The very next day, the cadets had an aptitude test. It was simple balancing off the ground using the harness.
People like Sasha, Marco and Nadine didn't have much problem. They got the hang of it in one go. Jean and Connie had to put up a struggle with the equipment but could manage to stay upright for a minute. Mikasa had a natural talent for it, the instructor observed, as she dangled above the ground with grace. Even Armin had managed a minute. Eren Yeager, however-
"What the fuck are you doing, Eren Yeager?" Shadis screeched, bending to Eren's level as he toppled over, hanging upside down, "Get yourself upright! NOW!"
Eren looked at everyone, terrified, unable to comprehend where he went wrong. Some from the crowd watching him laughed openly, making fun of him.
Nadine rushed towards him as he tried again, "Eren, it's all about balance! Maintain your posture. Keep your back…stra- Oh my God, are you alright?"
Over and over again, the boy kept falling over and the jeering crowd increased.
"Leave him be, Tomato. He got what he deserved." Jean stood next to her, "Didn't think he'd be weeded out so easily after his little, bitchy outburst yesterday."
The girl frowned, eyebrow twitching at the nickname he gave her, "Outburst?"
"He ranted about how he wants to join the Survey Corps and kill all the titans." He scoffed, "What a load of crap. Only retards would join the Suicide Corps. I don't understand why Mikasa is around someone like him."
Nadine's frown deepened at Jean's words. She opened her mouth to protest when Marco spoke up from behind them.
"That's not very nice, Jean." He stood with them, with Nadine in the middle and the boys on either side of her.
"Hey, I'm being honest."
Nadine looked at the Jean, "Unnecessarily honest, if you ask me."
"I'm not asking you." He looked back at her.
"Git."
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Speak up, Tomato!"
Marco broke them up, "Let's just head back. We're done with today, right? Did you run laps, Nadine?"
"She finished first," Jean said, before the girl could reply, "How can anyone run that fast and not break a sweat?"
Nadine shrugged, "I don't know. I just enjoy running. I'm heading back to the barracks. Are you two staying?"
"No. I'll come with." Marco smiled, as the Shadis screamed at Eren to undo his belt and run laps, "I'm gonna wash up before dinner. Jean?"
"As fun as it has been, watching Yeager fall on his face, I'll come too."
"Sasha, did you steal the apple from the kitchens?" Nadine asked her roommate, who was munching on the fruit, sitting cross-legged on the bottom bunk.
"I didn't s-"
"Don't bother," The freckled girl, her other roommate, whose name Nadine still didn't know, said, while lying on her back on the bed, "She'll say that she borrowed it. Because she liked its colour. And its smell. I swear she's an animal."
"So cold, Ymir."
Nadine presumed that the freckled girl's name was Ymir. She suddenly strongly felt that she had heard the name somewhere. However, she brushed it aside, removed her jacket and folded it, placing it on her bunk before sitting next to Sasha, who had finished off the apple, "Couldn't you wait until dinner?"
"Was hungry." The brunette replied.
"Are you two going to the showers before dinner, then?"
"I'm waiting for Krista." Ymir sat up, "Who're you, again?"
Nadine chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head, "I'm…Nadine. Vogel. You're…roommate?"
"Carrottop." She snorted, gesturing at her hair, and Nadine felt herself growing embarrassed.
She quickly excused herself and made a beeline to the showers. She freshened up and wore her purple tunic and black leggings which reached her mid-calf. At the same time, Mikasa exited the shower, all dressed.
"Nice look!" Nadine said, referring to the Mikasa's haircut.
She smiled, "Eren said it would get in that way. So I cut it off last night."
"Dinner?"
Mikasa nodded and the two made their way to the dining hall, talking.
"It's a relief that I'm not on kitchen duty. I only got to eat the leftovers last night." Nadine sighed, "Hopefully, it's not stew today." They entered the dining hall.
"It is stew today." Mikasa pointed out, observing everyone, "And bread."
Nadine groaned as they got their food. She spotted Marco and told Mikasa that she'd be sitting with him. The girl nodded in response and walked towards Eren and Armin. Eren had a bandage wrapped around his head which appeared to be-
Is that steam? Nadine blinked twice to see clearly, No…I must've been mistaken.
"Did you write to Dora?" The red-haired girl asked as she plopped down next to Jean, facing Marco, who shook his head in response.
"I'll do it tonight. What about you?"
"Mom's probably in Stohess for her doctor stuff. Dad is in Karanese, checking up on the Garrison. No point in writing a letter."
"Your mom works in the Interior?" Jean asked, bewildered.
"Not really. She's a doctor. Goes wherever work takes her….I think. Though usually it's the Interior." Nadine ate a spoon of stew and struggled to swallow it, "Bleh, this is really bland."
Marco frowned, "What are you talking about? The stew tastes fine."
"No, it doesn't. It doesn't have any salt."
"It does!"
"No. You can barely taste it."
"Nadine's right." Jean said, tasting his own food, "There's less salt in it. But I guess it is to be expected. Salt is an expensive ingredient."
This time, Nadine frowned, "I forgot that it was that expensive."
"Privileged brat." Jean snorted and she elbowed him in the ribs.
"What is the schedule for tomorrow?" Marco asked, finishing his stew.
"Hmm…it's a repeat of the aptitude test. For those who failed today. Then, we'll be having arms and legs strengthening exercises and then running laps while carrying weights." Nadine listed off the activities one by one.
