Snow On The Beach | AruAni highschool fanfiction | Attack on Titan

6

~Annie's POV~ 

The snow that falls on the ground is fresh, soft and nice. It's nothing like the snow from earlier. Only a few hours have passed but the snow has drastically changed. The air is still cold. I can feel it when the sharp breeze hits my face. The snowflakes that fall appear as pebbles. They gracefully land and add to the thick blanket that's sprawled all over the ground. 

The day is gloomy and cold. A lot colder than the breeze in my hair on the weekend. The only thing I have to keep me warm is my old coat and that's beginning to get tight. I'm gonna need a new one next season. Or I need to cut down on the food. 

It's day one of working on the project. Armin seems nice and reliable. I made it out of his house in one piece so that's a relaxing thought. The work is divided equally and I actually like how the project is turning out. Of course, I'd rather do it alone but I have no other choice. I could ask him if we could do our share of the work individually but he seems excited about working with someone else for once. I'm not but I'll push through. Besides, it gives me a reason to be anywhere but home. And that drink he served - hot chocolate - was the best thing I've ever tasted. I felt all giddy and warm upon the first taste. The delicate flavors of chocolate and marshmallows were all mixed into one. The pillowy delight of the marshmallows and the warmth of the chocolate that spilled into my throat made me feel all warm and fuzzy. I've never felt that way before. If I could drink it every day for the rest of my life - I would. It was the perfect drink to fight off the great war of biting, cold air that was raging outside. But it's over now. And I'm walking down the road to a house - not a home so that I can leave my bag and tidy up my mess of a hair before work. And so that I can see my best friend who I can't imagine a life without. Taylor.

I ponder in front of the doorway before I decide to walk in. I want to change my mind, turn around and go straight to work but I remember I have a cat that's eager to see me. And I'm just as eager to see her. So I unlock the door and twist the doorknob. I take a deep breath as I walk through the door. I shut the door behind me to keep the cold air out. The house is so cold that the air in front of me gets all fogged up when I breathe. Other then the cold air, the entire house reeks of alcohol. Ignoring my father's snores from the living room, I make a beeline straight for my room. Taylor is nestled up on my desk, soundly asleep. Her head rises when she hears the door close and before I know it, she's up on her feet and marching towards me. I kneel down on the ground and begin to give her all the affection she deserves. She purrs as a result of all the scratches she's getting. She's lucky she doesn't need to worry about anything in the world. She's always fed and has everything she'll ever need. 

I look over at her bowl and realize she's eaten. She has only a few pieces of her kibble left. I get up and slide my backpack off my shoulder. I place it on the edge of my bed and look back at Taylor. I hate having to leave her alone for so long. Especially while my father is home. But I have no other choice. She likes watching the birds that pass by my window anyways. And she's got a couple of toys to keep her entertained. "I gotta go now." I run my hand through her fur. If I don't hurry up I'm going to be late for work. I run a comb through my hair and decide that that's enough to make me look at least decent. I step out of my room and shut the door behind me. Taylor seems to have gone back to sleep. And with that, I at least have some closure. It's just enough to get me through the next couple of hours. I walk out of the house and make my way over to work. 

I work in Ms. Braun's grocery store that's just down the street. Her and my father used to be friends before he turned to alcohol full time. The woman felt bad and decided to hire me. She tries to help out as much as she can but she has a son to look after and I don't expect much from her. Her son - Reiner - is a year older than me but we've spoken quite a few times while switching shifts on weekends.  Reiner works there from time to time when he needs extra money. He also likes to help his mom out. I work seven hours a day on regular days and eight on the weekends. I get $5 an hour but it's enough. I try to save as much as I can but my father ends up taking them when I'm not at home. So now I've learned to take the money with me.