A girl with the most beautiful crimson hair stood firmly at the front of the class.

I had almost gasped. Almost. But it wouldn't have made much of a difference because the whole classroom was guffawing anyway. I looked through her eyes; brown eyes and red hair. And there was something about her that sparked the immediate interest in everyone. Yes, she was beautiful but the boys didn't create heart eyes. But it still lead everyone a little speechless as she walked through that classroom; hair in a braid, eyes unblinking, feet so firm to the ground, stature straight and poise in her uniform.

Juvia, Lisanna and I sat on the edge of our seats. There was nothing we knew about her except for the fact that her name was Erza Scarlet. Scarlet. It was such a fitting name. It felt almost destined for her. I stared as she strolled to the seat she was assigned; third row, fifth seat from the front. Or namely; right in front of me. Silent. So silent as the rest of the classroom stared at her. She was like a gem. Beautiful, yet untouchable. I couldn't help feeling curious. Eventually the rest of the class continued in their chatter and the attention towards the girl faded away like fog and Erza Scarlet's back turned out to be the new sight in front of me for the rest of the school term.

Bindi Academy was a girls-only middle school. It wasn't anything prestigious, not like Magnolia, but it was a bit popular, I suppose. Just a little higher up from the city's West Wing, it was the very school that introduced me to Juvia Lockser alongside Lisanna Struass. I enrolled during the very first year and the ball had gotten rolling from there. But we were now in our third year. We would find ourselves at the front doors of Magnolia Academy just a year later, but back then the halls of Bindi was the only place I had really ever thought of. A bit country-based as it was a little out of town but it was still surrounding a few shops and tiny cafes every now and then. West Wing was once a bit more nature-oriented at the time.

"Erza Scarlet." Juvia muttered the name at lunchtime through a chocolate cupcake.

Lisanna hummed, "She seems..a little..you know.."

"Restricted, restrained, tough?" Juvia offered.

"Sad." I breathed out.

Both girls eyed me warily. We were located at the school gardens. I think a few clubs were out for the spring tryouts at the time. The Annual Koharu City Spring Festival then was almost near too.

"Sad, huh?" Juvia muttered, "I guess that's a good guess as well. But she seems a bit more angry, don't you think?"

"Angry?" Lisanna repeated innocently.

Well, Juvia's guess wasn't based without evidence. The redhead had only nodded or shook her head to questions. And when asked the questions, she knew the answers but there was a monotone voice to it and it left shivers down my spine every time she spoke. Her voice; it was strict and precise but there was something sprinkled in between all of it. There are things only you can taste and detect that others can't only because your tongue had met it before.

She did things so accurately and finished the job well but it seemed like there was nothing in it for her. No soul, no real voice. That might be what the others thought, but there was something to her actions that seemed a little warm for me. The way she'd sincerely give honest answers to questions. And the way I knew her brown eyes only burned down her work as her head laid low when whispers were passed around about her.

The funniest thing was that it wasn't at all the whispers that seemed to bother her. Nothing really did. It was so strange to see someone unbothered by all that was surrounding her. She reminded me of strong towers that held up high and mighty and proud. Indestructible. Almost.

"Where does she eat?" I suddenly asked.

"Hmm..I'm not sure." Juvia answered, taking another bite of her cupcake.

Lisanna nodded, "I really want to help, honestly. I just don't know where to start."

Where to start. Where could you start when it came to a beautiful yet stoic redhead? I didn't quite have the answer myself. There wasn't a wrong or right answer with this one. Erza Scarlet may be proficient in maths; but no one was an actual easy equation. Things didn't work like that and I knew that for a fact.

We don't say anything more afterwards. I don't agree and yet I didn't disagree either. I'm wasn't sure what Lisanna and Juvia thought. They already had their own stories as is. I knew about all of it. I knew that they felt terrible inside about not approaching the girl, but they had their own complications. But I didn't. It wasn't heroic, not even an sense of obligation. It was what was nice. She told me that sometimes there didn't have to be reasons to perform acts of kindness.

So it was then decided that on a rainy Thursday, that'd I'd have my shot at conversing with the redhead right in front of me. I hadn't quite informed either Lisanna and Juvia but it had been a hasty decision at a strange 4am.

The stampede had occurred yet again as the first bell rang. I gripped my books as I held them to my chest. My breath was now sorta hitching. It was a nervous experience and I scolded myself for thinking that it was. This wasn't suppose to be a nervous thing; I was going to just ask if she had done the latest english homework. The plan was nothing purely original; I was going to ask for a bit of help on it. Although at the time I was already battling myself over tiny details; maybe she'd be suspicious? I was already fairly good at my english work. It didn't really at all fit for me to ask for help all of a sudden. Eventually I concluded I'd just work with the flow at that hasty 4am. I was going to stroll to her, initiate the plan and see how it'd go from there.

Third row, fifth from the front. There she was as I had half-expected her to be. Sitting in a diligent way with a book or two in her desk, already scribbling down what I assumed to be notes in a pad. Her scarlet hair was pulled in a ponytail and she looked a little tired. The classroom was already half-full and chattering, I needed to make this quick. I felt my knees already grow weak. Cmon, feet. Move. Just move.

I try to emit casualness in my demeanour. I had too many things rummaging through my head, I thought that I'd even mess up the very first sentence I'd say to the redhead. My very first sentence to her. This encounter needed to be perfect for it to be able to get going.

I slowed my pace as I reached the girl still engrossed in her notes. She seemed to have noticed my presence as her brown eyes meet mine and I felt a weird sense of assurance.

"Erza, right? I wanted to as-"

I couldn't even finish my sentence before a gush of laughter filled the room. I whipped my head around to face the source. A group of girls standing in the corner of the room near the room windows.

"So, she doesn't talk because she thinks she's better than everyone else?" one gushes loudly.

"What a bitch. Spoilt for a new kid."

"She's not even that pretty."

I felt my face darken, eyebrows scrunching forward. To the corner of my eyes, I realised the redhead had clearly heard. This was not good and this was not part of the plan. I resisted every bit of urge in my bones to lift up the desk and throw it across the room.

The redhead's mouth opened as well as mine to say something but we were beaten to it.

"Saying that right when she's in the room, don't you think you're a little spoilt yourself?"

And the whole room stood still.

So, I'm back. I'm a little early but I wanted to update this chapter up because I don't want things to get too stagnant. This arc is not fully mapped out, I'm still having complications with the story line so expect a few day-offs. I'm really sorry about it but I like to map the arcs out so I know where the fuck I'm going ;) Anyway, here a little lowdown on this arc like I did for the SF.

Story layout change. With each arc, I like to mix and spice things up narrative-wise. SF had an episodic feel to it with different days with different people. This arc is going for something different; you'll have to see. But don't worry, it's only for this arc so things will change/go back when the next arc comes up.

This arc will be short. Definitely nothing like the length of SF. I didn't even know SF was going to be that long honestly, things just happened and ideas popped up.

If you like predicting stuff for in future arcs, I'd pay attention to little details in this arc if I were you. And this is almost exclusive man. This arc is the only one where the little details will make sense in the future. This one arc.

Thank you so much for reading; reviews are all welcome with loving arms.

Till then,

Ice

Acid; (noun) A substance with particular chemical properties including turning litmus red, neutralizing alkalis, and dissolving some metals; typically, a corrosive or sour-tasting liquid of this kind. Bitter or cutting remarks or tone of voice.