Walking around in the early morning through the empty halls of the Eddy building has always been my favourite thing to do. No one is here to smother the comforting sounds of my own footsteps. I guess Fairy Tail is a big university though. Even if there are student on campus, it is not like they would be in the corridors I'm going through. The university has so many programs, most of which are tailored to fit certain jobs so the students get the most out of their education. It is a great university in that sense but I cannot wait to get out of here and go straight into the work field. I only have one more year left and I've been lucky enough to stay under the radar of most of my classmates.
I know it's hard to get a job in history but it's easier than getting a job in wizardry, especially if you specialize in celestial magic. My plan is to graduate from this place and become either a librarian or a journalist for Historic Times, one of the coolest history magazines out there. Sadly, even my early morning habit is no longer helping me cope with my mandatory magic class. This school is one of the few schools that actually allows students with magical capabilities but the downside is that we must take a class on how to specifically harness your magic and keep it, for the most part, hidden or under control in front of the norms. In all fairness, it's good we take this class because sometimes the magic can take over you depending on your emotions. The norms tend to freak out when that happens. I've been acing this class since the beginning because my magic is easy to keep under my control. Sadly, there is no exception that would allow me to escape from the class and, more specifically, the students in it. They are all loud and obnoxious that believe they are family.
In a way it's nice but I wish they would just leave me alone. They pick on me specifically because I don't take part in their magic clique. It's not that it wouldn't be nice to have more friends but I'm not very good at social interactions. More specifically, I have extreme social anxiety. When someone approaches me to try and be nice, I shrink away. I will try so hard to interact but I can't. It feels as if I'm yelling as hard as I can with nothing coming out. Nobody acknowledges me because when I speak it only comes out as an incoherent mess. I could say I don't know how I ended up this way but then I wouldn't be excepting my past.
The clique doesn't leave me alone though. Well at least, some of them don't. Specifically, Flare and her lackeys. They like to torment me for not being able to complete a full sentence without stuttering after practically every word and that I'm apparently weak magically. I don't let their words get to me. I am just annoyed they won't let me do my own thing and be on my way.
I don't know which is worse. Flare and her lackeys or the people that stand by and laugh or just watch and do nothing. They say that bullies are the only one's at fault but bystanders need to get more credit. Whether they are doing nothing to stop it or they are egging it on, it hurts just as much. Natsu, Flare's boyfriend, usually just watches with a bored expression on his face. I once tried to ask for his help but he just grimaced and turned away. I guess that's what I get for thinking anyone in that class is nice.
I head to the library in Eddy building. Why it's called Eddy, I will never know. I think it's what the sponsor, who also happens to be the Dean, wanted to name his grandson. Clearly, that didn't work considering the grandson is named Laxus. I think if he was named Eddy, I wouldn't consider him as panty dropping as I currently do. Probably because I had a nephew I called Eddy… Well I just ruined that fantasy for myself. Oh well. He is nothing compared to my Hibiki.
I finally arrive at the library and look around. It's going to be a pain to try and find Hibiki in this building. It's six stories if you're not including the basement which contains the schools supply of books concerning magic. You're only allowed into the basement if you do contain a type of magic. I guess it is a nice perk. I would ask my spirits to help me search this place but magic on school grounds is not allowed unless it's in that stupid class. Guess I'm going to have to rely on my clunker of a phone to contact him.
"Hey, Hibi! I'm at the entrance of the library. Where are you?" I type quickly and pray it actually sends. I pride myself in being one of the few millennials that actually texts with proper grammar and spelling. His nickname doesn't count…I hope. Oh well, now I just have to wait for him to respond. I situate myself on a nearby bench so I can pick at my now cold freshly baked muffin from Timmies. I regret finishing my coffee before I could even touch it but I guess my water bottle will have to do to wash down the dry bran muffin.
"I'm a buff buff baby that can dance like a ma-" I quickly press the answer button, and grasp my things before running outside. I stammer a hello into my phone. I can feel my face flushing and my brain telling me to go hide in the bathroom stall. I'm debating whether or not I should ever enter the library again when I hear Hibiki's voice echo from the phone.
"Hello, beautiful." His voice is sultry which sounds amazing but at the same time it is odd considering he has a higher pitched voice.
"Hi-hi-biki. Wh-where are y-you?" I'm usually better at talking to him but after having my phone go off in the library and him calling me beautiful… well it wasn't aiding my anxiety in any way. It's not that I consider myself bad looking but I think I'm just below average. Potentially above average on a good day.
"Turn around, sweet cheeks." I can feel him practically whisper that into my neck rather than the phone.
