Hometown

Chapter 6 - To The Punch

"Don't look at me like that," Jean said smiling as he climbed down from his bunk.

"Was I even looking at you? I hadn't noticed," I replied cheekily as I crossed my arms and turned up my nose. It's true, I was looking at him, but was I going to say that? No, of course not.

It's not like I wanted to look at him, but I couldn't help zeroing in on how much I loathed him. The arrogant look in his eyes, his sly smile... I saw it all. Upon first seeing him, I thought there was a confidence in him that I could admire, but I was wrong. The confidence he possessed wasn't from a noble background, but rooted in something petty... something I couldn't quite place.

"I'd say you were looking at me. In fact, you were looking at me for quite a long time. What are you, obsessed with me?" Jean replied snarkily. He got on my nerves. I rolled my eyes and avoided his gaze. Me, obsessed with him? It honestly seems like it's the other way around.

"Anyway..." Eren said, interrupting as I was about to make a comeback. "Connie, I heard you did well in the cadet training today. I wanted to ask if you could show me how to stay upright on the ODM gear?" Eren seemed humbler than usual. Maybe when it came to asking for favors, he knew how to tone it down? Perhaps his ego had been damaged after the day's training.

"The trick to staying upright?" Connie said slyly. "Sorry, but I'm a genius. All I can say is to feel it." I was taken aback. To feel it? I repeated Connie's words in my head.

It was shocking to me that Connie had been as eager as a chipmunk, hearing all about Eren's time in Shiganshina the night before, yet now he was acting just as full of himself as Jean was. What was it with all these boys being so cocky? They could barely grow any peach fuzz on their chins, yet suddenly they were so superior? I laughed quietly at the thought.

"Actually I'd like you to tell me," Jean interrupted, grinning and looking at Eren, "how are you still sane after humiliating yourself like that?" Expecting Eren to get upset, I turned to him and prepared to hold him back from Jean. Armin seemed to have the same idea. Although, surprisingly I saw a look of desperation in Eren's eyes and droplets of sweat on his face.

"Guys I'm beggin' you here–" Eren said pleadingly as Connie cut him off.

"But didn't you say just yesterday something like, 'People who aren't strong enough should leave?'" Eren must've said that to Connie and the others when I wasn't paying attention. I saw the fear in Eren's eyes, the fear that he'd never become a scout. "Am I wrong? Or was it, 'If you don't have the talent, you have to leave?' Which was it?" Connie taunted him.

"Hey, cut it out," I piped up. "Eren has more drive than either of you. The fact he's here after seeing unspeakable things, and he still wants to fight the Titans, is more than either of you can say!" Connie's lips turned downward as he began to gaze at his feet, realizing he may have taken it too far. I knew he truly didn't mean what he said. He must've been spending too much time with Jean. They were bunkmates afterall. Jean, unphased by my words, continued smirking.

"You're right... but I still think Eren doesn't have what it takes." He paused, the spark of an idea forming in his mind. "but maybe... you could change my mind?" Jean gave me a knowing look as both Eren and Armin turned to stare at me questioningly.

"What do you mean Jean?" Armin spoke up. Jean snickered and looked at the ground, then back at me.

"Why don't you give me a kiss and I'll help out Eren over there, sound good?" Eren, Connie, and Armin all looked at him in shock with their eyes widened while the rest of their faces scrunched up. 

I was a boiling tea kettle about to explode. 

"What? Don't you wanna? C'mon, you'd be helping your friend over there..." he said, sneering.