1.
ticket to ride
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If someone were to ask her about the single most important event in her life, the moment when her life became a series of befores and afters, Cana Alberona would think back to that summer of 1965 as the summer everything changed. Between the heat waves and the crisp halls of the boarding school, she could imagine the slow pass of days until that one monumental night the air had cooled and everywhere in the city people lined the streets with music and laughter. The sounds of rock n' roll and Motown filled the air, ice cream trucks stayed out late as children continued to play until long past sundown. Everywhere it had seemed, the whole world, was half in love with each other.
She was seventeen and alive, humming along to sad songs as she slipped into a skirt far shorter than any proper Catholic girl ought to. In fact, she could almost laugh just imagining Sister Arana's face if she would have seen the little white number. But it was a perfect night and even though Cana usually preferred her loose pants and short tops, of which the stern Sister despised even more as 'hippie basura', she had just enough red wine in her system that she eagerly marched outside into the streets. It was the start of summer and as she had laughed with her neighbors, two hooligans she had grown up with, nothing felt impossible.
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"Cana Alberona!"
A mass of dark waves popped up from the crowd of young girls, the book she had been balancing on her head falling to the ground with a satisfying thud. The brunette resisted the urge to kick the thing halfway across the room but only because a certain friend of hers was eyeing her critically. The smaller girl loved books possibly more than Cana loved her liquor, never mind that the darn Encyclopedia of The World Volume 15 was the cause of her serious neck ache. The quack job that thought it was a good idea to instruct girls on posture this way deserved to be boxed by the ears. In fact, Cana was sure she had a great uncle somewhere who could do it. Wasn't every middle aged Italian man in New York a boxer anyway?
"Miss Alberona." The stern voice called again, accent as thick as the book on the floor. Of course Sister Arana had perfect posture without a five pound book on her head. Cana would be ramrod straight too if she had such a huge stick up her ass. But being the halfway decent good Catholic she was, Cana banished the thought away with an internal sigh. She would at least try to make it into heaven.
"Yes, Sister Arana?" Cana replied evenly as the other girls quieted down. Their instructor, Sister Kagura had already stopped the music, her hand poised elegantly on the giant phonograph in the corner of the large room. Despite the head Sister of the school being an ancient harpy, it was still somewhat of a shock she hadn't updated the thing. At least a record player would bring her into the current decade. Cana glanced in the full mirror on the wall to see Erza Scarlet's red hair shaking, the book still resting perfectly on those shiny locks.
Sister Arana motioned to Cana. "There is a discussion to be had, young lady. The rest of you may continue with your lesson. Sister Kagura, I will leave you to it."
And so Cana went, following the nun out as she glanced back at petite Levy McGarden picking up her fallen book. Missing a lesson was the least of her worries now. She wondered what trouble she was in for this time, vaguely scouring her memories of previous days. Was it the empty bottle of whiskey under her bed? No, she was certain it was too well hidden. Not even nosy Chelia Blendy, who burst into the older girls' dorms in search of a hairbrush, could detect it. Maybe they had found her velvet lipstick. But that was impossible considering she had given it to Erza the night she snuck out to meet her old friend. Cana smirked at the memory of the red head frantically pulling on her overalls, moaning helplessly that she looked like the little girl that left him behind. Besides most of Erza's strange ramblings going way over Cana's head, she had gotten the gist of her friend's predicament and lent her a snug number that matched the lipstick. After much persuasion and a miracle aided by Cana's giddy Latin prayers, Erza had scaled the dorm wall and ran off into the night.
"Quit that smirking, Cana Alberona." Sister Arana glanced behind her with clear disapproval. Her lips were set in a tight line. "There is nothing amusing about your current predicament."
Immediately, Cana schooled her expression into one of indifference. "I'm sorry, Sister. It's just that I don't even know why I'm in trouble. Maybe you got the wrong girl."
"No smart mouthing out of you, Miss Alberona! I have had enough of that cheeky mouth to last a lifetime. It's no wonder your mother wanted you sent here when she died."
