notes— ...it might be a bit late in the game to explain this, but the numbers by each title are the age Erza is during that chapter. It's nonlinear so it jumps timelines all over the place. I have a big document putting them in chronological order; after all the chapters are uploaded, I'll put that up for anyone who'd like to re-read it (? ? ? who would do that lmao) in order.
But yeah. The numbers are her age. That's important hahaha. *pat pat* (It's my fault for not thinking to explain it earlier — sorry for the confusion!)
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11 ; reputation
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"Erza."
Glancing up at her teacher's voice, Erza sees him beckoning her to his desk. She walks to the front of the classroom, overly conscious of the multitude of curious glances being thrown her way by her classmates.
"Sensei?" she asks quietly.
"You're friends with Jellal, right?"
She blinks, caught a little off guard. C-Could this be about the teasing...? "W-Well, yes..."
The teacher glances at the door with mild concern, his glasses low on the bridge of his nose. "I sent him to collect some books from the staff room at the beginning of class and he's been gone for a while now. Do you think you could check on him or something?" He smiles down at her kindly. "Maybe give him a hand or something?"
"Ah... Sure thing, sensei," Erza finds herself saying before walking towards the door, legs moving faster than they usually would. When she's closed the classroom door behind her, she lets out a little breath of relief, shoulders sagging.
He didn't have to be so direct about it, she can't help but think a little bitterly as she sets off down the corridor. It's not that she has any problem with helping Jellal carry the books — of course she doesn't, don't be silly. But kids are beady-eyed and cruel at their age, and already she can hear the whispers and see the smirks she's going to have to deal with at lunchtime.
Sensei had no way of knowing how much the other boys tease Jellal for hanging out with her, she knows that, but a small part of her can't help resent the well-meaning man just for his clumsy timing. Not on her behalf, but Jellal's, really... Erza's used to brushing off rude comments, after all, and Lucy could hardly care less who Erza's friends are as long as they're nice to her. Jellal's friends, on the other hand, aren't quite so understanding. It's always girlfriend this and sissy that — it's a pain, really, but when she suggested her talking to them her friend shut her down just like that, mumbling something about how that would only make it worse.
When Erza reaches the staff room, she can hear muffled grunts of exertion from inside. Peeking her head in, she realises it's deserted barring the boy in the corner. He's standing on a chair, fingers just shy of the cardboard box he's reaching for, hopping up and down a little in hopes of getting it.
Not wanting to startle him, Erza makes her way to him until she's standing close enough for him to notice her himself. And when he does, all he does is blink in confusion as if to ask what she's doing there.
"Sensei sent me to help," she offers mildly. "Shall... Shall I get them down?"
She doesn't mean anything nasty by it, but the expression that flits across his face looks... offended, for lack of a better word. But then Jellal blinks and it disappears, and with a shallow shrug he hops off the chair. "Sure."
The nurse said that girls hit their growth spurts faster than boys do, Erza has to keep herself from grumbling. It's not like I meant to be taller than you, silly. Erza carefully lowers the heavy box so that he can take it from her hands and place it on the ground. She daintily steps off the chair and crouches to inspect it.
"Are these the—" books sensei was asking for?
Jellal cuts her off. "Duh. I wasn't jumping around on a chair for the fun of it."
She purses her lips, irritated. Someone's in a bad mood. He catches her peeved expression and looks mollified for a moment before turning his back to pick up the box.
"Here, let me get half—" She reaches forward, wanting to help, but freezes in the action when he visibly jerks away from her.
"I-It's not heavy!" Jellal says in a voice too loud. Erza frowns at him, bewildered. "I'm stronger than I look," he continues in a softer tone, looking a bit embarrassed. His cheeks flush pink and he doesn't quite meet her eye. "I've got it. It's okay. But thanks."
She opens her mouth, wanting to say something, but having no idea what she should. Why's he acting so weird?
Before she can find a way to put those thoughts into words, he's shuffling towards the door slowly, laden down by the heavy box of books. She frowns at his retreating form before following with a huff, her short-cropped hair flicking around her ears. Boys are dumb, she decides, and I don't get them. Not at all.