Chapter 10

Coincidence to Miss Secretary

Lucy's P.O.V.

"Hello everyone! I'm Lisanna Strauss and starting today I'd be joining your class again." Everyone cheered as Lisanna bowed infront of the whole class. I heard from Levy earlier that Lisanna is the Student Council Secretary but the headmaster sent her on an exchange school program before the school year. She recently got back and now she resumed the role of being a student leader.

It's also not a surprise that many love her in this Academy. Judging on how she introduced herself to me yesterday at the Council room, she was pretty nice. Not just that but her smile can also be captivating and approachable.

"Welcome back Lisanna." Macao-sensei nodded his head and had a sluggish smile. He crossed his arms on his chest and scanned the room with tired eyes. "You can sit right beside Lucy Heartfilia." Lisanna's head directly turned to me as she smiled and waved. Trying not to embarass myself and be nice, I shyly waved back and she proceeded to seat beside me.

"Hello Lucy-chan!" She sat down and faced me as Macao-sensei sat on the teacher's table and read today's paper. "I'm glad we're classmates! It's your first year here in Fairy Academy right? How is the school so far?"

I shifted my body to face her and leaned my arm on my chair. "It's been pretty good actually. I have lots of friends here and the school has been good to me so far."

"That's good to hear! Fairy Academy is such a great place you know so I do hope you enjoy it here." I just smiled in return and hoped that everything will turn out great considering that I'm allt angled up in one messed up game.

Lisanna tilted her head to the side a bit to look at the empty seat beside me. For a second confusion crossed her eyes and then she returned her gaze to me.

"Who sits beside you anyway Lucy-chan?" I looked back at the empty desk and released a sigh. I wonder where that pink haired idiot is. He hadn't showed up since the start of homeroom and no doubt that he's running late or skipping classes again.

"Oh there? It's Na-" I stopped speaking when the door slid open rather loudly and the usual spiky pink hair greeted me as Natsu bowed infront of Macao-sensei. He looked like he just threw his clothes on and didn't bother to check if his buttons were properly buttoned up.

Macao-sensei stood up and walked over to Natsu with a rather pissed of face. "Where have you been Natsu Dragneel?! Do you know that classes started an hour ago?!" Natsu continued to bow while stiffening the rest of his body into place.

I even heard him gulp down his throat and started to speak wthout managing to break his voice.

"I w-woke up late Sensei! I just arrived at school and I'm sorry!" Everyone became quiet at his actions until Macao-sensie massaged his temples with his fingers and spoke up.

"You better not do it again and if that's understood then you better hurry up to your seat." Natsu stood up straight and smiled in relief.

"Yes Sensei!" He closed the door behind him, a little gentle this time and made his way as fast as he can to the back, not until he stopped and dropped his bag.

"L-Lisanna?" He muttered as sensei went out of the room to go to the teacher's lounge. Natsu stood frozen a couple of inches away from us. His eyes were fixed on the white haired girl beside me.

"L-Lisanna?" He took small steps towards us until Lisanna stood up and smiled.

"Nice to see you again Natsu!" Lisanna ran to Natsu and hugged him as everyone didn't mind the scene that was hapening in the back. They all talked with various topics but none concerning this two here.

Natsu slowly returned the hug and held Lisanna's shoulders with his arms. I could see the wide smile on his lips and the teary eyes he has while Lisanna kept on laughing with joy.

Soon, they released each other from their embrace and just stood there still facing each other with goofy smiles.

"I thought you won't return until next year?" Natsu asked while picking up his bag from the floor. Lisanna returned to her seat, yet still faced Natsu with joy.

"I cut my program short because I still had duties as the Student Council Secretary you know." And their talk went on and on until Macao-sensei didn't return which turned the whole period as self study.

While the both of them were talking, I decided to remove my presence from them and opened my notebook to not disturb their happy reunion. It seemed like they were really close and just joining in their conversation would ruin the happy atmosphere they made.

I took out my pen and scribbled down some stuff, passing the time until half of the class day was over.

Currently, I was seated inside the Student Council room during Lunch time. I was invited to have lunch with the Student Council members for the welcoming back of Lisanna to the Academy. Somehow, Erza told me that Elfman Strauss, in the same grade as Erza and the rest, is her brother and Mira as her elder sister. Well it was easy to tell for Mira since they almost looked alike but I think I was able to see Elfman around the campus. I'm pretty sure he was the big muscular guy, but for him to have two cute sisters? Wow.

