Fan Club

Disclaimer – I do not own Fairy Tail

Author's Note: Why, brain?! Why?!

Chapter 10

"I was right!" Natsu hissed through his teeth as he continued peering through the window of their literature classroom. It was currently lunchtime, and Natsu had made it his mission to prove that their literature teacher, Macao-sensei, was actually a drunk.

Gray looked through the window as well, and sure enough, that bastard of a man was swigging away from something in a brown bottle. "Would you look at that? How did you know?"

"Well, you and Rogue wouldn't know because you two are in the library during certain classes. But Macao-sensei usually reeks of alcohol. And I kept seeing him take a drink from something in his drawer. I don't think he keeps it locked, though," continued Natsu as he began hatching a plan.

"HE'S GOT BOOZE?!" exclaimed Sting, eyes widening.

"Would you shut up?" snapped Gray.

"So what do you guys want to do about it?" inquired Lucy. "We should tell someone, right?"

"Well, even though I'm on the Student Council, I only have so much credibility. And any teacher we tell might think we're messing around," stated Rogue. "But we could set him up so that he gets caught."

"I think I have an idea," said Natsu.

"Um, are you guys sure this is a good idea?" Levy questioned. "I mean, we could still tell a teacher like Lucy said."

"Shut up, Levy," said Sting. "Do you guys have that window open yet?"

"We can't mess with it now. He's still in there," hissed Rogue.

"Well, go distract him or something."

"I'd better not get detention for this," Rogue muttered under his breath as he left.

A few minutes later, a loud ruckus came from the hall outside Macao-sensei's door. And—sure enough—he got up to investigate. That would keep him busy for awhile.

"Now get that window open," ordered Gray.

Natsu and Sting knelt by the window and tried to pry it open. When they succeeded, they noticed there was just enough space for Levy to slide through.

"Come here," Natsu said, beckoning Levy to him.

"Why?"

"You're the only one who can fit."

"But those sides look sharp. What if I cut my arms or something?"

"Oh, for the love of—"

"EEP!"

Gray grabbed Levy's jacket sleeves and tied them around her, her arms trapped inside, making it look as if she wore a straightjacket. Next, he shoved Levy through the open window.

Levy flopped like a fish once she landed on the floor. "I can't get untied!"

"Just wriggle out of the jacket!" hissed Natsu.

Once Levy managed to break free from her bonds, she crept back to the window.

"Okay, get the bottle out of his desk and empty it out. Then replace it with the iced tea," said Natsu as he passed Levy the drink.

"Okay," she replied nervously.

Levy sped over to the desk and opened the bottom right drawer. Finding the bottle, she popped off the top and nearly fainted at the potency of the alcohol. How on earth could that man drink this stuff?

Glancing around the classroom, she raced over to the nearest houseplant and emptied the bottle, hoping the poor plant wouldn't die immediately from the booze. Once the bottle was empty, she opened the iced tea and poured its contents into the empty bottle.

"If I catch whoever's been making noise in this hall, you'll be suspended before you can even say suspension!"

Levy jumped. Macao-sensei was just outside the door.

"Hurry!" Natsu hissed again.

The small teen put the top back on the bottle, nearly threw it into the drawer, shut it, grabbed her jacket, and flew through the window in a mere few seconds.

"That was close," Levy panted.

"Good job, Levy," commended Natsu.

"What do we do now?"

"Rogue's got that covered."

"Where is he, anyway?" inquired Gray.

"Over there," replied Natsu as he pointed to Rogue. He was walking in their direction with Mavis-sensei, their Vice Principal.

"What on earth are you doing out here?" questioned Mavis-sensei. "You should all be at lunch!"

"We were," cut in Rogue, "but then we saw something strange, and I ran off to find help."

"Help? For what?"

"We saw Macao-sensei drinking something. We think it might be alcohol," interceded Gray.

"Is that so?" replied Mavis-sensei, putting her hands on her hips as she pursed her lips. "Stay here."

They raced toward the window when she went around the corner. And soon enough, she entered Macao-sensei's classroom just as he put his bottle to his lips.

"Macao!"

