Growing up too fast

Chapter 3

Eren Jeager POV

"What's wrong with him?" Levi asked referring to Armin who wouldn't stop crying.

"He doesn't like car rides and cries almost every time, I'm a little surprised Mikasa stayed asleep through all this," I said before drifting back off into thought. We were almost back to my small apartment and it was about ten at night, way past their bedtime but I didn't have too much time to worry about bedtimes right now. I already decided that I wouldn't be going to school tomorrow, all three of us would stay home while I tried to figure out what the hell I'm going to do about the car. 

As we arrived back at the apartments I told Levi he could come in for a bit while I put Armin and Mikasa to bed. I couldn't carry both of them so I needed to wake up Mikasa again. "Hey sweetie you need to get up one more time so I can carry Armin inside ok," I said gently waking her up. She just nodded tiredly and climbed out of the car and waited for me to pick up Armin before grabbing my hand. "Hey, Levi do you think you could just carry Armin's car seat in for me?"  I said snapping him out of his little daze.

"Ah, of course." He said grabbing the car seat and walking behind us into the apartment. 

"Alright Mika you can go to bed now, I'm not making you go to school tomorrow so you can sleep as long as you want," I said causing Mikasa to nod and head off to her room while I put Armin in his crib and gave him his pacifier to help him sleep. Then I walked back out to the living room where Levi was sitting on the couch.

"Your place is dirty." He pointed out as if I didn't already know.

"Ok well, you try taking care of two children while balancing school and work and see how clean your house is." 

"Good point, I'll clean it for you."

"Right now?"

"When else?"

"Ok but I'm not paying you," I said walking over to the counter and picking up the mail to sort through it. 

"Alright I already paid rent this month so I don't have to worry about that one," I said to myself as I continued flipping through mail. "Crap the water is due this week, I'll have to call them tomorrow and make arrangments." I set the water bill which was a whopping three hundred dollars that I don't have on the coffee table to remind me to call the company about it. I looked and saw that I also had electric due which was higher than rent. "Well dang, maybe I'll just start lighting the house with candles then," I said sarcastically earning a chuckle from Levi who was across the room dusting and listening to me ramble.

I went over to the kitchen and checked the pencil box that I had so creatively turned into a savings box and saw it only had about two hundred in it. "I could've sworn there was more in there, I'm going to need to take multiple shifts at the club to even begin to get back on track."

"Club?" 

"Ah don't worry about it, actually do you know any places hiring that pay over the minimum wage."

"Can't say I do but don't you already have a job?"

I sighed "Three of them actually, but I'm still behind on like everything."  I said, honestly I almost feel bad for adults for dealing with this stuff... almost. "Maybe it's about time to drop school," I said burying my head in my arms.

"I don't think that's the best thing to do, education is important," Levi said sitting next to me.

"Yeah well so are my siblings and bills and I seem to be struggling to take care of that. That stupid bitch thinks that just because she couldn't take the pressure of children she can just leave."

"You talking about your mom?"

"Sure if you can call her that. Leaving me to take care of this all because she can't take it and wants to go fuck around, and then she thinks she can just blame it all on me." I ranted.

"How is it your fault?"

"She said she was leaving because she couldn't handle having a transgender kid but she was planning this and packing long before I told her, still I almost can't help but believe she might have stayed if it wasn't for me, she was always very rough with me so I know she hated me already," I said suddenly feeling self-conscious, I just met this guy and here I am already telling him all my problems.

"Hey listen, thinking like that won't help anything, if your mom already had her things packed then she was gonna leave anyway. If it was just because of you then she would have taken your siblings with her." Levi pointed out.

"Yeah I guess you're right, I really don't have time to think about my personal problems anyway, I need to make sure everything else is taken care of first."

"Eren I had a nightmare," Mikasa said in a sleepy voice and I looked up to see tears in her eyes.

"Aww come here Mika, you can lay on me again alright?" I said and she nodded and cuddled up to me falling back asleep almost instantly.

I sighed "Her nightmares have been getting a lot more frequent lately, I've been thinking about taking her to a therapist to see why but it's kind of expensive you know?" I said.

"Yeah, I know."  

"Once this whole car situation is dealt with maybe I'll be able to afford it, I just feel like a horrible brother not being able to get her the help she needs." 

"Well sometimes other things have to take priority, right now I think just having you there to comfort her is good enough for her." 

"Really?" I asked and Levi nodded.

"Thanks, Levi."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Word Count: 1011