Lady Marmalade : Sweet Revenge

by Valerie Grimm

This is not my story. Juvia,Levy, Aries and Lucy want's some revenge from the boy's that treat them bad. And boy, they're going to get it.Gruvia, NaLu, GaLe, AriesxLoke and hints of Jerza

4. Chapter 4

Well I will say this. Lady marmalade its not my story, its from harvester girl, and again Im so so so sorry because of the mistakes, sorry sorry sorry. But gehee here I am, and Im late cuz Im on the beach with my family .

Hello?" Juvia answered as she picked up the phone, her chest panting from rushing downstairs.

"Hey Juvia!" Levy's peppy voice greeted as Juvia answered.

"Levy? I was in the shower!" Juvia whined as she headed her way back upstairs, the cordless phone against her ear, her hands clutching the dripping wet towel around her.

"I just called to say that I'm still really sorry about that Art incident! It's all Gajeel's fault! Honestly!" Levy rushed together in a hysteric sentence, Juvia began to laugh.

"It's okay, really!" Juvia reassured her once again as she entered her bedroom, taking off her towel and slipping into a white robe.

Every since then, it was all Levy could say to Juvia. Why wouldn't she? After all, she probably just made the whole entire Gray and Juvia thing more awkward for Juvia.

As if it wasn't awkward enough.

"I'm actually kinda glad you did…" Juvia quietly said, half to Levy, half to herself.

"Huh?" Levy asked, confused. What was Juvia talking about?

"Never mind Levy, it doesn't really matter!" Juvia laughed off, "I'm just so excited for the Talent Show, only a few days now!" Juvia happily exclaimed as she twirled a lock of her wet hair in her fingers, quickly covering up her words from earlier.

"I know! Your outfit is so adorable! You'll be sure to smack some sense into Gray with that one!" Levy giggled on the other end, Juvia joined her.

"And you'll definitely make a certain metal-faced guy's jaw drop!" Juvia added, which only caused the two girls to giggle even more.

"Well, it's pretty late and we should both wake up early tomorrow if we're going to have to deal with another rehearsal." Juvia reminded Levy, who moaned in the process.

"Ugh, I could feel the pain already. Alright, see ya Juvia!"

"See ya!" Juvia laughed as she pushed the END CALL button on her phone.

However, the laughter didn't last long.

It wasn't that she enjoyed the conversation with Levy but she expected someone else to call…

"Why would I even think that he would call…" Juvia murmured to herself as she looked out her window, only to see the familiar vision of Gray's house right across from hers. The girl half expected Gray to call, but probably only because to explain why he covered for her in Art…or Maybe to see if she was…okay?

It was so unlike him.

Juvia sighed heavily as she shut her curtains together tightly, not being able to bear the image no longer.

"I thought I finally understood, but there you go again and change everything…"

-Earlier-

Gray sat there as his phone hummed, irritated as heck. Finally the person picked up.

"Hello?" Natsu answered sleepily. Obviously the lazy boy was sleeping when Gray called.

"You wanted to tell me something?" Gray asked in his usual annoyed tone. Of course he was thinking of calling Juvia but even that would be too far…

"Huh? Oh yeah! Um, we sorta changed the song we're performing on Friday…"

"What? What's wrong with the one we have now?" Gray asked, extremely irritated. That means they'd have to spend more endless nights practicing, and practicing, and PRACTICING.

"Well…we just figured that this one seemed better to perform since it's more, I don't know, out there!" Natsu tried to convince the cold teenager.

"But-" Natsu continued but he was soon to be cut off.

"Whatever." Was all Gray said as he hanged up on Natsu before he could even say anymore. Natsu stared sleepily at his phone, shrugged his shoulders, and fell backwards into bed.

Gray gave out a frustrated sigh as he collapsed onto his bed as well. He just wasn't in the mood to hunt down Natsu and confront him; he was too exhausted for that. Instead, he looked up at the ceiling and stared at it long and hard.

"Juvia…" Gray murmured to himself. A vision of Juvia, standing there, crying appeared in his mind. She was alone, and not matter how much she was consoled by others, she just cried even harder.

Gray finally understood.

"I'm…sorry…" Was all Gray said before he drifted off into a deep slumber, were vicious nightmares would snap at his soul. He wouldn't mind though, after all, the worst nightmare was already happening.

And it involved the tears of a certain blue-haired girl.

Days have passed, and the highly anticipated day of the Talent Show finally arrived. Students buzzed in homeroom, all thrilled and excited for the night's show and multiple performances. Aries, Erza, Levy, and Lucy crowded all around Juvia at her desk, secretly discussing their performance with great excitement.

"So Evergreen said that there will be a half hour intermission before us, which would be the final act. You know, to get the scenery and stuff up." Lucy explained to the girls who all nodded.

"I just hope everything goes alright, I mean, what if the guys aren't even in the audience?" Levy asked, lately the brunette began to think of all the worse things that could go wrong.

"Don't worry, they will. I asked Jerall to make sure they're seated in the front row." Erza said with great confidence, suddenly, all the girls gave her a sly look. Jerall was head of the Talent Show committee…and also Erza's crush!

"Of course, Erza had to make sure that she was the one to check it out with Jerall." Juvia cooed, Erza turned a bright red.

"H-Hey! I had to make sure that he got the instructions for the lighting and stuff. HE'S also the one who's in charge of the spotlight! And with our performance, it has to go in synch with the music!" Erza quickly flustered as she turned even redder!

"But didn't you friends already set everything up, lighting wise?" Aries asked towards Lucy, who nodded. Erza turned the darkest crimson you could imagine! She really wanted to smack Aries right now!

"J-J-Just forget it!" Erza yelled, all the girls couldn't help but laugh. It was a rare sight to see Erza get worked up over a guy, she was normally so calm and collective!

"Well at least Jerall is so sweet and nice, unlike someone I know." Levy said distastefully as she rolled her eyes, referring to a certain metal-faced boy.

"Speaking of which, where are they anyway?!" She added as she scanned the room, annoyed. Weren't the guys in the same homeroom with them?

"Psh, like you haven't heard." A noisy and obnoxious fan girl commented as she and some other fellow fan girls approached the group.

"Heard what?" Juvia asked.

"Gajeel and the guys went to the auditorium to try out for the Talent Show. Like, everyone who is going to be in the show has to be there,right now."The fan girl finished in a matter-of-fact tone, all the other fan girls nodded with a dreamy expression on their faces.

"WHAT!?" Juvia, Levy, Lucy, Aries, and Erza screamed in horror as they bolted past the mob of fan girls and out of them room. THEY were supposed to be at the try outs, RIGHT NOW!

"Shit, Shit, Shit, SHIT!" Juvia cursed as the girls rushed through the halls in a mad scurry.

If they didn't make it in time…that meant… NO REVENGE!

"Do we have everyone who is trying out?" Jerall asked as he filed a few papers in his hands. Gray, Gajeel, Loke, and Natsu stood there on the stage, completely annoyed, especially Gray.

"Please say "here!" as I call your names, erm… the Gajeels?" Jerall sweat-dropped as a group of cheerleading fan girls raised their pom-poms in the air, all screaming Gajeel's name.

Gajeel gehee in a mean way, all the fan girls cried out even louder!

"Okay…moving on…" Jerall continued as he continued to sweat-drop.

-Meanwhile-

"Juvia, wait up!" Levy cried out as she tried to catch up with her friend, but Juvia wasn't listening. She HAD to get to the auditorium, she couldn't miss her chance! She didn't care about keeping it a secret any longer!

Her feet skidded as she made a sharp turn, her friends soon followed as they tried to catch up with their fast moving friend.

But who can blame her?

Juvia was sick and tired now! Suddenly, as if it all just dawned on her, Juvia's rage suddenly lashed out. WHY did Gray treat her like this? WHY did she have to be treated so badly?!

WHY THE HELL DID HE ABANDON HER?!

"Gajeel, Loke, Natsu, and Gray?" Jerall called out once again to the crowd of students on the stage.

"Here!" Natsu called out, Loke and Gajeel responded by slapping Natsu hard on the head.

"Ow!"

"God…"Gajeel muttered under his breathe, Loke snickered.

Gray stood there, his arms folded, an annoyed expression on his face. He had a bad feeling something was about to happen but he just couldn't put his finger on it…

"Okay guys; perform your act so we could move along." Jerall said as the boys went to there instruments.

Gray gave up and sighed as he picked up his guitar. Whatever this feeling was, He was sure it was nothing.

The five girls' pace quickened, Juvia in the lead. Her brow was furrowed, a determined expression on her face.

'I'm going to make it!' Juvia cried triumphantly to herself as she saw the auditorium's doors come into view.

"Juvia, WATCH OUT!" Aries cried out. Juvia looked back in alarm but it was too late.

Before Juvia knew it, she found herself falling towards the auditorium's entrance…

"Great!" Jerall complimented as the guys finished their performance, which left all the fan girls in major screams and applause. Loke, Gajeel, and Natsu gladly soaked in the praise, but Gray just stood there, emotionless. He didn't care for the applause or the praise; he could only care about one thing.

Or someone.

"And finally…Team Marmalade?" Jerall called out.

Gajeel gave Natsu and Loke an amused look as they all snickered.

"Marmalade? What kinda group is that?" Gajeel laughed, Natsu and Loke joined him.

"Do they make jam or something?" Natsu asked, still laughing from Gajeel's remark.

"Team Marmalade?" Jerall called out once more, no response.

"Alright then…if that's everyone-"

CRASH!

Everyone turned their sudden attention to one of the entrances, gasps filling the room as they did so.

There before them stood Juvia, face first one the floor! On top of her was Levy, then Aries, then Lucy, and Erza just standing there, looking down, embarrassed.

"Ow…." Juvia murmured underneath the dog pile.

"H-HERE!" Aries shouted out from the pile in her usual peppy and cheerful voice. The dog pile was the result of an incident that was terribly unfortunate. If only that cable cord got out of the way, Juvia wouldn't have tripped and Levy, Lucy, and Aries wouldn't have tripped over her!

Juvia looked down at the stage, her heart beating faster with every passing minute.

'Gray…is right there! And he's staring at me!'

"Here Juvia," Erza said as she helped Juvia to her feet, Juvia did so, but she did not take her eyes off the stage, or to be more specific,someone.

Gray stared at her, his eyes confused.

'What the hell is she doing here?!' He thought as Juvia and the others joined with the other students.

"Oh MAN! You have got to be kidding me!" Gajeel laughed as he approached Levy, who glared at the boy.

"What is so funny?!" Levy countered, placing her arms on her hips and furrowing her brow in annoyance.

"C'mon Levy, be realistic. Do you honestly thing your girl group or whatever you guys are doing can beat our band?" He smirked, giving her a gehee in the process. All the Gajeel cheerleaders screamed in response to his move.

"It's not some girl group! It's totally awesome! You just have to see!" Aries responded, aiding Levy.

"Oh, we wouldn't miss your humiliation. That's for sure." Loke replied.

"What'd you say?!" Aries bellowed, getting right up in Loke's face. After about five seconds, the pair turned bright red as they realized how close they were before automatically looking the other way.

Okay, so they weren't exactly over the whole nurse's office thing.

Lucy stared down at Natsu, daring him to comment with her mallet sticking out from behind her back. Natsu saw this, stepped back a few feet, and gave her a weak thumbs-up. Lucy smiled sweetly.

'Good Boy!' She thought as she mentally patted Natsu on the head.

Juvia however, didn't really watch her friends' showdowns; in fact, she kept her eyes on the floor. She felt Gray's cold gaze on her, and it sent multiple shivers down her spine, any determination she had before seemed to drain out her.

"Alright team Marmalade, let me see your performance." Jerall mentioned as he sat on one of the seats in the rows, he gestured for everyone but them to get off the stage, so they did. Gray kept his gaze on Juvia, who kept her gaze on the floor.

'Just don't look into his eyes…Just don't look…' Juvia thought, Maybe if she didn't look him straight on, she could get through this ridiculous rehearsal.

"W-Wait a minute…you want us to perform? As in, do our routine right here, r-right now?" Juvia asked in horrified realization as she look up in astonishment.

"Yup, that's right watergirl !" Jerall laughed out.

"ARGH! Don't call me that!" Juvia screamed at Jerall as Levy and Lucy held her back. Gray saw this and silently smirked to himself.

'She hasn't changed one bit.'

"B-But we c-can't do this right now!" Levy told Jerall as Juvia violently simmered in her restraint.

