Hey, Dark Gothic Lolita here!

So I saw that I actually hadn't updated this story since 2015 and I'm really disgusted with myself! i thought a lot of people wouldn't have been reading it, so I didn't mind not updating, but lately, a load of people have told me to update this story! I'm just so happy that you guys actually enjoy it! Thank you so much for being supportive!

Disclaimers are boring.

ENJOY!

After the hottest summer

Chapter three

Ultear slipped into her art classroom and sat down in one of the lone chairs at the back. She loved art, especially sculpting. It was a profession her mother was extremely talented at and it was passed on in her DNA, straight to her. She knew that Fairy Tail's art department was prestigious and she couldn't wait to see what they would be doing this term.

Her eyes flickered to the door where she saw Juvia walk in through and she grinned. So it looked like Juvia was in her art class. That would be easy to start talking about Zancrow then and see what she feels for the guy.

Juvia was sat diagonally in front of her by two rows and Ultear frowned, wondering how she was going to be able to talk to her now, but she knew she would end up finding a way.

"Good morning class, and welcome to the new year as well as our guests from Grimoire. My name is Reedus-sensei and I hope to share in your joy for art. First of all, I want you to grab a partner. The next two weeks only, it will be a little bit of an icebreaker. In here, I see talented art students, but you all like different things, am I correct? Well, for one week, I want you to do the art that the other person loves and the next week, it will be the other person's. Start grabbing partners and whoever is left, I'll pair them up with someone."

Ultear smirked as though things were all working in her favour, which they probably were. She jumped from her seat and without wasting any time at all, she went to tap Juvia on her shoulder who turned around and smiled in surprise.

"Ultear-san is in this class too? That's cool!"

"Yeah, I saw you walk in. Seeing as I don't really know anyone in this class, can I be your partner? I know you may not want to work with anyone from Grimoire though." Ultear was also a great actress. She tried to play the sympathy card to more or less force Juvia to work with her.

Juvia grinned and moved over her stuff so that she could sit down next to her. "That's fine by Juvia. Juvia was just going to wait for Reedus-sensei to pair her up with someone anyway. Although Juvia has friends, they're the only friends Juvia has. Juvia is quite shy when it comes to other people."

She ducked her head and Ultear looked at her, wanting to coo and just shout out that her and Zancrow would make an extremely cute couple. That's right, Ultear was a sucker for romance. It was a shame Zancrow wasn't.

"So what kind of art is Ultear-san good at?"

"Please, call me Ultear. I like sculpting, but more with ice. I love making stuff out of ice, it's really beautiful."

"Ah, Juvia tried to take ice sculpting lessons, but she wasn't that great. Juvia's ex used to love to do it so he tried to get Juvia to do it one day and she was really bad at it. Instead, she just stuck to her water paints."

"Water paints? Man, I wish I could use those, they look incredible! The shading is just unreal and when there are good artists who can use water paints, it looked so 3d!" Ultear then paused when she remembered what Juvia said about the ice sculpting.

"Wait, did you go out with Gray?"

Juvia raised an eyebrow and nodded her head. "Yes, we dated for a while. How does Ultear know him?"

"Because my mother has two ice sculpting students and seeing as Lyon doesn't come to this school, I'm going to believe that it was Gray that you went out with." Ultear scowled internally. She could still remember the day Gray had broken up with his girlfriend and then told Ultear that they were now free to date, despite the fact that Ultear had told him time and time again that she doesn't like him. She didn't know it was Juvia he had gone and dumped.

"Now I definitely have to get Zancrow and Juvia together."

"Juvia was thinking if maybe we can do the ice sculpting first? Ultear does have that huge freezer in her house, right?"

"Yeah, I don't mind." Ultear smiled and her plan was already coming together. On Tuesdays, her friends hung out at her house. That would mean that Zancrow would be coming today.

"Would you like to start tonight?"

"Yeah, Juvia doesn't have anything to do!"

Ultear's smile turned into a huge grin. "Great."

