You read your math exam when Mr. Ackerman handed it to you. You tried not to freak out, but that was a difficult task to complete. In your eyes, that exam was impossible to do. Even though Eren had helped you with studying, you couldn't still understand math.
For the next hour, you tried to complete the exam. Some exercises were actually easy to do, but in most of them, you made such silly mistakes that they made you have to repeat the entire exercise.
Many times, you would make the same mistake again, although on the paper in front of you had the unerased numbers that clearly showed you how badly you had done it before.
You were so frustrated. How could you repeat the same mistakes if they were in front of you?
You tried to do it the best you could. You were almost sure that you'd pass the exam, but you wanted a good grade. You had studied with Eren really hard and you didn't want to think that had been a waste of time.
The last big exam was English. It was really easy for you. Your essay probably was one of the best from the whole class.
When this exam ended, you got out of the class. You saw Eren next to the door, and he wasn't looking happy at all.
"Hey" you said. He had just noticed your presence, "Hi. I forgot to ask you; how did you do in math?".
You sighed, "I don't want to talk about it. You?".
Even though he didn't want to do it in front of you, he smiled, "Pretty good".
You rolled your eyes, but still smiled because you were proud of him, "Of course. What about English?".
His smile disappeared, "...I don't want to talk about it".
"Aw, really?" you laughed, "I did quite well there. It was easy. The essay's topic was the one I predicted yesterday".
"How was I supposed to believe you if we've been studying another book for more than a month?" he questioned, "I'm sure I'm not the only one that's going to have a bad grade".
"Can we stop talking about exams?" Connie asked, being the last one that came out of the class, "We finished our exams!".
Sasha hugged him from behind, "That means on Saturday..."
"Party at your house!" Marco continued her sentence, "It's been like a month since we don't do anything like that. I've been without going to your place for ages".
"It's because my parents have been a lot in my house recently" she explained, "But now that I finished the big exams from this trimester, they don't need to control me or my siblings so we actually study".
"I really need to be with you guys right now" you said. "I'm saturated with studying".
Reiner threw his notes in the trash can in the hallway, "Me too. I can't believe we finished already. Too bad me and Bert haven't finished the first baseball season already. We'll have a match this Saturday and that's it".
You stopped hearing what was happening around you for a second. Listening Reiner talk about baseball made you remember something.
Marley. You were going today to your old school.
Eren was already observing you, "Are you ok?".
You nodded, "Yeah. It's just that I remembered I'm going today. It's still hard to believe that I'm actually going to do it".
"Yup, you can't change your train ticket" he said, "But don't worry, you're going this afternoon. I don't think they'll be at school by that time".
"...and a lot of people will come, right?" Ymir asked to Sasha. The brunette nodded, "Yup, everyone from our grade and more people if you invite them".
Jean put an arm on her shoulder, "You're the best, Sash".
"Hey, y/n, you told me that you couldn't come today to work, right?" Historia asked you.
"Yeah" you answered, "I have to visit a family member because they have to give me Middle School's documents".
You felt so bad for lying, but there was no other option. You were actually terrified that any of your friends besides Eren discovered about your past.
Above all, you were scared because of Reiner. How would he react if he knew that you were part of that same friend group that were bullying him? Could that same group manipulate not only him, but all of your friends, into thinking that you were the bad one here?
"I'll tell Ana that won't come then" Historia said, "But don't forget you need to work another day!".
"Hey Eren, are you doing something today?" Armin asked, "Mikasa and I are going to watch a movie at her house, you wanna come?".
"Sure, but I have to do something first at home" he answered, "I'll be there as soon as possible".
When everyone was going to the cafeteria and everyone was a little more spread out, you moved next to Eren and asked him what he had to do at the apartment.
"I was lying, I just wanted to walk with you to the train station" he answered.
"You don't need to" you said, "I can go alone".
He smiled, "Are you sure you're not going to freeze before you get on the train and not go to Marley?".
"Hey, who do you think I am?" you frowned, "I mean, that's probably what's going to happen, but I'm the only one who can think like that".
At lunch, Mr. Ackerman passed next to you when you went to the fountain for more water.
"Good luck today" he said while his hand was resting on your shoulder, "If something happens, don't be afraid to tell me".
You nodded, "I will. Thank you, Mr. Ackerman".
After you finished your class and your Poetry Club, you waited for Eren at the school's exit. Two minutes later, you saw he coming towards you. He was holding a paper bag with something that you couldn't see inside.
