The Best Days of Our Lives

The Beginnings

"Levyyyyy I'm so nervous! I don't want to have to talk in front of a bunch of strangers!" Lucy whined.
"Luce, it will be fine! I'll be right next to you, so we can do it together!" Levy encouraged her anxious friend. Levy was a short, petite girl with blue wavy hair that just reached her shoulders. She was wearing a floral sundress with a jean jacket today.
"Thank God they put us in the same group for this orientation. I wouldn't be able to survive this without you." Lucy answered. Lucy was a little bit taller than Levy, she had straight long blonde hair, and she was wearing a pair of jean shorts and a cropped pink top with a shoulder bag.
The girls were making their way towards the gym at the edge of their new college campus. Lucy and Levy were childhood friends from elementary school and had been close all the way through high school as well. They both loved books and often studied together to keep themselves on track. They were both education majors as well, meaning they would have most of the same classes and being roommates helped with the studying schedule.
As they got closer to the giant brick building, they started seeing more people, making Lucy's anxiety about the new experience increase.
Lucy grabbed Levy's hand as they walked through the double doors and Levy gave her a small squeeze for encouragement.
A short man with white hair handed them name tags with their names and group number on it and were told to make their way to the area marked with the correlating number.
"Good luck!" Said the small man, "you'll be great, don't look so terrified young lady!"
Lucy reddened even further at the comment, but felt strangely calmed after hearing his encouraging words. "Thank you sir" she said in a small voice.
"No problem missy! The names Makarov, I'll be one of your core professors while you're here at Magnolia University. Feel free to stop by my office anytime!" He said with a toothy grin.
Levy and Lucy strode on to find their group. As they weaved through the many other students filing into their respective groups, they found it. Group number 1.
They were located near the main stage that had been set up for orientation, and it been decorated with the schools colors, sky blue and gold. The curtains on the stage billowed down from the tall ceiling to rest perfectly on the stage and give it a magical look. Microphones were set up on the stage as well, along with rows of chairs for the teachers and advisors who would be introduced.
The spot for group 1 was a circle with 10 chairs. Lucy and Levy were the first ones there, however were quickly accompanied by two more girls as they chose their seats.
"Hello! My name is Mirajane! I guess we're in the same group as you guys! Isn't this exciting?" The white haired girl squealed. She had piercing, deep blue eyes, long white hair that reached the back of her waist, and a cute yellow sundress on.
"Hello" Levy greeted them, "my name is Levy, and this is Lucy. We're both education majors. What are you two majoring in?"
"I am Erza" the other girl spoke, "I will be studying criminal justice while attending this university. I plan on becoming a parole officer and aiding in fighting for justice." She dramatically added. The girl was pretty. The had long scarlet red hair and wore jeans with a tight fitting purple top which had a white floral print to it. She carried herself with self confidence that Lucy only wished she could have.
"I am studying business management" Mirajane chimes in, "I hope to own my own business some day. I'm thinking a bar or maybe a chain of nice cafés where all my friends can hang out and be together."
"That sounds so nice!" Levy commented.
Erza suddenly turned towards Lucy and said, "what's the matter? Do you feel intimidated or something?"
"N-no" Lucy stammered, "I'm r-really just nervous about this entire thing. I've never really been in a place with this many new people and everything is changing so fast. I'm really anxious about it all but it really is nice to meet such nice girls like yourself and Mirajane. It has put some of my nerves at ease." She surprised herself with the sudden over sharing.
Erza unexpectedly walked over and hugged Lucy. "I understand. You can count on me to be a friend from now on."
Lucy's face turned a little red at the sudden hug but hugged back and laughed saying, "thank you Erza, I appreciate it."
Mirajane and Erza took their seats beside the other girls and started talking about classes.
Before they realized it, four boys had been added to the group.
One had pink hair and was wearing a goofy grin. He had a white scarf on with ripped khaki shorts and a red T-shirt.
Another one had dark black hair, and dark eyes. He looked bored already. He was wearing light denim shorts and a loose black tank top with a blue stripe through the the middle.
The third boy had blue hair, and a birthmark across his eye making him look dangerous... in a handsome sort of way. He had jeans and a black and white short-sleeved button up shirt.
The fourth boy had blonde hair with the sides shaved. He had a scar over his eye and head phones on. He wore tight black jeans with a white tank top and a yellow short-sleeved bottom up with lightening bolts on it.
"Well it's about time you boys made it" Mirajane said, a slight motherly tone in her voice, "boys this is Lucy and Levy. They are education majors!"
