly and compliment instead of insulting others.
Krista was now determined, more than ever, to solve the mystery that is Ymir.
"Haaa! Isn't this fun?" Sasha exclaimed, eating her sandwich happily.
Krista giggled. "Yeah! I'm having a great time!"
The two girls were sitting at a table in a fast food restaurant, located in the mall. They were breaking for lunch, bags full of clothes piled around them. Krista was truly having a great time with the other girl; she didn't remember a time when she smiled so much. They shopped all over the mall, buying whatever interested them. Sasha stuck to new recipes and food-related clothing while Krista bought whatever caught her eye.
Krista drummed her fingers on her table, deciding to throw caution to the wind. "Hey, Sasha, I'd like to ask you something."
"Hmm? What is it?" Sasha replied, mouth full.
"It's about Ymir: did she do anything mean to you?"
Sasha stopped chewing, then gained a thoughtful look on her face. She continued chewing slowly as she thought, and Krista swore she could hear gears turning in the girl's head. She swallowed and smiled, shaking her head. "Nope! Not that I can remember! But she did do something nice for me, way back in elementary..."
Krista leaned forward, eyes wide. "Really? What was it?"
"Well, when I first moved here, I was embarrassed of my family's background, because hunters are not seen as sophisticated or normal around these parts. So, I hid myself and my culture, and chose to fit in. Ymir cornered me one day, saying she knew who I really was and where I was from, and threatened to leak out that information. I was so scared, I begged her to not do it, that I'd do anything for her. She smirked, I remember it clearly, and she told me to say whatever I wanted and to be proud of my heritage. She helped me embrace my identity, which is why I'm not telling you to stay away from her like everyone else is."
"But why don't you try to talk to her if she's been kind to you before?"
Sasha laughed nervously, scratching the back of her head. "Ah! You see, she sort of scares me. Her attitude is a bit too harsh for me to take."
Krista sighed sadly but nodded. "I get it, I mean, she's rude to me too, but I can see right through her. I know what she's going through."
"What do you mean?"
Krista fidgeted but was determined to answer; Sasha shared a piece of her life with her, so why couldn't she do the same?
"I've been alone all my life. I didn't have friends at any of my schools, and the people who did try to be my friends always left me in the end. I remember being envious of all the girls my age who went out with their friends," Krista confessed.
"But I don't understand! You're so popular here, what's so different?"
The fact that you don't know who I really am, Krista thought. "I don't know," Krista lied lamely. Sasha stared at her for a long time, but shrugged, smiling.
"It's okay! I understand it's your business, and it must be pretty awful if you're hiding it from us, but I can wait until you're ready to tell us."
"Thanks for understanding, Sasha."
"No problem! That's what friends are for, right?"
"Right!"
Friends... I'm going to be friends with you, Ymir, no matter what, Krista thought happily.
