Shattered (Aruani Highschool AU - AOT/SNK) ✔

Five

I walked quickly away from the canteen, away from other people. Away from Armin. Back to my haven under the tree. I plugged in my headphones and sat, opening my book quickly. There was still so much time left in the day, and I'd unpacked everything. Maybe I'd walk around, get to know my barings a bit before tomorrow.

The warm breeze danced through my hair and the sad songs I'd normally ignore were suddenly so much more powerful and important to me. I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes.

* * *

"Annie sweetheart? Come here for me. I'd like you to meet someone. This is Mr and Mrs Arlert. They have a son your age!" My father grabbed my hand in his big, warm ones. We were at a party at his work place for the chiefs birthday.

"Hello dear. We've heard a lot about you Annie. We know your daddy very well," Mrs Arlert smiled, leaving down to my level. "Come on Armin, say hello. You can have some company."

The boy emerged from between his parents, smiling shyly. "Hello Annie. Nice to meet you."

"Hi. Lets go play! I know somewhere... Secret," I said. His eyes grew with intrigue. I pulled him away from the adults, as they smiled at their children. Armin started to relax, and excitedly caught up to my pace.

"I haven't seen you in school before."

"I don't go to your primary school. I go to the other one."

"Oh yeah. Okay. So where are we going?"

"You'll see. Come on." We ran excitedly to a small forest further down from the party outside the police station. It was quiet.

"Daddy lets me play down here when I have to stay with him until he finished work." I opened up some branches into a small opening, leading down to a path that ran to a small stream, full of lily pads. The whole area covered in flowers of all shapes and sizes.

"Wow!" Armin breathed. "Its beautiful!" We giggled innocently, dipping our feet in the stream and kicking water at each other.

After sitting back on the grass, I asked, "what high school you going to?"

He replied with "oh, my parents are sending me to the boarding school. It'll be so lonely. I know two kids from my school are going, but I don't know them that well. What if I don't make friends?"

"You will. You're really nice, and fun, and smart. You'll make friends."

"Aren't you going?"

"No. I'm going to the other school, the normal one."

"Oh. Well, I hope we can remain friends."

"So do I. We will, I promise!"

* * *

"Hey, Annie? Are you alright?" I woke up quickly. Krista was standing over me, and Ymir sitting by my side, watching me carefully.

"Oh.. Nothing, bad dream."

"Yeah, no kidding," Ymir muttered. "What was it about?"

"My parents," I quickly thought of. They both exchanged sad glances. Krista rubbed my shoulder.

"Its alright Annie. We're here. Do you want us to stay with you?"

"I'd just love a minute to myself actually."

Ymir stood up. "Alright, that's fair enough. Come back soon, we'll be in the room. See you later."

"Bye." As soon as they were out of reach, I went over everything in my head. That dream brought me back to that day, when we were mindless eleven year olds, playing in a secret area I'd never told anyone other than Armin about, promising to be friends for life.

We never did meet after that. He was in a different high school, never at home, living on the other side of town.

I wonder if Armin still thinks about that day, that promise. I tried shaking the thought out of my head, but recently Armin has been stuck in my head constantly.

To distract myself, I stood up, heading for the school to have a look around. I didn't care much about who's door is who's, or where my lessons were, I just needed the walk. I'd found my bedroom and a place to sit and read. Nothing else mattered.

As I turned a corner down towards the maths department, I came to the boys' locker room, where I saw a group of older pupils talking. Two girls, and three boys stood, huddled together, watching something on their phones, when the shortest boy, with black hair and a bored expression looked up and noticed me.

"Hey there! Are you lost?" He called. I stared, then blinked.

"No, I'm fine. Thanks." I walked away quickly. I didn't want to talk to anyone. But someone started following me. I turned around. A kind looking girl was smiling at me.

"Hi, I'm Petra, the head girl. You're new, aren't you? I've never seen you before. You cant be a first year." Her eyes flickered to the big book in my hands.

"Umm, no. I'm in fifth year. I just moved. I'm fine. Thanks anyway."

"Okay. If you need anything, just ask me or Levi over there. That's what we're here for."

"Thanks." I walked away quickly, letting out a sigh of relief. They seemed nice. Very nice. At least I knew the older people wouldn't give me crap. Images of Armin and me from years ago were springing through my mind, and I could almost be smiling to myself.

But the feeling of going to class tomorrow, with other people my age was scaring me, and I sped back, to get to the bedrooms. But of course, knowing my luck, sitting on the wall outside the bedroom building was Armin. I slid as silently as I could past him, without him looking up from his book, and I ran down to the side entrance.

I didn't want to talk to him. He's kind to me, but I don't want that. I feel pathetic and lost around him, he's constantly worried about me. I can't deal with talking to him.

Or can I? As he starts disappearing from my view, an urge to go and talk to him stops me from entering the door. I considered quickly as to whether I should go back.

But then I see Eren and Mikasa and others join him, and he looks up from his book grinning widely at his friends. I sigh, leaving him to be happy in a world without me in it.