Chapter 15

As she pulls in, she watches as Hange walks over with a bunch of the girls, Crystal had offered her house for a slumber party.

Walking in she left the door unlocked and went to her bedroom. Changing into some pajamas, she went back out to find all the girls shivering by the door.

"Come on in guys, I have blankets in the living room." Crystal says softly and the girls hurriedly walk into the living room, sitting around in every seat available.

"I'm so nervous for tomorrow!" Sasha whines, "Niccolo invited me, but I don't know if I can resist the food long enough for a dance."

"Ha! If he invited you, he's already prepared himself!" Ymir shouts, "I'm taking my dear Historia here!" Ymir hugs Historia forcefully and Crystal laughs.

"Who are you going with?" Historia asks, "Jean?"

"Yeah." Crystal says simply when Mikasa speaks up.

"I know it's none of my business… But do you love Jean?" Crystal looks at Mikasa, "You don't smile at him like you did…"

"You're going with Eren right? Are you going to tell him how you feel?" Crystal says quickly, making Mikasa sputter and blush.

"W-What? No- he only invited me out of convenience." Mikasa says nervously and the group of girls laugh, Hange leans over to Crystal.

"Do you though…?" She asks quietly and Crystal frowns, "Crystal?"

"I don't know what's wrong with me." She says loudly, "Jean is sweet, he cares about me. He's not the perfect gentleman but he makes sure I have everything I need, he's protective and only wants me to be happy. Yet I haven't fallen for him!" Crystal blurts out, "Hell I don't even think I like him more than liking his person. Sure he makes me happy but why is my heart so stubborn?!"

"First loves always pave the way for others." Ymir says sharply, "Whoever you loved first, made a scar and your heart is afraid to cross that again." Crystal laughs an airy, heartbroken laugh.

"Levi turned me down the moment I told him I thought I liked him. He called me delusional and the next day, treated me like the dirt on his shoe." Crystal groans, holding her head in her hands.

"Love is annoying sometimes." Sasha says simply, "But do you think you might still have feelings for him?"

"No. I don't feel anything but pain when I see him. He's with that Petra girl now, isn't he?"

"Oh yeah…" Hange hums in realization, "I think they did end up making it official, but you know, privately."

"Right." Crystal mutters and Ymir smirks.

"Speaking of Private relationships, you and Erwin are getting pretty touchy at Lunch." Ymir teases Hange who blushes madly.

"Yeah… I don't know, I know I have the hots for him, and he seemed to be interested, but when I asked him to the dance he hesitated."

"He seems like the guy who estimates who would ask who." Crystal speaks up, "So he probably didn't expect you to ask him. You guys are going together right?"

"Yeah…"

"Tell him you like him then." Crystal smiles and Hange reflects it when a banging came from the door. Crystal got up and reaches into her hall cubby, pulling out her baseball bat, "Stay in there girls." She gestures, she wasn't expecting anyone so this person could be dangerous.

Peeking into the peephole she saw a tall man, dressed in a black cloak and a black hat, his smirk seemed sinister. Crystal's fears clicked true and she turns to the hallway to see Hange peeking.

Crystal gestures for her to call the emergency number, and Hange's eyes widen before she disappears into the living room.

"C'mon! I've been stalking your house for a month now, you're definitely inside!" Crystal remains quiet as she holds herself against the door, "You've even got your car outside! What are you busy taking a shit?" He bangs against the door and Crystal shivers at the vibration until Hange gives her a thumbs up, "You bitch, I'll just break down your door-!"

"Who are you and what do you want?" Crystal asks out loud, still pressed against the door.

"Oh? You sound prettier than I imagined. My name's Kenny, nice to meet you. What I want is simple, your blood pooling on the ground of your hallway."

"Who sent you to kill me?"

"Now that information won't matter after you're dead, but, it was a rival company to your dad's. They want your pop's company and that's impossible with an underage heir! So they want me to get rid of you."

"For money? That's ridiculous." Crystal says rolling her eyes, "Plus my father was a simple accountant, he didn't own a company."