~x~

Juvia sat at the lunch table alone as she waited for all her friends to arrive. She saw Lisanna paying for her food and Cana was directly behind her. Lucy, Levy and Natsu had all arrived to the hall and Gray and Gajeel were still somewhere to be seen.

"Heeeeey Juvia!"

Cana ruffled her hair and as she sat down, quickly groped her left boob, making Juvia laugh and swat her hand away. She had learnt that she couldn't cause a scene about it as much as it would just spur the girl on. Cana pouted.

"Where's the cute little screams of 'Cana, stop it. No, not there!'? You're no fun anymore."

Juvia laughed as Lisanna rolled her eyes at her friend. Her phone buzzed and she opened whatever the text was with a huge grin on her face. She typed back just as fast and set her phone down. Cana wiggled her eyebrows.

"What has loverboy said now?"

"That he's going to come and pick me up after school so that we can hang out." Lisanna then blushed at what Cana had just said. "We're not lovers! We're...just friends."

Juvia smiled, feeling happy for her friend. The others eventually sat at the table and it all got noisy and more messy around, especially when you throw Gajeel, Natsu and Gray into the mix. At one point, Gray managed to catch Juvia's eyes and he smiled at her, while she threw him a halfhearted smile back.

Cana nudged her friend and whispered to her, "he's been telling me of how much he wants to get back with you."

Juvia's head snapped up and she stared at Cana, the usually drunk girl. Cana nodded at her and Juvia shook her head. She had told herself that when she was dumped by a guy, that was it. Been there, done that sort of thing. She wasn't about to risk going through that hurt again.

"Well, no thanks is what Juvia says."

Gray and Cana were best friends, but even now, Cana couldn't support her best friend's decision on dumping Juvia for another girl who didn't even want him and when he couldn't get her, he wants to come back to Juvia. That was a stupid move.

"Okay, so my dad is out of town this weekend and I'm throwing a party for my birthday. Bring as many friends as you can is all I say."

Natsu's birthday was extremely close to the beginning of the year and it was usually seen as a back to school party. No one could top his parties and no one even tried to. If you couldn't go, you basically missed out on the best party of the year. Rumours started from there, babies were made from there, STDs started from there, the whole lot. Even the people from the years above tried to get into Natsu's project X party.

Cana snickered and fist bumped with Natsu from across the table. She was his supplier when it came to organising drinks for his party, Gajeel was in charge of the music playlist while Lisanna, Lucy and Levy were in charge of the decorating. Not like there was much decorating, it was just a way to make sure that things didn't get broken.

Juvia brought her juice up to her lips and already knew what friends she would be bringing to the party. Her eyes scanned the hall for the said people and she found them. They looked like they were having quite a bit of fun.

Zancrow then met her eyes and they stared at each other for what seemed to be eternity. She wanted to do nothing more than run up to him and tackle him and kiss him. She wanted him back in her life again, but he had a girlfriend? No, she couldn't put herself through it. She turned away from him and started talking to Gajeel instead.

Ultear saw the whole thing and frowned. She still didn't understand what was going on because Zancrow hadn't told her what he did. She knew it was him who did something because Juvia looked like she was so in love with him that she wanted to be by his side. Zancrow screwed a lot of things up, there's no doubt that he screwed his chances of finding a nice girl up.

~x~

"So you're going to Ultear's tonight then? Have fun then."

Juvia giggled as she pushed Lisanna away from her and into the direction of Sting. He smirked and Lisanna blushed.

Lisanna waved to Juvia who waved back and waited at the gates for Ultear. In the distance, she could see Zancrow's wild hair in the distance and she could imagine the smug smirk that he would wear on his lips without fail.

She looked around her for somewhere to hide, but she shook that thought out of her head. There was no hiding anymore. She wasn't in the wrong, she was one the one who was wronged. She will stand up in front of him and show him that he no longer affects her.

He finally came into view properly and they caught each other's eyes. She saw something flash in his orbs, almost like pain, sadness and regret before he looked away and headed out of the gates. Juvia released her breath and was glad he didn't try and make it awkward between them, but she was surprised. He didn't try to talk to her which was odd. He was always persistent. She knew Zancrow, he doesn't give up until he gets what he wants.

