"Juviaaaaa~"
I looked behind me and saw Levy zooming towards me with a thick notebook in her small hands. I braced myself for impact seconds before her itty-bitty body smacked into mine.
"Oh Ju-Ju, you'll never guess what happened to Lucy!" She squealed, skipping a few feet in front of me.
"Oh yeah? What happened?" I asked, my thoughts not wavering from the Gray-dilemma.
"She talked to Natsu! Oh my gosh, it was so cute!" Levy fangirled shamelessly, almost dropping her notebook in the process.
"Great." I said with less enthusiasm than I had intended. Levy didn't seem to mind, she continued without further ado and was pretty much dancing her way into Spanish.
I fucking hate Spanish. Like, not only is this fucking language difficult, with its fucking accent marks and weird squiggly marks, but it also has to make things fucking masculine and feminine, which I am impressively bad at.
It wasn't that the language wasn't beautiful, either. It's just that all the circumstances surrounding ti were awful ad it was near impossible for me to enjoy it when I was too busy trying to remember which ending which verb had in which tense.
Levy thinks it's 'exquisite' and 'a very fine language' and all that other language arts bullshit, but she's pulling linguistics out of her ass anyways so I let it slide that she thinks so highly of a language that is unnecessarily difficult.
It's honestly not fair that Levy can be so good at something so difficult. Well, she insists that it is nowhere close to difficult, but I think we all know that anything Levy does with ease is something I couldn't accomplish even if I spent my entire life devoted to it. This shit comes as naturally to Levy as breathing is to most people. I say most people because I myself am one of the few poor idiots who often forget to remember to breathe and sort of sit there half choking, half gasping like a fish out of water.
Just…fuck.
I also hate Spanish because our teacher is one giant-ass motherfucking bitch-faced hard-nosed…rat. And I mean every one of those. Mrs. Missvych (pronounced miss vich, but I think we all know what I call her behind her back…) is a very mean-looking parroty (don't as me how she looks like a parrot – she just does) It's like her main goal in her (probably) short life is to get me to make an absolute ass out of myself, from making me read with my not-so-Spanish accent, to calling me out in class when I clearly haven't the slightest fuck of a clue what the answer is.
Well I hope she dies of malaria.
Levy, of course, with her dumb glass half full, says that she is a very agreeable woman, and that I shouldn't take my frustrations about a language out on her. And maybe if I wasn't busy wishing all of Satan's hellfire to consume her slowly I would listen to her.
Just maybe.
"Buenos dias clase, sientense, sientense."
"Good day class, sit down, sit down."
I reluctantly followed Miss Bitch's orders, taking a seat in my crappy spot.
I'm squished in between Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb, a boy and a girl who couldn't tell the difference between a bed and a chair. The girl always had her hair in a high ponytail that was so tight it made her look like she was constantly straining her eyes to see. The boy had long greasy brown hair that covered his eyes like a sheepdog and always smelt like Mac n' Cheese.
Motherfuck me to hell's gate.
"Juvia, que hora es?"
"Juvia, what time is it?"
This is what she does. This stupid little basic question game just to fuck you up before class. And I hate how she pronounces my name, it sounds like hoo-via like how fucking ugly does that sound. That should be the name of a cow. Or a brand of meat.
"Eh…es…uno y…"
"It is one…"
She motioned for me to continue. Damn, what was the word for thirty again? Can you believe that Spanish makes you do math just for the time?
"Media…?"
"Thirty…?"
Mrs. Missvych looked extremely disappointed that I had gotten it right. Ha-ha, fuck you old lady.
"Muy bueno Juvia," she said thinly, turning to the whiteboard and writing down the pages to be read for today.
"Very good Juvia"
"Gracias." I said sarcastically. That's right; I'm sarcastic in two languages.
Class, quite literally, drags on, and when I say drag I mean like dragging seven hundred pounds of granite across the fucking Sahara Desert.
At least I had English next.
This may sound like a total lie, but I actually like my English teacher this year. Mr. Hammond.
Haha, yeah I know, fucking witchcraft, but…
He's an interesting teacher, who knows how to get the point across. And that's all I really need.
I have Jellal, Erza, and Lisanna in that class, so this should be fun.
"Juvia? Come here please."
Dammit, dammit, dammit! I almost forgot I was actually technically still in class.
"Eh…un momento."
"Eh…one moment."
Silently preparing myself for battle, I stood up from my seat. Feeling everyone's eyes on the back of your head is hell, it's like everyone is silently singing Amazing Grace at my own funeral, all with their passing gazes.
"Miss Juvia, I would very much like you to see me after class." She seethed; just quiet enough so that the strained ears of my classmates would fail to understand.
