to love a liar

garrison park

On Monday morning, you walked into your political science class. Your eyes fell on the boy you were a bit rattled to see now. He was looking down at his phone, scrutinizing in detail whatever was on the screen. Those big headphones were over his ears as he kept his head low. You collected your thoughts and walked up to him, stopping in front of him while the classroom was still empty since class didn't start for another ten minutes.

Right when your heels clicked at a full stop, he noticed, looking up at you while sliding his headset off. Your eyes danced around the room as you shakily exhaled, a little flustered you had been brought to this point.

"Thank you," you finally muttered. "For the duck."

"Yeah," he nodded, "No problem. I'm glad the duck got home safely."

Slowly, you nodded your head as he was imitating you at an agonizing pace. His eyes were glued to you, and you asked timidly, "Did you tell anyone why I left?"

"No," he blankly answered. "It's none of my business and I don't air out anyone else's." He looked down and deftly twirled a pen in his hands.

You moved to sit down in your seat next to him as people started entering the classroom, more specifically a few girls you have been seeing glaring at you a whole lot since you and Eren had been seated beside each other.

Settled in your seat and gripping your notebook, you whispered to him, "Thank you."

He turned his head to you, "Don't worry about it."

You nodded, not wanting to go into further conversation about the night since you felt inferior enough. Also, you felt as if he knew more than necessary anyway so you decided that changing the topic would be better.

"How'd you do on the quiz last week?" you diverted the subject.

He looked at you once more, still spinning the black pen. "Are we really doing this?"

"Doing what?" your shoulders tensed in your seat.

"The whole small talk thing," he had a bored expression. "Like we're friends or something."

"We're not?" you arched your brow, confused by his demeanor.

  "No," he looked straight ahead.

You clenched your jaw, peering off towards the window as Levi stepped in.

"Hundred," you heard your desk mate say in a low voice. "I got a hundred."

You didn't respond, your eyes were still glued out the window, focused on a little bird on a tree branch.

Ninety-eight. You had gotten a ninety-eight on that quiz.

Once class was over, you headed out of the building, walking down the steps of it as you watched Eren adjust his headphones over his head and let his skateboard slip onto the floor. As it was rolling, he mounted onto it and skated off.

Your eyes followed him as he, for an evanescent moment, turned his face over his shoulder, locking eyes with you. The wind blew your hair, knocking a strand or two in front of your eyes as you then watched him face forward again.

"Finally," a voice chimed from nearby. "I've been waiting for like twenty minutes for you to come out of class."

You whipped your head to the side, seeing Jean walking up to you. You let out an abrupt yet confused laugh, "What're you doing here?"

"I felt bad I couldn't come to the arcade with you all," he caught up to you. "I heard you guys had a lot of fun."

"Yeah, we did, it would've been great if you came," your lips turned down. "But it's alright, we could go some other time. But you still haven't told me why you're standing like a weirdo outside my class."