Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone that reviewed, followed and added this to their favourites! You guys are amazing!
Hehe, would you believe it? I'm updating earlier than usual! I wasn't supposed to update until Wednesday next week but I really just wanted to work on this for some reason :) Aha, yeah...unfortunately it usually takes me two weeks to update :(
Ok, onto the replies:
Jerza Fernandes: There should be some NaLi in the later chapters but there are some definite Jerza moments here! Hehe :D
Lillyviolet: Hehe, I'm glad you like it. That make me so happy :')
Leoslady4ever: Awh, thank you so much! :D Jerza! Can't get enough, lol. And Lucy's secrets are being revealed, yay! Although it's really sad, actually :(
Ryuukaze-Karito: Yay! Update time! Lol, unfortunately we find out some real bad stuff about Lucy in this chapter :(
Darkside. Wolf: Nawh, thank you so much! :D
BlackCatNeko999: Thank you~! I'm glad you like it. I try really hard to make this into something publishable and I guess it's paying off :) Thanks again!
Severedserenity: Hehe, sorry it took so long to update! But here you go, new chapter!
Erza Scarlet Titania: Thank you so much for your kind words and your review. It means a lot :)
Thunderfall: I actually feel so bad that I've kept you waiting this long :( Oh well, at least the updates here now. Enjoy~! :D
iLoveFairytaiLz: Gihehe! I love Gajeel's laugh too! :D Lol, I'm so glad you like it. I swear to god all reviews make me want to cry tears of happiness, gihehe, I'm so weird! Anyways, thank you so much~!
Dragon-fang18: Nawh, thank you :)
Ipice: Hehe, it's escalating! I. Cant'. Breathe. So excited to see what you think of this chapter! :D
Duh herro: Damn right they do! Ahaha, lol. I'm getting so worked up. Thank you for being so patient with me, here's the update. :)
Chrissie: Here's the update. Sorry it took so long :)
Penguin trainer: Hehe, well if you were blushing then my mission has been a success! Lol, I'm such a perv when it comes to these things. I think I should consider changing the rating to M eventually. :D Oh and I'm so sorry, I'll try to make this chapter longer for you :)
NekoMataDemon: Hehe, thank you! Here's the update and thanks so much for the review :D
JERZAADDICT4EVER: Awh, thank you. I'm so glad to hear that you like this story, it's mean a lot. Oh and I'll try to update faster, I'm just real busy at the moment but for you guys, I'll try my best :)
Fxwritersblock: Here's the update~!
Anony: Hehe, nawh, I'm trying. Here's the update for you. Hope you like it! :)
Hope you enjoy the fourth chapter! Secrets are being revealed, so are crushes! Who will be the first to make a move? Erza or Jellal? Everything is revealed in this chapter! :D
Chapter 4: Lucy's secrets and Erza's feelings
Lucy's POV
I held up two fingers in front of my face.
The two digits were side by side, pressed against each other and ready for yet another round of puke-your-guts-up.
I grimaced a little before bending over the toilet and sticking my fingers inside my mouth, pressing my finger tips to the back of my throat and making myself gag until I heaved up this morning's meal.
After doing so I found myself panting heavily, trying desperately to catch my breath as I leaned over to peel some toilet paper from the roll and using it to wipe my mouth.
The foul smell of vomit mixed with the salty smell of my sweat was making my nose crinkle up in disgust. It was so revolting having to do this almost every time after I ate, but it was necessary.
I have to achieve my goal. My body has to be perfect. I have to be skinny.
My hand traced the shape of my collar bone delicately as I took a deep breath, finally settling down after my little morning session.
Although I felt slightly dizzy and my head was aching from being up so early in the morning, my stomach was empty and that's all that mattered. As long as I was losing weight I'd be ok.
But still those voices would not go away.
The memories of the past still echoed inside my head. Their tormenting voices refusing to leave me alone even after I gave into their desires.
"You fat slut, get out the way! You're blocking the gate way with your fat ass!"
"Why the hell are you talking to me you filthy bitch? Fat, ugly losers like you don't deserve to be here. You were better off staying back at your old school in that old town full of freaks like you."