I…wait…holy fuck, she just used English! Now, I'm fucked, I'm fucked to hell and back!
"Um…alright." I said, my mind whirring a mile a minute.
Why the hell is she mad at me this time!? I got a B- on the last exam, that's definitely not a fail!
She glared at me as I walked back to my awful seat, I couldn't see her, but I could just tell.
Fuck you Miss bitch. Fuck you.
The bell rings and I barely registered it, but I did register the golden retriever looking kid practically shattering my shoulder as he propelled himself towards the exit.
Not that I blamed him, under normal circumstances, I would've done the same thing.
I slid my Spanish stuff into my blue gray back pack with speed that rivaled dripping syrup. I don't think I've ever been this un-excited.
"Juvia," her voice rings out loud and clear, jingling throughout the empty classroom.
"Hm?" I answered unintelligently. Considering she already thought I was a dumbass I might as well play the part.
"A few weeks ago, I received a very insulting e-mail from Mr. Hammond."
Huh.
Did I do that?
Eh, probably.
"Now knowing that Mr. Hammond is an adult and he would never pull something as simple and childish as this, even given our…history…"
Ha, he hates her almost as much as I do. English teachers, you gotta love 'em.
"I knew it must've been one of his students." She slammed own the stack of assignments she had been organizing and stood up, making the whole room shake, if I may add.
"It wasn't difficult to find out who was in his class at the time, and it was even easier to make an educated guess on who might've sent this."
Ah, fuck.
"Do you have…anything…to say for yourself, Miss Lockser?"
Yeah. Go take a flying fuck and call me when you die, that way I can organize the funeral that no one will come to.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
She smirked, like she had been waiting her entire life for me to say those words.
"Well that's alright, because I know exactly what I'm talking about. And you know what? So does Sherry."
Mother fuck me to fucking fuck town on a tractor, god dammit!
Sherry Blendy had to be the snitchiest, most conniving little bag of dicks I had ever met in my entire life. She pretty much thrived off of the pain of others, and I'm pretty sure she's actually a devil worshipper in disguise. Just my opinion, though. God, I could just rip her boobs off and give them to the basketball team for fucking charity!
My hatred for her may have also stemmed from the fact that she dated Gray Fullbuster for a short time sophomore year, but, who's really keeping track of who Gray dates anyway?
"O-oh really?" I said, my voice cracking a teensy bit as I ran my hands along the top of my bag.
"Yes really. And if you'd be so kind to show up for detention today, I'd be positively flattered."
The only way you could be flattered is if you got run over by a truck. Ha! Get it? Flat? I'm funny most of the time…trust me.
"Well I'd love to do that!" I said with as much sarcasm as I could possibly bottle up into one sentence.
"Mm. Good, see you then." She said with a wave of her chubby hand.
I can't fucking wait.
It took me exactly twelve seconds to book it down the hall from Spanish, and all the way to English without stopping to grab my stuff.
Mr. Hammond didn't even look up from his book, but he greeted me, knowing very well that the only one who would run into class would be me, running from Spanish like it was a wildfire.
"You're late." He observed without his sense of sight.
"Yeah. Somebody decided to kiss Miss bitch's ass." I said with a pointed glare at Sherry. She looked around, like she was completely innocent, but I'd kick her ass later.
"Oh yeah. The email." He says slowly, taking chaste sip out of his coffee mug.
"Yup." I confirmed, gliding over to my table which seated Erza, Jellal, me, and Lisanna, who was actually in her spot because for once in my life, I was more late than her.
How sad.
"Hah, she was so pissed. Thought she might pop, like a balloon," he said, happily envisioning her demise while shutting his book with a clack.
"Today, I don't really care. Do whatever you want, the assignments due tomorrow so waste your time as you please."
See, this is why I love Mr. Hammond. He leaves it up to you, it's your choice to do homework, your choice to study, and if you did well, you did well.
"I'm hungry." Erza moaned, right, I almost forgot I had lunch in a few minutes.
Mr. Hammond tossed us a box and Erza opened it, knowing quite well what was inside.
"Aw, only two?" Jellal asked, nudging the two donuts Mr. Hammond had snagged for us.
"Yeah, Miss bitch was on a roll today." He answered with a memorable chuckle.
I could feel the eyes of the whole class latched onto our table as they enviously watched us ration the donuts. Everyone in our class was pretty damn jealous that Mr. Hammond liked us best, but it was just because we were all pretty alike, and everyone else is significantly dumber than us.
I am the queen of modesty.