The man spat his drink across his desk, giving it a look of disgust. "Mavis?"

"Is that alcohol?"

"No! Those brats replaced it with iced tea! When I find out who—" Macao-sensei immediately stopped talking. "I mean—um—you see—I have a prescription!"

Mavis-sensei pinched the bridge of her nose. Even their students weren't that stupid. "I'm afraid you will need to be released from your position…immediately. We can't have this type of behavior reflect the school."

"I can't believe that actually worked," said Sting in awe.

"You know what this means, right?" started Rogue.

"Substitute!" Natsu replied, giving Rogue a high-five.

"Greetings, students," announced Gildarts-sensei, Fairy Academy's new literature teacher. "Due to an unfortunate series of events, Macao-sensei will not be able to work here anymore."

The students who knew the real reason behind his absence snickered.

"So I hope that we can all start off on the right foot, and have an excellent school year," he stated excitedly. "And thank you, Gray and Rogue, for being in class today. I understand your academic status, but I'd appreciate it if you'd stop by once in awhile.

"Now let's shake things up a bit. I've noticed that you haven't had the opportunity to express yourselves. I hold creativity and originality to the highest standard, so I thought we'd do a bit of poetry."

The class immediately groaned.

"Aw, that doesn't appeal to anyone?" continued Gildarts-sensei. "How about if it's love poetry?"

Gray's head shot up as soon as he said that. No, he thought to himself, glancing worriedly at nearly every fangirl who looked his way. He would have rather kept the drunken teacher.

"I see I got everyone's attention with that one," he laughed. "Here's your assignment—which will be due tomorrow. I want everyone to create an original piece of poetry—love poetry—that can be directed toward anyone. A boyfriend, girlfriend, movie star, whatever. It can even be someone you're pining for."

I hate this man, Gray thought when his fangirls looked at him again.

"And the best part is yet to come! Starting tomorrow, I'll randomly select people to recite their poems! After I go over them first, of course. We wouldn't want to encounter anything too explicit. Am I right?"

Gray groaned and sank further into his seat. He definitely would have rather kept the drunken teacher.

Gildarts-sensei was quite pleased with the buzz of excitement in the air from his students. Even if most of that buzz was coming from the girls. And by the crazed looks in some—er, most—of their eyes, he was starting to have second thoughts about this whole love poetry thing.

At least he'd finished grading their poems. Most of their excitement was probably due to the possibility of reciting their poem in class. That would have been great if half the poems hadn't all been directed toward one person.

Why did Gray Fullbuster have to be in his classroom? Oh, well. Teenagers, right?

"An F?" screeched Sting. Gildarts-sensei looked down to see the appalled look on his student's face as he passed him the graded poem. "Why did I get an F?"

Gildarts-sensei resisted the urge to smack the teen upside the head. "Because you plagiarized."

"I plagi-what?"

"You copied that poem from somewhere else."

"And?"

"The assignment was to create your own original poem."

Sting shot up in his seat. "But this poem totally represents me!"

Everyone in the class turned toward them.

"It was supposed to be a love poem. An original love poem."

"It is a love poem, and I can prove it! Lover!" Sting cried, turning his attention toward Natsu. Said teen froze, staring at him wide-eyed. "This is for you!"

Sting's Poem

Mirror, Mirror on the wall.

Make 'em beg.

Make 'em crawl.

"This shows what I am willing to do for my lover," stated Sting firmly.

Rogue hid his face in his hands. If Sting wasn't going to be embarrassed, he might as well be embarrassed for him.

Gildarts-sensei opened his mouth to speak before he was cut off by another girl. "That's not fair! I want to read my poem!"

"No! I get to go next!"

"No! Me!"

Gildarts-sensei's eyes widened as the girls—Gray's fangirls, he presumed—started attacking each other. And when they suddenly lunged toward Gray, an idea struck him to save him.

"Everyone who got an A can leave!" he screamed at the top of her lungs. As soon as those students bolted, he slammed the door shut and tried to calm everyone down.

"That was close," panted Rogue as he and Gray slowed down from their brief sprint. "Are we the only ones who got A's?"

