Why did it have to be him?

Lucy groaned inwardly when she realized who the Teacher's Assistant for her class was. After the summer, and the most embarrassing moment of her life, she'd vowed never to be in the same room as him again and now she was going to have to deal with seeing him three times a week for the entire semester? It was like her own personal Hell. It was only the first day, she could still try to change classes right? The thought alone caused her to sigh. Her schedule was pretty perfect the way it was, she didn't want to have to change it if she could avoid it. She'd just have to deal with it, or rather, him.

Levy looked up toward the pink-haired late-comer and looked down at her best friend, immediately putting two and two together. Granted, while Levy and her sorority hadn't been directly involved, she'd still heard about everything that happened... from both the gossip tree and a mortified Lucy. She knew that the next few weeks were going to be incredibly trying on the younger girl and Levy wished she could do something to help. She couldn't help it. It was the protective instinct she'd always had for Lucy. Ever since they were growing up back in their hometown of Crocus, when they were just two loners searching for a friend, they'd always watched out for each other. The bluenette's mind was already at full speed, calculating the best evasive maneuvers possible for them to avoid running into Natsu.

After about an hour, Professor Makarov released the class and the two girls made a mad dash for the door. Once they were safely out of range of the science building, they slowed their pace and continued on toward the Student Union. Lucy had a little over an hour and a half before she was due at the library so the two of them decided to get lunch in lieu of their postponed plans. They settled in the cafeteria, each of them grabbing a tray full of food before talking about what the rest of their days entailed. On Mondays and Wednesdays, they had Chemistry together in the morning before Levy went on to her English and Creative Writing classes and Lucy went to the Library. Unfortunately, Tuesdays meant Chemistry Lab, which meant eventually having to face Natsu face-to-face. Just the thought made Lucy shudder.

"Of all the possible TA's in this place, of course, we had to get stuck with him," the blonde breathed, pushing some of the noodles around her plate distractedly. She immediately began to flash back to the previous summer's escapades and was brought back from her reverie just as quick by her most trusted friend.

"It's only a few months," Levy cooed, attempting to aid the situation. She patted Lucy on the back sympathetically before returning to her lunch. "It'll be over before you know it. Between work, your other classes, and hopefully some 'extracurricular activities', you won't even give him a second thought."

Little did she know that Lucy's overactive brain was already on its hundredth thought.

Sighing softly, Lucy nodded in agreement. Levy was right. She knew it was stupid to still be upset. It wasn't even really his fault. How was he supposed to know that he was part of someone else's game? He hadn't known about what Minerva was up to, at least she hoped not. Shaking her head and grabbing her bag and tray, the freshman got up from her table and bussed her tray. She said goodbye to her friend, promising to think about the party that night and made her way to the library, losing herself in her thoughts...

Lucy looked around the room and immediately felt uncomfortable. It was full of drunk men and women, most of them older than her. She was one of four pledges from Lily Heart asked to help serve drinks at the party and it was only half of the stress that was on her that evening. Milady had said he'd be there that night, the boy from Fairy Tail who was interested in the young pledge. Minerva had also promised to hook them up, saying that it was "what sisters did for each other". All Lucy had to do was continue to serve drinks and Milady would come for her when it was time to meet him.

"He's almost here, LuLu," Milady oozed, her narrow fingers tucking strands of Lucy's golden hair behind her ear. Her other hand was occupied with a plastic cup full of Gods only knew what. The older girl smiled sickeningly before taking another sip of her concoction. "From what I hear, Dragneel just can't wait to get to know you ."

Lucy swallowed nervously in response to Minerva's touch and her warning. She'd only been allowed one drink before the party started and she was already uncomfortable in the lingerie that the sisters had made them wear. "I'll be sure to make a good impression, Milady," the blonde whispered, pouring another two drinks for one of the waitress pledges.

With a wry grin and a chuckle, Minerva held out her empty cup and nodded toward it, making sure Lucy knew what was expected of her. "I'm sure you will sweetheart…"

Damn, Makarov was more pissed than usual.

Natsu grinned childishly was he brought his hands up to the back of his neck. His supervisory professor was really laying into him about being late but who could really blame the old man?

"I said I was sorry, Gramps," he said with a chuckle, the elder getting seemingly more angry at the affectionate term. "I promise it won't happen again. Last time I let the Ice Queen trick me into anything!" Makarov was also the Fairy Tail faculty advisor so the older gentleman was more than familiar with the boys who lived under his care. He was also incredibly aware of the never-ending rivalry between Natsu and Gray, like fire and ice.

"You know your scholarship depends on this, Natsu!" Gramps yelled, karate chopping the grad student over the head. "Gray won't be paying your bills once you're out in the real world but your degree will. You need to focus, boy."

The pinket nodded humbly. "Aye, Sir," he replied respectfully. Makarov was more than right. The only way he was able to afford getting his Master's Degree in the first place was all the side work he did throughout the semester, most of it with Makarov's help. He was a Teacher's Assistant, a tutor, and he also worked for the school dining program's catering team when the school hosted events. Between all that and his fraternity life, he was barely staying afloat as it was. How he was able to make time for any semblance of a social life was beyond him.

The professor shook his head and handed his assistant a folder with the student roster. "Just make sure you make time to go into the online program and design the class," he instructed, his voice lighter almost immediately. It made the two men smile as Natsu nodded and took off for his seminar class.

Walking in, Natsu immediately set eyes on Sting and Rogue, two brothers from another fraternity. Even though they'd had their fair share of creative disagreements, they had recently learned to get along quite well. He'd decided to sit with them before Minerva sat beside Sting. Just the sight of her made his blood boil. She was a raging bitch and after certain incidents, he wanted nothing to do with her. As if they knew, the two guys nodded in his direction as he went and sat by the window, soon being joined by his best friend and brother.

"You know you're going to have to get over it at some point, right?" the other boy asked, his voice icy as always. He settled down, his shirt open and chest exposed, his tattoo prominently on display.

"I'll get over it when she stops fucking with people," Natsu growled, his hands gripping into the desktop. He remembered back to the summer when Minerva had promised to help get him back with Lisanna. That hadn't exactly been the case. "And put some damn clothes on, stripper."

Gray shook his head and sighed loudly, buttoning up his shirt at the same time. "It's Minerva," he reminded, "She's the biggest sadist I've ever met, waiting for her to stop enjoying messing with people's lives is like waiting for Loke to stop hitting on chicks. It's pointless."

Natsu knew that his friend was right but it still didn't change the fact that he hated that woman's guts, especially after what she'd done to that poor girl. Laney something? He couldn't really remember. He did remember how angry he'd gotten at that Lily Heart witch though, hazing her pledges like that. Sure, Fairy Tail messed with their rookies but what Minerva had done was just plain fucked.

Turning his attention to the list still in his hands, the grad student began reading it over. Being that he was older, he didn't usually expect to recognize the names. A couple stood out as siblings of friends or significant others of acquaintances. One stood out and he couldn't place where he knew it from;

LUCY HEARTFILIA - #6153789

Chalking it up to a random encounter, Natsu tuned into his professor discuss the properties of thermodynamics. He still had one more class to TA for Gramps and then he had the Greek Row party. Reminding himself to pick up a bottle of bourbon on his way back to the house, he settled in for a two-hour long lecture and daydreamed about the trouble he and Gray could find later that evening.