Lunch was uneventful for me. I never really talked during lunch, I just ate. Boring, but it's fun to watch Lucy attempt to gossip while eating a sandwich.
I couldn't believe it. The school day was finally over.
Well, not technically. I have homeroom and study hall but I could leave if I wanted to.
But I never do.
Plus I have detention.
Fuck.
Now, do you remember when I told you that I had one secret that I harbored from all my friends?
Right. I lied.
You see, on day one of high school on day one of homeroom, I met possibly my best friend in the entire universe.
…Gajeel Redfox.
And if you are ever so unlucky to meet this man your very first thought would be why
The fuck
Would an annoying bitchy chick
Hang out
With the fucking incarnation of Ghost Rider?
And the answer is just and simple, I have no fucking clue.
The very first time I met Gajeel, I had gotten lost just trying to find my homeroom and I was so tired and sick of everybody's shit that I was not about to give up to some hunk of steel wearing a skin suit.
In fact, I had sassed him to the point of exasperation.
…Thus sparking the beginning of a beautiful, odd, dysfunctional, and fucking unexplainable friendship.
"Hey Jubes," He mumbles, stretching back in his desk that he had been sleeping in.
So Gajeel doesn't go to school.
Not really, anyways.
Gajeel's late mother was good friends with the principal of the school, and I suppose he felt o bad about her passing that he just sort of…let Gajeel slide by.
And if he were anybody else, I probably would've objected, but Gajeel is actually…smart.
Not exactly book smart, but he….understands. It's hard to explain, but if you met him, you'd know.
Please, pray you never have to meet him.
"Hey 'Jeel." I sniggered, our back and forth nick naming each a source of annoyance for both of us.
He rolled his eyes. "What have we got today?"
Basically, everyday I give him a run down of what I did the whole day. Sad, I know, that I have to vent to possibly the last person on earth who would care, but I think that he actually enjoys hearing me curse out every dumbass here and all the teachers I'd like to publicly shame.
"Uh…well…"
And so, for the remaining hour I told Gajeel everything that had happened today. And when I say everything, I mean everything.
Ha, yeah, that's right. Even my little Gray run-in.
When I finally finished, my mouth dry from speaking so much, I laid my head down on my desk and stared.
"Huh. Can't believe what's-his-name finally spoke." He muttered, proving my point that he did indeed listen to me when I talked.
"I know. Can you kill him for me so I don't have to look at his perfect face anymore?" I asked weakly into the desk.
"You know I'd love to," he says with a good-natured knuckle crack.
"I just…I can't wait to get out of here." I said finally, wiping strands of ocean colored hair off of my cheeks.
"So I've heard." He added sarcastically.
There was only one minute left of school. One minute left meant that I would start a little tradition Gajeel and I had, a tradition that we had never once broken ever since that first dreary day of Freshmen year.
"Will you come to school tomorrow Gajeel?"
He looks up with an almost wishful look in his eyes. "We'll see Jubie. We'll see."
It's the same answer he's given me every day, the same answer I was expecting.
He had never once shown up.
The bell rung and I sighed, waving to Gajeel as he took off to the back lot, where he parked his motorcycle.
And now folks, it's time for my least favorite part of the day.
De-fucking-tention.
I've only been to detention a few times in my life, a few times for swearing, a couple times for bitching out idiots, and one time for actually punching someone in the face.
That's a story for another day.
The detention room is at the exact opposite corner from the exit, almost like they're waving the fact that you can't escape right in your fucking face.
Assholes.
The second I stepped in the room, I was instantly surprised by the amount of people that were actually there.
Natsu, (well, no one's really surprised about this one…) was sitting in the far left corner dangling a pencil in front of his eyes and attempting to make it wiggle.
Elfman and Evergreen were making out (viciously, if I may add…) a few seats in front of Natsu.
Cobra was flicking tiny paper balls at Elfman and Evergreen.
Two unfamiliar (probably football or lacrosse players) were playing paper football from opposing sides of the room.
Yukino (I think that's her name…?) was picking at her nails with a sharp sneer plastered across her Barbie doll face.
Bixlow was doodling on his desk.
Great.
It was pretty obvious that the detention supervisor for today, who I was assuming was Miss bitch, was a no show.
It was pretty much a detention free-for-all.
"Hey guys, I bet I can make this pencil disappear!" Natsu exclaimed, standing on top of his desk and waving the pencil around.
"Natsu, shaddup." Elfman said, apparently deciding to take a small breather from Evergreen's throat.
I slunk to the back of the room that wasn't occupied by a loser, careful not to draw to much attention to myself.
Be extra careful, they can smell fear~
I mentally prepared myself to sleep for the next hour, god knows I needed it.
