"I can't believe I thought she'd be al little interested in me," Gray said, as he walked towards his apartment. His hands were in the pockets of his jacket, and his mouth was set in a hard frown. With his aura dark, his thoughts were jumbled and centered on the ruby haired girl he loved. "I really am an idiot," he said, shaking his head disgustedly.

"I don't think so," a feminine voice said behind him affectionately.

'Huh?' he thought.

Then he paused mid step, a few people walking past him giving him weird looks.

When he turned to look behind him, he saw a blue-haired beauty and enemy.

"Lluvia?" he asked, confused by her sudden appearance.

"Yes," she said, blushing happily that he remembered her name.

"What are you doing here?" he asked coldly.

Unnerved by his tone she said, "Lluvia knows this is a public place right? Though, Lluvia saw you walking so Lluvia thought she'd say hi."

Gray was very surprised at how nice…and slightly annoying she was. He was also surprised by how he felt a sudden kindness to this young lady. It was really odd, and he couldn't place a finger on it.

"Well, uh I got to go so see you at school," he said, starting to walk again and raising a hand as a farewell.

Lluvia squealed happily, and she jumped into the air gladly.

"Gray," she said softly, her heart skipping a lot of beats.

"And then…he kissed me!" Erza said to Lucy, grinning like a madman. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her red hair slightly out of place. Her eyes were glassy and she was little jumpy, always touching her lips in shock.

"Aww," Lucy said with a big smile, while squeezing her sister's hand in happiness as well.

"But," Erza said, sitting back down on the bed. "Gray saw us, so now I feel guilty…I figured out that, I might like him a little."

"Huh?" Lucy asked. "I thought you loved Gerard?"

"I do," Erza said, getting angry with her. "It's just…Gray…"

'Uh oh,' Lucy thought. 'Love triangle.'

"Then, maybe you should break it off with Gerard," Lucy suggested, pained with that idea. "It's not fair to either of them, if you're not firmly in love with one of them."

"You're right," Erza said, her thoughts and feelings all befuddled. Although she knew this decision was mature, it broke her heart to do this. She loved Gerard, but with gray…it was more like sexual tension. All teenagers had that.

"It'll work out somehow," Lucy said, hugging Erza sympathetically.

"Lucy! Erza! Come down here right now!" a familiar voice yelled.

Lucy pulled away, and the two girls exchanged glances. Mr. Heartfilia. He did say that he was coming but, not this early. Then they rushed downstairs and curtseyed to him, not looking up and saying,

"Good afternoon sir!"

It was still before five.

As they raised their heads he asked, "Where are all the maids and chefs? My chauffeur didn't come for me, so it was highly embarrassing to be caught riding in a taxi."

Lucy trembled and she grasped her shirt tightly. "I d-dismissed them a few days ago. But they'll um, be back to-"

Mr. Heartfilia slapped his daughter across the face so hard it echoed in the empty house. Erza gasped, and shut her eyes tightly to not let angry tears leak out of her eyes. Lucy's skin stung where her father's hand had made contact with. It was already turning a darker color, as soon as her father's hand released her cheek.

"Lucy! Never do that again or you'll be confined in your room for a week. No food, visitors, water, maids and so on. Do you hear me girl?" he said with such a ferocity that she started to tremble even harder.

Lucy nodded painfully while she gingerly touched her cheek.

"Since I'm too tired to punish you girls correctly, you both get grits punishment," he said, leading them to the kitchen, and pulling grits from a cabinet.

In a few minutes there were eight piles of grits on the golden ground. They sparkled in the light, like small crystals and it made them shiver.

"This time, you'll be on those for four hours today," he instructed, piercing their eyes with his blue ones. "Get in position. My only bodyguard at the moment will be watching you so if you disobey me, I'll enforce my own way of correcting stuff."

Soon enough tall buff Asian was in front of them with a non-emotional face. Although you could tell, his black eyes behind the sunglasses were studying the girls over critically.

"Start now," their father ordered, walking out of the room and heading up the stairs with a yawn.

Lucy and Erza put both of their knees on each pile, as their elbows were on the last two. In a few minutes they could already feel the grits breaking their skin, as blood trickled down their room sickingly. Pain engulfed them, and it took all their willpower not to scream and get off the grits.

"Why aren't Lucy and Erza here?" Cana asked at lunch the next day.

Natsu overheard her question and spat, "Their dad came back yesterday night." Then he shook his head and whispered, "What a bastard."

Gray looked over at Gerard who was talking rapidly to Ultear. Jealousy ripped through him, yet none of that emotion showed on his impassive face.

