A/N: Hey guys! This fanfic was inspired by my love for J-rock and Fairy Tail! So I combined the two into this story. :D If any of you are familiar with J-rock/visual kei, you'll know what I'm talking about when I say there will be fanservice. ;) Hope you all enjoy this! The characters will be a little OOC, just warning you now. Anyways, please read, and don't forget to follow, fave and leave a review! :D
Chapter One – New Girl
I looked in the mirror one last time as I nervously adjusted my pigtails and checked to make sure that my pleated miniskirt was covering my butt sufficiently. It was. And my hair was perfect and smooth from countless times of running the brush through it. My blonde bangs fell across my forehead at just the right angle, and two perfectly-pointed strands of hair framed my face. I nodded in satisfaction and ran my favorite pink lipgloss over my lips to complete the look. Perfect.
Several soft knocks sounded on my bedroom door. "Miss Lucy, the car is prepared for you," my maid, Virgo, called.
I turned away from the full-length mirror and called back, "Alright, thank you, Virgo. I'll be right out." After one final glance at my appearance—my black miniskirt looked particularly nice today with my lacy pink blouse, and my thigh-high white stockings with pink ribbon completed the ensemble—I decided that I was ready. The black boots that I wore clunked loudly against the wood floor as I descended the stairs to the ground floor. My bedroom was on the third floor of my sprawling house—more of a mansion, really—so every morning I was forced to listen to the somber clattering of my shoes echoing eerily through the spacious house. For some reason, the sound always made me feel especially lonely.
When I arrived at the bottom of the steps, Virgo was waiting for me with my carnation pink book bag outstretched on her arm. I accepted the bag with a nod and slung the strap across my chest, feeling the reassuring thump of the bag against the side of my leg.
"Farewell, princess," Virgo murmured as she held the door open for me. I stepped out into the sunlight, my gaze already seeking out the sleek black Camaro that my butler, Capricorn, had idling. At my approach, he opened the back door for me and helped me in. I settled back into the plush cushions as he eased the car down the winding driveway that led from the road to my spacious house. For several minutes, he let me sit in silence with my own thoughts. It was just as well, because I was fond of thinking time. Besides, it was still too early in the morning for conversation.
My eyes snagged on the digital clock in the front of the car. It read 7:22. I sighed. All my life, I'd attended private schools. This was my first time attending a public high school, but sadly, it would be my last, as I was going into my senior year. And it was already several weeks into the first semester. My stomach had been a raging mass of nerves last night, so I hadn't had more than three hours of sleep. Good thing the bruise-like shadows wouldn't form after just one night of poor sleep.
As I turned my attention to the passing scenery—small businesses and quaint little homes—my nerves started to resurface. What if no one liked me? What if I couldn't make any new friends, and people thought I was spoiled just because I was the only daughter of a successful business CEO? All the different ways in which I could humiliate myself played stoically through my mind, refusing to be driven away. Briefly, I wondered if I wouldn't have to go to school today if I threw up all over the car….
No, I have to do this. After all, I was the one who asked for this. If Father decides that this school isn't good enough for me, he might just remove me anyway. But I have to give it my best shot.
I nodded, my conviction reaffirmed. Everything would be okay. Shortly thereafter, Capricorn pulled up to the small breakfast joint that I frequented every day. It was small and modest, but the food was of the highest quality. Today, there were only three other patrons sitting in the stylish little booths as I walked in, flanked by Capricorn. I ignored the looks they gave us, knowing that they were probably wondering the usual; who was the girl, and why did she have an imposing bodyguard stalking her? Indeed, he did look intimidating, with his entirely black sunglasses and slick black jacket that fell over his neat black dress pants. He definitely fit the part of a bodyguard. Or maybe a mafia member. I held in my sigh as I walked up to the counter and returned the smile of the kindly older lady standing behind it.
"Good morning, Miss," she said, her voice a pleasantly deep and throaty thing. "What will it be today? The usual?"
"Actually, Betty, could I have two slices of French toast and a cappuccino? Heavy on the cream."
