Lucy sighed in a very melancholic way as she looked at the picture frame on her night stand containing a photograph of her deceased mother. Today was the eighth anniversary of her mother's death and it was on this very day that her father spent all day in his office with the door locked. She knew that he wouldn't come out but she still went up to his office door and gave it a knock.
"Leave me alone." She heard him say.
"Dad it's Lucy. Can I come in?"
"If you must."
She opened the door and walked inside to find him at his desk. He looked like he was finishing up on some last minute work but she knew that once she was gone he would pull out the bottle.
"What do you want?" He asked.
"Listen Dad tomorrow is a Saturday."
"I'm well aware of that Lucy."
"Well I was wondering if maybe you wanted to do something tomorrow. We could go out for lunch or maybe take a walk by the beach."
"Lucy you're much too old to have me entertain you whenever you're bored."
"Dad it's not like that. I thought...I thought that tomorrow you might like something to cheer you up. Cheer us both up considering what today is."
"Lucy I don't have time for your foolishness. Now leave me."
Lucy sighed and reluctantly left her father's office. Before leaving for school she sat down and had some breakfast of cereal and toast with orange juice to drink.
"Miss Lucy." Her house keeper Spetto said. "These were delivered to you."
It was a boquet of tulips, daffodils, and irises. Her favorite flowers, all perfectly arranged together held by a ribbon.
"Oh my." Lucy said. "Who sent them?"
"The delivery man didn't say. Shall I put them in a vase with some water?"
"Yes Spetto and thank you."
After finishing her breakfast, Lucy went to school where she met up with Erza and Juvia.
"Hi Lucy. How are you feeling?" Juvia said hugging her, understanding what day it was.
"I'm fine. Thanks for asking."
"How's your dad?"
"Miserable just how he usually is on this day."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay. You know this morning was pretty unusual for me."
"How so?" Erza asked.
"Well while I was eating breakfast the delivery man came by, someone had sent me flowers."
"That's so sweet." Juvia said. "Who sent them?"
"I don't know and you know what's really weird, they were all my favorite flowers. I've never told anyone what my favorite flowers are except for Dad, the staff, and you. At first I thought that you had sent them."
"No I didn't." Juvia said.
"Do you think that you might have a secret admirer?" Erza asked.
"Me? No. No way."
"Well why not?" Juvia asked. "Lucy you're a very pretty and a very nice girl. I'm sure that lots of guys like you."
"I don't have time for a boyfriend. I have to work on my studies. Speaking of which we better get to Miss Stellar's class, you know how she is about punctuality."
Sonya Stellar was the girl's science teacher. A brilliant woman who believed that everyone of her students had the potential to do something great. She was also very strict and would not tolerate laziness or disrespect.
"And that class is how Sir Issac Newton discovered the moon's pull over the tides." She explained. "It's quite amazing how much the moon and the sea effect each other so much."
"I've got two words for you lady." Laxus whispered to Jellal when she turned back to the chalkboard. "Who cares?"
"Mr. Dreyar." Miss Stellar said. "Would you like another week of detention?"
"No ma'am." He said surprised that she had heard him.
"I didn't think so. One more rude comment like that and you'll have two weeks detention. Now class you will all have to do a project regarding a subject that we've learned recently. You will all have to partner up for this and I expect all partners to do there fair share of work. Your projects are due next Friday. Good luck to you."
The bell rang and the class was dismissed.
"So are we all going to partner up together for this project?" Erza asked.
"I guess so." Lucy said.
"Hey Lucy, wait up." She saw Natsu walking toward her. "Glad I caught up with you."
"Oh hi Natsu." She said.
"Listen Lucy I was wondering if you wanted to be my partner for Miss Stellar's project?"
"Oh well I..." She looked over at Juvia and Erza who gave her encouraging nods. "I'd love to."
"Great. Where do you wanna meet up?"
"How about the library? Tonight at six?"
"I'll be there."
He left after that.
"Do you guys think I should've said yes?"
"Yes." Juvia said. "This is a perfect chance for you to get close to him."
"No I'm just doing this to be nice and for school purposes. It's not like I have a crush on him or anything. We're just good friends."
"Sure." Erza said. "And I'm Titania the queen of the fairies."
"Well we'll leave you to get ready to meet Natsu." Juvia said. "By the way I'd wear your peach lipgloss if I were you. Natsu loves peach."
