Twenty-Four - Juvia Lockser

Juvia was a bit nervous when she started going to Fairy Hills High School. She had managed to align her schedule up perfectly with Gray's, but that didn't matter when he was still suspended. The guidance counselor had told her to join a club of some sort, but she wasn't very interested in any of the ones that existed. During the lunch hour, one day, she decided to wander around outside the school. That was how she came across the swimming pool.

-.-.-

"Juvia would like to create a swim team," she told Gildarts excitedly.

"There are a few problems with that idea," he said. "First off, there's no place to swim."

"There's a pool behind the school," Juvia insisted. "It's old and unusable at the moment, but Juvia will clean it."

"How did I not know that we had a pool?" Gildarts grumbled to himself. He looked back to Juvia. "Anyway," he said. "Even if you did manage to get it in working order, there are other conditions."

"Juvia will meet all the conditions!" she announced.

"First, you have to have at least three members," he said. "That's the general rule for any club or team."

Juvia tilted her head to the side. "But fencing-"

"Erza is a special case," Gildarts sighed. "Besides, fencing club isn't official. I don't even know what she does there."

"Well, Juvia will find two people!" Juvia said. "And then she will swim!"

"Hold up," Gildarts said. "There's one more condition. And this will be a tough one." Juvia waited for him to continue with bated breath. "You need a faculty advisor."

"What does that mean?" she asked.

"It means that a teacher or someone that works for the school has to agree to oversee your club meetings and supervise you," he explained. "But, I'll warn you now, all of the staff members that have any interest in that sort of thing already belong to other clubs."

"Juvia will convince someone!" she said firmly. "Thank you, Gildarts-san!"

-.-.-

Even with all her enthusiasm, it was hard to complete the tasks set before her. She was managing to get the pool cleaned, bit by bit, working on it each day. However, she had yet to find a single person willing to join her in creating a swim team. Most people were all members of other clubs already. The ones that weren't, were simply uninterested in extracurricular activities.

"Gray-sama!" she begged at lunchtime. "Please join Juvia on the swim team. We can play in the water together!"

"I'll pass," Gray said. Juvia wasn't ready to give up, but he didn't give in. "I'm in karate club already anyway," he said. "With Myst gone, we are still trying to find someone to be our third club member. I don't have time to help you find people for your team."

"If Juvia finds someone for karate club, Gray-sama will help Juvia?" she asked.

"Sure, why not?" he said. "We'll even clean the pool for you."

"Wait, what?" Natsu asked.

"Don't worry, flame-brain," Gray said. "No one wants to join our club anyway. There are rumors that Myst is gone because we beat the shit out of him, so no one wants anything to do with karate club."

"That's not entirely false," Lucy pointed out. "The only reason anyone was at the planetarium that day is because you were attacking Myst in karate club."

Juvia was watching Lucy with narrowed eyes as she spoke to Gray. Fortunately for the blonde, Natsu pulled her away for some reason. Juvia was pleased to see that Gray didn't watch Lucy leave. Instead, he looked over towards Erza. Juvia didn't have any jealousy towards the redhead, however; it was obvious that she had feelings for the blue-haired criminal boy and not for Gray.

Juvia felt bad for Erza because she couldn't be with the one she loved. She didn't know the girl well, but she could tell that she was trying to act happy for her friends. Juvia hoped that Erza could be with her beloved one day. She couldn't imagine being separated from Gray once she had met him. She was glad that he was willing, however begrudging he seemed, to let her hang around him.

"The Fairy Tail trip will be soon," Erza was saying. "I think we're just waiting on Lisanna to return before we leave."

"Who is that?" Juvia asked.

"Lisanna is Mirajane and Coach Elfman's little sister," Gray answered. "You'll meet her soon. And you're going on the trip with us, right?"

Juvia's eyes widened. "Is Gray-sama asking Juvia to go on a trip with him?" she asked, starry-eyed.

"I- no," Gray said, looking mildly embarrassed. "I was only wondering if you were going. It's not like it will be just the two of us."

"You should go, Juvia," Erza said. "It will help you get to know some of us better."

"Juvia will go!" Juvia said excitedly.

"Where are you going?" Gajeel's voice asked.

Everyone turned to look at him as he approached with his food tray. Juvia smiled, but Gray glared.

"Fairy Tail is going on a trip to Tenrou," she told her friend. "You should go too!"