Jean groaned, "That's one exhausting timetable. Wonder when they'll start teaching us how to use the gear."
"That'll be after the first six months." She replied, "We need to be extremely fit to use the 3DMG so the exercises are really very important. We'll have lessons in Politics, History and Theory of Titans."
"How do you know all that?"
"Your aunt must've told you, right?" Marco asked, chewing his bread.
"Her and Ehaan. Ehaan bhaiyya used to show me his bruises sometimes when he came home on one or two weekends. We'll be taught sparring too." Nadine gave up her stew and began to eat her bread, "Oh god, the bread tastes weird too."
"Bh-what?" Jean furrowed his eyebrows.
"Elder brother." Marco grinned, "Her aunt and elder brother are in the Survey Corps."
"Privileged military brat, then."
"I'm not talking to you anymore."
"Like I care, Vogel."
"Marco, tell your friend to shut his trap."
"Grow the hell up."
The bell rang, signalling the end of dinnertime. Marco got up and gathered his plate and mug, "Come on. You two can bicker later."
The two stood and followed him. Nadine shoved Jean aside to walk next to Marco.
"He makes Luke look like a toddler."
"He's not that bad, Nadine." Marco chuckled.
"Hey, who's Luke now?"
Nadine was exhausted the next day. She had slept fitfully because of the dreams that had tormented her mind. She dreamt of the Colossal Titan breaking the Wall which then changed to a blonde titan running across the open fields. She saw Jean carrying a corpse through a ruined street. The scene morphed into Sasha aiming at something with a bow and arrow.
She woke with a start, breathing heavily and sweat dripping down the back of her neck. Pushing back her hair, which was sticking to her wet forehead, Nadine got off the bunk bed, trying not to wake Sasha or Ymir. Quietly slipping out of their room, she ambled to the showers, washed up and dressed into her uniform. The sun was already visible on the horizon and the skies were turning a shade of pink.
By the time Nadine had slowly finished her breakfast, cadets had started filing in. She sat in a corner of the dining area, trying to rub the sleepiness away from her eyes.
"Couldn't sleep?" It was the blond, buff guy who had stood opposite to Nadine during the first day who came and sat at her table, facing her.
"No…Nightmares…" The red-haired girl mumbled. Looking up at him while frowning, she said, "I'm sorry…I don't know your name."
"Reiner." He introduced himself, "My name's Reiner Braun. That one next to you is Bertolt Hoover."
"Next to…me?" She turned to see a really tall boy sitting beside her. Nadine yelped in surprise, "When did you get here?"
Bertolt looked a little surprised, "I've been sitting here since you've finished eating…You-you didn't notice?"
"I…didn't, actually. Sorry. I'm Nadine Vogel…" Nadine stifled a yawn, "This is the first time in a long while that I have had weird dreams."
"What kind of dreams?" Reiner asked, curiously, "If you don't mind telling me."
She sighed heavily, "I just remember bits of it. And then I woke up terrified."
"That sounds bad," The boy next to her frowned. He blushed when Nadine gave him a small smile while nodding.
The three chatted for a while before reporting to Shadis.
"Eren better do well today." Reiner said as they watched the Chief Instructor yell at some of the cadets, including Eren, to attempt the balancing exercise again, "We stayed up late trying to teach him."
"I'm sure he'll be fine this time," Nadine smiled at him.
"Eren Yeager!" Keith Shadis yelled at the brunet, "Are you prepared?"
"Yes sir!" Eren had a determined look on his face. He was sweating already.
"Begin." The instructor said, scrutinizing the teenage boy with his sunken eyes.
As Thomas Wagner began to turn the lever, Nadine noted that Mikasa and Armin were standing next to Bertolt, anticipating a positive result. Eren slowly got off the ground and had successfully managed to dangle for about seven seconds with his arms stretched at his side. The huge crowd that had gathered to watch cheered loudly until Eren fell backwards.
"Oh no!" Bertolt exclaimed.
Nadine held her breath as Reiner, Mikasa and Armin stood there is shock.
There was a collective gasp and Eren cried out, "I can still do it! I can-"
"Let him down." Shadis calmly said, still staring at the boy.
Eren fell to his knees as the harness lowered. He looked close to tears until the instructor ordered Thomas to exchange belts with him. This time, Eren was triumphant. Though he had to struggle a little, the boy was able to balance himself.
Shadis held Eren's belt in his hands, "Your equipment was defective. The fittings on your belt were damaged. I didn't even know that could happen but I suppose I need to add them to the maintenance list."
"D-does that mean.." Someone from the crowd stuttered, "He held himself upright…with broken equipment?"
"Amazing!" Someone else whispered in awe.
After declaring that Eren had passed the aptitude assessment, the brunet looked at his friends while grinning ear to ear, mumbling under his breath. His friends, on the other hand, stared at him with their mouths slightly open.
"Phew," Reiner smirked, "He pulled through."
"I…think he's saying 'see that?'" Armin turned to Mikasa.
"No, he's not." Mikasa quietly said and the four of them turned towards her.
"Huh?"
"He's thinking that he won't have to be separated from me. He's feeling relieved." The girl clarified in a serious tone.
Nadine chuckled awkwardly as the boys stared at Mikasa in disbelief, "I'm not sure that's exactly what he means, Mikasa."
