Off The Rails
She knew she'd been exhausted of it for ages. She knew she'd been sick of the repeated torture of being alone, of being asked to accomplish the impossible.
Yes, Lucy knew she wanted it all to end.
Her father never ended the brutality he placed upon her shoulders. Spewing out a bunch of crap like "You're an heiress! Start acting like one!" or "I will not tolerate all this nonsense!", he could never understand the pain she felt when he asked so much of her.
Lucy's self-proclaimed friends were the exact same. It was always "Hey, you're, like, super rich right? Can you get me this?", or "Can you invite us over? I really really want to see how rich you are!" They were all just fair-weather friends that only stopped by when they could benefit from it. If they never got something out of the deal, they would just ignore Lucy like she never existed.
In fact, Lucy would go as far to say that the only thing that'd gotten her this far was the weak will that told her to carry on for the sake of her dead mother. Her last name, her soon-to-inherit fortune, her looks, those were nothing. It was the will of Layla Heartfilia that kept her alive.
But even now, Lucy was sick of it. She knew she was imperfect, yet no one else seemed to notice that about her. She knew she was a human, all the way down to the core. How else could she explain her foolishness, her naivety? What about her weak nature, and that kind heart that was swindled oh-so-easily? People only saw her as a goddess, when in the end she was only human.
The lunch bell rang. Students filtered out of the classroom, heading out to the cafeteria for lunch and a break from their studies.
Lucy stepped out with them, though she headed down the opposite hallway. She decided she would end it where at least someone would acknowledge her.
Authorized Personnel Only. Lucy ignored the door's message, throwing it open and going up the stairs.
She quickly arrived on the school roof, wind almost instantly whipping her blonde bangs across her face. She held down her skirt with her hand, the other brushing her hair away from her eyes. The railing that lined the top of the building was only a yard away.
"Here I go." She whispered to herself. Lucy stepped towards the railing and placed her foot on it.
Do I really wanna go through with this? Lucy shook her head. Of course she wanted to go through with it. The pain she'd suffered through, the burden that weighed heavier than a boulder, the endless negativity that dwelled within her soul, of course she wanted to go through with it. Who wouldn't, after all? Who wouldn't want to go through with suicide if they'd been through pain like hers?
"Hey, you. Blondie."
Lucy stiffened at the new voice that entered her ears. Was it one of the teachers? Maybe the custodian or something? Wait, but why would they be up here? They didn't have a reason to be up here, did they? But the voice in her head sounded like that of a fellow student. Junior? Senior maybe? It could've even been a sophomore or a freshman. But what business would they have up here?
She lost her footing and fell backwards, landing on her back. The wind in her lungs blew out so quickly. She gasped for air, pounding her fists against her chest.
Somewhere, Lucy heard footsteps, and the fact that they were growing louder meant that someone was closing in on her. Only question left was who?
A shadow enveloped Lucy's face, and when she looked up her chocolatey eyes met with obsidian ones that had a tint of emerald.
"Are you trying to die?"
From the sound of that voice, Lucy could tell the person talking to her was a boy, and probably her superior at that. The badge on his uniform indicated he was a senior, ready to graduate. Lucy, being a junior, was apparently only a year behind him.
Besides that, the only thing that caught her eye was the anomalously pink hair that spiked out on his head in a rebellious fashion. Did he dye it? If he did, that's against the school dress code, so how did he get away with it? Or...damn, was he born with it?
"Oi! Blondie!" He waved his hand over her face, making her snap to attention. He repeated his question. "Are you trying to commit suicide?"
Lucy turned her eyes away from him. "So what if I am? No one would care. I mean, the only reason people acknowledge me is the fact that I'm an heiress to some stupid fortune. I could blow myself up and they wouldn't even bat an eye."
The boy listened intently, before heaving Lucy up so that she could breathe properly. After all, having the wind knocked out of her left her practically numb.
"Well, if you're trying to kill yourself, I won't stop you." He rolled his eyes, resting his hands behind his head.
Lucy jerked in surprise at that comment. He wasn't going to stop her? Now, that sounded strange. Who wouldn't help someone who wants to die? Wouldn't that deem him guilty of murder, kinda?
"But..." He held up two bento boxes, both wrapped in a flame-designed cloth. "At least have lunch with me first."
She raised her eyebrows in confusion. This boy was a puzzle, in her eyes. Why bother bringing two lunches? And how did he know she was even up here, prepping herself to commit suicide during lunch period?
"Why, though?" Lucy asked. The boy gave her an "Are you kidding me?" look, one that made her cheeks flush.
The boy dumped the smaller of the two bento boxes into Lucy's hands. "Isn't it obvious?" He plopped himself down, untying the fire-embroidered fabric. Lucy watched intently, hoping he would answer.
He smiled a ten-thousand watt grin. "You shouldn't commit suicide. At least, not on an empty stomach, anyway."
Light ignited in Lucy's eyes, and before she knew, the tears began to spill.
Her hands went limp, making the bento box he handed to her collapse to the ground. She fell to her knees, weaving her hands through her blonde hair while trying to keep the tears from continuing down her face. Her sobs and cries filled the air.
That was the first time that, since her mom died, someone cared about her own well-being. The first time someone bothered acknowledging her as Lucy, not as Lucy Heartfilia, heiress to a fortune. The first time someone made her victim to kindness. Her heart swelled in her chest.
Once her tears stopped flowing, Lucy sat down against the railing of the school roof, the now smashed bento box in her lap. She smiled.
Lucy knew her smile was probably an ugly one. With the tears leaving white, dried marks on her face, the bloodshot eyes, and disheveled blonde hair, she probably looked more like a zombie. Even so, she was sincere.
"Thanks, um..." She reddened when she realized she never asked the boy for his name.
The boy'd already begun digging in, so when he said his name, his mouth was full of food.
"I'm Natsu! Nice to meet ya!" He garbled with a full mouth.
Lucy giggled, for the first time in a few years, feeling happy. Natsu...huh?
She opened her bento box, and started eating. Thanks for saving me from jumping off the rails, Natsu.