"I don't know about that," Gray grumbled.

"I've already invited him," Levy said quietly.

"What?" Erza asked in surprise. "Why?"

Levy blushed slightly. "Pantherlily convinced me to tutor Gajeel, and I figured we could start in a more relaxing place than at school."

"I can't believe Pantherlily would make you do that!" Gray exclaimed.

"You got a problem with it?" Gajeel asked.

"What if I do?" Gray said, standing up.

"Gray, keep your shirt on," Erza scowled. "Literally and figuratively. It's Levy's choice if she decides to tutor him. And it's not up to you whether he goes to Tenrou."

"Who?" Natsu asked as he and Lucy came back into the cafeteria.

"Where were you?" Juvia heard Levy ask Lucy.

"Gajeel," Erza answered Natsu.

"Aw, hell no," Natsu complained.

"Natsu needed me to help him put out a fire he started in the dojo," Lucy mumbled to Levy as the boys seemed ready to fight each other.

"He's always starting something," Levy shrugged.

Erza stood in between all three boys as they glared at each other; Juvia was impressed by her control of the situation. Everyone eventually backed down and ate their food without attacking each other. Juvia had shop the next period with Gray and Gajeel. She had only taken the class to be near Gray, but was regretting it when she had to stand between the two boys as they glared at each other through the entire class. She was relieved when her day finally ended.

When she arrived back at the foster home after cleaning a bit more of the pool, everyone had gathered outside. Someone had arrived, according to the luggage and everyone's excitement. The new arrival was a girl with short, white hair and blue eyes. She looked much like Mirajane and Coach Elfman, so Juvia had no doubt that it was Lisanna Strauss. Juvia wanted to be helpful, so she joined some of the other girls in helping Lisanna unpack.

She was a nice girl and seemed to get along well with everyone. Juvia hoped that she could be that way with all her new foster siblings as well. As she helped put clothes away in Lisanna and Mirajane's room, she unpacked a swimsuit. It wasn't a regular, fashionable swimsuit, but one that someone who swims laps often might wear. Juvia wondered if Lisanna had been on the swim team at the exchange school she had been going to.

"Lisanna-chan," she said. "Do you like to swim?"

"It's fun," Lisanna shrugged. "Why?"

"Juvia needs more members to join the swim team here before she can start it," Juvia explained.

"You want me to join?" Lisanna asked. "Sure! Why not?"

"Wonderful!" Juvia exclaimed. "Now Juvia must find one more!"

"What about Aquarius?" Lucy asked.

"What did you say, love rival?" Juvia asked.

"Please stop calling me that," Lucy grumbled. "Especially when I'm trying to help you."

"I think Aquarius is in Star Club," Erza said.

"But she goes to the city aquatic center all the time," Lucy said. "So she may be willing to switch clubs."

"It's worth a shot," Lisanna shrugged. "We can ask her tomorrow."

-.-.-

Juvia was ecstatic. The swim team was coming together well. Assuming that Aquarius would join the team, all that was left was to finish cleaning the pool and to find a faculty advisor. The pool was turning out to be a difficult job, even after Lisanna started helping out. Juvia recalled Gray's promise to help if she found a new karate club member, so she decided to do just that.

-.-.-

"No chance," Gajeel said.

"But, Gajeel-kun-"

"I don't wanna do anything with those bastards," he said gruffly.

"You'll get to fight them, though," Juvia insisted. "And you won't have to hold back. They won't. Gray-sama and Natsu-san didn't hold back with the last member."

"Why do you want me to join?" Gajeel asked.

"Gray-sama and Natsu-kun will clean the pool if Juvia finds them a new member," she said.

Gajeel's face twisted into a sadistic smile. "Gihihi," he laughed. "Alright," he said. "I'll do it."

-.-.-

Two days later, the pool was clean and the swim team was nearly official. Aquarius had joined up and Juvia was actually becoming fast friends with her. They both seemed to have some sort of problem with Lucy, so that strengthened their bond. Though Gray and Natsu were not happy about who their newest member was, they still held up their end of the deal and Juvia was quite pleased. The only thing left was to find a faculty advisor.

"Juvia has asked every teacher," Juvia sighed. "There are none left."

"What about faculty members that aren't teachers?" Aquarius asked. "Are there any of those?"

"Laxus!" Lisanna exclaimed. "I'll bet we can find a way to convince him. I'll get Mira to help us!"