She then saw Ultear and she pushed all thoughts about Zancrow out of her mind. She noticed that Meredy was also with her and she sagged a little bit. Whenever she saw the cheerful girl, she would always feel really bad for being the whore that would have come in between her and Zancrow's relationship and she didn't want to be that person.

"Hey Juvia! Ultear told me that you guys are going to be partners on some art project you have to do! That is sooooo cool!"

Juvia smiled as they started walking out of the gates and down towards Ultear's house.

"Oh yeah, Juvia just remembered. Natsu is hosting his birthday party, as well as his yearly back to school one. It's this Saturday. Do you want to come?"

Meredy's face lit up even more. "You had me at 'party'! This is going to be so sweet, I hardly went to any during the summer. I was on holiday most of the time, so you can count me in. Also, there are rumours flying about the place that Natsu's party always goes out with a bang. He's the King of partying since the days of the Gildarts-sensei."

Juvia giggled and nodded her head. The stories of Gildarts partying days were about to get topped by Natsu. He thought the guy was a legend and always tried to be better than him.

"Yeah, I've heard that Natsu's parties are insane. To be able to go to one, I would have to be insane or dead to not attend. Count me in. Can the others come as well?" Ultear turned her head to Juvia, an even bigger plan forming in her head. This was so easy! It was like the universe itself wanted Zancrow and Juvia together and was just doing all these things to bring them together.

"Yeah, it's more or less an open invite, but Juvia just wanted to tell you guys herself."

The two other girls nodded as they got onto the bus. They didn't really live in this area, so they lived around 30 minutes away on the bus. That was just where Grimoire was.

"Juvia can't believe that those people used your school to push drugs."

"We can. Our school is seen as the bad school and in our area, that's where the closest gang all live. Of course they were ex-students and they know all the ins and outs of the school and started to deal in there. I'm not surprised at all."

Ultear shrugged her shoulders and it made Juvia remember her days back in Phantom High three years ago. The school was a bad one, but she moved out of there thankfully, but she shouldn't have been surprised when Grimoire had the same reputation. She used to live that rough school life for a few years.

Eventually they got to Ultear's and as soon as they got into the living room, Meredy threw herself onto the sofa. Juvia remembered coming here that one time she was forced to do ice sculpting with Gray. She hadn't liked it much because Gray was being so impatient with her, as though she was supposed to understand it straight away.

"Ultear? Did you come back with the rest of them?"

Ur was then stood in the doorway and Juvia's jaw almost dropped. She didn't know why she hadn't noticed it, but now that they stood next to each other, Ur and Ultear really looked the same. If Ur were any younger or Ultear any older, they could have easily passed off as twins.

"Oh hey Juvia! I see you've made friends with my daughter! Ultear, I've got the usual stuff on the table."

"Thanks mum. Oh yeah, as well as being friends, Juvia is here because we're doing an art project where we have to do the art of our partner's for two weeks and then theirs for two weeks after that."

Ur laughed a little. "Are you ready to meet your personal hell Juvia?"

Juvia rolled her eyes with a smile. Ur knew how much she hated ice sculpting. Well, she herself had witnessed first hand how Gray treated her and as much as she was fond of her student, she didn't agree with him in that sense. She always saw the times he tried to flirt with Ultear as well.

"Juvia thinks it should be fine this time. Ultear will be more patient than Gray anyway."

Ur didn't miss out on the fact that Juvia's add the -sama at the end of the name. She looked over at her daughter who had frozen a little bit before moving on with her actions. She put her bag down slowly and Ur couldn't help but wonder what had happened during the summer.

"Well, we're going to head into the main room now. The others will probably be here in like the next ten minutes or so."

Ur nodded her head as Meredy brought out to the main room. The other two headed in there as well.

"Okay, so I was thinking, we should draw out what we would like to do first before we jump straight into it. Maybe something smaller for you, not the main action stuff we do."

Juvia shrugged her shoulders, liking that idea. "So Juvia is guessing, something cliché, more like a Swan?"