But just before I could lay my weary head to rest (heheheh) the door to the detention room swung open and I almost choked to death on my own saliva.
"Hey, wow. Guess everyone's here today." Gray said with an unconscious flick of his dark hair. His eyes scanned the room to confirm his statement.
Come on invisibility powers! I know you're there! Work, dammit!
His bored expression almost instantaneously lit up as his eyes skirted across me.
Please don't sit by me, I'm allergic to beauty.
He drew closer to me, like a moth to light, before stopping in front of me with a playful smirk.
"Well, well, well, looks like we got ourselves a newbie," he said, just soft enough so that no one else in the room heard his voice.
Thank god. It's not like I need anymore distractions.
Especially if the distractions are so beyond sexy you need to be far sighted to see how far it goes.
I only groaned under my breath. He laughed light heartedly and sat down beside me.
Just…excellent.
"What got you in here Juvia?" He asked, intrigued.
"I…sent an insulting e-mail to one of my teachers. Would've got away with it too, if it weren't for stupid Sherry…" I grumbled lowly, lifting my head off of my desk to look at him.
Definitely a bad choice.
Alert! Alert, he is way too attractive to be sitting this close to me!
"Really? I didn't peg you as the type of girl to do that…" He mused.
"I didn't peg you as the type of guy to hang out with idiots but…" I gestured around the room, heavily emphasizing Natsu who was sticking the point of his pencil dangerously close to his eye socket. "But here you are."
He laughed really loud this time, loud enough to draw some of his friends to look over and see what had Gray laughing his ass off.
"Yeah, they're pretty much fuckwads, aren't they?" He said after his laughter had died down.
"That's an understatement. Yesterday, Natsu tried to convince everyone that there was no other language besides English. And anything that wasn't English was fake and made up." I disdained, attempting to keep my voice as low as possible.
"Yeah…well, underneath all that idiocy and arrogance…he's an ok guy."
I find that hard to believe.
I didn't answer him; I just kind of slowly sank back down to my desk with sleeping intentions.
"So…uh…you do sports?" He asked after a few minutes silence. It was weird, his voice was almost…panicky, like he didn't want me to stop talking to him.
It was kind of…cute…
"Hm…sorta." I answered, my voice a bit muffled by the sleeve I was resting on.
"…What do you mean 'sort of'?"
Ah…shit. I don't want to explain this to him…great job Juvia. You've fucked yourself over for the eighth time today.
"I swim…but I don't compete."
"Really? I mean, Evergreen's on the swim team, if you want to compete I could just ask her-"
"No!" I interceded, just loud enough to grab the attention of Natsu.
"I mean…that's nice, but I don't really want…to compete." I covered lamely, drumming my fingers on my desk.
"Oh….why not?" He asked, clearly trying not to be too rude with his invasive question.
Don't tell him. Don't tell him. Don't fucking tell him or you will be embarrassed for the rest of your gaddamn life.
"Hey Gray! Who are you talking to?!" Natsu screamed from across the room.
Well now I'm solidly fucked. Thanks a bunch Natsu, I wonder how it would feel if I stuck that pencil in your trachea, it'd feel great, wouldn't it?
"Ah…Juvia, she's in my physics class." He answered coolly.
Evergreen momentarily stopped giving Elfman a tonsillectomy and looked, no, glared over at me from a distance.
Fuck, I am so fucked.
"Hey, why's Evergreen giving you the death stare? Most people turn to stone after a look like that…" Gray asked quietly.
"We uh…we swim together." I said simply, looking away from Gray's beautiful face and towards the only window in the room, providing me with a glorious view of the pine tree forest.
"With that kind of look, I'd say you've beat her a couple times, am I right?" Gray noted.
Damn him. Damn him and his spatial thinking.
"Um…only a few times." I lied weakly.
"Evergreen's the best swimmer there is, if you've beat her once, than you should at least be on the varsity team," he reasoned carefully.
"I'd rather not…" I said, stealing another glance at Evergreen who seemed to be glaring at me while simultaneously getting her throat cleaned.
"Are you…afraid of competing, or something?" Gray asked tenderly, genuinely interested in my answer.
I hate you, you perfect, perfect man.
"I just…freeze up on competition days." I lied thinly. It was a pretty believable lie, lots of people can't handle the stress of competing.
Just not me.
"Oh. You should still try out though, aren't the varsity tryouts in a few days?"
Yes. I never miss them.
"I think so."
"Great. Just go and see how you do, and if you make it, you make it."
It's not that fucking simple sugar cakes.
"Ok." I mumbled, looking up at the clock diligently.
