The Frog and The Beast

The Beauty Chapter 3

Jose had gone out the night before and hadn't returned by morning, so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to start the day with a nice, hot breakfast for everyone. Well, almost everyone—Sue was missing too, but she never really ate breakfast anyway. She always claimed that breakfast foods were too fatty. I suppose rich, older men prefer their mistresses to be toothpicks.

I pulled out a mixing bowl and began combining the ingredients for pancakes, humming softly to myself. The sound of sizzling bacon soon joined my melody, and I couldn't help but smile at the thought of everyone waking up to the delicious feast I was preparing.

Just as I flipped the pancakes, I heard the front door creak open. I turned to see Gajeel's friend Lyon step inside. He was the star quarterback and had recently taken Glen's place as the most popular boy at Fairy Tail Academy. He and Gajeel had once been teammates, but Gajeel eventually decided that sports weren't for him; he was more into music—heavy metal and rock and roll, to be exact. Still, the two kept in touch.

"Oh, Lyon, you startled me," I said, trying to regain my composure. "Can I get you anything? Coffee? Eggs? Bacon?"

"Coffee would be nice," he replied with a charming smile.

I grabbed a mug from the shelf, filled it, and added cream—no sugar. Like Sue, he wanted to avoid gaining weight, but his reasons were more sensible. At least he still indulged in carbs.

"Do you want me to wake Gajeel?" I asked, handing him the mug.

"No, that's alright. I'll let him sleep in. Besides, it's really you I came here to see."

"Oh? What for?"

But I had a feeling I already knew. Lyon had been crushing on me since the day we met. Don't get me wrong; he was incredibly handsome and genuinely nice. But we just didn't seem to fit together. He loved sports, athletics, and traveling, while I was passionate about books, music, and theater. He dreamed of becoming a world-famous football star, while my dream was simply to settle down with a family. He was just too ambitious for someone like me. It would never work out.

Plus, he had this superiority complex that could be quite annoying at times.

"I was wondering if you'd like to stay after school tomorrow and watch me practice," he said. "Afterward, I'll take you out to dinner."

"Thank you, but I can't. I have to help Romeo with his science project. But I'm sure Meredy would love to go in my place. She adores sports—probably more than you do."

"I don't know; she's just a kid."

"You act like she's five. She's only two years younger than us."

"You know, you would make a great cheerleader," he said, completely ignoring my suggestion about Meredy. "Why don't you try out? You'd be the prettiest one on the team."

"Lyon, we've been through this. I don't want to be a cheerleader."

"Why not?"

"Because it's just not me."

"Juvia, I'm just trying to help you fit in better."

"That's sweet, but if I'm going to fit in anywhere, I want it to be as myself—the real me."

Lyon frowned slightly, his charming smile faltering for a moment. "I get that, but sometimes it feels like you're hiding behind your books and music. You have so much potential, Juvia. You could shine if you just let yourself be seen."

I sighed, stirring the pancake batter with a bit more force than necessary. "I appreciate your concern, but I'm happy with who I am. I don't need to change for anyone, not even for you."