Erza and Lucy were to attend school with Juvia the very next day. Lucy was excited. She had never interacted with mortals much and was curious to see what the mortals her age were like. Were they more fun? Or were they as boring and stupid as her father said they were? She was certain that it couldn't be the latter. After all, why else would Nanny Anna choose to stay here rather than in The Other Realm?
"What do you think of this outfit Laxus?" She asked her familiar as she modeled in the tall mirror. She was wearing a black top, a short skirt, and a jacket that was the color of yellow autumn leaves. The same color of her witch's cloak. It complimented her figure perfectly.
"Well I think it's good but I'm pretty sure your dad's head would explode if he saw you in that." The rabbit said.
"I guess, but dad's not here. He's not here to tell me what to do or what to wear or how to talk. For once in my life I can do whatever I want."
"I wouldn't celebrate your freedom just yet. Technically Anna now tells you what to do, what to wear, and how to talk."
"But she's not like that. She's not all rules and regulations."
"Not all the time. Anna is a responsible woman and now that she's your temporary guardian, she might start to act more strict."
"How do you know what she'll do? You barely know her."
"True, but as someone who was raised by their grandfather, I gotta tell you that grandparents only spoil you when they're not responsible for you. Once my father lost custody of me, the old geezer cracked down hard. Sure he continued to dote on me and give special treats but he became more firm and basically acted like a parent."
"Thanks for the advice but I think I know my own great-grandmother. She'll never be like my father."
"I didn't say that. I'm just saying that the dynamic might change a little since you've become her responsibility for the year. You can relax a little, now that you don't have Jude breathing down your neck every fives seconds, but just be mindful of how you act."
"Okay Laxus."
Lucy sat down in front of her vanity mirror, fixing her hair and putting on make up. When she was done getting ready, she went downstairs into the kitchen to have breakfast with her cousins. He uncle was not present because he had to get up extra early to answer a call. Apparently the clock in the town square was broken and needed immediate attention.
Per usual Anna would be cooking breakfast. She made oatmeal with fruit, and she was considerate enough to make each girl's oatmeal just the way she liked it. Cooked with milk and honey, strawberries in Erza's, blackberries in Juvia's, and bananas in Lucy's. She served all three bowls piping hot with a cup of fresh squeezed orange juice.
"You always did make the best food Nanny." Erza said, waiting for her oatmeal to cool. "Mom never had time to make breakfast in the morning and I could only make the simple stuff like toast or cereal or just a cup of yogurt."
"Well along with magic lessons, I could give you cooking lessons as well." Anna said. "After all I've been teaching Juvia how to cook, and she makes the most delicious buns and rolls."
"They're okay." Juvia said humbly.
"They're more than okay dear, they're fantastic."
"Hey Anna, do you mind pouring me a cup of Jo while your up?" Gajeel asked.
"Gajeel we've been through this before, cats can't stomach coffee. You'll make yourself sick."
"I'm already sick. Sick from spending the last fifty years waking up every morning without coffee. It's inhuman I tell you!"
"Of course it is. You're not human, you're a cat."
Gajeel glared at her.
"Can you at least give me some oatmeal? I'm sick of eating cat food."
"No. Oatmeal isn't good for cats either."
"Come on, the worse that'll do will give me a little, painless indigestion."
"Yes and I'm the one who cleans your litter box. So no oatmeal."
"Ohhh!" Gajeel fake sobbed. "You're a cruel mistress! Ohhhh!"
But when Anna left the kitchen to tend to her garden, Juvia scooped some of her leftover oatmeal into his bowl. He quickly gobbled it up with glee.
"Oh bless you Juvia!" He said. "You're an angel! A goddess!"
"Just remember to keep this between us okay." Juvia told him. "And use the bathroom outside, not in the litter box."
"Deal! Mmm! Oh yes! Finally! Real food!" He was practically stuffing his face.
"Oh really, have some self-respect." Erza scoffed.
"He's a warlock turned into a cat." Lucy said. "What about him, can he respect now?"
"Good point."
After breakfast, the girls packed up their book bags and put on their shoes. Then they each did a quick mirror check to make sure that they looked appropriate for school.
"So how are we getting to school anyway?" Lucy asked, reapplying gloss to her lips.