Holy shit. I have been talking to Gray for nearly forty five fucking minutes.
And there is only fifteen minutes left.
Awesome.
"Do you like…hockey?" Gray asked nervously.
Nervously? Why is he nervous? There is literally nothing to be nervous about!
"Yeah. My dad watches it a lot." I said truthfully. My dad was a major hockey fan, and he knew exactly who Gray was. In fact, he thought Gray was awesome.
Right. Gray is a hockey star.
Does he seriously think I don't already know this about him? I mean, sure he doesn't exactly assume that every girl he meets is a semi-stalker, but it's not really that big of a secret, it's kind of school-known.
"Yeah, I know what you mean, my brother is obsessed. I play a little bit though."
A little bit?
A little fucking bit, Gray?
Is this his idea of modesty? Because it is extremely adorable and I kind of just want to hide him in my purse and keep him forever.
Well if we're going to play the modesty game, I'm in.
"Really? That's pretty cool, I've never seen a school hockey game before, what position do you play?"
"Uh…centre forward…" He said, almost confused by the fact that I didn't recognize him as the school's star hockey player.
"Nice. Maybe I'll catch a game sometime." I told him.
He smiled. "That'd be awesome."
Am I…flirting with him? What the fuck Juvia! This isn't how it was supposed to go, you were supposed to admire his beauty from afar until college, then you can run away! It was a great plan, but you just had to go and fuck it up.
Thee door opened and interrupted my self-lamenting thoughts.
"Gray, hurry up, we have hockey in fifteen." The guy said impatiently, tapping his watch like it was his own funeral.
Gray looked extremely disappointed. "Yeah, yeah, gimme a fuckin' minute, ok?"
I wonder what made Gray so upset all of a sudden. He didn't really seem like the type to just belt out swear words willy nilly, like me.
"Jesus, hurry up." The guy said, shaking his head like Gray was the most annoying thing to ever plague his life.
"Ah…I gotta go, there's a game this Friday…" He suggests awkwardly, hefting up his bag with surprising strength.
"Gray! Stop flirting and get your ass over here!" The guy yelled.
Gray instantly went red. "Shaddup Lyon!"
"Come on, coach'll give us extra pacers if you don't pick it up!" Lyon yelled, dragging Gray from the back of his shirt and out the door.
"Bye Juvia!" He yelled just as the door slammed shut.
Fuck. I am so fucked, I'm an idiot, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!
"Hi!"
"Gah!" I jumped back in surprise when I saw Natsu hovering inches from my face.
"I think Gray likes you." He said flatly, sitting down backwards at the desk in front of me.
"I just met him today!" I fired back, because it actually was true.
How pathetic.
"So? You like him too." He said bluntly.
"What? No I don't, I don't even know him!" I argued. Natsu rolled his eyes.
"Tch. Lying is a sin. Tell you what, I'll help you hook dat up if you do my Government homework." He said , examining his knuckles like this was actually a deal that should be considered.
"No. Go away." I said, mustering all the bitchiness I could.
"You're friends with Lucy, right?" He asked, ignoring my previous statement.
"Yes. Fuck off." I spat. If I could do anything in my power to keep him away from Lucy, I'd do it. Even if it got me tossed in jail.
"Yikes. Bitchy much? Is she single?" He fired each question faster than the one before.
"Stay away from Lucy, or I'll kick your ass all the way to Hargeon and back. Then I'll stick you on a train and have you mailed to Pakistan."
For a second he looked like he might be sick, but it faded just as fast as it had appeared.
"Why? I think she's cute." He said simply, with a somewhat dopey smile.
"Of course she's cute! That's why you need to stay away. You'll ruin her." I countered.
He looked a bit hurt. I felt a little bit…bad…even. I felt like I had just kicked a puppy with a wing tip.
"I don't want to ruin her…" He said softly, rubbing his fingers guiltily on the back of his chair.
"Good. Because if you leave her alone, you won't." I said, a little bit less harsh than before.
"…Okay." He said, defeated.
Shit.
No actually, shit. I feel awful, God he looks so broken…I…fuck.
"I…ok, look. If you clean up your act, and at least maintain a solid B grade, then maybe…I'll look into it for you."
God, I'm a fuckwad. Oh, I'm so dumb!
"Really!?" He asked, shooting up from his desk with enough pep to kill a girl scout.
"Uh…yes. But stay away from her until then, or I'll get Erza."
Natsu shuddered and nodded, just as the clock sang out, telling everyone in the room that we were free.
Free at last!
Time sped up as I ran out of the school.
Only three more months.
Only three more months until I'm out of this hellhole.
Only three more months until I can forget about Gray Fullbuster.