(Eren's POV)

Hanging out with Armin after school was my initial plan. I was to go with him and buy two copies of a new videogame that released yesterday. Then go to my home and hook one up and start gaming.

That is until I got a call from Sasha right after we bought the games.

"Hello. Eren? Yes! It's me. You're not gonna believe this. Annie told me about 'a guy she fancies'. Any ideas on who her might be?" She teased.

"Oh yea? I think I have an idea. Anything else?" I asked, very intrigued.

"No, not really. She didn't tell me anything specific. Just how hard her schoolwork is and whatnot. Also I believe she is kinda getting sadder and sadder. Being away from you is taking a toll on her. Which is not a good thing, I tell you. Eren! You gotta go TALK. TO. HER."

"Calm down Sasha. And did she go directly to her house after?"

"Yes. I assume so, I mean where else could she want to go?"

"Knowing her, she'd have a few places on her mind. But... I'm not sure directly after school is a preferred time for her to go around town. Not forgetting that she has a backpack on."

"Do you... want me to keep tracking her?"

"Just make sure you tell me if she gets to her house or not. The rest isn't a big deal."

"Alright. I'll get back on that. Bye Eren."

"Bye."

I then looked at Armin who instantly recognized the look in my eyes.

"Eren... What are you planning?"

"Let's swing by your place for a while."

"Because my house is in the same neighborhood as Annie's?" Armin asked.

"Yes?"

"Are you planning to leave me and go to her once we arrive?" Armin asked.

"Oh no. Heck no. Bros before... Annie." I really didn't want to call Annie a hoe.

Armin just stared at me with a blank face and slowly nodded with his eyes squinting at my soul. I felt the chills as soon as he did that.

"Are you... doubting me?"

"Am I?" He kept looking at me the same way while we still moved around.

"Are... you?" I asked, slightly confused and scared.

"Maybe..."

Eventually, after a short walk that lasted eternity we arrived at Armin's House. He opened the door and insisted that I walk inside first. Manners and all.

Armin was right in a sense. Not 100% right, but somewhat right. I was going to his house to spy on Annie on one side and play the game on the other. But I wasn't planning on bailing out and leaving my buddy alone to his game to go mess around with a girl. That is not happening. Not now, not ever.

Armin quickly ran to the kitchen and started opening and closing drawers, grabbing every kind of snack and drink he can find. Chips, chocolate, soda among others. He carried so much stuff that he has to put some chips bags in a large bowl to carry them up while holding many large soda bottles on the other.

"Do you want any help?" I asked.

"N-No, I'm fine. Just can you haul ass to the bedroom and open the door?"

I went to coconut's room and opened the door for him, then I set up his PlayStation as soon as he made it into the room.

"Why not share the load dude?" I asked as soon as he placed everything he carried on the bed.

"Nah, don't worry about it. I just wanted to make sure you don't bail out on me."

I immediately got confused as I heard that and gave it time to process inside my head. He didn't make a whole lot of sense. So I decided to debate him about it.

"Dude. You literally could have had me share the load and I could have gone up before you so you can keep an eye out for me, and at the same time I couldn't run since I have the load I'm carrying. There's a lot of holes in your logic, buddy!"

"Well you see, it's not like that. It's not about whether you can or cannot. Bail. It's about whether you would bail out. Considering poor little Armin is carrying all the heavy stuff and you were carrying nothing. Would you or would you not leave your friend in his greatest moment of need and not return?" He said with over exaggerated hand gestures and a voice suited for a stage play.

"No, drama queen. I would've helped my friend—If he'd allowed me—and him and I would share the burden together. As friends. Your plan to make me feel guilt and remorse... wouldn't work. Boom. Now try and dispute that!"

"I wasn't going to try. I was just testing how far you'd go to defend yourself. I guess you're right. I'm sorry for doubting you. It's just... What's been happening between you and Annie... Let's be frank, it's EVERYTHING about you and Annie... I mean, think about it! Mortal enemies suddenly become lovers with a snap of a finger... I mean, what?"

"Well... technically there were a lot of things in the background that led to all of this. But I'm kinda not getting it myself so I won't go into details."

"Alright then. Enough about that. We didn't waste $120 just to chat, did we?"

We started playing our game for quite a while. It was nearly bedtime by the time I checked my phone.

"Hey dude. It's late now." I stated.

"Don't worry. Stay today and I'll help you finish your homework." Armin replied with his eyes glued to his screen.

"Alright! You're the best!" I replied, unlocking my phone and checking social media while taking a break from gaming for that exact reason.

"Anything for my friend. Although I don't know why you're worried. It's nearly the end of the school year."