The gray-haired lady raised her eyebrow as a smile crossed her wrinkled face. "Oh? A special occasion?"
I nodded as firmly as I could manage, but I was unable to suppress the nervous shuffle that my feet did, or the way I instinctively bit my lip. "Yes, I'm starting school today at the public high school."
"Fairy Academy?" the lady asked in surprise. I nodded, and she leaned closer to me and lowered her voice. "My dear, are you sure? You don't really strike me as the type…."
I felt my eyebrows knitting in concern. "The type? What is so special about this school?" Despite my anxiety, I found that I was genuinely curious. The brochure had definitely made sure to advertise the high scores and country ranking, so I doubted it was a school full of delinquents. It must be something else she was talking about.
Betty leaned away and went back to punching in the cost of my breakfast. "You'll find out soon enough," was all she said. I resisted the urge to frown in disappointment. As I slipped her my credit card, I pondered her cryptic message. Maybe it was something more noticeable, like the school was really an all-boys school…. But no, the brochure had clearly said it was coed. So what could it be?
I accepted my food with thanks and headed over to my usual booth by the window front. As I hopped onto the high stool, Capricorn stationed himself against the wall behind me. I turned to him even as I brought a piece of French toast to my lips. "You can sit down, you know. And get something to eat."
He smiled faintly, but shook his head. "No, Miss Lucy, that would be disrespectful. Your father trained us better than that."
I let it go after he mentioned my father. My father…I thought bitterly. The man I hadn't seen in over five years. He was always away on extended business trips in America. Sometimes, I wondered if he wasn't just avoiding me. Avoiding our shared past. My hand unconsciously moved to fiddle with the locket that hung on a gold chain around my neck. I could feel its solid weight through the thin fabric of my shirt, resting warmly and reassuringly against my skin. I liked to know that it was always close to me, close to my heart. For it contained a single picture within, of my mother sitting at home with a newborn baby girl in her thin arms. My father stood behind her shoulder, anxiously wrapping his arm around his wife's shoulders. But they were both smiling at the camera, their eyes glistening. Especially my mother's. Her soft brown eyes, so like my own, stared straight into the baby's as crystalline tears glittered against her dark eyelashes. They were filled with so much love that it made it hard for me to breathe sometimes. I often wondered if she would still look at me like that today if she were still alive. If she were still alive. Just over ten years ago, when I was seven, I had been driving in the car with my mother. I'd distracted her with my hungry complaints, and eventually she had caved, focusing her attention on her whining daughter. Just in time to miss the oncoming truck that had run a red light.
I could still recall the scent of blood mixing in the air, tangy and metallic. And looking down at my own body to see that my mother was lying across my lap, having thrown herself in front of me just in time. I saw her long blonde hair spilling across my legs, speckled with blood. Her pale, sweaty face staring up at me as the last of the light drained from her honey-colored eyes. And of course, I could always see the metal bar protruding from her chest, its dull gray edges glistening with fresh blood. My mother's blood, for I was untouched but for a few minor scrapes and a small bruise on my forehead.
"Mother! Wake up, mother! You have to! I promise I'll never complain again, just please get up! Mother!" Heaving, choking sobs echoed in the background….
"Miss Lucy!" I snapped back to the present when I realized that Capricorn was leaning in close, his hands resting on my shoulders as he peered with concern into my eyes. Shaken, I looked around to try to connect myself to this reality instead of my painful memories. Only one other person noticed me, but I couldn't tell who they were, because they wore a plain black jacket with the hood pulled up. Deciding he/she wasn't important, I returned my attention to Capricorn.
"I'm alright, Capricorn. Really. Just…thinking about…."
He nodded in understanding; he had been my mother's personal attendant before…the accident. "Why don't you finish your food and we can be on our way?" he said kindly, indicating my practically untouched food.
I sighed internally and bit into a piece of toast. It tasted like ashes in my mouth. Though I was no longer hungry, I made myself finish the food anyways, just to keep Capricorn from worrying. Without my father around, the servants always felt that they had to take care of me in place of my parents. And while I was truly grateful to them, sometimes I just wished I could be like a normal girl. Not the heiress of my father's business and the whole estate. Not a girl whose own father blamed her for the death of his beloved wife. Not a girl who wondered if she really was at fault for her mother's death.
