When he entered the classroom the students were all either sitting on their desks or standing by the window, watching some football match happening. Paper planes and snack wrappings were scattered all over the floor already and it wasn’t even lunch time yet.
“Away from the window, now.” He yelled as soon as he entered, throwing his thick book on the desk with a loud bang that had all eyes on him. “Class has started.”
The students began to move slowly, watching him with weary eyes as they murmured things Levi could not care less about right now.
“Ok, someone’s woke up with the wrong foot this morning.” Said Ymir as she took a seat in front of Levi.
“Did you forget your coffee, Lee?” Asked Armin.
“Silence,” he groaned. He had indeed not had enough time to make himself a coffee between classes, because of the stupid photocopier, but that was not the only reason for his foul mood.
He scanned the classroom quickly, walking through the aisles as he ran a finger through the desks.
“This class is disgusting, you should be ashamed. It’s your classroom, you can’t expect the janitors to clean up after your mess all the time, that’s fucking rude. Their job is to maintain the cleanliness, not to keep up with your filthy habits.”
The students rolled their eyes, and readied for what they knew would be a long sermon, only to then claim innocence when the time to clean up came.
“Excuse me, sir,” said Historia, puting her hand up, “but I don’t think it’s fair for all of us to listen to this speech if it’s the same few people who always make a mess.”
There was chattering again, and Levi could feel the veins pop in his forehead.
“Teacher’s pet is right,” said Eren, without bothering putting his hand up to speak. “I’m not picking up after someone else’s shit. It’s always Jean and his football friends making a mess.”
Jean turned violently, he was about to stand and open his mouth when Levi held him down by his shoulders.
“Silence, I’m not done speaking,” Levi said, “this is the problem with you all. You don’t act like classmates and you keep blaming each other and fighting for the smallest things. Nobody takes responsibility for anything. You are all part of this class, so you’re all responsible, I don’t care who made the mess. Somebody has to clean, and it’s not going to be me.”
Confused and annoyed faces stared at him, then at each other, but nobody else dared protest.
“So?” Levi crossed his arms against his chest, the last bit of patience leaving his body, “who’s going to stay to clean this shit up? Huh? Nobody? Should I choose, then?”
The was a round of laughter, but it didn’t last long after they saw Levi’s serious face.
“I’m not telling any jokes, so I don’t know why you’re laughing. Are you stupid or what? You think this is funny?”
Some students snorted as they attempted to restrain their laugh.
“What’s wrong Lee?” Said Connie, “had a fight with your girlfriend or something?” He laughed and the whole class laughed with him.
“Thank you for volunteering, Springer. I’ll see you after class with a mop and a bucket.”
The class laughed again, but this time Connie didn’t. He sank back into his chair and elbowed Sasha, muttering a curse as she continued to laugh.
“Miss Braus looks like she wants to join you.”
Sasha’s smile was instantly wiped off her face. He was now shaking her head eagerly.
“Anyone else feels like cleaning after class?”
The whole class went now silent.
Levi turned, and began to write some questions on the board mindlessly. He was in no mood to try anything innovative for his class today. He’s just have them read and copy from the board and go to hell.
There was quiet mumbling again behind his back, not loud enough for a Levi to stop writing, though he kept his ears sharp all the same.
“I heard someone say he argued with Mr. Smith,” someone whispered. “They haven’t sat together at lunch since the trip.”
“Who said that?” Levi turned suddenly, but everyone was sitting straight in their chairs and copying.
He turned to the board again and there was soft giggling.
“More like who hasn’t,” he heard Jean whisper discreetly, but Levi’s ears were sharp. The piece of challenge he was writing with cracked in his hand. He turned, and fired it at Jean.
“Hey!” Jean jumped in his seat as the chalk landed with precision in the middle of his forehead.
“Kierschtein,” Levi played with the remaining of the chalk in his hand, ready for a second shot. “Page 159. Read. Now.”
“Jeez, fine,” the boy flipped the pages with one hand, rubbed his forehead with the other, then turned to Marco by his side. “What’s wrong with him today?”
“Fine! Ok! I said ok! Jesus…”
