Chapter 14: Finding Ymir

When Ymir walked into school this morning, she wasn't surprised to see the majority of the student body either glaring at her or shuffling away in fear. Apparently, word had spread of her little scuffle with the other boys, and she could only imagine the shit she'd be getting from here on for leaving Krista.

She wasn't far off, since a couple of guys bumped into her shoulder as they came by, despite there being plenty room in the hallway. Ymir rolled her eyes and put her foot out, tripping another valiant warrior. He pushed himself up, indignant, but one look into Ymir's cold, expressionless eyes made him pale in fear and run away, tail between his legs.

"Coward," she muttered. She continued on her way, ignoring everyone who tried to 'teach her a lesson' and stopped in front of the door of room '104'. There were loud whispers and hushed shouts coming from the inside, and when she turned the knob and stepped in, the room quieted down. She raised an eyebrow and sat at her usual seat.

Mina and her clique were gossiping, as usual, and they were pointing at Ymir as they talked. Ymir rolled her eyes and slumped forward. However, the mention of a familiar name caused her to perk her ears and lean towards them slightly.

"Krista... good for her."

"Why... protect her?"

"...so useless... hypocrite..."

Ymir was starting to see red. How dare they? No one made fun of Krista other than her, and it was with painful realization that Ymir finally understood she still cared for Krista – she still loved her, despite everything that happened.

She slammed her fists on her desk and stood up, marching to Mina's group. They backed away in fear and surprise. Mina trembled but stayed put, crossing her arms. She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips, leaning forward.

"And what do you want?" she sneered.

"For you to stop talking shit about people you know nothing about."

"What do you care? Aren't you the one who ditched Krista?"

"Aren't you supposed to be her friend?"

"Friends? As if I could be friends with a goody-too-shoes who refuses to do what's right and set you aside. Honestly, what does she even see in you? You're a nasty person with a cruel personality, and no one, I mean no one, likes you. At. All!"

Ymir clenched her fists and locked her jaw. Mina was really going to get it from her if she didn't shut her mouth. The comments about her socializing were a drop in the bucket compared to the storm brewing in her at the insult to Krista. Her eyes darkened with anger and a frightening rage brewed inside her.

"What, nothing to say?"

"Shut up, bitch. You know exactly who I am, what I am, and what I will do to your face if you keep talking shit to mine."

Mina smirked and pointed at her jaw. "I dare you. Here, punch me, right now."

"Gladly."

Ymir lifted her fist and socked Mina right on her eye. Mina shrieked in pain and fell back, clutching her now swollen eye socket. Her friends squealed in fright and crowded around her, voicing their concern and surprise. Ymir crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. She asked for it, didn't she?

"YMIR!"

The brunette sighed and turned around. The one day Keith decides to show up early…

When Krista walked into class that very same morning, she didn't expect to see Ymir's seat empty, nor did she imagine that there would be such a ruckus. Mina was absent, along with her closest friend, and everyone was talking about a fight between Ymir and Mina. Ymir get into a fight? That was simply absurd.

Krista sat down at her seat and turned to Sasha, who was busily crunching on a granola bar. Mikasa hadn't been joking when she said she wanted her on a healthy diet! "Hey, Sasha!"

Sasha smiled toothily, trail mix stuck between her teeth. "Hey!"

"Where's Mikasa?"

"Oh, she had to escort Ymir to the office with Keith."

"What! Why?"

"Ymir got into a fight with Mina and punched her eye."

"N-no way!"

"Yes, it's true! Just ask her friends!"

"I think I will! There had to have been a reason, I mean, Ymir got over punching people at a whim."

"I believe you, but Ymir really did hurt Mina. Mikasa saw it when she walked into class."

"Where were you?"

"I was hiding from Keith in the bathroom. He was looking for me, which is why he came to class early and saw the fight. I was on the way to class when I saw Mikasa pull Ymir to vice-principal Pixis' office. "

"I see, thank you, Sasha, but I think I'm going to have to ask those girls what happened."

"Okay! Bye, Krista!"

