"Mirajane please make them stop" Levy groaned as she leaned her head on the table.

"Admit it to Juvia Freed you're in love with the all star football player laxus dreyar" Juvia said in a high pitched whisper trying to contain her laughter.

Even mirajane had troubles stifling a laugh at Freed's beet red face as he tried his best to think of some way to respond to his friend.

"Who are you to make fun of someone's love life you've been in love with Gray since you set eyes on him!" Freed said while holding a mischievous grin

Mirajane just simply smiled at her friends knowing she wouldn't change them for anything. When it came to friends the phrase 'beggars can't be choosers' was a perfect way to describe Mirajane Strauss's social life. Always seen as a 'freak' or just someone who the mere thought of being around made others visibly uncomfortable Mirajane couldn't be more thankful to have not just one but three great friends even if they were outcasts themselves.

"As much as i would love to stay here and find out which of you two is more hopelessly in love i need to head home and get dinner ready for Elfman and Lisanna" Mirajane said as she put her bag over her shoulder than mouthed a silent 'sorry' to Levy before taking her leave from their school library.

As mirajane walked out the doors to Magnolia high school she was knocked to the ground by something hitting her in the back of the head.

"Where do you think you're going freak?" Mirajane heard the all too familiar voice call out to her.

"Flare please don't do this." Mirajane said in a weak voice before getting a swift kick in the side answering her question of if Flare would show any mercy today.

Mirajane wasn't too proud to beg. When Flare would give Mirajane what Flare felt like Mirajane deserved for existing she would have to hide these bruises and cuts from her little siblings. She's always had to be strong for Elfman and Lisanna and in a way this was just another way of her fulfilling her duties of being the older sibling.

"Who do you think you are asking me to stop? Flare said in a low growl stomping on Mirajanes spine "at least show a little dignity"

Flare mercilessly unloaded on Mirajane for another couple minutes before deciding she had enough for the day.

"I'll see you around little Ms Strauss" Flare said before letting out another cackle and walking away leaving a hurt Mirajane lying prone on the ground. It was well after school hours so most teachers had headed home so there was a good chance no-one would see her lying here for a considerable amount of time.

Mirajane slowly got to her feet before limping towards her family's apartment. Much to Mirajane's luck Flare decided to mostly aim towards her body meaning that Mirajane didnt have to put her hair in front of her face at dinner it was days like those that she really wishes she could afford makeup to cover up her bruises.

Mirajane upon thinking this quickly glanced down at her already shoddy appearance even without Flare wanting to help her look like a complete mess. She always made sure Elfman and

Lisanna always had good clothes for school and that elfman never had to worry about gear for wrestling, also with food and rent needing to be paid every month Mirajane never had money for herself. flimsy running shorts and oversized sweatshirts are what Mirajane could afford under her current situation and makeup being an expensive commodity to what she would only buy Lisanna on the few occasions she had a couple extra dollars to spend.

"But Mirajane don't you ever want to buy things like this for yourself?" Lisanna asked while looking at the small makeup palette that her sister had bought her.

"Lisanna don't you worry about me and you know that im not the kind of girl who likes these things" Mirajane said regretting that she lied to her sister over something so trivial.

Mirajane ponders if one of the reasons people feel the need to single her out is due to her appearence of oversized clothes and thick rimmed glasses. She knows that it definitely doesn't help that she hides her face with her hair whenever she's in class or that she retreats to the school library every free moment she gets. She hopes that one day that she'll walk into school and guys won't point to her behind her back and speak about her in hushed tones or that girls will no longer feel the need to give each other their own opinions of why she's such a freak.

She just wants it to be as if nothing happened.

Mirajane enters the building to her apartment complex and gives a light wave to Richard the security guard and tries her best to hide her limping to the elevator hoping that RIchard or codename hoteye as he likes to be called much to everyone else's amusement wouldn't want to ask her why she seems like she is in pain.

Mirajane presses the button to her floor and waits for the elevator to bring her to the apartment that her and her siblings shared. Their parents died while they were all a very young age and the only one who remembers that much about them is Mirajane herself.

As Mirajane entered the apartment the first thing she noticed was the aroma of cooking food.

"Mira you're finally home what took you so long?" Lisanna said with a smile on her face as she hugged her older sister

Lisanna was the youngest of the three and was starting her sophomore year at Magnolia High but was quickly making a good amount of friends which made Mirajane very happy that her sister wouldn't have to experience what she had to go through her whole time at high school.

"Oh I was helping levy organize the books at the library so i was a little late" MIrajane said quickly thinking of the lie. "It smells really good in here are you cooking?"

"No she is not I wanted to show her how a real man could cook." Elfman's booming voice said as he emerged from the kitchen a pink apron tied around his waist causing Mirajane to laugh even though it hurt her already bruised ribs.

Elfman was the school's best wrestler and was considered one of the more popular people at magnolia high and intimidated most of the guys that attended just on his size alone which Mirajane and Lissana knew wasn't how Elfman was. The Elfman they knew was the big teddy bear that wears pink aprons and cooks for his sisters and cries when the puppy returns to the owner when Lisanna chooses the movie for their movie night.

"We already ate but we'll sit with you if you want us to" Lisanna said letting Mirajane past her and into the kitchen.

"Actually if you guys don't mind i think i'll take my food into my room for the night" LIsanna and Elfman smiled and gave her a hug as a sign of approval.

As she collected her food and told her siblings goodnight Mirajane went into her room and locked the door behind her. She lifted her shirt to where she could see how bad she was going to bruise from this beating by Flare. The stomp mark on her back was already turning a shade of blue while her side she saw was deep red but she could tell it would go away after a couple days.

Mirajane quickly ate her food while doing the math of how she could work in her hours to make rent and hopefully get Elfman another couple pairs of socks before she had to start getting Lisanna another coat for when it gets colder.

But when Mirajane was overcome with exhaustion she finally retreated under the covers to her bed and slowly dozed off thinking if Flare was going to make her life a nightmare tomorrow even though without Flare life was already difficult enough.