Lucy sighed as she looked at the entrance that lead to her first boring term of High School. She entered and observed everyone around her, they were chirpy, filled with energy, already talking to one another. They were already in groups, they were loud. She found it annoying, there was an empty desk at the very back middle row. She ignored the silence that fell the moment she pulled the chair, screeching loudly on the floor. She placed her bag onto the desk and took out her earbuds out, some soft music and her good book would do.

"Good morning!"

She slowly looked up from searching through her playlist, a blond boy looking at her with a small bright smile. His ruffled hair and his loud voice annoyed her, it was too early. She hadn't even slept more than three hours.

"Morning.."Lucy muttered.

"What's your name?"He asked, sitting on the desk in front of her.

"Lucy."She replied and plugged her earbuds in. Giving him an obvious dismissal, but he kept babbling. She couldn't hear what he was saying, but she could see his lips moving. He was interrupting her reading, her peace, she just wanted to be alone. She wasn't in a good mode, not that she ever was anyway. He kept talking, and talking, she gave up and took her earbuds out. "What do you want?"She asked annoyed.

"I said if you'd like to walk home together."He grinned, pointing at an odd group of people. "My name is Sting Eucliffe."

"We don't even know each other.."Lucy said.

"Then this could be a great way to get to know each other! I saw you were all alone and decided to invite you, we're going to the park!"He was way too happy about it, Lucy found that both curious and...annoying. It was bothersome, she wanted to do nothing more than to head home to a relaxing warm bath and her books.

"I've got things to do after school,"She was hoping he'd give up. She brought her book up, to cover her face away from his happy bright one. He pulled the book out of her grasp, he leaned toward her with a pleading look.

"C'mon, please! I'll feel really bad if you are all alone. You should eat with us as well."He suggested.

"I like being alone."Lucy said dryly, she didn't want anything to do with anyone. She had chosen this school for a particular reason, it was far away from her middle school classmates. She wanted these three years to go by as quick and as uneventful as possible. She didn't want any memories to be made, she didn't want any friends.

"Why would you want to be alone?"He asked, his voice had dropped from his cheerful self.

"That has nothing to do with you,"Lucy responded sharply.

"Sting..."A pale hand grasped Sting's shoulder. She didn't bother looking up, thinking it'd be more annoying people to ruin her day.

"Wait,"Sting shrugged the hand off. He handed her the book back, "We'll be by the entrance for a few minutes after school, if you change your mind."He says before standing.

"I think you scared her off,"The guy tells Sting as they walk back to the front.

"I was just trying to be nice,"Sting pours. "She was lonely. I don't like it. It doesn't suit her."

Lucy sighs and lets her playlist resume, raising the volume. She still had a few minutes before the school bell rang. She searched for the page she had left on, a tiny slip of paper falling onto the desk. "What is this...?"She pushes her blonde hair back and then unfolded the tiny paper. A phone number. She looked up at Sting, who was nervously looking at her. His eyes widened, his cheeks ringing a light pink, he gave her a small smile before responding to his raven haired friend.

She left it at the corner of her desk, she wasn't interested. She wasn't interested in making such foolish memories with anyone. She'd make him understand by today. She brought her book up again, she couldn't hear a thing. She didn't care in fact, classes could start, the teacher could give as many lessons as he or she wanted, and she wouldn't care. She hadn't bothered with her studies for a few months now, she had lost her friends along the way. She felt relieved somehow. She had changed for her own benefit, caring complicated everything for her. She either felt, or didn't feel anything at all. There was no balance in her emotions, she had gotten hurt the last time she felt too much. She found it much more comfortable being this way.

A refreshing scent whooshed toward her, she unconsciously breathed in. She brought her book down just a bit, to see who that scent belonged to. Her heart dropped , her eyes widened.

Jellal Fernandez.

He gave her a small glance, his cold eyes trying to penetrate her soul. She stared back at him, her hard eyes set as stone. Her stoic face not breaking, not bending as he would have liked.

"You've changed."Is all he says before he turns back to his bag. Rummaging through it.

She doesn't respond, what was he doing in this school? She clenched her jaw, she raised the volume even more. He had the nerve to sit right in front of her. After all that had happened, he dared to even speak to her.

Everyone around them was staring, they must have had felt the tension between them. Sting's face dropped as he watched the blond girl, her eyes immediately sparked with a burning fire the moment the blue haired guy had talked to her. Sting was someone who was easy to fall in love, to like someone. Even if she seemed to be thoroughly annoyed by him earlier, he had felt the urge to speak to her. To rid her of that sad look she gave while walking, that stoic face, he wanted to see her smile.

"What's your name!?"He found himself asking the blue haired guy.

The guy looked up from his phone, his face might as well have spelled cold. His eyes were completely dead, he stared right through Sting. Sting tried not to flinch, not to run away from this freakish male. "Jellal Fernandez."

"I-My name is Sting Eucliffe!"Sting recuperates his cheery self just in time. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise,"Jellal muttered. What was wrong with those two..? Sting felt like ripping his hair out, he was trying to make as many friends as possible. Just from this class though.