"See you!"

Krista crossed the classroom to the clucking clique confidently, albeit cautiously. They stopped whispering when she stepped in front of them, and a pretty redhead turned her nose up as she stared the little blonde down.

"Oh, so it's little Krista, huh? What, are you coming here to finish what your monster friend started?"

Krista furrowed her eyebrows at the insult and crossed her arms. What was her problem, exactly? Krista did nothing wrong to her, at least from what her memories told her. Maybe this girl had some sort of beef with her for something else.

"No, I just came here to find out what happened. And don't call her a monster, that's not very nice."

The redhead scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Typical! You defending her is so laughable, it's not even worth making fun of. You're like a sick little puppy, constantly trailing around her like she's got some sort of golden reward for you. Or treats, if you dig that. I heard she threw you out on the curb, and yet still you follow her. Are you in love with her or something?"

Krista blushed heavily but grit her teeth. Her eyebrow was twitching in annoyance and she clenched her fists. She would not give in to this girl's purposeful taunting. She would not! She didn't cause harm to others, she couldn't.

"You didn't answer me. I want to know what happened between Mina and Ymir."

"So you wanna know? Why? What does that have to do with you?"

"Because! I want to know!"

"Why does it matter? Ymir is most likely gonna get a detention at lunch and probably suspended for her violence. It was all her fault anyway! She just came up to us with this angry face and randomly punched Mina for no damn reason!"

"I doubt that," Krista muttered, turning away and stomping to her seat. She was in a gloomy mood, but perked up when she thought of the opportunity presented to her. Ymir was in detention at lunch! It was perfect! If Krista could get into detention with her, then Ymir would have no choice but to listen to Krista since she couldn't walk out of the classroom. But how was she supposed to get herself in detention?

Keith walked in just then, seething, and tightly gripped his attendance sheet. Krista felt an idea coming and displayed a very Ymir-like smirk.

"You do understand why you're here, correct?"

"Yeah."

"And you do understand there are consequences for harming another student?"

"Yep."

"Then, why did you do it?"

"She was talking crap about me."

"I doubt it, Ymir, because I know you. You do not care what other people think of you. Why, when I brought my pretty little lady over to see the school, and she made a nasty comment about you, you simply shrugged and walked away. What is it, really, Ymir?"

"Look, Mister Pixis, I think we both know that I'm just gonna get a suspension, so let's get it over with."

"And you were making such good progress, too! Oh, wait, I think I understand now. It was about Krista, wasn't it?"

Ymir grit her teeth and turned her head. "No."

"Okay, fine, here's the deal. I don't give you a suspension, just detention for today at lunch, if you admit the real reason you punched Mina."

Ymir raised an eyebrow and laughed. Pixis was dead serious, though, and leaned forward with his fingers interlaced and elbows propped on his desk. The brunette stopped laughing and trailed off awkwardly. "You're serious? You can actually do that?"

"I can and I will. I'm dying to know, nothing interesting ever happens in this school."

"Have you been by the bins at the back of the school? That shit's so interesting you could make thousands off of it."

"Really? Ahem, anyway – so? Are you willing to take me up on my offer?"

"A suspension sounds better than a detention, to be honest."

"A suspension ends up on your permanent record. Say goodbye to a good university!"

"I can't believe you're blackmailing me into admitting something so trivial."

"And I can't believe you're so reluctant in telling me the truth. It's true, isn't it?"

"Yes! Now leave me the hell alone and give me the detention slip!"

"As I thought. You're softening up, Ymir."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, you old coot. I'm outta here."

Ymir walked out of the vice-principal's office and turned a corner, intending to skip out on class. Just then, Krista walked to the door from down the hall and knocked lightly. Her expression was fearful and her knees were knocking together from nervousness. Never, in her entire life, had she ever had a detention. But, for Ymir, she'd get expelled if it meant talking to her again. A measly detention and a scolding from her parents was a fair trade for a word from the brunette.

"Come in!"

"H-hello, Mister Pixis."

