"Lucy~," Mirajane sang as she smiled sweetly at the blonde.
"Mira?" Lucy asked cautiously. She knew that smile, that smile whenever Mirajane had something in mind. "How was your morning?" She asked sweetly, taking a seat beside the girl. Nodding, Lucy scribbled into her notebook. "Fine." She answered absentmindedly. It was free period in the class, the students may do whatever they pleased so long as it was within reason. "Anything interesting that happened?" She asked.
Lucy sighed, putting down her pencil she stared tiredly at the platinum-haired girl. "Mirajane, is there something you want to ask?" The blonde asked with a forced, tired smile. Mirajane's eyes twinkled with mischief. "Hmm, just a small question," She answered, gesturing the small amount with her fingers. Lucy nodded and smiled for her to go one.
Mirajane clasped Lucy's hands into her own, staring into Lucy's wary eyes with her dreamy, starry-eyed ones.
"Lucy, are you and Hibiki going out?" Erza asked blatantly beside the two. "Erza, you should've tried to make it subtle," Levy chuckled from behind.
"She'd avoid the question," Mirajane answered with a sweet smile before turning back to Lucy.
"I was going to ask you how you and Hibiki just happened to be together when you came in late, but Erza's question seems more direct and more appropriate to ask."
Lucy's eye twitched continuously as she had an awkward smile on her face. What. What. What. What. She asked herself, how in the world was she going to get away now? Mirajane just said her only possible excuse and denying that they were date - which they were not - would cause the girls to stalk him and her. And that would end terribly, she sighed defeated in her mind.
What do I have to lose? She groaned inwardly. "Sanity. Privacy. A bit of dignity maybe," The voice at the back of her head teased her. She groaned silently as her friend crowded near her, watching her intently. "Uhh, well, this morning you see," She started while her eye still twitched.
"Lucy, someone's outside to see you."
Lucy stood up like something had pricked her bottom and quickly headed to the door. "Uhh, sorry guys," She smiled sweetly as she apologized, ignoring the cheated look Mirajane and Levy gave her. Thank god, She sighed in relief as she walked to the door.
"Hibiki?" She called, very much surprised to see the senior heartthrob standing in front of her classroom with a strained smile on his face. "What are you doing here?" She asked softly. Hibiki scratched the back of his head, looking upward at the ceiling, "Well, uh, you have an, a, um, visitor." He held out a angry-looking fox, smiling nervously.
"Julia? Julia!" She cried, taking the very pissed-off looking albino from him. "How...?" She asked, cradling the fox. "Well, I went out for a bit since Principal Makarov called and came into back to my classroom with half the girls screaming and the boys coloring the air. When I went inside, I saw everyone backed to one corner of the room, the chairs a mess and Julia snapping and growling with her hair standing up at everyone in the center of the room."
He scratched his head laughing nervously. "I think she almost killed someone," pointing at her with his free hand. Julia sneezed as Lucy looked at her frustrated. Lucy sighed and looked up to Hibiki with an apologizing smile, "I'm really sorry to cause you this trouble, Hibiki. And I'm sorry to whomever Julia harassed." She said the last part, earning another sneeze from the fox.
"It's fine, no harm done. Well, not a lot," He mumbled the last part, nodding at the blonde. "Uhh, do you have plans for lunch, Lucy?" He asked with a warm smile.
"No, not yet. Why?" She shook her head slightly,
"Would you care to join me then?" He asked with a bright smile
"Oh," Lucy gave a sad, sympathetic smile. "sorry Hibiki, I don't think we could eat properly with this old grump with us. Sorry," She said rather weakly.
"Ah, right. Well, maybe some other time then. Bye Lucy." He smiled and waved before leaving.
"It's quite sad you used me as an excuse like that." Julia said calmly but sardonically as Lucy waved Hibiki goodbye.
"It was kind of true," Lucy argued.
"I'm just saying, dear, you shouldn't have used me as an excuse like that. 'If there's a will, there's a way' as they say."
"Oh, please drop it, Julia." Lucy groaned softly as she entered her classroom.
"Lucy!" Mirajane and Levy chorused, making Lucy jump back. "Was that Hibiki-kun out there?" Mirajane asked hurriedly, "He-"
"What was he doing here?" Levy interrupted, "Well, this-"
"Oh my! Did he ask you out?" Mirajane excitedly squealed, "Now, what in-"
"Why didn't you accept to go with him for lunch?" Levy whined, "If you'll just-"
"Lucy! That was the absolute moment!" Mirajane whined exaggeratedly too, "Guys, seriously-"
"Well, is he going to walk you home then?" Mirajane asked again, "I give up!" Lucy cried, throwing her hand up, incidentally throwing the fox up too, who landed on her head.
"Mirajane, Levy, don't chorus questions like that, you never gave Lucy the chance to answer a single question at all." Wendy chimed, looking curiously at Lucy. "Oh? We didn't notice." Mirajane chuckled and smiled, apologizing, as did Levy.
"Lucy, who or what is that?" Erza asked, looking atop Lucy's head.
"Hm? Oh! This is my, uh, pet. Her name's Julia." She smiled and held the fox out in her hands. "Like your cousin?" Cana asked, scrutinizing the fox. "You named your pet after your cousin?" Erza raised a brow.
"What? No, I mean yes, no - kind of, re-remember Julia's hair? It's really close to her fur, so I just went with the name Julia." She grinned, hoping her lips didn't twitch from nervousness or how much she had lied.
Her friends stared at the fox, who looked bored and like she wanted to go home. "Does she bite?" Wendy asked curiously.
Lucy looked at the fox, then the little blue-haired girl and the fox again. Smiling nervously, "Sometimes," she answered with a shaky chuckle. Wendy cautiously held out a hand, withdrawing it slightly with an unsure pout. Julia flattened her ears to the sides as Wendy held her hand over her head, petting her lightly.
"She's nice," Wendy giggled, "To you, maybe." Lucy muttered as she smiled at the girl.
"Hmm, is she why Hibiki came over?" Mirajane asked with a thoughtful finger on her bottom lip.
"Yes. Apparently she wondered into his classroom and started scaring everyone." Lucy chuckled nervously, setting her down beside her school bag on the floor. "You know pets and animals aren't allowed, Lucy." Erza sternly said.
Lucy groaned silently, "I know, and sorry Erza," she clapped her hands together, "but I can't let her go home alone. Who knows who she kills if I do. I promise, I'll keep a real close eye on her." Lucy pleaded.
Erza sternly glared at Lucy's bowed figure then to the fox, who held her own defiant gaze at the red-head. "Alright," Erza slowly said, her eyes not leaving the fox's ruby eyes, "but a close eye on her." she pointed to the fox, who gave a defiant sneeze.
"Alright Erza," Lucy smiled brightly at the terror of a woman as the bell rung, ending their free period.
"I expect you to be good Julia. No snapping at anyone." Lucy whispered to the fox who sat rather stoically beside the girl's bag, watching the semi-bald man enter the classroom. "Hm? Oh. Of course Lucy." Julia absentmindedly answered as the man began writing gibberish on the board. Lucy sighed. This was going to be a long day.
