I see that a few people made it to chapter two; curious to know what you think.
Potato/Po-tah-to
Levi sent Erwin a text, letting him know what had happened to Swift. He soon got a reply.
So much for our strong defense.
Put Petra in his place for now, Levi suggested.
Guess we should.
Levi was satisfied that Petra would be kept to defense rather than offense, but he'd rather she were still further back. One step at a time, he supposed.
When he got home, Kenny's car wasn't in the garage. He wasn't surprised; Kenny had taken off a few days ago and not specified when he planned to come back. The ex-military man could never stay in one place for long.
"Wow, Mister Levi," said the chauffeur/butler, Keith Shardis, on seeing the state his employer's nephew was in, "you sure got your uniform wet. Didn't you have your umbrella?"
"There were complications," Levi said, removing his school uniform's cropped jacket and handing it to Keith. "Any calls?"
"No, sir. Not one."
"Any mail?"
"On the hall table."
"Thank you. I'll go and change; please clean and press my jacket right away. Then the car interior needs drying out."
"Will do. You've got plenty more white shirts, if that's what you want to wear tomorrow. I'm not sure your shoes will be dry in time, though." Keith indicated Levi's striking, lace-up, knee-high Converse hightops.
"They're boots, Keith."
"Excuse me. Boots."
Levi frowned. His feet did feel uncomfortably soggy. Keith was probably right... footwear took forever to dry. "I'll wear the brown riding boots, then."
"Don't you have soccer practice?"
"I'll take my cleats in my bag. I've got MMA club too, but I don't need shoes for that."
"OK, whatever you say. Just don't forget to pack everything you need."
"Tch," was the only answer Levi deigned to give.
He picked up the mail from the hall table on the way to the staircase. He flipped through it, separating the junk from the bills and actual correspondence. He told himself not to expect anything from friends... Erwin was his only real friend anymore anyway, and he would just text. Still, he obviously didn't have his hopes completely in check, because when he saw a letter addressed to himself alone, and in fancy, girly handwriting, he dared for a moment to think...
No. It was from Annie. Erwin's half-sister. He hadn't expected her to write to him...
He remembered how badly Annie had wanted to transfer to a prestigious boarding school, and how thrilled she had been when she received permission to do so mid-year. She wanted Erwin and Levi to attend the boys' campus, but they had decided to stay at Legion High.
"There's soccer team at Cena Academy too," Annie had argued. "They get visits from scouts all the time."
"But the real Scouts are here," Erwin joked, referring to Legion High's team name.
"Very funny. Come on Levi," she said, appealing to her brother's friend. "Aren't you tired of playing these puny little schools all the time?"
"Cena's team plays in different circles," Levi said flatly. "I'm interested only in slaughtering the Titans."
Erwin smiled and slapped Levi on the back. "No budging us, sis. Nice try, though."
She pouted. "Fine. Your dumb team pride is going to keep you from getting a scholarship, though. Only a fraction of the scouts visit your games."
"Just the open-minded ones. Just how I like it."
"Oh, you're impossible." She sighed. "I'll write to you anyway, though..."
Coming out of his reminisce, Levi picked up the ivory letter opener and slipped it under the envelope's flap. Once he had the corner open, he slit the envelop from end to end in one long, quick slice. He was greeted by a wave of perfume that made his eyes water.
Dear Levi,
I hope you are keeping my brother out of trouble. I'm settling into Cena and I like my teachers, though a lot of my classmates seem not to take things seriously here. They'd rather loaf around than do their homework. But they'll get their just desserts at the year's end, right? (Here there was a little closed-eyed smiley face.)
I met a funny girl here; her name is Sasha. She says she's friends with a girl at Legion, Hange. I don't remember any Hange. She said they went to junior high together, and they don't get to see each other often anymore, so if you happen to run across this Hange person, you can pass a hello on from Sasha. I told Erwin in his letter, too. Sasha is frickin' hilarious... she said she got in trouble at opening ceremonies because she was eating a potato - a baked potato! - right there in the front row, like it was the normal thing to do. She was in the dean's office until sundown. I wish you could hear her tell it; it sounds a lot funnier.
Anyway, I miss you guys and I really hope I get to see you before spring break rolls around. Erwin said you have a Titan game coming up; kick their butts, OK?
Annie
She had drawn a little heart by her name. Weird.
Levi stuffed the letter back into its envelope to help contain its scent. He threw away the junk mail, left the rest on the table and took his letter to his study, where he opened his filing cabinet.
