Alright, alright, that's what I'm talking about. Now everyone, give it up for... Sorry ;) been listening to Hamilton lately. But seriously, it's summer, and I get to write because I finally have free time. So awesome! Thank you for reading! Please review and give me any feedback! Disclaimer: Fairy Tail does not belong to me
I walk. A pathway finds its way through the students. Hushed, though hardly silenced, whispers slip among the crowds. My coffee-colored boots click on the blocked floor. In the middle of the walkway stands a leader. The dragon of his school. He turns and hidden secrets meet me through his onyx eyes. Particularly aware of how this moment will determine my social standing, I stride confidently towards him. Blonde hair swishes behind me. I stop, hardly more than a few inches before him. In an intimate gesture, I reach across the distance and finger his shaggy pink hair. My fingers tighten and I pull him towards me. A collective gasp runs among the crowd. "You may be the leader of Fairy Tail, but no matter what happens, I will be there ready to take your place. This is the beginning of the end for you."
I side-step and breeze past him. A strong hand grips my passing one. He pulls me in an embrace. "You may be bold, but no matter what happens, I will work my ass off. This is war, and I never lose. But I accept your challenge." His powerful arms release me. His eyes flash at me, and I almost expect him to bare his fangs. I nod.
A beeping startles me awake. I let out a breath and put a hand on my racing heart. I slide out of bed and patter into the adjoining bathroom. Luxury, the word speaks through me. Gold-plated handles, porcelain, high swooping ceilings, and an enormous bathtub. A servant would rush to my aid, but I appreciate the solitude and comfort of doing simple tasks for one's self. I turn on the hot water and peel off the lace nightgown. Beautiful, intricate work, handmade, parallel to fairy's work. I lift it onto a hanger and reach for a silk bathrobe.
I sit on the marble floor and listen to the rushing water, pretending I'm in front of a waterfall. I imagine the light spray on my face. A rainbow of color, the roar filling the body and mind throughout. The cold rock and vibrating from the commanding flow.
Lost in my own world at all times it seems. I sigh. I want to paint the world. I want to be an author. Find my own fairy tale worlds and discover greatness. Maybe that's why I joined Fairy Tail High mid semester. It spoke to me. I wanted to be the one there. To inspire and become like my mom. She was incredible. Everyone followed her, she was charismatic, intelligent, beautiful, kind, radiant, the perfect person. I was all set out to be the Layla Heartfillia in my school. And then I found him. That boy. Natsu Dragneel. He is perfect, better than me perfect.
I stand up and turn off the water, let my robe drop to the floor, wishing I could do the same with that boy. I slide into the water and bury my face in the depths, and I scream in frustration. My nails dig into the palms of my hand. He won every time. He was president and I was vice president on the student council. He won by a landslide, and I was the only one who dared to go against him. A stupid default vice president. I punch the wall and my fist slides off the cool surface. I am weak. I punch again and again. Blood draws and I ignore it. It drips into the steaming water and snakes through. I stop and take a jagged breath. "I just want to be perfect. I want to make my family proud," I whisper.
I step out of the tub and dry off. I wash my knuckles and bandage them shakily, then re-bandage them. I put on my folded school uniform and drain the water from the bath. The last of the blood slips away.
I leave the shining room, and enter the hallway. It's dark and silence greets me. My father is away on a trip, and it's just as well. He hates me.
"Miss Lucy," says a voice from behind. I jump, and turn towards the person. "Oh sorry Miss," the girl murmurs.
"It's alright Bella." I smile gently. "Would you get a car ready?"
"Of course." The brown-haired girl bows and hurriedly leaves.
I take the hair tie from my wrist and wrap it around a lock of my hair, making a small ponytail. I move down the halls, two rights, a left, and then open the green door and find that you're half way there. I release a small chuckle. Our family is wealthy to a ridiculous point. The idea of losing all of it is preposterous. I move past a portrait of my mom looking quite regal, my father's idea, and finally come to the two main double-doors.
"Miss Lucy," The Gemini twins say in unison, while holding open the massive doors.
