Her new tenant was going to be Jellal Fernandes.
She watched as the blue-haired boy smiled and shook hands with her parents. "Thank you for taking me in!" he said. Her mother was giggling. "What a lovely young boy!"
Erza quietly scoffed at her mother's comment.
"So, Jellal, how about we lead you to your room?" Erza's father suggested. From Erza's perspective, she could tell her father was fascinated by Jellal. He was giving a warm grin that he barely showed except when he was really impressed.
Contrary to her parents, Erza was really not amused.
"I would love your assistance, sir!" Jellal answered eagerly.
Her father laughed. "Please, Jellal. Just call me Mr. Scarlet." He turned around and made his way to the exit.
Jellal nodded and took a hold of his suitcase handle. Together, Mr. and Mrs. Scarlet, along with Jellal, started heading towards the entrance hall door. Erza, still planted to her spot, watched as the three figures started getting bigger.
Hmm. . .Wonder where they're headed to. WAIT! They're heading towards ME! Erza thought. She looked around frantically, trying to find a place where she could possibly hide. But the room she stood in was so huge and barely had any furniture. And Erza didn't think that pretending that she was a plant would work out. She realized that she would have to run out of the area as quickly as possible.
She peered into the entrance hall once more. Yup, they were definitely approaching.
"Well, it's now or never," she murmured to herself as she rushed out of the corridor.
When Mr. Scarlet pushed the entrance hall exit door open, Jellal held in his breath as he saw the next corridor. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling and potted trees at the side decorated the walkway. When he looked down the hall, he saw another door that would lead him to another room. The more he thought about it, the more Jellal realized that his entire house in his hometown was probably smaller than the two entrance corridors combined.
As Jellal walked across the room, his suitcase made a clickety-clack sound as it rolled across the mosaic floor. His head turned from one side to the other as he admired the hall's vastness. If these were only the entrance halls, Jellal could only wonder about the size of the entire manor itself. . .and how long it would take him to map out the whole place.
Jellal's thoughts flashed back to his conversation with Lyon at the end of the school day. She lives in a mansion that takes up the WHOLE ENTIRE block! he recalled Lyon saying. Jellal quietly chuckled. Haha. Imagine if Titania lived here! How unfortunate I must be if that actually happens!
His eyes fixed on the two adults in front of him. To know the fact that he is now living in the same house as the richest people of Magnolia–and maybe even Fiore–amazed him. They looked like simple people, though. If he passed by them on the streets, he would've never guessed their social standings. Also, no matter how much he denied it, their faces did look familiar, especially Mrs. Scarlet's. There was just something that triggered Jellal, telling him that he saw her before. But then again, he didn't remember meeting Mrs. Scarlet. Then, it hit him. She looks like Erza! Wait, why am I thinking about her?! Mrs. Scarlet and Erza's resemblance must be a coincidence.
Not only that, but the name "Scarlet" rang a bell. Jellal just couldn't remember where. . .But he decided to put that topic to the side.
After what seemed like a mile trek, he finally made it to his room.
"If you need anything, you can ask our daughter. She'll usually be on the third floor. If you need help finding her, you can ask our maids," Mr. Scarlet explained. "Unfortunately, my wife and I will have to leave for a long business trip. A client is looking to set up some terms of agreement with us, and the process will require a lot of long, legal due diligence." Then, the man quickly reviewed the renting guidelines and suggestions. "Any questions, Jellal?"
Jellal shook his head. "No sir. I mean, Mr. Scarlet!"
The older man chuckled. "Then, I'll be going. Take care, Jellal!" he said. Mr. Scarlet led his wife down the hall. Mrs. Scarlet turned back once more to wave quickly.
Jellal waved back and shouted, "Have a safe trip!"
When Jellal saw the couple make a turn around the corner, he let out a long sigh. Let's see. I've gotta get a part-time job, go to school, and pay rent. . .Gah! So many things to do!
He took a scan of the room. Then he realized it wasn't just one room, there were multiple ones. He spotted a bathroom, a bedroom, a kitchen, a movie room, a dining hall. He felt himself gape his mouth open. He couldn't believe there were so many rooms–all for him!
