Chapter 11: Last Day
The sun was shining brightly, and the mood was overall excited and energetic, yet melancholic. It was the last day of their trip – they would be leaving tomorrow. However, the teens decided to spend their final day at the gorgeous beach. The beach was full of students and resort guests alike, since the weather was absolutely perfect for a swim or a fun day on the shore. There was a refreshing breeze and a small number of clouds drifting.
The teens all laughed as they splashed in the water and challenged each other. The boys were in the ocean, playing games with the beach ball and their own friends. Marco was walking with the water up to his hips, blindfolded and arms outstretched. Around him, Reiner, Jean, Connie and Bertholdt were grinning and calling out his name.
"Marco!"
"Polo!"
"Marcooooooo!"
"Polooooo?"
Marco whirled around at the sound of Jean's voice and made his way to him. Jean simply smiled and stayed put, arms to his sides. Finally, Marco reached him and touched his face. He pulled off his blindfold from one side of his face and grinned. Jean laughed and tackled Marco. They both landed under the water and wrestled each other. Reiner, Bertholdt and Connie grinned and joined other male students that were playing with the beach ball.
Eren and Armin sat on the shore of the beach once more, discussing ideas and visions about the ocean. Occasionally, they skipped rocks along the surface, but once Jean and Marco joined them, it became a competition to see who could score the most skips. Eren eventually grew annoyed with Jean's behaviour and pulled Armin with him to another part of the shore. Marco shrugged and leaned against Jean, skipping more rocks.
Meanwhile, many of the girls were either tanning, swimming or setting up the volley ball net. They had the nifty idea of playing volley ball outside instead of inside, and the teachers readily agreed, along with hearty encouragement from the boys' end. Ymir sat, reclined on a chair, and observed Krista help Sasha, Mikasa and Annie with the setting-up process through her shades. She sipped on her drink noisily and relished in Krista's annoyed glare.
Krista was too short to help put up the net, along with Annie, so both blondes simply anchored the poles while the other two girls pushed them up. The net was already tied to the poles, and seemed straight, though a bit crooked and shaky.
"Why don't you come and help? We still need to set the boundaries," Krista said, smiling. She stood in front of her and pulled off her sunglasses. Ymir winced at the sun and snatched them back. She put them on and set her drink aside.
"Because I don't want to," Ymir answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "not everyone's dying to help like you are."
Krista rolled her eyes and sat on the chair next to Ymir, stretching her short legs out and giving Ymir a nice view. The students were wearing the same swimwear they wore on the day of the swimming tournament, though that didn't deter Ymir's biased perspective. No matter what Krista wore, she always looked good. Her face burned and she blamed it on the sun.
"I thought you were helping," Ymir commented airily, turning on her side to face the blonde. She peeked above her sunglasses and raised an eyebrow at Krista's sigh.
"I am! I'm just a bit tired. I'm still sore from yesterday's track run around the resort."
Ymir laughed and returned on her back, crossing her arms behind her head and her ankles over each other. "Ha! That was the funniest shit ever, especially when Jean somehow got lost and Eren had to look for him. Oh man, I loved it when Keith was looking for Sasha three hours after the race ended and found her in the cafe near here. I heard she had to run until curfew."
Krista nodded, smiling fondly. "Yeah. I got out of the dorm to help her out. I even gave her some food I saved from dinner."
"Why are you telling me this? I already knew."
"How did you know?"
"I'm a light sleeper, and I followed you out."
"That's creepy."
"No, it's not, it's called being suspicious and taking action."
"You were suspicious of me? Why? What could I possibly do?"
Ymir shrugged. "I dunno, world domination or something?"
Krista giggled and stood up, waving at Ymir as she approached the three girls to set up the net. "We'll talk later."
Ymir simply pushed up her sunglasses and waved back once, settling into the chair. She wanted to relax as much as possible before she was forced to do anything strenuous. Knowing Krista, that was soon to come.
She frowned, slightly upset at having to resort to lying to Krista. The truth was, she'd been suspicious as of late, but not because of Krista. She'd seen some mysterious men loitering around the front of the dorms. At first, she'd thought it to be the teachers, but these men were whispering and pointing while avoiding the surveillance crews. Definitely not teachers, and definitely not safe for Krista. So, she followed her little blonde helper to make sure she was not attacked by these strange men.
