Chapter Five: POV Mirajane Strauss

My magenta mid-calf length dress swished around my legs as I walked to a booth in the corner of the University's cafeteria for lunch. I was munching on my spinach and strawberry salad with lemon juice dressing when I barely saw the waist length green hair swish as it stopped next to me. "Hello Mira," A male voice spoke from above me. "Hello Freed, won't you sit with me? Join me for lunch?" I asked as I motioned to the other side of my booth. Freed nodded as he put his tray on the table to sit down with me. His plates consisted of fish, vegetables and orange jello. "You really like fish don't you Freed." I said taking a bit of my salad. His blue eyes lightened at the mention of fish. "I love fish, Mira." He smiled a smile of pure happiness and I blushed lightly when he said my name. Everyone calls me Mira, but when he does it made me hopefully of his affection. "Mira, there is something that I have to tell you." He mumbled just loud enough for me to hear that he had said it. His cheeks flushed lightly as his face seemed to become puzzled. "Oh. Freed, do tell me. Tell me what is on your mind." I said with my large friendly smile and pushed my white hair behind my ears. Well, it is difficult for me." He managed and then took a deep breath. "Mira, I like you." He spoke quick, as if afraid he may not be able to say it if he didn't. I looked at him, just looked at him. I wasn't sure to be shocked or thrilled. "My goodness."I thought to myself. I thought that my blue eyes might pop out of their sockets. "Aw, Freed. I didn't think that you would ever say that." Was all that I could get out before I began to fan my face and drink a lot of the water in my glass. "Mira," Freed said my name softly as I drank some more of the icy water. His eyes held concern and I think maybe some fear too. "I am okay, Freed. Promise." I said softly as I pushed my now empty glass forward.

"Mira, we don't have to go steady." Freed said calmly, yet nervously. "Dammit!" I thought to myself. At that moment I could not hold it in. My vision was blurred by the tears that were filling quickly, too quickly. I cried thinking to myself: "He likes me, but not enough to go steady with me!" Freed jumped and came to stand in front of me with a white handkerchief in his hand. "Oh, Mira. Mira, please. I did not mean that I did not want to go steady with you. Mira, I would love to go steady with you." He said as he was on his knee, trying to not make my tears noticeable to the entire room. His hand held his handkerchief up for me to dry my eyes. I took it and dabbed my eyes while I slid over so that he could sit down with me. Freed wrapped his arms around me and held me while I tried to regain control of my tears. "Deep breaths Mira, sweetie. Deep breaths." He whispered into my ear. I nodded following his instructions and smiled at the thought that he called me sweetie.

After five minutes of sitting there breathing I was okay and not tearing up again. "I would love to go steady with you, Freed." I said looking at him with a smile and a small ray of hope. He smiled and it seemed that his entire face brightened. "You heard about the Masquerade Ball in two weeks right?" He asked nervously. I nodded in reply, I had read about it on the site and then was told by Master that it was something the school was doing to test some waters with the idea of dances at Universities. "Well. Mirajane, my steady girl, will you accompany me to the Ball?" He asked with a smile as some color filled his cheeks. "Oh, Freed! I would love to!" I lost all train of thought and wrapped my arms around him and kissed him. I pulled back and blushed harder than I thought possible. "Wow" He spoke, I could hear that he was breathless from the kiss. "I would love to go with you Freed." I said as the two of us began to exit the booth. "But, right now I am off to class. I do promise to come by and see you when the school day is over." He nodded with a large smile on his face. I smiled and kissed him on the cheek before I took off to get to class.

My first class was with Professor Web. She teaches two sociology classes, one of which is called Mage Sociology. "Good Afternoon Miss Strauss, how are you?" Professor Web asked with a smile on her gentle features. She always seemed to wear a smile on her face. When I met her at the University's open house I thought she was an interesting person. Her green hair was done in large green ringlets that fell to about her shoulders and even though her eyes are black, they seemed to shine in pure kindness. "Good Afternoon Professor Web, I am doing well. How are you ma'am?" Web smiled at me showing her pearly white teeth. "I am doing good, Mira. Thank you." Professor Web said as she walked into the room. The room had seven rows and I sat in the middle of row four. "Mirajane Strauss!" A female voice called from my left. "Bisca Connell!" I squeaked when I realized who had called my name. "How is Alzack?" I asked sitting in my desk to where my legs were in the isle facing her. Bisca pushed her hat into an almost empty school bag and smiled at me. "He is doing good." Not many people had ever seen Bisca without her hat, not to mention Alzack. I was now one of the few people who had seen her without both. "He still hasn't proposed has he." I managed to get another sentence out before Lyon slumped into the desk to my right and the bell signaling that class was starting. "Good Afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is Arania Web. Welcome to Mage Sociology." She began as she picked up a piece of chalk to wright her name and the course name on the board. "Now, as you know sociology is the study of what?" She looked around the class, no one seemed to have their hands up. I sighed and threw my hand in the air before she could just give us the answer. I was not about to let her think that we were idiots, well at least not me. "Yes. Mira, tell us what the study of sociology is." I smiled and lightly cleared my throat before I began to speak. "Sociology is the study of well, to put it simply society."At that point I was trying to not sound like a know it all, but I did know that. "Well done, Mirajane."

The rest of class went something like that. After the class was let out I took off to the parking lot. I was going to go and meet Freed. I was pretty happy about the fact that we were officially going steady. As I reached the parking lot I heard him talking to someone and stopped, thinking it might be a professor. I stood out of sight, about fifteen feet away from him. As I listened and watched I realized that it was Cana. "Cana! Cana of all people!" I thought to myself. She laughed heartily at all of his joking. My face turned so red so fast that I was afraid I would invite Satan's Soul. I have a lot of control with her, but if something happened and I lost control with her. I shuddered at the thought of loosing control with her. Elfman had already been through that, watching him was the hardest part. I was shocked when I realized that I had not invited her, but I sat there crying instead. That was somewhat of a relief for me.

I almost screamed when a hand touched my shoulder. I turned almost scared to know who had come up on me while I was letting my emotions out of their cage. When I turned I saw my brother. What was worse was the look on his face. "Oh no! He is gonna bug me about my tears now." I thought to myself. That was a scary thought all on it's own, but instead of pestering me at that moment he just held me while I cried. That was all I needed, was someone to hold me. It took me ten minutes to regain control of my tears and emotions. When I looked up at Elfman I noticed something. Something that I thought I would never see him do again. Cry. I could not figure it out. "Elfman," I began softly, but his head shook from side to side. "But," I tried to continue, he was not going to give me an inch at this point. I turned around and saw Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen talking. It was then that I realized what was bothering him, to be honest it bothered me too.