Once I'd finished my food, Capricorn escorted me back out to the black Camaro. As he shut the door after me, I glanced back at the little shop, its glass windows advertising all the delectable pastries one could buy within. My stomach did a little flop as I noticed that the hooded person was watching me. I could feel the air crackling as our gazes met, even though I couldn't see their face. Thankfully, Capricorn started up the car just then, and we eased away from the shop, leaving the mysterious person behind. For some reason, I'd felt…exposed beneath their stare. Like they saw more than they should. It made me unnerved, and I suppressed a shiver as I hugged my book bag to my chest.
I could tell the instant we were within the vicinity of my new high school; other kids were walking by themselves or with their friends along the sidewalks, all headed in the same direction. My eyes widened as I pressed my face to the window to ogle them. I'd had few interactions with others my age outside of my previous, private school, and that had been a girls' school, so I'd had next to no interaction with boys my age. I studied them with narrowed eyes as I tried to get a better feel for what they were like. I saw a few of them on skateboards, cruising down the sidewalks with their hands shoved in their pockets and their pants sagging low on their hips. Others were surrounded by large groups of girls, hanging on them and trying to get their attention. Ooookay. That's kind of…weird.
I passed a cluster so thick that I couldn't even see to the people in the middle, the ones everyone was gathered around. Just what is going on here? I sat back against my seat, more perplexed than ever. Why were there no normal boys? Were boys even capable of being normal? Maybe I should ask Aquarius…. Aquarius was my most up-to-date maid. She had a boyfriend, and they seemed to be very serious, so I figured that if anyone knew anything about boys, she did.
All other thoughts fled my mind as Capricorn pulled up to the front of the massive school that suddenly loomed in front of me. My mouth fell open. There were so many people! I looked across the quad—where people were hanging out and talking, along with couples interspersed throughout, locked in a passionate embrace—to the school building. It was huge! For some reason, even though I knew that public schools were more crowded than private schools, I had imagined that it would be smaller. Clearly everything about this school was not what I had expected. The building itself was made of elegant gray stone, various banners hanging across its surface.
As I stepped from the car in awe, I looked around at the rest of my surroundings. The ground was cobbled, and flowering trees lined the broad path leading up to the front doors. There was a bench beneath every tree, and all the benches were occupied with people hanging out or madly copying homework answers before the start of class. A number of smells danced on the air. Everything from perfume and cologne to sticky buns to sweaty gym clothes assaulted my nose. I felt like I had wandered into a foreign universe.
A few people around me looked over with interest as Capricorn drove away, leaving me by myself. I hoisted the strap of my book bag higher on my shoulder and strode toward the school, keeping my chin up. As I passed people, I could feel the heat of their gazes upon me. Boys looked at my assets with appreciation, and girls either dismissed me immediately with disgust or cocked their heads in curiosity. Nervously, I wondered if I had a sign taped to my back that said 'New Girl'. I felt like I was surrounded by a bunch of sharks, and I was the bait dangling on a hook.
Their whispers followed me as I approached the massive oak doors, determined to ignore them. Just before I could push the doors open, they swung open to reveal a girl smiling up at me. My eyes widened in surprise. How did she know I was there? I thought, unnerved. I looked her up and down, wondering who she was. She was small and pixie-like, with short blue hair that was held back from her face with a yellow bandana. She wore a short orange dress with black stockings and a pair of brown ankle boots. She looked harmless enough.
"Hi! I'm the sixth year class president!" she said cheerfully in a high, clear voice. Her hazel eyes sparkled as she held out her hand to me. "My name's Levy McGarden! Welcome to Fairy Academy!"
Well, there's the first chapter! Tell me what you think in a review, and feel free to leave suggestions for future chapters! I only have a basic outline for the story, so if there are any scenes you want included, please tell me! :D Please follow and favorite, as well! Until next chapter, sayonara!