Between The Lines | eren x levi (editing)

One

Eren really detested the idea of having to cooperate with people. but since the world probably hated him, he had to deal with it every single day. He wasn't antisocial, he just disliked having to respond to stupid questions or phrases. One reason was because the pen is mightier than the sword and therefore, words ended up getting him hurt.

It was sunny day with clear skies that reminded him of the water on the beaches. The gentle breeze whispered into his ear and combed through his hair as if comforting him from his negative thoughts. The trees circling the school campus made swishing sounds as the wind collided with the leaves. The teen was brought back to reality when he noticed someone was waving a hand over his face.

"Eren?" a friendly and soft voice asked. "Are you alright? Looks like you're zoning out... again."

He shook his head and spun around to face his best friend. She had beautiful, glossy black hair and always wore this red scarf no matter what it looked like outside. Eren has been friends with her for so long and thinks of her as a sister. Her worried, grey eyes stared at him as he began to speak at long last.

"Yeah. I'm doing fine. You don't have to worry about me," he replied with a forced and half-hearted smile.

There was a glint of uncertainty in her eyes but she didn't bother to ask any more questions. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow then." Her words sounded like a question more than a statement.

"Tell Armin I said hi if you ever bump into him," he told her with a more convincing grin and a small wave. "See ya."

He turned towards the sidewalk without another word and sighed. He really wasn't looking forward to going home and winced at the thought of seeing him.

People his age always looked forward to doing things on the weekend; rebellious activities and various things that could be illegal. Others spend it with their friends, but in Eren's case, he wasn't allowed to do anything else besides study because of him.

Him as in father. The man he despised the minute he realized how horrible of a person he was. He had a salty attitude and probably yelled at Eren when he had the chance. He usually worked at home, but the teen believed he was sent to earth to personally ruin him and his life, like he came from his own personal hell just to scream and hurt him. He would much want to stay at school than head home.

He sighed again and continued on his way home, looked down and avoided the many gazes of his fellow classmates who were on their way to their destination.

---

He arrived home on time and thought how he would rather go to jail than be at home. Home wasn't even home, it was a pool of misery, a pit of despair, a door to pain. Others would think he was exaggerating, but he really wasn't. He snatched the keys from his pocket of his torn jeans and was about to unlock the door when it suddenly slammed violently open. In a flash he was was grabbed by the collar of his shirt and dragged inside like he was weightless and was being stared down by those menacing eyes.

"Table. Now." The words were quick and choppy, but were stern enough to send Eren quivering in worry and fear. He was thinking that maybe he did something wrong and that his father was finally going to murder him or something. The boy slumped his way to the kitchen table and sat on it as he looked intently at his father.

The older man slid a piece of paper towards Eren. It seemed to be a test with a big numbers in red pen reading 17/20. The boy was confused. Maybe he was finally going to congratulate him? Maybe whack him in the head with a hammer? There was no in between.

"What is this?" he asked calmly.

"My geography test," Eren answered.

"Eren, this isn't good enough and I hope you know that." His father shook his head with a disapproving look written all over his face.

"What do you mean it isn't good enough? I'm getting A's in almost all of my subjects and you're telling me this isn't good enough? What more do you want of me?"

"'Almost' isn't good enough and I've already told you that countless times. You need to smarten up and do better in school. I'm really disappointed in you right now, so I don't want you to talk back to me like that. You need to do better, and your math grade lowered by five percent! You know what? You go to your room and study. I don't want to see you until morning."

"What? I really don't understand nor see what you're getting so worked up about-"

Eren's head jerked to the side when a punch was delivered to his face. It stung sharply and he winced as his hand automatically went to cover the now reddening area. His eyes began to tear up, a normal body reaction after getting hit so suddenly and violently. He lowered his head and remained silent as his father continued to speak.

"Don't you dare talk back to me like that. Know your place and study. I don't want to see you right now."

He slowly got up, the chair screeching against the cold floor as he pushed it back against the table and went on his way to his jail cell, also known as the basement. He wouldn't call it his room, that was a too nice of a word to use for such a lonely and dark space, and Eren didn't want to sugar coat anything.

And that's how his life was; a sad movie played on repeat and he didn't have the choice if he wanted to pause it, but to endure it.

AN:

i was really unhappy with how i wrote this chapter, so i edited it a year late pffft

like i said before, i'm gonna change all chapters to third person past tense and add more detail (add or change dialogue, add more information about setting, etc)

i hope you guys won't mind!

~your best friend takeshi