As autumn rolled in, a crisp breeze carried a few stray leaves through an open window, tossing them onto a small blonde-headed figure that laid sprawled in a child-sized bed, sheets tossed about. She slept in a particularly large but empty room, a single wooden vanity sitting next to an open closet served as the only piece of furniture, save for the bed.

The little blonde continued to sleep, or at least tried to, even as the alarm clock fought to disturb her peace. Not prepared to lose the battle for sleep, the girl tossed her pillow at the offender, effectively defeating her enemy. She sighed in content over the silence.

Just as she began retreating towards her dream land, a wooden door flung open. A young man of large build stood in the doorway, panting slightly, with beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "Oi Christa, we need to start getting ready for school. You're not up yet?" he rasped as he struggled to button up his shirt.

"Just five more minutes..." Christa mumbled, shutting her eyes tighter.

"Christa!"

"Oh come on Reiner, please!" she pleaded. "Just go without me today and I'll catch up to you later."

Just as he finished straightening his brown jacket, Reiner crossed his arms in front of his chest, shaking his head in disapproval. "It's the first day, you can't just miss orientation. Especially as a transfer student, Shadis will have your head. You don't want to get on his bad side on your first day."

Christa groaned, lifting her light frame from the bed. Reiner blushed slightly as she wiped her tired blue eyes with the sleeve of her oversized white pajamas, releasing a small yawn. The light that shone through the window had completely immersed the girl in its radiance. The larger blond swallowed before whispering, "Angel..."

Stretching her slender figure, she asked, "You say something?"

"Nothing." he hid his face behind his hand. "Anyway, you should hurry up and shower. I'll wait." He made a quick escape out the door, his hasty footsteps thudding down the stairs.

After nearly an hour of wait, Christa walked downstairs, fully uniformed with her bag on her back. The boys and girls wore the exact same uniform, a brown jacket over a white dress shirt and black slacks. She approached Reiner, who stood near the door, practically jogging in place. As soon as he saw her, he pushed the door through and nearly raced out. "You took too long, we're gonna be late!"

"No we won't."

"At this rate we will!"

"Your dad said he'd take us today remember."

Reiner stopped immediately and held his face in embarrassment, earning a giggle from the little blonde. "I forgot. Where is he?"

"He was just about ready when I saw him. He shouldn't take too long."

As if on cue, a man even larger than Reiner came out and joined them on the porch. He wore a brown police uniform with a rose crest gracing the shoulder. "Alright, let's get going." he grunted, running some fingers through his jet-black hair as he headed towards a similarly black jeep in the driveway, never making eye contact with the two blondes. He slid behind the wheel and buckled his seatbelt, watching as Reiner took the passenger's seat and Christa took the seat behind his own.

The drive to school was quiet. Reiner took to staring out the window while Christa's eyes remained focused on her lap. As the school came into view, the car began to slowly decelerate. The man behind the wheel cleared his throat and looked at Christa from his rear-view mirror. "This is as far as I can take you guys and still be on time for work. This is the only time I'll be doing this, got it?"

"Thank you Mr. Braun." Christa mumbled hurriedly before forcing her way out the car door, never looking up at him. She sped off towards the school while Reiner fumbled with the seatbelt. Mr. Braun only shook his head.

By the time the giant oaf got his seatbelt off and managed to get out the car door, Christa was out of site and his father was quick to disappear in the opposite direction. Left on his own, Reiner watched the waves of students make their way towards the school, some in groups chatting idly while others trudged along wearily on their own. He sighed. "How does she move so fast?" he grumbled to himself, scratching the back of his head.

~oOo~

Christa stood in the midst of a swarm of students, all buzzing about to their various destinations. She stood still, clasping her hands together in front of her, twiddling her fingers nervously. "Maybe I should have waited on Reiner..." she admitted quietly.

Somehow, as soon as she arrived in the courtyard, Christa found herself being swept away by a crowd of students. They pulled her into the auditorium where orientation was being held and suddenly scattered, leaving the tiny girl exposed and vulnerable.

Eventually, she gathered the courage to move, although she found herself floundering about aimlessly. There was still a few minutes before orientation began and children were making their way toward old friends and established groups. It was painfully obvious how out of place she was. However, she wasn't the only one. Christa noticed a girl standing against a wall, a worried expression on her face and a hand hovering just above her stomach. The girl watched everyone who passed with somewhat pleading eyes and seemed disappointed when they passed her. Somehow, Christa felt like she understood the situation and giggled slightly to herself, making her way towards the girl.

"Hi there!"

The girl slowly looked over at Christa. Her eyes widened as she noticed the small bag of chips in the smaller girl's hands. Pointing a finger at the bag, she looked in disbelief. "For me?"