"Would you like to hang out after school?"Sting asks hesitantly. Lucy hadn't looked up from her book, it made him slightly relieved as he watched her. She didn't seem interested now, her beautiful face was scrunched in concentration as her eyes skimmed through the lines quickly. She must be a really good reader. She flipped the pages faster than he ever could.

Jellal noticed the staring, he didn't like it. "Sure."He responded. This guy seemed like the type to make a move quickly, he didn't know what he had coming if he ever tried to love someone like Heartfilia. He'd save him from that pain before it came to him.

Sting's eyes widened, he had expected for him to reject the idea. "Great! We'll be at the entrance!"He waves and hurried back to his group.

"We?"Jellal quirks a brow, his eyes traveling to his group. A black haired guy, a silver haired girl, a long haired smirking blonde and a black haired girl. "How frustrating..."He blew his bangs out of his sight. "I wonder if they're here..."He murmured very softly to himself. He glanced at Lucy, she looked at him with sharp eyes. He didn't know what he saw in such a cold female, but he knew in heart that he'd follow her everywhere.

___

"It was exhausting trying to find what school you might have applied to,"Jellal commented as he turned to the blonde, who was munching at her lunch. "But then I figured he'd be here.."

"It is exhausting to have seen your face for a year and now three."Lucy muttered, she popped her earbuds back in, only for Jellal to pull at the string. "You're annoying."

"Haven't I always been this way to you?"Jellal raised a brow. If he could get a yen for every time she had called him annoying, he'd be rich. Sadly he wasn't, but it didn't really affect him.

"Why are you here?"Lucy asked, she had wanted a fresh start. She wanted for no one else to know of her, to know of her past. She somehow felt ashamed, he knew her and her past. It made her insecure.

"I told you I'd love you and follow you no matter how and where you were."Jellal shrugged. He had spilled his feelings so long ago, it felt like breathing for him to remind her again. She never paid any mind to him, he had gotten used to the way he felt about her, as if he had been born with such feelings.

"Right,"Lucy closed her eyes. "That stupid one-sided promise..I was hoping you'd never go through with it.."

"Yet here I am..."Jellal smirked, knowing it pissed her off.

"Yet here you are,"Lucy scowled. She grabbed her bag and stood. "Do not follow me."She ordered.

"Hai, hai..."Jellal saluted. He was tempted to follow her, his worry trying to eat at him.

"Lucy-san!"Sting chased after her.

Jellal frowned, he sure was a persistent guy. He was one to talk though...

Without thinking about it, he gathered his things and decided to follow them. She'd make the poor boy cry, he'd at least be there to console the poor guy.

____

"Lucy-san~"Sting whined as he was continuously ignored. He had been following the girl, now they were in the school's store. He grumbled as she lined up, looking for something.

Lucy grabbed a bread, this would fill her up quickly. She couldn't eat with Jellal's worry filled eyes staring at her as she ate.

"I'll follow you everywhere then, until you promise to go with us to the park today.."Sting told her as he too grabbed a bread.

She continued to be silent, she searched for her money. She sighed, she had left her small purse beside her desk.

"I'll pay for it!"Sting grinned, feeling it was his chance at getting her to acknowledge his being.

"Here you go, Lucy-chan.."Jellal places her small money bag onto her head.

"Don't call me that,"Lucy muttered, she grabbed her small bag and took her money out. Sting stared annoyed, he had gotten her to talk with just a few words. They really did know each other. He set the bread down, he had lost his appetite.

"Don't be late to class.."Sting sighed and headed back to class.

Lucy watched him as he walked away, smiling and waving at everyone around him.

"You're unusually interested in this guy.."Jellal said, she paid and she began walking back to the class.

"You're still here..?"Lucy glanced at him through her lashes. He was much taller than her. She unwrapped her bread and bit into the softness.

"I'll always be here,"Jellal fixed his bag on his shoulder and walked side by side with her. He looked around, hoping to see them, but he caught no sight of them. They must have given up...He felt disappointed, so much for being friends until the end.

Lucy didn't answer, she didn't want to go back to them being friends. She walked ahead of him, classes were bound to start again anyway.

Jellal stood back as his phone vibrated. He rummaged through his bag, he pulled his phone out. A message.

Check you mail when you get home. Unknown number. He never checked his mail, he found it a tedious task. His mother usually took care of that. Who's number was this anyway? And how did they know it?

He slid his phone into his pocket and continued back to class. He was stopped as he passed the boy's bathroom. A hand pulling him back. Jellal turned to meet the eyes of Sting.

"Are you two dating?"Sting asked simply.

Jellal quirked a brow and shook his hand from his shoulder. "No."He responded.

"Great!"Sting beamed. "I got scared there for a second.."He breathed. "Lucy-san!"He ran after the blonde girl.

Jellal stared annoyed after the two blondes. Sting had no idea, no idea of what Lucy had gone through. But maybe he couldn't see past her pretty face. He'd make him see, that he wasn't worth her time.