"Are you serious?" Erza inquired, standing up and slamming her palms on the table with wide eyes, her loud voice startling the students who were eating in the caféteria peacefully. She received a glare from me as she sat down sheepishly. "Sorry. Couldn't believe it. But are you serious?" Her voice went down an octave. I fought the urge to sigh (which I only did whenever I'm sad) and nodded with a straight face.

"That means the dares are over." I told her, smirking. My subconscious self was surprised by my action. The thing is, why was I surprised? Okay, maybe I wasn't feeling well today, not physically speaking, but emotionally speaking. Yesterday, the frown plastered on my face had been contagious. Erza even frowned yet she didn't bother asking. She overreacted when she heard the news from me, apparently.

Erza exhaled as if to calm down herself-you know, from being a ferocious monster and all that. "Let me think about this." Wow, it's like she was in my situation. "Your situation is much worse than my own. Well, mine is not a bad one. Jellal already agreed to take me to a date."

It was now my turn to overreact. "Really!? Oh my gosh, I'm so happy for you. You've confessed!"

The only thing I've received as a reply from her was an evil stare. "FYI, he's the one who confessed. And that's not the issue."

I snorted as I waved my hands dismissively. "Okay, chill. But you're the one who asked him out." The retort made her roll her eyes at me which was a way to tell me yes. What girl does that kind of thing? The guy should be the one to ask her out on a date!

"Get out of here." I mumbled. She shrugged, smiling and saying that at least he agreed. Yeah, right.

Erza suddenly pushed me, and it wasn't a light push, I tell you. "And no, do everything for him to not break up with you. You still haven't answered him, and that's a good thing." Pursing her lips into a thin line, she added. "Do you have his number?" I shook my head and she facepalmed. "What kind of girlfriend are you? My goodness, so you're not texting each other? That guy... he didn't even bother to ask for your number."

"Erza," I started, closing my eyes. "All of this happened when we didn't expect it. Our meeting... it's all because of you and your dares. It's a good thing, don't you know? Your payback is too much for me to handle."

"My point? For you to convince him not to break up with you."

"No. I'm tired of this fake relationship. He doesn't even know that I'm doing this for the sake of my pride. I don't even like him that way. He just agreed to be my boyfriend and all that, but I know he's in love with Lucy. Always has, always will. I don't want to be selfish."

The red head looked at the ground, looking thoughtful for a moment. "Trust me. You have to get him to stay with you."

My eyes widened. "But why? And what excuse will I give him now?" I queried exasperatedly with my hands flying.

"Tell him you'd miss him?"

"No way!"

"Yes way." After showing me a picture of myself who had a piece of pasta stuck in my nose, I gave her a look. "So? You doing it or not?"

"Where did you get that?"

"Your mom. Souvenir, she says." The grin on her face was tempting... tempting me to punch her. "That silence means yes." She then stood up and walked away with a smug look on her face.

I had nothing to do about it. Me not agreeing would be my greatest regret, probably. The memory of me feeling rueful came back and I just let out a frustrated groan. If I hadn't just agreed, my life would be in such an ease. I wouldn't have to worry about this.

"Juvia." A brunette came to me, and I didn't know her. "There's a gossip about you, and look! It's here on social media." Shoving the phone in my face, she flashed me a pitying glance.

Juvia Lockser: A Slut

Oh my! Juvia Lockser is a slut. She dated Lyon Vastia and Gray Fullbuster at the same time! Now she broke up with Lyon and is now focusing on Gray. That guy should be careful!

My eyes narrowed at the sight of the gossip. What the. I never dated Lyon. He courted me, but no, we didn't date at all.

With all these frustrating, unbelievable, and fake thoughts in my head, I fought a tear. My feet dragged me to the rooftop and that's when I let it all out.

"Why is it always me? I never did anything bad! I was good! Well, tried to be one, but I never harmed people! Erza just... dared me to make Gray notice me and soon make him my boyfriend. He was my first boyfriend, not to mention my first kiss. I sacrificed all that just to accomplish Erza's dares.