"What's that?" you asked him.
"I bought donuts for you and me" he answered, "We have to take a bus to get to the train station cause it's pretty far away from here".
You put your thumbs up, "Cool. Thank you for the donuts! You're the best".
He patted your head, "No need to thank me. Let's go to the nearest bus stop".
The nearest one was a couple minutes away from school. You looked at the bus stop's map; the train station was quite far away from the town center, as Eren had told you. It would take like 20 minutes for the bus to get there.
You waited in the stop like five minutes until the bus stopped there and Eren and you got inside.
You sat at the back. There were only a few people in there, so it was really calm, something that you needed.
Reality was slowly hitting you. There was no coming back and, even if you wanted to not go, Eren wouldn't let you.
He gave you one of the vanilla donuts, "This is for you. You need to eat something or else you'll be hungry there".
You laughed, "You think the food is poisoned there so I can't buy anything?".
"I would actually believe that" he took a bit from his donut, "You can't trust anybody there".
"Well, at least some people there were cool" you said, "For example, some teachers".
Eren almost choked. "Do you remember any of them?".
"Mmmm, I just remembered dreaming about my English teacher like a month ago or so" you answered, "She was pretty cool, but besides her; no, I don't remember any of them".
You looked through your window. It was almost 5pm, but it was dark already. December started the next day. You couldn't believe Christmas was so close.
The bus stopped in every stop and, three stops later, the only ones left were you and Eren. There was 5 more minutes till the train station.
As if he was reading your thoughts, Eren hugged you. You returned the gesture, burying your face in his chest.
You stayed like that for what you felt an eternity, until the bust stopped once again. This time, the train station was in front of you.
You left the bus and looked at the station. It had a very old look but at the same time cozy.
"Well, this is now when you tell me I can't go back home" you told Eren.
"You can't go back home" he repeated, "I'm not leaving till I see you sitting inside of the train".
You sighed, "I guess I have no other option".
"Come on, it will be fine. You will be fine" Eren said. He put both of his hands on your shoulder and made you look at him, "I believe in you. I know that you'll manage the situation".
You smiled, "You're the cutest, you know that?".
The train arrived at the station in front of you. As had happened on the bus, there were only a few people inside.
"Ok, I'll be there for a little bit more than 2 hours. I'll be here by a little bit more than 9pm" you said to Eren, "Thank you for staying with me till here".
He smiled and kissed you. Even though it only lasted a second, you couldn't but think there was a meaning in that kiss that hadn't been there in other occasions.
Your cheeks turned red. You waved your hand, "See you later".
"Bye, y/n. I'll be here waiting for you when you come back".
The train door opened. The yellow light inside reminded you of one of those movies in which the main character travelled through an unknown future that they didn't know about while looking through the window.
You sat in a secluded place. Through the window, you could still see Eren. He was looking at the train door, thinking about anything. His eyes didn't express anything at all.
That didn't transmit you a good vibe. The last time you saw Eren like that was went you and him still didn't know each other that well.
The train began to move. It was a 45-minute drive with a few stops till Marley.
(play Gilded Lily by Cults)
You leaned your head against the window. It was happening. You were going to step on that school after more than 3 years.
You were sure that most of the people wouldn't understand what was happening in your head if you told them about your situation, but how couldn't you be scared?
After you moved to Paradis, the things didn't stop magically. Months had passed, and your old friend group still messaged you with threats.
Moving so suddenly to a new city, being surrounded by completely different people and also not remembering anything about what had happened the last years made everything really confusing. You didn't know who you were by that time.
You were scared because they remembered you, that's why they sent Colt to spy you. And what's worst, they didn't do it for no reason. They had a plan, but you didn't know what it was.
Maybe separate you from your friends? Were they going to tell something to Reiner about you and your past?
And if that was true, why hadn't they done it before? What was stopping them?
Was it that they had another plan to take away what you had been building these years? Why now?
All of these questions were rushing through your mind really fast, and you were getting dizzy. You looked again through the window, seeing the landscape passing in front of your eyes.
You thought about what you would find there. You didn't know if your old teachers would be there and, if that was the case, if you would remember anything.
The only reason why you wanted to go there was because there was the possibility that you would remember anything from those years.
You opened your school bag. The two letters from that stranger you had found during this month were there, travelling with you.
You read them again. The last letter you had found was written by that person whose name you didn't know yet. They said that the letter you would write should be in a book with a green cover.
