CHAPTER 8

Nick's POV

"Leave," growled Corporal Levi. "The two of us need to have a talk."

I heard two sets of footsteps running down the hall. Once I could hear them no more I heard the rustling of fabric. Something hit my face.

"Put your pants on," Corporal Levi commanded emotionlessly. I knew that voice. That was the voice he had used when he had talked about his parents. That was the voice of pain.

"Yes, sir."

"Tch."

I pulled my pants up my legs and redid my belt before standing up and leaning against the wall, avoiding the corporal's piercing gaze.

"Why?" he asked sharply. "Did you join for the fun of it? The fun of sneaking around?"

"No, sir," I said quietly.

"Did you join because you thought it would be nice to fuck with people's heads?"

"No, sir,"

"Then why did you join the corps as a male when you are. Very. Clearly. Female?"

"I-"

"Never mind. I don't want to hear it. Stay here."

"Yes, sir."

"Save that for Erwin," he hissed at me.

And he was gone, leaving me to slide down the wall and curl up into a ball on the floor. Looking out the window I saw tall pines illuminated by the moonlight, the training grounds, the school buildings. It really was beautiful. It was too bad I wasn't going to stay to see them again.

When Corporal Levi returned he was accompanied by Commander Erwin. The Commander's eyebrows were furrowed in confusion.

"What is going on here?" he asked us. "Why did you drag me out into the corridor?"

"Nick. Isn't. Male," Corporal Levi growled, glaring at me intimidatingly.

The Commander looked at me.

"Are you female, Cadet?" he asked brusquely.

"Yes, sir."

"Are you transgendered?"

"No, sir."

The Commander sighed as he looked at Corporal Levi.

"I hate to lose one of the best Cadets we have, but it's got to be done."

I closed my eyes and nodded even though he wasn't looking at me.

"I'll take… her wherever she needs to go," he said.

"Let me," Corporal Levi said.

"Are you sure that's such a good idea, Levi?"

"Positive."

"Alright then."

Levi's POV

I got… her and her belongings loaded into my car. We left the school premises at around nine, got to her parents' house at ten, and didn't talk the entire way there other than about directions.

When we knocked on her parents' front door they came to the door almost immediately. When they saw Nick they appeared to be overjoyed.

"Nicole!" her mother cried, flinging her arms around her daughter and pulling her into a tight hug. Her father looked like he was trying to be thrilled.

"Thank you very much for returning her to us," her father said. "Where has she been? And why is her hair so short?"

"She has been at the university as a member of the corps," I said coolly. "She has been posing as a boy for the past two months."

"A boy?" asked her father. "I wouldn't have thought she could pull it off."

"Well she did," I said. "Good night."

"Wait!" her mother called. "What is your name?"

"My name is Corporal Levi Ackerman, ma'am. Now good night."

I began walking down their front steps as they ushered Nicole inside. The moment the front door shut…

The sound of skin on skin. And screaming.

"How dare you leave us, you bitch!" yelled her mother. "We do everything for you! We cook, we clean, we make money, and this is how you repay us!?"

I froze.

Is this why…

Nicole said nothing in return, so her father punched or kicked or something-ed her hard enough to make her cry out.

"Looks like they put some muscle on her," he chuckled darkly. "But I'm still stronger."

Nicole still wouldn't say anything.

"I think we have the perfect punishment for you."

After five minutes of silence I called the police. After an additional five they arrived.

"What seems to be the problem, sir?" one asked me.

I explained the entire situation to them, from how Nicole had disguised herself as a boy to how her parents were probably beating her as we spoke.

The moment I finished speaking there was a crash from an upstairs window. Something thudded to the ground. I rushed to the space under the window to find Nicole bleeding from several deep gouges in her arms and legs.

"Over here!" I called to the police. "Somebody get an ambulance!"