L for letters... letters from guy friends (a file composed of pieces mostly written to him from classmates at summer camp, or when he was attending soccer camp, karate camp or fencing camp) ... letters from family (a thin folder with hardly anything in it) ... letters from girls (an expanding file, which he opened) ... L for Leonhart, Annie. She had written him only one proper letter before, and it had been on a single sheet of stationery enclosed in a letter to Erwin when Annie was at summer camp, herself. Why the hell was this file so stuffed? Oh, right... half the girls gave him Valentines each year...
"Dammit, Valentine's day is coming up," he grumbled to himself as he closed the file drawer again. He sullenly squelched across the carpet and slumped into his computer chair. He began unlacing his boots while he waited for his laptop to wake up.
Once his boots were off, he felt the full unpleasantness of his wet feet and he peeled his knee socks off hurriedly. He sat cross-legged in the chair, burying his cold, damp feet under his legs.
After sorting through spam emails and game update notifications, Levi opened the message he had been waiting for: an email from his uncle.
Hey, kiddo!
Sorry to take off out of the blue like that. This buddy of mine was going to Jade Rose and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to go along. We've been hitting the slots a little, but mostly the blackjack table. Haven't won much yet, but haven't lost much either, and I feel lucky! I left the checkbook in my desk drawer so you can have Keith keep the bills up to date if I'm not back in time.
Not sure when I'll be back, but I hope it's before too long. Wish me luck and keep the house spotless! lol
~Kenny
Kenny didn't care much about clutter, but he knew how much it irked Levi; ergo the last comment.
Levi closed the email with a sigh. It's a sad thing, he thought to himself, when you find yourself to be a more responsible adult than your own guardian.
He changed into dry clothes and put his wet ones in the hall for Keith to take care of. Then he got out his textbooks and settled in to do his homework. If he was lucky, he would be done before it got dark.
It had taken Hange all evening to get her homework done, mainly because she kept thinking about her weird visit from Levi. When her mother, Ella, finally got home, she decided she had better tell her what had happened. If she found out from someone else, she'd never hear the end of it.
"You just got into the car of a boy you didn't know?" Ella exclaimed.
"I know him... sort of. He asked me to try out for reporter for the school newspaper today."
"Really? Huh."
Hange was a little annoyed that her mother seemed to think the idea a strange one, but she knew how to pick her battles. "So, when he offered me a ride... I mean it was pouring, so..."
"Why didn't you have your umbrella?"
"I forgot to check the weather this morning. I will next time."
"You're going to catch cold for sure," Ella lamented.
"I'm not a baby. I dried out fine..."
"Anyway, who is this Levi? Do I know his parents?"
"...No, I don't think so. He lives with his uncle. His last name is... Ackerman, I think."
Ella's eyes widened. "That could be bad... or good, I guess. The Ackermans tend to be rich." A smile was growing on her face.
"Oh, mom... don't start!" Hange pleaded. Her mother seemed to have only two opinions of boys her age: they were devils or good marriage prospects.
"What? I'm not... but think about it. Is he cute? How old did you say he is?"
Desperate to stop this train of thought, Hange blurted, "He's friends with Erwin Smith."
Silence reigned for a moment. Then Ella said slowly, "Oh... I see."
"And anyway, he's a real smart-mouth and know-it-all, and everyone nice considers him a bit of a snob, so... you know, he can't be very cute, right?" Hange finished, knowing her mother's faulty logic very well.
"I guess he can't," Ella agreed.
"There you go."
"Hm. It's a shame... is he close friends with Erwin?"
"I dunno; seems like it."
"That's too bad. It's so sad that Erwin's taking such an interest in that sweet girl, Petra..."
"Huh? What are you talking about? How do you know stuff like that?"
Ella laughed. "Because Petra's mom is my boss's sister-in-law, silly."
"Oh... should have known it was something like that." Hange sighed. "Look, I just wanted to let you know he drove me home and he came in for a few minutes. Then he left. It was fine."
"Well, all right... Just try to let me know first next time."
"OK." Hange knew she couldn't have let her mother know - she wasn't supposed to interrupt her at work except for emergencies - but she didn't argue. "I'm going to finish my homework," she said.
By the time Ella told her to put her light out, all the homework was done, but she'd barely thought of a topic for her news story. She wasn't sure about it... controversial was good, but annoying her editors was dangerous. She sighed and pulled up her covers. Maybe after a good sleep she would have a better idea, or know how to better present this one.
She hurried to the newsroom after her last class. She had been scribbling in a notebook between all her classes, and even during a few of them. Even now, her story was barely a complete rough draft, but it would have to do. She paused outside the newsroom door, not wanting to arrive out of breath. As she stood there panting, she heard Erwin's voice from inside.
"I can handle this if you want to go ahead to soccer practice."
"It won't take long," Levi's voice answered. "Give the recruits a chance to warm up without us."
"Have you thought about Valentine's day?"
"More than I care to."
