The Cadet's Origin

Chapter Six - New Purpose

Kenna sat on a ledge with her notebook. She was sketching her family. It was the only thing that made her forget where she was. She hated that her uncle and Miss Mary had forced her to come to the Garrison refugee camp. It just reminded her of everything she had lost. They didn't even need her to be there, the adults just didn't want to leave her at the house alone. She didn't exactly understand that train of thought: she was old enough to be named Mistress of the house when her uncle was away but she couldn't be left home alone.

"Where do you get off just sitting there watching us struggle?" someone said.

Kenna looked up. There was a boy with dark hair and green eyes being held back by a girl with black hair and a boy with blue eyes and blond hair. The blond boy was wearing a floppy hat. Kenna knew that hat. They were both trying to pull the boy back and telling him to stop.

"Eren," the boy with blond hair scolded him.

"Where do you get off on bothering a person who isn't doing anything to you," Kenna said. She held on tightly to her notebook. It made Kenna feel a little more confident.

"Why are you even here?" the boy, now named Eren, asked.

"My family brought coats to the refugees and we're picking up my uncle," Kenna said. "Not that I owe you any explanation."

"So you think we need your charity," Eren raged.

"Eren, stop this," the girl tried to pull him away. Eren just pulled his arm out of her grasp.

"They don't listen to me," Kenna said as she closed her notebook. "They should considering I know what you guys are feeling."

"You don't know anything!" Eren yelled at her. "You're from the interior. You weren't there that day."

"Eren!" the boy yelled at him. "She's from Shinganshina. She was on the boat with us that day. I saw her in the library a lot."

"If she's from Shinganshina why I haven't I seen her, Armin?" Eren asked.

"Because I was lucky enough to have family in the interior," Kenna said. She turned her attention to the boy, Armin. "Where did you get that hat?"

"It was my grandfather's," Armin said. "I remember he went up to you on the boat."

Kenna smiled softly, "He was kind." She looked up at saw Miss Mary and her uncle by the cart. They were packing some things away. "It looks like my ride is getting to leave."

"I apologize for him," the girl said as she dragged him away.

"Don't apologize for me, Mikasa," Eren said as he was dragged away by his friends.

Kenna took a deep breath as she walked over to her uncle and Miss Mary. She didn't blame the boy for being annoyed at her. Everything had been turned upside down, and people in the interior weren't actually the nicest. Kenna got into the back of the cart and waited for her uncle and Miss Mary get on the front part of the cart. They got in and they were off for the estate.

"Your birthday is next week, Kenna," Miss Mary said as she looked back at Kenna. "Are you excited?"

"I don't want to think about my birthday," Kenna said as she kept her eyes focused on the landscape.

"There will be a celebration at the estate," her uncle said. "There will be multiple high ranking members of the Garrison."

"Uncle Karl, I don't want to celebrate with people I don't know," Kenna said. "I don't want to celebrate anyway."

"Mr. Dressler, maybe we should listen to her," Miss Mary said.

"The invitations have already been sent," her uncle said. "It's expected that we celebrate."