Christa nodded, a smile playing across her face.

"Thank you!" The girl yelled as she snatched the chips from Christa and ravaged the contents. "I waf sho hungwy!" she squealed, still filling her mouth with the snack. In just a matter of seconds, she had completely emptied the bag and swallowed the contents. Patting her belly in satisfaction, she gave a wide smile."I'm Sasha by the way."

"I'm Christa! Nice to meet you!" She extended her hand toward the brunette for a handshake.

Sasha clasped the petite hand between both of her own, quickly bowing her head. "So Christa is the name of my god! Thank you for the blessing!" she proclaimed, causing all the students around them to stop and stare.

"Stop Sasha, they're staring." Christa shifted uncomfortably, trying to gently tug her hands away from the brunette. She was blushing profusely as a small crowd started to gather around them, whispering among themselves. "Come on Sasha, cut it out."

"Kami-sama!" she exclaimed out of the blue.

Just then a short boy with a near bald cut forced his way through the crowd and made his way towards them. He punched Sasha on the top of her head, causing the girl to let go of Christa and hold the injured spot. "What the hell are you doing? Causing a scene already!" He had a can of soda in each hand, one of which he passed to Sasha just before forcing the girl to bow low by pressing a palm into her back. "Go ahead, apologize." he grumbled.

"I am incredibly sorry."

"Good girl.", he grinned. He looked up at the stunned blonde with a slightly confused look before tapping his head and grinning again. "Sorry I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Connie! What's your name pipsqueak?"

"I'm not pipsqueak, I'm Christa.", she defended, offering her hand again.

Connie slapped her hand as he grabbed it and pulled her into an energetic handshake. "Alright Christa! I love your spunk!"

When he let her go she quickly reeled her abused hand back. Nursing it in the palm of her other hand, she rubbed her fist near her chest. "So Connie, how long have you and Sasha been friends?"

"Huh, this joker? We only met this mornin'!" He laughed heartily. "She tried to fight me for my baked potato this morning. We hit it off right away!" Connie threw an arm over Sasha's shoulders, eliciting a grin from the girl.

"It was a really good lookin' potato!" she defended herself jokingly.

"But, you two act like you've been friends forever!" Christa gasped and then sighed. "I hope I can make that kind of connection with someone soon."

"Wait, you're new here too?" Sasha asked after already downing the entire can of soda Connie gave her.

"Yeah."

"Then that makes three of us! Sweet!"

Just as Connie raised his hand for a high-five, there was a screech from the stage at the very front of the auditorium. A bald man with an intense gaze stood imposingly on the stage with a mic to his chin. His chest was puffed up like a male bird asserting dominance. Inhaling through his nostrils, he forced his lungs to fill to their capacity.

"Listen up!" He yelled into the microphone causing the students to grab their ears and groan in pain. He smirked. "Good! Now that I have your attention, orientation will now commence! Coming to give the opening remark is Principal Erwin Smith, welcome him!"

The students applauded as a tall blond man made his way to the microphone. He seemed stern as he scanned over the crowds of students below. Christa, Sasha, and Connie shuffled into the crowd and moved closer to the stage.

"Welcome back to St. Rose Academy! May I begin by saying congratulations on surviving the summer-"

~oOo~

After the long ceremony, the students filed out and wandered about the campus, deciding to linger rather than go to the classrooms. They had some time before attendance since the ceremony ended earlier than expected on account of Senior Master Shadis catching Sasha stuffing her face and decided to take her to the office rather than give his closing remarks. Connie excused himself after the ceremony and went to check on Sasha, feeling guilty, being the one who passed her the munchies in the first place. And so once again, Christa found herself alone. Unlike most of the other students, Christa opted to go straight to class. She figured it would be better to try to make friends with whoever she met in class. At least then she could have someone to talk to in her homeroom.

On the way, she fantasized of chatting idly in class, passing notes to each other, sharing secret smiles and inside jokes, calling each other at night for whatever reasons, and organizing study groups together. Yes, this was her ideal friendship and she smiled warmly to herself just thinking about it.

When she finally found the room, she peaked in. There was one lone student who sat in the last row, near the window. A brunette whose gaze remained fixed on something outside the glass. They were on the third floor, the highest in the school, so the brunette was able to stare down at the students undetected.