"Oh man, swans are so easy! Yeah, I can get you doing that. Let me get a drawing pad."

Ultear got up to leave and get her sketch pad that was up in her room. That just left Meredy and Juvia, with the former flicking through channels on the TV and munching on the cookies that were left on the table.

"So Juvia, do you have a boyfriend?"

Juvia shook her head, the guilt rising up in her throat. She remembered telling Zancrow about her feelings two days prior and how she had basically told her boyfriend she loved him. God she felt so bad!

"No, Juvia has been single the whole summer. Gray broke up with Juvia at the beginning."

Meredy gasped as she turned to look at her. "No way! Wow, do you know why he broke up with you?"

"Juvia didn't know then and Juvia still doesn't know why now. It doesn't matter anyway, Juvia is done with him. Juvia chased him for so long to try and get his love and he didn't even want know Juvia. It wasn't until Lyon started showing interest in Juvia that he decided he wanted to Juvia himself."

"Ah, so he got jealous?"

"Yeah, pretty much. Juvia loved the attention and then we started dating."

Meredy reached over and rubbed the other girl's hand in a comforting manner. "Well, you're a nice girl, I'm sure you'll find someone. You know what! I have a friend you might just be good for! I'll work on setting you guys together!"

"Oh no, please don't. Juvia doesn't want to be in a relationship right in this moment in time."

She didn't say anything more because Ultear was back and she flopped down into the bean bag next to Juvia's seat.

"Meredy, Zancrow texted me, they'll be at the door in a few seconds."

"Okay!"

She jumped up to go and wait for them at the door and Ultear then looked up at Juvia who seemed to have frozen when she heard the name Zancrow. That was her time to strike. She knew that the others would start an argument at the door and it gave Ultear more than enough time to confront Juvia on the situation.

"So...you and Zancrow huh?"

Ultear couldn't help but notice the look of fear etched in on Juvia's face and she frowned, wondering why she was so scared that she knew. Was that an issue? Had Zancrow threatened her about if people found out about them both? He wasn't making things easier for himself!

"H-how did Ultear know?"

Oh, so she wasn't even going to deny it. That made things so easy!

"I saw you two one day and Meredy and I are the only female friends he has, so I figured that you two are going out. Do you like him?" She reached over and grabbed a cookie and watched as Juvia's facial expression turned from that of fear to confusion.

"Wait, Juvia doesn't understand. How can Ultear calmly ask Juvia if she has feelings for Zancrow, when he's going out with...wait, you and Meredy are only his FEMALE friends? Meredy too?"

"Are you deaf?" Ultear was now also confused. She didn't get what Juvia was saying because she was jumping from question to question and it made literally no sense whatsoever. It looked like she was going to have a harder time getting them together.

"It's just that Zancrow told Juvia..."

She trailed off when the others started making their way into the room and throwing themselves onto the bean bags splattered around the room. Zancrow hadn't noticed Juvia in the room at the time and sat in his usual seat-next to her.

Zancrow looked at the person that was sitting next to him and he came face to face with the wide eyed girl he had a fling with in the summer. They both stared at each other and Ultear watched them both as it looked like Zancrow was about to say something when Juvia just stood up and walked out of the room, claiming she needed to go to the toilet.

Ultear tried to click things into her head when she ran after Juvia. She threw an evil glare at Zancrow, showing that he wasn't about to get off the hook. "Wait Juvia, come here and finish what you were going to say to me!"

Juvia whirled round with tears in her eyes and Ultear stopped in surprise. She then came forward with a sigh. They had only met for two days and already she felt responsible for Zancrow's actions and that she had to comfort this girl.

"Zancrow told Juvia that he has a girlfriend! Juvia felt so betrayed, so HURT! Juvia has never in life wanted to be that sort of girl who's some guy's chick on the side, but here she was, being exactly that! Juvia didn't want to take another girl's boyfriend just because hers broke up with Juvia! Ultear must hate Juvia now!"

