A 17-year-old girl with long blonde tousled hair, Lucy Heartfilia, slumps over her writing desk, exasperated with the scorching weather and aggravated due to boredom. It is only the first week of the summer holidays, but that doesn't stop Lucy from whining 24/7 because of the lack of interesting things to do. No, she does not want to go to the beach because she doesn't want to risk a tan. No, she does not feel like eating because she is not hungry. No, she does not want to read a book because her eyes refuse to focus properly. And no, she does not want to go shopping because she really can't be bothered.
Her BBF – a petite girl her age with bright azure hair tied by a floral bandana, named Levy McGarden – is staying over at Lucy's house for a few days, to shut her complaints up. Right now she is relaxing on the bed, completely absorbed in Lucy's latest fictional manuscript. Lucy is supposed to start her next chapter but the blazing heat has muddled her thoughts and besides, she's not in the thinking mood. The blonde haired teenager glances out at the scene beyond the glass panes. Even the grass looks dying; and there aren't many people out either. God, the temperature must be in the high 50's.
"Ugh!" she groans in annoyance. "This is so boring! And hot, oh it's so hot! I feel like I'm going to melt!" She gently thumps her head on the table, becoming more irritable as the minutes go by.
She gazes over in Levy's direction, whose light hazel eyes are greedily drinking in every word with interest. Of course, as you can see, Levy isn't apt to surrender to boredom like Lucy. The latter has never, throughout the many years of their friendship, ever witnessed Levy being worn out by anything. Even in such situations which can drive someone like Lucy up the wall, Levy always manages to find something seemingly small to keep herself busy.
Something on Levy's wrist catches Lucy's attention. Oh right, it's that. The bracelet. She thinks of 10 years ago, how she and the blue-haired girl exchanged friendship vows, promising to always look out for each other. And they have. Sure, they aren't the most popular gals in school but they had each other. Both are literary fans and collectors of novels, which made their bond even stronger.
Moreover Levy always had the best ideas. She is the Empress of Good Ideas. Plus she is the only one capable of suppressing Lucy's recurring monotony.
"Levy."
The said person does not hear.
"Levy..." Lucy says again, her voice a little louder.
"LEVY!" Lucy barks.
Her classmate stirs and smiles. "Yeah Lu, what's up?" she asks, bookmarking the page.
A pair of chocolate puppy eyes stare back at her. "Can we please do something fun, Levy? I'm so sick of moping around doing nothing all day."
Levy sighs, and an idea strikes her. "Then why don't we try prank calling? It'd be fun."
Grinning, Lucy cheers up. "Not sure what that is, but sounds cool. Okay!"
They immediately reach for Lucy's pink heart-shaped phone, with Levy dictating while Lucy dials the nine random numerals. They are all local numbers of apartments in the area. Most have come up invalid, while a few others have no one answering the phone. Levy urges a disappointed and defeated Lucy to give it another try, suggesting 141201921 and turning on the speaker. Lucy punches in the digits and to her utter surprise, someone picks up at the third ring.
"Hello?"
A young man. Levy, listening closely beside her, lets her mouth fall in both delight and shock. Lucy is rendered speechless.
"Hello?" the guy says again.
"Who's on the phone?" a second male voice asks.
"May I ask who's calling?"
Oh God... Lucy could fall for the owner of the voice. It's just so rich and smooth and perfect, almost like velvet. And he has that really nice, reassuring (even polite) tone that is almost extinct in guys right now. Exactly like a gentleman's. And very unlike his companion in the background who possesses a brash, metallic voice Lucy doesn't particularly like.
"Uh... Um, hi," Lucy says shaking too hard.
"Who is this?"
Surprising he could hear her even though she's mumbling.
Lucy turns to Levy for help... She's just about ready to hang up. Levy gives her a warning shake of her head, and urges her to continue. But what can she say to a person on the phone she doesn't even know and just randomly called?
"M-M-My name's L-Lucy," the poor girl stutters.
"Huh, what was that?"
"My name's Lucy." Then she immediately regrets giving away her name.
The young man repeats it several times. Lucy hears him whisper to his friend, "Do I know any Lucys?"
"Don't ask me!" the other guy retorts. "You have hundreds of hang-ups with chicks that I've never even met before, so how the hell will I know their names?"
"Aw, come on Gajeel," he says, "you must at least know one of them."
Gajeel. G-A-J-E-E-L. Ugh, Levy should have known. She can recognise that attitude, that voice, that tone anywhere. For God's sake it is Gajeel Redfox, out of all people! Lucy and Levy exchange bewildered glances. So if the companion is Gajeel then the guy with him must be his best friend... NATSU DRAGNEEL!