You were hoping you could find another of those letters. You wished that, if you found any of them, it would be the one in which that person said their name.
You touched your phone's screen. The wallpaper was a photo of you and Eren. It made you smile, even though your mind was being bombarded with unpleasant thoughts.
Is it that I have not given enough to deserve what I have now? So many months of suffering and many years of recovery for it to be taken away from me in a second?
You tried to not think about it anymore. It wasn't like someone was going to see you. It was almost 6pm and today Reiner didn't train. You weren't in danger of being seen.
The next stop was Marley. You prepared yourself for was going to happen. When the train stopped moving, the doors opened, and you got off it.
And, as simple as that, you were at the same place you swore never to see in front of your eyes again.
The train station hadn't change from the last time you saw it, when you were leaving this town to live in Paradis. You could almost see yourself 3 years younger with two suitcases and not looking back.
Thank God, the train station was only five minutes away from your old school. Marley was bigger than Paradis, but it was a quite simple town, so finding the building was pretty easy.
You wished that Eren was there with you, but that was quite impossible right now. I should had asked him before.
So, after five minutes, in front of your eyes was the place that had appeared in most of your nightmares. They were 3 gray buildings, joined by glass walkways, facing a large garden with tables for eating outdoors. Its representative colors, red and white, were in a big billboard who had written, Marley's High School, where dreams come true.
You laughed internally. That phrase was completely the opposite of what this school actually did.
You felt like the pillars where your uncontrollable fear sat were being built involuntarily. Your mouth stayed dry while your eyes got wet.
You walked next to the lunch wood tables. They had many names scratched, but you didn't have time to see if yours was there.
You opened the main door. The whitish light blinded your eyes, but you could clearly remember that hallway. You were in front of the Senior students' lockers, the same ones you once dreamed were going to be yours this same year.
The hallway was completely empty. You sighed out of relief, no one from your old friend group was there. But that emptiness gave freedom to your imagination to have yourself in front of you, but 3 or 4 years ago.
That y/n was scared of the people that were next to her and felt extremely bad for the other people that suffered because of her.
You put those thoughts away. Just go for the documents. No need to remember anything.
You walked the halls, trying to remember where the principal's office was. No one was actually at the school. You guessed they had finished their big exams today as well, so no one would be there.
However, something caught your eye. One of the classes' door was opened, revealing someone inside.
You stopped in front of the class. It was a blonde young man, you guessed he would be between 25 to 30. He had a messy bear, and his eyes were blue. They reminded you of Historia's.
But, above all, his face was quite similar to someone, but you couldn't really find out who.
The man noticed your presence, and his eyes widened. He got up really quick, making some things from his desk fall, like some documents or a photo frame, which stayed lying face down.
He looked at you one more time before saying your name, "Y/n?".
His voice was like a key that opened a door that had been closed for a long time. Your memories began to reappear like small waves.
He was your Biology teacher. You smiled, "Mr. Fritz, right?".
He was definitely surprised, "Do you... do you remember my name?".
You nodded, "I just did. It's so nice to see you! I didn't think I'd run into you".
"Same thing with you" he smiled, "I didn't I would ever see you in person again. You have grown so much".
"I think I look the same, but thank you!" you looked at his desk, "I see you are still as messy as you used to be when I was here, huh?".
Surprisingly, you were full of happiness right now. Remembering these things all of sudden made you actually realize that not only bad things happened in that place, but also amazing ones like having such a good teacher as Mr. Fritz.
His eyes went to his desk, looking at the mess his sudden encounter with you had caused. He swallowed hard, "Haha, yeah. I guess some things never change, and less if it's me, a man that doesn't like changes".
You laughed. One of the most characteristic aspects of Mr. Fritz's personality was his sarcasm and his ability with words. "So, tell me, how are things going here?".
"Pretty much the same since you left this school" he answered, "Not a lot of people came new, we stayed the same as before. A new thing, though, is that our students became really good at different sports. Even people from other schools came to practice here".
You nodded. That was Reiner's case. "That's cool. And you? How's your life been?".
You instantly blushed, "Oh, I'm sorry. That's not a thing a student should ask their teacher, right?".
The blonde man let out a genuinely laugh, "It's ok, sometimes is good to talk with people that doesn't know you well is refreshing. Plus, you're not my student anymore. I can't complain about my life, I have an amazing job here and I can see my partner whenever I want because she works here too. What else do I need?".
You grew excited, "Your partner? Who is it?".