"Thank you," I say. I step out into the gleaming sun. A sleek black car is parked at the bottom of the stairs. Capricorn climbs out of the driver's seat and pulls open a door. I trip lightly down the steps and enter the awaiting car. Capricorn raises an eyebrow at the bandages, but says nothing. Buckling, I announce, "Last year of school. You won't have to drive me much longer."
He grimaces. "I won't have to drive you for earlier than that."
I frown. "What?"
"Never mind. Master Heartfillia will come back soon and explain."
"Are you fired?" I ask. My hands start fidgeting. Capricorn was our oldest, most loyal butler and adviser. If he was fired, then something must have happened. Or maybe he just was unable drive anymore, but he looked as concerned as I was.
"Don't worry for now Miss Lucy."
"I agree. Procrastinate everything." I earned a small smile.
The ride goes smoothly after, and I relax my sore hands. "We've arrived," Capricorn informs me.
"Thanks," I reply. Before he can open the door for me, I rush out and close the door. I swear I see him roll his eyes, but he drives off before I am certain. Shouldering my backpack, I head to the student council room. School starts in an hour and I'm determined to get ahead in that time.
But when I open the door, he's already there. His shirt collar is loosened revealing his tanned skin. My eyes dart toward it and I swallow uneasily. He sees my look and raises his eyebrows suggestively.
"Tuck in your shirt and look presentable for once Dragneel."
"I think you'll find me very pleasing to the eye without my shirt on Heartfillia." He props his elbows on the desk and looks at me, calculating.
"Indeed." I move past the entryway and rummage through my bag until I find the blue pocket-folder. "Here's a reference from last week's meeting on funding for the football team."
"American football you mean?" He flips through and nods. "I assume you did this. Our secretary is..." He pauses.
"Terrible," I finish.
"To put it bluntly," he agrees.
Erza Scarlett is a great person who is a little intimidating and inspiring of course, but her handwriting is completely illegible and her typing skills are unfortunate.
"Speaking of terrible, what did you receive on your latest math test?" Natsu asks. He already knows. In fact he probably already has everyone's score memorized.
"97," I reply.
"I see. Perhaps you should review your polynomials."
"Shut it Dragneel."
He pretends to be hurt, but he got what he really wanted. It's silly I'm so worked up about it, but every time. Not once, twice, but every time, he beats me. I studied so hard for it. The class average on that test was a 70 percent, only that high because of Natsu and I. I grind my nails into my flesh once more.
I hear the scratching of pencil on paper. Right. I should work on chemistry. I sit on a red sofa and grab a notebook and pencil. As I open it and hold my pencil, I wince and drop it. The scratching stops.
"Heartfillia?" He asks. He comes over and leans across the armrest. Taking my hands, he frowns. "Are you taking up boxing?"
"Ha, no." I extract myself from his grip. "I slipped in the tub." I wince again at the stupid lie.
"You punched your bathtub?"
"That's not what I said."
"You don't catch yourself with your knuckles. Easiest way to injure them is from punching. Whatever did that bathtub do to you. Or at least the bathroom wall," he corrects himself.
"It wasn't the wall, it was y..." I trail off.
"It was me? I injured you in the bath?"
"Don't say it like that! And that's not what I was going to say!" I know my face completely gives me away. I've always been so bad at lying.
"Whatever. Try not to beat yourself up over me." Natsu walks away.
We spend the rest of the time without talking to each other. I hate him.
The school day following is much of the same. Natsu embarrassing me in front of the entire class, while I try to show off. Maybe I'm explaining this wrong though. It's not as if I'm showing off in the class per se, just participating in class, and then he one-ups me. I still have a great reputation for being smart, beautiful, but I'm not a leader, and most think I'm stupid for picking a fight with Natsu. He does have an uncanny habit of winning everything.
When the lunch bell finally rings, I'm exhausted. "Levy!" I whine. "Save me from the horrible beast of our school."
