Once we make it back I don't know what to do, do I just go and sit in my corner or do I go and sit with him, I know he wont mind, but will his friends and will I be able to cope? I don't know what to do so I decide to get my soup and I go to sit in my corner when Armin calls my name and gestures for me to come and sit with him. I really want to but my lizard brain says you don't know who they are they might exploit you, or try to blackmail you into doing something. No. I tell my lizard brain if their friends of Armin they must be good people right? Its funny, I think as I nervously walk over, yesterday I would never have done this, but Armin brings out a side in which no one, including me, has ever seen. I take the seat he is patting next to him.

"So who's your girlfriend Armin?" Teases Erin Jeager from across the table. I swear, how many people are gonna assume that. Then Connie Springer then joins in,

"So she's who you were with all day," he raises an eyebrow "No wonder you were out all day." I think I must be redder than the bloody soup because Krista Lenz steps in and acts like a god damn goddess,

"Guys stop, cant you see how embarrassed they are," she gives me a friendly wave and a big grin, I don't understand how people can just smile so freely like that, like it's nothing, "Hi I'm Krista, I think I'm in your dorm but we never really spoke."

"Hi, I'm Karla," I manage to say. My lizard brain is in overdrive, the only reason I'm still here is coz I can feel Armin's shoulder touching mine. I'm so panicked I don't eat anything apart from a few mouthfuls of soup. I just sit there pretending to follow the conversation, who knows, if I sit here tomorrow then maybe I could actually listen.

"So why are you here then Kara?" Crap what do I say, it will be obvious if I lie, even though I'm a good liar.

"To get away from what I left behind," I say looking down, they are all silent for a moment and this is when my lizard brain goes into fucking overdrive. I sit there trying to keep it all in, but it wont stay. Instead of running like I usually would, a single tear slides down my cheek and into my soup. Great, so is crying going to become my new running away? Armin reaches down and squeezes my hand, his hand stays on mine. I think the others notice, but they don't say anything. Thankfully no more tears come.

"You're a pretty tough girl, I've never seen you cry before," Mikasa finally speaks "It's bad what you're running from isn't it?" I nod, still looking down,

"Very," I pause and they say something else even though my lizard brain is screaming at me not to, "But whilst my life was corrupt, others weren't, until the titans broke the wall. So I blame the titans, for making others feel the same pain as me, and no one deserves that, no one, so that's why I'm going to kill every titan in my path, and that's why I fought so hard today." I say this all very quietly so only the people at our table can hear, and even though my lizard brain is screaming at me that they'll think I'm crazy, and even my logical brain says I shouldn't have said it I'm glad I did. Sasha breaks the silence with,

"So are you gonna finish your soup or not?" Well at least I'm not as crazy as Sasha is about food.

"You have it, I say pushing my bowl towards her, but before it can get to her Armin puts his arm out to stop it. Sasha looks furious.

"Are you sure, you need to eat." He says to me.

"It's fine." I say with a small smile (smile count 5:)) because now I know he cares.

"Wait what do you mean, 'you fought so hard today'?" askes Eren, oh yes, they don't know about us being almost kicked out.

"What happened? She was bloody amazing." Armin launches into to the story, making sure to play up everything I did, I notice though, he leaves out the bit about me playing it down with my training, he noticed it was hard for me to say. I blush despite myself. When he is finished the others look like they have their doubts,

"I'll help." Mikasa says

"Me to." adds Erin. It's nice of them to offer, and I suppose I might let them help at some point, but not for now.

"No thanks," I say quietly, "I got this." They look at Armin with their eyebrows raised, it hurts me to think how much they doubt me, but I don't blame them though, this is their best friend they're worried about.

We are getting up as we had finished and we were heading for the common room area when Jean Kristen appeared in front of me,

"Hey, you knew around here?" he says smoothing back his hair,

"No," I state bluntly, I know this guy is trouble, but then I have a plan, I need to convince them that I wont let Armin fail "Why?"

"I'd like to 'talk' to you for a bit, alone."

"OK." I say playing the naïve game. Armin puts his hand on my arm and gives me a warning look. I give him a mischievous grin (smile count 6:)) and as I anticipated Jean drags me into the nearby storage cupboard, he then sticks his head out to say.

"Hey Armin I hope you don't mind me stealing your girl do you, I cant hep but go a little red at that but is dark so I don't think he saw, he gives a wicked smile, he's just like the guys back home. He brings his head in and starts to undress, I don't look down, I'm not a pervert. "well, what are you waiting for he says looking at me, I act like I'm about to take my shirt off and he locks the door.

"No No," I say winking and I unlock the door, "YOU SAID YOU JUST WANTED TO TALK!" I shout punching him as hard as I could as just opening the door at the right moment. So he fell into the hallway. Stark, Bloody, naked. Krista and Sasha blush and cover their faces while Mikasa looks away. I step over him (looking deliberately upwards)

and re-join the others, they just stare at me in awe, "What? He deserved it." I say. And all this time, the lizard brain wasn't there, even though I just thought about it, its not here.

"You," says Eren coming to stand behind me, "Are a fucking badass."

"Wow, I did not think anyone would have the guts do that," says Armin who's next to me I look up ay him to see if he thinks it was the right thing to do, and he's grinning like a madman.

"So do we just leave him here unconscious?" Asks Sasha giggling a bit

"I guess so." says Connie grinning at her, so we continue to the common room leaving him there for someone else to find.