𝚁 𝙴 𝙵 𝙻 𝙴 𝙲 𝚃 𝙸 𝙾 𝙽 | 𝙴𝚛𝚎𝚗 𝚡 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛

𝚃 𝙷 𝙸 𝚁 𝚃 𝚈 - 𝙵 𝙸 𝚅 𝙴

Niccolo and I had decided that next weekend we would meet up once again. And though I had begun to feel better about a lot of things, this still wrapped a fist around my heart—squeezing every time I thought about having to hang out with him.

But for the next few days after the party, I'd only been pushing those thoughts away by constantly distracting myself—the only coping mechanism I knew.

And the only way I seemed to be able to do that...was being around Eren.

Seeing that I was now back at school and pretty much healed—we were back to working on our project with pretty much any free time we had. Which he didn't seem to be over the moon about, but I couldn't help but need to be working all the time.

Neither of us brought up the party, which I was extremely thankful for, because that dance we shared was yet another thing I kept needing to push away. Even though I'd ended things with Jean...

I supposed that was at least one area in my life in which I finally felt free. As if one of those many heavy blankets that have been taken off me once again, leaving me feeling lighter.

I didn't talk to or hear from Jean since the party, but now that it was midweek—there was another volleyball game that everyone seemed to be either participating in or watching.

I'd honestly forgotten about the volleyball team that so many of my friends were a part of. Excluding only a few—like Reiner—who still believed his soulmate was football apparently.

But I'd completely failed to recall that Eren was also on the team, since I couldn't even remember the last time he'd gone to practice with everyone else after spending so much time with me.

On our way to the gym as of now, I brought it up.

"Eren," I said, causing him to turn around from where he was walking up ahead with Armin—while Mikasa and I had been walking and chatting together behind the two boys.

"Yeah?"

I frowned. "Have you even been going to practice?"

He merely shrugged with a sly smile, turning back to face where he was walking up ahead. "I don't need to practice," he added whilst not facing me.

I fought my annoyance, choosing to ignore him when Mikasa laughed softly from beside me, and I gave her a look, questioning what it was supposed to mean.

"No—he hasn't been going to practice," she scorned while still laughing a bit.

I gave her an incredulous look. "Why the hell not?"

She raised her brows at me, trying to stifle her smile. "I think you know the answer to that."

I knew what she meant. "He's an idiot," was all I had to say, causing her to laugh more.

"You're definitely right about that. But I couldn't have made him go even if I wanted to—he was a little too busy," she said as she gave me a certain look.

I rolled my eyes. "And that's exactly why he's an idiot."

Eren turned around to interrupt our conversation. "You guys talking about me again?" he teased.

Mikasa and I both put on straight faces, but I couldn't help but retort back, "All bad things," with a venomous smile to which he returned before facing the front, engaging in conversation with the blonde by his side.

I was surprised Armin was coming to watch as well, but it didn't take me long to realize why—even if he hated these sorts of things.

We neared the gym and Armin and I grouped together, leaving the two volleyball players to head into their usual meeting spot with the team.