The Passion of Lovers//Eremika

9. Rat

Annie was dancing around the living room while Hall and Oates played on the radio. She had her down and wore Armin's Foo Fighters hoodie with shorts. She was twirling around lip-syncing "Private Eyes" before Mikasa came in.

"Did I miss something?" Mikasa tried to say over the music.

"Huh?" Annie walked over to the radio and turned the volume down. "Nah, you didn't miss anything. Just felt like dancing."

"Can't argue with that," Mikasa walked over to the couch and plopped down. "God, I just had the best date ever. The food was delicious and the restaurant itself was amazing."

Annie sat down next to her and turned on the tv. "Yeah, I bet. So what's his name?" she said she put on "Pulp Fiction".

"His name is Jean," Mikasa said in response.

"Hm mmh- wait what?"

"And he is the sweetest guy I have ever met! He's a little corny but so funny at the same time, and the way he was so considerate and polite," Mikasa droned on about Jean. She talked about him in a dreamy way, making him seem like a saint of some sorts.

But the look on Annie's face told a different story. It was a look of fear, anger, and sadness. "You're going out with...Jean Kirstein?" she managed to say.

Mikasa nodded cheerfully at the question. "Do you know him?"

Annie tensed. She sucked her breath in and breathed out through her nose. "Yeah, I guess you could say that." With that being said, Annie got up from the couch and retreated to her bedroom. "Night, byotch."

"Goodnight, Annie."

Annie shut her door and stared at the handle. This isn't happening. Mikasa isn't dating Jean. It's a dream. No, this is a nightmare.

She looked back at her room. Her bed was perfectly made and the sheets were a light pink with dark pink pillows. There was a vanity next to the window seat, both perfectly organized and neat. The vanity was white with intricate patterns lining the mirror and framed pictures placed on top of the little shelves. The window seat was beige with pink pillows and a brown teddy bear with a heart in the middle of its chest. Across from the bed was the loveseat, with neatly placed heart pillows and a blanket draped over the arm.

She walked over the vanity and stared at herself in the mirror. And then, it all came back.

October 24th, 2007. Three years ago.

Annie met Jean at a Halloween party for the first time. She was dressed up as Coco from Crash Bandicoot and he was a robot. "Nice costume," he said to her. "You into Crash too?"

She blushed and nodded. Even dressed as a shitty robot, he still appeared to be handsome. "Yeah, where's your costume from?" Annie said in response. Jean chuckled and said, "It's not from a franchise or anything. Just a silly old robot," Jean said. He then proceeded to make beep-boop noises while mimicking a robot. Annie laughed at his foolishness. He was so corny, but made it look cute at the same time.

After getting to know each other and talking about school and video games, Jean asked Annie out for a date. And then not long after, they started going out.

It could've been an adorable romance, meeting each other in college and then getting married and growing old together. But it didn't work out like that. Annie thought they could be something, something more than your average college couple. They could be like Romeo and Juilet, except they don't die in the end.

Their relationship in the beginning was pure and utter bliss, with movie nights and soft sex. It was going so well. It was perfect. It was beautiful. Until they went from Romeo and Juilet, to Ike and Tina Turner.