(Mikasa's POV)
Knocking on the door, I waited. After the ringing of the bell and looking at the camera I knew that someone was gonna open the door. I really wanted it to be Eren. I wanted to see him so bad. And then, just then, a sound of a click caught my ears. I looked at the door, my heart beating as fast as a goddamn speeding jet.
And that's when he came out, my childhood friend, not Eren, but Armin.
"Oh my god..." he said as his eyes met mine.
"M-M-Mikasa?!" He said as the smile widened on his face. He ran and hugged me and I hugged back.
"I missed you!" I exclaimed. "I missed you so much!"
When we broke off the hug he noticed the others and went to greet them.
"How are you, Armin! Long time no see!" Ymir exclaimed.
"You grew an inch or two!" Jean stated.
And then I asked the question that is on all our minds.
"Armin?" I asked. He turned around to face me. "Where's Eren?"
The smile on his face was gone and replaced by a forced one that displayed his feeling of awkwardness.
"I, uh, I... I wish I knew, really." He replied.
"What?" We all asked at the same time, confused by that answer.
"Come in! Come in and I'll tell ya!"
We all went inside his house with me feeling a scant satisfaction that I get to know what Eren is up to.
The house itself was large, very large. Three floors excluding the ground floor that apparently we were not on. The house itself has a studio apartment vibe.
The entrance door leads to a large living area with a kitchen a few steps away from the living area and stairs to the bedroom to the left of the entrance. The kitchen had a nice counter and an adjacent island. In front of it, a door that leads to the deck that is just above the infinity pool area in the first floor balcony. I didn't get to check the rooms but I was sure I would be blown away.
We all sat in the living room area while Armin went to the kitchen to grab some stuff. He came back with loads of bags filled with bags of chips and then he came back with soda cans and was making popcorn with their very own popcorn machines. They had two that were placed next to each other and were making popcorn every quick.
Armin then finished and then sat down next to us.
"So where was I? Oh yea! Why Eren isn't here. So a few weeks prior to you coming here, Eren had a small 'accident'." Armin explained?
"What?! What accident? What happened?!" I explained.
"Well he just... tried to jump from the deck to the pool and hit his arm while diving and broke his shoulder and some parts of his arm. At the time I was just returning from the local game store, which sells at great prices by the way, back home and heard Eren screaming his lungs off. Rushing to him I found him next to the pool, lying on the ground and holding his left shoulder. I called 911 and we took him to the hospital. There I called Eren's mom and she rushed in to check on him. They had to perform a surgery to fix his shoulder so they took him to his dad Grisha's hospital where he is supposed to be recovering right now. He stays at his father's place and tasked me with keeping an eye on this house while he's gone. I go there from time to time but I think they are taking him away to perform yet another surgery to fix what's left. I mean bones and stuff are not my expertise, so... yea." He continued explaining.
"Where is he? Tell us, Armin!" I asked.
"Like I said I don't know where. He didn't tell me and he's not answering is phone. He probably was moved hastily and did not manage to get to me. His mom is pretty mad at him and the only thing she does all day is taking care of him while his father works. And I am here all by myself." Armin answered.
"Wait, Armin. Wasn't there another kid called Sean that's living with you?" I asked. Armin's face was shocked.
"You met him?" He asked.
"Yea. Once. Long story. Anyway I need to use the bathroom. It's been a long ride after all." I stated. Armin then showed me where to go and asked if I need him to take me there. I refused and told him to sit and catch up with the gang.
I went to the bathroom and instantly whipped up my phone. I texted Annie how I felt suspicious about Armin.
Me: Annie. Armin's lying. I just don't know about what.
Annie: Yea. I can tell. He's hiding something.
Me: I need to find out. Just how?!
Annie: I can make him give us a tour around the house while you sneak in to the rooms and try to find anything.
Me: What can I do without you? ;)
Annie: Not much <3 now go!
I opened the door and slowly snuck into the upper floor while Armin was showing the gang the infinity pool and the jacuzzi next to it.
