Hey everyone! Thanks for clicking on this story, I guess. I hope you enjoy it's first chapter!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail, it's story or characters in any way humanly possible. I do own my plot and possible OCs ;)
Chapter 1: Where it begins
She took in the familiar site before her. Everything was as she remembered it to be. From the gates marking the beginning of the school grounds to the school itself, it was as though she had never left. But I did, she reminded herself quickly. Even though it all looked like it did one year ago, everything had changed. She wasn't the same girl anymore and she knew that they had changed too. For a high school student, a year was a long time. A lot could happen in the course of a single year. And if you – like her – missed such a significant time, you could expect to find out that the once so familiar setting had completely changed.
Unconsciously, her mind drifted back to one year ago. Back then, everything had been okay. She 'd been happy and they had been happy alongside her. She thought things would remain like that forever. It had been a childish thought, she now knew. Still, she couldn't stop the well-know ache in her chest that came every time she stopped to think about all she had lost. I shouldn't be thinking about that, she thought. It's in the past, and it's best if it stays there. She shook her head, trying to shake away all of her thoughts. This is a new beginning; my chance to start anew, so I shouldn't dwell on things long gone. With that, she brushed her long, red hair with her hand one last time and entered the gate.
This is where it begins.
"What did you say was your name again?" the secretary asked her, for what could me the fourth time already.
Erza tried to refrain herself from rolling her eyes at the question. "Erza," she responded, becoming slightly irritated. "Erza Scarlet."
The old woman seemed to hear it this time. She looked at a list, checking if Erza's name was mentioned. "Ah, yes! I see it now. Erza Scarlet.." She looked up from the paper and looked at Erza. Her expression was thoughtful, almost as if she thought she should know the girl who was standing before her. "You've attended here before, have you not?"
"Yes, ma'am." was the only reply. Erza didn't want to go into details, especially since so many people her would already remember her and what had happened. If she could, she would like to keep that number to a bare minimum.
The old secretary thankfully seemed to notice her discomfort and pressed the subject no further. "Well, I hope you have a pleasant time here at Magnolia High, ...eh ...again. Anyway, here's your schedule. I trust you still remember how to find all of your classrooms?"
"I do. Thank you."
"No problem, dear."
Erza didn't know if that was the end of it, but the woman didn't bring up anything, so she simply bid her goodbye and walked out of the office. She looked on her watch. Damn, she thought. That half-deaf secretary took too long, now first period has already begun. So much for the whole 'not drawing too much attention to myself' plan.
Erza looked at her schedule. Her first period was English. Well.., at the very least it's a subject I enjoy.. Then, almost without thinking, her feet started to find their way to the classroom. Her lips formed a tiny smile. It was all too familiar.
When she was at last standing in front of the classroom, Erza knocked on the door, unsure how to approach.
"Come in," a kind-sounding voice called. Erza recognized it almost immediately: it was Ms. Aries.
She gathered all her strength and walked into the classroom. Every last student in the room had their eyes glued upon her and, even though she had experienced situations like this before, for some reason it made Erza extremely uncomfortable. She let her gaze slide over the many faces. Some she vaguely recognized, others she didn't, but luckily none of them were present.
"I'm sure some of you already know her, but this is the new student I was just telling you about: Erza Scarlet," Aries introduced her to the class. "Erza, why don't you tell them something about yourself?"
Erza nodded her head. "Of course, Ms. Aries. My name is Erza Scarlet, but you already knew that. I'm seventeen years old and I attended here before, a year ago. I guess, that's all you need to know." She knew that wasn't enough to satisfy the curiosity she saw on almost all their faces, but it would have to do for now.
"Well, Erza," Ms. Aries said, as kind as ever. "we're very glad to have you back here with us. You can sit over there besides Lucy, if you will."
Erza nodded again and looked at the blond girl who waved slightly at her. She didn't know her. She must be new then. Well, all the better. She quickly walked through the classroom and seated herself besides the blond, still aware of the gazes fixed upon her. Erza paid them no mind. She had known that her unexpected 'comeback' would attract attention, so she wasn't surprised that she was the center of attention right now. She just hoped it would cool down eventually.
"Hey, I'm Lucy," she heard a voice say. "Nice to meet you."
Erza turned to her new neighbor and smiled politely. "Likewise," she said. Erza searched for words to keep the conversation going, when a question arose: "I'm sorry, but I don't recognize you from my time here, are you new?"
"Yeah, I enrolled here last year. When you were away, I guess. So I don't know you either."
You don't know how glad I am for that, Erza thought, but she kept it to herself. Instead, she said: "Well, I suppose we'll just have to get to know each other then."
"I suppose so," Lucy responded, smiling brightly at Erza.
When Erza wanted to respond, she was instead interrupted by Ms. Aries: "Erza, Lucy, I'm sorry, but please pay attention when in class."
"Sorry, Ms. Aries," they exclaimed simultaneously. But no matter how much they tried to pay attention to what Ms. Aries was saying, they kept getting dragged back into the lively conversation with each other.
