I was poked and scratched as I rummaged through the hay loft looking for my cat. “Leo where are you?!” The hay ticked my nose and made me sneeze several times. It wasn’t enough that those boys were late, but now I have to hurry up and find my cat too. As I climbed over a bale it fell over and I tumbled backwards in to a pit of straw. Today like all other days was not one to brag about. Every time Leo would climb up here, he would somehow manage to fall into one of the horse’s water buckets below.
“Hello! Is anyone in here?” a voice of a boy echoed off the walls and my ears perked up. I tried to squirm my way out of the straw but I couldn’t tell up from down.
“Let’s go, no one’s in here,” a second male voice came right after.
I finally found my sense of balance and popped out of the hay. “Hello! Yes I’m here! How may I help you?” I stumbled out of the straw and fixed the small flower hair pins holding back my bangs. Strands of straw were poking out of the grayish blond braid lying on my shoulder and out of my shirt.
The two boys stood looming over me with a strange look on their faces. It was true that I wasn’t the shortest person in the world but to be shorter then Corporal Levi was something I didn’t really like to admit.
The taller boy smiled and spoke up first “Um, ya hi we’re supposed to be meeting a girl named Astrid Lamoure here, do you know where she is?”
“Oh that’s me I’m Astrid! You two must be the ones who were fighting in front of Corporal Levi. ” I rested my hands on my hips and looked up at them, trying to look at least a little taller.
The shorter boy crossed his arms and looked down. “Yes that would be us. I’m Eren and-”
“And I’m Jean!” Jean barked, cutting off Eren. “Why were you in the hay?” Eren elbowed Jean in the side and Jean shot him a mean look.
I glared at them and kicked their shins watching as they fell to the ground. “Hey you’re here because you got in trouble for fighting, don’t start any more of that. And as to why I’m up here I can’t find my cat Leo. He’s not allowed to be up here.”
“You mean the cat that was playing in the water trough?” Jean pointed outside.
“What?! No no no no! Leo stop that’s not a pool!” I shoved past both the boys and flew out the door to be greeted by a wet, angry, and pathetic looking cat. I picked up the slimy feline and tossed him in my office, closing the door fast so Leo couldn’t bolt out.
I can’t believe he did it again. I turned sharply around to face the two tall boys.
I need to sound more intimidating. I stood up straight and put my hands on my hips.
“Alright, listen up!” The boys snapped to attention. “You two are here because you messed up.” I lowered my tone a bit. Maybe I was being too harsh.
“Now let me make a few things clear: I am not your mother. You will not be babied here. Unless you are vomiting blood, dead, or something of that nature, you will show up here every day at 10 am. These horses need us to keep them healthy they can’t clean themselves like cats. You will have an hour break at 2. You can take water breaks whenever you need one, I don’t want you passing out on me. Just don’t make them too long, there is work to be done. The faster you get done with your work the sooner you can leave. Always check with me before you leave. You’ll be here for 3 months, and I expect you to work just as hard as my paid workers. If I find you slacking off, I won’t hesitate to scold you. I don’t have much tolerance for human beings, I like animals much more. Am I understood?”
The boys saluted. “Yes ma’am!” they sang together.
“Good, now go fix the fence in the pasture. Last week’s incident with Commander Erwin’s horse left it in pieces, and none of my workers have time to fix it themselves so you get to do it. All the tools you’ll need are in the tool shed down the hall and to the left. Wood is next to the shavings outside.” Jean and Eren were still standing stiff as a board.
Don’t they know they can go now? I loosened up and crossed my arms.“Umm…. At ease soldiers. You can go now. I’ll check back with you in an hour.”
The boys walked down the aisle starting to shove each other as they walked.
What am I going to do with those boys for a whole 3 months? I opened my office door slowly and went in to finish drying off my poor pathetic Leo.