"Ah, Krista, it's good to see you! You know, Ymir was here just now. Oh? Is that a note for me? Krista, you know how important roll call is to Professor Keith, right?"

"Yes sir, I do."

"Then why did you do this?"

"I want to see what detention looks like. I kept hearing things from Ymir that it's a hell and absolutely horrible so I wanted to see myself! That's all!"

"Ah, well, I guess there's no helping it. Here's the detention slip. Levi will be the monitoring teacher, and he is expecting you exactly five minutes after the lunch bell. Do not be late. That is all."

"Yes sir, thank you sir."

Krista exited the office and made her way back to class. Pixis chuckled to himself and drew hearts on the corner of his notebook.

"They're both horrible liars," he laughed.

At lunch, Krista was actually waiting for Levi to unlock the door for the detention classroom. Other students rolled their eyes as they walked by, chuckling. Levi simply sighed and entered, lifting his mug of coffee to his lips. He absolutely detested his lunchtime duty, but it was better than listening to Hanji spew out her theories in the teacher's lounge, not to mention it allowed him to read his books in silence.

Krista sat at the front, but when Ymir slunk in and moved to the back, she followed her. Ymir ignored her, resting her head on her desk. The blonde pressed her lips together in thought, glanced at Levi, who was welcoming students in, then leaned toward Ymir discreetly.

"Ymir!" she whispered loudly, "hey, Ymir!"

Ymir continued to ignore her and Krista decided to poke her head continuously. Eventually, the brunette slammed her palms on the desk and locked her jaw as she glared at the little blonde.

"What is it?" she grit through her teeth. They both glanced at Levi, who didn't bother with a formal introduction and simply sat at the desk with his feet propped up, nose in his latest novel.

"I heard about what you did–"

"I guess you believe their filthy lies about me, right?"

"No, I don't. I want to know what happened from you."

"What the hell are you doing in detention anyway?"

"You just noticed?"

"I think I was too shocked to have picked up on it right away. So? What did the princess of our grade do this time?"

"I ignored Keith during roll call and I sassed him."

Ymir made a noise of disbelief through her mouth and raised her eyebrows. "No way."

"Well, I'm here, aren't I?"

"I guess so."

"Okay, so will you tell me what happened?"

"I never said I would."

"Aw, Ymir! I answered your question so you should answer mine!"

"No. Why am I even talking to you, anyway? Leave me alone."

"That's another thing I want to talk about! What's up with you? I found out about the fight, by the way, and you know what? It was my mother and Edward who set those boys up!"

Ymir simply shook her head, leaning forward and concealing her eyes with her fringe. "That doesn't make it any less true."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ladies, I understand your need to chatter and gossip, but kindly shut the fuck up while in detention. I'm trying to read through the climax here, and you girls whispering loudly isn't helping set the mood the author was trying to achieve," Levi scolded sharply, turning a page.

"Yes, sir, sorry, sir," Krista apologized, bowing her head. When Ymir did nothing, Krista elbowed her and smiled when the brunette let out a grunt.

"Sorry."

"Are you going to elaborate on what you mean, Ymir?" Krista continued, lowering her voice so Levi couldn't hear them.

Ymir stayed quiet, weighing her options. She decided to evade and avoid. "I punched Mina 'cause she talked trash about you."

Krista blushed a bit and turned away. "You did that for me?"

Ymir ignored her and laid her head down. Krista felt a warm feeling bubble up in her chest and fell deeper in love with Ymir. All this time, she refrained from using violence thanks to Krista, but she ended up using violence just to defend her. No one had ever stood up for her before like she did, despite having resorted to an option Krista would have preferred to avoid. Krista kept quiet, wondering how she could patch things up between them when the bell rang.

Ymir quickly stood and rushed out the door. Krista tried to follow her but lost her in the crowd. She was too short to see above anyone's head, much less their shoulder, so she sighed and prepared herself for third period.

She needed a plan, and fast.