"Why McGarden? Are you stage fright? Aw, poor thing!" Gajeel laughed out in a baby voice.

"WHY YOU-"

"Enough!" Jerall called out, everyone turned silent. "Girls, you must try out to be in the actual show."

Each and every girl froze. They couldn't do their performance now! It would ruin everything! Plus, they didn't have their music or even props for that matter!

"Well, I'm waiting."

"They didn't perform!" Levy yelled as she pointed at the guys.

"Yeah we did, and if weren't late, you would have seen it!" Gajeel shouted back, Levy fumed.

"Oh My God, LET'S JUST DO IT!" Juvia finally screamed, causing the whole room to go silent. "We have no choice…" She finished silently, meekly looking up at Gray.

He was staring right at her!

'Stop s-staring Juvia!' She scolded herself as she focused her attention back to her friends, who were all scowling that they had to give up the surprise factor of their performance. The whole room went silent as Erza stepped up.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome to the-" Erza began as the girls got into their formation but three peppy voices cut her off.

"Like, Stop!" Three high-pitched voices called out. Everyone turned their attention to the source and to the girls' relief, it was the senior girls! There they confidently stood all wearing matching black suits and black sunglasses, a black brief case in each of their hands.

Juvia gave out a sigh of relief.

'Thank God!'

"What's going on?" Jerall questioned as he stood up from his seat, curious on who these people where and why they would interrupt the try outs!

Natsu, Gajeel, Loke, and Gray all had the same expression on their face, as if saying "What the-?!"

"Like, as these girls' managers, we would like them to refrain from trying out right now. They don't have their proper music, costumes, props, etc." Mirajane began as she handed some papers to Jerall, who sweat-dropped.

"But they still have to try out! If they don't then they can't be in the show!" Jerall countered; the trio gave out a sigh of annoyance.

He had a point there.

'But the moving vans full of props didn't arrive yet! And the male extras aren't even here-!" Evergreen whined.

"Now wait a second! You guys promised that you wouldn't hire male extras!" Lucy yelled as she pointed at her sisters accusingly.

"Little girl, it'll help add atmosphere!" Lisanna pointed out, "Besides, they already have been paid!"

"NOW HOLD UP! What the hell are you guys throwing together?!" Gajeel asked as he and the others approached the girls, completely irritated and furious, especially Gray.

Perhaps when they heard the word male extras?

"That's for you to find out!" Levy teased as she playfully tugged on Gajeel's locks, he turned bright red as he slapped her hand away!

"Whatever the case is, you girls have to do something!" Jerall retorted with great annoyance as he put his hands on his hips.

"Jerall dearest," Mirajane began, turning on her charm as she took Jerall's hand into hers. "The girls wished to keep their performance on the down low to surprise some certain boys." She whispered discreetly to the boy, who was bright red.

"And trying out in front of them would ruin everything they worked for…so can't you make a little exception?" She cooed, causing Jerall to blush even harder and fumble out "S-S-Sure."

Erza turned red with envy as she witnessed this, "L-Leave Jerall alone!"

"So it's like settled!" Mirajane giggled, ignoring Erza completely.

"But we still need proof that they have actual talent." Jerall pointed out, still a little red from earlier.

"Sure, Lucy hit a note." Lisanna instructed as she handed Lucy a mic, she did so with great confidence. Natsu jolted at the sound of her voice, was that really her?!

"Now Levy." Levy sang out a perfect A note, Gajeel stood there in amazement.

"Heehee." Levy giggled as she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Aries." Aries performed her deed and smirked at Loke, whose jaw dropped. Giggling, she lifted his chin up with her index finger before she herself, turned a little pink.

"And the lovely lead, Juvia!" Lisanna finished, everyone gasped. Juvia shrieked, she did not just say in front of everyone that she was leading!

"Juvia's the lead? Are you sure that's such a good idea?" A fan girl's voice whispered out loud.

Juvia stood there frozen; she felt everyone's eyes on her. She clutched the microphone tightly in her hands as she caught Gray's gaze. Her heart started to beat fast, any confidence that flame in her heart now suddenly burned out.

"That's the same girl who burned the stage down last year!" Someone whispered in the audience.

"Oh yeah, I heard she did it all to impress Gray!"

"Pathetic!" A girl shrilled out.

Juvia stood there and gulped, ignoring all the harsh whispers around her.

It was now or never.

Gray was watching her. It was her turn to redeem herself! To show him that she wasn't worthless, that she wasn't weak!

'I must be strong!' Juvia cried confidently in her head.

She took a deep breath and let a belting powerful high note, much clearer and melodic than the rest.

The whole room went silent as she did so, was that Juvia?! Her voice was so loud, so clear, and so beautiful that it left everyone speechless! But Juvia didn't care what they were thinking; she wanted to know what he was thinking.

As she ended the note, she gave a sharp gaze to Gray, channeling all her anger and sorrow into it. Hopefully, he would see all the pain he has caused her, all the misery he had given her!

Gray stood there, he wasn't shocked or anything, nor was he was he amazed. He knew Juvia was a talented singer and he finally understood the purpose of such an emotional note.

'Juvia…I'm sorry…' He wanted to tell her aloud, but what would her reaction be? He knew perfectly well she would never take him back…

Instead of glaring harshly back at her, his eyes softened as he sadly gazed over at her. Juvia gasped silently to herself, her eyes widening as tears began to silently trickle gently down her face.

Gray had never had given her that look before. The last time he looked at her that way was when….

"Remember," Gray whispered to her softly as he pointed to the necklace, "As long as I'm here and as long as you want it, I'll forever keep that promise." Gray reassured her, referring to his and Juvia's engagement.

"Is that enough for a try out, Jerall?" the girls asked the awe-struck Jerall, who nodded with his jaw still hanging low.

"Yay!" The girls cheered, except Juvia. Her feet felt like lead, her nerves shaking.

Gray…had he changed his mind about her?!

"Juvia, are you alright?" Lucy asked, concerned. Juvia ignored her; her voice seemed far off somewhere.

"I-I'm fine, I just need to get some fresh air…" She replied weakly as she headed for the auditorium's doors, her heart fastened as she past Gray.

She nervously kept on walking.

'I'll always protect you…'Gray's voice echoed through her mind as she became woozier.

"…Gray…" Juvia murmured in a barely audible tone that she was sure no one heard but herself. Her heart rate sped up, she could barely breathe!

"…help…"

And those were the last things she said before she collapsed, right then and there in the aisle, the image of her childhood friend burning into her mind.

"Juvia!" Her friends cried out as they were about to rush over to her but came to a sudden halt when they found someone already aiding her.

There stood Gray, holding the unconscious Juvia in his arms, bridal style.

Even if Juvia never had known…somehow he heard that faint cry before she passed out.

He looked forlornly down at her, a sparkling glint catching his eye.

She was secretly wearing that necklace…

"I'll take care of her." Was all he said as he left the auditorium, no one even dared to get in his way. He wasn't mad or angry that she was wearing it. In fact, his heart seemed lighter than it ever was before.

"I'm here…" He whispered into her ear.

And for the first time in years, Gray Fullbuster actually smiled.

"Finally…"Loke remarked, breaking the silence that had overcome the auditorium.

"Huh?" Aries asked as she approached him curiously.

"Are you guys even aware of that?" Gajeel asked as he pointed towards the doors Gray and Juvia had taken.

"Of course we are!" Levy said, "Wait…you guys know too?"

They all nodded, and Levy cuffed her chin, thinking.

"We have to settle it once and for all; it's just getting too hard for Juvia." She began, but Natsu cut her off.

"And Gray."

"What are you talking about? He's the one who's making her suffer!" Lucy replied, putting her hands on her hips in annoyance.

"She's suffering?! How do you really think we got our black eyes?!" Natsu countered as he pointed at his eye, the black eye barely recognizable now.

"Gray…did that?" Aries asked, stunned. The guys nodded.

"That's how his hand got injured so badly, he doesn't hit lightly you know." Loke began in a matter-of-fact tone, "You guys don't know how protective he is of her…did you not just see how quickly he jumped after her when she fainted?"

"And Juvia thinks he hates her…" Levy whimpered.

"I guess there's a lot we all don't know…" Erza realized as she sat wearily on a chair, she was completely worn out from all that occurred!

There was a long silence, and Levy began to smile very brightly.

"Hey, I have an idea!" She began as she whispered something into Gajeel's ear, who smirked.

"Of course you girls would think of something like that."

Juvia awoke wearily, her legs felt like jello and her head ached. She looked around and gasped.

Since when was she at home, in her room?!

"Ah, you're awake!" Her mother said as she came in with a glass of water and some aspirin. "I thought you'd be out longer…" She giggled as she sat at the edge of her daughter's bed.

"H-How did I get here and how long was I out?" Juvia nervously asked as she gladly took the aspirin and water from her mother's hands. She didn't like the look on her mother's face as her mother smiled.

"Oh, you were out for just a half hour but I notified the school saying you won't be back. I figured you would want to rest before you big show tonight." Johanna got up from the bed and kissed her daughter on her forehead before ushering her to lie down.

"B-but how did I get here?" Juvia once again asked, getting a little irritated that her mom was beating around the bush.

"Oh, um, Erza dropped you off sweetie." Was all she said, Juvia nodded.

Her mother left, leaving Juvia to rest some more. She returned to the kitchen to continue working on dinner but she felt a little bit guilty lying to her daughter….

Ding-Dong!

"Coming!" Johanna called out as she set down her mixing bowl and headed towards the door, she gasped on who it was.

There Gray stood, holding Juvia unconscious in his arms!

"Is she alright?" She asked as she let Gray in, he nodded.

"She just fainted; I thought it'd be better to bring her home then let her stay in one of those beds at school." He said as he laid her down on the couch.

"Oh, well that was really nice of you." She thanked the boy but then, "You know, she never told me that you moved back here..."

Gray tensed.

"Oh?" Was all he could say. What should he say?

"It's so nice that you care for her so much…Oh! The stove! Can you bring Juvia up to her room please?" Johanna asked as she ran back into the kitchen, Gray sighed.

"It's so nice that you care for her so much.." Gray couldn't get that out of his head!

He looked down at Juvia's unconscious figure before picking her up again and heading towards her room. It felt very awkward being in her house after all these years, noting seemed to change at all. And as he walked through the hall, he could recall the time when he and Juvia used to run through them, making a huge commotion as they did so.

'I must be going crazy." Gray thought as he thought he heard him and Juvia's childhood voices echoing in the halls.

Finally reaching her room, he set her in her bed. He was about to leave but he couldn't help but notice how strangely, Juvia's room didn't change either. Everything was still very blue, including the stuffed animals in the corner. He smirked, Juvia may have changed physically but she still was a child at heart. He looked at her, her breathing seemed regular by now.

'I should leave now…' He thought as he approached the door. But as he headed out, he noticed something familiar on her nightstand.

A photo.

He picked it up and looked at it. It was a picture of Aries, Levy, Lucy, Erza, and Juvia all smiling at the camera with ice cream in each of their hands. Of course, Juvia had some on her mouth.

Gray's eye twitched and was about to put it back down until he noticed the frame. It was a white frame with the words BEST FRIENDS in bold blue print running across the border, and it caused the scariest sense of DeJaVu.

"This looks familiar…" He said to himself as he looked at it more closely. Curiosity overtaking him, he slowly pulled back the photo of Juvia and her friends. His eyes widened.

Behind that photo was another photo. It was old and faded but yet it was still in good condition. There stood Gray and Juvia around the age of nine smiling at the camera. Gray just stood there, barely smiling while Juvia grinned from ear to ear, putting bunny ears behind Gray's head.

He smiled; he'd remembering taking that picture. Juvia got a new camera for her birthday and she urged Gray to be the first one to take a picture with her. At first he said no, but Juvia kept pestering him for the whole day until he had to finally give and take a picture with her.

He remembered how happy she was.

'Yay! Thank you Gray! I'll cherish it FOREVER!' She kept saying over and over again after the picture was done. Gray could still hear her childish voice.

He put the picture back in order, sighing. He looked down at Juvia's sleeping figure, she really did change.

"When the hell did you start wearing short skirts?" He growled towards her, "Didn't I tell you not too?"

Juvia, being unconscious, rolled over and moaned in her sleep. Gray sighed and headed towards the door. It's not like he'd do anything, but seeing Juvia lay unconscious there in a short skirt really did get to him, and he really didn't trust his hormones.

