The Lies We Tell (gratsu)

chapter i

Monday. 1:59 PM. Evergreen Sato's AP Calculus class.

The advanced class was fifty minutes long, and Mirajane Strauss had spent more than half of it staring at the teacher instead of the whiteboard behind her. Of course, Gray Fullbuster had spent all forty minutes with his school bag on his desk, blocking his phone from Ms. Sato's view.

Glancing over at his silver-haired friend of nearly six years now, Gray smirked slightly. He quickly sent Mira a text, causing her phone to vibrate in her hand. She jumped slightly, snapping out of her daydreaming state to check her phone - and turn off vibrate before someone noticed the quiet yet noticeable alert noise.

Gray: Don't even try to deny it. My little Mira has a crush on the math teacher. (Sent at 1:59 PM)

His gaze still resting on Mira, Gray tried not to laugh as the silver-haired girl's face flushed.

Mira: I do not! And since when am I your "little" Mira? Last time I checked, I'm older than you! (Sent at 2:00 PM)

Gray: you'll always be my little Mira, and you don't have a choice in this. (Sent at 2:00 PM)

Gray: oh, and don't think I haven't noticed how you spend the whole class paying more attention to Ever than the actual lesson. Hell, even Sting noticed, and he's not even in this class! (Sent at 2:00 PM)

Mira: fine, maybe I do have a little crush on her. But it's not like you pay attention either! (Sent at 2:01 PM)

Gray: it's not like I need to or anything. (Sent at 2:01 PM)

Mira: have fun getting an F then! (Sent at 2:01 PM)

Gray: I'd say have fun getting a d, but it's not like you will - not from evergreen, at least. (Sent at 2:02 PM)

Upon seeing his friend's face turn bright red, Gray laughed to himself and slipped his phone into his pocket.

"I believe that's all the time we have for today. Your homework is all of page two thirty-five, I'll see you all tomorrow."

As soon as Evergreen finished speaking, the bell rang, and within seconds the classrooms emptied and students flooded into the hallways.

"Hey, guys!" A familiar voice greeted Gray and Mirajane as soon as they left the math classroom.

"Damn, Sting, isn't your class on the other side of the building? How do you get here so fast?" Gray laughed, shaking his head.

"It's a gift," the blonde smirked, laughing as well. "So, you doing anything after school?"

"Probably not."

"Wait, Gray, weren't you and Juvia going to meet up at the cafe later?" Mira reminded him.

"Oh, right, that."

"You don't seem too happy."

"I'm sorry, am I supposed to be passing out from joy at the fact that I'm getting to see my overly clingy girlfriend for an hour more than usual, at some shitty cafe, no less? Thanks, but I'll pass on giving a useless display of 'happiness'."

Mira sighed as she realized she wouldn't have any luck convincing Gray to show a bit more emotion in his relationship with a certain blue-haired classmate. She'd noticed that he had a tendency to do this in relationships - it was as if half of his heart was encased in ice, frozen away and unable to be released. He'd care about them just enough to get them to stay, but not enough to keep them. And it seemed that he always knew exactly when to end the relationship - right before they realize he couldn't give half a shit about them, and right before they start losing feelings for him.

The silver-haired female had watched her friend go through more relationships than she could count over the years they'd known each other, and out of them all, only one had ever gotten past the wall of ice in his heart. Then again, that was the one that put it there in the first place.

Speaking of relationships and girlfriends...

"Gray, my love!" Juvia called, approaching the three at their lockers.

"Sup, Juvia?" Gray stated, rather than asked, retrieving his history textbook from his locker.

"How was your math class?" She smiled, leaning up against him slightly.

"Eh, a bit too easy," he shrugged, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "I don't even have to pay attention half the time."

"Do you wish to be in a more advanced class, Gray-sama?"

"Juvia, AP Calc is the highest class this school has."

"Oh..." She glanced down at her feet in embarrassment.

"Yeah." He slammed his locker door shut. "You should probably get going, your class is on the other side of the school, isn't it? I wouldn't want you to be late." Gray placed a kiss on Juvia's forehead. "See you at the cafe after school?"

She nodded, grinning as she walked off down the hallway.

"I should be going too, see ya guys later!" Sting ran his hand through his blonde hair as he started off for his class.

Gray and Mira began walking down the hall as well.

Now, here's the thing about these two (five, if you count Sting, Juvia, and Cana's occasional appearance every now and then as well) - when they go anywhere in this school, everyone, and I mean everyone, moves out of the way. They don't shove themselves into lockers or anything like that, they just tend to stick to the sides of the hallway and leave room for the coolest, strongest - and some may even say hottest, even if it contrasts with the whole "coolest" thing - guy in school and his equally-attractive friends to get past.

And apparently, a certain pink-haired idiot didn't take note of the fact that the hallways were a bit less crowded than usual and made the mistake of running straight through this oddly empty hallway.

Okay, straight is the wrong word to use here.

Natsu Dragneel sprinted through the hallway at full speed after spotting his friends on the other side of campus. He made a beeline right for them - and didn't take note of who might be walking through the same hallway he decided to run through.

"LUCY! ERZA!" He shouted, waving to his friends as soon as the blonde and redhead were within his eyesight.

Erza reacted first as usual, turning around to locate Natsu in the crowd of students, only to find that the crowd wasn't as much of a crowd as she'd thought it was. There was a space in the middle... And what's the only reason there's ever a space in the hallway?

"Natsu, watch out!" She called back to him.

But of course, the pink-haired male didn't take notice of her warning and instead kept running through the hallway.

When he realized what Erza had tried to warn him about, it was too late. He crashed straight into Gray. (I should really stop using straight to describe Natsu)

Of course, only Natsu fell, along with Gray's history textbook.

"Watch where you're going, you idiot!" Gray shouted.

"Crap, I'm so sorry!" Natsu stood up, laughing sheepishly as he held out the textbook.

He took the textbook. "You should be."

"Hey, I know I kinda just crashed into you, but you don't have to be so rude about it. I really am sorry."

"I'll do what I want, and I heard your apology the first time."

"Alright, whatever you say. See ya!" Natsu took off running down the hallway once more.

"You know, Gray, he was right, you didn't have to be so rude," Mira pointed out, crossing her arms as the two continued to walk.

"Do I have to say it again? I'll do what I want."

"I should be getting to class. I'll see you tomorrow," she stated, walking off to her own class and leaving the black-haired male standing alone.