Erwin laughed. "I was thinking... we should do something fun. I might ask Petra to a movie. You should get a girl and we can all go together."
"You know I have no interest in things like that. Anyway, why Petra?"
"Why not? She's really pretty, don't you think?"
Hange was annoyed to hear them talking this way, and it just figured that looks were all Erwin was interested in. She should knock now instead of eavesdropping, but her curiosity got the better of her.
"I guess so," Levi answered, sounding bored.
"Anyway, it doesn't have to be like a date. You could ask anyone. Hey, why not ask Hange?"
Her eyes widened. Her awkward-meter was off the scale... and yet... spending time with the most popular boys in school did have appeal, in spite of her loathing for them.
"Hange?" Levi repeated.
"Sure. She's a little goth, but she's kind of cute under all that."
There was a very long pause. Then Levi said in the same bored tone, "She's tolerable. But not striking enough to tempt me."
She huffed out a little breath. Goth... tolerable... what a couple of jackasses. She knocked on the door.
"Come in," Erwin called.
Hange entered the room and thrust her notebook at Erwin's chest. "I didn't have time to type it up," she said. "Sorry."
"No problem..." Erwin took the notebook and passed it to Levi.
Levi leaned on the edge of the desk behind him, resting one foot against its side as his eyes scanned the lined paper. He was wearing riding boots, of all things. Hange hoped he wasn't having trouble reading her writing.
"Um... so, you'll let me know?"
"Yeah, we'll let you know by tomorrow," Erwin said. "Maybe tonight - do you text?"
Her number hadn't changed since they were dating... but as far as Hange knew, Erwin still didn't know that Levi knew they had dated at all. She didn't want to go through the pretense of giving him a number he already had.
"I do..." she said slowly.
Without taking his eyes off the notebook, Levi whipped out his phone and held it out to her. "Put your number in my contacts," he said.
She wasn't crazy about giving Mr. Perfect her number, but it was a preferable alternative to pretending to give it to Erwin for the first time, so she complied.
"I should get going," she said. "I have Lit club."
"And we have soccer," Levi said, reaching for his gym bag, eyes still on the notebook.
Erwin pulled the door wide and let Hange exit first.
"By the way," Erwin said, "I got a letter from my sister at Cena."
Hange halted. Where was this going?
"She met a friend of yours - Sasha. She says hi."
"Oh... thanks." She hurried away to the classroom where her after-school group met.
Annie had met Sasha... "Potato Girl," she said they had nicknamed her at Cena. God, Hange missed her. Sasha might not have a lot in common with her, but she had never made fun of her and was always willing to listen to anything Hange wanted to talk about. That was saying a lot. She hoped Erwin didn't do something stupid, like tell Annie to give Sasha a hard time because he was bitter about what happened between them... No, she told herself, he wouldn't be that petty.
"Punk," Levi said, when they were alone again, on their way to the locker room.
"Excuse me?" Erwin said sharply.
"You said 'goth.' She's not goth; she's punk. Hange, I mean."
"Oh. Well... potato, po-tah-to... What's the difference?"
"Music style primarily, but also subtle differences in appearance that I wouldn't expect you to pick up on."
"Well then, it's a good thing I have you around to pick up on it for me, right?"
"Sure."
The locker room was nearly deserted; they were late.
"You should know," Levi told him, as he pulled off his jacket, "I know about you and Hange."
Erwin paused only a moment before going back to getting his soccer uniform out of his locker. "Which version have you heard?" he asked.
"Hers."
"OK... do you think less of me?"
"I don't think so... except maybe for one thing." Levi finished unbuttoning his shirt and folded it neatly before pulling on his soccer jersey.
"Which is?" Erwin prompted.
"Did you ever apologize to her? I can see you're trying to be genteel toward her, and actions go a long way, but sometimes words mean more to a girl."
"Mm." Erwin laced up his cleats meticulously before he answered. "No, I haven't officially apologized to her."
"I won't presume to tell you what to do, but... I hope you'll consider it."
Their friendship was an unusual one - Levi respected Erwin as his elder and as a senior, not to mention as a person who could easily destroy him if he chose. However, in many particular matters, Erwin deferred to Levi's judgment, and that had become more and more the case throughout this school year.
"I will," Erwin answered.
They finished getting dressed and Erwin put an arm across Levi's shoulders. "I'm sure everyone will have noticed Swift's not here by now," he said. "Let's go give them a reality check, Captain."
"Yes, sir," Levi answered grimly. Sometimes he called Erwin "Coach" and sometimes even "Commander," when he was in a whimsical mood. But when the occasion was solemn and called for respect, it was "sir." Always.
Soccer practice next. Eren, Mikasa and Armin will come in soon. Hope you're enjoying it.