Christa walked up to the person, a slight unease settling in her stomach as she approached them. She stopped just a few steps next to them and tried to pry her mouth open to greet the person. Just as she was about to succeed, the person turned their head and looked Christa dead in the eye with a burning glare. The girl's golden brown eyes dove deep into the pools of blue that were Christa's, somehow sending a shiver down her spine. The blonde's mouth slammed shut once more and she practically jumped into the seat in front of her, laying her head on the desk and turning it in the opposite direction. Her face was a bright red and her cheeks felt like they were on fire. Her stomach felt like it was in knots and she had absolutely no idea why! Could this be the dreaded love at first sight? No, not possible. She was getting way too ahead of herself. Slowly, she calmed herself, taking small easy breaths, and twisted her head to look at the source of her confusion who was now looking back at her with an amused look lining her features, a small, but devious smirk across her face. Christa felt her heart begin to pound in her chest, trying to beat its way out of her ribcage. With her head still on the desk, brunette in her sight, Christa's eyebrows furrowed in embarrassment as the other girl began to laugh uncontrollably, soliciting a blush from the blonde.

"What are you, auditioning for class clown or something!?" the girl teased rather loudly.

Christa built up for some argument but for some reason she couldn't think of a comeback. Who teases someone they only just met anyway? It was totally uncalled for and Christa had half a mind to tel the girl off about it. The only problem was that absolutely nothing was coming out and she knew she looked like an idiot! She could tell just by the face that brunette was making. Christa examined the girl's expression before accidentally allowing her voice to slip through her lips, "...freckles?" She nearly slammed her forehead into the desk when the word sneaked out of her mouth.

The girl laughed again, this time beating on the desk for emphasis. "No way! Are you always this dumb or are you playing stupid just to entertain me Ms. Class Clown! This year might be fun after all!"

"…" The blonde mumbled something under her breath.

"Hmm? What's that blondie?" the girl pressed an ear closer.

"..."

"Try again short stuff, still can't hear ya."

Suddenly the normally pacifist girl launched up from her seat. "My name is Christa! Not Ms. Class Clown, not blondie, and not short stuff! Chris-ta! And no, I'm not here to entertain you, you ... you... miserable jerk!"

Christa picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder, storming out of the classroom. She didn't have to put up with it, so why should she? In her anger, she didn't hear when the brunette whistled behind her, "Yup, definitely gonna be interesting."

"The nerve of that girl! Nothing but a bully! Even if there was some kind of immediate physical attraction, her ugly personality killed it, that jerk!"

As Christa huffed down the hall, fuming and embarrassed, she turned whatever corner came up, went down any hall that seemed empty enough, and went through any open door as long as it didn't obstruct her path. Suddenly, Christa's whole face turned red as if by some sudden revelation, her eyebrows furrowing in frustration.

"Wait, attracted? I've never been attracted to a girl before, maybe I'm wrong... Then again, I've never been attracted to anyone before. Maybe I just got my feelings confused and it was just... Excitement! Yeah, excitement! Excited at the prospect of making a new friend. Nothing more, nothing less."

She continued going, and going, and going, all until she finally calmed down enough to realize she was lost. Starting to regret ever getting out of bed that morning, Christa decided to explore the campus, hoping she would be able to find her way back somehow. Who knows, it might even clear her head.

Students began shuffling toward their classes and soon the courtyard was only spotted with a few stragglers. One lone student still wandered about aimlessly. Tears began welling up in her eyes and Christa began to lose hope as she continued down an unfamiliar hallway. With every step, her legs got weaker and with every change of scene, her hope diminished until finally her knees gave out and she collapsed under a large tree, somehow finding her way back out to the courtyard. The blonde tried her hardest not to let the tears slip out. Just as they were about to burst from their floodgates, the salty pearls suddenly retreated with the exception of a few stray drops that rolled down her cheeks.

A group of three students; one short blond boy with blue eyes that shone of intelligence, one black haired girl with cold eyes and a red scarf covering half her face, and a brunette boy standing at the head of the group, were walking past, engaged in a lively conversation. Suddenly she saw the blond boy point at her, everyone stopping in their tracks to look. She felt vulnerable as the three headed toward her. They stopped just ahead of her and Christa nearly jumped out of her skin when the girl knelt just in front of her. The small girl trembled slightly, too scared to break the eye-contact that chilled her down to her bone.

"Why are you just sitting there? Classes already started attendance you know." The brunette boy spoke up, examining Christa's face.

"Umm... I- um. Well..." Christa struggled to form a sentence with the girl still so close to her, staring her down in silence.

Suddenly the blond boy gave a small chuckle that he quickly muffled. "You're lost aren't you?" Christa nodded. "Well we'll help you out, which room?"

Christa hesitated for a while before she decided to divulge the information. "Room... 104... I think."

"104? That's where we're headed." The brunette mentioned with widened teal eyes. "So you're a new kid, no wonder." His face hardened again.

"Eren behave yourself, you're frightening her.", the black haired girl finally broke the eye-lock she had on Christa in favor of staring up at the brunette. Her voice was soft but stern.