"Won't you just hurry up and kill yourself, Lucy? Nobody needs or wants an overweight, fugly, slut-faced whore like you around. You and your fat ass should just disappear. Then everyone will be happy."
Why they had to be so nasty to me all through my schooling years made no sense to me. I had tried my best to be nice to everyone. I was never selfish and always did my best. I thought I was a good person, but these bullies have convinced me otherwise.
Because of them I had started purging in fifth grade. I had always been content with my body, never ashamed to show it off. Being self conscience was something that simply did not exist in my own little fantasy of a world.
But then they came along shouting insults and telling me how fat and disgusting I was. So I've been trying to lose the extra weight for years now.
After the bullying started I realised that I had no friends. I was completely alone in this world. This lead to severe anorexic and bulimic tendencies.
I would starve then binge then purge and repeat the cycle over and over again until eventually the bullying was so bad that I decided I no longer wanted to live in a world that wouldn't accept me for who I was.
Hence my first suicide attempt at age 14.
Of course, being young and unprepared, I didn't really know what I was doing and I failed my attempt. I had tried to take all of my mother's pain relieving pills in hopes that it would end my life. Unfortunately, I was discovered before I could depart from this world.
I was told that my younger sister, Michelle, came into my room and found me passed out on the floor surrounded by a scattering of pills.
Next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital, my stomach empty as they had pumped it to get the drugs out of my system and an IV drip attached through the front of my hand.
I was shattered.
Not because I had caused my family pain or that everyone at school was now slightly concerned for me. But because I had failed at something I so desperately wanted to achieve. I still had to live on and that made me hate myself even more.
After this they put me on a whole bunch of pills that were somehow supposed to help, but they were of no use since the very moment I returned to school people were still bullying me, encouraging to try again.
So I did. I attempted many times after that, never once succeeding. But I had learned to be a lot more careful about it. I always kept my door locked and my windows shut. And I would only ever attempt in the late hours of the night when nobody would come to check on me.
I continued in this miserable fashion all the way through middle school and into high school.
And it wasn't until the second year of high school that I discovered the meaning of friendship.
It was a new year, a new class and new students.
A scarlet haired girl by the name of Erza: the new transfer student. She was instantly popular among all the kids.
She obtained two best friends within the course of a day. Two bluenette girls. Levy and Juvia. Three girls I'd never met nor spoken to.
Somehow we all wound up working in a group together in class and before I knew it, I had three new friends. Something I'd never had before. It gave me a sense of euphoria.
I could have melted with happiness.
They never knew about my suicide attempt or the fact that I am still purging to this day. They don't know about my past or that people still secretly bully me even though I'm long gone from their school. They really don't know all that much about me yet the four of us share an apartment.
Although I seem to have acquired many new friends ever since then, nowadays, I find that there is only one person who keeps me alive in this fucked up world.
Only one person.
All he has to do is say my name, call out to me, smile at me. And then I melt. I no longer feel as though I want to die all the time. The thought of purging vanishes from my mind and all I can think of is how perfect he is and how I wish he was mine.
We became friends almost instantly at the start of our freshman year in university.
I had been having difficulty with some of the questions in trigonometry. He noticed my struggle and leaned over and began to talk me through it. Explaining the question step by step all whilst smiling warmly at me. He was nothing short of perfection.
From that moment on we had been friends. He somehow managed to find my group at lunch – which consisted of Erza, Juvia, Levy, Natsu, Gray and Lisanna at the time – and had just started to hang out with us, joining in as if he belonged there. As though he had been friends with all of us his whole life.
He was simply amazing. I had never met anyone like him. Sure I'd found out he was a total flirt and a bit of a play boy but my heart still races every time he walks past or says hello.
It was like I had no choice in the matter. After spending the first couple days of uni together I was already falling for him.
I wonder if you'll ever realise how I feel about you...
Loke.
Erza's POV
I stood in the door way, unsure whether or not I to enter. I mean sure, he said to come in but he was my teacher. This is my teacher's house. A place that should be off limits to the likes of me, a student.
But I suppose that Jellal isn't exactly a normal teacher anyway. The fact that I call him by his first name doesn't really improve his reputation either.