After school, Krista was in a much brighter mood than yesterday. Her encounter with Ymir had given her hope, since now she knew that Ymir still cared for her. However, it seemed that Ymir was intent on ignoring her. The brunette was jogging stiffly away from the school, head ducked and hands stuffed in her pockets. Krista pressed her lips together in thought. She furrowed her eyebrows slightly and made to follow her, but a hand to her shoulder told her otherwise.

Edward kept his hand firm and tightened it with every second, until Krista turned to him with a strange expression. It appeared pained, yet frustrated beyond belief. Edward released his grip and ushered his charge to the familiar sedan. Krista turned her head and saw Ymir glance behind her before fleeing. The blonde sighed but entered the car, brushing away Edward's concerns about her book bag and comfort. They were all strained and fake, anyway.

As they were driving away from the establishment, Krista had a sinking feeling that Ymir would do something drastic, something to push her away. It was just a feeling, however, and it disappeared as fast as it appeared. She stared out the rear window, trying to find the brunette. Edward glanced at her through the rear view mirror and tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

The next day, Krista rushed out of the sedan the second the tires stopped turning and slammed the door behind her. She ignored Edward's cries of outrage and dashed into the learning facility. She searched for Ymir everywhere, twisting and turning around the students, but no luck. Instead, Krista exited the school and looked outside, trying to locate Ymir. No luck either.

The bell rang and she decided she would probably see her in class, so she reluctantly gave up her search and entered room 104. To the utter disappointment and heartbreak of Krista, Ymir was not present at her desk. The blonde silently crept forward, brushing her fingertips against the cool wooden surface of Ymir's desk.

Where could she possibly be?

Krista decided to sit in Ymir's desk for the day and placed her book bag beside her. When she gripped the sides of the desk, she paled and wiped her hands on her skirt. There were old pieces of chewed gum lined up along the sides of the wood.

She leaned forward on her arms and closed her eyes, thinking. Ymir skipped school today. Did it have to do with avoiding Krista? Why? How could she fix it, and where could she possibly find Ymir? Her head started to hurt and she squeezed her eyes shut. The only way she could possibly look for Ymir would be to skip school as well, or bypass Edward somehow and search the city after school. The second option sounded more difficult and riddled with consequences, while the first seemed equally painful as well. What should she do?

"Krista Lenz?"

Krista jumped, performing a quick salute. "Sir!"

"I want you to take this leaflet to the office. Seems we have an absence today."

"Of course, sir, right away."

She stood up, greeted her friends quietly, and slowly approached Keith. His eyes were not as narrowed as usual, but the sharp lines around his orbs were still present. His mouth was slightly curbed down, and he appeared to be thinking what with the slight contraction of his eyebrow muscles. Krista took note of his expression and bowed as she left the classroom. However, instead of going straight to the secretary, she decided to pay someone else a visit.

She knocked on a door and let herself in when the occupant permitted it. She smiled and sat down on a chair. The man opposite her laced his fingers and leaned forward, smiling kindly.

"What can I do for you, Krista?"

"Mister Pixis, I need your help."

"Oh? What for?"

"It's about Ymir: she's skipped school."

"I never figured you to tattle on her, dear."

Krista shook her head and waved her arms around after placing the attendance leaflet on the desk. "Oh, no! That's not my intention at all, sir! You see, I want to fix our relationship, but I can't do that after school. My only choice is to do it during school."

Mr. Pixis suddenly gained a solemn expression. "I cannot allow that. School regulations state that–"

"Sir, it's dire. I'm afraid that Ymir will continue skipping school."

"That's absurd. No matter what the problem may be, Ymir takes school very seriously. Surely, this little banter–"

"But it's not little, sir!" Krista shouted, standing up. She gasped and bowed deeply. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout." She lifted her head and stared Pixis in the eye. The vice-principal was shocked stiff from what he saw. "Sir, I'm sure you've heard of those boys she dealt with not too long ago. They said some things to her that she took to heart. She has been moody and depressed ever since, as you've noticed when she hurt Mina. Please, Mister Pixis, I'm prepared to beg and plead and cry for this. I–"

Krista ducked her head and wiped away the tears that started to spill forth. Her lips quivered and she bit back a sob. Now was not the time to break down, now was the time to be persuasive. Krista slowly forced herself to meet the aging man's sympathetic gaze and bit the inside of her cheek harshly.