Just then Erza and Lucy walked into the lunchroom, a little out of balance but otherwise fine. Erza was wearing brown leather leggings, suede gray heels with a long dark blue sweater and white tube top underneath. Her hair was in a high ponytail and her bangs were pinned back with a slight arc. Lucy had black skinny jeans on, with purple heels. She also had a purple and gray, elbow-length striped v-neck with a black vest. Her hair was in a braid to the left of her shoulder; and on her head was a faux white flower.

As they walked over, they slumped on the bench with relief.

"Sorry we're late," Lucy said, with a sad smile that was restricting her feelings. "We…slept in."

"What did he do to you guys now?" Natsu asked angrily before anyone could stop him.

Lucy's jaw dropped. "You guys know about…how?"

"Me," Erza admitted, catching Gerard's sad gaze and quickly turning away.

Lucy smiled a little. "Oh, it only makes us stronger friends then."

Levy and Mirajane smiled gratefully at the blonde.

"What did he do?" Natsu asked again.

"Grit punishment for four hours. I'm surprised we didn't topple over from pain," Erza joked, trying to lighten the heavy air. No one laughed, since that predicament wasn't funny. And...they knew how to properly share pain.

"Don't joke about that dammit!" Gray yelled at her, causing her eyes to widen. "I've heard of that kind of abuse. It's horrible."

"Anyway," Lucy said, changing the subject. "How's school so far?"

"Boring," they all chorused; except Mirajane and Levy.

"Nerds," Laxus whispered.

"Oh shut up!" Levy yelled angrily. She wasn't scared of him, no matter how strong the guy was. Mirajane sighed when she saw Freed laugh with Laxus. She hated at times, that he was a follower. When his gaze met hers, they both looked away shamefully.

"Is it me, or do you look gorgeous today?" Loke asked Lucy, kissing her non-gloved hand with a gentle, yet tender flourish.

She giggled at his flattery.

"Let me carry you princess to your next class, "he said, picking her up bridal-style when the bell rang. She protested, but yet, you could tell she secretly enjoyed this treatment from the handsome young man.

As they walked out Bisca said,
"They'd be a cute couple."

"Yeah, if he wasn't such a flirt, "Levy said, shaking her head.

"What's wrong Natsu?" Erza asked the salmon-haired boy as his eyes widened,

Natsu looked up and said, "Erza, I can't find my second lunch bag anywhere. I was going to finish it as I walked to my nest period."

Erza sighed pitifully.

Then Gray walked by with a handsome smirk. "Nice."

When Erza looked at Gray he looked away, and picked up his speed.

'I knew it,' she thought. 'He was the one watching us.'

Running up to Gray, she took his hand and pulled him hard to the corner of the lunchroom.

"Hey!" he said surprisingly.

Gerard shook his head, and rushed out the lunchroom cursing under his breath and feeling tears pushing at his eyelids. Ultear stared after him then glared at Gray and Erza. Gerard loved Erza, he said her name countless times…and Ultear hated that. She hated how after all those years; Gerard was still in love with Erza. Ultear decided right then, she would do something about that tiny little obstacle in her perfect life. She was the president and the most popular in school. She had the power laid right on a platter, waiting to be savored and chewed to no end.

"Gray…do you love me?" Erza asked, staring in his eyes with emotion he didn't know she possessed for him.

"I did," he replied truthfully. "I do. But we could never work out. Gerard loves you, you…love him."

"But!" she protested, and he put a finger on her lips with a small smile.

"Thank me later," he said softly, winking at her and walking out of the lunchroom. He didn't notice a blue-haired girl, crying at the water fountain.

It may have been beautiful outside, but the drama and anger seething out of everyone was overwhelming. Gerard was talking to Laxus and Bixlow, but constantly glancing at Erza. Gray acted like nothing ever happened and was laughing with Jet and Droy about an instance at school. Lucy was talking to Loke, and pointing up at the stars with happy smiles on their faces.

"Where is Master?" Levy asked Mirajane.

The white-haired girl frowned and bit her lip. "No idea. He should be here by now."

Natsu and Happy were also looking at the stars silently.

"The stars look like fish," happy said dreamily, pawing at the air trying to get it.

But Natsu wasn't paying attention. He glanced back at Lucy and Loke; wishing he was the one making the blonde laugh.

"Natsu?" Happy asked.

Natsu shook his head and looked back at the cat.

"Yeah?" he asked, rubbing his temples.

Happy sighed. "Nothing."

"Look!" Alzack said, with stars in his eyes. "Our beloved Master is here."

Soon enough a small elderly man was walking towards them with a tall walking stick. He was really short with a thick, white mustache. He was wearing a jacket, pants and a long-sleeve shirt.

"Master!" the group yelled lovingly.

Lucy's jaw dropped and her brown eyes widened.

"That's…master?"