Of course, Ymir knew that, logically, she should have approached her instructors about these men, but she also knew they wouldn't have believed her and that the men would be gone by morning. Even though she'd seen them sneak to the boys' dorm and even point at her window specifically, she did nothing about it. That was the mistake that would cost her much in the long run.
Krista was still smiling from Ymir's comment, and simply the conversation they had. She'd been doing that a lot lately. Laughing at sarcastic remarks, grinning long after they finished talking or sleeping while dreaming of her. Just being around the tall girl improved her mood greatly, and Sasha and Mikasa had begun to take notice. They exchanged amused glances and Sasha approached her.
"You sure are happy!" she chirped.
Krista started, looking up from where she was placing the white stretch of wood. "Huh?"
"I said: you look happy! Is there something we should know?" Sasha asked mischievously, raising her eyebrows and glancing at Ymir suggestively.
Krista followed her gaze and blushed. "No, there's nothing," Krista dismissed nervously. She returned to her work and bit her bottom lip. Had they already figured her out?
Sasha tilted her head, smiling, but she nodded and skipped back to Mikasa. "Okay! Whatever you say, Krista!" She turned to Mikasa and grinned widely. "She's hiding something," Sasha whispered excitedly.
Mikasa nodded, but made no comment, focusing on her own placed boundaries. Annie watched with a roll of her eyes, shaking her head and returning to her work. She felt bad for Krista, but didn't feel like intervening and causing a bigger scene. Her eye throbbed slightly at the memory, but it was no longer bruised and swollen.
Levi sat under a tree, playing a game of chess with Erwin, while Petra and Hanji tried to build a sandcastle. Keith was watching over the students vigilantly, and Mike and Auruo were lazing about in the shade. Auruo wouldn't shut up, and when Mike leaned over to sniff him purposefully loud, he bit his tongue in surprise and blood spurted out from his muscle. He was ignored, since this was a regular occurrence, and his screams of pain were only answered by Mike's raucous laughter.
At last, the net was set up, and both Krista and Sasha ran over to the other girls to gather players. So far, thirty girls had been gathered, while the others preferred to watch in the sidelines. Mina had been hesitant to join, but was convinced by Krista to play anyway, despite the small chance she'd be placed on a team with Ymir. Along with Ymir, Krista, Annie, Sasha and Mikasa, the total count was thirty-six players – a perfect number.
The girls decided to put six players on each team, in order to quicken the pace of the games and give the boys a chance to play after them, as well as keeping the teams even. In order to keep the dynamic of the teams, Mikasa, Sasha, Krista, Ymir, Hannah and Jane were placed together. For confrontational purposes, Annie was placed elsewhere – not that she minded. She'd rather not make contact with Mikasa if it could be avoided, though she'd love to play against her.
Six teams, twelve games and two teams each game. Not all the teams would play against each other, but this would ensure that each person played two full games by the end of their turn. Because they set up the net, Mikasa's team was allowed to play first, along with Annie. Both super athletes smirked and shook hands, gripping their palms tightly. All the students held their breath as they watched. When the girls released their hold, there was a collective breath being released. Eren was clutching tightly to Armin and the blond genius gently but firmly pried his friend's body off him with his foot.
The rest of the boys decided to watch, if only for the rivalry between Mikasa and Annie. Some rooted for Annie, some for Mikasa, but those who learned their lesson from Ymir stayed silent and rooted for no one.
The twelve girls took their position on the sand, digging their heels in. Six on six, three rounds, one ball. Hanji acted as the referee and sat atop a lifeguard's high chair. She wore a white t-shirt over her bathing suit and had a similar accessory build to the day of the swimming challenge. She blew her whistle and waved to get the attention of the students. The volley ball sat in her lap.
"Alright, kids, since you decided to do this on your break, there is no competition and it's purely for fun. The rules are still the same, however, so no cheating! Also, if any boys are caught doing anything inappropriate, then their turn is immediately forfeited to the girls. And that goes for the girls too, so nothing suggestive while you leap to hit the ball. Got it?"
"Yes, Miss Hanji!" the students chorused.
"Good!"