The Sister ignored Cana's outraged look, pausing only to add a somber God rest her soul, as they stopped at the head Sister's office door. Without much time to fume, Cana clenched her jaw as Sister Arana knocked politely on the door, her tapered fingers like long spider legs. The girl bit back the urge to say something, anything to defend herself. To defend her family and what little was left of it. Despite being orphaned at a young age, (was it really so many years ago?), Cana remembered her mother clearly. How could she forget the long dark hair falling over her face as slender tan hands brushed her own tresses, the dark shades mixing together? Even as Sister Arana stood before her, habit smelling of lavender, Cana could recall that aroma of pasta and candles, the Virgin Mary statue smiling kindly at her from the homemade altar. As a kid there was endless excitement when she knew her mamma was cooking, the tarot cards laid out on the low coffee table providing hours of enjoyment. The two of them would go over each card, teaching and learning, chowing down on food the fancy Italian joints of the Upper East Side could only dream of replicating. Those were the memories Cana held on to as the office door opened and the Mother Superior, Sister Ooba, waved them in.
"You can leave now, Sister Arana." The old woman sighed, still waving her wrinkled hands. Cana tried to suppress a laugh as the younger nun hesitated, an impatient look flashing across her face before she schooled it quickly back into calm obedience. The brunette even felt a bit bad for the Sister. Blessed are the meek, Cana couldn't help but think before she stopped herself from committing any further bad thoughts as the nun made her exit.
"Eyes over here, missy!" Sister Ooba ordered, finally settling her hand by her side. "You look too calm for someone who's about to get a scolding."
Cana knew better than to reply and instead followed the Mother Superior's gaze to the seat before her. She wanted to sit, if only to rest her tired feet. Sister Kagura's classes always left at least one part of her body sore not to mention the spotless Mary Janes she had borrowed from Levy to wear, in place of her own scuffed pair, were a size too small for her. Feeling Sister Ooba's intense stare on her, she couldn't help but switch standing feet, easing some of the discomfort. She couldn't wait until the last day of classes.
"You don't need to sit, Miss Alberona. This won't take long. In fact," Sister Ooba smiled a bit too giddily for Cana's liking. "It'll only take three sentences."
Cana started at that, blinking wearily as the headmistress and nun started waving her hand in the air in that offhand manner of hers. "You are exactly three weeks away from your final day here at St. Catherine's, Cana Alberona, with average grades, average extracurricular activities and no prospects after graduation. You have not accepted the position we graciously offered you and even worse have not mentioned any plans for your future besides buying a, ah what was it? A leopard print jumpsuit? And to top it all off, we found that horrible Catcher in the Rye nonsense on your bed."
"I'm not sure that was three sentences." Cana mumbled, still shocked at the Sister's words. She was struggling to form a reply that wouldn't land her in more hot water, but all she could focus on was the way Sister Ooba was frowning at her, wrinkled face set with both disapproval and pity. It was this that Cana couldn't handle, for all her lax smiles and eye rolls, the pity was unbearable. She knew the reality of her situation, had known all her life. The daughter of an unwed Lower East side woman had to learn early on that life wasn't fair nor was it easy. Cana was born of shame according to her mother's strict Catholic family, who promptly disowned her from what little they had. But proud as Cana's mamma was, she survived and raised Cana with dreams and stars, all of which were not enough to help her daughter before she became sick. After her death, Cana had nowhere to go except the convent and the Sisters who determined she would be redeemed. They wanted her to make something of herself and for a time Cana believed she could, dreaming up scenes of her future life. As time went on however, and her friends started joining sports or scoring scholarships, Cana felt those dreams slipping away. She wasn't talented, not in any way that counted.