"Yea, I'm trying to get good grades, man. Remember last year? I nearly failed!"

"And why was that the case?" Armin asked, teasing me as he finally turned around to look at me with a smirk and eyebrows moving up and down.

"Because of Annie and I. Yeah, yeah." I replied after a sigh.

He was right. It was that I nearly failed last year because of my newfound relationship with Annie. But I'm also proud of myself for that year because I managed to keep a relationship extremely secret for that long.

After playing for a while I fell asleep on the floor and Armin fell asleep before I did with his back against the wall with the window being above him. Suddenly I felt myself getting shaken with Armin's voice in my ear.

"Eren! Eren!" He said. His voice getting clearer and clearer the more awake and aware I got. "Wake up!"

"What?" I asked as I tried to get myself on my two feet.

"It's Annie!" The second I heard that, I was instantly awake and ready. I rushed to the window with Armin and glued my face to the glass with my eyes fixed on the sight of Annie getting into a black car with two shady men wearing black.

"What time is it?" I asked, not averting my gaze away from the window.

"It's 1:10 AM!" Armin replied.

"Hm..." I said to myself. But my instincts kicked in before anything else. I looked at my clothes and saw that I was wearing my clothes with only bits of chips that dirty my black shirt. I looked at Armin and he was still in his clothes as well.

"Armin. Come on. We're going."

Armin looked at me with eyes widened by the realization that we were going to tail a car in the middle of the night.

"What? Where? How? Who?" Armin managed to say as I grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the bedroom and headed outside where I parked my bike.

"Hey!" Armin exclaimed. "Don't I get a say in this?"

I didn't respond and continued dragging him along with me until we reached the bike. I placed my helmet on and watched as Armin did the same and took a seat behind me.

"Ok Eren. Not too loud, now!" He exclaimed.

"Alright. We just need to stay a distance far away enough but not too far so that we can tail them." I explained.

"Ugh. Tailing missions. Not just in videogames now, are we? We're gonna tail someone in real life." Armin stated, showing his frustration with tailing missions in videogames.

Following the shady car led us to the airport. The car entered the runway area from another entrance that made me realize Annie could be flying out of the country.

I made my way to a safe distance near the airport and watched for the car with a pair of convenient binoculars I took from Armin's place. Armin had his own pair too.

"Seriously Eren? We're spying on people?" Armin asked after lying with me on the ground.

"Yes." I causally replied and continued doing my spying.

I eventually saw the car stop in front of a private jet and saw Annie get out of said car and make her way inside the jet.

"What is she doing there?!" Armin asked.

"Who knows. Let's just hope this jet doesn't fly anytime soon."

"Does she have a plane to go someplace? A visa or something? A... relative outside the country?"

"She's... half Russian... or Ukrainian. Her mom is Ukrainian while her dad is pretty much a freedom-loving, oil-craving American." I replied.

"And... is her father rich or something? Maybe her mother?"

"I don't know. She doesn't talk to them. Never told me why, though." I explained.

"Wow..."

"And I think she has some big family feud. Hence why she lives alone in that house of hers." I added.

"Poor Annie." Armin exclaimed.

"If she owns that jet or some family member does, I don't think she's poor at all."

"I meant poor as in... You know what? Forget it."

After waiting on the cold ground for anything to happen, we finally saw Annie get out and head inside the car again.

"Phew! Finally!" Armin exclaimed. "Back home at last!"

"But what if she went elsewhere?"

"AW COME ON!!!" Armin yelled.

"Jeez! Calm down!"

"I wanna go nap!" Armin exclaimed.

"Let's just follow them and hopefully, she'd be heading back home." I stated, finally listening to Armin and realizing how tired he is. "It's about time I get some shut-eye as well."

We immediately got on the bike and made our way towards a nice spot behind the car. Not too close and not too far. I started hearing Armin yawn behind me, which prompted me to yawn myself.

"Eren?"

"Yes Armin."

"Can I sleep on your shoulder?"

"No Armin."

"Just a little?"

"No."

The car finally moved with us not too far behind. We tailed the car all the way to its destination, which to Armin's luck, is Annie's home.

"Finally!" He exclaimed.

"Yea Yea. Let's go park this thing and sleep."

I parked my bike in front of Armin's house and we both made our way inside. As soon as we made it into the room, Armin collapsed on the bed with me doing the same shortly after.

Sasha is right. We are separating further and further away from each other as the days pass. I will leave her a note on Friday since I am deciding to ditch school and claim I'm sick.

My gosh, that girl will be the end of me. But I'd be lying if I said I don't love it.

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