And it's not like I hadn't been here before. This was to be my third tutoring session with him. I don't remember much of the first two since I was practically falling asleep at the time. It wasn't my fault though. I swear! School really wears me out. Especially since I'm a uni student being flooded with homework, getting around five hours of sleep on week nights and living off a diet of coke zero, two minute noodles and the occasional Raspberry Mocha from the student canteen. And it doesn't help that Loke likes to drag everyone over to his place on Friday nights so we can drown ourselves in alcohol.
But on rare days like today, I have Levy to prepare me breakfast. So now, for once, I actually feel sort of refreshed and awake standing here, despite how incredibly awkward this is.
"Erza?" Jellal's head pops up in front of me, inches from my face and staring into my eyes.
My eyebrows shoot upwards as I stumble backwards like a clumsy idiot, cheeks heated and lips contorted into a look of surprise.
I realise there is a step behind me but by then it's too late and I'm falling backwards.
It's like the slow motion falling they have in movies.
Jellal reaches for my hand as I cry out in shock, hating how girly and frightened my voice sounds. The bluenette teacher successfully grabs my hand and pulls me towards him roughly.
Too roughly.
He has underestimated his strength and my body is sent crashing into his, causing us to fall forward and land in a pile of limbs and school books.
My chest is pressed to his reddening face, his leg is between my thighs and my skirt has turned upwards to give a full view of my panties to anyone who happens to be passing by.
I can't move. I'm lying on my English teacher in a completely inappropriate position and I can't move a muscle.
My breathing has accelerated rapidly and my chest is heaving from the sharp breaths that refuse to fill my lungs properly.
My cheeks flush a darker shade of red as I began to attempt to calm myself.
"E-E-Erza..." Jellal stuttered out, clearly embarrassed by our situation.
"Hai!" I shouted, pushing myself backwards in an attempt to slide off of him.
But of course, I completely forgot where exactly we had fallen. His leg was between mine and as I slid backwards, I felt the sensitive part of me underneath my panties sliding across his leg.
"Oh... Ah!" I couldn't help the girly moaning sound that escaped my lips. I hated myself for acting so weak. My eyes were widening and my cheeks were flushed an even darker shade of red than before (if that's even possible), yet I found myself transfixed as Jellal stared up at me.
His eyes were half closed, his lips were parts and he was even blushing! He just looked so damn irresistible in that moment that I was considering throwing away my pride and leaning down to capture his lips in a heated kiss.
But a confused voice behind me stopped me in my tracks.
A beautiful woman with long black haired tinged with purple stood in the door way holding the hand of a small girl with large green eyes.
The green eyed girl twirls a strand of coral pink hair around her finger, unsure of how to interpret the sight before her. Whereas the older woman holding her hand looked as if she knew all too well what was happening and even had a hint of a smirk playing on her lips.
I leapt off of Jellal as the pair of them study us with curiosity.
My eyes are wide and I'm blushing like mad but all I can stutter out is, "It's not what it looks like!"
The black haired woman lets the corners of her mouth turn upwards into a complete smirk this time, "Oh I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation for all this."
She then turns to the bluenette English teacher on the ground, her brown eyes twinkling mischievously, "Hey there Jellal! Surprise! Meredy and I decided to pay you a little surprise visit but it's appears that you're rather busy..."
Jellal's POV
Her brown eyes were boring into mine, searching my orbs for any sign of guilt or panic.
But I kept my expression blank and unreadable so her prying eyes would not detect the embarrassment and anxiety I was so desperately trying to keep hidden.
No, there was nothing going on between Erza and I. I had nothing to hide from her. Yet despite the pure innocence this day had started out with, being found in such an ungodly position was surely more than enough for her to pass judgement on us.
And it didn't help that Erza had let out that little moan just as the pair of them had walked in.
I could feel sweat beginning to bead across my forehead, the hairs on the nape of my neck were standing and I was trying not to shiver as those dark, cool eyes swept over me, taking in every detail, looking for the tiniest hint of a giveaway.
I closesd my eyes and breathed out a deep sigh of relief as she turned her head away from me to gaze upon her coral haired girl whose hand she was still holding.
The pinkette were staring at Erza, looking up at her with those big green eyes, almost as if she was copying the action of the dark haired woman.