I turn around and there he is. His flirtations sometimes get way out of control. I try to calm myself down but with him in such close proximity, I can feel my efforts are wasted as my face and ears get hotter. Is it bad I want him to take me into the bathroom before school starts? Like have a real Logan and Veronica moment. However, I am definitely not prepared for this. I haven't even done anything yet. It's a little hard to get down to business when you have social anxiety that limits any actual contact with your preferred partner.He puts his hand on my head and leans in to kiss my forehead. I must have been blushing while I was lost in my thoughts.
"Don't worry, darling. I won't lay a hand on you until our marks glow in confirmation that we are each other's soul mates." I guess I do have a bit of a wild, albeit hopeful, imagination but damn. This again? I hate how we have these stupid marks. They are beautiful, no question. They vary depending on the person in location, size, and design but the fact that some damn wizard cursed every human and their descendants to have no choice in who their partner would be is outrageous.
It's one thing to mark us to specifically to tell us who our soul mate or ideal match is but it's a whole other thing to make them slowly fall in love with each other whether they like it or not. The worst part is that no one knows how to break the curse and no one seems to want to. It's the only reason the norms tolerate us. Apparently, the spell does slowly go away and the person is free to decide whether or not they believe that the match is good but shouldn't we get that choice beforehand? Yeah I get that you won't see the others potential until after the curse takes true effect… blah, blah, blah but I don't care. I'd rather have the choice beforehand. Which means, I would choose Hibiki. He's the only one who sees me for me and can get past my stutter and anxiety. We've been friends since high school and it's a miracle we both decided to go here.
"Lucy, come back to reality. Lucy~" He snaps his fingers in front of my face and I blush again for getting lost in my thoughts. God knows how often I do that to him. He starts to guide me towards our first class of the week which is also our only class together: Magic 3045B.
"S-sorry. I was th-thinking about my P-pearl Harbor essay that's c-coming up." I can't very well tell him that I was thinking about the marks. He would sure figure out my train of thought from there.
"Oh it's good to know I bore you enough to be thinking about Pearl Harbor instead." He laughs out loud and the halls fill with his laughter due to the lack of sound proofing, aka fellow humans, in the hallways.
"You kn-know that's not wh-what I meant! I just realized th-that I have to g-get on that soon." My stutter is always it's best when I'm around him.
"You have three more weeks until that's due!" He grins from ear to ear knowing full well that I'm already half done.
"D-don't give me th-that look! I have t-to make sure I don't have too much to do for it because of my other th-three essays!" I bump into him playfully, hoping I didn't take things too far. My therapist tells me I have to try and do things I'm not comfortable with at least once a day. Well my one action from hell is done for the day. I can see a glimmer of surprise in his eyes before I quicken my pace and break eye contact.
"Ok. Ok. I won't tease you that much for being the world's worst procrastinator." He half jogs to get back to walking beside me. Him and I don't have that much difference in height so neither of us don't have to worry about keeping up with the other when we walk beside each other. "Well here we are, Madam. Your favourite saloon awaits." Shithead. He knows how my anxiety peaks when I'm in this class.
We are in our usual spots. Though, he doesn't sit with me in class purely because he has other friends in this class and I switched in late. Everyone has their unspoken but designated seats. No one wants to be the person who takes someone's spot. So I'm in the back left corner. I don't mind because it is perfect for not being noticed. Also, the door is on the left but at the front. The assignments and tests are always one on one with the teacher. The only reason I show up is for the rare chance Professor Gildarts not only shows up to class but is sober and teaches us something. He marks attendance which is odd considering he is the one who misses class the most.
The room gets louder as more students trickle in. I see Hibiki's friends, Eve and Ren, come up to him. There couldn't be more of a perfect trio then those three. I bring out the book I'm currently reading and put it on my desk. I try to draw as little attention to myself as I can. If I could get through the day with no more situations similar to this morning that would be great. I shrink back in to my chair and start to read about the much more interesting Kvothe in The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.
"Little Missy, what are you doing?" The deep baritone voice takes me out of the magical universe in my book. I look up to see the face of a very angry and intoxicated face of Professor Gildarts. Shit shit shit…. I didn't stop reading when class started…
"I-I d-didn't re-realize c-class had b-begun." I manage to stammer out.
"Oh so you didn't realize to take a break from reading to understand that you have a class to attend and participate in?" It's almost worse that he sounds monotone the entire time while maintaining his terrifying expression.
"I-I'm s-so s-sor-r-ry!" I can feel my face getting more and more red. I just want to cry but there is no way in hell that I'm giving Flare another thing to tease me about. I think Gildarts sees me about to burst into tears because I see the anger diminish a bit.