At fourteen Levy had won several National spelling championships and money for college. A year later, Erza became the top fencer in the nation and the highest scoring student in their class. Even Lucy Heartfilia, newly transferred during their junior year and daughter of one of the wealthiest bankers in the state, had surpassed her. After their end of the year exams, the girls had been invited to Levy's house for a celebration. Cana had listened to them trade stories of Universities and career plans, sneaking her first taste of vodka in between bathroom breaks. She never paid much attention to alcohol before, only remembering the sweet smell of wine her mother would sip. But that morning her old neighbors Gray and Natsu had been grinning conspiratorially over a bottle of beer they were sharing on the patio. Curiosity got the best of her and she had demanded a bottle too or else she'd call out Gray's older sister. Natsu had begrudgingly slipped her a strange bottle from his bag, warning her it wasn't beer.
After that, Cana began to outdrink all of those guys from her old neighborhood, relishing in the enthusiastic disbelief of her peers and exhilarated at the warmth that spread all over her body. She wasn't just average, she was tall and slender and with a cup in her hand she felt as free as those mod girls walking down 5th Avenue with their handsome fathers. She had a father when she drank, not just a name and a photo. He was the father she deserved not the one who didn't know she existed.
"Miss Alberona, I would appreciate an answer by the end of the week. Miss Strauss, kind hearted girl she is, has offered to help you seek a position elsewhere if you wish to leave us. It would be wise of you to accept her offer. Girls like Mirajane can take you places."
Cana smiled, ignoring her stinging toes and eyes. "Of course, Sister Ooba."
But rum and coca cola can take me places too.
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Besides wallowing in self-pity, the only other thing to do after classes was get ready for dinner. With all the preparations for graduation and summer vacation, the girls around the dorms were dizzy with nerves and excitement. All the way from campus, Cana had cracked the most outlandish jokes she knew, some bringing a blush to Lucy's fair skin. Levy had laughed along good naturedly but she fiddled far too much with her books for Cana to let up. Shocking the other girls was a favorite pastime of hers, besides it was a good distraction from the way the conversations could have been going. The conversation that occurred as soon as Cana entered her room with Lucy and Erza.
"So what did Sister Ooba want to see you about?" Erza asked as casually as Cana imagined she could. Lucy was uncharacteristically silent, packing some expensive blouses away for her return home.
"Oh, you know." Cana tried dismissing with a sigh. "Same old thing she always wants. Pointless worries and all that."
But both her friends were not easily fooled. Lucy especially looked a bit suspicious. The blonde girl had always been a bit of an empath, sensing moods like Cana sensed them. It was part of the reason they had become fast friends. She hesitated before setting her packing aside. "Cana, it seemed like something serious from what Erza told me."
"Everything is serious to Erza." Cana teased, noticing her neatly folded bed. It was a hazardous mess when she left, but then again one of the Sister's had inspected the room and seen that damn book Levy enthusiastically suggested she read. So much for that, Cana thought with slight disappointment. If it was such a horrible book Cana wondered if it had any dirty parts in it. Too bad she'd never read it now. With a flick of her wrists, Cana's shoes flew off her feet and she grinned happily as her stocking feet wiggled free. She began pulling the white pair off, taking a mental note to shave that night. "Oh I just remembered, Levy is coming by tonight to collect these demonic contraptions called shoes."
"I told you to ask Sister Arana to let you go buy a new pair." Erza reminded her, sitting firmly on the suitcase she had packed to the brim. Cana thought she saw a violin somewhere in there but she was certain the red head never learned to play. "I'm sure Mirajane would be happy to take you shopping,"
Cana tried to hide the rueful smile but at the elder Strauss sister's name she couldn't help it. "I'm sure she can take me lots of places."
"Uh, is that an innuendo or are we supposed to understand?" Lucy asked worriedly.
"Not in the least." Cana replied with a laugh. "Besides after these last weeks I won't need a new pair. The Sisters have other worries than some bad student's scratched shoes."
Before any of them could speak, there was a knock at the door and Erza called for the visitor to enter. A pale head peeped through, eyes wide. Lisanna Strauss, younger sister of Mirajane Strauss smiled sweetly at them. Of all the Strauss siblings, Cana felt most sisterly toward the kind girl. There were very few people who weren't affected by Lisanna's honeyed nature, even Sister Arana became less of a witch around the girl.
