The Girl Next Door (AOT/SNK ~ Eremin Fanfiction)

Chapter 23 ~ Alone

Eren POV

"Eren, get up!!" Mikasa shook me violently awake. I felt stiff and sore from sleeping in an awkward position all night.

"W-What time is it?" I mumbled,

"It's 8. I'm leaving now but I thought I'd get you up." She began walking out.

"Mikasa." I said softly.

She whipped her head around. "Yeah?"

"Did you know Armin... Was a guy?" I asked cautiously.

She stared at me for a few seconds with a dumb look on her face. "Armin's a girl... Are you feeling alright?" She asked.

"No, she's a he." I replied.

"...She may act like a boy but that doesn't mean she is one. God, Eren." She frowned and walked out.

"B-But-!" I called after her but she was gone. Now Mikasa thought I was just a pure dick.

I slowly got myself dressed and ready for school. I didn't really want to go... But then I realised maybe if Armin were there today, I could work things out with him.

I ran downstairs and out the door. I looked at Armin's house but the car that was usually out the front wasn't there. Where would he have gone this early in the morning? Or maybe his dad left and he was at home. I rushed next door and knocked loudly on the door. There was no reply. I sighed in defeat and walked to school, hoping he would be there.

When I arrived to school, I was late. Throughout the first two periods I looked through the crowds, hoping to see Armin somewhere, but there was no luck. At recess I rushed to the table and to my dismay he wasn't there, but then I noticed Marco wasn't there either. Maybe they were talking together somewhere.

"Jean, where's Marco?" I asked him. He looked up from his phone which he was rapidly texting on and sighed.

"He's sick, and really sick at that. I don't think he'll be coming back for at least a week. Poor thing..." He frowned, looking back down at his phone.

"Have you seen Armin?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"Guys, have you seen Armin?" I asked the whole table.

"No, why?" Sasha replied.

"I need to set some things straight with him..." I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

"Him?" Krista said with a confused expression.

Here we go again.

"Armin told me yesterday that he's actually a guy." I replied.

"What? Pft, that's ridiculous." Connie laughed.

"But it's true-"

"She probably got you to fall for it because of the voice." He continued to laugh. "Man, she's quite the prankster herself."

"No, she was serious! She even proved it-"

"What, so she pulled up her skirt and there was a dick there?" Sasha snickered.

"W-Well, no but-" I was starting to get frustrated.

"He just woke up with a headache or something." Mikasa waved it off.

"No I-"

"Let it go, Eren. Just sleep it off-" Jean sighed.

"GUYS!!" I yelled, catching everyones attention. "I'm serious! She's been lying to us this whole time!!"

"Armin would never do that. What do you take her for?" Ymir scoffed.

"Why do you think she is always wearing a scarf, why she never shows her legs, why she has such a flat-" I exclaimed.

"Eren!!" Mikasa gasped. "Are you fucking serious?!" She said angrily.

"Yes! I-" I started but she stood up and slapped me across the face.

"You should never make acknowledge a girls chest size!! No matter how flat it may be, it doesn't mean they're a man!!" She yelled. I could practicaly see the flames through her eyes. "And so what if she wears a scarf!? I wear one don't I?! Doesn't mean I'm a man!" Maybe she is just insecure! Stop being such a jerk!!"

"But-"

"Bro, you've gone too far." Connie shook his head.

Everyone was giving me dirty and disappointed looks. I looked at all of them, sad that they didn't believe me, and pushed away Mikasa, running away from the table with tears threatening to spill from my eyes.

I ran behind a school building and leant against the wall, sliding down and sitting on the floor with my head buried in my knees. I didn't know what to do anymore. All my friends thought I was a jerk, Armin was ignoring me and even my own family was hating me. I wish none of this had ever happened, then there wouldn't have been any problems!!

"Eren."

I sniffed and looked up, seeing Reiner and Berthold standing there.

"What do you want?" I mumbled, looking back down.

"Well... We overheard your conversation about Armin-"

"I don't want to hear anymore about how much of a jerk I am, okay!?" I yelled.

"We weren't here to tell you that. We knew he was a guy the whole time." Reiner said.

"You... What?" I looked up at him.

"He told us almost as soon as he met us." Reiner explained. "He told Marco too. He said that he trusted us and you were a douche, so he wanted to get back at you by leaving and getting everyone to hate on you when you tried to tell everyone the truth about Armin." Reiner sighed, shaking his head.

"B-But..." I quivered. He really said all that? Why would he... I thought I was being nice to him. "N-No. Armin wouldn't do that." I growled. "You're wrong!"

"Am I really? Firstly, you can't say that because you don't even know the real Armin. Also, I have proof. Armin told Marco everything, that's why those two were always hanging out. We were told a while after, when Armin was angry at you. He said you were always being annoying and rude to people. You were lazy and didn't support anything. You only thought about yourself."

I looked down with wide eyes. It was true... I don't know Armin anymore and I never did. But I guess he was doing the right thing. Disgusting people like me deserved hatred. I didn't deserve anything good, I was just a terrible person.

"W-Why don't you tell the others that I'm right?" I said.

Reiner shook his head and sighed. "Thinking about yourself again are we? We won't tell them the truth because we agree with Armin. You are a complete jerk, and you deserve this." He growled. Berthold was just standing to the side awkwardly like he always did with an unreadable expression.

It was true... There I was again thinking only about myself. I should've apologised and accepted, but no. There I was, trying to save my own ass. Why was I such a selfish dick!?

"Come on Bert, we don't need to be around people like him." Reiner spat. I heard their footsteps getting further away as I just sat there and cried.

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