Ultear quickly ushered the girl out of the front door, thanking God that she had shut the door behind her as they left the living room. She closed the front door behind her as she sat the crying girl down on the stairs.

"I don't hate you, you didn't know. It was Zancrow's fault. Do you know who his girlfriend is?"

Juvia wiped her eyes and looked up at the other girl. "Well, yes? Juvia is confused, why is Ultear acting like she doesn't know?"

"Because I don't!"

"But Meredy is your best friend!"

"What does Mered-"

Ultear froze halfway through her sentence. It all made sense now. Zancrow used to have a big crush on Meredy when they had all first met and Meredy spent a good majority of her time telling him no. As crazy and merciless as the guy was, he had liked Meredy up until last year, totalling in to almost 4 years. Juvia flinched when she saw the anger on Ultear's face and she thought it was aimed at her.

"Juvia is sorry."

"What? Oh, I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at Zancrow for lying to you! Meredy and Zancrow aren't dating! I should give him a fucking piece of my fucking mind!"

Juvia jumped and shook her head while holding Ultear back and away from the door. "No please, don't say anything, Juvia doesn't want to even know why he lied to Juvia! Please, just don't!"

Ultear looked down at Juvia who was still crying but trying to make herself stop. She felt her heart reach out to her as she could see a little bit of Meredy within Juvia and it made her sigh. "Okay, FINE!"

Juvia smiled slightly before heading into the toilet to try and calm herself down. The two of them went back into the main room where Juvia sat down next to Zancrow as though nothing had happened. The blond didn't say anything as he looked over at Juvia when she decided to speak up.

"So um, Natsu-san is holding a party this Saturday and he said all are invited. Juvia wanted to invite you guys..."

"NATSU?! Aww, hell yeah, I've heard his parties are the ONE! There's no way I'm missing that for anyone or anything man! Count me in!"

Asuma fist bumped Kane who said he would come, obviously because the food is great. Meredy had already expressed her excitement and Zancrow didn't say anything. He just shut his eyes and that was about it. Juvia glanced at him before picking up the sketchpad to continue drawing the swans.

The others all started doing their own thing as they just lazed about and started talking about their own day, while Juvia then moved the drawing to the table. She knew the drawing didn't have to be perfect and in detail because they were going to make an ice sculpture out of it, but she wanted it to look nice.

After around 20 minutes of her drawing and erasing, She felt someone come and sit next to her. She ignored the person because she knew exactly who it was and he was the last person that she wanted to even be around right now. She knew his body heat like the back of her palm.

"Nice drawing."

She gently hummed as though to say that he wasn't welcomed sitting next to her. Her heart was ripping inside of her. To think that he lied to her about being in love with someone else, and now he has the cheek to come and sit next to her and act like everything was still okay?! She hated him.

Suddenly, her phone rang which saved her. She answered it and it was her mum asking her to get a few things for dinner on her way back. She put her phone away and ignored Zancrow as she got up to pass Ultear her drawing pad back. She needed the distraction and her mother provided her with the best one.

"Juvia has to get going, mother wants some stuff for dinner tonight. Juvia guesses she'll see you all tomorrow? It was nice having Juvia over, thank you."

Ultear took the book and waved her hand. "It's nothing really. I guess we have the next two weeks on this project. I'll see you out."

Juvia said goodbye to Ur on her way out as well and as soon as Ultear opened the door, she flashed an angry glare at Juvia. She was angry that Juvia didn't want to find out the answer to why Zancrow was lying to her. "If you don't confront him soon, I will. He won't get away with this."

Juvia couldn't understand why Ultear cared so much about it, but shrugged anyway. She was tired of the whole situation. It would be so easy if she were still in love with Gray.

"Okay. See you tomorrow."

As soon as Ultear shut the door, she went back into the room with all of her friends as she glared at the unknowing Zancrow.

So how was that chapter for the people who actually do read this lol. I hope it was okay and I will push out at least 2 more chapters this year for it lol. Can't believe this would be the 2nd year with no update! Time goes by too fast!

Please don't forget to rate or hate, flames or floods! I love you guys so stick a review in there!

Lolita-chan