"We take the bus." Juvia said.
"Interesting." Erza said. "No magic user has taken a bus to school since the eighties. This should be educational."
"Now before we get there, I need to have a talk with you both." Juvia said. "At school I am pretty much considered an undesirable."
"A what?" Lucy asked.
"Undesirable, it means not wanted because it is either harmful, objectionable, or unpleasant." Erza explained perfectly like a textbook. "Also known as outcast, misfit, and/or freak."
"Right and that last one happens to be my school nickname." Juvia said. "Since kindergarten, I have been regarded as strange and unusual. It has been completely impossible for me to fit in with my peers, and now I know why, it's because I'm half witch. But that aside, I've decided if I can't fit in, I will just avoid my peers entirely. Keep to myself until graduation. That way I don't get bullied. So I'm asking, no I'm begging you two, not to do anything strange or unusual at school. Because if you do, I will suffer notorious humiliation and harassment."
"You don't have to worry about me." Erza said. "I've always been a perfect student. Well behaved and reasonable. It's Lucy who would most likely give you trouble."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Lucy asked.
"Need I remind you of how exactly we ended up living here in the first place?"
"Well that won't happen here. You left your frog formula at your mother's house."
"Frog formula?" Juvia said, already suspecting that disaster was coming her way. "I'm gonna have to change my name and leave the country, aren't I?"
"Juvia!" Anna called from outside. "Gray is coming up to the front door!"
Her cheeks suddenly became flushed and she's broke into a sweat.
"Oh no! Gray! I completely forgot about him!"
"Who's Gray?" Erza asked.
"No one!" Juvia quickly answered. "I mean, he's no one important to you two. He's just my friend. My best friend, who's completely mortal and knows nothing about magic, and oh my God! What is he going to say when he finds out about this?!"
"Relax, he'll never find out." Lucy said nonchalantly. "That is the point of lying."
"Here's the thing." Juvia said. "I don't think I can lie to him."
"Yes, you can." Lucy insisted. "You have to."
"You don't understand, he's my only friend in the whole world. I've trusted him with everything! Well not everything, he doesn't know about female related secrets, but the point is I've always been honest with him and he's always been honest with me, and I've never been able to just sit there and just lie. It's the way he looks at you with those steely eyes, with one stare he could make even politicians spill their guts."
"That's ridiculous. He's just a mortal boy. He can't have that kind of power over anyone. Not anyone strong-willed that is." Erza said briefly glancing at Lucy whom she knew to have a history of being boy-crazy. "Besides, if you tell him the truth we could end up in a whole lot of trouble and so could he. The council is very picky about who knows about our world and if they thought your friend wasn't trust worthy, they'd probably turn him into a newt and use those steely eyes for potions."
Juvia's stomach churned at just the idea of that.
"You're right. I can't tell him. But I'm a horrible liar."
"Then let us do the talking. We've had years of experience in misleading others. Granted I'm not proud of that history but it was mostly done out of survival."
"So just calm down." Lucy said. "Take a deep breath and relax. Now here's the story, we're your cousins who have been away at a boarding school in Europe, but an earthquake destroyed the building so now we have to get an education in America and since our parents work in Europe, we have to spend the school year living with you."
"Wow impressive." Erza said.
"Thanks."
"I guess that's believable." Juvia said. "But I'm warning you, Gray is not stupid. In fact he's the smartest kid in school. If we're not careful, he'll figure out something."
"You worry too much." Lucy dismissed. "He'll probably buy the whole thing, hook, line, and sinker, without second guess."
A knock came at the front door. Juvia almost forgot how to breathe.
"Oh God he's here! Alright you two, act normal! Wait, not your kind of normal! Normal by human standards!"
"You got it!" Both witches said with a thumbs up.
Juvia started for the door.
"Oh hey Juvia!" Lucy called, her cousin quickly spun around to look at her. "Is he cute?"
Juvia blushed a little, as she pondered on how to answer that.
"Oh...Yeah he's nice. In a very penal code sort of way."
"Penal code? What is he, a cop?" Erza asked.
"What I mean is he's very conservative and proper. I don't know!"
Juvia continued to approach the door.
"Oh lord does she need help." Erza said.
"That's what we're here for." Lucy said.