By the end of class, I felt stressed out and distracted. Mikasa looked just ass distracted since I already dismissed the class and she was still sitting in her chair. She hadn't even heard me when I called her name the first few times. I tried one more time to get her attention, "Mikasa."

"Huh?" she said her head popping up to look at mine.

"Class is dismissed."

She looked around with a blank face, "oh," she said before standing up. She just stood there for a minute before turning to me with a face of mild panic. "Our meeting is in 30 minutes."

"I know," I sighed, "believe me I've been stressing about it all day." I sighed before grabbing my laptop. "Now I have to go deal with the meetings, see you both in there."

She walked out with me and I locked up my room and headed to the math room since that was the class we were having these in since it as the biggest room with the most chairs. When I walked in there was already a few parents and guardians starting their meetings. All of the teachers were already lined up against the wall just talking. They were waiting for kids to stop talking or look over so they could go over and introduce themselves.

We always stuck to the same order. Usually, it was the order in which we were standing the first person would go and as they were walking back the next person would approach. We were told to keep track where the person in front of us went because we would always go in the same order. Lastly, Erwin would come over and close out the meeting.

We all had clipboards that we carried with us with the names of everyone for the day. We would mark them off as we would check in with them and their parents so no one would forget. There was also a separate section next to the kids' name where you would mark if a parent wanted to set up a longer meeting about their kids. We rarely had to check this box since all of our students were seniors. The previous years already had their meetings the weeks before. However, I was the one to usually get the most of these meetings. Probably, since I'm mostly honest about the kids' behavior in class when asked.

I walked over and leaned up against the wall in the same place I always did next to Erwin. I was the last teacher, always. Usually, because I had a tendency to be honest about the kids' behavior in class. If they were an asshole in class then I tell their parents exactly what they did. However, I could tell a lot by how the parent is sitting and usually if I sense something is off and maybe their home life isn't the greatest then I might bend the truth. I even have written on my whiteboard to come talk to me if you absolutely need me to lie in these meetings. I understand not every parent is loving and well-meaning, but I usually have to interrogate a little to see who is lying and who isn't.

Erwin told me I always needed to be at the end since parents usually remember the last things said to them, so if some students are actually having troublesome times and their parents need to hear how good they are doing then that is what I'm at the end for. However, I was also put at the end for when I do rip into students that are slacking just for the sake of it so Erwin could minimize the damages.

"Have you seen Hanji?" he asked looking at the doorway with already confused parents standing there.

"No, she's probably dealing with a kid right now," I shrugged.

"Are you okay you look... nervous?" He sounded really confused.

"I'm not nervous," I rolled my eyes and made sure to straighten myself out. "I just hate people, especially parents who think their kids can do no wrong."

"You have a point there," Erwin smiled before mumbling, "they can be a pain."

We turned our heads towards the door when we saw Hanji come in out of breath and she immediately looked at us with an "oh my god" kind of eye roll. Probably since a student came in with a stupid excuse of why they have to go home and tragically can't make his meeting and that she has to tell their parent that. It happens every year several different times. She started helping people get where they needed to be whether it was to open tables or to point them in the direction of their kid who was trying to make a break for it.

It didn't take long for the first few students to finish talking to their parents and hesitantly look over to the teachers hoping for us not to seal their fate of misery. The kids who actually tried in classes took a little longer explaining there grades and projects they were actually working on so we when they did finally start looking to us it wasn't like a deer stuck in headlights, but a proud student waiting to show their parents their progress in the classes.

The first kid looked like he was sweating bullets as he finally looked over in our direction. I just sat back waiting and wishing I had some popcorn. This kid was the biggest troublemaker out of all of the senior classes he never did any work and would constantly disrupts classes... that was if he even bothered to show up at all. I can understand this behavior from kids who have problems at home or who have learning difficulties, but he has no excuse. He is one of the smartest kids I know with the nicest parents.

The only reason I know these things is cause I constantly see him tutoring the kids out at lunch showing them how to do everything from formatting essays and how to write an amazing paper to how to solve the trickiest math equations. I know his parents quite well since they always ask to have meetings with me throughout the year to check up on his progress. This kid has been held back twice now this is his third year of senior year. However, he's not that much older than the rest of our students. He's 20 while everyone else is 18 or 19. He was so smart that he actually skipped a few grades in middle school, but in high school, he doesn't even bother to try. It really is a shame I know he's capable of so much more than this.

I just wait hoping that this will be the meeting that finally gets through to him. If he keeps this up next year he won't have a chance to repeat the grade, he'll just be kicked out and forced to take classes online when he does decide to finally get his act together.

I watched as the teachers tried to drill into him standing over him and talking to his mother who looked so disappointed. She didn't even look and at this point just sad. When it was finally my turn I decided to take a different approach. This kid was squirming in his chair as I walked up. He knew I was going to drill into him worse than any of the other teachers, that's what I was known for. However, it hasn't worked these last two years might as well try something different.

Rather than standing and angrily preaching to him, I sat down in the chair next to him. Already he looked confused. Without looking I could feel Erwin smiling at me, probably cause I could see Hanji doing the same thing from the door.

"Dustin," I said taking a breath, "I want to make sure that you understand that if you keep up this same routine this year that there won't be a next year for you here. You understand that right?" I asked he just kinda looked at me blankly. Before finally letting a confused look slip on his face.

"What?" he mumbled.

"Next year you won't be able to attend this school anymore. After you turn 21 you can't come back. You are allowed to finish out the year when you turn 21, but that's it after that you have to move on." I explained and saw the horrified look on his face.

