This Time

Chapter One

The last year of school was two weeks away. Mikasa sat in her window seat with a book in her lap and yawned, she wished it would never come.

School seemed to just last forever, and it didn't help that she experienced social anxiety among other forms. But this year she told her self would be different, she still had Armin and Eren, even if Eren was always busy with his girlfriends, but it didn't matter. They would survive the last year together.

August was a funny month as, the heat in the morning could make you sweat buckets, but in the evening, it cooled to a temp that you could leave milk outside and it wouldn't spoil.

Most of the clothes she owned here suited for the autumn month, cold but not cold enough. Her closest was adorned with an array of blacks, greys, browns, greens, reds, and purples. She didn't like too much color, but just enough to keep herself from looking devoid of all emotion.

It was nearing about 9 p.m. when Eren and Armin ran by with, Eren's dog. Her window was opened so she shouted at them.

" Hey, Eren, Armin, why are you guys still walking max, it's almost ten," she cringed at the volume she had to use.

"We got bored, ...hey wanna come walk around with us", Eren shouted back.

"Hold on let me ask my mom and grab a jacket," she shuffled around her room "I'll be out in five", was her final answer.

Her heart hammered as she walked down the stairs of her small home. Her mother and father, when moving her ten years ago wanted a small, cozy home, big enough for just them.

She reached her front door as both Eren and Armin stood on the grass. The dog began to bark a little, he wagged his tail in excitement. She hurried over to meet them and began to pet the dog.  Once she was finished greeting the dog, they began their walk.

" Are you guys excited, we are seniors, it's our last year," Armin took a small breath " We will be free", his arms flew open.

"We still have college, and even before that it's like over 100 days until school is over," Eren spoke while trying to get max to slow down.

" Don't be such a Debby Downer," Mikasa nudged Eren.

A small smile grew on his lips, just how Mikasa liked it. Eren nudged her back. This turned into an all-out war, with Armin and Mikasa running to hide from Eren.

"Let's", huff, " go", huff "behind the shed", Armin said in shallow breathes.

They made their way through Eren's backyard, his father was a doctor so the place was huge. There was a pool, a swing set, and still the old treehouse they had all helped to build years ago.

A cobbled path led to the shed and behind it was firewood,  Armin and Mikasa, stood there trying to catch their breaths, hoping it wouldn't take Eren too long to find them.

Fifteen long minutes later, Eren had found them. His face was plastered with sweat and his hair stood up in weird ends.

" I went all around the block, ten times," he took a deep breath, "you guys owe me some ice cream," he huffed out.

Mikasa stood up from where she was sitting on the grass.

"My mom hasn't bought ice cream in like two weeks, so we will have to get some from the corner store?" She somewhat asked him.

He nodded his head and Mikasa lent a hand to help Armin up from where he sat on the ground, almost red in the face from holding in his laughs.

"Let me grab my keys from my room ok, I'll be right back," Eren spoke as he headed back to his house.