"Yelena".
You gasped, "No way, my old English teacher?". He nodded and that made you smiled, "I always knew you two had a thing".
"Oh, really?" Mr. Fritz laughed, "Guess everyone else was right, then. But let's stop talking about me. What are you doing with your life right now?".
"Wow, I don't even know where to begin" you smiled, "It's been 3 years since I moved to Paradis, right?".
"Oh, Paradis?" he repeated, "That's quite far, isn't it? I like that town. I always feel at home there".
The way he was saying all of those things had a sarcastic touch that you weren't used to and didn't quite understand why he was talking like that. You felt as if he wanted to tell you something that you couldn't see at first. It was almost as if he was making fun of you.
You put those thoughts away, Mr. Fritz wouldn't do something like that.
You nodded, "It's the best town of the world. The people there is amazing and I'm so grateful that I was able to meet them. I don't know what I would do without them".
"And your parents?" he asked, leaning on his desk. He was making himself comfortable, hinting that he was very interested in everything you had to tell him.
"Oh, I don't live with them anymore" you answered, "Their jobs keep them very busy, and the house's bills were really expensive, so I moved to a small apartment next to my school".
Mr. Fritz slowly nodded, "I see. Well, that's good, right? You are an independent young girl and you're just 17".
You smiled, "Yeah! You could say that. Only thing is I live with... with one of my friends. Besides that, I do everything by myself".
The man raised his eyebrows, "One of your friends, huh?". He had a playful smile, "That's so cool for you, right? I can't imagine what it would have been if I lived with one of my friends when I was your age".
"It's not as chaotic as it may look" you assured him, "Actually, I'm living a dream right now. I wouldn't change a thing from my life if I was given the chance".
"I'm happy to hear that" he said, "It's good to know that you finally had found your place in this world".
You smiled and just nodded in silence.
"By the way, what are you doing here?" Mr. Fritz asked. "The excitement to see you made me forget to ask you".
"I need a document that proved that I graduated from Middle School" you explained. "My tutor told me this a month ago and I didn't have time to come here until today, when I finished my exams".
"Oh, that document" he repeated, "I know what you're talking about. You'll need to go then to Mr. Magath's office, right?".
"Mhm, but I don't remember where it is" you said, "Can you tell me which way to go there?".
"You need to cross the hall and turn right" he commanded, "You'll see a red door. Mr. Magath is still there".
You smiled, "Thank you, Mr. Fritz. It was nice talking to you".
You walked to the door, but your teacher had a question for you that he couldn't help but ask, even though it was totally unprofessional. "Y/n, can I ask you something?".
You turned around, "Yes?".
He took a deep breath, "Why did you leave this school?".
That question hit you like a rock. For a moment, you had completely forgotten the reason why you were here, but it would always come back. You felt as if that's the only thing that formed you as a person. That your past would always be there for you and that you couldn't let it go.
"Family things and been treated badly here" you answered, "Not by the teachers, but by other students".
He sighed. It's almost like he knew what happened. But, if he knew, why didn't he help?
"What do you mean by been treated badly?" he asked. "What did they do? Who?".
"I suppose you know who Pieck, Porco, Gabi, Marcel and Falco are" you said, "and what its personality as a group is".
Zeke's face lost all its color. There was something weird about him, you thought. It was like he already had been told this story. His expressions weren't sudden. His sadness wasn't because of what you were telling him, but because of you confirming something that he already knew.
"I knew you were part of that group" Mr. Fritz said, "But I didn't know they treated you like that. I thought that you formed part of that same thing that was going around with them".
What an asshole. "Nope, I definitely wasn't part of it" you explained something that you thought was really obvious, "I mean, yeah, they made me do things, but forced. I didn't want to do it".
Mr. Fritz looked at the floor, "I'm sorry. I had no idea".
You nodded, "Yeah, no one knew what was happening, right? Not only you, but all the teachers. That's fantastic".
"What are you trying to tell me?" he asked you. You shook your head, "It's nothing. It wasn't your fault, but sometimes I just wish that someone would have noticed what was happening".
You looked behind you, seeing the tables where students sat every day. "It's not only about me. I suffered the consequences of being part of that group, but there were other people who also suffered. They were literally being bullied".
You heard Mr. Fritz gasp, making you turn around to look at him. His face was in total pain, an indescribable feeling. You wondered what he was thinking right now.