The corridors were lit by wall lamps since it was nighttime by the time we arrived. I walked through the corridors looking for rooms but I only stumbled upon two bathrooms, two rooms, one locked and had the letter S on it which I assumed was for Sean, another, was open and had a letter A on it which was for Armin so I entered it.
Inside was a large bedroom with a walk-in closet, a balcony and a PC near the bed. I looked throughout his drawers and closet, only finding Armin's books, notebooks that only contained school stuff, and a bunch of electronics. But then when I finished looking though one of his drawers I witnessed a laptop placed on top, next to his cologne stash and a shoebox that contained a new pair of converse. I took a look through the laptop and found out Armin left it unlocked, to my surprise. And rummaging through the files I found nothing important except pictures of him, Eren and Sean.
Eren looked... happy. He seemed to do pretty well without me. He had everything. An entire building for him and his buddies, a new life without me or any of my troubles, and most of all, he was very happy, unlike me. No, pretty much the opposite of me. I was destroyed and he was enjoying life. But I guess he needed all of this and got it and I deserve what happened to me. Life really works in mysterious ways.
This world is cruel. It is also very beautiful. At least when Eren is in it. Otherwise it is not a world worth living in. And that is why I want to be with Eren till the day I die.
My phone then vibrated in my pocket. A text message. I thought it was from Annie or anyone else in the gang, but I was wrong.
It was the mysterious number that messages Connie and I constantly. The message read:
Check Eren's Room.
"My god..." I said to myself. I have eyes watching my every move. Wherever I go, whatever I do, there is someone out there who has their eyes on me and who is watching me right now in this very instant. I looked around and saw that Armin's balcony is open but no one was on it. The windows were closed but the curtains were not covering them. So whoever it was looking at me through the cloak of darkness can see me very clearly.
As far as I'm concerned I was being helped all this time so why not heed his message once more? I went outside Armin's room after returning everything to the state it once was and then closed the door.
I walked through the corridor and looked for Eren's room and that's when I found a door with a large, golden E on it.
The door was unlocked, in fact it was slightly open, enough for one to peek through. And I feel that was done on purpose. I opened the door and entered, closing it behind me.
Looking around, everything seemed normal. Nothing out of the ordinary. A large room with a walk-in closet like Armin's. A computer that was more high-end than Armin's and a king size bed. And on the bed was a white box. It had the final letter of the mystery box letters.
The last M.
I slowly approached the box, being curious of its contents but wary at the same time. I grabbed the box's cover and took it off the box slowly and carefully with my eyes closed.
I opened one eye to see what's inside and that's when I saw a phone. A black phone that had no bezel or chin and was all screen. It was all black, no logos or anything. It had a SIM card tray, a headphone jack, a rear camera but no front camera. I took it out of the box and after looking at it for a while I decided to turn it on.
The date and time matched the current ones and the lock screen was a selfie of Eren and I he took a few days before he... I made him leave. In that picture he seemed happy. The last time I properly got to be with him last summer. Damn, I wish I could see him again.
Swiping up, I unlocked the phone. On the home screen were the usual apps, the Mail, Calendar, Photos, Camera, Maps, Clock, Weather, Notes, all of them were on it, plus more.
My own phone vibrated once again with a message that read: Take the phone along with the box and do not use it until returning to the Ackerman Mansion. After returning, await further instructions.
I needed the message and turned off the phone while placing it back inside the box, then I took the box and went outside Eren's room, out of the building and into the van where I kept my backpack. I placed the box inside the backpack and then went to the first floor.
"Guys?" I asked. I hear Jean calling me while filled with excitement.
"Mikasa! Come! We're gonna watch a movie in a theater!"
I joined the gang and headed inside. They all took everything Armin brought to the living room along with the popcorn and soda.
The theater was properly air-conditioned and had comfy couches instead of seats. Also it had a fixed 4K screen instead of a projector screen. Armin set a cool superhero action movie and we all sat down and watched.