The Tutor (Eremin) {Editing}

21. hold on~the internet

21. hold on~the internet

Armin's POV

[New Message: Marco]

hi armin!!! :-)

Hi!

how are you?

I'm okay. Really stressed with college decisions though. There's also deadlines for scholarship essays and applications, financial aid, etc. etc. Not to bore you with those details though, lol! How are you?

aw, i'm sorry to hear you're stressed. you're a hard worker and your college stuff will all fall into place soon! and i'm good mostly! i hope this proposition helps you feel less stress: want to hang out with jean and me this weekend if you have time? we really want to get to know you better!

I would love to!! ( ๑॔˃̶◡ ˂̶๑॓) Does Eren already know? I can text him right now!

oh, i meant just the three of us. if that's okay! we totally won't make you a third wheel, i promise! eren actually suggested it because he said you thought we were lovely and wanted to hang out again! :->

Ahh okay! Exciting! (｡•́‿•̀｡) Let me know more details when the day gets closer, okay?

okay! good luck with college decisions! you got this! :-)

Thank you (◕‿◕✿)

•     •     •

Jean's car rolled up in my driveway late that Saturday morning, early April rain streaking his windshield. I felt like I was being retrieved for a fancy event, even just in my jeans and one of Eren's sweaters with the sleeves falling over my hands. Jean rolled down the window, grinning mischeviously.

"Good morrow, sir Armin. Your chariot awaits," he announced in an indistinct accent, and I erupted into giggles. When I climbed into the backseat, the taller boys turned to face me, both wearing welcoming smiles.

"Hey, Armin!" Marco greeted me. "Feels like it's been forever. How are you?"

"Still a little overwhelmed about the things I told you about," I confessed, smiling sheepishly and feeling a little lost without Eren's presence beside me. I never just hung out with friends, and it was both anxiety-inducing and exhilarating. "But otherwise I'm really good."

"Awesome," Jean was saying, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. "So what are some of your favorite places to go? Marco and I are down for anything."

I thought to myself. "Well, I love going to the arcade! And I've always wanted to go to one of those escape room things, because I adore puzzles and it would be so fun to solve but Eren never wants to because he doesn't think he'd have fun, which is probably true. Also, I'd love to eat at that diner again, the one we went to in February! But if this is too much at all we don't have to do any of that!"

"No, of course not Armin. Nothing's too much. We have all day!" Marco reassured me, dimples appearing amongst his many freckles. "An escape room sounds so fun. They have themes, too. I'm sure we can find one! After we eat, of course!"

"Okay." I bounced in my seat on excited instinct, beaming with barely-concealed delight. "Alright, cool!"

Jean had a penchant for turning his drives into mini-concerts. I liked it, feeling the vibrations of his speakers in my chest and even my teeth, bobbing my head to the lyrical rhythms of Kendrick Lamar, the morose, haunting voice of Billie Eilish, the poppy nostalgia of Katy Perry, per Marco's request. The pair of them took turns on the aux until Marco gasped like he had made a startling discovery, turning to me in the backseat.