Unspoken Norms | Levi Ackerman ✔️

Chp 22 ~ Thoughts Only

Fun Fact: Levi's favourite subject is Maths.

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Your POV

I stared at the sheet of paper, text formatted in thick chunks. Our third Term 4 assessment notification of the day. It was a ninety minute maths exam, including topics of algebra, geometry, financial maths—basically everything we'd covered the entire year.

Around me, my classmates groaned in disappointment, the whines sounding loudest from Sasha, Connie and Eren. Our three biggest math-haters.

The term break had went by in a flash. It was only a two-week holiday, but still, it felt as if there never had been a break from school. Second week of Term 4, and assessment notifications came piling in. There was no doubt we'd receive another two today.

Miss Dredge clapped her hands repeatedly, walking around the room. "Study, study, study! You won't do well in the exam if you don't revise! This year we've gone over a lot of content—so you must study!"

Hange released another moan, banging her forehead on her desk. Our maths teacher whirled towards the science geek. "Hange, what did I just say?"

The brown-haired girl flew upright, ponytail almost slapping Erwin who sat behind. She leaned towards Levi, and I caught the whisper, "What did she say?"

"Figure it out yourself brat," came the reply.

"Oh, oh! I know!" Sasha squeaked, shooting an arm in the air.

Miss Dredge placed her hands on her hips, ever the critical teacher. "Yes?"

"You said 'this year we've gone over a lot of bread types—so we must eat!'" I felt my jaw drop. Is that seriously what she thought was being said?

Our maths teacher rubbed her temple with two fingers, expelling a deep breath. "What have I been teaching this past year? Has it all fallen on deaf ears?" She paused and glared at the bread devil. "Sasha, you're on detention."

***

I went to my locker once the bell declared breaktime.

Turning down the main corridor, I cursed myself for forgetting to check if Petra was there. If she was and she saw me... There'd again be a barrage of petty threats and insults flung at my face.

Not that I took any of her remarks to heart, but her presence had always gotten on my nerves. To my relief, there were no sign of blonde hair or amber eyes.

As I deposited a few items, a figure moved in the edge of my vision. I twisted around to see Nyx, one of Petra's many friends. She walked up beside me and opened up Blondie's locker, perhaps to help her put away something.

The scene at the camp's dining hall flashed through my mind. "Hey Nyx," I called, closing my locker door.

The dark-eyed girl whipped her attention to me, dreadlocks swaying with the motion. That stony expression dissolved into a pleasant one, almost kind. "Hi again."

I fidgeted with my lock, switching around with the numbers. "I know it's been a while since then... but thank you—for directing Petra away when I sat in her seat." Well not really her seat.

Nyx let out a sigh. "Ah, no problem. I saw it coming—she's way too obsessed with that Ackerman guy. Someone had to trample her dreams. Or else she'd find herself chasing after something she could never get." There was a wistful look on her face, as if she'd been in that position before. It disappeared when she looked me in the eye. "I think he likes someone else, anyway."

I raise my brows, startled. "What do you mean? Who?"

The girl shrugged, saying, "It's probably just me, but I think he likes you." I froze, struck with utter shock. Me? "I've caught him looking at you every now and then, just very subtle glances. Doubt you would've noticed it, really. Don't believe me though."

"Wait... when? When would he look at me?" I questioned.

"Often at breaktimes—I sit between both your groups," she responded. I nodded in contemplation, even though I didn't think Nyx was right—there were so many contradictions in that thought alone... of him liking me.

Like when he demanded me to pick up his folder in that cold tone. Like when he was contented to watch Jarrod tease me. Like when he left the table after I sat beside him in the camp's dining hall.

But then it somehow all made sense, too. He'd tried directing Jarrod's group away from bullying me, even though he didn't stop them bullying Issac. He'd been the one to wake me up when no one else did so. He'd jumped on my side when Jarrod began self-praising himself. And yes, there were times when I knew he was looking at me.

Yet still...

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. "Thank you for telling me, Nyx. I-I'll have to think about it some more."

And despite school, that was what I did for the remainder of the day.