He reached the door and stood in the doorway, but before he left, he took a final glance at Juvia…

Things could never be the same between then.

Right?

Gray returned downstairs just in time for Johanna to come out from the kitchen.

"Oh, you're leaving?" She asked, Gray nodded as he headed for the door but before he left, he paused at the doorway.

"Can you tell Juvia…that one of her friends dropped her off? I don't want her to know that I did this…" He asked Johanna gave him a sad look before finally nodding.

"Thank you." Gray said before leaving. Once he was gone, Johanna sighed.

"She really does care for you" She murmured, "…and you really care for her…This isn't right…"

Juvia fidgeted in her bed covers, even though her mother told her to rest, she just couldn't! Her mind was still racing, her heart still beating a mile minute!

"Did I imagine that?" She thought aloud. Even though she was unconscious, she could have sworn she heard his voice.

"I'm here…"

"I-Impossible!" Juvia said as she rummaged out of bed to look at herself in the mirror. She was still wearing her uniform but it was now wrinkly and tattered, probably from sleeping in it. Her face was a little but paler, and her hair was tangled.

"He would never do that! Maybe before he would have…" Juvia continued, her eyes closed, tears forming. "But now it's different!" She finally cried, too painful for her to admit the truth.

It WAS different. Gray and her would NEVER be childhood friends ever again, and hopes of them becoming more…just vanished.

She looked around her room once more, taking in the familiar comfort of her privacy.

"Wait a minute…" Juvia began as she walked over to her nightstand. She picked up the picture frame that supposedly contained her and everyone's trip from the beach but she dropped it from shock on what was there instead.

"T-That picture…" Juvia stuttered as she picked the frame back up. Instead of the picture of her friends, it was that old picture of her and Gray…from her childhood…

Juvia clutched it close to her heart, tears forming down her eyes.

Was this a sign? A sign on not to give up and to keep fighting?

Juvia didn't know but she did know that things were changing, but for better or for worse?

That's what she wanted to know…

"Stunning!" Was all Mirajane said as she finished the final touches on Juvia's makeup.

It was the night of the Talent Show and the girls were already in their dressing room. The benefits of having a school that was highly involved in Drama was the multiple dressing rooms back stage, and since Lucy's friend went all out, they got the biggest one! It also helped that they were once the highly appreciated actresses the school had ever seen when they attended the high school

Juvia stood at her reflection in awe; it didn't seem like her at all. She wore a light blue glossy shade of lip gloss on her lips, heavy mascara, and over exaggerated shades of blue eye shadow.

Evergreen was working on her hair, and when she finished, it was magnificent! Straight hair cascaded past her shoulders, a small diamond tiara placing delicately on the top of her head.

"Juvia, you look so pretty!" Levy complimented as she rushed over to Juvia. Everyone was fully prepared to head out accessory and makeup wise, but since Erza was in charge of bringing the costumes and she wasn't here yet, they all wore the black satin robes Lucy's sisters provided for them.

Levy wore a nice shade of red glossy lipstick, a darker pink of eye shadow but less extreme as Juvia's, and black eye liner. She also wore her L top hat but she slanted it to the side, concealing the left side of her forehead.

"Thanks…so do you!" Juvia happily mentioned. Juvia could still remember how nervous she was when Levy picked her up in her red convertible that evening. Her heart went so fast, she just wanted to get it over with!

Things were also awkward for Juvia when they got to the school because when the entered the halls, they bumped into Gray and the guys…

"Are you feeling okay, Juvia?" Lucy asked, snapping Juvia out of her trace. She looked over at Lucy and smiled, signifying she was feeling better. Lucy smiled in return. Lucy, like her friend's promised and much to her dismay, had extensions put in her hair so it went all the way down to her lower back!

"It was a shame though that Lucy hates long hair, she looked so pretty!" One of the girls commented, Lucy rolled her eyes.

Her makeup was simple, white sparkling mascara, white eye shadow and a light pink gloss over her lips. Her hair was pulled back by one single diamond clip in her hair as well.

"Juvia…I'm sure things will change after tonight." Aries consoled as she placed her arm around Juvia in a reassuring hug, Juvia warmly accepted it. Aries was already in her makeup as well. Her feather was promptly sticking out of her long curled locks and her makeup was exactly was Aries wanted: She wore a dark maroon shaded lipstick, black mascara and eyeliner, and a assortment of pink eye shadows on her lovely brown eyes.

"Oops! Juvia you like forgot your necklace!" Lisanna reminded herself as she grabbed Juvia's necklace from the table next to her and placed it coolly around Juvia's neck. Juvia smiled.

"Thank you…" She said softly, smiling.

"Juvia…you don't have to answer this but why do you wear that necklace so much?" Aries obliviously asked, Levy and Lucy both shrieked at how dumb Aries was!

"Cause…it's the only thing that connects me to Gray…" Juvia whispered to herself.

There was a long and painful silence.

They knew Juvia wasn't talking about Gray, but Gray, her childhood friend.

They were about to speak up but suddenly, the dressing room door burst open!

"Hey Guys!" Natsu shouted, excited.

"Natsu!" Lucy screamed as she punched him hard against the head, "You never EVER go into a girl's dressing room without HER say-so!"

"Okay, I want everyone to stop hitting me!" Natsu screamed as everyone sweat-dropped. No one really ever took Natsu seriously anyway.

Natsu walked in wearing his band gear. He wore a black t-shirt with the sleeves at the end ripped, ripped jeans and a black choker.

Lucy was so shocked, he looked so hot!

"Natsu, you don't walk in on us! We could have been naked!" Aries shouted.

"Naked?" Loke curiously poked his head out of the doorway before walking into the dressing room as well. Aries turned a bright red, not because of Loke's comment but what he was wearing!

He was wearing a white oxford shirt with most of the top buttons unbuttoned, showing off some parts of his well built chest, and a black tie tied loosely around his neck. Aries couldn't also help but taking note of his ripped black jeans as well.

"Hey Aries…" Was all Loke flirted as he looked the other way.

"Hey…" Aries murmured, looking the other way as well.

Lucy saw this and raised an eyebrow towards Levy's direction, who snickered.

"Did we seriously miss something?" Levy giggled, Loke and Aries turned bright red.

"N-No!" They both cried out, but as they glanced at each other, they turned a darker shade of crimson before looking away!

"Finally, we found you guys!" Gajeel complained as he entered the room, Gray followed.

"How original McGarden, love your costumes!" Gajeel complimented sarcastically.

"Idiot! If you actually had a brain cell, you would know that these are robes, you wear them when you don't have your outfit yet!" Levy remarked.

"And I love you makeup..." He teased in his best girl voice, Levy glared at him. But as she did so, her face began to turn red. Gajeel, being the lead of the band, looks so hot that Levy didn't even want to admit it! He wore a white wife beater shirt, a black fedora slanted to the side, a brown bandanna wrapped around his head, and black jeans!

"Like what you see?" He remarked, Levy fumed.

"Why I ought to-!" She began but suddenly, a dashing figure stormed in the room.

"AH! So so sorry I'm late!" Erza apologized as she panted out of breathe, pink bags in her hands. Everyone gasped, the girls grinned with delight.

"Erza, your costume is so pretty!" Juvia cheered. There before them stood Erza, all dressed up and ready to go! She wore black ripped jean short shorts, a black tank top, and a black gentleman's overcoat with the flaps training down towards her ankles! On top of that, she wore black kitten heels!

"And your makeup!" Aries giggled. Erza blushed at the remark, she never got used to wearing such revealing outfits. She wore a simple coat of pink gloss, black eyeliner, and blush. That's all that she would ever allow.

"Um wow Erza!" Natsu remarked, Erza shrieked at the sound of the boy's voice. Since when were the guys in the dressing rooms?!

"Hey-!" She began but the rest just sighed and shook there heads. What was the use of kicking them out anyway?

"Oh, is that my costume?" Juvia asked as she took a pink bag from Erza, Erza nodded.

"That's one small bag…" Gray remarked, Juvia just feebly nodded while blushing. She couldn't but notice his outfit, which was a black wife beater shirt, regular ripped jeans, and a red tie wrapped around his neck to give it a formal-causal kinda of appeal. She never knew he had such muscles!

"Erza is such a lifesaver! First bringing home today and now getting my costume!" Juvia remarked happily, the room went silent.

"Huh? Juvia I never brought you home." Erza said, Gray eye's widened.

'No…' He thought. She was not going to ruin this!

"Huh? But my mom said that you dropped me off …" Juvia asked, confused. What was Erza talking about?

"No, P-"

"Of course you did, Erza!" Gray butted in, "Don't you remember?" He secretly glared at her, Erza saw this and then her eyes widened.

"U-Um yeah, of course! Anytime Juvia!" She laughed, how could she be so dense?

Juvia smiled then looked at her bag, then the guys, then her bag again.

"Um sorry guys but WE'RE CHANGING!" The girls screamed as they kicked the guys out and slammed the door behind them.

"Girls…" Gajeel mumbled as he began to head towards back stage, Natsu and Loke followed the same scowl on their face. Gray looked back at the girl's door and started to catch up with the guys.

That was close, too close!

"Gray…we were wondering…why didn't you want Juvia to know that that was you who took her home?" Loke asked, Gray sighed.

"Cause she would hate me if she knew…"

"Juvia, hold your breath!" Mirajane instructed as she tried her best to tighten the corset over Juvia's chest. Juvia held on for dear life to Aries's shoulders! Everyone was in their full attire already but sadly, Juvia insisted on putting on the corset at the last minute so suspense was in the air.

"I AM!" Juvia lashed back, annoyed how incredibly painful this was.

'Juvia, it has to be tighter for the performance. UGH! YOU WEAR IT THEN!' Juvia mocked in her head as she recalled how Lucy's sisters kept telling her that it had to be tight. And when they meant tight, they meant TIGHT!

"So Juvia, any comments on our oh so lovely performance?" Levy asked as she stuck her infamous camcorder into Juvia's face. Juvia sweat-dropped.

"Levy, y-your not recording are you?" She stuttered, and to her horror, Levy nodded.

"Of course! I need to make an excellent video for film class and what better subject could I film then the pre-show jitters that we all are experiencing?" She chirped.

"Well not when I'm in the middle of this torture-AH!" Juvia screamed as Mirajane got fed up with Juvia's talking. She pulled the corset as hard as she could, frankly, she could now care less about Juvia's comfort.

"All done!" She said in a sing-song voice as she rubbed her hands, a pleasant tone in her voice.

Juvia let go of Aries's shoulders and stood there, gasping for air. She looked in the mirror and sighed, but when she did, she quickly sucked in her breath. She could barely breathe!

"How can I sing when I can barely even breathe?!" Juvia complained as she took a good look at herself in the mirror. Everything was in order, her costume was fully on and her makeup looked fantastic. All she needed now was to go up on that stage and perform.

Perform.

"Relax Juvia, if you can talk, you can sing." Lucy reassured as she patted Juvia's back.

"That's right!" Aries agreed.

"And not to mention how irresistible you look!" Levy complimented from behind her camcorder. "Spin around for the camera dah-ling!" She added in a mock accent, Juvia just smiled and turned around, fully displaying her 'outfit'.

"Oh! OH! Us too!" Aries giggled as she grabbed Lucy as they both struck poses for Levy's camera.

"Marvelous! Hello A+!" Levy cheered as she captured the footage.

"Enough Girls," Evergreen instructed. "Now, we have to go to check to make sure that the props are on their way to the school so stay put!" The girls left in single file, and as they did, the other resumed back to their tasks.

"So Juvia, you still haven't answered my question. Any comments?" Levy once again asked Juvia, who was a bit preoccupied with fiddling with her corset, trying anything to make it more comfortable.

"Um," She started as she looked into the camcorder, "Not really. Just gonna say, be prepared." She winked as she added the last part suggestively, blowing a kiss in the process.

"Ooh! My film class would love that remark!" Levy cooed as she walked away, Juvia shrieked.

"YOU CAN NOT SHOW THAT TO ANYONE! CUT IT!" She screamed as she tried desperately to snatch the camcorder from Levy. However, Levy gleefully avoided the effort by jumping to the side. Pretty soon, Juvia was chasing Levy around the dressing room!

"Gimme that back!" Juvia called after Levy.

"No!" Levy remarked teasingly, "The audience will love your smexiness!" She giggled. Aries and Lucy almost fell over from laughing! The scene was too funny!