"It appears so," replied Gray in the same breathless manner. "Or we're the only ones who made it out alive."

Rogue chuckled. "What should we do now? Class still won't be out for awhile."

"Go to the library like we normally do?" suggested Gray.

"Sounds like a plan."

They headed for the library and carefully snuck passed any hall monitors since they didn't exactly have a pass to be wandering the halls. Once they made it, they went toward the back of the library so that they wouldn't be seen by the librarian. Their librarian had an unhealthy obsession with Gray, so it was best to lay low.

Plopping down in one of the leather chairs, Rogue sighed, letting his head flop backward on the chair as he dropped his book bag next to him.

Gray sat in the chair next to him. That was when he noticed the sheet of paper on the floor. He reached down to pick it up. "Is this your poem?"

Rogue shot up like a rocket. "Give it back!" he said quickly as he tried to snatch the paper from him. But Gray just stood up, his poem just out of his reach.

Rogue's Poem

He has yet to see the love I hold within my heart

To know that my very soul has been torn apart

And when I feel the need to cry out his name

I extinguish all that hope as one would do a flame

For if he knows what lies within my tortured mind

My world will shatter as it's maligned

And if he does not feel the same as I do thus

I'll have nothing but this loneliness

So I keep the truth away from him, ever

As my heart and soul begin to wither

And as I feign this falsehood as a crime

I can only hope my life will cease before its time

"I said give it back!" Rogue shouted. This time he was able to grab his poem, although it ripped in half.

Gray's body moved of its own accord as he handed him the other half. He watched him carefully as he shoved the torn poem into his book bag. However, as soon as it looked like he was about to bolt, he grabbed his arm. "Stop."

"Let me go. Please?" he begged.

"No," he replied as he forced him back into the chair. He knelt in front of him so he couldn't escape. "What was it about?"

"Nothing. It's just a poem, okay?"

"That was not nothing," Gray insisted. He didn't really know how to go about this. How was he supposed to phrase it? "Are you feeling…suicidal?"

"No, I don't want to die…idiot," Rogue said softly after a moment's pause. "I just couldn't find something else that rhymed with crime and I didn't want to change the line."

"Rogue—"

"But that doesn't mean parts of the poem aren't true," Rogue cut in, his voice beginning to crack. "I never really knew what love was like until I met him. He's the light to my darkness. The world is brighter with him; it's filled with color. And…"

"And?" Gray urged.

"I..." he continued; however, his voice started to crack again as tears pooled in his eyes. "I-I fell in love with him."

Gray stared at him. "Who?" he implored.

Rogue shook his head. "It's just so…hard," said Rogue, tears stinging his eyes. "I'm in love with my best friend while he's head over heels in love with someone else. Whenever I see him with…him, it's like someone's stabbing me in the heart. He doesn't feel for me the way I feel for him, and it's killing me inside."

Gray clenched his jaw shut. Who the hell was Rogue talking about? Was it Sting…or Natsu? "Have you tried…telling him?"

Rogue shook his head again then sighed, looking completely defeated. "What if I did tell him and it ruined everything? What if I tell him and it destroys our friendship? I can't do that. I can't handle that. And I doubt he'd have any interest in me.

"Let's face it. I fell in love with someone who can never love me back. All I can do is stand off on the sidelines and make sure he's happy. I'll just do whatever makes him happy. As long as I can be with him that way, then…then…" Rogue stopped as the tears finally fell, sobs threatening to escape him.

Gray stood and sat in the chair next to him. Somehow, he could feel the pain he was going through; it was as if he spoke of the fears resting within his own heart.

Gray jolted when the bell rang, signaling the start of lunch. He quickly glanced around and noticed Rogue had fallen asleep in his chair. He frowned when he noticed how exhausted he looked. Maybe he should take him to the infirmary?

As carefully as he could, Gray stood and picked up Rogue in his arms. It felt awkward. He'd never really carried a full grown person before.

Finally leaving the library, Gray reached the hallway and froze. Students were staring at him strangely. Was it that odd for him to be seen helping someone?

"Gray! You wouldn't believe the fight that happened after you guys left!" Natsu shouted from behind him.