"I love her, sir, and I don't want anything bad to happen to her," she concluded firmly.

Pixis leaned back and closed his eyes. He sighed, but grinned. "You sure know your stuff for a little one. I'll have to assign an escort, though, because of school policy. But for now, we won't do anything." He raised his hand when Krista opened her mouth. "I'm not entirely convinced that Ymir will continue to skip, so we'll give it a week. I'm sorry, Krista, but this is the way we need to do things. I understand your haste, but Ymir is not stupid, nor is she rash when it concerns her life."

Krista couldn't prevent the disappointment from filling her eyes as she turned her head. "Yes, I understand."

"Come now, don't be like that, dear. I'm sure you'll enjoy who I plan to assign as your escort. Just please remember to not let any other students know what you are up to, alright? After one week, if Ymir has not shown up for school, then I want you here, at my office. Then, we will talk about you searching for her. Understand?"

"Yes, sir! Thank you very much, Mister Pixis!"

"Haha, it's a pleasure! I'm quite a sucker for love stories, especially one as interesting as yours."

Krista blushed deeply and covered her face with her hands. "S-sir!"

"Go back to class! I'll deal with Ymir's attendance myself. For now, just concern yourself with getting ahead on your school work. That will show me how serious you are about this little outing. You are dismissed."

Krista nodded through her hands and turned around to leave. However, she tripped over the leg of the guest's chair and stumbled against the door. The last thing her burning ears heard was Pixis' barking laugh as she exited the office. She couldn't help the smile that crossed her face and resisted to dance across the hallway.

The urge was too great and she skipped along the hall instead, grinning.

A week passed by, and Ymir was still a no-show. Students started to wonder and gossip about her disappearance: 'was she dead? Did she run away? Did she change schools? Good riddance! The school is much safer without her threatening presence.' Throughout the whole ordeal, Krista had to fake a smile at her peers and force conversation with them. Their cruel words nagged at Krista and reminded her of the disdain they held for Ymir. It just wasn't easy for her, was it? What would they say or do if Krista was the one who brought her back? It was an interesting thought.

She hung out with her friends less and less over the course of the week, withdrawing to her own thoughts. They worried over her, and though only Mikasa, Reiner and Sasha reached out to her, Krista found she couldn't accept their sympathy. Ymir's pain was constantly on her mind, suffocating her with all the depression and sadness she felt. It made her smile less than usual and sometimes even decline pleas for help. She spent lunch at her usual spot, alone, and quietly nibbled on her lunch. Sometimes, she wouldn't be able to finish due to the nervous twisting in her stomach and threw her sandwich to the birds. On occasion, Tomas would even join her for lunch but would sit a metre away, not saying a word. Krista appreciated his quiet support.

She completed her course work ahead of time, just as Pixis suggested, and even went ahead and did Ymir's share as well. She had to occupy her lonely nights with work to be able to sleep. Often, she would sit at her desk after solving a problem and turn around in her chair. She'd look at her bed and remember the time Ymir slept next to her, backs facing each other. She'd remember waking up in the morning and noticing the muddy stain on her sheets and rolling her eyes while smiling fondly. She'd remember calling Ymir every day and night to talk, or simply to say 'hello' or wish her 'good night'. Sometimes she'd call just to hear her voice.

Krista trudged slowly across the school courtyard and entered the double doors. Students waved at her joyfully but awkwardly put their hands down when she didn't even bother to look up. They looked at each other and fidgeted, but shrugged and chatted with their friends. It was empty chatter, meant to provide noise and thus a distraction from a tense atmosphere.

Krista ignored all of it and dragged her feet to her homeroom. Keith stood at the entrance this time and stopped Krista from entering. The blonde looked up into his eyes, his a dark shade of brown, almost black, and emotionless, while hers were a dull shade of blue with dark rings under her eyes. She was sure he could see the anguish and depression she was feeling just by peeking into her windows.

