Young Adults

CHAPTER 19

An hour and a half after (Y/n)'s little sister, Caidence, stepped off the bus and made it home, the entire family of four gathered around the dinner table. Plates clinked and soft chatter filled the air as they shared snippets of their day-well, three of them did, at least. (Y/n) sat there quietly, nerves churning over the impending "homework call" she was supposed to have with Levi.

Caidence giggled at some anecdote their mother shared, and their father chimed in with a brief story about his own workday. Meanwhile, (Y/n) pushed her food around on her plate, barely registering the conversation. Her stomach felt twisted in knots; the thought of hearing Levi's voice later that night sent a rush of excitement and anxiety coursing through her.

Yet, outwardly, she forced a thin smile whenever someone caught her eye, hoping they'd chalk up her silence to simple tiredness rather than the whirlwind of anticipation in her head.

It was then that her mother's gaze landed squarely on (Y/n), noticing how she was pushing broccoli from one side of her plate to the other. "So, (Y/n), what do you have planned for this evening?" she asked casually, though her tone suggested curiosity-and a subtle edge of motherly interrogation.

(Y/n) glanced up, eyes darting in that nervous habit she had whenever she felt put on the spot. "Uhhh... you know, I'm probably gonna Skype with my friends while I finish up some homework," she answered, remembering how her mother and father both knew this had become part of her nightly routine before bed.

Of course, that was just a half-truth. In reality, as soon as she finished dinner, she planned to retreat upstairs, gather her nerves, and make that call to Levi-the call she'd been simultaneously dreading and eagerly awaiting.

Her mother, sharp as ever and armed with near-supernatural observation skills that (Y/n) rarely evaded, narrowed her eyes. "Do you really get any work done when you're chatting with them?" she asked, brow quirked in mild suspicion.

"I do," (Y/n) insisted, rolling her eyes in playful defiance. "They're basically my background noise," she added with a shrug.

That remark drew a gentle chuckle from her father, who shook his head in mock offense. "I guess we're just background noise to you at home, too, huh?" he quipped.

"Yeah, pretty much," (Y/n) teased back, the family's easy banter offering her a brief reprieve from the flurry of anxious thoughts swirling in her mind.

Once the family finished their meal for the night, and (Y/n) wrapped up her turn cleaning the kitchen, she headed upstairs to her room. A fluttery sensation settled in her chest, warmth spreading through her until she felt almost lightheaded. 'Is it even healthy to be this nervous about talking to a handsome boy?' she wondered.

She still questioned whether Levi only wanted to graduate-walk the stage-and move on with his life, or if his invitation to call was actually an excuse to get to know her better. After all, he had subtly clued her in about that bike race he participated in a while back; if he didn't want her there, why mention it in the first place?

Heaving a sigh, (Y/n) slipped into her room and shut the door behind her. Quickly, she texted Mikasa, letting her know she planned to call Levi first to establish some groundwork for their class project, and that she'd hop on Skype afterward. She rolled her eyes upon receiving an immediate response-complete with an eggplant and peach emoji. 'Typical,' she thought, a small laugh escaping her.

Moving over to her bed, she pressed the switch to lower it from its upright position, fixing the sheets where they'd gotten jostled that morning. Settling down cross-legged, phone in hand, she stared blankly at the screen. 'You can do this', she coached herself, it's really not that serious...