"I did notice that" he finally said after looking at you deep into your eyes, "And that's one of my biggest regrets; noticing it and trying to help, but I couldn't do anything more than I did".
He then looked at his messy table before talking again. "I have a lot of regrets, you know? And that's one of the biggest. Seeing that problem in my own job and being totally paralyzed and, now that I know, not noticing what was happening".
Even though he seemed to be talking about the same thing as you, you thought that Mr. Fritz was talking about something else that you couldn't understand. Only he could do that, and that was something that should be kept like that, so you didn't ask anything.
"There's no need to go back to the past again" you said, "So, let's forget about everything. That's what I've been trying for a long time".
Mr. Fritz came back to reality and smiled, "Yeah, you're right. Sorry for me talking nonsense. Just go to the principal's office and leave this place already".
You laughed, "Okay. Then, I guess this is where we say bye to each other?".
"Absolutely" he said, following you to the class's door. "Good luck, y/n. Hopefully, I can see you again in another context".
"And if I see you because of this school..." you smiled.
He returned the gesture, "If that's the case, I hope we won't have to see each other again then. So, bye until no one knows when".
You nodded, "Bye".
You crossed the hall and turned right, as your teacher had indicated you. You felt really weird inside.
What you just talked with Mr. Fritz made you realize one thing. You had the power to stop this situation.
"If that's the case, I hope we won't have to see each other again".
What you suffered in Marley, which seemed an endless nightmare, ended with you. You were the only one that could stop this from affecting you.
Although you regretted all the things that happened in your past, you somehow found comfort in them after all those years. You had gotten used to it always coming back and you had internalized that it would always be a part of you.
Perhaps having forgotten everything that had happened wasn't as bad as you had always thought. There was the possibility that life had given you the chance to start a new life by erasing every single memory from you.
But this opportunity to have a new life began with you, leaving behind everything bad that had happened to you, not thinking about it and not letting it affect you so much.
Life had blessed you three years ago with a new home, a new city and new friends. Getting stuck in things from the past didn't do you any good, it just wouldn't let you take advantage of the happiness that was in front of you.
So, now you would get those documents, give them the next day to Mr. Ackerman and forgetting about this even more than you already did years ago. This nightmare ended today.
At least for you.
You received a message. You looked at your phone, seeing Eren's contact on your screen.
eren💒
miss me already?
You smiled. You found yourself looking at your phone in the middle of the empty hallway, nervous as if it was the first time he messaged you.
You
u wish >:(
u're the one missing me
eren💒
true
how are things going?
You
pretty good, I haven't found anyone
just talked with one of my old teachers
eren💒
oh? Which one?
You
biology
Eren left you on read, so you thought he was still working at the café. One minute later, he texted you again.
eren💒
anything interesting?
You
nope, talking about how my life's been since I moved
he's rlly nice tho
wbu? u still working?
eren💒
yeah :/
gotta go rn to finish today so then I can go with Armin and Mikasa
I'll text you when I finish :)
You
ohhh k, send kisses to them from me
<3
eren💒
and what abt me? :(
You
shhhhhh
go back to work
eren💒
mhm
call me if something's wrong
<3
You liked his message and continued walking until you found the red door Mr. Fritz told you about.
You called to see if there was someone inside. A deep raspy voice answered you, "Come in".
You opened the door, seeing Mr. Magath sitting in front of his desk and looking at something on his computer. He was the same as the last time you saw him, maybe with a little shorter hair and also a little more tired.
Unlike Mr. Fritz, his personality was unpleasant and very dry sometimes. Experience told you that he was not a good principal and that he hardly cared about what happened to his students in his center.
He looked up and observed you. He looked you up and down. "Y/n L/n?".
"Good afternoon" you replied.
He indicated you to take a sit in front of him with his hand, "Sit down, please".
You were feeling nervous already, but you tried to calm yourself while going to the chair in front of him.
You sat and he looked at you once again before talking. "It's been a long time since I don't see you. You didn't change at all".
You raised your eyebrows, remembering how Mr. Fritz had just said you had changed a lot. "I agree. This school didn't change a lot either".
"How are you?" he asked, not having any type of eye contact with you and looking at the screen.
"I'm good" you answered. That made him look at your eyes for the first time, "That's the only thing you're going to say? What about your school? Where you live?".
"Oh, that" you said while your knees were shaking, "I'm currently living in Paradis, and I go to Paradis High School. It's awesome there".
He nodded, "So you don't regret your decision of leaving, right?".