"Then Lyon came into the scene and courted me. In a nice manner, rejection was my answer. He looked so disappointed and I just felt guilty all week. I never answered him, so what's with these people and their rumors about me being a slut and all that?

"Now, Gray was going to break up with me. My inner self was happy he did that for me because I couldn't do that-it was one of Erza and I's agreements. But Erza wouldn't let me break up with him. It's for the better, so why not? She's blackmailing me, so it's hard to say no. She says it will make everything better." A tear rolled down my cheek, and I ran a hand down my face.

Realization dawning over me, I halted. Wait. Why was I acting that way back then? Why did I feel something weird when he told me he'd break up with me? Okay, he's asking my permission. But seriously, why? I totally hate myself for that.

Unless...

"I like him?"

"Who do you like!"

"Ice and water!" Gray! Oh my gosh, did he hear that? "Oh, uhm, not telling."

"Aw, Juvia doesn't trust me." He pouted and I just rolled my eyes. "So... about last time." Loud beating of my heart echoed inside me. "Is it okay if we break up? You know, since we're not being serious and all."

"No." I suddenly burst out. He lifted an eyebrow. "Uh, I'm gonna miss you." What am I even saying?

The smirk on his face made me blush. "You're gonna miss me?" The tone he was using was implying something deeper. I mentally groaned, thinking to myself that I should just die. "Aw, come on, you're making it hard for me." Idiot. Tch.

"Really? Of course, you're my best friend!" Maybe it's just me, but his face fell for a split second. "You know, me asking you to be my boyfriend was Erza's dare." I told him solemnly. But of course he knows that already, I just wanted to remind him of it.

For some intimidating reason that I really didn't want to know, he gripped on some railings tightly, his knuckles turning white. It's as if he was mad about something-probably connected to what I said-and that it's a personal topic to which he's sensitive to, in my opinion. "I see." His voice turned cold, colder than Elsa's snow.

"So, we're not going to break up." I drawled, trying to crack an answer from him. He suddenly turned away, and I took that as a silent yes from the one and only Gray Fullbuster.

There was this one thing that bothered me though...

What are the answers to these questions of mine?

**

I knew that detention was waiting for me downstairs so my body was just there, my mind flying off to who knows where. I'm still at the rooftop-I have been in the past two hours. Erza's probably wondering about my whereabouts. I just didn't have the energy to go back.

"At the fieldtrip... that's the first time I felt something weird." I started talking to myself yet again like some weirdo conversing with the air. "That "weird" feeling that never left my mind. What was it? No. Before that, why did I say no to Gray's question of him breaking up with me? I could say yes-I would love to actually-through Erza's blackmailing. And when I told him that I'd miss him... it felt sincere. I feel like I was telling him the truth, but then with that, the situation's gotten much worse.

"Now going back... what's that feeling?" Something raced inside of me, and it was my heart. "There it is again..." I mumbled, concentrating on the sound. Closing my eyes, I saw a certain guy in my mind. It was Gray. "Do I like Gray? Already?"

"Yes?"

Turning around, my eyes was about to pop out of their sockets. "No not really!" I didn't recognize the voice, but when I saw his face, my soul went to heaven. Gray! I'm so dead. I wouldn't be able to deny this now. Woah there... I just asked myself. I didn't answer my own question. Now I'm still safe... no not really.

Gray flashed me a breathtaking smile. Now's not the time to admire him for a long time, especially now that he's right in front of me. "Really?" He tilted his head to the right, and that's when I realized that school was over. I had to get down and escape school.

Without really answering his question, I ran all the way outside the school. I came to a stop in front of the gate, putting a hand on my knees and panting. Good thing I did that because I think I got away from Gray. Being away from his endless questions was making me feel relieved, for once.

But that's what I thought. My relief lasted for a minute. Someone put a hand on my shoulder, and it was just my luck when it was the raven haired guy whose name was Gray.

Why did I even have the stupid monologue!?

**

Thank you for reading this book! I appreciate it a lot. Don't want a long author's note; just wanted to remind you guys that the Epilogue is up next. Stay tuned! ;)