I swear, ever since the little girl was adopted by the lady holding her hand, she had become more and more like her every day. It was as if she really was her daughter.
Suddenly the pink haired girl pointed a finger at Erza, "Mama, that lady over there has black panties!"
I felt my mouth flop open in pure astonishment. If it was humanly possible, my jaw would have fell hit the floor in shock. I had never known this little girl to be so forward in her life.
"Meredy!" The older woman gasped at her daughter, her expression matching mine as she began to scold her daughter, "You can't just go around saying stuff like that!"
My eyes made their way over to the scarlet haired girl who had retreated to the nearest corner, trying to make herself less visible.
Her face had blended with her hair out of sheer embarrassment. I felt sorry for the poor girl. Though unfortunately for her, this was not the first time someone had caught a glimpse of her panties. Thankfully she remained unaware the first time.
I turned my head to the two standing in my door way. They had showed up out of nowhere, for no reason and just as Erza and I were about to start our private lesson.
"Ultear-san," I addressed the dark haired woman, "What are you doing here?"
She turned away from her coral haired child, focusing her cool gaze on me, "Meredy was missing her favourite uncle so I thought it would be a nice idea to pay you a surprise visit, isn't that right darling?"
Meredy nodded in response before running towards me and leaping into the air.
I caught her and spun her around playfully as she laughed musically, "Uncle Jellal! Slow down! You're making me dizzy!"
"Ahaha, ok Meredy-chan, as you wish." I stopped spinning and simply held my niece in my arms as she tugged on a handful of my blue locks.
"So, what's your name, pretty?" Ultear had snuck over to Erza in the corner the moment my back was turned.
"E-E-Erza...Scarlet..." She stammered, clearly nervous being in the company of someone so intimidating.
I watched as my old friend put an arm around my student, "I'm Ultear Milkovich, a childhood friend of Jellal's. We've known each other since we were like, what? 5? Is that right J?" She cocks her head to the side and looks at me.
"Yeah, sounds about right..." I mumble.
But Ultear isn't really paying attention, "This is my daughter Meredy," She points to the pink haired child in my arms, "Isn't she the cutest thing you've ever seen? Oh, and by the way... What's your relationship with Jellal?"
Erza's eyes go wide, knowing exactly what she is getting at, "Oh, no! It's nothing like that, really!" She sort of shouts, her face flushed and her hands waving in front of her face in a panicky notion, "I'm just his student! I'm here for some tutoring lessons with Jellal!"
"Oh? Are you sure?" Ultear places her hands on her hips, "You did just call him by his first name."
Dammit Erza! I clench my fists by my sides, trying to control my irritation at her insistence with calling me by my first name.
"Oh...Um..." The scarlet haired girl is at a complete loss for words so I quickly swoop in to protect her from the older woman's scrutiny.
"Ultear-san, did you know Erza is acquainted with Gray?" I interrupt her little interview, hoping it'll take her attention from our non-existent relationship.
It works like a charm.
"Really? You know my little brother?" Ultear leans forward in slight curiosity, "Is he behaving ok? Don't be afraid to give him a little slap now and then if he's not. I know he can be quite troublesome, especially when he's around that Natsu kid."
The redhead nods discreetly, "Yeah, Gray and I have been friends for a while now. I've also met Lyon a couple times." Erza relaxes slightly now that the topic has shifted.
"Oh, Lyon! Don't tell me that he, Gray and that blue haired girl are still in that silly love triangle?" Ultear has completely forgotten about the situation from before.
Thank god.
Why she would think I would allow something to happen between a student and myself is beyond me.
"Uncle Jellal, your girlfriend sure is pretty." Meredy is beaming at me happily and I sighed in frustration.
This was going to be a long day.
Wow. This chapter took a whole lot longer to write than usual. I'm kind of relieved now that it's over.
I'm seriously considering changing the rating to M...
Oh and for anyone who was wondering, Meredy is around 5 or 6 in this story and Ultear is 24, a year younger than Jellal.
Also, I know that all the characters are super OOC, just please don't hate me!
Anyways, remember to read and review everyone and I swear I'll love you forever! :D
(Please feel free to take a look at my other fanfics; Pain can lead to love and Playing Cupid).