When he heard a familiar tune, his dreaming stopped. He ran towards his school bag and fished out his phone. He hurriedly swiped the screen to pick up the call. "Hello?" he said.
"Jelly? Hello Jelly, is this you?" a voice called from the other line.
The bluehead felt a blush hearing that familiar voice. "Mom! I told you to stop calling me that!" Jellal scolded. Though he hated it when his mother called him weird nicknames, the voice of his mother soothed his anxiety.
"Ok, fine." she laughed. "So, how is it like in your apartment?"
"I just got settled, Mom. But, er, how do I say this? I don't think I should really consider this place an apartment. More like, a section of a mansion of some people called the Scarlets. . ."
Jellal could hear his mother spit her water in astonishment. "What?!" she yelled. "The Scarlets?! Oh, Jelly! Tell me you're lying!"
"Um. But I'm not," he answered earnestly.
"What?! Wow. Get me a ticket to Magnolia because I'm moving in with you right now!" his mother giggled. "If you ask me one thing I learned today, it would be that your father is really good at finding housing. Honestly, your father found the place for rent through his colleagues."
Jellal laughed along, then asked, "What's so special about the Scarlets?" The bluehead was earnestly very curious. He heard that they were a very rich family in Magnolia, but he never imagined to be living in their house.
Turned out Jellal said the wrong thing again because he heard his mother choke on her spit this time. "What?! Jelly, are you stupid? Oh geez, what's wrong with my son? Jelly, THEY'RE RICH! My, they probably have a hundred servants and did you see the amount of land they own?! You're only in their main residence, but they have many other properties in the whole globe. My, you are so lucky!"
Jellal thought about it and realized his mother's conjectures about the Scarlet's wealth were actually correct.
"So." His mother's voice suddenly got a lot softer. "Did you meet the Scarlet's daughter? I heard she is really pretty. . .Too bad I forgot her name."
"Didn't meet her yet. Not that I want to," Jellal answered.
"Aw, Jelly. At least say 'hi' to her," she coaxed. "But anyway. . .Are there any pretty girls in Magnolia?"
"Mom!"
"Sorry, sorry. Hehehe. I was just curious. I just wanna see my grandchildren as soon as I can. I wanna know if they will look more like you or your future wife," his mother laughed.
Meanwhile, Jellal could feel his cheeks heat up.
"I know you're blushing," his mom teased.
"What?!"
"You always get all red when I mention that topic," she answered. The bluehead groaned inwardly. His mother knew him too well. Then, Jellal heard a beeping coming from the other line. "Oh!" his mother said. "The cupcakes are finished! Well then, goodbye Jelly. Call me later, 'kay? I love you, Jellal!"
"'Kay, bye!" Jellal called. He clicked the "End Call" button and sat on the couch. He missed his mother already. He wanted to call his mother back so desperately, but he had to create a really good reason to do so.
Being rather restless, he thought of things to do, besides looking through homework.
"Oh yeah!" he shouted as he jumped up from the couch. "I still gotta find a job! Hm, maybe the Scarlet's daughter knows something." He was about to run out of the room until he wondered how he was going to greet her. He went to the full-length mirror lying in the corner of the room and started thinking of different approaches.
He started his walk while practicing an introduction for himself. He didn't want to mess up, at least, not in front of one of the richest people in Magnolia.
When he reached the third floor, his eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Now, where is she?" he asked himself. He stopped a passing butler.
"Ah, you must be the new tenant here," the butler smiled when he saw Jellal, who greeted the man back.
"Do you know, by any chance, where is the Scarlet's daughter?"
The butler pointed to one of the rooms on the right side of the hall. Jellal gave a small grin as a "thank you" and started heading towards the room. He let out a sigh when he reached the door. "Hello, Miss Scarlet. I'm your new tenant and I'm curious if you know any part-time jobs available in Magnolia," he repeated once more before knocking on the door.
It took a while before the door clicked open. When it did, Jellal performed his signature smile. "Hello, Miss Scarlet. I'm your new tenant and I'm curious if. . ."
He stopped when he glanced at the girl who stood in front of him. He was suddenly tongue-tied and forgot every single word he was supposed to say. The girl was just as surprised as him because she couldn't move. She wanted to run away, but her muscles wouldn't allow her to.