Juvia turned red at the remark, "C'mon Levy!" She whined as she gave up and sat on a chair.

"Don't worry Juvia, this cheer you up!" Aries said as she pushed the play button on their small stereo in the room. A catchy beat began to play as Levy, Aries, and Lucy began to brighten up.

"No way! You think I can actually perform well under all this pressure?!" Juvia began to protest as she turned the song off, red in the face. "Not now!"

"C'mon Juvia! We'll follow just do it! I guarantee it'll cheer you up! " Lucy pleaded as she got behind Juvia.

"It'll be fun! Don't be a party-pooper! We always do it at sleepovers! And remember cheer camp?" Aries giggled as she joined Lucy.

"But-!"

"Here, I'll do it too!" Levy said as she placed the camcorder on the table and joined the trio. Nonetheless, it was still on.

"Ugh, fine. But just this once. " Juvia sighed, all her friends cheered. She pushed the Play button once again on the stereo and the song began to play once more.

"Ready? Okay!" Juvia began in mock peppiness, hitting off the number. The others just rolled theirs eyes, Juvia would get over it.

Once it began, the four girls, in synch, rocked their hips from side to side. And after each two beats, they clapped their hands from before continuing to rock back and fourth.

"Look,"Juvia began as she placed two peace sign fingers near her two eyes.

"At. My,"She trailed them down to her hips…

"Ass, Look at my Thighs!" She cheered as she bumped her butt to the side and ran her left hand down her thigh. The others followed her steps in perfect synch.

"I'm catnip to the guys," She placed her hands on her hips and shimmied, an irresistible look on her face.

"They chase my tail, they drool and pant." Juvia spun around to the right and crouched down, sliding up suggestively.

"Wanna touch this, but they can't!" She giggled as she wiggled her fingers, winking.

"No!" Levy, Aries, and Lucy chorused as they turned to their sides, holding their hands up in a halting position, Juvia led by shaking her head, giggling.

"All the boys want to come and play, snap my fingers and they obey!" Juvia sung as she walked towards the left where Aries was and snapped her fingers.

"Why do they follow me around all day?" Juvia asked the others as she put her hands up in an I-don't-know gesture, approaching the other side to Levy.

"Watch me walk while I walk away and I-"

"Bend and -SNAP!" The four sung as they all slid their hands down their thighs towards their legs, then snapping back up in a perfect straight pose.

"Feel how hot it's getting!" Juvia fanned herself.

"Bend and-SNAP!" They repeated again, doing the same movements only to the opposite side.

"And when you got 'em sweating!" Juvia cheered as she wiped her brow, kicking up one of her legs.

"Spring the trap!" All four girls mock-pounced.

"They cheer and clap!" Levy, Aries, Lucy, and Juvia then clapped, trying their best from bursting into giggles.

"No Time Man!" Aries and Lucy sung as they bent down.

"Candy Man!" Juvia and Levy sung as they did the same.

"It's the BEND AND SNAP!" They all finally cheered as they snapped back up into four poses. After that, Levy pushed the STOP button and giggled.

"See, wasn't that fun Juvia?" She asked as she picked up her camcorder.

"What?" Juvia asked as she was panting out of breath, she couldn't breathe because she was laughing so hard!

That and Maybe the corset…..

"See, told you we would have fun!" Aries rejoiced as she hugged Juvia. Juvia didn't bother to shake her off.

"Can I come in?" A voice asked as the door knocked. The four girls slipped on their black robes before opening the door only to find Erza, still wearing her attire, standing there with a blue paper bag in her hands.

"Got the goods?" Juvia asked in an all serious voice, the others stood behind her with the same expressions on their faces.

"Yup!" She laughed, "Now you guys better it eat it quickly, I think I saw your sisters on the way here." She added, informing the last part to Lucy.

The four girls fiercely shook their heads as they quickly snatched the contents out of Erza's bag. In each of their hands was a HUGE chocolate bar. Before they could even cherish the moment, they quickly tore open the wrapper and dug into the irresistible treat.

Ever since they started practices, Lucy's friends BANNED anything unhealthy or fattening. They claimed that it would go all right down to their thighs and waistlines, and since the clothes were very revealing, they had to listen!

No exceptions.

"From now on, all four of you shall be on a strict diet. No fast food, no ice cream,"

Lucy shrieked.

"No soda, anything fried, and most certainly, NO CHOCOLATE!" All three valley girls commanded, causing all four girls to shriek in terror!

"EVIL! PURE REINCARNATED EVIL!" Juvia bellowed as demon eyes appeared on her face, her friends had to hold her back from killing the trio! The three just stood there, however, smirking.

They all actually found this quite amusing.

"It's been so long!" Lucy sighed as she finished her bar. Of course, since she had to live with those girls, it was VERY difficult to cheat on the strict diet.

"I know!" Levy moaned in delight, suddenly though, her ears perked up. A sly look was on her face.

"Please be fortunate that I was able to get these! Do you know how many stares I got in the convenience store? Wearing this?!" Erza displayed, showing off her somewhat revealing outfit.

"Well, be lucky that you're not wet! I heard that it's supposed to downpour tonight." Aries mentioned as she ate her bar happily.

"I heard that too! They said that it's probably going to be the heaviest rainfall this year!" Lucy added.

"Hey Erza, want to see our dance?" Levy snickered as she picked up the camcorder from the table and ended the recording session, causing the device to make a small plink noise.

"EH?! You recorded that?! I don't want anyone to see how idiotic and foolish I look!" Juvia once again, shrieked, dropping her wrapper on the ground from shock.

"Calm down girl, just look." Lucy insisted as Levy began the video. Juvia watched, humiliated, as the video played. It showed her blow a kiss at the camera, and then it got all shaking when Levy began to run around the room, and then it showed their dance. Juvia's eyes widened in fascination, did she really look that confident?

"See? Why are you so nervous? You look totally confident in this video and you definitely will look confident on stage." Erza smiled, Juvia sniffed as she looked at her four friends.

"You Guys!" She cried as she hugged her friends into a big group hug. She saw what they were doing. They wanted to show her that there was no reason to be nervous, that she really was amazing, and that she shouldn't let anything bring her down.

WHAM!

The girls broke apart in surprise as the door opened. Turns out, Gajeel slammed open the door with his foot, an annoyed expression on his face. The other guys soon followed in.

"What are you guys doing?!" Levy yelled.

"Nothing." Gajeel said as he looked the other way, slightly smirking. Levy furiously fumed.

"What are you talking about Gajeel? Just before you said you wanted to go see Levy-OW!" Natsu cried as Gajeel sharply elbowed him in the stomach, Levy turned a light pink.

"Ooh, so that's how it is." Aries, Lucy, and Juvia cooed towards Levy and Gajeel. Levy turned a deep red while Gajeel clenched his teeth, trying his best not to blush.

"Hey Levy, how do you turn this off?" Erza asked as she tried her best fiddling with the camcorder. Levy, almost too quickly, directed her attention towards Erza's request.

She was a little bit too anxious to get out of that scenario!

"You just push this and then ta-dah!" Levy cheered, a little bit too loud as she raised her hands up in a ta-dah pose. Everyone sweat-dropped as Levy began to giggle awkwardly, she really was trying her best to get over the incident!

"What were you guys even doing with a camcorder?" Gajeel asked, clearing the awkward silence.

"It's nothing, just for my film class." Levy fumbled as she looked down at her camcorder, blushing. Gajeel slightly smiled at her.

Juvia saw this and smiled secretly. She knew that Levy liked Gajeel, and she knew that Gajeel liked Levy. Even though they would fight or bicker towards each other, they still had that attraction. An attraction that was stronger than anything. They reminded her so much of…him…and…herself…when they were close…

Juvia took a quick glance at Gray, who was leaning against the doorframe, emotionless like always. She couldn't help but be a bit envious of her friend…

"Hey, aren't you guys heading on stage soon?" Aries asked Loke, who nodded.

"Are you guys going to watch from the sidelines, cheering?" He smirked, Aries's brow furrowed.

"Yeah, of course we will." She reassured sarcastically, Loke rolled his eyes. However, a blush was slightly visible on both their faces.

Juvia once again, secretly smiled.

Once again, she envied.

"Um, by the way Luce, did your sisters order that thing yet?" Erza asked, Lucy thought for a while and nodded happily.

"Yup! It'll be on the way!" She giggled.

"What are you guys talking about?" Levy asked, Lucy whispered into her ear before Levy began to smile brightly, Aries overheard and smiled too.

"Just pray that it's the right size!" Aries added.

"Um, can you guys clue me in?" Juvia asked, her hands on her hips.

"Clue you in on what?" They all asked obliviously as if they never had the discussion, which caused Juvia to sweat-drop!

"Next up! Loke, Natsu, Gray, and Loke!" Jerall's voice echoed throughout backstage.

"Looks like you guys have to go." Juvia said, trying her best to avoid eye contact with Gray. Her heart was still recovering from before!

'I don't want to ruin that gaze…' That kind image of Gray once again entered her mind and her heart fluttered. 'I don't want to ruin it with another scorn!' She cried.

"Let's rock!" Natsu cheered as the guys turned to exit. Gray, like he always does, slapped Natsu against his head for the remark.

"Ow! What the-?!"

"Rock on, Natsu!" Lucy suddenly cheered. Natsu looked back and stared at Lucy in awe. Lucy stood there and blushed.

Did Lucy just support one of his stupid remarks?!

"Yeah, rock on." He said in almost a whisper. Lucy looked down at her feet, and blushed a bit.

'She looks nice with long hair…' Natsu thought with a smile.

And with that the guys turned, and left into the darkness of the backstage.

"Hey, what are you guys waiting for?! Let's go watch them!" Levy laughed happily as she rushed out of the dressing room, after the guys.

"Hey, wait for us!" Aries called after the brunette, dragging Lucy with her.

It was only Juvia and Erza left in the room…

"C'mon, we better make sure they don't break something." Juvia giggled as she was about to leave the room but Erza grabbed her wrist, preventing her from leaving. Juvia looked back at her friend in surprise.

"Are you alright?" She asked, like a concerned friend should.

"I-I'm fine." Juvia replied, her voice a little shaky.

"Things are going to be alright Juvia. I…I saw how you looked at Levy the others… Erza murmured.

"O-Oh, that. Erza, I'm happy for them, I truly am." Juvia weakly smiled, Erza saw this and smiled.

"You know, you remind me a lot like that actress in that movie. You're really strong." Erza kindly remarked. Juvia was about to tear up!

"Erza!" she cried as she embraced her friend, her friend warmly hugged her back.

"Juvia…I don't think he hates you…I really don't…"Erza began; Juvia slowly, doubtfully, nodded as she broke from the hug.

"Erza…" Juvia began; Erza looked at her.

"I…" The soft whisper of Gray's words echoed through her heart.

"I'm here…"

"I really…don't know…what to think anymore." Juvia finally said as she tried her best from tears to spill from her cerulean eyes.

Juvia and Erza barely managed to find their way through the darkness of the backstage, with only a blue dim light for support. Once they finally reached the others, Juvia heaved a sigh of relief!

"There you guys are!" Juvia laughed as she gave her friends each a hug. Aries, Levy, and Lucy were already on the deck, right behind the curtains of the stage. They all were anxiously awaiting the performance of the guys, even though, they wouldn't admit it.

"Oh god…look at them…" Levy rolled her eyes as she caught a glimpse of Gajeel completely goofing off around with Natsu on the stage behind the closed curtains. Gajeel apparently stole one of Natsu's drumsticks and he was playing a fun little game of keep-away from the pink-headed boy.

"I know…so immature right?" Lucy added, both bluenette and blondhead stared at the two in awe.

"Hellooooo? Earth to Lucy and Levy? Snap out of it!" Juvia snapped her fingers in front of the two, who jumped. They looked quickly back and forth before putting their glare faces back on the guys, restoring the whole "i-can't-stand-them" feel. Aries, Erza, and Juvia just sighed.

Completely and hopeless in love the two were.

"I just can't believe how dark it is back here, Juvia you never told us!" Aries mentioned, Juvia's eye twitched.

"Yeah…last year…don't really wanna talk about it…."Juvia mumbled.

"Oh! I'm sorry Juvia! So Sorry!" Aries apologized. She knew better than to bring up that subject!

"Hey look, there starting!" Erza pointed out, they girls quit their talking as the curtains opened, and the whole place was hushed.

