It's Just A Crush
Okay, I'll start with the warnings...
This story is AU (I'm transporting them to America – watch out California! Noctis is coming to get a sunburn!!), so they won't be in Cocoon/Pulse/Tenebrae/whatever country they come from.
Rated T for language!
Disclaimer: I. Own. Nothing!!!
Characters may be a bit OOC, so I apologize in advance.
That's out of the way - let's get cracking!
-cracks nuts and eats them-
Read and review!!
-Chapter One-
-Lightning-
He was so beautiful, so firm, so strong, so handsome, so wonderfully...
"Li-ight! Are you listening?"
I jumped and wrenched my eyes away from Noctis to stare, wide-eyed, at Vanille Dia Oerba, my little sister, who was now holding up a hot pink shirt to her upper torso. "Does it match my hair? Or go with my eyes? Do you think Bradley will like it?" she asked eagerly.
"I honestly don't know, Vanny! You know I'm crap with clothes!" I told her, and reached over and picked out a white top. "This one looks all right... I guess," I said, looking down at it with a frown.
"It suits you better than it suits me, that's for sure," Vanille agreed. "I already tried that one on. You go change into it, and we'll see whether it's good for you or not!"
Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Lightning Dia Oerba, and at seventeen years, I'm already the freak of the school. I have long, slightly curly strawberry red hair, light blue eyes, and long limbs. I'm not that tall, but I'm not too short either. I am quite pale for someone who was born and bred in the state of California, supposedly the sunniest place on earth (Well, it is, for about eighty per cent of the time). Vanille, who was a year younger than I, says I move with the grace of a dancer, but I don't see it.
I have a few friends: Vanille (said sister who likes to hang around me, for some reason), Snow Villers (strange name, and big feet too, but he's nice enough), Bradley (Vanille's boyfriend, my age, hangs around me only to be near to Vanny. He wears glasses), and Lebreau who was my age, and the only person other than Vanny and Snow who sticks up for me when kids make fun of me (that's when I'm being held back so as not to commit murder).
I also have a crush, who is currently standing just two feet away from me, so close that I'm surprised he hasn't noticed me staring at him yet. But then again, I was invisible to most people like him. It used to bother me, but I'm used to it now.
His name is Noctis Lucis Caelum (nice name, huh?), and he's uber rich. (Daddy owns a lot of businesses...) He's the apple of everyone's eye (because he's so polite, but a little arrogant), and every girl's dream man. Well, almost every girl. Vanille likes Bradley more. He's my age, is in half my classes but has yet to notice me over the heads of all the big-chested, long-legged beauties that are blocking me from view, and did I mention that he was very, very handsome and probably way out of my league?
Vanille says I can get him if I wanted to, but my sister happens to be a bit biased when it came to me.
"Hey man, when's your girlfriend gonna be done?" I heard him ask Bradley. Bradley shrugged, and shot Vanille a loving look she missed, because she was flicking through the racks for some pieces of flimsy cloth to attract Bradley even more.
I walked past them with the small top in hand to the changing room, blushing when my hand accidentally brushed Noctis' arm, but I might as well be an ant crawling up his pant leg for all the attention he gave me. Wait, no, worse. I was invisible...
I shut the door behind me and locked it, then tugged off my shirt. Then, I pulled on the shirt and stared at myself in the mirror, and frowned. I didn't have the eye for this sort of thing, so I stepped out and called over to Vanille.
My little sister turned around, and her eyes lit up.
"Light!!! You look beautiful!"
Vanille rushed up to me, and I stumbled back. "Here, try this skirt on with the shirt!" she commanded, and a orangey-red skirt was pressed into my hand. I stared at the floaty material, shrugged, and ambled back into the cubicle to change into it.
I didn't look at the mirror this time, knowing that it'll be hopeless. I simply stepped out and let Vanille coo over me.
Then, to my utmost horror, she turned around and called to Noctis and Bradley, "Guys! What do you think of this for Light?"
Bradley looked over the same time Noctis did (he moved his head unwillingly, his face blank), and looked me up and down.
"Not bad, Lightning," he said appreciatively. Noctis didn't say anything. He just stared at me like he didn't know who I was.
I felt a little hurt, but dismissed it. I was, after all, invisible to most of the people in school anyways. Unless they felt like poking fun at me.
Vanille spun me around. "You look fabulous!" she declared. "You're getting it! Definitely!" She then ushered me back into the changing room to change back into my usual clothes.
Another top flew into my cubicle. I picked it up, and raised my eyebrows.
Vanille's voice was audible even through the door.
"Change! Now!"
With a sigh, I did as she said.
--
"So, Noctis, I hear you're hosting a party at your house next week?"
Vanille was chatting amiably to the dark-haired boy, who looked slightly bored and arrogant. I stared down at my drink in silence.
"Not a party," he said. "My parents hold a masked ball every Christmas, and only this year I'm allowed to invite the school. You and your family can come if you wish, Vanille."
She smiled suddenly, looking faintly malicious and triumphant. "Of course we will!" She looped her arm through mine, startling me. I looked up. "Won't we, Light?"
"Er, yeah, I guess."
She gave me her big grin and kicked Bradley accidentally under the table. "Whoops – sorry, honey."
He nodded. "No problem."
I smiled into my drink.
What Snow said was right – they're so cute together.
I cast Noctis a sidelong glance, and noted that the extremely hot, popular boy was staring blankly at the table. My heart lurched when he looked up and met my eyes – but once again, he looked as though he didn't know me.
I looked away, blushing.
Okay, maybe I wasn't invisible after all.
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