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Hey Readers! Sorry about not updating for a while. I've been sick with writer's block for the past few weeks. And not just with this stories, but with EVERY SINGLE STORY I'VE BEEN WRITING!! I've just been stumped, bamboozoled, IN NEED OF HELP! To tell you the truth, I don't even know what I'll be writing after this little intro....Lord help me....*sigh* Anyhoo, here's Chapter 22, ENJOY!!!!.....I hope.

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Erza P.O.V

You've never had a weird feeling until you see yourself wearing a leotard in the mirror . I twirled my body around and around, but still couldn't get used to the apparel. It was so revealing and tight, which was something I would laugh at when I saw girls wearing them. I took a deep breath and walked out of the girls' locker room and into the gym.

The school had just gotten to winter break, so the gym was completely dark. I began to run the calculations in my head: me plus dark gym alone minus clothing equals possible rape/murder.

Yup, that seemed about correct. 

I switched the lights on and ran around the whole gym a few laps as a stretch. All the gymnastics equipment had been taken out by me and me only. For the past few days, I've been watching what seemed like thousands of routines on the internet and recordings of our own school's gymnastic team. These girls were like human pretzels. Their legs went to places that even I didn't know were possible. I sighed, rubbing my forehead. "This may take more than a mere two hours."

So then I started practicing. I jumped, I twirled, tossed a ball around, and even flung a stupid ribbon around a hundred times. For some reason, I just wasn't getting it right. None of my movements didn't seem to follow the theme of Beauty that the judges would want to see. I flopped down to the ground and sighed, chugging down my bottle of water. "They make this seem too easy."

"Well, it's because they've been doing it all their lives." I flinched up and turned around to see                    Mr. Fernandez.  My face blushed a little as I attempted to conserve my body. "W-What are you doing here?"

"Who, me?" He joked around. "I was simply getting some papers that I forgot to grade from my office and noticed the gym light on. And then I see you in a leotard."

"Stop talking about it!" I hissed, reddening like a beet. "i'm already embarrassed enough that I'm doing this silly thing, and now you're here, so..."

"Am I a distraction?" Mr. Fernandez asked, getting a little closer. I slowly crawled back a little. "No, Mr. Fernandez, you're-."

"It's Jellal."

"W-What?"

"We are in a relationship aren't we? You should call me Jellal." He was getting closer and closer, and I attempted to move back more. To my demise, one of the legs of the balance beam blocked my path, allowing Mr. Fernandez to get closer and closer. He crouched down and was half a foot away from me. "Say my name."

"N-No!"

"You can't do your boyfriend this one favor?" He scoffed, laughing with shock. "Should I address you with my teacher status?"

"No!" I exclaimed. 

"You know, I can help you with this kind of stuff."

"I doubt it," I muttered. His face was beginning to get closer to the point where I could feel his breathing. "I know a few things about beauty if I do say so myself."

"How would you know?"

"I'm staring at some beauty right now."  My eyes widened. His eyes were serious when he said that.  He gently touched my chin and smiled. "You just haven't noticed it yet." He stood up and brought out his hand. I sheepishly took his hand and got up. "Now, the only way you can get into this whole gymnastics thing, you need music." He went through the gym closet and found a boombox. He connected his phone to the machine, and music began to flow through the speakers. He removed his jacket and folded his white sleeves up. He picked up white and red ribbons and said, "You're more of a ribbon person. I can see it."

So I did. I attempted to impersonate some of the girls on the gymnastic video, but Mr. Fernandez suddenly stopped the music. I stopped with the music. "Why did you stop it?"

"You're too stiff," Mr. Fernandez stated. 

"How?" I asked, getting a little ticked off.

"These movements aren't yours," he simply said. "With rhythmic gymnastics, it involves feeling and emotion. You look like a stick trying to bend."