"Here," he muttered quietly, pressing a slip of paper into her hands. Krista gripped it tightly and leaned against the wall beside the door. Keith stared at her for a while but turned away to enter his classroom. The small teen read the paper and crunched it up when she finished, throwing it into a nearby bin. She dashed down the hall, her steps clumsier than usual due to her excitement.

She reached Pixis' office and turned the knob without announcing her presence. Briefly, she noted this but was far too nervous to care. The vice-principal looked up from his stack of paperwork in surprise, but smiled upon noticing Krista's haggard and tired appearance.

"I take it Keith alerted you?" he asked knowingly.

"Yes," she breathed. She closed her mouth and concentrated on breathing through her nose. She sat down without being asked and Pixis raised an eyebrow, but refused to comment. He sighed and put his fountain pen down.

"Today, I will permit you to look for Ymir during school hours. However, I want you out of that uniform and out of sight from any authorities. I know that I am sending someone with you, but I don't want to take any chances and risk your safety. Do not be reckless, and do not waste time. I am only giving you today. If you fail, I'm sorry, but there's not much else I can do. You are to be back before school ends. Okay?"

Krista nodded and clutched her book bag to her chest. She'd need to find spare clothes but she wasn't sure where to go. Maybe her partner could help her!

"Sir, who is coming with me to search for Ymir?"

"Why, she should be here right now."

"She?"

A knock sounded at the door. "Come in!" Pixis called out, grinning. Krista turned in her chair and couldn't help the happy grin that spread across her face.

"Hey, Krista!" Petra chirped, holding a sports bag.

Once Krista was permitted to leave, after signing plenty of forms and waivers agreeing to Pixis' terms, Petra and her took the time to change their clothes in the girls' changing room. Once casually dressed, Petra shoved the school and nurse uniforms into the sports bag and threw it in her locker. She locked it without a second thought and turned to Krista with a grin.

"Alright! Let's go look for Ymir! Operation: Finding Ymir is a go!"

The blonde giggled and pumped her fist up. "Yeah! Let's do this!"

The girls linked arms as they walked out the school. Krista had a cap on her head that hid her eyes. She constantly fiddled with the rim nervously, which then made Petra frown and slap her hand away several times.

"Don't be like that. We'll find Ymir right away."

"Of course."

They both wore hoodies with funny designs on them and jeans that were loose enough to move around comfortably. They reached a car Petra had asked Levi to borrow, him having owed her a favour (but really, who could say no when she spoke about 'trusting one's comrades' with a cute pout?), and entered. Krista sat in the passenger seat and Petra at the wheel. Petra ignited the engine and filled the silence with chatter while they waited for it to heat it up.

"So, should we have code names?" Petra asked excitedly, grinning.

Krista tilted her head. "What for?"

"You know! So no one can guess who we are! I mean, we are undercover after all, right? Shouldn't we hide our identities as well?"

"I don't know, this could end up backfiring on us."

"Hmm, you're right. Say, why the long face?"

"I'm really worried for Ymir. I'm sorry, I don't mean to be a downer but this isn't as fun as you make it out to be."

"Oh no, I should be apologizing. I'm not taking this as seriously as I should be! Okay, I'll be serious, you can trust me!"

Krista smiled and Petra returned her smile, shifting gears and driving out of the parking lot. "I trust you, Petra."

The amber-eyed nurse took them out of the school grounds and onto the road. "So, Krista, where do we look first?"

Krista put a finger to her chin. "Let's stop by Ymir's apartment. Maybe she's hiding out there?"

Petra nodded and put one of her thumbs up. "Sounds good!" she exclaimed, turning to Krista with a grin.

"Petra! The road!"

"AHHH!"

The orange-haired driver swerved to the side to avoid an oncoming vehicle and both occupants let out a sigh of relief. Krista laughed nervously and shook her head.

"Do you still trust me?" Petra asked quietly.

"Of course. I'm still alive, aren't I?" Krista reassured.