"Dinner is going to start an hour earlier tonight." She announced, glancing at Erza who was still seated atop her huge luggage. "Wow Erza, I think you brought the whole school with you."
"Only what was needed." Erza replied evenly, patting her bag like she would a dog. "I have fond memories of all these items. And in the event I should ever need, say, a waffle maker or dog leash, I won't need to worry."
The girls were used to each other's quirks and habits yet Erza seemed to constantly puzzle them. She was a kind girl, both beautiful and intelligent with a knack for athletic activities and a nature so industrious she had several scholarships lined up to universities across the country. Cana truly loved her as a sister, and wished her all the best in the East Coast school she had chosen. But in her deepest of hearts, Cana was jealous. Erza was an orphan just like she was but she excelled where Cana could not. It was unfair, she realized, to have such feelings about a girl who welcomed her when few did. Erza Scarlet had problems of her own too. Cana didn't know the whole story, no one save Head Sister Ooba really did. Erza had come to the school a skinny, dirty little girl with frightened eyes and pale bruised skin. Cana could remember the day, she was a child herself but she had grown used to new girls entering the school. Erza had opened up immensely as she grew, warming up to the others and becoming an older role model to the younger girls. Yet behind her fierce determination and booming laughter, Cana had noticed a sadness in the other girl's eyes.
"Well," Lucy began, smoothing out her skirt. "Let's get ready for dinner. I'm starved and I heard they're making steak and fresh salad tonight."
"Steak, huh?" Cana's eyebrows shot up and she exchanged a surprised look with Erza. "They're really pulling out all the stops. Bet they can't wait to get rid of us."
Lisanna was just waving goodbye when she nodded with a giggle. "I'll see you all at dinner!"
Erza sat up from her now impossibly average sized suitcase and clapped imaginary dust from her hands. After asking repeatedly if it really was no bother to leave her luggage in their room since her shared room with Levy was filled with bags already, she nodded and left in a swirl of red hair. Lucy chuckled at Cana's exasperated sigh. They would miss each other. Truly, these girls had become the closest thing a family Cana could ever hope to have. She had long ago confided in Lucy her quest to find her father, but Cana knew deep down it was as pointless as looking for one Italian family in New York without a single member named Giovanni.
Maybe she didn't need to look. Head Sister Ooba might have been right about her future. Cana Alberona was not meant to walk down the halls of a university or grace the floors of an Upper East Side ballroom. She was a poor girl with a drinking problem who got lucky on Catholic charity. Digging through her drawers impatiently, she finally jumped in triumph when she found her flask stuffed away in a pair of crisp white underwear. She popped it open and took a swig. Then she swiped the piece of paper lying uselessly on her nightstand and promptly folded it into her pocket, vowing to call the number of Mirajane Strauss that was neatly written there.
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"Well, I did it." She announced to the table of girls around her later that night. They all stared at her as she chewed loudly on her carrots. "I did it and it felt kind of good."
Levy stopped with her fork raised midway towards her small mouth, eyes wide and cheeks red. Cana looked at her with a questioning stare even as Bisca Mulan laughed and clapped her hands.
"About time you joined the club!" She jeered, fork and knife raised in the air in a mock cheer. Cana wondered how the young country expat hadn't already given the stiff East coast society a heart attack yet. "I was dead tired of being the only one and I couldn't believe it when Lucy told me you were still a virgin."
The whole table was eerily quiet as Erza cleared her throat and Lisanna began inspecting her food intensely.
Oh. Cana thought as she swallowed her mashed carrots. Oh.
"I don't think we should talk about this here…" Lucy interjected, eyeing Sister Arana seated a few feet away, absorbed in deep conversation with the other sisters. With her as an exception, the others were as deaf as could be.
"For crying out loud," Cana laughed. "That's not even what I meant. Though if it was, trust me, you girls wouldn't get it out of me that easily."
Levy breathed a sigh of relief. "God, Cana don't scare us like that."