Hanji smiled and threw the volleyball to Ymir, who caught it deftly. Ymir raised an eyebrow but shrugged, throwing the ball to Krista. The blonde fumbled with it a bit, blushing, but took her position as first serve. She didn't have much upper body strength, so she relied on an underhanded serve rather than a jump serve.
The ball flew over the net and Annie was quick to act, having been placed in the middle position.
"Got it!" she shouted. She bumped her wrists under the ball. "Set it up!" she called out.
Fortunately, Mina was on her team and understood her volley ball lingo. She nodded and placed her palms above her head to lightly bump the ball up. Annie took two big steps and jumped, slamming her fist on the ball to smash it. Mikasa was quick to react and slid on her knees to bump the ball higher. The boys were practically drooling at the show.
"Get it, Sasha!" Mikasa commanded. Sasha performed a mock salute and left her position to get it. For some reason, this set Jane off and the weird girl fell to her side, clutching her stomach as she laughed madly. Sasha ignored her and volleyed the ball to Ymir. The brunette didn't feel like putting effort, so she simply volleyed the ball over to the other side. Mikasa glared at her lightly and Hannah shook her head. Ymir ignored the disappointed look Krista gave her and focused on avoiding getting hit by the ball.
Jane was obviously out of commission, so it was five to six, with Annie leading after scoring five consecutive smashes. The cheers for Annie grew louder, as well as the encouragement from Mikasa's shameless fanboys.
The girls rotated at the end of each full serve, and when it was Ymir's turn to serve, she accidentally hit it to Krista's back with a powerful overhand serve. The blonde stumbled forth into the net and glared back at the brunette. Ymir paled and made to run away when she was tackled. Krista pulled on Ymir's hair and shouted into her ear.
Many perverted boys gripped each other to keep from fainting and passing out from blood loss. Other students stared in shock as the sweet Krista attacked the ferocious beast known as Ymir. Why Ymir didn't beat Krista to a bloody pulp was a mystery in the students' minds.
Ymir tapped for mercy and received a mouthful of sand, face planted in, in response. Krista stood, dusted herself off and returned to her position. Ymir was down for the count, and now it was four to six. Annie smirked and held the ball, ready to serve. Mikasa glared at Krista as her competitive side took over, but sighed and prepared herself for Annie's tricks.
The ball was smacked and in the air. Mikasa slowed it down with a well-placed volley and Sasha set it up for Hannah, who jumped and slammed it down. She heard a cheer for her and blew a kiss to Franz, who sighed and caught it, putting it to his heart. Hannah was about to comment when the ball slammed her right in the head, knocking her out. Franz gasped and went to Hannah's side, picking her up. He carried her over to Petra at Hanji's nod and awaited treatment.
Mikasa grew irritated at her rotten luck and growled menacingly. It was now three to six. Jane was still laughing her lungs out on the sidelines and Ymir refused to get up. The freckled girl's face turned to the side to allow her to breathe normally, but she stared at something in the distance.
Those two men from before.
They were talking to a group of boys and Ymir faintly recognized one of the boys, Nack – that one kid she'd threatened before the swimming competition. He and his buddies were laughing and shaking hands with the men, who in turn waved before leaving the premises. Just what was going on?
A shrill whistle signalled the end of the match and Ymir sighed in relief. She stood up and stretched, wiping the sand away from her face. A swim would be great right now, she thought, trudging over to the ocean.
"Ymir?"
Krista joined her at her elbow and looked up at her. Ymir glanced down.
"Yeah?"
"Where are you going?"
"To swim. I have to, you know, get the sand out of my face and mouth somehow."
Krista ducked her head and played with her hair guiltily. "Sorry about that! I wasn't thinking and I wanted to get you back."
Ymir scoffed. "It's fine! Shows you got a backbone!"
Krista giggled and followed her into the ocean. It was cool, and both girls were thankful. They played around, Ymir pushing Krista underwater until she couldn't breathe and Krista splashing Ymir and swimming away.
"Get back here, brat!" Ymir laughed.
Krista giggled and swam farther away. "No! You're just going to do something horrible to me!"
"Now, why would I do that?"
After showering and dressing, the students all gathered at the mess hall for the final dinner. The tables were set up differently. They were much closer together and far away from the platform at the end. On the platform, there was a drum kit set up, along with microphones and amps and Krista knew exactly what was going to happen. Reiner, Bertholdt, Jean and Marco were missing from the group, which obviously meant they were preparing for something. That something being a concert.
