To Protect and To Serve

Chapter 8

The next day after class, Juvia pulled Ciel aside to have a private chat with him.

"Am I in trouble?" He asked her.

"No. You told me that you didn't know how to read the other day so I decided that I would teach you to read. You could come over to my house after school and we would do our lessons there."

"Don't waste your time Mrs. Fullbuster, I'm too stupid to learn how to read."

"Nonsense. I'm sure that you can learn if you try."

"I'll try but I'm telling you it's a waste."

"Wonderful. Of course I'll have to discuss it with your parents."

"They won't care trust me."

"Still I'm going to give them a call and ask for their permission. You wait here."

Juvia went to the office to get the number for Ciel's mother then grabbed the phone and dialed the number. The phone rang for quite a while before it was answered by a woman who sounded rather cranky.

"Hello is this Mary Hughes?" Juvia asked.

"Yeah what do you want?" The woman on the other end of the line huffed.

"This is Ciel's teacher-"

"Oh great! What has the little runt done now?"

"Oh no nothing. He's done nothing wrong but I was wondering if I could bring him over to my house after school for tutoring sessions? You or your husband can come too."

"You plan on giving him back?"

"Yes, of course."

"Then I don't care."

"Wonderful. Would you like to come with him the first few times?"

"Why would I wanna do that? You're a trust worthy lady aren't you?"

"I'd like to think I am."

"Close enough. Bring him back whenever."

She then hung up.

"Rude much." Juvia thought to herself.

She went back to her classroom to get Ciel. They went out to her car and she drove to her house. Once inside, she sat Ciel down at the kitchen table and went to get a few learning books from her closet. They were books used to teach reading to younger kids so Ciel was a little embarrassed to be studying them at first but she assured him that it was nothing to be ashamed of.

"You promise not tell anyone at school about this?" The boy asked her.

"It'll be our little secret." She smiled. "I promise."

He looked up from the learning book and started to observe their house.

"Nice place you got here. Much better than the dump I live in. You rich?"

"It's pronounced are you rich and no I'm not."

"Well compared to my place you're rich."

"Oh I'm sure it's not so bad. Now since we've been studying this for about an hour why don't we take a break?"

"Fine by me."

"Are you hungry? I made some cookies."

"Uh...Sure."

In five minutes she laid a plate with four chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk in front of him.

"I hope you like chocolate chip." She said.