"May I present, Gajeel, Gray, Loke, and Natsu!" Jerall announced as he walked off the stage. Suddenly, the spotlight hit Gajeel, who smirked. Theentire female audience screamed and cheered.

"We love you Gajeel!" A group of fan girls cried.

"No, you!" Gajeel smirked,laughing. This caused everyone to cry and shout again!

Levy fumed from behind the scenes, she had to restrain herself from tackling Gajeel on the spot!

'So obnoxious!' Levy clenched her teeth.

"Levy, your blushing." Erza remarked, Levy silently shrieked as she regained her composure!

There the guys stood on the stage, completely basking in their glory. On the right stood Gray, looking completely bored, holding up his black electric guitar and on the left stood Loke, smirking, holding up his base guitar. In the back, but yet could still be scene clearly, was Natsu, holding up his drumsticks in a victory pose. And finally, stood Gajeel in the middle of them all, standing there with a mic stand in front of him.

Juvia looked at Gray secretly from behind the new stage curtains…

"You know, I always wanted to play guitar." An 8-year old Gray said as he and Juvia swung on the swings, the blue-headed child just giggled.

"What's so funny?!" Gray turned red, Juvia laughed even harder!

"You'd make a great guitarist, Gray!" She said cheekily as she smiled brightly. Gray turned a light pink before looking down at his feet and saying, "And I think you'd be a good singer too."

"Hee! Thanks Gray!" Juvia cheered as she jumped off her swing to hug Gray.

"We should make a band!" She kept giggling and giggling.

"…Whatever." Gray said, still pink-faced, trying to shove Juvia off.

She wouldn't budge.

"We should name it the Cupcakes!" Juvia suggested, still giggling.

"NO!" Gray almost screamed.

"Pleassseeeee!" Juvia begged.

"If you stop begging and forget the name, I'll bring you a cupcake tomorrow." Gray mentioned, Juvia smiled!

"Okay!" She hugged her friend once more, completely forgetting the idea of a band.

"Let's go home, it's getting late." Gray said as he took note how the sun was setting.

"Fine. But don't forget, I want chocolate!" Juvia called after him as she tried catching up with Gray, who already started heading home.

Things were so simple back then…

"Juvia!" Lucy whispered loudly, causing Juvia to break from her memory.

"Wha…?" Juvia asked, still in a daze.

"You okay?" Lucy asked as she tilted her head, Juvia was quick to nod!

The two, along with the other girls, directed their attention back on stage.

Natsu began to bang on his drums in a catchy rhythm while Gajeel took hold of the mic, waiting patiently for his turn. Gray strummed onto his power chords, causing the whole room to burst into lyrical rhythm. Loke followed with his base.

'Why does my mind always drift to you…?' Juvia thought as she watched Gray, a sorrowful and daze-filled expression on her face.

"Hey girl you know you drive me crazy" Gajeel sung has he clutched the microphone stand with both hands, his bandana slightly slanted over his left eye.

"Ack! They're good! Gajeel! He stole my bit! He stole my bit!" Levy gasped her hand to her mouth in shock, referring to how Gajeel's bandana was now slanted to the side like hers. The others stood there, their mouths in perfect Os. However, Juvia stood there, her eyes were solemn and a small blush crept over her face.

Why this song…why?

"One look puts the rhythm in my hand" Gray and Loke followed while they still strummed heavily on their chords,

"Still I'll never understand why you hang around,"

"I see what's going down." Gajeel sung as she looked on to the audience, nodding his head in understanding.

Just then, Gray ripped on his chords, his guitar blasting.

"Cover up with make-up in the mirror," Gajeel sung, Juvia's heart began to beat fast!

Juvia stood at her reflection in awe; it didn't seem like her at all. She wore a light blue glossy shade of lip gloss on her lips, heavy mascara, and over exaggerated shades of blue eye shadow.

"Tell yourself it's never gonna happen again,"

Juvia closed her eyes, her body shaking.

'Not this song, please not this song!' She begged.

"You cry alone," pounded on his drums harder as the other guys kept in beat with the music, Gray ripping on his chords. Hurtful memories filled Juvia's mind and heart.

"WHY THE HELL AM I STILL IN LOVE WITH HIM?!" She finally cried, her knees falling to the floor.

"And then, He swears he loves you!" Gajeel sung loudly into the mic, raising his fist into the air. The female population in the audience now had hearts all over their eyes, all chanting his name.

"I'll always protect you."

"D-Juvia?" Aries asked as she got a glimpse of Juvia, shaking. However, Juvia couldn't hear her.

"Do you feel like a man?" Gajeel sung as he burst into the refrain. Gray and Loke followed in a perfect melody; Natsu continued to beat hard on the drums.

"I-I missed you so much!" Juvia said, as she saw his eyes flicker into an angry glare. She didn't know how to react, what was WRONG with him?!

"When you push her around?" Gajeel continued to sing. Juvia's heart began to break. She could no longer stop the painful images from flooding into her head.

"Do you feel better now?"

"No! Gray!" Juvia shouted as she lunged after him, arm out, tears in her eyes. She grasped his arm, and caught hold on him.

"As she falls to the ground," Gajeel sung as she swayed slowly from side to side, moving the mic stand with him.

He gave her an angry glare as he shoved her off, causing Juvia to fall to the ground in pain.

"Ah!" She cried out in pain.

"Well I'll tell you my friend," Gajeel declared as he pointed out towards the audience. The rest of the guys continued to pound on their instruments.

"One day this world's going to end!"

Juvia kept her eyes on Gray, her eyes were tearing up!

"And as your lies crumble down," Gajeel sung as he motioned his left hand down.

"Remember," Gray whispered to her softly as he pointed to the necklace, "As long as I'm here and as long as you want it, I'll forever keep that promise." Gray reassured her, referring to his and Juvia's engagement.

"A new life she has found!" Gajeel sung out loud as he carried the note.

Gray strummed his guitar heavily as sweat began to trip of his forehead, Loke followed soon with his base.

"A pebble in the water makes a ribble effect," Gajeel sung as a dozen of lights began to flicker onto the band.

"Every action in this world will bear a consequence!" Gajeel declared as he pumped his fists into the air.

"If you wade around forever, you will surely drown!"

I see what's going down." Gajeel sung as he once again nodded his head in understanding.

"I see the way you go and say your right again,"

'Gray…' Juvia cried as she tried her best for tears not to trickle down her eyes.

"Say your right again,"

'Gray…!" Juvia's gaze drifted towards Gray, who was too occupied in his guitar to notice her.

"Heed my lecture!"

'Are you even listening to the song you are playing?!' Juvia cried.

"Do you feel like a man?" Gajeel continued to sing as he narrowed his eyes at the audience.

"Oh now I remember, that annoying girl who lived across from me, who wouldn't leave me alone."

"When you push her around?"

"What are you saying?!" Juvia cried, trying not to break down. Why was he doing this?! To her?!

"Do you feel better now?"

"I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE HELL YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT! LEAVE ME ALONE!" He bellowed as he began to walk away.

"As she falls to the ground," Gajeel sung.

He gave her an angry glare as he shoved her off, causing Juvia to fall to the ground in pain.

Juvia began to shake her head slowly; she covered her temples with her hands!

Her friends saw this and they put an arm around hers for comfort. However, Juvia could not feel the embrace. All she could feel was cold.

"Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end!"

"As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found!"

"Face down in the dirt," Gajeel sang as he took the mic off the stand and held it to his mouth in all seriousness. Gray strummed a little bit slower on his guitar, and Loke added a few strong power chords into the mix. Natsu beat fervently on his drums.

"Gray…Why?" Juvia murmured to as she pushed her arms up, so that she was partially lying on the cold concrete. She looked up to Gray, crying, and only to find him with a smug smile on his face.

"She said, this doesn't hurt!"

"I-I'm fine." Juvia replied, her voice a little shaky.

"She said," Gajeel once again carried the note.

I finally had enough!" He shouted. Juvia felt woozy but her friends held her up, making sure she stays well. She could not stop the painful images…

"I…want that revenge…I WANT IT SO BADLY!" Juvia finally screamed in her tears, it was just so hard. Why did it have to be this hard?! And now, Gray Fullbuster is going to regret everything he's down to her, every time he made her cry her heart out.

"Face down in the dirt,"

Juvia helped herself up off the toilet seat she was sitting on and looked in the mirror, only to find herself with a tear-stained face.

"She said this doesn't hurt!"

"Get lost pathetic girl, you already wasted enough of my time." Gray finally said as he walked away from the scene. Juvia's vision blurred from tears as she saw Gray's back walking away from her.

"She said,"

"ARGH!" Juvia screamed as she chucked the necklace at her vanity, becoming forever lost in the clutter that was settled upon it.

'I finally had enough!"

"I…don't want it!" Juvia shouted to herself, hoping for her words to make truth.

But the thing was, Juvia wanted it.

And She Wanted it Badly.

"One day. She will. Tell you. That she. Has had. Enough!" Both Loke and Gajeel sang powerfully into the mic as Gajeel had ran over to Loke's area for him to sing.

"It's coming 'round again!" Gajeel sang as he ran over back to where he originally was.

"Do you feel like a man
When you push her around?
Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?
Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end
As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found!"

Gajeel continued to sing as he placed the mic back on the mic stand , clutching it tightly. Loke and Natsu both began to chorus with Gajeel.

"Do you feel like a man?"

"When you push her around?"

'Oh…" Natsu and Loke sang,Gray just concentrated on playing heavily on his guitar.

"Do you fell better now?!" Gajeel painfully sung.

"Oh…" Loke and Natsu still sang,

"As she falls to the ground?!" Gray pounded harder and harder on his guitar, his eyes had somewhat of a determined expression on them.

"Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end

Juvia couldn't take this….

"As your lies crumble down a new life she has found!"

"Face down in the dirt!"Gajeel swayed back and forth with the mic stand.

Juvia couldn't take it anymore! She flung back the comforting arms of her friends and ran back to the dark backstage, tears streaking her face and makeup!

"She says, this doesn't hurt!"

Juvia kept on running, she could still hear the song! She could still hear the powerful guitar, Gray's Guitar!

"She says, I finally had ENOUGH!"Gajeel finished by powerfully singing into the mic.

Juvia heard Gray end the note with a heavy key before finishing, but she didn't care. She kept running and running until she finally reached the dressing room, she stopped abruptly before falling to her knees and crying out a tearful scream.

"Wow! Wasn't that AMAZING?!" Jerall called to the audience as he jumped back on stage, a mic in his hands. The whole entire female audience SCREAMED!

"Gajeel!Gajeel!" They all chanted.

"Let's have a round of applause!" Jerall cheered.

Everyone burst into applause and the guys basked in it. Gajeel flicked his hair, Natsu waved his drumsticks around, Loke smirked, but Gray just stood there.

He looked backstage where the girls were watching and noticed Levy, Aries, Erza, and Lucy looking around.

Where was Juvia?

"Now we will now host a half hour intermission before our final act. Please do look forward to it!" Jerall shouted out to the audience, everyone cheered!

"She just bolted right out…" Aries asked, stunned.

"It must have been too hard for her…" Lucy murmured.

"Did you guys see her though? She was crying…" Levy added, tears forming up in her own eyes.

"Hey! Did you guys see us?" Gajeel asked as he ran up the girls, a big smile on his face.

"Yeah…" Levy whimpered. Erza put a hand on her shoulder while the others tried not to stifle a cry.

"Something's wrong." Gajeel figured as Natsu hand Loke joined them, the same worried look on their face.

"It's- It's Juvia, she was taking your song really hard. I guess…it brought terrible memories…" Aries said as she folding her arms over her chest, a sad look in her eyes.

"Damn, I knew changing the song was a bad idea." Loke clenched his teeth.

"Don't worry though, with our plan, what could go wrong?" Erza brought up, everyone's sad face turned bright.

"Right." They all said.

"What are you guys up to?" Gray asked as he approached the gang suspiciously.

"N-Nothing!"

"Now let's see…this went like this and that went like that. Perfect!" Juvia marveled at herself as she fixed her makeup perfectly from scratch!

Juvia was all alone in the dressing room and since all her tears streaked her makeup, she was forced to wipe it all over and reapply it!

"Is that skill or what?" Juvia giggled as she added the final touch to her eyes. She twirled around before the mirror, marveling her work. But before the happiness and giggles could even last, Juvia frowned.

What had come over her? It was as if almost of those painful memories flooded back to her…she just couldn't handle it…

"Relax Juvia, it'll only make you stronger…"Juvia reassured yourself as she looked in the mirror, as if talking to herself.