A.K.A Infamous delinquent and voted sexiest male by every single teenaged girl (to the exception of Lucy and Levy) in the monthly Sorcerer Weekly poll.
Lucy feels as though she has been hit by a train. She throws an accusing glare at Levy, thinking she may have done this on purpose, but Levy just shakes her head in silent denial, claiming to know nothing of this. It can't be a coincidence!
... Could it?
Lucy's worst encounter with the so-called "utterly dreamy" Natsu Dragneel and his ruffian consort (or partner, whatever you want to call it) Gajeel Redfox occurred not a few weeks ago... It was something that Lucy can never forget, or won't.
******FLASHBACK******FLASHBACK******FLASHBACK******
Lucy filed through the sea of students, laughing and chatting to Levy about a new book she'd recently borrowed from the library. Although they were going to different classes (Algebra is in the far end of the hallway from the Legal Studies room), the best friends still wanted to spend a little more time together before the lessons began.
Walking towards them were Natsu Dragneel and Gajeel Redfox, also engrossed in conversation. Or so everyone thought. The pink-haired boy sneaked a gaze over at his friend and so did Gajeel. There was the unmistakeable sly gleam in their onyx eyes, plotting mischief as usual. Victim sighted. The hallway was already crowded so it would not be out of the ordinary if Natsu got too close to the blonde-haired girl that when they passed each other, their shoulders would touch.
But they didn't pass by one another.
Lucy was pushed, with quite some force from Natsu, so that she lost her balance and fell onto the floor, landing on her bottom. She was given room by the students who crowded round the injured party. Levy kept asking if Lucy was OK, and wanting to know where was hurting.
"I'm fine, Levy. See? There's no harm done."
"Someone call the nurse!" Levy said to someone.
"That was a pretty impressive fall," Natsu remarked with a crafty grin on his face. "You sure have a lot of stamina." He and Gajeel gave a suppressed laugh.
The identity of the culprit was revealed straight away. Lucy marched right up to the pink-haired youth until their noses were almost touching. "You asshole!" she snapped. "What the hell was that for?!"
He gave a mock innocent gasp. "What are you saying? That was an accident, honest." Then Natsu leered down at her busty uniformed figure. "Perhaps it was just your big knockers' fault. They got in the way. Not my fault is it? Whoa, they are HUGE! I would like to get my hands on them someday! Right, Gajeel?"
"You are disgusting!" Levy pointed out. "Pervert."
"Get that everyday," Natsu smirked to the blue-haired girl, "it's music to my ears."
Lucy seethed in embarrassment. Females who receive this type of sexual harassment would typically wallop or, to a lesser extent, slug their offender. But not Lucy, though she did continue to blush furiously. Instead she turned away with a huff and called Levy over. Hesitantly the blue-haired girl followed, with a last look at Gajeel. Natsu's eyes were following Lucy as she and Levy disappeared up the staircase. He smiled to himself, knowing that things were going to get amusing between him and her from then on.
And fun did it get.
"So, Mademoiselle Lucy, what are you doing, calling me at a time like this?" Natsu tempts heartlessly, in a voice that makes Lucy want to slug him now more than anything. "Could it be my good looks have somehow won you over?"
"In your dreams, Dragneel!" snaps Lucy. "Us calling you was just –"
"Us? Who's 'us'?"
She pauses. "Me and my friend here, Levy." Levy's eyes widen.
Gajeel pipes up, "That pipsqueak?" Lucy watches as her friend's cheeks turn scarlet with anger. This taunt brings much amusement. Irked, both girls listen as guffaws of laughter erupt at the other end.
Then Natsu collects himself. "By any means, are you and your friend free this afternoon?"
Eyes narrow in skeptical slits. "Why?"
"Do you and um... What's her name –"
"Levy," Lucy puts in coldly.
"Yeah, that's right! If you're available, why don't you guys come hang out with us? I mean, me and Gajeel are literally bummed out. We've nothing better to do and don't have anything planned, so we're wondering if –"
"No thanks!"
Silence. "Come again?"
"I said, 'No thanks'," Lucy says through gritted teeth.
Again, the other line is as quiet as a graveyard. "Oh. Oh, um, I-I'm sorry for disturbing your peace..." Then a soft hiss to himself, "Damn. My first ever rejection."
Impatient, Levy snatches the handset out of Lucy's hands and blurts out, "Hey there, Natsu, metal-brain Gajeel, how're you doing?! Nice weather we're having! Just ignore my pigeon-headed friend over here; she doesn't know what she's talking about! Of course, she'd love to hang out with you guys this afternoon! Say, why don't we meet up at The Laughing Lyre in half an hour?"
"Sure, see you then!" Natsu agrees.