He stared at the deep scars on my stomach. "Really? What happened?" His voice was soft.

I looked over at Annie's cool and calm expression, then my vision flicked over to Bertholdt's more timid, nervous one. I decided I could trust them. "My parents abused me and Sam. They were always drunk."

Annie's brows raised slightly. "Really? Is that why you're always with Sam? To protect him?"

"Got it right on the nose," I said, nodding at her.

"That sucks," the blonde girl said blatantly, suddenly very interested in a certain floorboard.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Bertholdt offered, trying his best to console me.

"Nah, it's fine," I replied. I scratched the bridge of my nose a little bit.

•••••

Year: 850

Age: 15

Location: Wall Rose, Trost District

I had managed to snag eleventh place. I guess I didn't do what the commanders wanted me to. Whatever; I wouldn't want to join the Military Police anyway.

After we finished with the rankings, we were sent into the mess hall. Soon enough, Jean and Eren were fighting. Annie and I just watched as the two idiots were broken apart by others forcing them away from each other.

"Who do you think would win in a fight? Me, Eren, or Jean?" I asked the small blonde girl sitting next to me.

She looked into her cup, seeming to think. "Probably you. Eren would get angry and not be able to see anything but red, and Jean would just neigh and gallop off in fear."

I snorted, almost spitting out my drink. "Wow, Annie. Wow..."

Reiner sat down by us. "What're you girls talking about? Girly stuff?"

"No. We're talking about who could talk more sh*t, you or Jean."

It was then Annie's turn to snicker. "I'd say Reiner."

After you got to know her, Annie wasn't that bad of a person. She was actually pretty nice once you got used to her.

"Hey, Marco! Come over here!" Reiner yelled over to the freckled boy.

Marco was talking to Sam, and both of them came over. "Huh, I wonder which one is which," I said; they looked similar. They were almost identical, but Sam was taller and his hair was a little lighter.

"We haven't really talked much, Kati. How've you been? Sam's told me a lot about you," Marco said, immediately earning nice points.

"Wow, kid. You don't get half the credit you deserve," I told him. "You're really nice."