The tiny bluenette girl laughs and pats my head. "Some would say you two are a match made in heaven. Both smart, attractive, stubborn beyond no end, and working so hard that an aura of power literally shines around you."
I turn to stare at her. "You're kidding. We're talking about the same person, right?"
"Natsu Dragneel of class 1A."
"The one and only." I sigh, then frown. "He doesn't work hard, he's a genius. He doesn't need to work hard."
Levy puts a hand on my shoulder. "You are so blinded by your rivalry. Here let me show you something." She takes my hand and practically drags me to an empty classroom. Except it isn't empty. He's there, working his ass off just like he said he would. Something in me cracks just a bit. His head is bent down, and he's scribbling furiously, occasionally looking up to check his work on a pristine sliver laptop. Levy was right about something else. He's drop-dead hot. I blink, surprised at the thought, and blink again. Why do I feel like crying?
"You weren't kiddding about the aura of power thing," I joke to distract myself.
"Yeah." She looks concerned. "Are you okay, Lucy?"
"Yeah, startled to think I'm not the only one." A sudden thought occurs to me. "Do you think we're equally matched, but he just works harder?"
Levy thinks about it. "I don't know."
"Well I think it sounds about right," Natsu says from inside the room.
I glare at him and he smirks. "Was that a compliment or insult?" I ask.
"Both," He bends down and resumes.
"Come on Levy, let's go eat."
She nods and we leave the monster to his insanity. "Don't you like him?" Levy grins and pokes me in the shoulder.
I laugh. Imagine that stiff person and me together. "Of course not!"
She looks surprisingly convinced by my statement. "Maybe you will."
"When pigs fly."
"I saw an ad about pigs flying, does that count?"
I grimace. "No it does not. And since when have you taken over Mira's job of pairing people together?"
"She graduated, and maybe she wasn't wrong about creating a little drama in high school."
"Well, I think there's enough drama between him and me."
"So there is something between you two." She wiggles her eyebrows.
I laugh and elbow her in the side. "You look ridiculous."
"Finally," I murmur to myself. The day is over. I walk to my locker and straiten my textbooks, poster, and notebooks. Perfect. No homework today, not even a project or test until next month. I take my school bag and sling it around my shoulder. Gently, I close my locker, and head into the swarm of students. The sun shines gorgeously and a light breeze follows the heat. The grass and trees rustle slightly. I could die in this moment and be happy. I continue to wait outside for Capricorn, but he doesn't come. He's never late. I pull out my phone, but there no service at school. I anxiously bite my lip. It starts to bleed. Oh well, just an added injury to my list. Minutes tick by, an hour passes. I shift my feet and am tempted to go inside, but if he comes, I want to be here.
"Heartfillia?" Natsu's voice. I know it by heart. If anyone besides the principal would know what happened, it would be him.
"What happened?" I ask nervously. I remember Capricorn this morning and bite my lip again.
"I'm sorry." He cringes, but continues anyway. "Your father went bankrupt during his trip south. He made a deal with some men, they cheated him. Somehow he lost all his money."
I start giggling and then I can't stop. I'm laughing so hard a tear starts to form, and my stomach hurts. The bitter irony of hits me. Karma of what I thought earlier today.
"Are you okay?" Natsu asks, probably thinking he should take me to an insane asylum.
"I'm fine. I never thought this would happen. In fact..." I look around. "What is going to happen?" I'm talking to myself more than him, but he starts talking anyway.
"Funny you should say that. Your father is going to sell the house to pay back, and is going to stay in an apartment, but because it's so far away and he wants you to stay closer to school, he agreed..." He swallows. "He asked me to let you stay at my place and of course I said yes."
The impact of what he said hits me hard. "What?!" I scream.
My creative writing teacher says you shouldn't tell the readers what to think about your work and have them interpret it for themselves. So I waited to tell you that I liked this idea, but now that I write it out, I really don't like it. In the reviews would you please tell me what you think? If there's anyone who wants me to continue this I will. Otherwise I think this was a flop. Also if anyone has a suggestion as to a story idea to write I will oblige to that as well. Thanks!