Cana isn't exactly a prude. She knows what goes on in the backseats of those parked cars on the outskirts of town. A couple of months ago she even experienced it herself with a half drunk boy a few years older. He was good looking enough and he took her driving in his new Camaro before they ended up necking on the sticky leather seats. He had been a pretty good kisser, as Cana hadn't had much to go on besides a few stolen kisses from neighborhood boys over the years. The fact that he had shared his bottle of whiskey only added points in her book. Hell, she even let him get to second base. Too bad Bacchus, what a stupid name he had, had to ruin it by telling her she had nicer tits than the last girl. A few curses and a stolen bottle later, she was walking to the nearest subway station. She slept fitfully that night, hugging the bottle tightly and promising to herself never to get caught up in tall, dark and dangerous again.
"What's so scary about it?" Bisca sniffed, a bit deflated now that Cana had cleared the misunderstanding up. She was usually a fun happy girl, with a country drawl that matched her spunky attitude. She had been admitted into the school after her parents had moved to New York. They were descended from the same county in Ireland that Levy's parents came from and Cana regarded her as a friend though she wasn't as particularly close to her as some of the other girls were.
This new revelation was both surprising and concerning. Cana shared a look with Lucy, knowing the blonde could always be trusted to say the right thing in situations like this. Even Lisanna looked on in worry, her sweet face drawn.
"I think we really should speak about this later." Lucy said quietly. "Bisca, do you want to meet any of us in our rooms tonight?"
The girl looked absolutely unsure and Cana felt horribly responsible for the whole situation. It wasn't Bisca's fault that she thought she had someone to confide in or that her estimation of the girls' reaction fell flat. It wasn't even the girls' fault that they reacted in such a way. They were all still young, raised in mostly conservative environments. Values of chastity and abstinence had been drilled into them since they could understand the subject. Damnit, even Cana felt guilt at some of the thoughts she had when she accompanied Mirajane to the local auto shop and watched the long haired mechanic sweat over the older girls' car.
Her intact virginity was not exactly on her list of priorities though she didn't hold it in any sort of high regard as she figured she was supposed to. Her mother had left the world before she could teach Cana anything about boys and what one shouldn't do. In all her time at Mavis Vermillion's Catholic School for Girls, she had been given harsh reminders that it must have been exactly what her mother did do. Her mother's mistake had put her in what Sister Kagura had murmured "a bad way" and now she was left to pay for it.
"To hell with it." Cana stage whispered to them all, catching Bisca's eye. "I wanna know what it felt like. I don't even have to know who the lucky fool is but I want some details!"
It worked. Bisca, along with the others, burst out laughing and snorting as Sister Arana glared at them. They all quieted with smiles lingering on their faces. After making Bisca swear to fill them in later in the week when the Sisters were busy, they continued on to Cana's actual news. She told them of her call to Mirajane and the position she decided to take up as a secretary to the same hotshot publishing company the Strauss siblings worked at. It was of course the main publishing company of the Bible.
After receiving excited congratulations and expressions of meeting up after graduation, the girls were dismissed. They made their way to their respective rooms, arms linked and spirits high as the Sisters checked that all was accounted for. Sister Arana wished them good night immediately after their routine prayers, which struck Cana as odd but she forgot that as she closed the bedroom door and was greeted with Lucy jumping on her bed in a squeal of surprise.
"I cannot believe it!" The blonde jumped around excitedly. "What the heck happened at dinner? Poor Bisca but really she kept it a secret for who knows how long. Imagine if she…"
Cana began undressing, laying out her pajamas while Lucy lie on her bed in a daze. She knew what Lucy was imagining. If Bisca wasn't careful, which Cana wasn't so sure she was, the girl could end up pregnant and unmarried. Young, unwed mothers were not exactly seen as accomplished graduates of Catholic school. She didn't know Bisca Mulan's family but she doubted they would be ecstatic about a situation like that. Not to mention all the horrible illnesses Cana had heard whispered about in her neighborhood.
"Do you think he'll marry her?" Lucy asked, playing with the hem of her skirt.