You frowned, "Excuse me?". Mr. Magath put a face like what he just said made total sense, "I'm just affirming that you don't regret leaving this school when the year had already started".
You actually couldn't believe that he was actually speaking with that voice tone of superiority and reproaching you your decision.
"I don't regret leaving this school" you repeated, "And I don't think anyone who did it regrets it. Some of this school's students create a toxic environment that I believe no one should experience".
Mr. Magath let out a laugh, "Look who says it. You know some students left this school because of you, right?".
You froze, "What?".
"What you heard" he said, "Let me remind you of something; you formed part of those school's students you're talking about. That year two students left this center because of other kids' actions. When talking with them about their decision, your name was mentioned by one of them".
A great sadness was gradually invading your body. "Who?" you asked.
"I can't tell you; school's privacy" the principal explained, "But that's the only information you need".
He put his arms on the table and rested his head on them to get closer to you, "So, don't begin with that speech about this school's toxicity when you participated in that".
You didn't know if you were angry or about to cry. Really, you used to confuse those emotions.
"You don't know what happened with me and that people" you challenged him with your eyes, "The story behind it it's not what you believe".
Mr. Magath smiled, "Oh, really? Then, what is it?".
"If you actually had listened to me when I went multiple times to this same office years ago and I begged you to do something about that situation, you would actually know" you said.
He looked at you, angry, for a few seconds. "I don't need to hear your complaints one more time. Is that school of yours prestigious?".
You observed how his fingers were moving across the keyboard. He was doing a report about the conversation between you two. You didn't know why, but it was quite scary.
"Yeah, it is" you answered, "There are incredible teachers that make you feel safe, both professionally and personal".
"Our has the most prestigious teachers from this region" Mr. Magath defended, "Marley gives a singular academic education that is quite difficult to surpass".
"You know I'm not talking about academic education, Mr. Magath. I'm talking about the way they make students feel; safe and loved, something that I didn't feel at this school" you said.
You took a deep breath, "And if other students didn't feel like that either partially because of me, I take full responsibility of my actions".
Mr. Magath looked at you, already tired of hearing you talking, "Ok. I don't need to hear more of this. You came here because of those documents, the one that proved you graduated from Middle School, right?".
You nodded. The man got up from his sit and went to a cabinet with many drawers behind him, attached to the wall. He opened one of those drawers and searched through a lot of folders until he picked one.
He went back to your sit and opened it, "Here it is, the folder with all your information".
Firstly, he put in front of you a document that had all of your information. Your name and your parents', where you lived when you went to that school and a picture of you, among other things. You looked at the photo. You had changed a lot actually.
"Here it is" he said, reading another document, "This is what you need to show to your tutor".
He gave it to you and then put the other documents back in the folder. "Well, if that's everything, you can leave".
You took the paper and put in your bag. You got up from your seat and waved your hand, "Have a good afternoon".
Mr. Magath didn't say anything to you. You sighed and went to the door.
"Y/n, wait" he said just before you opened it. You turned around, facing him, "Yeah?".
"Remember the school's halls where your lockers were?" he asked, "The ones all of the students from your grade decorated".
You nodded. You remembered yours was painted with flowers.
"That part of the school stopped being used that same year because it was too far apart from your classes" he explained. "They stayed the same, with your own decorations. You might want to see them".
"Oh, that's cool" you said. "I'll go now and see them".
Mr. Magath went back to the screen, "Good afternoon".
You left the principal's office and went to where he told you. Your own instinct told you where your old lockers were. That school hallway was the same as you remembered.
All of the lockers were painted and drawn as everyone wanted to. That year, when you were in 8th grade, the school gave your grade the opportunity to do whatever you wanted with your lockers, and every single one of them was decorated how the students wanted.
You walked through the hall, trying to find yours. You found it pretty easily; it was white with a lot of flowers painted on it.
Some of them had posters, another of them had extremely beautiful paintings... Everyone expressed themselves with their lockers.
You passed in front of one that also had some pictures sticked to it. You took a closer look, seeing you in a few of those pictures.
You guessed it was Pieck's locker because of those pictures. You appeared in some of them, only with her or with the whole group.
Either way, you looked happy in all of them. You even kind of missed those times, when you didn't realize what it was actually happening with the group and with the things they did to other people.
