"Hey its ok," he says putting his hand on my leg (why am I so happy about this under my lizard brain telling me to push it off or run) probably misreading the panic on my face, or maybe he's not misreading it who knows? "I do it often to, sometimes I'm thinking something and I just blurt it out of my mouth, everyone does it occasionally." yeah occasionally I think.
"I– yeah thanks I mean-" and then we make eye contact, his eyes are a beautiful crystal blue, I could stare at them forever, they're so beautiful they should put them in a museum and– wtf oh my goy why am I thinking about putting eyeballs in a museum and why am I even making eye contact, I haven't made eye contact with anyone for about 6 years, and the last time I looked one of them in they eyes they nearly tore out my eyes, I was blind for about a week– but he isn't one of them, he is as far from one of them as you can get. I hear the door creak open and I tear my gaze away, it's a girl named Hannah
"Hey is there any chance either of you have seen Frans– oh sorry did I interrupt something." She giggles and his hand shoots off my leg, my face is burning and I cant take my eyes off the floor, I think his face is the same, is that good, is that bad? And at the time I didn't even contemplate why she would be looking for he boyfriend in here when he hates it in in here and only comes in here when she's in here, which is unusual for me.
"Umm no and I haven't seen him sorry." Armin says, I can tell he's embarrassed by the sound of his voice,
"Me neither," my guard instantly back up and my lizard brain kicking in, what if she tells everyone, or maybe I wouldn't mind that. Yes I would omfg! "We should get going, we don't want to be late." I mumble and he hurriedly agrees. We step out side and the cold air hits us like a bucket of ice,
"Well what a pleasant way to wake up," I realize it must be much worse for him as he hasn't already been outside to day. "Couldn't have gently shaken me awake and offered me hot chocolate." he mumbles. And I realise for once in my life I am actually smiling, properly, not a fake smile, a proper smile. I suddenly realize Armin left his jacket behind. Without thinking I take mine off, what's the worst that could happen? I tell my lizard brain, he could reject it and think your babying him, or you could drop it and the wind could blow it in his face and then he'd be pissed or it could blow into the distance and then you'd never get it back and he would laugh then tell everyone the reason you don't have your jacket is you're a clumsy shit and- "Oh, no, its fine, but thanks, that's not what I meant, I wasn't asking for your jacket." he says,
"I know, but I don't need it, I was out side earlier, so it's less cold for me." I respond,
"But you'd still be cold, please, I-," he pauses and then seems to decide on something "I don't want you to be cold." what does this mean is he trying to trick me into being his friend? I know he will stab me in the back in the end, like every other 'friend' I never had. No he-he cares about me? Well about me being cold.
"Well I don't want you to be cold either," and I put my coat over his shoulders. What is wrong with me I went from never talking to anyone, and barley being able to say a word to him to fricking forcing my jacket on him, what has gotten onto me? He looks shyly at me and then pulls it on properly,
"Thanks," he says with a shy smile, "Not many people would have done that for me." I don't even know what to think anymore so I just switch my brain off and smile shyly, second smile today, oh my-
"Names." I look up to see a the senior officer from earlier. Shit. We instinctively put our fists to our left chests,
"Armin Arlert, Miss" he tells her,
"Oh so your Kara Lakestoff," she looks at me accusingly, "Could've told me earlier," Armin looks confused at this but says nothing
"I didn't deem it necessary to waste your time telling you this, Miss" I answer crossing my fingers,
Oh but you deemed it necessary to waste my time asking me what they want from you, that's prying into senior business you know, I could report you." They're definitely gonna kick you out now, you'll have to go back–
"She was just curious Miss, I'm sure she didn't mean to pry, Miss." Armin stands in front of me as if to protect me. Oh my god right now I want to kiss him, I wanted to kiss him earlier, I wanted to kiss him this whole time actually. No, shut up, what am I thinking, he's just as bad as them, he'll turn on me one day he-
"Fine, whatever, you and your girlfriend will be working in the fields together before long anyway." At this comment we both go red and look at the ground, I notice he doesn't contradict her though. No I'm just getting ahead of myself. We hurry in before she changes her mind and he doesn't even ask what that was about. We start the long climb up to the top of the stairs where commander Sadis's office is. When we get to the top Armin is out of breath though he try's not to show it, if the plan works I'm gonna have a tough job. We go up to the door and he knocks. A booming voice from inside shouts,
"COME IN." even though he is in front of me Armin opens the door for me and lets me go through first, I thought all boys had forgotten how to be gentlemen. I smile at him (three smiles now:)) and he smiles back. "I DON'T LIKE TO SIT AROUND CHATTING SO I'M GOING TO GET STRAIGHT TO THE POINT. YOU TWO ARE THE WORST ON THE COURSE AND WOULD PROBABLY SHIT YOUR PANTS IF YOU SAW A TITAN UP CLOSE SO I'M CHUCKING YOU OFF THE COURSE, YOU CAN GO WITH THE DROPOUTS THIS EVENING. DISMISSED."
"With all due respect sir, no." I say, my heart is pounding and I'm visibly sweating, my lizard brain hates me so much it feels like it's a tortoise and I just want to retreat into a shell and never come out. Kind if like how I did, how I was before this morning.
"NO? WHAT DO YOU MEAN, NO?" Commander Sadis shakes me out of my thoughts
"I mean sir, that me and Armin aren't going down without a fight." I soldier on ignoring my new tortoise brain.
"We are prepared to leave quietly and defeated if you give us one more chance sir," Armin says stepping forwards "And we're not leaving till then." I see his fist clenched tightly to his chest and I realise that mine is to. Commander Sadis looks like he's considering it. Then he looks at me.
"You could go far," he says, not shouting for once "I didn't before but I can now see you have potential as I'm guessing this was your idea, he would have just given in." He says gesturing at Armin
"With all due respect sir, Armin would have come up with this if I didn't sir, you underestimate him." I say feeling Armin's astonished gaze on me
"Is that so," the commander replies " I will give you one month, you will be excused from normal training to go off on your own, if you are both not in the top 50 cadets you will both be chucked from the course, even if one of you is in the top 10 and one of you is 51st you will be chucked. UNDERSTAND?
"YES SIR!" We shout in unison and run out before he can change his mind.
~AN/The other characters will come in in later chapters~
