To Love a Criminal ((MIKE ZACHARIAS X OC))

Chapter 17

Another week passed since the blowout fight Silica partook in with Mike; and throughout the seven days that passed her by, she ruthlessly trained on and off the clock in order to avoid her sandy haired lover at all costs.

By the time three days had passed, Silica obtained her Trainee Medical Card and was permitted to carry basic first aid supplies on the upcoming Expedition. She continued to up her game in terms of Titan slaying, and had managed to lop the heads off of several different Titan dummies within the course of one training secession. Silica spent the well majority of her afternoons in hand-to-hand-combat training with either Brutus, Levi, or Avery, and neglected to speak to anyone in regards to Mike or her sudden sour mood.

She was on a work high, and continued to refuse any thoughts of Mike from entering her head. She wanted so badly to prove to everyone in the Corp that she wasn't just the convict scammer from the Underground District that they perceived her to be. She wanted to prove to Avery that she was dedicated to Elite Advancement. She wanted to prove to Shadis that Levi's judgment of her skill was correct, and she wanted to prove to Mike that she wasn't — nor would she ever be — a damsel in distress.

And, to even nick the surface of doing just that, Silica worked herself to the bone. She narrowed down her average four hours of sleep down to just two, and only visited the mess hall when it was well passed dining hours. The chair to her desk was frequently jammed under the door handle of her room at night to prevent any unwanted guests from entering, and she kept her window sealed shut; locking out Mike and just about anyone else who would get in her way.

On the night six days before the Expedition, Silica sat tucked away in the medical bey. She had her nose in an anatomy book, and scribbled down notes on where the major arteries were located in the human body — per Brutus' request.

It was well into the night when the med bey doors opened, and upon looking up, Silica saw that Brutus was the one to enter; dressed in casual clothing and a tired smile.

"Evening, Sil," he greeted, parking it in the chair across from her as she continued to write. "You could have done this tomorrow, you know."

"I've got too much to do," she replied curtly, not looking up as she turned the page. "What're you still doing up?"

"Wondering the same thing about you," Brutus confessed, leaning forward on the desk with narrowed brows. "What's wrong?"

At that, Silica flicked a short look in his direction. "What makes you think something's wrong?"

"You're working a hell of a lot more than usual," he said, frowning. "You're short — not like you aren't usually — at everyone lately, you're actually listening to Avery. Shall I go on?"

Silica rolled her eyes at that without a word, sitting back in her seat with her arms crossed over her chest.

"C'mon, Sil," Brutus urged, chancing yet another pleading smile. "You can tell me anything."

"It's really nothing," she sighed, pushing a tuff of hair behind her ear. "I just want to be prepared."

Brutus' eyes narrowed at that. "You're lying."

"I am not, Brutus."

"Is this about Mike trying to change your squad?"

"How do you know about that?"

"Avery," Brutus replied, propping his chin in his palm. "That's what it is, isn't it? He pissed you off?"

Again, Silica rolled her eyes. "Yeah."

"Damn," her teammate sighed, glancing off to the side. "He made so much ground, too. What does that mean for you guys?"

"It doesn't mean anything." Silica grumbled, slumping in her seat.