What We Share: Chapter 1
Welcome to my new fanfic! All of this is totally based off of a true story, well, most of it anyway, just with our favorite Fairy Tail characters, of course. This is a high school AU. As for my other story, I briefly put it on hold so I can at least start this one. I'll probably switch back and forth between the two stories when I update, so keep that in mind. Here's the kickoff to my second fanfic!
Fairy Tail High- gymnasium
"Come on you guys, hurry up! Natsu saved us seats!" Lucy pushed her way through the crowd of rambunctious high schoolers, trying to make her way toward where Natsu was sitting on the bleachers. Poor Levy could hardly keep up with Lucy, and had to rely on Erza and Juvia to keep her from getting trampled. A crowded auditorium was not the safest place to be for someone of Levy's stature.
The three girls followed Lucy as best as they could going up the stairs that ran down the middle of the bleachers.
After reaching the right elevation, Lucy turned right down the row where Natsu, Gray, Gajeel, and Jellal sat. Erza had to push away a few people to finally catch up with Lucy. It was unfortunate that she did, for the next instant had Erza tripping over Levy's heels, who toppled over onto Juvia, who fell on Lucy, who, much to everyone's entertainment, landed right on Natsu's lap.
Just as the other three girls got to their feet, Lucy jumped about five feet in the air with a shriek. In her rush to get off of Natsu, (and make sure he didn't see her cheeks, which were practically in fire) she bumped into Juvia, who fell backward onto Levy, who fell backward onto Erza. The assembly hadn't even started and the four poor girls were already wishing to get the hell out of the gym.
Lucy quickly took her seat next to Natsu before any more damage could be done. Her downcast eyes gave Natsu the hint not to bother her while she lived out this moment of humiliation. Good thing, too, or his face might not look as pretty as it did now.
Levy, Juvia, and Erza sat down on the wooden bench, wanting nothing more than for the assembly to start before the boys had a chance to increase their embarrassment. No such luck. Principal Makarov took his sweet time in getting things started.
Erza glanced to her left, where her best friend, Jellal, sat. His kind eyes sparkled as he gave her a soft and sweet smile. Erza loved his smiles. No matter how bad any given situation could be, a smile from Jellal was all it took to lift Erza's spirits.
"You're not hurt, are you?" Of course that would be the first thing he'd ask. Unlike the other boys, he skipped the teasing and went right into making sure she was okay.
Erza smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine. I can handle a little tumble."
"That's good. Wouldn't want you to be injured."
Erza could help the blush that creeped up on her face at his caring words. Leave it to Jellal to make her flustered.
Before anyone else got the chance to speak, Principal Makarov tapped the mic,– which was conveniently lowered to fit his height– cleared his throat, and began to address the students.
"Alright, listen up brats. I have an important announcement to make."
He paused dramatically, as if expecting a reaction from the crowd. He didn't get one. "There are going to be a few changes around Fairy Tail High. Well, it's actually only one change but I decided it was special enough to pretend it was more than one." The entire school sweat dropped. "A new tradition is being put in place. Each year, all of the seniors will get to attend a three day, two night camp."
The students started chatting and whispering with excitement, especially the seniors. Erza and Jellal looked at each other and grinned.
"A camp!" Erza exclaimed, "how exciting! We get to go this year!"
"Indeed. This should be the adventure of a lifetime."
"Quiet down, brats!" Makarov yelled, hushing up the thrilled group. "Let me finish. Your homeroom teachers will explain all of the little details, but I'll give everyone the basic overview now. It'll be in early June, after all of the final exams. You'll be sleeping in cabins, not tents, so don't worry about that. The days will be filled with fun activities to strengthen your bond as a family. There will be no academics and school work involved, just fun and love to share with your classmates."
The seniors shifted in anticipation. Erza could practically feel the excitement building up. It was only February, so they had a ways to go before camp, but that didn't stop the students from bouncing in their seats. Just talking about it made everyone want to hop on the bus and head to camp right then and there.
"That's pretty much it. The teachers will explain cabin groups, packing, medical things, all of that stuff. Now, all of you go to class, I'm sick of looking at you."
3.5 months later
Fairy Tail High– Mr. Clive's classroom
The teachers in charge of the senior class decided to switch around the normal schedule and spend a great deal of time talking about camp, which was only two weeks away. Every single senior, Principal Makarov, Mr. Clive, and Ms. Porlyusica all crowded Mr. Clive's room to discuss what the senior class has been waiting for.
Erza, Jellal, Natsu, and Lucy were all crammed in the far corner of the room. Fitting every senior in one classroom was a bit of a tight squeeze.
"So, first things first," Mr. Clive began, "cabin groups."
The two words were all it took to have the room erupt into noise. Everyone was eager to find out who would be camping with who, especially the girls.
"I don't know yet." The students groaned. "Which is why you're all helping me decide who's with who." That cheered them up. "I'm giving everyone a little sheet of paper. I want you to write your name, and list the top three people, of your same gender, who you most want to be in your cabin group. 'But Mr. Clive, there's six of us!'" The teacher took on the tone of a high-pitched student. "I don't care. List your top three. The cabins will all range from eight to eleven people in each, so I'm sure there'll be enough room for all of you. Since this is probably most most drama-inducing event of all year, don't share it with anyone. Got it? Here are the papers."
Mr. Clive handed out little blue papers to the students' awaiting hands. When Erza received hers, she stared long and hard at the small sheet before writing her own name at the top. Her first choice would definitely be Mira, her best girlfriend. There was no way Erza wouldn't have gossip central in her cabin. Next had to be Lucy. Although Erza wasn't as close to Lucy as she was Mira, they were still good friends. Only one spot left. Erza tapped her pencil on the paper and glanced around the room. Levy, maybe? No, Lucy would undoubtedly pick her, so they would probably all end up in the same cabin anyway. Juvia? After a second of thinking, Erza scrawled down Juvia's name.