"Hell if I know." Cana snorted, causing Lucy to throw a pillow at her. "Look, Lucy. I know you want to believe in all that virtuous and chaste, 'no sex before marriage, girls' romance that Sister Arana tells us but I don't think Bisca did anything wrong. She might have been impulsive but I don't see any reason to treat her like a fool. We can only hope nothing comes back to bite her in the ass."
Lucy frowned at her roommate's choice of words but agreed. "I don't think it's wrong at all. Especially if she really loves him."
Cana only turned away to climb into bed, wondering if it was just her imagination after a strange day but she thought there was a pink hue staining Lucy Heartfilia's creamy cheeks.
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It turned out Bisca had lost her innocence the night of the Spring Soiree, the event that honored the school's donors and top students. Cana remembered that night for no particular reason other than watching all her friends accept award after award. She had received an award for Most Improved. It was almost as if whoever ran the show upstairs had a cruel sense of humor. Sister Arana would call the thought blasphemous but Cana that it was pretty accurate. Besides she doubted the all-knowing deity who created her would mind. Her mother had once said that a joke told in goodwill was not a joke against God.
So as Cana had wallowed the evening away in a too loose chiffon dress, curtesy of Mirajane, Bisca had snuck away, after feigning a fever, to her beau's apartment. The girl related the story almost in an offhand manner but Cana knew she was trying to hold back. If her words were anything to go by, the girl was madly in love. The boy she was smitten over was a year older and recently started attending trade school to become a mechanic. They had connected when she visited the shop with Mirajane (something Cana snickered over) because he too was from some dusty little town in some dusty big state that wasn't New York. Bisca made it sound like fate but Cana wondered if Mirajane didn't have something to do with it.
The girls all congratulated her when she excitedly showed them her promise ring, which Alzack Connell had given her the day before. He promised that by the time she graduated, he would have saved enough money for a decent wedding and house. Bisca looked so hopeful that when she showed them a picture of her young man, Cana couldn't help but grin.
She also couldn't help but tease. "He needs a haircut."
Bisca had laughed at that. "That will definitely be on the list before our wedding."
"I hope we're all invited." Levy giggled, poking the girl in the ribs.
Erza joined in, hands on her hips imperiously. "I do require at least a month's notice to clear my agenda. I hear being a bride's maid is serious work."
They all jumped in to beg and plead that they were available and Bisca hugged them with tears in her eyes, promising she'd find a way to have every single girl included. With everything, somewhat settled, Lucy spoke up about a block party Natsu and Grey invited them to. With a whole day given off to the girls by the exhausted Sisters, Lucy wanted them to go enjoy the rest of the evening. It was after all, the start of summer and one of their last chances to be all together. Sister Kagura and Mirajane had offered to chaperone.
"Since when do you hang around that pink head hooligan?" Cana asked, watching Lucy's reaction carefully. The younger girl only laughed and waved her away.
"Oh you know, ever since you all introduced us, he's been bugging me about some stupid baseball card he's looking for. I collect a whole bunch, as you already know and he wants to find some really rare one. It's nothing really. Plus he has a really cute cat, but you already know that too. So I've been by his place a couple times and he just mentioned this thing…Ha, is it stuffy in here or is it just me?"
They all stared at Lucy as she babbled on with amused expressions. Cana for her part had seen the close friendship her old neighbor and her friend had grew to have over the years. It was nice that Natsu made friends so easily with other young people. Lord knew he was constantly disregarded and stared at by others. Being of Japanese descent in a predominantly white neighborhood must have taken a toll on the lost looking kid that showed up on the war vet Igneel's apartment stoop, flanked by serious childcare service women. Luckily, Igneel and his wife Porlyusica, proved to be loving foster parents, instilling the values that made Natsu the loyal friend Cana admired. True he was still a bonehead most of the time, but she was glad that Lucy had grown close to him.
They all rushed off to their rooms, washing up and changing into casual outfits for the block party. Most of the girls squeezed into Cana and Lucy's room to change, holding up outfits for the others to judge and haphazardly applying thick cat eye makeup. Cana even brought out a bottle of wine, offering it to her friends. Lucy gulped some down as Erza tied a scarf to hold back her thick blonde hair. Levy had turned on the record player, humming along to a girl group that sung of the night meeting the morning sun.