"Juvia!"

Juvia jumped from what she was doing and turned around to see Levy, Lucy, Aries, and Erza waiting for her!

"Oh, hey guys!" She greeted, a smile on her face.

"Your okay?" Lucy asked, stunned.

"Hm? Oh, yeah. No need to worry!" Juvia laughed.

"That's when we worry the most…" Her friends sweat-dropped, Juvia laughed nervously!

"But hey, about twenty more minutes and we'll be on the stage, owning it." Levy reassured as she patted Juvia's back.

"Oh My God!" A voice from outside the room screamed, the five girls looked out the door curiously.

There stood Gajeel, Natsu, Loke, and Gray, all looking very disturbed.

"Oh God, What's wrong now?" Erza asked as she placed her hands on her hips. The five girls walked out into the halls and stood before the four guys.

"Look at the window! There are at least 5 moving vans out there! And they're all unloading props!" Natsu shouted, all the girls snickered.

"What's so funny?" Loke asked, annoyed.

"Nothing…" Levy giggled, trying her best not to laugh. "Nothing!" She laughed out, unsuccessfully.

Just then Erza's cell phone rang! The red head curiously checked the ID, smirked, the flipped opened her phone. "Hello?" She answered coolly.

"Mmhm, yeah sure, we're right outside the door of the dressing room…" Erza said as she replied to the speaker on the phone, everyone looked at her, wondering who she was talking to.

"Oh Yeah! I can't wait to see their faces, alright Bye." Erza closed her phone and looked at the girls.

"Your friends are back…" She told towards Lucy, the four girls moaned.

"Your little managers?" Gray smirked.

"…and they brought you guys' presents." Erza then snickered; the girls gave a confused look.

"Presents?" They all asked in unison, even the guys looked stumped!

All of a sudden, HUGE screams of fan girls echoed through the backstage.

"Um…Gajeel?" Aries asked curiously towards the green teenager, Gajeel shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't look at us, we're not over there!" He stated, slightly jealous that some else was getting the attention.

"Excuse us, coming through!" Lisanna cried as she and her sister pushed through the mob of girls, who were all circled around whatever was causing all the attention.

The three Sensational Fairies brushed their skirts before looked at the four girls, a big grin on their faces.

"What's going on?" Juvia asked, taking extra precaution in her voice. Seriously, what is up?!

"Um…"Lucy stuttered as she looked at her sisters, who where just staring at them, BIG grins still on their faces.

"Erza," Mirajane began sweetly, "Did you tell them?"

"Nope!" Erza laughed, Juvia, Levy, Aries, and Lucy snapped their heads towards the redhead!

"Tell us!" The protested.

"Are we missing something?" Natsu asked as he looked at Loke and Gajeel, who just shrugged their shoulders as they watched Juvia and co. press questions on Erza. Gray stood there, arms crossed and annoyed like always.

"I highly doubt that it should concern us." He stated, annoyed.

Oh, was he WRONG.

"Girls, Levy we present…"The sensational Sister said in unison as they stood side by side, "A Present from Us to You!" They moved aside, hands in a "here- it- gesture!"

Juvia, Levy, Lucy, and Aries flinched. "You're giving us fan girls?" They asked as they only saw a mob of fan girls in front of them.

"What…? Oh for the love of-!" Evergreen cursed as she dispersed the crowd of girls by screaming and hollering at them. The rest of her sisters and the others stared at her, shocked.

Well at least we all now know that Lucy ain't the only one who gets happy with a mallet in the family.

"Hmmm, wonder where they went." She pouted as she came to soon realize that "the girls' presents" just disappeared as the girls went away!

"I'm sure they Maybe got lost…." Juvia said as she tried to calm down Mirajane, Lisanna, and Evergreen.

'Ugh, C'mon girls. Let's go find them!" Mirajane moaned as she dragged her sisters down the halls and out of sight.

"Do you think they'll find them?" Aries asked, concerned.

"No need to worry!" Juvia giggled loudly, putting a bright smile on her face.

"And that's when I worry the most…" Gray muttered. Juvia turned around to face him, her eyes wide.

Gray stared at her, those soft eyes once returning .Juvia's heart began to beat rapidly, and the whole area was hushed.

"Gray…" Juvia began but all of a sudden, Juvia felt a huge rush. Something stuck in between her legs and jolted her up, WAY UP!

"My dear Juvia!" A happy voice cried as Juvia was hoisted onto the person's shoulders into a sitting position.

Juvia looked down curiously on who just did so, and her eyes widened!

"N-No way…Lyon?!" Juvia cried happily as she looked down at her old albine childhood friend. A teenager around the age of Juvia smiled back up at her, his blue eyes dazzling.

"In the flesh!" He laughed as he bounced Juvia up and down, "Who knew that one small gig would bring you and me together?"

"L-Lyon! S-Stop bouncing me!" Juvia shouted as she pounded him hard on the head, "Ow!" Lyon cried.

Lyon pouted as he carefully set her down like a perfect gentlemen, Juvia blushed!

Gray clenched his fist, restraining himself for pounding the living day life at of this so called "Lyon". The way he looked at her! The way SHE looked at him! His blood was boiling, his eyes narrowed.

"I can't believe it's you!" Juvia rejoiced as she hugged her childhood friend, a bright smile on her face. Lyon grinned mischievously.

"I can't believe that this is you!" He mischievously said as he pulled opened her robe slightly, looking down to see her figure. "Since when did you get so developed?!" He laughed.

"PERVERT!" Juvia screamed as she slapped his away, blushing. Lyon just stood there, smirking.

Gray, once again, stood there FURIOUS! Natsu and Gajeel had to almost restrain him from killing Lyon!

"Juvia? Who's this?" Lucy finally asked.

"Yes, please do tell." Gray asked wryly, his voice vicious.

"Oh…oh!" Juvia cried as she came into realization of the people around her. Meanwhile, Lyon was hugging her protectively.

"This is Lyon. I met him at summer camp the summer when I was ten." She said as she tried to struggle out of Lyon's grasp. Lyon held on tighter!

"And Juvia is probably one of the best girls I've ever met!" Lyon cheered as he nuzzled her neck, Juvia didn't seem fazed by it. She was used to Lyon's affection, after all, 6 years is a long time.

This caused for Gray's blood to boil even more!

"What where you talking about a gig?" Erza asked, approaching the two.

"Oh, the guys and I got hired for some extra thing tonight. You know, it pays bills." Lyon shrugged, Juvia started to laugh!

"No way! You're our male extras?"

"Is that a problem?" Lyon smirked as he held onto Juvia even tighter!

Gray clenched his teeth.

"But the others…" Lucy asked, confused.

"Oh we had to split up because of the fan girls, and when I heard that infamous 'No need to worry!' I just had to see it to believe it!"

"Yup, fan girls. What are you gonna do?" Gajeel said, Levy just glared at him!

"You guys really seem close." Natsu said, Lyon nodded.

"I was her first kiss!" He bragged, Juvia blushed the darkest crimson you could imagine! Immediately she broke from his grasp, and looked down to the floor!

"HE DID NOT JUST SAY THAT! IN FRONT OF GRAY!" Juvia cried as she nervously looked at Gray, who surprisingly, wasn't surprised. His arms where just crossed and that same annoyed expression was plastered on his face.

But on the inside…

Gray's heart broke. He looked at Juvia and at Lyon, he couldn't get the image of them kissing out of his mind!

"Kiss? Tell!" Levy practically begged.

"Well you see," Lyon began but Juvia cut him off!

"Shut it!" She cried! However, Lyon ignored her by putting his hands on her mouth.

"You see, it was the summer when we were 14, was it? Yeah I think so, and we were at the camp. Close by they had this town and many cafes where there! You should have seen it!" Lyon began, Levy's eyes twinkled! The café-lover listened intently to the storyteller, as well as the others.

Except Juvia and Gray.

Gray stared at her and Juvia stared back, scared.

"So he'll find out…"

"The one café, an ice cream parlor, had this wicked ice cream special for couples only and well of course, I had to have it! So Juvia and I pretended to be a couple!" Lyon finished cheekily.

"And?" The girls pressed on. The guys gathered behind Gray, they knew their friend was fuming and they knew that his heart was breaking…

He needed the support.

Juvia saw this and shut her eyes closed, "That's enough Lyon!" She finally cried out.

"We're not even at the best part yet!" Lyon fought back, Juvia had a desperate look in her eyes! She glanced back at Gray, her heart skipping a million beats.

"And the shop owner didn't believe we were a couple so I just grabbed her and kissed her!" Lyon continued. "But the thing was…"

"Lyon, don't!" Juvia begged.

"Juvia didn't like it…"He finished, a little bit disappointed. "She said that she rather have someone else…I forget his name…but that summer Juvia was a wreck." Lyon tightened his fist. Gray stared intently at the two.

"During camp, she just wasn't her happy self. Ren and I got very worried; it was so unlike her….She would just start crying for no apparent reason, and whenever we tried consoling her, nothing would work! " He sighed.

"If I ever find the guy who has done that to Juvia, I swear I'll pound him into the dirt!" He cursed as he pounded his one fist into the other, Juvia looked at Gray.

She couldn't read his expression…and she was glad. She did not want to know what was going through his mind right now…now that he has known the truth.

"Ah! Finally! We're back!" Mirajane said as she and her sister rejoined with the group just a few minutes later, behind her she had black collar around three guys' necks!

"What the- Slave traders?" Lucy asked, her hands on her hips.

"No silly! These are your extras!" Lisanna giggled as she released the locks on the boy's necks. "It was like rallying cattle to get them! They wouldn't stand still!"

"Maybe if you would stop giving us death threats, then Maybe we would have cooperated!" The boy known as Jet counted harshly.

"Aw, hush!" Mirajane fought back, slapping him.

"Um, care to explain all this?" Loke asked annoyed, edging a little but closer to Aries. He didn't like the way Aries was looking at the one guy!

"Um…you see….we kinda have male extras for our performance…." Aries giggled nervously.

"And Let us introduce!Sting!" Mirajane began as she put her hands in a ta-dah! pose. In front of her stood Sting, wearing regular clothes, his hair in a funny way. His black eyes stared dreamily at Aries, whose eyes glistened!

Loke felt his eyes twitch, his blood boiling!

"Jet!" A boy who had spoke up from earlier approached Levy and kissed her hand! His hat dangled slightly over his face, his brown eyes staring intently at her.

"An honor to meet such a lady," He flirted, Gajeel clenched his fist! His teeth clenched!

'Charmed." Levy giggled, raising her eyebrows towards Gajeel as if saying "Jealous?"

"And Rufus!" A boy with blonde hair and cerulean eyes approached the group, smiling.

"Holy-!Rufus?!" Juvia laughed as she embraced her friend.

"Another one?" Gray wryly said.

"Juvia!" Rufus began,

"Don't call me that!" Juvia countered as she harshly punched him in the gut.

"Hey Lyon!" Rufus called out towards Lyon, who was behind Juvia.

"Hey! Can you believe that our little Juvia is going to be performing, and we're her extras?" He laughed.

"No way!" Rufus laughed as he patted Juvia on the head.

"Alright, so everyone listen up!" Mirajane spoke up, clapping her hands. Red, your going to be Aries's extra! Jet, you go with Levy! And Rufus and Lyon, you're with Juvia!"

"What about me?!" Lucy asked, her voice full of anger.

"Like little sis! Your role doesn't call for an extra…technically you are the mother of the house remember?"

"ARGH! Whatever!" She crossed her arms and looked to the side, annoyed.

"Wait a minute…I get two?" Juvia asked, confused.

"Of course! Since you're the lead!" Evergreen said as she fixed a little but of Juvia's hair.

"Oh…"

"RufusWe're going to be Juvia's lead!" Lyon said as he high-fived his friend, "Can you believe it?"

"Yeah!" Rufus laughed.

Juvia watched the scene before her. She saw Gajeel jealous, Loke jealous, and Natsu consoling Lucy, yet secretly happy. She looked at Gray, and once again, his expression was blank! He wasn't jealous at all….

"Oh! Look at the time! 10 minutes before Showtime! Guys, get into costume!" Lisanna dictated as she ordered the guys into a dressing room. Once they were gone, The three sisters glared at the girls.

"You! You guys gotta get those robes off and onto the stage, and don't forget the garter belts! And you guys!" They began as they pointed at Loke, Natsu, Gajeel, and Gray, "You four in the auditorium! We have four seats reserved for you in the front!"