"How the hell do you put emotion into this kind of thing?" I asked. Suddenly, Mr. Fernandez grabbed  my hands and held them up between us. I hadn't noticed how big his hands were compared to mine. He lifted my chin up once again, but this time planted a warm kiss upon my lips. I was stunned, but slowly closed my eyes and kissed him back, squeezing his hand a little. He pulled away and whispered, "Say my name," Mr. Fernandez whispered, "saying my name will help you learn the emotion that you need to succeed." 

He pressed his forehead against mine. I didn't know what to say. My heart's erratic beating was keeping me from thinking. Mr. Fernandez seemed a little anxious by the way he was squeezing my hand. So I took a deep breath.

"J...Jellal," I whispered. I could hear Jellal chuckle softly. I could feel his lips brush against my temple. "That's my girl." 

Jellal P.O.V

We finished training after five hours. Erza was worn out. She laid on the ground covered in ribbons, sweat dripping all over her body.  I laid beside her, twirling the ends of her long red hair. "You must be tired," I said.

"I take back every single insult I ever said about this sport," she groaned. "My body is so sore!"

An idea popped in my mind, making me grin with mischief. "I'll relax your body." I crawled near her and wrapped my arms around her body. I could hear her gasp as she tried to free herself fro my clutches. "W-What are you doing? I'm sweaty!"

"I don't care," I murmured. I wanted to be close to Erza. I loved being close to her. She slowly settled down  and relaxed. She simply laid in my arms. "See, isn't this nice?"

She muttered, "I...I've never been held like this before."

I made my hug tighter.  I held Erza's hand with care as we laid on the ground. "We're only gonna have two weeks like this," Erza whispered. "And then we'll have to go into secret...It sucks having a class with you as the teacher."

"Why?" I asked with curiosity.

"Because I won't do anything but stare." I could feel her body burning up with embarrassment. I squeezed her tightly with security. "You're the first girl in my whole life who's made me feel this way. I'm not going to let you go that easily."

Silence.

Erza then stood up, leaving from my arms. "Where are you going?"

"Did you think that I was going to stay in this leotard forever?"

I smirked. "I was praying so."

She laughed. "Better luck next time." She strutted her way to the girls' lockeroom. I smiled and laid back on the ground.

Life sure is good. 

I dropped Erza three blocks from home like we always did, then I went back to my apartment. I took a shower, made myself some coffee, and sat at my table with a bunch of papers to grade. As I took out my red pen and began grading the next idiot's paper, my house phone began to ring. I picked it up and said hello. The voice caught me off guard. "Who are you and why are you fooling around with my granddaughter."

I sat up more straight and asked, "Who is this?"

"Miranda Scarlet, grandmother of Erza Scarlet."

My heart began beating faster and faster. "Look ma'am, I think you've gotten the wrong-."

"My granddaughter is the heir to a multi-billion dollar company. Did you not think that she would be followed at all times. Try locking up the gym next time, wise guy."

Shit. I cursed in my head. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! "If you're wondering, I haven't defiled your granddaughter in anyway."

"Thirty thousand Jewels," she suddenly said.

"What?" I asked.

"Thirty thousand Jewels if you don't see Erza again."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Was she actually bribing me? "What? No! I don't want your money!"

She sighed. "Fine, 100,000 Jewels. You're driving a hard bargain here, Mr. Fernandez."

"I don't want any of your money!" I cried.

"Well, you're going to have to," Ms. Scarlet hissed. "because if you don't, you may lose your precious job."

"I don't care about my job."

"But your brother's, perhaps?" She got me. I stayed silent. For the first time, I was absolutely stumped.  "I'll give you one hour, Mr. Fernandez. You have until then."

She hung up.

Out of complete anger, I threw my phone against the wall, shattering it. Memories began to fill my head: memories of Erza and her smile. I didn't want to lose her. But I also didn't want to drag Mystogan into this. "What," I said to myself, "what am I going to do?"

An hour later, my cell phone rang. I recognized the number. I answered it. "Well, Mr. Fernandez? Have you made your decision?"

I sighed. My face was wet, but I didn't know if they were wet with sweat or tears. I still didn't know if I was making the right decision.

"Yes," I answered. "Yes I have."