"Hiya!" The pink-haired boy shot a blinding white smile at the girls, "I'm Natsu! I'm studying to be an emergency responder!"
"Wow that must take a lot of physical labor" Levy commented.
Natsu laughed, "Yeah, that's why I gotta hit the gym all the time." He winked.
"Please, all you ever do is sit on the futon and play Call of Duty" the dark haired boy countered.
"What did you just say?" Natsu turned to the boy forehead to forehead looking like he was ready to fight.
"I said you're one lazy ass mother-" he was cut off by Erza pulling the two boys apart from each other.
"That's enough of that. You're giving a bad first impression to these two beauties."
The dark-haired boy wriggled out of Erzas grasp and looked like he just noticed the two girls in front of him. "Hey what's up, I'm Gray." He said nonchalantly.
"Wow. Smooth" Natsu mumbled, earning a smack on the head from Erza who was still standing next to him.
"I am Jellal, it is very nice to meet you." The blue-headed boy suddenly interjected amongst the interaction. "And this is Laxus, as you can tell he probably can't hear a thing right now."
The blonde tsked removing his headphones, "I can hear ya just fine. I just refuse to encourage those two." He noted grumpily gesturing to Gray and Natsu with a jerk of his head.
"It's very nice to meet all of you" Lucy said, feeling a little bit more confident.
"You're an education major right Luce?" The pink haired boy asked while sitting down next to her.
"Y-yes, secondary education actually... Luce?" She timidly asked.
"Oh sorry! I just thought it would be a cute nickname for ya! It seems to fit" he smiled widely, "do you mind if I call you that?"
"N-no, I don't mind" she answered.
The other boys took their seats and Levy asked "So Natsu is going into emergency response, what are the rest of you studying?"
"I'm going into biology, Jellal is doing business finance, and Laxus is in electrical engineering" Gray said pointing to the respective person he was referring to.
"Ah I see!" Levy said, " so you all already know each other?"
"Oh yes" Mirajane chimes in, "we all grew up in the same neighborhood. Many of us were in the same foster homes growing up as well. Laxus, Gray, Erza, Natsu, and I were all fostered by Professor Makarov."
"Wow! That is so interesting!" Levy said "Lucy and I grew up in the same neighborhood as well. So you guys must be pretty close huh?"
"Nah they're all a bunch of idiots" Laxus said as he yawned in his chair.
"Who are you calling an idiot, Zappy?" Natsu retorted.
"Obviously someone who can't come up with a better insult than 'Zappy'" Laxus countered.
Just as things were getting heated, the remaining two group members arrived at the circle.
One was a girl with wavy blue hair and pale skin. She wore a navy blue sundress and carried a white parasol.
The man beside her looked scary as hell. He was tall and muscular with ripped jeans, a white tank top, and combat boots. He had piercing all over his face and unruly, long black hair.
The girl spoke first, "Hello everyone, my name is Juvia, and this is my cousin Gajeel. What are your names?"
Mirajane took the initiative on this one and introduced everyone already around the circle with their respective majors.
"Wow what a collection of majors we have in our group!" Juvia said, " I am studying marine biology and Gajeel here is doing mechanics or something... right?"
She looked up at the brooding figure beside her.
"Yeah. Metal working, cars, whatever" he growled.
Just as the last two were being seated, the small man that spoke to Lucy earlier appeared on stage.
"Welcome everyone!" His voice boomed through the microphone "I hope you all found your correct group and have started introductions! In a few minutes we will be announcing our first ice-breaking activity in order for you guys to get better acquainted with your new classmates. At the end of the day there will be a game to which the winning group will earn a fully paid dinner at one of the most popular restaurants in Magnolia!"
There were automatic whispers and whistles at the mention of food in the crowd.
"But before we get to all that, we might as well introduce you to some of your faculty and staff that you will be working with."
They went down the line introducing each and every staff member of the school. Natsu fell asleep, Gray played on his phone, Jellal and Erza paid very close attention looking like they were memorizing every teachers name and credentials, Mirajane hummed happily while writing something down in her planner, Levy was already taking notes, Laxus had his eyes closed and headphones on again.. probably listening without actually looking like it again. Juvia was stealing glances at Gray hoping nobody would notice her sudden interest in the boy, Gajeel was twisting an eyebrow piercing and looking particularly bored, and Lucy was looking around nervously bouncing her leg in anticipation of this "game" they were supposed to be playing at the end of the day. She hated surprise games with no preparation. She didn't want to make a fool out of herself. Especially since she was placed in a group full of people who seemed so casual and nonchalant about everything.. what was she going to do? She couldn't get her nerves under control!