Juvia Lockser sat by a window inside the Mocha Coffee Shop, watching as dark, ominous clouds rolled in and the first heavy drops of rain began to splatter against the glass. She sighed, taking a sip of her coffee as a peal of thunder rang out, followed closely by a flash of lightning in the distance. She had originally planned on leaving for a job look-out that day, but now looking at the oncoming storm, staying in was a better idea.
Outside people rushed here and there, umbrellas clutched tightly in hand, trying in vain to ward off the downpour. Juvia had used to like the rain; she didn't like it anymore. It had rained for a week after she discovered that she was had to leave her newfound home. Now whenever a storm came along, she couldn't help but feel guilty about what had happened. Today it was even worse; the rain fell too hard, the thunder was ear shattering loud, and the lightning was out for vengeance.
Needless to say, Juvia was not in the best of moods. The rainstorm wasn't stopping one girl from sitting on the edge of the canal, however, swinging her legs and throwing her head back to let the dense water droplets roll down her cheeks. Juvia's eyes narrowed in confusion as she watched the girl stand up and proceed to dance around, throwing her arms in the air. She twirled, and twirled, jumping into a puddle and letting the water splash up around her feet. Her short choppy hair was plastered to her face, but that didn't seem to bother her at all. Juvia let a small smile grace her lips as the girl jumped from puddle to puddle, clearly not having a care in the world. Her heart picked up speed as she wondered who this foolish, carefree girl could be. Then her figure started to move towards to the coffee shop, pulled the front doors open, and in walked a girl no younger than 10.
"You're here early today, Asuka." smiled the coffee shop owner, Porlyusica. She is an elderly woman who lives in a treehouse located in the East Forest outside Magnolia Town.
The girl removed her hat, running her small, delicate hands through her black locks, her once damp hair drying off immediately, then placed the hat back on. It slipped down on one side, leaving it skewed. She wrinkled her nose, reaching up and righting it, before smiling once more and moving further into the shop, sitting down behind a table close by Juvia.
"Mama said to go on ahead before the storm could catch up to me." she slightly smiled at the old lady. "But it did anyway."
"Oh no." murmured the old woman, patting the little girl on the head and offering her a small towel. "Here you go, go to the bathroom and see if you can dry off that little face of yours, will you?"
"Mm!" the girl nodded, jumping up and running into the direction of the bathrooms.
"Would you like a refill, sweetie?" asked Porlyusica. It took Juvia a few seconds to realize that she was speaking to her.
"Ahm, no thanks." she murmured. She was about to add something, but was interrupted with the coffee shop's doors opening and closing again. A couple walked, hand in hand, wiping away the rain water from their face.
They sat on the bar stools, starting a conversation with Porlyuisica until one of the young workers yelled at the old woman to turn up the radio.
"Oh my, kids these days," Porlyusica murmured, turning on the little knob on the radio.
"This morning we had discovered Vice-President of Magnolia's Mayor, dead, on the racks of the Magnolia Station. The police is still yet to give out the details of when and how Mr. Dreyar was found dead. Many officials are sying their condolences to Dreyar's wife, while the police are hurriedly trying to pick up every bit of evidence before the storm gets any bigger. Some say that he was killed right after he left the secret Dark Arts Presentation, Mr. Dryar himself had thrown the other night. Others suggest it was an assassination, but as of now, all we can offer are our services in helping out his family, as well as..."
The voice of the radio faded into the back wall of the shop as it grew quiet inside. Everyone was looking at each other in otter shock and madness, as if suspecting each other.
"Mama!" cheered the young girl as she emerged from the bathroom and jumped into her mother's hands. "Is everything alright?" she asked, looking at everyone in the coffee shop. Faces went pale, and confusion arose through the chaos.
"Yes, sweetie," replied the girl's mother, patting her hair and kissing her forehead. "Everything is going to be alright.
On the next day, Juvia awoke with a start, clawing at the empty blankets beside her. She sat up on the bed and looked around the room, frantically searching for the familiar mess of dark greenhair. Heart beating fast, she put on her robe and started to get up when she heard the bathroom door close behind her.
"Ah, shit..." a voice cursed, and Juvia turned around to look at her younger foster sister.
"What's wrong?" she asked, about to stand up.
"Ah, no, it's nothing!" Sue quickly defended herself, hiding a plastic tube behind her.
"Give it here." Juvia pressured, holding out her hand. Sue gulped, revealing what she'd been hiding behind her back.
"It's, ugh... It's a pregnancy test." Juvia pointed out. Sue nodded her head, her locks of green falling behind her ear.
"Well, is it, ugh... Are you...?" Juvia couldn't bring out the words.
"No." she shook her head. "But I was so sure!" she exclaimed, running into Juiva's hands.
"Um," Juvia was unsure what to do with her sister. "There, there." she quietly whispered, patting Sue's head. Sue had been in this house for as long as Juvia remembered. She first met her when the two girls were 12 and 14. Immediately, they liked each other, started to hang out together during recess and share one room. Because they were too small for the two leveled bed, they had to give it up to the Mayo twins and sleep in a queen-sized bed Madame Hilda had bought them four years ago.
"I just, hoped, you know, that I would be..." she trailed off, sobbing even more into Juvia's robe sleeve. It was no secret that Sue hated their family. Juvia was guessing that if she ended up pregnant, Sue's boyfriend would have to take car of her.