Gray also came in late inside the room and went to talk to Lisanna right away. He hugged her for a bit and laughed at stories they shared with each other. Soon, he dragged Natsu into one of their conversations and they almost started to brawl inside the room, if not for Erza's menacing glares

I got up a bit to leave the room and wash my hands when I found Jellal inside the kitchen, drinking a glass of water. He looked at me when he finished washing his glass and smiled as he placed it down on the counter.

"Hello Lucy-san." He greeted me as I went forward to the sink and opened the faucet to wash my hands with the cool water.

"Hello Jellal." I smiled back and tried to search for the soap until he came over and handed me a bottle filled with liquid bubbles.

"It's hand soap." He muttered and I thanked him silently as I squeezed out some of the contents unto my hands. We were quiet for a bit until he leaned on the counter and played with the glass he used, using his fingers.

"You're curious aren't you?" He asked which startled me while rubbing my hands dry with the paper towel. I didn't reply as to not understanding his question that's basically directed to me. We were the only ones in the room so who else was it for?

"You want to know why all of them are so close right?" Jellal glanced back out of the room and I followed too, seeing Lisanna and the rest laughing and having fun in the couch. A sort of pain ran through my chest in that instant but I didn't mind it at all.

"Well let's just say that all of them belong to a circle of friends that can't be broken so easily. After many years of being together, it's bound to have trust and foundation for it to continue on." He placed his glass back on the counter and closed his eyes while forming a small smile on his lips. I kept looking at them and the pain just continues to grow more.

"All of them have a connection with Lisanna and vice versa. They've been in this academy for far too long that it was enough to create a bond that once is destroyed, can break all of them. But I don't believe that their friendship would last long." Jellal stood up straight and walked over to me, bringing his glass. He placed it near the other cups and stopped to whisper something into my ear.

"It's bound to break at some point whether they'll like it or not." I could feel a sinister yet sad smile coming from him as he removed his face and turned his back to me. He didn't move or speak. He just looked straight ahead and observed the happy friends still enjoying their time.

"I don't believe that friendships or bonds that had been made for many years can be broken easily." I spoke up, having the feeling that he was wrong. Jellal kept silent, putting his hand in his pocket and I awaited his answer, crumpling the paper towel between my fingers.

"It may not break but belive me, it'll likely happen. It already happened to me so what's the possibility that it can't happen to them too?" Jellal glanced at me with cold and sad eyes, and proceeded outside with quiet steps.

I stood there, bting my lip as his words rang through my mind. Bonds that can be broken huh? Sounds familiar but I can't put my finger as to where it was from.

I shook my head and looked at Lisanna with squinted eyes and threw my paper towel to the trash can and also proceeded outside.

Everyone was still talking when I sat back down and Jellal seemed to not bother in joining them as he was reading a fiction book on his lap. I tried to distract myself from their converation by the available papers on the coffeetable but they were just too loud.

"Excuse me for a bit everyone." Mira smiled and left the Council room as everyone responded to her in unison. My eyes shifted to Lisanna and just focoused on her until an envelope dropped from nowhere and landed on her lap.

I saw her open it with confuse eyes and widened when she read the small card.

"Midnight Circus?" Those words made every single person in the room snap their head to her with horror evident on their faces.

Natsu snatched the card and tried to burn it but it was futile. The card just turned to ashes and formed once again as good as new. It was true. You can't reject the invitation.

I squinted my eyes as my head began to throb and I used my right palm to ease the pain. The rest were trying to sink in the truth that their beloved friend was part of the game, except for Jellal who looked like he pitied the girl.

I closed my eyes and felt the throb to worsen and for some reason, I heard voices inside of my head.

"Neh Lucy! Isn't it a coincidence how we all entered the game when we just met?"

Coincidence huh?

I laughed silently as my hair covered my face, with the pain and voices slowly going away.

"Isn't it a coincidence to Miss Secretary to be invited to Midnight Circus when we just met?" I muttered in slience.

To the voice who said those words inside my head, I guess life is just full of coincidences.

Chapter END

A/N: Trust me guys, this will get better and better. This may had been boring but this chapter can just be one of the keys to uncover the truth behind Midnight Circus. All you have to do is connect the clues. :)

Happy NEW YEAR!