"Now, I don't know what your reason for tanking your grades are, but if you want to get your diploma from here then you are going to have to start taking classes more seriously."

"But, I like it here," he finally mumbled.

"Is that the reason you want to tank your grades? Because you like it here?"

He just nodded. "All the teachers are nice and even when I do make a fool of myself they don't treat me any different in class. You especially, you're always giving 110% to helping us and making sure we know that you believe in us. I guess I'm just afraid I'll never be as good as you when I do get a job."

I honestly just sat there shocked for a minute before recomposing myself. "I know you'll do great, you are a bright student whose capable of many things."

"You really think so?"

"I know so. You don't have to worry too much about giving 110% since I've seen you do it before."

"Really, when?"

"At lunch, I've seen you helping students with everything, and you don't give up until they understand the material."

He just smiled really big for a minute before looking up at me and nodding, "I guess you're right."

He looked to his mom and just gave her a sheepish smile, "I'm sorry mom, I'm going to start trying harder. I'll bring my grades up and get my diploma."

"That's the spirit." I smiled.

"I already know what I want to go to college for too."

"Really? What's that?"

"I want to be a teacher, like you," he smiled and I just patted him on the back.

"I think that's a great idea." I nodded. I stood up shook his mom's hand before heading back to Erwin giving him a slight nod. He walked over and introduced himself. I really do believe that he's planning on doing better, the last few meetings he sat there quiet, but this time he actually spoke up and sounded sincere.

The other teachers looked at me some with smiles and the others with confusion. Being a teacher isn't just about standing over students lecturing them on how they've fucked up. It's actually sitting down and getting to know them and their specific needs. It's talking to them and figuring out the best way to help. Some kids the lecturing works it scares them straight, others need a softer approach.

The next kid who was having teacher meet with her was another trouble maker, not as bad as Dustin, and unlike him, the lecturing does work on her since her dad writes down points we touch on and makes her fix what she's doing. As the other teacher talks, I can see the dad scribbling down notes with a determined look on his face as his daughter sits there looking like she was trying to wish herself away from this predicament.

I met with the other parents in the room before the sessions switched. New parents started arriving and the ones in the room left. I had to stop myself from panicking as I saw Eren and Mikasa walk into the room. Rather than focus on them I turned my attention to Erwin and struck up a conversation just as I normally would. We talked about the day and the troublesome students. We both kept our eyes on the parents so we could see if anyone was ready so we could check in if need be, or notify the other teachers if they weren't paying attention.

I took this time to keep looking over at Eren. He was wearing a jacket and his neck and arms were covered. No one could even tell he was hurt. His lip was the only visible wound, but no one seemed to pay much attention to that which was good. I had worried a little about people noticing he was injured since people tend to act weird and stare at said injuries, and bruises around someone's neck isn't exactly a small bruise.

I noticed Eren kept looking up at me that was until Mikasa must have said something cause I saw his eyes shoot down to her as she made a quick gesture with her hands. I also noticed the worried look on Hanji's face as she looked at me before looking at Erwin. She seemed to be relieved after so I'm assuming he was looking in a different direction.

I felt the nerves build in my chest as the time seemed to slowly go by. It didn't help that I was one of the last teachers since I couldn't just get it done and over with I had to wait until the end and of course Erwin was after me. I couldn't shake my bad thoughts that have been plaguing me all day. This isn't going to end well.

When Mikasa finally looked over I knew she had taken extra time because she was hesitant about Eren and me talking in the school right in front of Erwin who would be watching me. Teacher after teacher would go over and check in and I felt like that flew by. Makes sense Mikasa is a star student in all of her classes. Just when I had decided that waiting as long as possible was probably better than rushing into it. Before I even had time to think the teacher before me had started returning to her spot.

I just walked over and greeted him.

"Hello, my name is Mr. Ackerman, I'm Mikasa's English teacher."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Ackerman. I'm Eren, Mikasa's older brother, Oh and her legal guardian." He said awkwardly rushing that out. I don't think he was used to introducing himself like that.

"Nice to meet you too. I said before taking a seat to discuss a little about my class and about Mikasa's grades." I had tuned myself out as I spoke and I'm sure Eren and Mikasa did too since they already pretty much knew everything I was saying and we were all just hoping this worked. As I finished explaining anything I let a smile out for a split second. We might actually get away with this. "Do you have any questions about my class or your sister's grade in it?"

"Nope, You and Mikasa seemed to have covered everything." He said with a nod.

"Alright, well again it was nice meeting you." I smiled and held my hand out to shake his.

"Likewise." He smiled shaking my hand.

I turned around and nodded at Erwin signaling for him to go over and he did. I let out a mental sigh of relief and all my anxiety seemed to wash out of me. After Erwin finished up they left and the rest of the day seemed to go by a lot quicker without any trouble. Well aside from me feeling exhausted from the straight anxiety for 45 minutes straight. I swear I held my breath for most of it.

Meetings had ended at 6:00 but some people held back for a moment since either their meetings ran late or they had questions for the teachers. The second the last parent left I was out of the classroom and in my car faster than I thought possible. I called Eren who answered and immediately asked if I could come over. He nodded and I drove straight there. I couldn't wait to see him and just hug him. All this anxiety coming from me and him and we couldn't even comfort each other. I could tell he was still in pain with how he awkwardly shifted in his seat and occasionally let a wince slip onto his face. I wanted to make sure he was okay... No, I needed to make sure he was okay.