Chasing Ghosts [Attack on Titan](Wattys 2014 Winner)

Chapter thirty-two- The party pt1

Chapter twenty two

He removed his hand tipping his head to the right and gazing at me with his intense steel stare. “Wait, you…” I trailed off. He tipped his head sipping the tea and giving me a little smirk of deviance. “Yeah, I was the one who moved your hair while you were sleeping. It was because it was messy, and I don’t like messy.” He said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes and felt my body relax.  “Ugh, I'd just thought it was Tamaki being his usual caring self.” The trainee rolled his shoulders back slightly and stood up and left the room without another word. I frowned getting up and going up the steps towards the door to the courtyard. I stood out there in the moonlight for a while, listening to the whisper of the breeze. A distant cry of bats echoed though the dusty garden. I sighed, sitting down in the garden and sighing quietly moving my hair out of my eyes with my left hand brushing the scarlet waves to the right. I watched the moon climbing into the sky, I tried to count the stars. I got to a thousand before I lost count.

I stumbled inside, half asleep my eyes droopy. I didn't make it to my room, I fell asleep on the couch. I'd been so tired lately, I wondered why…

I awoke some time later, the sunlight poring though the window and illuminating the room with red and gold. I sat up, my hair tangled and my body stiff. I'd been sleeping in one play the whole night. Plus the couch wasn't exactly soft, it was stiff and hard. I crawled upward and stood rubbing my forehead and returning to my room. I brushed my hair out and dug though my clothing, hoping to find something formal so I didn't have to go shopping for a dress. To my despair, I didn't find anything but uniforms. I sighed and sat down on my bed in defeat. Pretty soon there was a knock at my door “Alya, get up. We have to get going.” Erwins voice echoed into my bedroom. I said nothing and stood up going to the door and opening it. I went down  the steps to the mess hall to get something to eat before we had to leave. “I still can believe that they are making us do this.” I growled to no one in particular. “We have training to do, I don’t have time for some fancy party.” I spat in anger. Levi was beside me, I hadn't noticed. He had a way of sneaking up on a person. He sighed loudly “The Sina people have nothing better to do then to have parties and get drunk.” He spat.

I rolled my eyes at him, but I silently agreed. I sat down next to Petra, Eld, Gunter and Oluo. Levi following.  Petra looked up at me, her brown eyes glittered. “Your so lucky Ms. Alya! You get to go to a party in Sina.” She clapped her hands in sheer joy. “I've never been there, I always wanted to though. I hear they have rivers of gold.” She joked. I chuckled at the absurdity of her statement. “Right.” Levi sneered. “They are all spoiled brats up there.” He said though a mouthful of food. I shoot him a look, Qwill lived up there. I'm sure he wasn't a spoiled ass, he had been so kind. I wondered if he was married… I shook the thought out of my head. Stop it I told myself Qwill probably doesn't even remember you I scolded myself mentally. I must have been gazing off into space with a wishful look because Levi was staring at me with a disgusted expression. “What are you fantasying about?” he spat clearing irritated by having to go up to Sina with myself, Erwin and Tamaki.

I shifted my shoulders and shook my head “Nothing.” I said defensively. Erwin clunked down the steps, his leather boots on the hard wood echoing though the hall. “Lets move, you two still have to get something to wear.” He sound exasperated and bored. I nodding saying goodbye to the others and following him up the steps and outside. Someone had readied Lullaby for me. They'd even braided her hair. I blinked looking at the steed who was holding her head up in pride, clearly happy with her appearance. I ran my hand along her silk like muzzle then mounted the horse waiting for the other three to do the same. Tamaki looked tired, Levi looked angry while Erwin had a bored expression on his face. “I can't believe I have to do this.” He grumbled “I'm a commander for heavens sake, I should be here watching my troops.” He complained. I trotted my horse past him, she smacked his horse with her neatly braided tail. “Stop whining.” I said “There’s nothing we can do, the sooner we get it over with the better.” Erwin nodded and sighed following me up the path. We galloped the horses towards the inner wall, by the time we reached it the sun was high in the sky. We stopped at the gate, moving the horses slower though the cobblestone roads. Erwin stopped his horse and dismounted it, tying him up to a horse post. We did the same. “Meet back here back four, the party is at six. We don’t have to be there long.” I nodded. I'd brought some money with me to get a dress, that I would never wear again.