Chapter 1. Days of Surprise
She liked to move around a lot. She loved to sunbath with her friends at the yand, hang with classmates, participate in all sorts of events and take long walks around the campus. Yet, there were times she needed to be alone. In the library there was always an open spot for her. She either listened to music quietly while staring outside the window or reading a book lost in its words.
Yet, she was like a ghost. Like the eyes of others couldn't catch her people just passed by her. When people were around she looked angry, when she was alone sad. She rarely smiled. Her almond shaped eyes, as blue as her beautiful hair, were always looking at the floor. Sometimes it looked like she was looking for something she would never find.
He was always sitting across the room, at a sit where he could see her. The sun was always falling on her pale skin, making her look like a porcelain doll.
That day, at that spot, her sit was open. He looked its way tried to fantasize that she was there, with a book at her lap, looking outside the window melancholic. He sighed. All he knew was that she liked to read horror books. Quiet unexpected. Was she enjoying them that much? He had tried to read them himself but to him they seemed hard to follow. Not that he was scared…
Another sigh. He hadn't seen her all day once more. She hadn't even gone to class, meaning that she was absent for good. It was already seven, most of the people were already long gone and it started to get dark. She wouldn't come. His irritation made his blood boil. He pushed the chair back with force.
"Ah!" he heard a voice behind him. It was obvious that he had hit someone. Damn, worst of luck, he cursed
"I'm sorry, are you alright?" he gasped in shock. Not a chance! He had just hit HER. He tried to apologize again but his voice wasn't coming out.
"Yes, I'm fine…" she raised her head and looked straight into his eyes. What was that? How could he continue the conversation? Would he let it end like that?
"Oh, that book… I have read it three times already!" That was it! Now all he had to do was give a proper answer. He smiled and looked away to hide his embarrassment. "Do you like it?" she continued.
"Yes" he lied "I really like this author."
"Oh, me too! She writes some hardcore horror! I'm Juvia by the way." She raised her hand. Juvia… he repeated to his head. "I'm Gray." His hand was shaking as it touched hers. What would he do if she were to notice he was sweating? His hand must have been pretty sweaty too… He thought of wanting to push it back, but, as expected, he couldn't. Her hand was small and elegant, although a bit cold. He didn't mind. "Right… Gray…" Juvia mumbled and to him it seemed for a second that she blushed. Within a second he pushed his hard back. Juvia looked a bit surprised by it.
Why did I do that? He cursed but there was no way to take his action back. They stayed silent once again. Something to say, something to say… he kept repeating into his head but nothing was coming up.
"I think I have seen you before, which field are you?" Juvia asked again.
"Ah… No… Science; chemistry."
"Oh, our classes are right next to each other! I'm in Biology" Of course he knew that, too. He knew everything, everything about her. All but her name, and now he had learnt that as well. His heart was beating fast and his brain has stopped functioning. He didn't know what to say.
"Okay then…" Juvia said and sighed. "See you around!" Her faint smile was hiding behind her blue hair as she walked away. They have just talked… Gray turned to the book and sighed, trying to talk his heart down. They have talked. And it was weird and awkward. Now he wasn't in the mood to read anymore.
"Juvia! You coming?" Gajeel shouted from across the yard as she was walking towards him. She walked quickly at his side. "I'm coming. No need to shout." She complained but, as usual, Gajeel ignored her.
"Where is Levy?" Juvia asked.
"I don't know…"
Juvia stayed silent. That meant only one thing. They have fought again. "Okay…" she whispered. Gajeel was kinda scary when he wasn't in the mood to talk. She didn't want to make him angrier.
"What about you? You look weird." Gajeel asked her. He knew her too well after all these years… "I met an interesting guy today." There was no need for her to hide. "Ohh… A guy…" Gajeel commented. "What was he like?"
"I… can't really tell…" she tried to bring her back to her head. "He had a sad look, a little angry… He said a little… It was this weird tension…" His eyes looked lost, like he wasn't enjoying life… She couldn't say that. But that was the most surprising thing of all. Her gaze made her want to talk more, like these two could talk for hours.
"Hm… He sounds like an asshole to me…" Gajeel mumbled. "He was only sad…" she replied and the conversation ended there. She got into the bus waving Gajeel from across the glass. Her house was a 20minute distance. It was a small apartment, dark and lonely, with a really bad smell. Yet, it was cheap.
She looked outside. People were walking down the streets in a hurry. She pushed her blue hair away from her face. "Gray." She whispered to herself and repeated again and again so that she wouldn't forget it.