Krista watched Ymir drum her fingers against the table, food finished and waiting for the signal to leave for roll call. She poked Ymir in the side and pointed at the platform. Ymir sighed and rolled her eyes, slamming her head to the table. She doesn't seem excited for this, Krista thought, then again, she's been on edge ever since my night out to help Sasha. What's wrong with her?
Ymir scanned the room and observed each individual student to try and find the group of boys she'd seen earlier today. They seemed to disappear off the face of the Earth. Where were they? And where were those men? Ymir had a sinking feeling that they were long gone, and that the boys were up to something. Whatever it was, it was beyond Ymir's imagination, as well as her control. She couldn't act on an impulse, she wasn't stupid. Anything she did would be held and used against her, for the mere reason that she was hostile and dangerous. It may have been an example of discrimination, but Ymir figured they had a right to be worried, since her reputation usually talked for her.
Krista worriedly watched her friend gaze blankly at the table then shake her head and glance at her. Krista smiled and turned to her own plate of food, eating but not really hungry. She forced herself to eat though, since it was the last dinner she'd have with her friends on this trip. They were leaving tomorrow, as sad as that sounded, and Krista didn't want to go back home. She didn't want to go back to tense meals, cold glares and a silent home. She loved the chatter at dinner, the warm laughs and shoves and the overall noise of the mess hall. They even had a food fight once, which ended horribly, especially after the teachers joined in and massacred the students.
Krista sighed in nostalgia, moving her food around her plate. She especially didn't want to go back to her parents, what with her manipulative mother turning out to not actually be biologically related to her at all. It was even more heartbreaking when she finally realized she would be separated from Ymir for another four weeks! But Ymir had a phone, and she did too, so she would try her best to check on her and organize trips together. It was the only way she could be happy while on vacation.
Krista pushed her plate away, suddenly not feeling so hungry anymore. She felt like she was suffocating in her depression. It was too much, the joy in the air, her friends' cheers, the obnoxious conversations that were endearing to her; it was far too much for her to handle, especially since it would be no more after tomorrow. Just as the Scouting Legion announced their presence on stage and started playing their intense music, Krista stood from her bench and ducked through the throng of teens cheering and pumping their fists.
She exited the mess hall and leaned beside the door. It was somewhat chilly at night, thanks to the ocean breeze and the lack of warmth emanating from the sun. It was a stark contrast to the heavy and hot air inside, full of sweaty and excited teens. They were lucky, Krista thought, they weren't going from heaven to hell, they were going from heaven to heaven.
She rubbed her arms and shivered slightly. Though her breath wasn't materializing in front of her, it was still cold. She felt a warm cover drape over her shoulders and looked up, startled to see Ymir leaning casually beside her, hands in her pockets. She wore a long-sleeved white shirt and jeans. Her sweater was light but warm and Krista pulled it around her figure. It covered her down just a bit above her knees. Ymir's unique scent was attached to the sweater, and it relaxed Krista entirely.
They stayed in silence, listening to the heavy bass coming from the mess hall and Jean's compelling voice singing about victory against the Titans. At some point, Krista leaned her head on Ymir's arm and closed her eyes. Ymir sighed but kept still. She slumped heavily against the wall and slid down, pulling Krista with her. The blonde kept her head on her shoulder and her hands on her tucked knees. Ymir bent one knee and stretched out the other leg. She laid an arm on the bent knee and brushed her hair back with the other.
"Don't fall asleep," Ymir warned tiredly.
"I won't," Krista assured in a whisper.
But Krista wasn't the one who fell asleep, it was Ymir. Her head was nodding off before she finally slumped over. Krista smiled warmly and gently switched their positions. Ymir's head was in Krista's lap, and the blonde gently pushed away Ymir's hair from her face. She leaned over her heavily, contemplating her actions. Should she? Her blond strands brushed against the brunette's cheek bones. Her cool breath ghosted her lips. Should she do it? Risk it all for one moment of bliss? Krista bit her lip and shook her head gently. No. No, she couldn't do it. She shouldn't and she wouldn't. It was simply too complicated, and she wasn't so selfish as to obey her desires.