Erza learned that Lucy was an aspiring writer and that she had transferred to Magnolia High especially for their supposedly great English department. After hearing that, Erza felt a little bit bad for keeping her new acquaintance from the lesson, but Lucy assured her that it was fine.
The conversation moved from one topic to another, before it eventually drifted to why Erza had left the year before. Erza had tried to avoid it by bringing up numerous different subjects every time it was brought up, but Lucy, being the alert observer that she was, soon noticed something was up. Erza, knowing that she couldn't dodge it forever, told her that she'd had some issues that she needed to work out, before changing the subject once again. Lucy was still curious, but took the hint and didn't brig it up again. For that, Erza was really grateful.
The end of the period came sooner than expected. And Erza noticed that she and Lucy had chatted that hour away. There was something about the blond that made her really easy to talk to and Erza was glad that she had found a friend.
"So, Erza, what's your next period?"
Erza quickly looked on her schedule. "Chemistry, apparently."
"Well, that's a shame, I've got History..," Lucy said, looking slightly disappointed. "I guess I see you during the break then. You can meet my other friends, they'll love you."
Somehow, I don't think so, Erza thought. "Yeah, I'd love to. I see you then," Erza responded, smiling. It had a sad touch to it, though. "I'd better go now, though, or else Mrs. Porlyusica will be pretty upset.."
"Upset? I think that's a major understatement."
Erza let out a laugh and said: "Then you see why I've really got to go, like, right now."
That's when they were interrupted by the bell. Erza's eyes widened. Oh, no. She quickly sprinted though the hallways in search of the chemistry lab, leaving a laughing Lucy behind.
Mrs. Porlyusica had been pretty mad, to say the least, when Erza had almost barged into the chemistry lab, five minutes late. Still, after an elaborate apology and a promise never to do it again from Erza, she had pretty much calmed down. 'Calmed down' meaning that she spent almost the whole first quarter of the hour extensively describing why she hated humans, after which she gave the class a ton of homework. Erza could just feel the angry glares directed at her, because she was the reason of this sudden outburst. She shrugged them of easily. It's still better than the inexhaustible curiosity everyone seems to posses.
The rest of the period, nobody talked to Erza and she was fine with it. But when the awaited school bell finally rang, announcing the beginning of the lunch break, she was one of the firsts out of the lab. Lucy didn't say where I would find her.. I guess, I better check the cafeteria first, it is lunch break after all.
When she got there, a wave of nostalgia came over Erza. All the times she spent here with them, laughing, arguing, teasing or just hanging around. Those memories were very precious to her. She didn't want to forget them and yet, at the same time, she did. Because even though those days were the best of her live, remembering them as something that's gone was simply too painful. Erza knew she had hurt them, and she knew they probably resented her for it. They had likely moved on, and Erza wished she could too. She wanted too, part of her, at least. The other part was desperately holding on to what she had left of them: her memories. That past clung on the ever so slight chance that maybe, just maybe they'd forgiven her and were ready to accept her again.
A third part said that she was despicable and that every single thing they'd throw at her would be too kind.
"Erza!" she heard a voice she had come to know as Lucy's behind her exclaim. She turned around and saw her new friend standing behind her. "There you are! I've been looking all over for you."
"Ehm.., sorry. I didn't know where to find you," Erza explained.
"It's lunch break, where else would I be?" Lucy asked. But she clearly didn't expect an answer, because before Erza could reply, she had grabbed her wrist and began to drag her towards an unknown location.
"Hold on, Lucy! Were are we going!?"
"To meet my friends, like I said," Lucy said, like it was the most normal thing in the world to drag a girl you just met all throughout the cafeteria while everyone was staring at you.
"Lucy, I don't-" The words died out in her mouth. Before her were the last people she had wanted to see – who she had expected to see.
They had looked up from their conversation when they had heard Lucy approach. Their eyes all widened when they saw Erza standing behind her. She couldn't blame them.
"Guys, this is Erza. I met her in English first period," Lucy said, oblivious to it all. "Erza, these are my friends I told you about. That boy over there is..."
But Erza didn't hear her. She didn't need to be told. She knew their names almost better than her own. Natsu Dragneel. Gray Fullbuster. Levy McGarden. Cana Alberona. And Mirajane Strauss. Her former best friends. The friends who she had hurt so badly.
Erza turned around at once. At first, she was walking away, but it soon turned to running. Erza kept running and running, not bothering to look where she was going. She didn't care, honestly, as long as it was away from there, from them.
Unable to run any further, she stopped to look where she was. It was the park close to the school. Suddenly exhausted, Erza walked over to the first bench she laid her eyes on and sat down. She had somewhat managed to remain composed up until now, but sitting there all alone after seeing them again, something inside her broke. Erza tried to stop the tears, because she hated crying, but it was no use. One after another, the teardrops fell before her on the ground.
And that was that! Sorry if the story is a bit vague, but remember: this is just the first chapter. Everything will be cleared up later. Also if the characters are a bit OOC, it's my first time writing them, so I hope it'll get better. Please tell me if you liked it by leaving a review! Oh, and English isn't my first language, so if you spot a mistake in vocabulary or grammar, tell me so I can change it. Thanks!
Anyway, I hope to see you all next chapter!
-Reros