"I know. I know." Juiva nodded her head.
Breakfast was as usual, nothing. Juvia sighed at note she noticed by the fridge. Not bothering to open it, she threw it in the trash.
"Now, that's not the way you should be treating something from me." A deathly voice came from behind.
Juvia swiftly turned around meeting eye to eye to Madame Hilda.
"Madame Hilda," she chirped, unable to find the words for the action she had just committed. "I thought you were already at work!"
"I was about to go. Now I'm late." she looked down at her watch.
"I, ugh, I'm so sorry." Juvia murmured, looking down at the floor.
"What are you apologizing for?" asked Madame Hilda before getting her purse. She was no older than 56 but looked 10 years younger. Madame Hilda was the kind of woman who had a bipolar personality. Maybe that's why more than half of the kids living in this house despised her. Also why most of them used this place as a temporary house, checking in once a week, if not once a month.
Madame Hilda went through the mail she was holding in her hand previously. Juvia watched as her flawless face grew wrinkles on. She frowned at the letter that made Madame Hilda go pale, but Madame swiftly tore the letter into pieces, shoving them down the trash can.
"Spam." She excused herself and grabbing her purse, walked out of the house, not minding to lock it.
Juvia frowned once again, looking down the trash can and spotting one of the ripped pieces from the letter. It had the word Scattered written on.
It couldn't be...
Juvia laughed the thought off, getting ready to go to school.
Walking through the brick opening, Juvia yawned loudly as she entered the bustling excitement that was a normal occurrence in the courtyard, especially if the late night text the girl had received about a transfer student had anything to do with it. Eyeing a group of students, who were obviously surrounding someone, Juvia concluded that her best friend was probably right. Poor kid, but it wasn't her problem. Nope, she had to focus on the SATs that she would have to take in a few months and sending out applications to colleges after that. Of course, she would let her mind wander over to Sue, the poor girl was still crying when Juvia left her...
A small smile graced her features as she entered the school for his fourth and final year. Hana, her best friend from last year, greeted her with a small smile at hand, hugging her and giving out fake kisses.
"I missed you so much over the summer!" she squealed, letting go of Juvia. Meredy held up her phone and typed something in before sending the text.
"Who'd you send that to?" wondered Juvia.
"Oh, no one... Just my boyfriend." Meredy giggled.
"Boyfriend!?" exclaimed Juvia. "Juvia thought you said, and she quotes, that 'This is summer is the borest of them all!.'" teased Juvia, gliding through the halls of the school together with Meredy, in search of her first class.
"I met him while I was going to the convenience store. You have to meet him, he is so handsome, I can't even begin to describe him!" she said, elbowing Juvia's side.
"Juvia sure will have to meet him before you drive him away." Juvia agreed in a serious tone before bursting into laughter.
"Uh-oh." Meredy shook her head towards Juvia's left. There was standing Sue's boyfriend, in search of something. As soon as he spotted Juvia, he headed into her direction. "I'll talk to you later." Meredy murmured before slipping into the crowd.
Juvia sighed, awaiting for his approach.
"Where the hell is Sue?" asked Boze, looking down on Juvia. It certainly did not help Juvia that he was a head taller with what she was about to do.
"She's not going to be seeing you anymore." Juvia sighed, looking at Boze's eyes.
"What?" Boze's face froze in place.
"She's not going to be seeing you anymore." Juvia repeated. "She's breaking up with you."
"She can't do that." Boze protested.
"Go tell that to Sue, not Juvia." Sue stated, going around Boze.
"Wait a minute." Boze stopped her, grabbing her right hand. Her bag fell from her shoulder, as she was pulled against a random locker.
"This is a prank, isn't it?" asked Boze, looking Boze into her eyes. When she said nothing her yelled at her, "Say something!" causing a few heads turning their way.
"You're hurting Juvia." she said, pulling away from Boze and heading into the nearest classroom.
She waited long enough for Boze to disappear before heading out and finding her first class.
First period was English 11; cobalt eyes stared out the window as the teacher gushed on about literature and something about what was on the finals, none of which Juvia cared much about at the moment - her mind wandered onto Sue and Madame Hilda's odd behavior this morning. She would've stared out the window for eternity if it hadn't been for the speakers who had called her name practically a dozen of times.
"Juvia Lockser, please come down to the principle's office. Juvia Lockser. To the principle's office. Juvia Lockser..." the voice continued on and on, repeating many different phrases.
Skipping down the stairs, Juvia quietly entered the office and then the principle's office.
"Ah, Miss Lockser, I'm so glad you could make it!" Principle's Jose''s eyes shone and his smile widened at the sight of Juvia. "Please, be seated." he pointed at the chair in front of his desk. Confused, Juvia did as she was told, only then noticing a shadow standing close by the Principle's desk.
"Uhm... Am I in some kind of trouble?" asked Juvia, looking at the shadow. The shadow turned out to be a tall dark haired woman that reminded Juvia of a queen, dressed in all black. She smiled sweetly at Juvia, with ahint of darkness in her eyes.
"No, you're not in any kind of trouble. More importantly, the school is."
"The school... I don't understand."
The woman giggled slightly, before putting her hand on the principle's right shoulder. "You see, the letter we sent to your house must have been misplaced, and never reached your hands. You're a witch, Juvia. And we would like to welcome you into the Scattered Mahou Academy."