"T-Titania," he murmured. Suddenly, everything made sense to Jellal. The reason why Lyon was smirking at him, the reason why their parents looked so familiar, the reason why the last name "Scarlet" rang a bell. His mind flipped back to the summer days three years ago. Oh, Jellal! Stop! He told himself as he shook his head vigorously.
Erza suddenly found her voice. "Y-yes?" she squeaked, she wasn't even sure if he even heard her. She took her gaze off of him. Part of her felt upset that he called her "Titania" rather than her real name. But part of her was elated that Jellal finally said something to her.
"U-um. . .Nothing," he mumbled. He looked down at his shoes and slowly backed away. "I'll be going now, Titania. Er, bye. . ." Jellal quickly paced away from the redhead and started heading down to the second floor. Shit! What have I just done? Whatever. I'll just see if Lyon knows any part-time jobs. Oh wait, I don't even know if I can trust that brat anymore. Oh god, what was he going to tell Lyon? And how was he going to face Titania tomorrow?
Erza felt worse than she already did. When she spotted Jellal at the door, her hopes soared that maybe she and him would become friends. That maybe she would get a friend besides the usual Gray, Lucy, and Natsu. But when Jellal just ran away from her, her spirits were dampened. Was there something that Jellal found repulsive about her that he had to run away? What was she going to tell her friends tomorrow? And how was she going to face Jellal?
The next morning, Erza's alarm rang at 4:30 AM. The redhead groaned as she swiped her phone screen to stop the alarm. It was going to be another long school day. Normally, Erza wouldn't wake up so early, but today, she must. Erza still had a Transformation Spells report due by Friday and she still needed the school library's books for the report. Since the library was the least busiest during the early morning, Erza took this time as her chance.
She quickly showered, slipped on her uniform and buckled on her shoes. She scanned her room to see if she possibly forgot to take her homework. Nope, she was ready to go. But she stopped when she saw her hat and sunglasses. "Maybe I'll wear them again," Erza mumbled as she reached out for the items. She skillfully hid her hair under her hat and slipped on the glasses. Now, she was ready. The redhead checked her clock, which read 5:15 AM.
Why does time pass so quickly?! she told herself as she walked out of the room.
"Erza, would you like your breakfast?" one of her butlers asked. "We have choices of bagels, biscuits, or bacon and eggs."
"I'll take the biscuit to go. Also, tell my driver to get the car ready. I want to leave now," Erza ordered.
"Yes, Erza!" the butler said as he skittered away.
"And tell my driver that he doesn't need to pick me up today! I'll just walk home!" the redhead called after him.
"Yes!" he responded.
As Erza headed towards the dining hall, she pulled out her phone. Gotta go text Lucy and Gray, she thought. She tapped the "Messages" button and scrolled down to find her friends' names. "Hey! This is Eru. Don't wait for me today because I'm going straight to the school library," the redhead tapped and clicked "send."
For the rest of her stroll, Erza thought of creative themes for her Transformation Spells project. Little did she know what was happening right below her.
"Jelly! Oh my, oh my! Why did you call me so early?" Jellal's mother screamed over the phone. Maybe it was a bad idea to call his mother on speaker, since she was usually very grumpy in the mornings.
"Uh, mom. So yesterday, I bought some groceries. So amongst the things I bought, I got eggs. Er, I forgot how to fry them," Jellal confessed. He scratched his head awkwardly, waiting for his mother to scold him.
"Oh geez, Jelly! Give me the frying pan so I can hit you over the phone!"
"I'm serious! Mom, I have to go to the school library before school starts, and you're not helping!"
He heard his mother sigh before saying, "Fine. Just crack open the egg into the pan. I guess that's about it."
"Really? That's it?" he asked, incredulous. He couldn't believe he forgot such a simple recipe.
"Are you really my son?"
"Anyway. . .Thanks," Jellal said as he hastily pressed the "End Call" button. He wanted to end the call before his mother started nagging on him.
He carefully turned on the stove and placed the frying pan on top of the fire. When he was able to successfully fry the eggs, he shouted with triumph. Too bad that he gulped it down a bit too fast,\ because within five minutes, his breakfast was gone. . .and he was hungry again.
