7. Calls

That evening, Aira felt the need to rant. Too much had happened this weekend - moving into her soon-to-be-father's place, finding out that it was actually her professor's father's place, and then being forced to move in with said professor himself! If she didn't tell someone anytime soon, she was afraid she would just explode on Monday. Calls would need to be made - and pronto. Eren must have read her mind or something because not even a minute later, her phone rang with his name displayed across the screen.

"Eren, perfect tim-"

"Did you get question 8 on the calc assignment?"

She promptly dropped the call. Perhaps Armin would have been a better choice. With that in mind, she searched for her trusty blond friend's number and dialled him. The immediate beeping of the phone indicated that the line was currently busy, so she tried his home phone instead.

A familiar voice picked up two rings later. "Hello?"

"Hi Mrs. Arlert, it's Aira."

"Oh hi dear! Let me find Armin for you, just one sec."

After patiently waiting for a bit, she was rewarded with Armin's angelic voice.

"Aira?"

"Hey, why didn't you pick up your cell phone?"

"Eren," he sighed. She could somehow feel his stress through the phone.

"Man, he called you too?"

"He's still on the line actually."

"Question 8?"

"Yep."

"Ah yes, it was a bitch. Don't give it to him. Let him figure it out himself."

"Aira told me not to give you the answer, and that you have to figure it out yourself." The words were spoken so fast that they slurred. A click was heard before something crashed across the room.

"….Armin, what was that?"

"Don't worry about it. What's up?"

Oh, Eren would be absolutely furious with them - oh well.

"I just…wanted to talk, that's all."

"Alright, shoot."

"Well…remember how Professor Ackerman was all nice to me? I found out why."

"Why?" She could practically hear the excitement oozing from Armin.

"It turned out my mom is actually marrying the professor's dad. So I guess…I'm his step-sister?"

Aira had to temporarily pull her ear away from the phone when a loud crash resonated on the other side of the line.

"Oops, sorry. Dropped my phone."

"It's that surprising, right? Trust me, I'm still shook."

"Wow, this is so weird. I can't tell if it's weirder than seeing the professor offer to buy you food. So what now?"

"Well, I was originally going to move in with their whole family but my lovely mother decided it would be better if I alone moved in with the professor…in a separate apartment."

Armin paused before asking, "Who else lives there?"

"I think…it's just him."

"Is that even legal?"

"I don't know. You tell me."

"Oh my god, Eren is going to freak."

"I'll tell him after he solves question 8. If we tell him now, I assure you he won't be able to focus on his homework."

"Fair enough. Try to hang in there for now and don't let him do anything perverted to you. Carry your phone on you at all times…and maybe go buy a taser too."

Armin's concerned recommendations sent a disgusted chill down her back. Just the thought of the professor doing that to her did not feel right. "Dude, I'm not gonna get raped."

"I know, but just for safe measure. I'll see you on Monday?"

"Yeah, I guess you will. Thanks for listening."

"What do you mean 'you guess-'"

She ended the call before he could overthink things any further. Sometimes, Armin could be such a worrywart, but it reassured her to know she had friends she could depend on. It felt much better getting it out. Now, she only had Eren to tell, but it really would do no good to tell him now. Maybe she could just tell him when she sees him on Monday. That way, at least Armin would be there for damage control.

Satisfied with her plan, she rolled out of bed to begin packing up everything she had just unpacked.

Staring worriedly at his home phone, Armin sighed. He knew that the professor wouldn't do anything bad to her, and based off of how he treated her to food so many times, one might even say he would treat her well. But it still doesn't justify a man and a woman - not blood-related nor married- living under the same roof.

Just then, the phone rang in his hand again. He narrowed his eyes at the caller ID.

"What now?" he answered with a gruff voice.

"I still don't get it."

"I can't help you."

"Is that why you blocked me? My call wasn't connecting earlier."

Armin took a glance at his cell phone, which was currently lying on the floor by the wall. Upon examining it further, he noticed that the screen was cracked beyond repair. It wasn't turning on either. He must have been really annoyed with Eren earlier to have thrown it this hard. "Actually, I probably need a new cell phone again."

"That's like your third one since university started." Gee, he wondered why. "Anyway, help me."

"No can do. Aira forbade me."

"Why would she do that?"

"She wants you to use your own brain for once."

"But I can't. It's permanently disabled." There he goes again, making excuses.

"I tell you what. If you make an attempt to solve it until the end, even if it's wrong, Aira and I will tell you a secret."

"What? What are you two hiding from me? That's not fair! We've always shared secrets, come on!"

"It is fair. We both finished question 8 after all. This secret can only be revealed upon solving the question. We are even giving you an exemption. You don't even have to get it right - you just have to try solving it until the end. And remember: Show. Your. Work. Bye!"

"Wait, Arm-"

Well, that handles that.