She pulled back, not noticing how Ymir slowly released the breath she'd been holding, or how she peeked between her eyelids before snapping them shut tightly. She pretended to slump over the little blonde's body when they both trudged to the dorms. They didn't change clothing, just collapsed on their bed, facing each other and sleeping with smiles on their faces.
The morning was solemn, since it was truly their last day here. Many teens were sleeping in, since they had stayed up all night partying with the Scouting Legion. Mina and Hannah, who had recovered from her tumble, were two of the many. The teachers had decided to forego roll call for tonight and the morning. They thought it better to do it before they left for the buses.
After washing, packing and changing, Ymir and Krista decided to simply walk around the resort and talk. This way, they would be able to plan things ahead of time and set about what they were going to do for the next four weeks before school. They had four hours until they had to board the bus. The coach buses were already pulled in, drivers chatting among each other. The two approached the buses, remembering the number Levi gave them, and threw their bags in the storage compartment. Of course, they kept their money with them, in case they wanted to purchase a souvenir before they left. Krista contemplated getting something for her father but decided against it; she knew her mother would disapprove and start something.
They walked around the resort for a while before entering the cool facility down the road and sitting in the lobby. There was a beautiful seating arrangement with imported goods from around the world. They sat on a long sofa, Ymir laying and bending her knees while Krista leaned against them, moving her head back to look at the brunette. She seemed deep in thought, staring up at the ceiling with her arms crossed. Krista sighed but looked around, grinning when she spotted the gift shop. She stood and let Ymir know where she was going before skipping gleefully to the boutique.
There was an assortment of key chains, mugs and other gift-related merchandise sitting on the shelves. The store clerk smiled upon seeing her. Krista recognized him to be the musician from the restaurant. She approached him with an incredulous look.
"You work here?" she asked in disbelief.
He laughed. "Yes. Many workers here at the resort have two jobs, in order to keep employee count to a minimum and reduce costs. It helps with the resort fees, too."
"I want to tell you that your playing was beautiful that night. I mean, I'm sure it's beautiful every other night but that one was magical."
"I understand what you mean, I felt it too. There were many couples dancing closely and usually musicians are in tune with their feelings, so it wasn't hard to pick up on the love. I think I saw you dancing as well."
"Yes! I danced with my best friend, though she didn't want to at first."
"Oh really? She looked like she was having a great time. I could've sworn I saw her look down at you lovingly."
Krista blushed and shook her head, waving her hands around. "L-lovingly?! No way, we're friends, that's it!" But even with saying that, her heart hammered and she felt disappointed. She remembered the almost-kiss from yesterday and nearly choked up.
"I don't think so," he chuckled, "if that glare she's giving me right now is any indication." True enough, when Krista turned around to look through the window, she spotted Ymir sitting up straight and scowling in their direction. As soon as she met Krista's eyes, she turned her head and lied back down. Krista raised an eyebrow but returned her gaze to the store clerk.
"In any case, I hope you find something to your liking. If you need any help, I'll be here until my shift ends, which is in an hour. Good luck!"
Krista thanked the young man politely and browsed through the items. She wanted to get something for Ymir. At this, her cheeks pinked and her lips tilted upward unconsciously. Maybe she could find an object Ymir could use daily, as the girl favoured practicality over everything else. A mug? No, they weren't exactly to her liking. A key chain? Maybe, if it was useful. A shirt? No, Ymir probably wouldn't wear it. A necklace? Perhaps as a souvenir. There was a wall full of key chains on racks, and Krista trailed her fingers over them. There were mini-flashlights, Swiss army knives, calculators, figurines, pens, bottle openers; the list went on and on. Krista decided to get a helpful knife accessory along with a necklace that featured a shark tooth.
She approached the store clerk and gave him the items, which he rung up. Suddenly, she remembered something and almost smacked her face.
"I'm so sorry! I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Krista, and my friend's name is Ymir."
"Haha no worries! My name is Derek, and though we may never see each other again, it was nice meeting you."
"Likewise! Sorry about Ymir, she gets really protective sometimes.."
"It's fine! It's because she cares for you, right?"
"Yes, though she doesn't like to admit it at all."
"Ah, the proud type. They're tough nuts to crack but when you do, it's all worth it. Good luck on your relationship."