"Alright, let's do this people! Chop-Chop!" Evergreen called out happily, clapping her hands. Levy, Aries, Erza, and Lucy both left for the stage while Loke Gajeel, and Loke left for the auditorium. The three sisters left as well to the backstage to set some last minute details up and it was just Gray and Juvia left in the hallway….

"Well…I guess I have to go…" Juvia murmured as she began to walk away. Her bangs covered her eyes, her heart racing. Now that he knows…what hope could she have?

"Wait," Gray said as he grabbed her arm, preventing her from leaving.

"…." Juvia hesitated as she looked at arm then at Gray. "So what…" She said, breaking free from the grasp. Her voice was cracking, tears were on the verge!

"I have to go get ready. Enjoy the show." Was all she said as she left, leaving Gray alone. Her voice was sad, he could tell, and now was not the time.

Not the time to tell her all the pain that he has endured those past years.

Because of Her.

"Kya! I'm so nervous!" Levy giggled as she pounced up and down from the dark dim lights of backstage. The four girls were out of their robes and their costumes were exposed. They couldn't help but refrain from giggles when the stage hands stared at them.

"You guys are gonna put on quite a show!" Erza giggled, who was still in her outfit, all ready to head out. "I'm kinda relieved I have a small part."

"There are no small parts Erza! You're very important! "Aries added, Erza shrugged her shoulders.

"I just want to get this over with!" Juvia complained as she fiddled with her necklace, it laid nicely on her neck, accenting her figure.

"Juvia, your going to enjoy this and like it!" Lucy pressed on, rolling her eyes. Juvia frowned and sighed, giving up.

"Do you know what I heard," Levy began, " It heard that it'll help if you look directly at the audience cause the lights are so bright that you can't see them!"

"Phew! That's a relief!" Juvia sighed as she fiddled with her corset.

"Juvia! Stop that! If you keep loosening, it'll fall off on stage!" Lucy yelled as she went behind Juvia and tightened the corset very tight!

"AH!" Juvia cried, echoing throughout the whole auditorium!

Juvia slapped a hand over her mouth and everyone giggled.

"I seriously need to be quieter." Juvia sighed as she looked down at her feet.

"Juv!" Two voices cried as arms where locked around Juvia's two arms. Juvia shrieked as she looked behind her, only seeing Lyon and Rufus giving her two adorable puppy-dog faces.

"Q-Quit it!" Juvia hissed, the two boys just laughed. They both Lyon and Rufus stood, where black suit pants, white oxford shirts with the tops unbuttoned, and a black tied loosely hanging off them. Top of that, they each had one red lip print mark on the right side of their cheeks for effects.

"You guys look so cool!" Aries marveled as she looked at the two, Lyon and Rufus just smirked. Apparently, they saw Juvia's outfit.

"That's definitely not the Juvia we know." Rufus teased as they both eyed Juvia's outfit. Juvia blushed then punched him!

"Well take a picture because this will be the last time you're seeing this." Juvia said as she rubbed her hand, sore from hitting him so hard!

"There you guys are!" Jet cried out as he and Sting rushed towards the group, wearing the same outfits as Lyon and Rufus.

"Oh Hey Jet!" Levy waved as she ushered him over, she slipped him a five and smiled.

"What's that for?" Erza asked, Levy just started to laugh!

"I paid him to flirt with me to get Gajeel jealous! I wanted to see if he would get harder than his metal face and he did!" Levy winked.

Everyone laughed as they checked the audience.

"Man, it's packed." Sting mentioned as he took a peek from behind the curtain.

"And look, the guys are in the front row!" Juvia said, her voice more shocked than excited. Her face turned beat red….Gray was right there!

-Meanwhile-

"Woah, look at this!" Natsu said in awe, looking at the auditorium. Apparently, Lucy's friends not only decorated the stage but the whole area! Red silk draped the walls of the room while golden pearls hung off the edges. The stage's border had a classic 1920s design printed across it, and diamonds were embedded into it. And to top it all off, A GIANT chandelier hung from the ceiling.

"What kind of talent is this? The art of expensive decorating?" Loke asked as he too looked around.

"Let's just see if our little girls could handle the pressure." Gajeel smirked as he rested his elbow on the armrest. The boys sat in the front row, awaiting the performance. On the left was Loke, then Gray, then Natsu, and then Gajeel.

"Hey Natsu, what's that huge sign up on the stage say?" Loke asked as he observed the stage. The special dark red curtains were closed and on top of them hung a huge sign saying " WELCOME TO THE MOULIN ROUGE!"

"Um, welcome to the Moulin Rouge?" Natsu read, Gray's eyes snapped open.

"What." He clenched his teeth.

"Something wrong Gray?" Gajeel asked, his eyebrow raised.

"She wouldn't-" Gray spat under his breathe, he knew what was coming next!

Meanwhile Juvia hid behind the curtains of the backstage, her heart racing.

The thing was she would, and she was going to do it right this time!

The whole auditorium dimmed a dark black as Jerall entered on stage, the spotlight shining.

"Everyone, we are glad that you all stayed for our final act. It will surely be like no other. Please, sit back and relax as we-OOF!" Jerall was pushed to the side as Lucy's three friends came onto the stage, wearing three cute little black dresses. The whole crowd went crazy!

Apparently back when Lucy's friends went to High School, they were quite popular.

"Thanks Jerall! We'll take it from here!" The all chirped into the mic.

"Everyone…We are proud to bring you Team Marmalade! The finest of the fine." Lisanna declared.

"The peak of all desires!" Evergreen added.

"And the very heart of the show! Now as we introduce our ladies, we would like to say-!" they all chorused as they walked off the stage.

All of a sudden, the lights turned dark and there before in the spotlight, in the middle of the stage, stood Erza, an old fashioned mic in her hands.

"-Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome…to the Moulin Rouge!" Erza welcomed as she stepped off the stage, completing the Sensational Sister's statement.

The red velvet curtains pulled back and the audience gasped in awe! The stage was elaborately decorated to fit the Moulin Rouge. In bright lights, the Words "Moulin Rouge" that the boys had noticed earlier shone brightly onto the stage.

On the stage, a mini stage was set up with two floors. The top floor was just one large room that was completely cloaked in sheer sparkling, but not transparent, drapes. Down to the bottom floor was a giant red and gold grand staircase that took up the entire middle area. The bottom floor, aka the actual stage itself, was lavished with hanging silks and diamonds. There where other scenery too but the light wasn't spot-lighted on them, so they have yet to be made out. Out of all of it, lights of all seductive colors lit the area.

It totally had the New Orleans- French Appeal.

To the left area of the stage, a silhouette of a dark woman was visible. She was reclining on a dark red couch and she held a red fan in her left hand, fanning herself. All around her, red pillows were scattered and it gave off the effect that within the huge "Moulin Rouge.", that area was a smaller room.

"What the-?" Natsu began as he squinted, sipping on a soda he picked up from the concession stand.

Pretty soon, snapping could be heard.

"Where are my soul sisters?" Lucy sung as she snapped, becoming fully visible to the audience. Natsu spit out his drink! "Let me hear ya flow sistas!"

Suddenly, three seductive voices echoed throughout the stage, seducing the audience. Lucy's steady snapping kept them on key.

"Hey Sista!" They sung as the stage flasheded green.

"Go Sista!" The stage flasheded blue.

"Soul Sista!" The stage flasheded pink.

"Flow Sista!" The all sung together as the stage flashed all the colors.

Natsu's mouth went dry as he stared at Lucy, his hand gripping his soda tight! Loke saw this and smirked.

"Can't handle it, Natsu?" He teased as he tried hard not to laugh.

"Hey Sista! Go Sista! Soul Sista! Flow Sista!" The three melodic voices continued to chant. Lucy winked at the crowd before suddenly disappearing from a cloud of steam and as the steam settled, the lights darkened to a dark blue and a lone figure. The lights shone brightly and the figure turned around and…

"He met Marmalade down in Ol' Moulin Rouge!" Aries sung seductively as she walked out of the darkness, an irresistible look on her face. She held a whip in her hand and held one edge on the handle and the other on the other end. She spun around and touched the floor, before seductively sliding back up, winking at the crowd.

Loke jolted from his seat!

"Strutting her stuff on the street!" She spun around once more than armed her whip and pointed it at the crowd, rocked her hips, and pretended to shoot it like a gun. The entire stage was flashing different shades of green, letting everyone know that this was Aries: The boy teaser.

Loke stood there in awe before rising from his seat, Gajeel sighed before heaving his arm onto his shoulder and forcing him back down.

"She said 'Hello, hey Joe.'" Aries faced to the back of the stage and looked back to the audience, running her hands down her body.

"You wanna give it a go?" She giggled as she bent down towards the audience and wiggling her butt, using her whip as support.

'That did it!' Loke fumed as he felt his nose running, he wiped it and looked down.

Blood.

"Hey Loke, who's Joe?" Natsu whispered.

"Someone dead!" Loke harshly whispered back as he quick stuck a tissue up his nose.

"Gitchie Gitchie Ya Ya Ta Ta!" Aries turned around, slightly blushing as she saw Loke, she shimmied across the stage.

"Hey Hey Hey!" Aries sung as she rocked her hips and flung her hands into the air, cracking her whip.

Meanwhile, Lucy appeared on the sidelines of the stage with a feathered clipboard in her hands. Standing besides her was Sting.

"Gitchie Gitchie Ya Ya Here!" Aries shimmed down, crouching on the floor. She separated her legs her legs, closed them, and then popped right up! She did this all in one swift movement.

(Here, Here, Here…)

Aries then caught sight of Sting and smiled suggestively as she cat-walked towards him.

"Mocha Choco lata Ya Ya," She sung as she snapped her whip to the floor, Sting gulped! Meanwhile, Loke fumed in his seat.

So that was the purpose of the male extras.

(Oh yeah)

"Creole Lady Marmalade!" Aries finished as she grabbed Red by the tie, addressing the part to him. Lucy winked as she marked something on her board and left the stage.

"What What, What What" Lucy's voice could be heard from backstage.

"Voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir? Ce soir." Aries took Sting by the tie and threw him onto an armchair. A seductive look was on her face.

"Voulez vous coucher avec moi?" She sung, as well as the other two voices, as she spun the chair around, since the bottom had wheels on it, and secretly, but yet still seen by the audience, she snatched a huge wad of crash from Sting's pocket.

"Yeah Yeah Yeah!" Aries winked towards the crowd as she wheeled Sting off suggestively, giving the intention that she ready to "get-to-work".

As Aries disappeared, Loke was sweating!

"Looks like Mr. Pervert here ain't the only who likes it dirty." Gajeel teased; Loke shot him an angry glare!

Suddenly, the stage began to flashed a multitude of reds as the scene was quick to change. The lights shone on another part of the stage where there was a huge canopy bed with black satin sheets, and a large multitude of pillows all over! Over the bed there was a large red transparent canopy and diamonds trickled off it.

And nonetheless, guess whose scene this was?

"He sat in her boudior as she refreshed up," Levy cat-walked out in front of the bed, her hat slated to the side. She saw the crowd and wiggled her finger, gesturing for them to come closer.

"LEVY?!" Gajeel literally screamed as he blushed a many shades of crimson, his heart pounding.

Levy saw this and giggled before she continued. She jumped on to bed and stood on top of it, holding the canopy frames for support.

"Boy drank all at Magnolia wine," Levy gestured a drinking move as she shimmed around on the frame, separating her legs as she crouched down. Gajeel felt some blood trickle down his nose.

'Oh Crap!' He thought. Gajeel, the heartthrob, immune to all girls' temptations, can NOT be shown with a simple nosebleed!

"Oh, her black satin sheets…" Levy ran her legs down her black sheets, tempting the audience.

"Swear he started to freak, YEAH!"She sung as she found a green body pillow, kicking it, and managing it to hit Gajeel right in the face! Levy saw this and grinned triumphantly.

"Gitchie Gitchie Ya Ya Ta Ta!" Levy slinked down smoothly to the covers and rolled on her side before lounging down.

"Ta Ta Ta!"

Suddenly, Gajeel felt a little bit too happy in a certain area, if you catch the drift.

"Gitchie Gitchie Ya Ya Here!" She rolled around, a suggestive look on her face.

Suddenly, Jet appeared as he walked into the area, looking around, unaware of where he was.