"That you are!" Petra laughed.

Finally, they reached the dingy apartment complex that Ymir resided in and realized with a start they wouldn't be able to get in without inside help. They fidgeted, and noticed an old man approaching with a key card. Krista looked at Petra and the nurse shrugged. 'Go!' she mouthed. Krista nodded and swallowed nervously. This was for Ymir, she chanted in her head, all for Ymir.

Krista approached the man and bowed stiffly. "Uh, s-sir, could you help my friend and I? We're looking for someone and we don't know if they're here. Could you, perhaps, let us in the building?"

The man raised an eyebrow then squinted his eyes. "Wait a minute! Arentcha little Krista? The one Ymir brags about all the damn time?"

"B-brags?" Krista stuttered, eyes wide.

"Yeah! You are her, arentcha? Wow! Never thought I'd finally meet you! What're you doin' outside of school, little lady?"

Petra stepped in then and explained the situation to him, leaving out certain details. He nodded in understanding and sighed, scratching the back of his head.

"Well, she left for school and I haven't seen her since, so she's definitely not here. You'd have noticed anyway without going in. She's always throwin' stuff off of her balcony and makin' comments at other pedestrians."

"Figures," Krista muttered.

Petra sighed in disappointment but thanked the man. Krista thanked the man as well, even going as far as shaking his hand before following Petra back to the car. They climbed in and Petra led them down the road again. She turned on the radio and left it on classical station with a low volume.

"So, where do we look now?"

Krista looked out the window in thought and stared at Petra's reflection. "I think we should try the mall."

Petra raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Okay, I trust you. Let's do it."

Hours passed, but still, they found no trace of Ymir. It seemed as though the girl had disappeared off the face of the Earth. She wasn't at any of her and Krista's usual hang outs, nor at any typical teen meeting spots or any other social gathering for that matter. They looked all over the city and had even needed to refill the gas at some point.

With heavy hearts, they decided enough was enough, since their time was up. Krista sniffed quietly as she entered the passenger seat and Petra paused at the entrance to her side. She clenched her fists and sat in the driver's seat. She leaned over and pulled Krista into a fierce hug. Krista sobbed into Petra's shoulder, wrapping her arms around her neck. The nurse whispered soothing words into her ear and rubbed her back comfortingly. Krista simply buried her nose into her neck and tightened her grip. Her body shook with unrestrained emotions, emotions she'd been holding back for days.

After a good half an hour of crying, Krista pulled back, smiling tearfully. Her eyes were rimmed red and she sniffed occasionally, but she felt much better. Petra smiled and kissed her forehead gently and it made Krista wonder if this was how a mother's love felt like. She pulled her legs up after clipping her seat belt and leaned against the door. Petra brushed Krista's hair back gently and turned to the wheel.

Petra started the engine and drove them back to school. She parked Levi's car back in its usual spot and the two got out of the car. True, their mission was a failure, but they learned much about each other and had become closer because of it. Petra exchanged farewells with Krista one last time before reluctantly entering the facility.

"You'll be okay, right?" she asked worriedly.

"Yes, don't worry. Thank you," the blonde answered reassuringly.

"If you need anything, you know where to find me."

"Okay, I'll come to you when I need help."

Petra backed away slowly but still appeared unconvinced, judging by the worried crease of her eyebrows. Krista laughed and waved her hand dismissively.

"I'll be fine! Go! You must have a report to fill out or something, right?"

Petra sighed but waved as she walked back to the school. "Yes, that's true. I'll see you later, Krista!"

"See you!"

The bell rang after, and when Petra entered the school, she had this nagging feeling that she was forgetting something.

"No, I don't think so," she muttered to herself, placing a hand to her locker.

Krista searched for Edward's car and found it pulling up the school's drive way. She lugged her book bag along and entered the back seat the second Edward opened his door. When he heard a door slam, he paused, rolled his eyes, then re-entered his side, closing his door gently. He peeked through the rear view mirror and frowned.

"Where's your uniform, Krista?"