Chapter Text
Everyone in Shiganshina High knew that once the clock struck 2:45 p.m. on the hot summer day of May 25th, the school’s parking lot became free rein. It was always the same every year; the whole student population would argue with each other through their windows to see who were the lucky ones that would be able to beat the traffic intersection. Last year, Eren and Mikasa had been fortunate enough to leave before the parking lot fights broke out, but it looked like they were out of luck this year.
“WE’RE OUT!!!” exclaimed Connie as he galloped out of the back doors of Shiganshina High. Like usual, Connie wasn’t looking where he was going—perhaps it was the summer high he was already tasting—which caused him to accidentally step into the incoming traffic that was whatever the hell the freshman pickup line was. Fortunately enough, Eren’s hand grabbed the collar of Connie's wrinkled button-up—single-handedly preventing the accidental death of a 5'5", buzzed, and poorly bleached high schooler on a Friday afternoon.
As Connie was saying his fifteenth thank you to Eren, the buzzed teenager made the mistake of looking up. Contrary to his inability to know how to look where he walked, Connie was surprisingly good with his words, especially in what he said next: “Woah, dude, you look fucked up… is that a tampon in your nose? Holy shit, is your nose bleeding? How the hell did you get into a fight when we just finished our last exam like… not even 3 minutes ago?” Eren locked eyes with the buzzed teen and let out a yelped cry, “I fucked up so bad. Holy shit, it is so over.”
Trying to make Eren release his death grip from his collar, Connie continued the conversation, “Hey, the fight can’t have been that bad! Was it Floch again? Did he say something shitty about Armin again? If you do get in trouble I can vouch for yo-” Eren interrupted with a cracked voice, “I DIDN’T GET INTO A FIGHT!” Silence fell between the two as Eren paused to drop Connie from his grip and to also take a quick breather—something his therapist had recommended after she saw him crash out because his shirt tag rubbing his neck funny. After a few deep breaths, Eren continued in a more defeated tone, “Last night Armin forced me to study with him so I could get an A in Mr. Smith’s AP GOV final. But I forgot how fucked Armin’s sleep schedule is, and we ended up going to bed at 4 a.m. And to anyone’s surprise, I had the great luck of waking up late, forgetting my Redbull in Mikasa’s car, and falling asleep during the AP GOV final. But oh no, I didn’t just peacefully fall asleep—I hit my head on my stupid ancient desk, causing me to get a severe nosebleed. But it doesn’t stop there! When I went to the nurse’s office, everything was already packed up and put away for the summer, so she handed me a TAMPON!”
Connie examined the slightly red, teary-eyed Eren and replied, “Well, it can’t be that bad. Mr. Smith is a fair grader, and the test curve is always good. Plus, your parents are chill and very understanding. I don’t think they would be upset if they knew you worked that har-” Eren interrupted Connie again—dang, he really has a bad habit—“Oh, I don’t care about what my parents think. I CARE ABOUT WHAT ARMIN THINKS! If there is one person in this world whom I cannot disappoint, it would be Armin! Knowing him, he’ll probably find my grades, give me a verbal beating, TELL MIKASA, and then we won’t go on our totally-platonic-Wednesday-bro-dates-to-IHOP-where-everything-is-half-off-after-5pm! Or WORSE—he’ll make me go to the local Comicon convention dressed up as that weird main character from the anime he is watching… You know! The one with the giant naked people!”
Instead of responding to Eren’s rant, Connie stared. He analyzed the fat tears that had started to trickle down the angsty teen’s face and decided in his head, I am too tired for this shit. And in one swift movement, the badly bleached teen turned his body to face the cluttered parking lot, making his way to his busted-up Honda Civic, leaving the bloody-nosed teen by himself. Stunned at the series of events that just happened, Eren started speed-walking to catch up to the teen ahead, “Where are you going? Are you not going to Jean’s pool party?” And instead of answering Eren’s question, Connie proposed his own:
“Dude, are you sure you’re straight?”