The Best Days of Our Lives

The Game

"ALL RIGHT BRATS!" A booming voice came over the sound system in the gymnasium and everyone immediately stopped talking. "NOW FOR THE MOMENT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR... THE REVEAL OF THE GAME!"

Whoops and hollers erupted from the crowd of new students.

Makarov continued when the noise died down, "Each group will participate as a team, however you will need to split up into pairs and choose a section for each pair to participate. Each of you have ten participants in your group, so there should be five couples per group. In these couplets, you will run in an obstacle course. Each group will be given a baton. There are five stages in which the pairs will run through and pass the baton to the next couple on your team when they reach the next section.

"The only rules that apply to this game are as follows:

1. The baton must never come in contact with the ground, or else the entire team will be disqualified.

2. The baton must always be carried in one member's hand. You cannot carry it in a backpack, pocket, or in your clothing.

3. Pairs must be boy/girl

4. The couple must have constant contact throughout their section of the race. You can hold hands, give piggy-back-rides, link arms, etc. if one partner releases the other and physical contact is broken, the entire team is disqualified." Makarov looked up from his list to gauge the room.

"Does everybody understand?" he asked, and there was a resounding grumble of "yes", "sure", "yeah okay".

"Good" he continued, "Now you can all break up into your pairs and head over to the soccer fields outside where the number of your group will be posted."

Everyone started talking as Makarov finished his speech. The members of group one looked around at each other wondering who was going to speak first.

"Well I will obviously be in the first pair" Erza demended.

"Erza this is a team effort, we should leave you for towards the end so you can properly use that competitive spirit" Mira explained.

"The geezer said that the pairs had to be boy/girl" Gray offered, "Any volunteers?"

"Juvia will be Gray-sama's partner if he will let her!" Juvia jumped at the opportunity.

"Yeah sure I guess." Gray replied, making Juvia blush profusely, "So Juvia and I can go the first round. Who wants to be next?"

" I can go next!" Levy said excidedly, "who wants to be my partner?"

"I think Gajeel would be a good match for you Levy!" Mira pushed, putting on her best innocent face, "He might be the best option to help you in case you get a particularly strenuous obstacle. What do you think Gajeel?"

"Tsk, whatever" He answered, "as long as she doesn't slow me down." He looked away from everyone in the group, unknowingly make Levy's heart sink to know he didn't care.

"Okay, so we have Gray and Juvia first, Levy and Gajeel second, and I believe that Laxus and Mira should be third." Erza stated.

"Why did you chose them together?" Lucy asked.

"They are both very strong, having them in the , middle may give us an advantage to all the other teams. They seem to be putting in their weaker members first and the stronger ones at the end to make up for lost time. If we equally spread out our stronger members with the weaker ones, we have the better advantage." She mechanically explained her tactics.

"O-Oh..." Lucy answered dazed from the sudden burst of information.

"So in that case," Erza continued, "the line up should go as followed, Gray and Juvia first, Gajeel and Levy second, Laxus and Mira third, Jellal and I fourth, and Natsu and Lucy last."

"Hell yeah! Luce we're last! We get to show all of them up and cross the finish line!" Natsu jumped up and grabbed Lucy's shoulders shaking her as he talked.

"U-uh okay I will t-try my best to not mess this up!" She stuttered out as he continued to shake her.

"Truthfully, I wanted to be Lucy's partner, however it is a deliberate breach of the rules that we must abide by." Erza admitted.

"Too bad! The pairs are decided! Lets go outside!" Mira practically sang.

They all started walking towards the door with the other groups and made their way outside to the soccer fields. It was more like four soccer fields put together. It was huge! Throughout the field there were various obstacles that they couldn't quite make out yet. As they gathered in their groups, Makarov's voice started ringing out over the fields.

"Okay brats, I want you to split up into your pairs! There are markers along the obstacle course correlating to the numbered orders of your couples. Black will be the first pair, Green the second, Yellow the third, Blue the Fourth, and Red the fifth. Depending on what number you are in your line up, please make your way to your colored marker along your designated area."

As the couples made their way to their spots, many of them couldn't help but feel nervous. There were some, however, that filled with adrenaline at the chance to compete against their peers. What will the couples run into during this race? Will they really be able to work as a team and win the game?

"Good luck!" Mira yelled to her team mates as they all split up to start the game.