Senior Year [ SNK / EREJEAN ]

Chapter 1

"AP Calculus?! Are you sure you'll be able to handle that, Jean?"

Armin was completely leaned over Jean's desk, inspecting the sandy-haired boy's schedule intently. They were in homeroom in the first week of their senior year. This was the year Jean promised he wouldn't procrastinate and spend money on useless things like video games anymore. He would actually work hard and try to get into a good college. So, he was pushing himself, signing up for five AP classes despite how much his teachers told him not to. They said he wouldn't be able to handle it-- which was partially true in a way. After all, he did get a D in Calculus his junior year. 

"Sure I will. Jaeger took it last year and did just fine, didn't he?" Jean scoffed out the last sentence, and then mentally chided himself for mentioning his enemy's name. Eren, who had joined marching band in ninth grade playing the trombone as an awkward little freshman, was now drum major of their school's marching band--and significantly smarter than Jean.

Jean, on the other hand, had not accomplished anything worthwhile besides being the first freshman back then to get into varsity on the swim team.

Armin bit his lip, and then settled back into his own seat behind Jean. He glanced up at the clock-- there would be five more minutes until homeroom was over and they would be heading to their first actual period of senior year. "Well.. Eren is smarter than you.." He choked out in a quiet voice. It was hard being friends with the two people whom hated each other. He felt like he had to defend them from another, and he didn't want to favor one over the other.

"Are you doubting me, Armin? I'll study hard this year," Jean was lying to himself; he knew he would eventually get back into procrastinating and playing video games. "Besides, you can help me." Armin was in the same class as Eren was last year.

"Jean, I took it last year and hardly studied over the summer. I barely remember anything."

"You? 'Hardly studying?' I can see right through that lie," Jean reached down, grabbing his book bag that he had placed underneath the chair. He shoved his schedule in the front pocket, and then slung the bag over his shoulder. "The bell's gonna ring soon."

Armin did the same, except he neatly folded up his schedule unlike the way Jean just mercilessly crumpled it up. "I'm telling you, cramming all this stuff in your senior year won't turn out--" His speech that was about to ensue was interrupted by the bell ringing, causing every student in the room to shoot up out of their seats and run for the door like a herd of runaway cattle.

"Wait, Armin, what do you have next again?" Jean shouted, on his way out of the door. His voice was significantly raised in order to be heard by his friend over the sound of the other students shouting and their shuffling footsteps.

"Umm, French 4, I think.. Well, good luck in AP Calc and I'll see you in AP Government!" With a wave and a smile, Armin was off just like that, his blond hair bobbing around in the crowd for a few seconds before completely disappearing.

Jean was now left alone in the huge crowd of people. He couldn't see any of his other friends, nor could he see his crush, Mikasa...

Ah, yes, Mikasa. He was absolutely in love with every part of her-- the way her silky, black hair cascaded down her shoulders, her mysterious dark eyes, her intelligence,  strength, and wit-- Jean could go on and on for hours. The only downside of the whole thing, though; was that Eren was Mikasa's adoptive brother. Jean was pretty sure the only reason he and Mikasa weren't dating already was that Eren continiously gave her a daily reminder about how much of a 'jerk' and a 'douchebag' he was, even though he actually treated girls properly and was faithful unlike how most of the jocks and 'popular' boys were.

With a ton of angry thoughts in his head, Jean headed down the hall towards the mathematics wing, and then stepped inside the AP Calculus room.

The teacher turned around as soon as he walked in, and with much surprise, Jean noticed that it was his math teacher from last year.

"Jean Kirschtein." He said, his voice bitter, filled with a degree of uncertainty. He dropped the whiteboard eraser he had been holding and grabbed a clipboard instead. "The trouble maker again, huh?"

Jean bit the insides of his mouth and held up a sneer. "No, Mr. Connolly." He tried not to make his tone sound too sarcastic. True, he was known for his negative behavior in math classes; they were his most hated classes, after all. So, he would usually spend the period sneaking on his phone or chatting it up with people around him.

His teacher ignored his remark, instead looking over some papers on the clipboard. "Hmm... You will sit in the second row, in that desk next to Miss Annie Leonhardt." He pointed to an empty desk in the middle of the row. Next to it, in the other desk, sat a blonde girl with piercing blue eyes and her hair up in a loose bun. She was wearing a white hoodie with black jeans and combat boots. Her expression was emotionless; she was focused on reading the assignments written on the whiteboard.

Despite it all, Jean thought she was still sort of pretty, although she seemed like a stoic person who didn't like to talk much. Jean hesitantly shuffled over and threw his book bag under the seat before settling down. He knew Mr. Connolly purposely sat him next to someone like that so he wouldn't be able to talk.

He could already tell this was going to be one hell of a boring math class.