She and Erza giggled to each other as they walked away from the blonde.
"You know I don't why she doesn't just tell him that she likes him." Erza said. "If he feels the same way great if not then who needs him?"
"It's not that simple Erza." Juvia said. "You've never had a crush so you don't know how nervous your feelings can make you."
"That's another reason why I don't crush on boys. Feelings just make things way more complicated."
Erza went to her locker and started to get some books out of it. Just then her locker door was slammed shut by Jellal.
"Alright Erza where is it?" He asked.
"Where's what?" She asked.
"Don't play dumb! My wallet is missing and I know you took it."
"Why do you think I took it?"
"Because last week you took my spark plug."
"Yes and that was because you and your girlfriend Minerva threw my brand new pack back into the ocean. We're even so I didn't take your wallet."
"First of all Minerva is not my girlfriend and it was her idea to throw your back pack in the ocean."
"Still you went along with it like the coward you are."
"You know I could have you arrested for stealing my wallet."
"Wow I would be really scared if I had taken it."
"Admit it Erza, the only reason you do stuff like this is to get my attention because you like me."
"Get real Jellal. As if I would be interested in a spoiled little rich boy who picks on other people because he has nothing better to do. Now scram! Before I forget I'm a lady and knock you right upside your head!"
"You know Erza one of these days that spunk of yours is going to get you into real trouble." Jellal said. "You're just lucky that I don't believe in hitting girls."
Erza seethed as she watched him leave with that smug grin on his face that he always wore. Jellal and Erza, what a pair those two were. From the minute Erza arrived to Magnolia, he would go out of his way to annoy her and think that he had gotten the last laugh only for her to get back at him one way or another. No one really knows why they get on each other's nerves. Maybe it's because he's rich and she's poor. Maybe it's because he bullies others and she feels the need to defend everyone. Maybe it's because they secretly like each other and have can't think of another way to go about it.
"Wow Erza you and Gray are the only people I know who can stand up to Jellal like that." Juvia said.
"Somebody has to stand their ground against him and more power to Gray for doing so."
"Yeah but when he does stand up to him he usually ends up getting tossed into the nearest dumpster. But he tries and that's all that matters. At least to me."
"He just needs a stronger spine." She said. "The nerve of that creep, actually thinking in his deluded mind that I like him. Oh yes I like him in a way. In a gee I can't wait to go to his funeral kind of way."
"I know he's a jerk but sometimes I feel sorry for him."
"Why? He has everything. Money, looks, popularity, what doesn't he have?"
"A loving family and real friends. You know his parents have never spent any time with him. Not even when he was a kid and his friends Laxus and Minerva, they don't really like him. They only hang out with him because he's rich."
"That doesn't justify him being a bully."
"I didn't say that. I just said that sometimes I feel sorry for him."
"Well I don't. If he wants real friends then he should change his attitude. I've always had a hard life but you don't see me trying to make life hard for other people do you?"
"No and that makes you a better person than him. Besides you have what he doesn't. Real, true friends like me and Lucy and Gray."
"You guys consider me your friend?"
"Of course. We like you."
Erza didn't know what to say. She had never had friends before. Not real friends who actually liked her.
"Hmm..." She sighed.
"What?"
"Nothing. Hey do you wanna kick off the weekend with a swim?"
"Sure but we have to bring Gray."
"Why?"
"He wants to see how fast we can swim. You know he's real interested in sea life."
"He's not going to study us is he?"
"Um...Define study."
"Juvia I told you this before, I refuse to be a lab rat. I will not be examined, photographed, or dissected."
"Calm down all he wants to do is watch us swim. He doesn't have any plans to examine us or photograph us and he most certainly doesn't want to dissect us."
"Not yet."
"Erza."
"He's a science geek. It's only a matter of time."
"Erza I promise you he's only going to look."
"That's all?"
"That's all."
"Okay but if he starts asking for hair samples, I'll boil him like a lobster."
"What's your deal with him?"
"He was way too cool with us being mermaids."
"And that's a bad thing?"
"It makes me suspicious. Like he has some ulterior motive in mind for us."
"Erza it's not like he's a stranger. Lucy and I have known him for years. Sure he's a little unorthodox with somethings but he's really just a big sweetheart. There's no one in this world I trust more than him."
"For some reason that doesn't make me feel better about him."