You went back to your locker and took a picture of it. You sent it to Eren, hoping he liked it. You knew he would love to do it in Paradis.
you
*sent a photo*
this is actually the only cool thing from when I studied here
eren💒
yoooo that's so cool
are they still like how u painted them?
you
yeah, this hall is not being used anymore and it stayed like that
eren💒
wow
yours is super pretty
you
;)
are u already at Mikasa's?
eren💒
yup
when are u coming back?
you
the next train leaves in less than an hour
eren💒
oki
text me when you're there and I'll go to the train station
you
rlly?
u don't need to
eren💒
but u'd love to see me waiting for u
;)
you
ew
eren💒
ok then I won't
you
NOOOO I was lying
I'll text u when I'm in the train
eren💒
that's better
see u later <3
You smiled and continued looking at all the locker's detail until you went back to your locker.
You wondered if you could still open. You were bad at remembering passwords so you always had the same one for everything.
You put your birthday date on the locker's padlock. It made a sound, indicating that it was open.
You opened the locker's door and a piece of paper fell instantly. You grabbed it from the floor, seeing a folded sheet with something written.
From y/n.
Your heart skipped a beat. It was another letter. You had found a third.
You unfolded the paper, seeing your old handwriting that you had read in the first letter you found on your room.
Dear stranger,
I don't know why I write this; you're not going to read it anyway.
Since you left this school, I had no contact with you nor have any idea of what could have happened for you to leave with no explanation.
Let me rewrite what I just said. I do know why you left. Truth is, I'd like to do the same. I'd like to leave this place as soon as possible, and not see my friends in a very long time.
But what I don't understand is why you didn't say anything to me. You don't know how I felt when days had passed and I still didn't see you in class. You'll never know how much time I wasted waiting for you at the bathrooms, where we used to talk every day so my friends wouldn't catch us.
Since you moved, I honestly don't feel the same. I get bored easily, and it takes me much more effort every day to keep acting in front of my friends. It's too draining.
Now it's been three months since you're not here and I don't know if I can stay here any longer. Hopefully, next school year I'll move to another town.
I could use your name that you're not here anymore, but not using it makes it seem that we still continue with the secrecy of sending each other letters like a few months ago.
I know that if I really wanted to know something about you, I could. However, the fact that you left this town with no explanation makes me wonder if this is exactly what you wanted to happen from the start. That's what stops me from looking for you.
I'll leave this letter inside of my locker. If for any chances you get to read it, leave yours inside of the locker too.
-Y/n ✿
You looked inside of your locker desperately for another letter from that stranger, but it was empty. That meant that person didn't read your last letter.
It has to be here, it has to be here, it has to...
You slammed the locker shut and leaned on it, breathing heavily. Your eyes were full of tears and your nails dug into the palms of your hands as you crumpled that letter with the same rage with which you wrote it a few years ago.
You hated so much this sensation. The sensation of being desperate to find out who that stranger, the only person that made you happy in Marley, was.
It was kind of ironic how half an hour ago you were saying that you were going to forget about this place as soon as you crossed the door, but now you were almost crying because of someone you couldn't remember.
You hated so much that you couldn't remember anything. Not even someone that supposedly made you happy. The only you now knew was that they had left that school and didn't even tell you. Great.
You stared at the letter for an eternity, putting all of your effort in trying to rescue some memories of a castle that you had built yourself and that was not capable of being destroyed.
How was possible to be so sad about something that you couldn't remember? Did it make sense to miss someone you didn't know who they were?
You put the letter in your bag and began to walk. You went to say bye to Mr. Fritz, but he had already left.
You left the school with a lot of questions. The fact that there could be so many of those letters inside of those buildings scared you. There was a big possibility that all of the answers were there, but you promised yourself you would end all of this today.
You arrived at the train station and texted Eren.
You
I'm at the train station
I'll be in the train in 15 mins :)
Eren
Niceee
I'll leave Mikasa's in a bit
You
As you had to wait for the train to arrive, you entered in a small coffee shop that was next to the tracks. The place was full of people waiting for their trains to arrive, and it was kind of difficult to move there.
Just after you ordered your coffee, Sasha called you. You picked the phone, "Hey Sash".
"Hello!" she said, "Woah, that's a lot of noise there. Where are you?".
"In a coffee shop" you answered, "It's full of people?".
"What? I can't hear you!" she exclaimed on the other end of the phone.
"I said that I'm at a coffee shop!" you said louder. Some people next to you looked at you as if you were crazy. You blushed, "I'm sorry. Well, Sasha, why did you call me?".
"Just to know how you are, I texted you a few times today and you didn't answer" she said.