"C'mon, don't act stupid little girl. You know your father ran a business." Crystal presses herself harder against the door, he was only here for her right?

"Look I have friends over. If I come out without a fight will you let them live?"

"Tsk. A dead woman don't know if they're alive or not-" 

"Put your hands up in the air!" A cop shouts and Crystal feels relief flood through her, but then they shout more as the man runs away. Crystal looks up to see Hange and the others looking at her worriedly.

"Everythings okay now." Crystal says softly and Hange starts to tear up.

"You… Were right." She mumbles and Crystal smiles sorrowfully.

"Its an officer! Let me in." A cop shouts and Crystal looks through the peephole, confirming it was. Opening it she looks at him worriedly, "Little Lady, you were very brave keeping the door shut. The man has gotten away but we have a positive identification of him. We suggest either leaving for a friends house or having an officer posted outside for the night."

"Please have an officer posted. Tomorrow night I'll look for a place that I can stay." Crystal sighs, this was troublesome. She couldn't stay with Hange, she lived right across the street, and the other girls all had big families.

"Alright. Goodnight ladies." The officer says and left, Crystal looks at the girls.

"Who am I going to stay with?" Crystal asks and Hange looks at her phone.

"Jean?" 

"No, I wouldn't feel comfortable there." Crystal says as they walk back into the living room.

"Armin or Eren's? Mikasa lives with Eren so…" Hange says softly and Crystal shakes her head.

"Mrs. Carla and Mr. Grisha Jaeger have 3 kids in a 3 bedroom house. They won't be able to house me too. Armin lives in a similar scenario…"

"What about Levi?" Historia asks and Crystal looks at her like she grew an extra head, "Look I know things are rough between you two, but I don't think he'd turn you down if you told him you were in danger." Crystal sighs because she knew he was really her only logical option.

"Fine… I'll give him a call." Crystal pulls her phone out and scrolls to his contact, clicking call and putting it on speaker.

"Crystal? What do you want?" Levi asks harshly and Crystal tenses up, afraid to speak but she swallows the fear.

"Could… I stay with you, Farlan and Isabel for a couple nights…?"

"Why would you need to do that?"

"A man came by a few minutes ago trying to break in… He claimed to have been stalking my house for a month now…" Crystal mutters out, "I'm scared to be here all alone…" Breaking down her animosity, she let her fear come through, but as she finished all she heard was the tone saying he hung up.

"What?!" Historia shouts angrily, "What the hell is his problem?!"

"Not me…" Crystal smiles as she cracks the half hearted joke and Hange growls angrily.

"You were shaking in pure fear and he had the audacity to hang up on you! That fucking asshole. It's okay, I'll call around to our other friends and see if any of them have an opening." Hange says and starts calling number after number.

As she dials Reiner's number, a knock comes at the door and Crystal tenses up as tears show up in her eyes.

"Not again… I can't do it again…" Crystal says as she gets up with the baseball bat and walks quietly down the hallway, tears streaming down her face as she looks through the peephole only to see Levi with Farlan and Isabel, opening the door in shock as they all look at her.

"Crystal! Are you okay?" Isabel grabs her arms, "We came as quickly as we could!"

"We heard what you said on the phone. Our apartment is too small." Farlan says softly, "So we've come here instead." 

"You really… Came…?" Crystal mutters as Hange walks up behind her.

"You could've said something!" Hange shouts angrily at Levi, "You had us thinking she was screwed!"

"Do you really think I'm that much of an asshole?!" Levi shouts angrily up at her, "I would never leave Crystal alone if she was in danger!" Crystal's eyes widen at how angry he looked, "And if I'm right the fucker got away from the police!"

"He said… His name was Kenny." Crystal manages out as Isabel hugs her, but Isabel freezed at the mention of the name.

"What… Was he wearing?" Farlan asks cautiously.

"A black… Cowboy hat and a trench coat to match." Crystal says as she recalls his appearance, and the three scurry in, slamming the door shut. Locking it, Levi runs to the back door and locks it, blocking it with a nearby hall table.