"I'll just buy some food later," he mumbled as he slipped on his book bag. He walked out of the room and started heading towards the exit.
When Jellal finally found the exit, he was glad that he actually made it out of the place in one piece. He would've expected rich people to sneer at him. Maybe they are actually nice. On that note, maybe Titania is. . .
Jellal shook the thought out of his head. What the hell was he thinking about lately?
He headed towards his motorcycle, and turned the vehicle on. "Let's go," he murmured to himself as he covered his head with the helmet. He revved up the engine and started steering it down the street. And maybe I'll pick up a sandwich! he thought hopefully. He felt it in the air that the day was going to be a good one.
Erza gulped down the last of her biscuit as she walked through the school doors. Thankfully, barely any students were around, or else they would chant "Good morning, Titania!" in unison.
Erza headed to the library in the left wing of the school and headed to find a certain book.
"Transformation spells. . .Transformation spells. . .Transformation spells. . ." Erza mumbled to herself as she tried to find the books, but to no avail.
She saw a banner that said "REFERENCES" towards the back of the library and she headed towards there. Sure enough, she spotted the large volumes that had the words "Transformation Spells" on the bind of several books. But the redhead spotted one problem. The books were on the highest shelf, so there was no way she could reach for them. Unless she was eleven feet tall, which Erza was definitely not.
"If I remember correctly, there's a ladder somewhere," the redhead told herself. She looked down the rows of the library and eventually saw a large wooden ladder in the middle of the third row. She headed towards the ladder, and started pushing it towards the reference section.
"Now, for my skirt," Erza murmured as she looked at her uniform. If anybody happened to pass by. . . Geez, if someone walked below her, that would be embarrassing. The passerby can simply glance up and spot her underwear.
It'll just be quick. Besides, there's nobody here so early in the morning, Erza reassured herself. But as she took the first step in the ladder, she hesitated. She stepped back onto the floor. She rarely climbed ladders, so the feeling was unfamiliar. Maybe I'll ask the librarian. But she left. . .darn. I can't wait for her! I have a long report to start! Erza decided to take another shot in climbing. But she retreated at the third step.
Suddenly, she realized there was noise in the room. Someone else is in the library! Oh no! What if they spread rumors on the type of underwear I wear?! I have to get the book as quickly as I can! Erza told herself as she scrambled up to the top of the ladder.
Just as she got to the top, she felt a small tap on her ankle and she switched her sight to the suspect. She was sweating so badly, her sunglasses fogged up, making it difficult for her to figure out the person. As her gaze focused, her eyes widened as she realized the person was Jellal. She sucked in her breath.
Not recognizing the girl, Jellal executed a warm smile. "Can you please get me the second book over there?" he asked as he pointed at the book.
"U-uh, s-sure," Erza stuttered. She realized that the bluehead did not recognize her, and she was even more grateful to have worn her disguise. Erza's arm shook with excitement and nervousness as she reached for the book. She couldn't believe that Jellal was talking to her, for the first time. I have to wear my disguise more often. Erza thought, bubbling with happiness. Erza slid the book off the shelf. As she handed it over to the Jellal, she saw her arm visibly shaking. What is wrong with me?! Stop shaking, arm!
She dared to glance at Jellal and saw him happily smile. Embarrassed, Erza shifted her gaze to the floor. Her eyes widened when she realized how far she was off the ground. Not used to the feeling of height, Erza's mood suddenly shifted from elated to horrified.
"Are you okay?" she heard Jellal ask. Though he stood right next to her, his voice sounded so far away. Still, Erza's vision became unfocused. And then, it happened. It happened ever so slowly.
Erza, out of sheer terror, released her grip on the ladder and felt herself heading towards the ground.
I'm going to post the next chapter next week, so stay tuned! Any suggestions and reviews are welcomed! For example, if you really want me to start shortening sentences, I'll take that to consideration. Also, thank you for all of your support! I will continue to work hard! And for those Grayza supporters, look out for that in the next few chapters. (I just spoiled it. TAT)
If you have anything to say personally, PM me! 'Till the next chapter!