"You'll get this back at the end of the class. We'll talk more about it then." He grabs my book and goes to the front of the room. He continues the lecture but I can feel everyone's eyes burning into me. I can't shake off the feeling and it is slowly digging it's nails into every part of my body. Judging me. Mocking me. Earlier I said I was strong and could ignore it, I lied.
"S-sir p-please just g-give me b-back my b-book." God knows how much I wish I could just speak a sentence without stuttering once.
"You really need to work on your people skills. I know it's hard. Trust me. Before I got this gig, I wasn't the most social person. Though, I wasn't as bad as you are." He hands the book over and I snatch it away before he changes his mind.
"I-I know you're t-trying to b-be h-helpful and all bu-t you d-don't kn-know ha-half of w-what I g-get p-put th-through." I quickly leave before he can say anything else. However, I should have been looking where I was going because I bump into someone and knock both of us over.
I look around trying to see who I hit but it's a little hard with my glasses not in their usual place. I feel someone place them in my hand and help me stand up. I put on my glasses, noticing there is now a small crack in them. Great another thing I'm going to have to deal with. I bend down and grab everything that fell out of my bag during the fall. Annoyingly, my right forearm starts to itch and I can't reach it with my bag in my hands as well as everything else. I see Gildarts standing in the doorway of the classroom and he has his usual annoying smirk that rips through his handsome face.
"Good you stayed outside like I asked you to." Gildarts was talking to the person who had helped me up, who I may have forgotten about until just now. I finally look up to see Natsu holding my book out for me to take. I look at him while being completely dumbfound. The "great" Natsu Dragneel just helped me? Man, if Flare finds out about this he's dead meat. Or maybe I am… He clears his throat taking me out of my thought process.
"Can you take this? I don't have all day." He says while keeping his usual bored expression on his face.
"Ye-yeah. So-sorry. Th-thanks." I mumble out as I get one of my arms free from the all the crap in my arms and grab the book. As soon as it is secure, I run out of the classroom.
"Wait!" Gildarts yells at me. I stop dead in my tracks. I may be dying on the inside but I'm not about to get into even more trouble for it. "Natsu. Apologize. That's no way to speak to someone else." I can feel my eyes go wide. I whip around to face them.
"I-it's really okay." I stammer out before Natsu could retaliate, which I know he would. "I'm f-fine."
I see Gildarts open his mouth in order to say more but I'm already turning around and leaving the classroom.
I can feel my heart knocking around in my chest. If anyone else could hear it, they would think it's a woodpecker. Every instinct in my mind is telling me to run and hide but if I do that, I'll draw even more attention. Thank god I only had that class today. I just want to go back to the safety of my bed. It's my own personal safety bubble that no one can get to. Well except for Levy, my roommate, who gets worried whenever I'm in my room for over 30 hours and it's not exam or essay season. She's my person. She gets what I'm going through because, before Gajeel, she was in the same place that I am.
I'm finally tucked into my bed with my computer and reading notes spread around me and a cherry lollipop in my mouth. I have my spare glasses on because it was getting annoying having the crack in them. I'll have to fix the broken pair because there is no way I'm going to class with these glasses on. The frames are huge and black. They make me look like Edna from Incredibles. I cannot give Flare more material to work with.
I hear the familiar ping from my school email. I always keep it open in case a professor decides to change things last minute on me. Sadly, it has happened more times than I can count. The email is from Gildarts. As I read it, I start to wonder why I wanted extra credit in the first place and why GIldarts started to finally be a decent professor. My heart was slowly filling with dread and becoming a dead weight in my chest.
"Hello Lucy,
You left before I could give you your extra credit assignment, if you choose to take it that is. You are going to coach Natsu so he can get a better handle on his magic. He has a tendency to let it get out of control and never notices the damages he creates unless someone tells him. You have exceptional control over your powers and I believe you will be able to help him. As a professor, I cannot disclose his marks or anything of that nature. However if you help him, he will be able to go on with the career of his choice and not cause anyone damage while on the job. He has agreed to this arrangement already. Please get back to me quickly about this matter because I do have to let him know.
Regards,
Gildarts.
I look at my screen with a blank expression on my face. I hear Levy call my name but I'm in a bubble that I really do not wish to leave. She shakes me and my eyes snap to hers.
"Hey! Are you alright? I was telling you dinner is here. I know it's my turn to cook but I ended up ordering pizza." She was clearly trying to cheer me up with this surprise but the worry was clear on her face. I point to my screen and let her take my computer.
"W-what am I going t-to do?"