Krista smiled and nodded paying the man and waving goodbye. Just as she exited, she stopped and went over the man's last words in her head.
"Relationship?!" she cried out. She whirled around to see Derek press a hand to his mouth and slump over, obviously laughing at her. In her distracted state, she failed to notice a man bump into her. Ymir was behind her in an instant, catching her and glaring at the man. The person excused himself quietly but noticed Krista. When he did, it almost seemed like he was going to say something but noticed his friend and left the two. Krista shook her head and presented the gifts to Ymir. However, the brunette was too occupied staring holes at the man's back to notice anything.
It was the same man she saw before, she was sure of it, especially with the way he looked at Krista. What was going on? What did they want, and why did it involve Krista? Could it be that she's in trouble? Should she go to the teachers for this? Ymir felt something against her face and leaned back. Krista was shoving a bag in her line of vision, and when Ymir took the bag, the two men were already gone.
"What is it?" she muttered, opening it. She pulled out the utility knife key chain and the shark tooth necklace. She raised an eyebrow at Krista's blush and fidget.
"It's for you," Krista answered nervously. Ymir sighed and took out her home keys, adding the knife to her key ring and handing the necklace back to Krista. The girl looked hopeful then heartbroken, but resumed her happy expression when Ymir bent down, turned around and brushed her hair from her neck.
"Put it on for me, will ya?"
Krista nodded happily, grinning, and clipped the necklace around Ymir's neck. The brunette straightened and fingered the tooth.
"Great, now I look more dangerous and cool! Thanks, Krista, maybe you'll make a good wife for me someday," Ymir commented, winking.
Krista blushed heavily and pulled down Ymir for a head-butt. Both girls reeled back in pain, and collapsed on the carpeted floor. Ymir groaned as she sat up, rubbing her forehead. Krista sat up as well, but she was grinning at Ymir's groan of pain.
"Goddamn, Krista, you just had to do that. Fuck, my head hurts," Ymir complained. Krista giggled and stood, extending a hand out to her friend. Ymir looked at it, and stared. Krista, discouraged, started to pull her hand away but started when the brunette grabbed it and pulled herself up. Krista tightened her hand and let it go, bumping into Ymir's shoulder as they walked out of the lobby and outside of the building. Ymir bumped into her in retort, tucking her chin in to hide her smile.
"So, do you regret coming here, Ymir?" Krista asked out of the blue. She looked up at the sky and laced her fingers behind her back. Ymir put her hands in her pockets and looked down at her, smirking.
"I guess not," she murmured. Krista looked up at her and smiled. Together, they walked to their bus and waited for roll call, Ymir playing with her key chain and Krista looking out for Sasha and Mikasa. She wanted to be in the same seating arrangement as last time, since she had so much fun.
Finally, the time came for boarding the bus and Levi performed roll call. Mikasa and Sasha jogged up to them, panting heavily, Eren and Armin behind them. Annie followed at a normal pace while Connie ran forward and tripped over Eren, landing heavily on Sasha's back. Mikasa pulled him roughly by the scruff of his neck and Connie offered an apologetic grin. When everyone was situated on the bus, Ymir noticed that Nack's group was once more sitting in the back, but they appeared to be plotting, rather than laughing and joking like she thought they would. Occasionally, they glanced over at her, and that's when Ymir started to get really suspicious. Levi was reading his book and Keith was making Sasha cough up her food, which she literally did, having stuffed some pieces of candy under her tongue. Mikasa stared out the window and Connie spoke with Eren and Armin. Annie sat in front of Eren and commented on their discussion, but it was done so rarely.
Krista watched Keith take all of Sasha's food and throw it out the window. She comforted the hungry girl, giving Ymir enough leeway to observe the boys. They were up to something, and it involved her somehow. Could it also be related to the men, who were staring at Krista? They had an agreement on something, that much she knew from their moment at the beach, but what was it? And who did it involve? Her or Krista? Or maybe the both of them? It was hard to figure out, and it was starting to give her a headache. Krista had started singing songs with Sasha again and it grated on her nerves. She secretly pulled out ear plugs that she bought earlier in their trip and plugged them in. When nothing but silence was heard, Ymir sighed in bliss and pressed her head against her window.
It was going to be a great ride home indeed.