Gray slowly turned around and noticed Gray and Sting nearly trampling over each other to get to him. Then they noticed Rogue.

"What happened?" asked Natsu in concern.

"What did you do?" Sting accused.

"I didn't do anything," Gray snapped. He pursed his lips and tried to keep himself under control.

"What happened?" Natsu asked again.

"He's not feeling well," Gray answered quickly. "I'm taking him to the infirmary."

"Okay. Then let's go," insisted Natsu.

"Can you believe there's no nurse around?" Natsu stated as Gray set Rogue down on one of the two beds. He made to sit down next to him, but Sting beat him to it. Sighing, Gray moved to the other end of the room and crossed his arms.

"That's okay. I can take care of him," Sting said softly as he brushed the hair out of Rogue's eyes. "Has he been crying?"

Gray's head shot up. "What?"

"Has he been crying? He looks like he's been crying."

You can tell that? Gray thought frantically. What was he supposed to say?

"Did something happen?" asked Natsu, looking concerned.

Gray began to panic. Out of all times, these two decided to be hyper observant now! "We…were reading Les Misérables! We got to a really sad part. Fantine died! It was a really touching scene!"

Natsu and Sting eyed him skeptically. Suddenly, a long sigh interrupted Gray from having to explain any further. Rogue was waking up.

Sting immediately turned his attention back to him. "Hey," he said gently.

When Rogue realized who was talking to him, he shot up. "Sting? Where—"

"You're in the infirmary," Gray cut in. "I brought you here because you weren't feeling well after you cried over Fantine dying while we read Les Misérables. You fell asleep in the library afterward, remember?" It was probably best not to bring up what really happened.

Rogue stared at him for a few seconds, memories of what had actually happened hitting him all at once. And Gray was giving him a way out. "Yeah. I remember now."

Natsu took in the way they stared at each other strangely. It was like they were having some sort of conversation, but he and Sting didn't know the language. He glanced at Sting; the same expression seemed to be on his face when their eyes met. Something was going on.

"Are you feeling better?" Sting asked.

Rogue plastered a smile on his face, a smile Gray knew was fake. "Yeah. I just have a really bad headache."

"Okay," replied Sting unsurely. If you say so.

"Should we go to lunch now? It is lunch, right?" questioned Rogue as he got off the bed.

"Sure," said Natsu. He watched as Rogue left the infirmary, Sting right behind him.

"Hey! Come have lunch with me," announced Natsu as he grabbed Rogue's hand and dragged him away from Sting.

"What? But—"

"Don't worry. Loke will keep him busy long enough," laughed Natsu as he led Rogue toward a table near the back of the cafeteria.

"Long enough for what?"

"Just sit."

Rogue raised an eyebrow but sat all the same. "I'm sitting."

Natsu sat down next to him and started fumbling with his hands. "So…I was wondering if you'd…well, go on a date with me."

"…Excuse me?"

"A date."

"Like a dinner and a movie date?"

"Yeah! But…a fake date. Just to get their attention, you know?" he blurted a little too enthusiastically. "If you want to, that is."

Rogue sighed. Was he really going to consider this? Maybe he should give it a shot. Maybe he needed to do this. "Okay. But don't expect anything to come out of it, all right?"

"Okay. No pressure," replied Natsu. "How about Friday night? I'll pick you up at eight?"

"Sure," he said with a smile as Natsu proceeded to leave. Once he was gone, Sting sat down next to him.

"What was that all about?" he asked.

"Hm? Oh, Natsu asked me out on a date," Rogue replied, chancing a quick glance at Sting.

"A date?" echoed Sting. "And what did you say?"

"I said yes."

Sting felt his heart skip a beat as he clenched his hands into fists.

"You okay?" asked Rogue.

"Yeah! I'm fine!" Sting answered with a smile.

"I know how much you like Natsu—"

"It's okay! Really! Maybe we can turn it into a threesome sometime!"

Sting turned his head so that he could look at Natsu. Something didn't feel right, that was for sure. Why did he feel a sudden spike of anger toward Natsu?

He supposed that meant Mission: Date Stalker was about to begin.

End Chapter