"Mocha Choco Lata ya ya (yeah)"Levy chorused as she looked out of the bed, onto Jet. She smiled like a Predator would smile when spotting its prey.

Gajeel's eyes narrowed. She wouldn't!

Oh, but SHE WILL!

"Creole Lady Marmalade!" Levy wiggled her finger towards Jet, who unlike Sting, boldly approached her.

"Voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir? Ce soir." Levy sung as she grabbed Jet by the shirt collar and threw him onto the bed.

"Voulez vous coucher avec moi," She sung as she got on top of him, a devious look in her eyes, and closing the curtains so that they no longer could be seen by the was ready to jump on that stage but Natsu and Loke had to restrain him!

The bed was wheeled out and the lights began to shine a mix of white and yellows.

"Hmm, that French phrase sounds familiar…" Natsu pondered as she cupped his chin.

"What?!" Loke and Gajeel harshly spat as they all glared at Natsu. Of course, they wanted to know what the two girls meant by the phrase!

"Yeah Yeah…Yeah Yeah!"

"I think it means-" Natsu began but once again, spit out his drink.

"We come through with the money and the garter bags!"Lucy rapped as she strutted her stuff onto the stage, a confident smile on her face.

"Lucy?!" Natsu thought as he blushed, completely forgetting Loke and Gajeel's request.

"Let them know we got the cake, straight up the gate!" She rapped as she did a dance, shaking her body.

"We independent women, some Luceakes for whores," She winked as she lounged on her red sofa, picking through a wad of cash that Aries earlier received.

'When saying, 'why spend mine?'" She played through it,

"When I can spend yours!" A beautiful voice sung from off-stage. Lucy took that as the cue to chuck the wad of cash up into the air, making it rain money.

Gray's eyes widened at the sound of the voice from off-stage.

'That better not be!' He fumed.

She wouldn't dare!

"Disagree? Well that's you, and I'm sorry!" Lucy sung as chucked some money over her shoulder like it was nothing, an annoyed look on her face.

"I'm going to keep playing these cats-" Lucy got up from the sofa and pranced her way to the middle of the stage, Natsu gulped.

"Like Atari!" The beautiful voice sung once more, once more, Gray cringed.

"High heel shoes," Lucy kicked up herleft foot, "Get love from the dudes!" Lucy winked towards Natsu, who turned bright red!

"Four badass chicks from the Moulin-Rouge!" Lucy sung as she stuck out four fingers. Natsu gulped, suddenly he felt very hot.

"Hey Sistas! Soul Sistas!" Lucy paraded around the stage, seductively.

"Better get that dough sistas!"She ordered as she pointed to the floor, as if saying, NOW!

"We drink wine with diamonds in the glass," Lucy sung as she sat back down, fully exposing her figure, drinking champagne. "Bottle case the meaning of expensive taste!"

"We wanna Gitchie Gitchie Ya Ya, Mocha Choco Lata!" Lucy grooved as she once more, exposed her figure.

"Creole lady Marmalade." She eyed Natsu, and winked, as if only to him. She loved the way he just jumped!

(What What, What What)

"One more time, C'mon Now!"Lucy pounced up and snapped her fingers, giving the signal that it was all coming down to the finale.

"Marmalade…" The audience heard Aries and Levy sing as the stage dimmed, the spotlight beginning to center on the upper floor, on top of sheer curtains.

"Ooh" A seductive voice sang. Gray's attention increased.

"Lady…Marmalade…" They continued to sing as a beautiful dark silhouette of a woman appeared from the curtains in all perfection.

"Marmalade…"

"Ooh yeah…" Meanwhile, Juvia behind the curtain's heart began to beat like a drum! She could barely see Rufus and Lyon next to her from the darkness.

"Hey," She sung confidently, although her expression did not show it.

'Troublesome.'Gray's painful words echoed.

"HEY," Juvia sung louder.

"You've already wasted enough of my time." It came louder and louder! Juvia's rage began to pile up and up!

"HEY!" Juvia bellowed beautifully as the sheer curtains opened to reveal Juvia in all her glory, sitting a huge pink throne with Lyon and Rufus at her side like pets.

Gray's eyes snapped open, his heart racing!

"Touch of her skin feeling silky smooth," Juvia purred as she bent forward towards the crowd, Rufus and Lyon both began to touch her skin, cravingly. Juvia simply ignored it, as if she loved being in control.

"Color of café au lait!"Juvia playfully swatted the boys' arms away, she ran her fingers along her delicate figure, and over her corset, which fully drawn attention to her chest. Juvia giggled quietly to herself as she caught a quick glimpse at Gray.

His eyes were fuming, hatred was boiling up! He looked around and did not like the way everyone looked at her! They way they envisioned her!

"Alright," Juvia got up from her throne and it was only just then that Gray noticed what she was wearing.

SNAP!

Gray's anger reached an all time high, but he had to contain it. At least until the show was over…

Oh, but then his hormones kicked in and he had to restrain himself from literally jumping onto that stage!

"Savage beast inside," Juvia sung seductively as she strutted slowly down the middle of the grand staircase to the main floor, Lyon and Rufus followed closely behind. The lights dimmed and the flasheded on Juvia and only on JUVIA.

"Roar until he cried!" The lights flasheded more and more, Juvia's eyes piercing the crowd!

Juvia made her way to the main stage as Lyon walked on her right and Rufus on her left. They both looked at her in awe as if she were a wonderful sex-goddess. Gray dug his nails into the armrests, he gritted his teeth!

"More…"Levy sung as she appeared the right of the stage.

"More." Juvia echoed as she slipped off her right glove.

"More…"Aries sung as she appeared on the left of the stage.

"More." Juvia echoed as she, too, slipped of her left glove.

"More!"All three sung as Juvia waved her gloves in the air before throwing both off stage. She had thrown one onto the left and one onto the right, which caused Lyon and Rufus to run desperately backstage to fetch them.

"Hey!" Juvia sung as she smiled triumphantly; glad to know that those two would do anything for her.

"Now He's back home doing Nine to Five!" Levy sung as she joined Juvia on the left, sticking out her hand to symbolize number five. Gajeel jolted!

Just when he thought he recovered!

"Nine to five," Juvia harmonized as flipped her hair, she checked her nails as if she was bored.

"Living the Grey-flannel Life!" Aries sing-songed as she joined Juvia on the right, tossing back a shirt to a shirtless Sting who was leaving the stage, giving the idea that "the deed has been done". The whole female crowd roared at the sight of a shirtless Sting and Loke cringed!

Juvia then smirked.

"But when he," Juvia's eye once again pierced the crowd as a cat-like smile appeared on her face, she gently made a nudged Levy and Aries to the side as she appeared on the front and center of the stage.

"Turns off to sleep," Juvia sung as she motioned down towards the floor, her figure slightly bending down. She grinned as she caught a look from Gray, whose eyes were blazing from fury but yet trying so hard not to show it. The lights dimmed completely dark, only centering spotlights on Aries, Levy, and Juvia.

"Memories keep!" She sung as the lights only centered on her, she bit her finger suggestively. Whistles and cheers could be heard throughout the audience!

"More…" Aries and Levy chorused as they stepped forward towards the audience in perfect synch, moving their hands gracefully as they performing a gesture that looked like pulling a rope.

As if they were pulling the audience in.

"More…"Juvia harmonized, following their footsteps in the center.

"More…" Levy and Aries continued.

"More." Juvia once again chorused, her eyes now glued to Gray.

"More!" They all bellowed as they turned their backs to the crowd in perfect synch. The lights immediately began to flashed bright seductive and out of now where, Lucy appeared at their side.

"Gitchie Gitchie Ya Ya Ta Ta!" They all purred as they looked back at the audience in perfect synch, their hands on their hips. They placed their hands on their upper crouch area before rocking their bodies to the left.

"Ta Ta!" Juvia sung as she became visible in the middle, obviously leading the group.

"Gitchie Gitchie Ya Ya Here!"They all crouched to the floor, separated their legs, and popped back up in perfect synch. Gray and the others jolted!

"Ooh!" Juvia sung.

"Uh huh!" Aries chorused.

"Mocha Choco Lata Ya Ya!" They all spun around, and faced the crowd before slowly rolling their thighs in a seductive move.

"Creole Lady Marmalade!" Juvia belted out a huge note as she and the other girls lowered themselves to the floor in a line, the spotlight shining on them. Gray gulped.

"Voulez," Aries sung as she popped up.

"Vous," Levy sung as she popped up

"Coucher," Juvia sung as she popped up

"Avec moi," Lucy sung as she popped up.

"Ce soir," Levy sang as she put a finger to her lips in an innocent look.

Gray gritted his teeth as he stared at Juvia.

"Natsu… . .MEAN?!" He spat from under his breath.

Natsu stood there, thinking. Maybe sleeping in French class wasn't a good thing after all…

"Voulez vous coucher avec moi," The girls continued to chant as they now paraded around the stage, giving flirtatious winks to other boys in the audience.

"All my sistas yeah!" Aries declared as she stretched out her hands warmly.

"Um…" Natsu pondered, Loke and Gajeel were trying to shake it out of him while blushing madly! Gray sat there, ready to murder Natsu with his glare.

"Voulez vous coucher avec moi," Juvia sung solely, Gray glared angrily at her! Why would she do this?!

"Voulez…coucher…avec…!"Natsu suddenly jolted from his sleep, bright red in the face.

He finally remembered what those words meant…

"Ce soir," Juvia purred. Aries and Levy slowly vanished into the darkness.

"What does it mean?!" Gray now threatened, grabbing Natsu by the color.

"It-It means!" Natsu began, still blushing for the shock of it all.

"Voulez vous coucher avec moi," Juvia continued to chant. Lucy grinned as she too disappeared into the darkness.

"WHAT?!" Gray shook him.

"I think it means, "Would you like to sleep with me tonight?" Natsu gasped, trying his best to breathe.

"WHAT?!" Gray screamed as he stood from his seat, however, this did not stop the show.

"Oh…" Juvia smiled victoriously as she disappeared into the darkness.

The dark red velvet curtains closed and the seductive music still played as the spotlight began to dance all around.

"Juvia," Erza introduced as she once again, became visible onto the stage, she extended out her hand as the curtains reopened and there Juvia stood, sitting on her huge throne with Rufus and Lyon by her side.

"Oh Leeea Oh," She song as she lounged on her throne, kicking one of her slender legs into the air,

"Levy,"Erza introduced as Levy appeared on Juvia right, with Jet wrapped around her little fingers.

"Lady Marmalade!" She sung confidently.

"Lucy,"

"Hey Hey! Uh huh huh huh!" Lucy wrapped as she appeared from on top of the throne, a wad of cash still her hands.

"Aries," Erza sang as she made her way to the throne.

"Oh Oh, yeah!" Aries appeared on Juvia's left, holding Sting by his tie. She winked suggestively at the crowd.

"Rot wailer baby," Erza gestured to herself as she winked.

(Baby)

"Moulin Rouge!" She sung.

"Ooh!" Juvia snapped her fingers in the air, causing money and confetti to fall from the ceiling.

"Misdemeanor here, " Erza chanted.

"Creole Lady Marmalade!" All the girls finally bellowed, raising their hands in the air.

"Yes-ah!" Juvia sang as the lights all of a sudden turned off, the last image of Juvia on her throne.

The WHOLE AUDIENCE BURST INTO APPLAUSE!

'Why would she do this?!' Gray cringed as he dug his nails into the armrest of the chairs. Everyone around him stood up and cheered, even Natsu and co. bashfully clapped.

Everyone except Gray that is.

'HOW COULD SHE DO THIS?!'

From behind the curtains, Juvia sat there on her throne panting from out of breathe.

She couldn't hear the " Job Well Dones" or the " Congratulations", the only words that she could hear was the sound of her thoughts.

"Take that Gray," She panted as she tried her best to breathe from all the dancing and singing,

"Take that…" She murmured as she stared at the closed curtains. She couldn't help but deny a few tears from strolling down her cheeks.

What was wrong with her? She should feel happy and glad! Revenge should be sweet!

"Revenge…should be sweet!" She tried telling her self, her eyes still traced onto the curtains, disbelieving.

What has she done? Why does her heart still pain so?

"That look in his eyes…" She mind quickly rushed to when Gray first saw her, how angry he was…how shameful he was….

Suddenly, tears overwhelmed Juvia as she flung her face into her hands, tears freely rolling off her cheeks.

'Oh God…What have I done?'