The Exchange Student

Chapter 7

"Bonjouuuur !" she grinned joyfully.

Eren greeted her back in French, giving a slight smile.

"So Eren, we're planning to invite Jean and Marco over to Mikasa's house along with the others, and hopefully end up with a truth or dare. With the outcome being Freckles and Jean becoming a couple. Are you down for it ? We talked about it on the group chat but I didn't see your answer," wondered Historia.

Eren pulled out his phone, quickly scrolling through all of the messages he had pressed "read" on from that evening, without actually reading them. "Oh yeah, my phone turned off, and I forgot about checking them once it had finished charging. Sure, I'll be there. Was asking me that the reason behind you chasing me down ?" he joked, attempting an exhaled laugh.

The corners of Historia's pink lips turned upwards. "Amongst others perhaps. I'm making the most out of every occasion."

Eren pondered those words, thinking about how he had been throwing away so many occasions to talk with Levi, so many occasions to make his friends smile, too may occasions to make the worry lines on his mother's forehead go away.
He ran a hand through his tangled hair, fingering the corner of the coffee packet with his finger. "You're right about that."

"Eh oui," slid in Annaëlle a shaking her head as she turned it up towards the darkening sky. "Historia is very knowing. Just like -"

"Quick thing," whispered Historia with an amused face, "she switches topics just like she switches in between different YouTube videos. That is to say in the middle of everything. You have no idea how funny it is, although I don't always understand everything she says."

Historia was good at French, and since she had spent her summer holidays in France, Eren was losing hope of understanding most of the words Annaëlle was saying.

"- and the bikes crashed and Philippe fall, so Alain win à la place (instead)," continued Annaëlle with a thick French accent, highlighting what Historia had said about changing topics. "It's amazing, yes Eren ?"

"Oui oui, incredible" he replied, lost.

Laughter bubbled from the auburn girl's lips. "No, no, it's very sad, as I said. You didn't understand what I say n'est-ce pas ? (isn't that right)"

"Sorry," he apologized, pink sprinkling his unusually pallid cheeks. "I'm not very good at French to be honest."

"It's very ok," she beamed, stepping forwards, then hopping backwards at the end of her sentence, almost always moving.

"Anyways, we should go home for dinner, the pizzas should be there soon." Annaëlle's stomach rumbling punctuated the sentence during the short silence. "See you tomorrow Eren," she smiled, pulling him into a hug, Annaëlle giving him a wave.

The two girls backtracked to the nearest intersection, and disappeared around the corner, and Eren began his journey back.

When he had stepped into the living room, it turned out Grisha was actually going back to the hospital when he had left. Something less to worry about for now.

Eren made sure to try and smile whenever his mother looked at him, trying to ease her worries, as Historia's words floated in mind.

That night was full of nightmares and long periods of time staring up at the ceiling, then eyes fluttering shut, but no sleep coming to keep them closed.

The next day, he decided to attempt hiding the bags under his eyes, so he stole his mother's concealer, although the shade didn't quite match his tanned skin. He was almost certain Mikasa noticed the difference in color under his eyes, judging by her concerned looks she slid towards him.
During lunch, they talked about the plans for Saturday, to which everyone at the table would come, including the exchange students. Levi took a lot of convincing from Hanji, but he finally gave in when they offered him an unbeatable bargain : He would go to the party, and Hanji would keep their mouth shut for a whole day after that.