"Huh?" you looked at your phone and saw her messages, "Oh my god, I'm sorry. I didn't see them".
Sasha laughed, "It's ok, don't worry. It wasn't anything important, just me saying a few things about the party at my house on Saturday. It's going to be fucking insane".
"No fucking way" you smiled, "But aren't your parents going to notice something happened when they come back?".
"Meh, they're going to be out for a week" she explained, "I have time to put everything back in order. Plus, my siblings don't care about what I do with the house".
"Then it's perfect, isn't it?" you asked. "Who's going to go?".
"To be honest, I don't know" Sasha answered. "Probably everyone from our grade and some of my friends from outside of the school, plus if some of y'all want to invite other friends, you can!".
"So, you're telling me that there's going to be like at least 100 people at your house?" you questioned.
"Yeah" she laughed, "Woah, that's actually kind of scary. But you know what? We deserve it. It's been like a month since we don't do something like that. My body needs it".
You smiled, "I kind of miss it too".
You heard a bell signaling the arrival of your train. "I have to go now, Sash" you explained, "I'll see you tomorrow".
"Ok, see you later!".
You left the coffee shop and waited for the train to arrive a few seconds later. When its doors opened, you entered and sat again next to the window.
[play I know the end by Phoebe Bridgers]
It was dark outside, and some snowflakes were falling. It truly was a beautiful scene.
You couldn't wait to see Eren. You needed him more than ever. It was during these moments when you realized how much happiness he had brought you.
You knew that you wouldn't have done this without the courage that Eren induced you. His happiness was contagious, and the way in which his life had improved compared to a few months ago made you more sure of yourself, since you had helped him, and also to think that everything can get better.
You wished that none of this would ever end. I'm getting the best of me. I can't let it go.
You stayed looking through the window and thinking about all this all the way, until you saw the station of Paradis.
A figure began to appear in the snow. Eren was waiting on the platform, hiding his face in his coat due to the cold that the snow caused.
You smiled and went almost running to the door, waiting for it to open.
When it did, your face and Eren's lit up when you saw each other. You jumped off the train and gave him the biggest, warmest hug you'd ever given in your life.
He laughed, "Woah, you missed me that much?".
You rolled your eyes, "I'm just cold and I don't have a coat unlike you".
"Sure" he said, "Well, if that's the case, I did miss you. This is what happens when I don't see for hours someone I live with".
You smiled and kissed him, even though your lips were shivering from the cold.
Eren's cheeks went red. You laughed, "Aw, you liked it? You're blushing".
He looked aside, "It's because of the cold". You laughed, "Sure. Wait, look at this".
You opened the bag and took out the documents from Middle School. You put them in front of his face, "I finally have them!".
Eren saw your bright smile and hold them for you while reading them. He then smiled too, "That's great. Was it as bad as you expected?".
You shook your head, "It was ok. I didn't see anyone that I should be worried about, just my biology teacher and the principal. Then I went to the lockers and...".
You stopped talking. The letter you had found was still inside of your bag.
"And what?" Eren asked. You looked at him, "...And I found another letter. This was different from the rest".
Eren stared into your eyes, trying to decipher your emotions. "What did it say?".
You sighed, "I think it's the last letter I wrote. That person left the school, and I didn't know why and... I believe it's me saying bye to them even though they didn't read it".
Eren nodded slowly, reflecting on what you just told him. You smiled, "I'm not going to think about anything related to Marley anymore. Hopefully, it ends with this" you pointed the documents Eren was still holding.
He smiled and tapped your head, "I know you can do it. I'm proud of you for taking that decision".
He hugged you again, burring his face on your neck. His cold nose tickled you. You laughed, "Ow, you're tickling me".
He separated from you and cupped your face, "Let's go home".
He kissed you in such a delicate way that it seemed that you would break if his lips pressed against yours a little harder.
You took his hand and started walking. The rest of the way the two of you were almost all the time in silence, thinking about the beautiful season that was beginning to show itself and about the person you had next to you and that made you so happy.
.•° ✿ °•.
A/N: hi everyone! It's been a while, almost a month since I don't post a new chapter. I've been really busy with school and more stuff, but I've also wanted this chapter to be perfect. It may seem a bit boring at first, but I promise this might me be the most important at the moment from all the story, and I can't wait for y'all to know why.
Little by little I think it's been shown where y/n's story is going, and how Eren is going to be affected by all this.
Hope u guys like it!