The Frog and The Beast

The Beauty Chapter 1

"I mean, look at her! She wears guys' clothes! And I hear she's a total junkie."

I rolled my eyes at Sorano's shallow comment. For the record, I am not a junkie, nor is my brother. Our so-called foster father, however, is, and he has been forcing Gajeel into his "small-time business" since he was twelve. If Gajeel refuses, Jose threatens to cut off our food supply. While Gajeel bears the burden of being an illegal breadwinner, I'm left to keep the house clean, cook our meals, care for our younger siblings, and scrape together any extra money I can find.

There are five of us in the system. Gajeel, the oldest at 18, is followed by Sue and me, both 15, then Meredy at 13, and finally, Romeo, who is just 10. None of us are related; we all come from different backgrounds. Gajeel lost his father in Iraq and his mother left because she couldn't cope. Sue was brought here after authorities discovered her father was abusing her. Meredy's father is unknown, and her mother was an alcoholic, which led to her placement here. Romeo's situation is particularly heartbreaking; his father was a loving man who struggled to make ends meet, and the state deemed him financially unstable, taking Romeo away from him.

As for me, my parents died in Hurricane Deliora. Our bungalow collapsed under the storm's fury, but I survived because my parents shielded me from the debris. That was when I learned what it truly means to love someone so deeply that you would do anything for them—even sacrifice your life. Shortly after, when I came to live with Jose and realized he would never truly care for us, I made a vow to dedicate my life to my foster siblings, just as my parents had done for me.

It's not the typical goal one would expect from an eleven-year-old girl, but what choice did I have? They were all I had left in the world.

"I'm home," I announced as I stepped through the front door, carrying a box of clothes I had collected from the goodwill center. After Jose squandered all our money on his addiction, this was the only way we could afford clothes. It was humiliating.

"Gajeel? Meredy? Romeo?" I called out.

"They're not here, girl!" Jose slurred, barely conscious as usual. "The boy's off messing around with that slut of his, and the two brats went to the park. Where have you been?"

"I told you I was going to the goodwill to get clothes."

"You left this house in a mess."

"The house was clean when I left."

"What do you call this?" He pointed to white stains on the carpet.

"That's your cocaine that you probably spilled while getting high."

"Don't you talk to me like that. Just get over here and clean it up."

I set the box down, grabbed a pair of gloves, and fetched the vacuum cleaner from the closet, cleaning up as he ordered.

As I worked, anger bubbled inside me. It was hard to keep my emotions in check when I was constantly reminded of my powerlessness. I focused on the task at hand, trying to block out Jose's slurred insults and the stench of stale cigarettes that clung to the walls.

Once I finished, I took a deep breath and turned to face him. "I'm doing the best I can, Jose. I'm trying to keep this place together while you—"

"While I what? While I pay for your food and shelter? You should be grateful, Juvia!" he snapped, his eyes narrowing. "Grateful that I even keep you around! You're completely useless! And if you weren't so ugly, I would have sold you a long time ago!"

His words hit me like a punch to the gut, but I refused to let him see how much they affected me.

"Whatever you say, Jose," I replied, my voice steady despite the storm brewing inside me. "I'm going to make dinner now."

I turned away, trying to shake off the anger and humiliation. In the kitchen, I found a few cans of beans and some stale bread. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

Just as I was setting the table, the front door creaked open, and I turned to see Gajeel walk in, his face a mask of frustration. "You won't believe what happened," he said, running a hand through his messy hair. "I swear, if I see that guy again—"

"Gajeel, please," I interrupted, sensing the tension radiating off him. "Just come eat. We'll talk later."

He nodded, his shoulders relaxing slightly as he joined me at the table. Meredy and Romeo followed soon after, their faces flushed from running around outside. I forced a smile, grateful they were back safe.

"Did you have fun?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation light.

"Yeah! We played tag!" Romeo exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with excitement. Meredy chimed in, "And I found a cool rock! Can I keep it, Juvia?"

"Of course you can," I replied, my heart swelling with warmth. Moments like these reminded me why I fought so hard to keep our little family together.

As we sat down to eat, I noticed Gajeel's gaze drifting toward the window, his expression darkening again. I knew he was thinking about the trouble he had encountered earlier. "What's wrong?" I asked quietly.

"Just some punk trying to look up Levy's skirt," he muttered, his fists clenching. "I told him to back off, but he didn't listen."

"Oh yeah? You didn't disfigure this one's face, did you?"

I recalled a time when I was around Meredy's age, and Jose had some of his "customers" over. One of them tried to touch me, and Gajeel saw. He beat the man so badly that he needed plastic surgery. Thankfully, no one wanted to press charges because then the cops would find out about the drugs. But Jose made Gajeel pay for that attack, locking him in the basement for three days without food or water. Well, at least he thought it was without food or water. I secretly snuck him some.

Gajeel's jaw tightened at the memory, and I could see the conflict brewing in his eyes. He was always trying to protect us, but it came at a cost. I reached out, placing my hand on his arm.

"You can't keep fighting every battle, Gajeel. You have to think about us."

He sighed, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly as he looked at me. "I know, Juvia. But I can't just stand by and let those creeps think they can get away with anything. Not when it comes to Levy or any of you."

I nodded, understanding his frustration. "Just promise me you'll be careful. Remember, you're 18 now. Legally an adult. If you get caught, there's no juvenile hall; you go straight to jail."

He gave me a small, reassuring smile, but I could see the worry etched on his face. "I promise."

After dinner, I gathered the dishes and started washing them, then helped Meredy and Romeo with their homework. We took turns in the shower—Gajeel and Romeo together while Meredy and I bathed together. It was a way to save money on the water bill. Jose only showered every few months, so it helped keep costs down. Finally, I went upstairs to the room I shared with Meredy and Sue. I sat on my bed and continued reading my favorite book.

*Jane Eyre.* Oh, how I loved that story. It showed that if two people are meant to be together, they will be, even if something separates them. There's a magic to it. Yes, I'm a hopeless romantic. I spend many nights dreaming of true love, wondering if a handsome prince will come to rescue me.

I know that's not a popular sentiment, especially in today's world. A modern woman is expected to take care of herself. But I've been taking care of myself and others since I was a kid. For the past four years, if we wanted to eat, I found food. If we wanted a roof over our heads, I made sure the rent was paid. I worked, I tutored, I begged the landlord for more time. If I wanted to go to school, I got myself there.

Don't get me wrong—Gajeel tries his best, and Meredy and Romeo are just too young to help much. But all I want is for someone to be a hero for once in my life.

Stupid, right?