"I think you already did a good job of that Mikasa." The blond gave an exasperated chuckle. Directing his attention back at Christa, he smiled brightly. "I'm Armin by the way. This intense guy here is Eren and that quiet-speaking girl is Mikasa. Don't worry, they're kinda scary looking, but they're really nice. So you don't have to be scared. Besides we'll be in the same homeroom this year, so we might as well be friends!", ending with a cheerful laugh.

"Umm, I guess. Thank you. My name is Christa by the way." she introduced herself as she lifted her small body out of the grass and dusted her uniform off, sliding her bookbag back onto her shoulders.

"Alright let's get to homeroom 'fore Ms. Langner marks us absent. I don't want to get sent to Levi's office this early in the term." Eren turned on his heels, throwing his arms behind his head and leading off nonchalantly.

Within minutes they were in front of the classroom, the walk there being a near awkward silence. While Eren, Armin, and Mikasa opened the back door and filed into class, Christa stood behind the door and took a deep breath. Her mind flashed back to her earlier encounter with the freckled girl in class and she simply did not want to face her. She took solace in the fact that she had made three friends like Armin and the others, at least she had a better impression of her class and new formed hope for the year. She smiled to herself. Slowly she pushed the door open and was met with a gust of noise. Students were sitting on desks and leaning in chairs, carrying on loud conversations. Krista leapt slightly in excitement when she noticed some familiar faces. Reiner sat near the front of the class chatting with two other students. Sasha and Connie were performing some silly antics in the middle of the class. And unfortunately, that jerk from earlier was still there, staring out the window again, with the same bored expression. Christa gave a small huff.

Just then, the intense man from the orientation walked in through the door near the front of the class, looking as irritable as usual. He marched over to the teacher's desk and faced the students. Nobody even noticed as he walked in and they continued their conversations, oblivious. Slamming his palms into the hard oakwood of the desk he snarled, "Quiet maggots!" The room fell into a deep silence. "Get to your seats."

In an instant the students were all neatly seated behind their desks, well, all except Christa, who stood there stunned for a few seconds realizing she hadn't established a seat yet. She looked around the class in a panic.

"You in the back! Sit down!" the man growled.

Suddenly all eyes were on Christa. "Ye- Yes sir!" she saluted nervously, earning a roaring laugh from the class. Face slightly reddened, she scanned the class for an empty seat but to no avail. The bald man noticed this.

"I see an empty seat next to Ymir. Take it." The blonde girl looked at him in confusion. He sighed, mumbling something about 'new kids' and 'fresh meat' under his breath. He puffed up again and ordered, "Ymir, raise your hand."

"Right here, sir."

Christa turned in near horror to see the freckled girl's hand limply raised in the air, a smirk donning her face as she slouched in her chair lazily. Slowly, Christa dragged her feet across the floor, hoping this was just a bad joke or something. It was the same seat she took when she first spoke to the brunette, still empty and waiting for her return. She slowly slid the chair out, Ymir watching her every move with interest and amusement. Finally, the blonde sunk into the chair with dread.

The man shook his head at the display but said nothing of it. "Now then, since I see some new faces here, I suppose I should introduce myself. I am Senior Master and Chief of Discipline, Keith Shadis. Now, I'm sure many of you were expecting Ms. Langner, but unfortunately she will not be joining us this year. You see she was called in over the break and her entire squadron is currently overseas. She said that she will be keeping a journal to bring home for everyone to read, so at least you spoiled snots will be able to understand the horrors of war and appreciate what the soldiers are out there suffering through for your miserable sakes. In any case, due to a lack of teachers, I will be assuming Ms. Langner's post." Keith smirked as he heard the students collective groans. "That's right, today will be the beginning of the worst year of your lives. Welcome to my personal hell."

"Great, a whole year of these long ass speeches. What a pain." Ymir drawled just barely loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

"What was that?"

"I said 'Great, a whole year of your amazing speeches! What joy!'" she answered with disgustingly sarcastic enthusiasm.

Christa rolled her eyes, noting that the girl was not simply picking on her but that Ymir was a full time jerk, no doubt. The class was submerged in hushed murmurs. Keith's head turned red as he began to seethe over in rage. Just as he opened his mouth, the bell rang, reminding Shadis that he had yet to take attendance. He grit his teeth before speaking again. "I won't be taking roll call this period, but after the lunch break you all better return here. If you're absent then, then you're absent the whole day. Do I make myself clear?" He waited a few seconds for the students to settle themselves. Then he focused a hard glare at Ymir. "Ymir, I'll deal with you later. As for the rest of you, try to stay out of trouble. Dismissed!"