Lucy decided on her three rather quickly. Just as Erza predicted, Levy was her first choice. Her other two spots went to Erza and Cana.
On the other side of the room, Juvia glared down at her paper. How could she possibly choose between all of her friends? She thought it was unfair that Gray couldn't be in her cabin. Now for her first choice. It was only right that Meredy got to be with her. She was her first female friend when she came to Fairy Tail High. Juvia gave the second spot to Lisanna, who she'd recently become very close with. Now for the last person… Juvia suddenly had the greatest idea. If Lucy was in her cabin, then she would have more opportunities to make sure she wasn't with her beloved Gray-sama! Yes, this was perfect. Juvia wrote down "Love Rival" as her third choice, completely unaware that Mr. Clive would have no idea who that is.
"Alright, is everyone done?" When the class remained silent, Mr. Clive took that as a yes. "Excellent. Fold 'em up and put them in this bucket."
Chaos occurred as every senior student tried to get to the front of the room. When the madness settled, Mr. Clive began talking again. "Now the packing list. Take one and pass it around." A sheet of paper went out to every student. "Obviously you'll need to pack the essentials. Clothes, toiletries, and whatnot. Bring whatever crap you need for showering. There's a hike at camp, so bring suitable shoes. It's an easy climb, so a good pair of tennis shoes will suffice. There's a lake as well, and yes, we will be swimming. Bring swimwear if you want, but no one will force you to swim if you don't want to. It'll also be helpful to have a watch of some sort to tell the time."
"Why can't we just use our phones?" Gray asked.
"Because, we have a very strict no electronics rule at camp, cell phones or otherwise. If we find out you brought any sort of electronic device, you'll be all kinds of trouble."
"What's the big deal if we bring electronics to camp?" Natsu pressed.
Mr. Clive glared in his direction. He started to speak when Principal Makarov stepped forward and answered. "Camp is a special time that is meant to bring everyone closer together. The main goal is to strengthen our bonds as a class and learn to appreciate each and everyone of our fellow students. If you brats are constantly on your phones, you're isolating yourself from the group, which is the exact opposite of what is supposed to happen. Even things like books can isolate you, so I'd advise not to bring those, either." Levy's shoulders slumped as Principal Makarov finished his speech. Erza suspected several students were already thinking of ways to sneak electronics into camp. In Levy's case, books,
"Thank you, sir." Mr. Clive took over again. "Now, I'd definitely advise bringing a water bottle or canteen of sorts. We will provide plastic water bottles, but it's always convenient to have one of your own. I also recommend taking a game with you if you get bored during free time. Cards and board games are ideal, especially if you can include several people."
The seniors nodded. So far everything seemed pretty basic.
"Now for the things you will NOT bring. Principal Makarov already talked about electronics, and that includes anything that would isolate you from others. Next, food. I assure you, you will be well fed at camp. There's no need to bring snacks with you. If you leave food, especially sugary food, in your cabins, there's a very good chance you'll be getting visits from critters. And I mean anything from ants to raccoons. If you don't believe me, just try breaking this rule."
No one really wanted to snuggle with unwanted visitors, so they all vigorously nodded.
"However, you will need to bring a disposable lunch with you for the ride to camp. It's quite a drive, so we'll stop for lunch on the way. Other than that, I should see zero food with you. Next thing you absolutely shouldn't bring, weapons. I'm sure this is self apparent, but I'm telling you anyway. Any item that might be seen as a weapon is absolutely forbidden."
That seemed obvious enough. No one questioned that rule.
"Next thing. Some of you won't like this, but that's too bad. The maximum amount of luggage you can bring is one bag, plus a sleeping bag and pillow. I'll allow a small little backpack to carry around water bottles and such."
A protest immediately went up, mostly from the females in the room.
"Quiet!" Mr. Clive yelled. "There's limited space to store everyone's crap, so I don't want you packing your whole bedroom and bathroom."
More shouts erupted.
"I can't fit all of my hair products plus everything else I need to pack in one bag! That's crazy! And what about my makeup? Where's that going to go?" Evergreen practically threatened the teacher with her tone.
"You'll survive without your beauty crap for a few days. One bag only. Got it?"
Despite the grumbles still resonating in the room, no one spoke up again. Erza, too horrified to say anything, just stared ahead with a blank expression. One bag? Impossible! She had quite the reputation for over-packing, and this rule felt like it was made just for her. Erza had no idea how she could fit all of her necessities in a single suitcase.
Jellal clearly noticed her dilemma and chuckled to himself, giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "I pack really light, so I can carry some stuff for you, if you'd like."
Erza looked at him with hopeful eyes. "You will?"
Jellal nodded with a smile. "Yeah. I don't mind."
"Thank you! That's great!" Erza beamed up at him, and he ruffled her scarlet hair.
"Any time."
The pair turned their attention back to the front of the room as Ms. Porlyusica stepped forward to address the crowd. "I'm the nurse on this camping trip, so I'll tell you how all of that works. If you need to take medicine and it's something that's over the counter, then you can bring it with you. Just remember that if you do this, you absolutely will not share it with anyone else. If you need to take something that's prescribed by a doctor, you need to store it with me, and come find me to take it. Any questions?"
No one had any.
"Splendid!" Mr. Clive grinned. "That's everything you need to know for now. The rest will be explained when we get to camp. Now move along to your first period class."
The students filed out of the room, all buzzing with anticipation. Only three more days until they'd be on their way.
A/N: I know that was pretty slow, but the pace will start to pick up in the next two chapters. Thanks for reading!