Fairytale | Jerza | AU

25. Change.

1 & 1/2 Months Later

Jellal's POV:

     It had been a while since summer vacation ended, but it was too soon to be handed homework assignments. That too, after completing all the assignments for the summer vacation.

     The teachers were doing this for our good, but it's obvious that the students haven't got out of the derilious state of the lazy summer they spent. Heavy sighs and groans could be heard at the end of every class when the teacher gave homework.

     It didn't bother me much, but I could understand the others around me. As another class came to an end, the students looked warily at the teacher, bracing themselves for more homework. The teacher left the classroom without any words and the students sighed in relief.

     I packed my books into my bag and got out of my seat. Clutching the bag in one hand, I headed towards the cafeteria for lunch.

     I took a seat at our usual place, joining Laxus and Gajeel. Gray and Natsu came along in a few moments, bickering as always. We sat and ate our lunches while talking and sharing the day's events.

     I was silently eating, unbothered by their talks. That is, till Gray called me and asked me about Erza. "So... When do you plan on asking her out?" He asked me once he had my attention.

     An unintentional blush crept up my cheeks and I answered, "Never." Gray clicked his tongue and glanced at the other guys before saying, "Do you like her or not, Jellal?"

     "You were the one you decided that for me, you should know!" I retorted. He glared at me and then shook his head. "Look, Jellal...", Gray said to me, "It's obvious you like this girl. Why aren't you trying to get her?"

     "Maybe I don't want to. I know I find her attractive, but I don't know her much." I replied. "I don't know what kind of person she is... Okay, I know a little bit. But a little bit isn't enough to know if her personality is actually nice..."

      "If that's all the help you're gonna need... Leave it to me." Gray said, grinning. "Meet me after school." I looked at him, searching his eyes for any sign of mischief. His eyes were full of it.

After School

Jellal's POV:

     Gray and I walked through the familiar corridors of the school towards the club rooms. Why he had brought me here, I had no clue. Gray suddenly stopped and I faltered in my steps before stumbling and slamming into something.

     Or someone. "Goddam-" I choked on my words when I saw who I had collided into. "Sorry." I said in almost a whisper. She heard it though, I saw her eyes widen in acknowledgement. She gave a small nod, whispering her apologies. She then turned and walked into a room, her red hair blowing after her.

     I looked at Gray. He was grinning at me. "What are you looking at?" I asked him, my voice laced with a hint of anger. 'Why did he bring me here? To make a fool of myself infront of Erza?'

     He shrugged and said, "I wanted you to get to know her. She is in the cooking club. Joined just before the vacation. She must like cooking. She is also polite, as you saw just now." He waved his hand about where we collided.

     I sighed. "This is weird." I turned around and was about to leave when I realized something. "Gray...", I turned back again and asked him, "How did you know she was in the club?" He grinned and answered, "Sources." I sighed and left the place, Gray following me a few paces behind.

Erza's POV:

     The president had started teaching us a new recipe. I had completed all the basic sessions and now I was ready to make whatever she taught us. I tried to follow her throught the session, but my mind kept going back to when Jellal apologized. Apologized.

     Even after the club was dismissed, I kept thinking about it. 'How did he apologize? Why did he do that? He dosen't apologize... Maybe Gray did something...' I tried to shake it off, but I couldn't.

     Such, polite behaviour was not expected from Jellal. 'What if he has changed... Into a better person, perhaps? Then I shouldn't be holding onto a grudge for so long... I'll forgive him, maybe... If I see that he has really changed.'

     When I went to bed that night, I thought a lot about people, in general. How new connections are made, how old ones are forgotten. How a person changes, how he makes changes. Thinking about this, I thought, 'What could have happened in his life that made him into this prick? Do I even have the right to hate him for not being a good human? What if he has changed...? Do my feelings towards him change just like that? If he has changed, then I have no reason to be mad at him.'

     'But why would he change suddenly? This is a bit too much...  maybe I'm reading into it unnecessarily. I don't want to hate him for no reason, but I can't help feeling angry whenever I see his face. I'm not the only one who he is rude to.'

     'He has this arrogance... He feels nothing when he is being rude towards others... You've seen it Erza, you've seen him being a prick towards other too... Innocent ones even. There's no way you are forgiving him...'

     I tried to conclude my thoughts and sleep. But sleep wouldn't come to me. I lied in the bed, awake, thinking about this and that. Doing my best to ignore my thoughts, I finally fell into a deep slumber after an hour or so.