It was the first time in months that Cana felt free of stress and exams, pitying stares and dashed hopes. She slipped into her white mini skirt and followed the others outside, off to catch the subway to her old stomping grounds. It was in those streets, the apartments filled with yelling and laughter and music that she could breathe easy. People had begun lining the streets, grills out and smoke rising in the air. Natsu and Gray were sitting on the porch with Happy purring contently on the windowsill, his cute tail a wave in the sunset. Lucy ran up to them and jumped in excitement, calling them all over.
It was nearing the sun's final hours that they begged Cana to bring out her tarot cards and read their fortunes. She reluctantly agreed, remembering Sister Kagura seated a few feet away, deep in conversation with Mirajane. The young nun was more lenient towards the girls in most aspects. She was a strict instructor when it came to class time, but outside of class she seemed to mind her own business. Cana often wondered why a pretty young woman turned to the convent. But it was not her place to wonder and she went to bring out her cards from where Natsu had kept them in his apartment. Anything deemed magical was strictly prohibited in their dorms of course, though Cana laughed at how seriously the nuns took her cards. It was something her mother had enjoyed, but it was more a predictor of character than of fortunes.
"I want to know who I'm going to marry!" Lisanna giggled.
"Will I become valedictorian?" Erza asked giddily.
Lucy glanced at Natsu, who was busy scarfing down another hot dog. "Will Natsu ever find that stupid baseball card?"
They all laughed as they took turns. Lisanna's husband would apparently be wealthy to which she sighed. The Strauss family had enough money. The young girl wasn't at all interested in a boy from the Upper East Side. Erza was of course on her way to perfect grades and Natsu's baseball adventure had only just begun.
"Not fair." He whined, taking Cana's cards and inspecting them. "Are you sure this one doesn't mean yes?"
He held one up for her to study, placing it so close to her face that she smacked his hand away, sending the card flying.
"Idiot!" Lucy poked him with her elbow. "Pick it up for her, Natsu."
Before he went to retrieve it, Cana stumbled towards the lone card on the floor, her heeled wedges catching on a stair. Of course the whole bottle of wine didn't help her balance any as she sent the whole table of cards flying down the stairs and into the street. The others scrambled to pick them up, while Cana raced to get the ones already lying in the street. As she stepped onto the grey roadway, a shiny new Pontiac came rushing down the street, gleaming white in the darkening evening. Cana yelled at the driver, waving her hands.
"Stop! Don't you see the cards in the street?" She pointed towards her poor tarot cards, torn between trying to snatch them quickly and wanting to remain with all her limbs. "Stop, you big jerk!"
The driver paid her no mind however, continuing over her cards and leaving her fuming as a shock of blonde hair barely tipped her way in any form of acknowledgment. It was not enough time to see the idiot clearly, especially with the sun mostly out of the sky, but she could barely make out a strong jawline and broad shoulders before he zoomed away. She stood dumbfounded and annoyed and partially crying as she watched her mother's cards lying dirty and soiled as the car vanished from sight. She could hear her friends picking the cards up from the street, Gray cursing and Natsu apologizing in equal amounts. Lisanna continued reassuring her that they only needed a bit of a damp cloth.
But as the evening air cooled her overheated skin, the breeze sending her long hair in tendrils around her face, she gripped the one card she still held in her hand, the blindfolded woman and swords only registering briefly in her mind. And though Cana Alberona had not read her own fortune that night, she had an odd feeling her life was about to change.
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AN/ ok, this is the late 60s Catholic girls boarding school Laxana AU no one asked for. Also, other pairings will slowly appear. I will probably come back to this chapter and clean it up if there are any mistakes I'm missing.
basura= trash and yes there is going to be some religious undertones here but not this au, Cana is a bit jaded but still not anti-religious. She is just trying to find her way. Hope I eventually get the characters' voices down. I also hope I didn't make anyone too OOC.