The watery daylight pushes back at the darkened edges of dawn, reclaiming the colours of day that have been washed into charcoal by the moonlit night. The world comes back like a freshly developed photograph, every tone bright and new. I flutter open my eyes, my sight somehow blurry and my head slightly aching from lack of sleep, and quickly steal a glance at the little orange alarm clock sitting on the tabletop beside me, a gift my dad presented to me proudly last year on my sixteenth birthday even though I had requested for a kitten ("Cats are a mess," he informed me. "They scratch the curtains; do unspeakable things in the corner when you're not looking…" Yeah, right, I thought then. They're still way better companions than a stupid clock. I didn't want to hurt his feelings, so I dredged up a smile on my face, and later that night my brother Natsu promised he'll change Dad's mind if it's the last thing he did). The time flashes on the screen in fluorescent red figures: 6.30 A.M. Relieved but sighing a little, I snuggle deeper under the covers and breathe out heavily through my nose.
I plead and groan and vex. I wish that I didn't have to go back to school, where all I was going to look forward to were crestfallen teachers and slipping grades and utter boredom. I wish that someone – either Mum or Dad or my older brother Natsu – could come up to check on me (fat chance, seeing as they're all sound asleep), declare that I'm too sick to get out of bed and allow me to stay at home… preferably until I graduate. But above all, I wish that Romeo Conbolt never had to relocate to the other side of the world with his family, leaving me here alone in Magnolia.
Don't get me wrong. I totally love this city: it has the most beautiful landscapes and the best restaurants in the entire country of Fiore. But nothing will ever be the same again if my number one best friend had to transfer to a new school billions (bit of an exaggeration, but still) of miles away in Gurumi just because his father Macao Conbolt got a promotion there. Would it?
Who'll be there to help me with my Ancient History and Maths homework? Or sit with me at lunchtimes and accompany me to touch footy practices, even though the price involved is standing on the sidelines in the pouring rain with his best Converse trainers sinking into the mud and his carefully styled hair getting mussed up in the wind? Or make me laugh even in the worst of situations, as well as comfort and encourage me to do my best when I receive a disappointing "C" on my report card? But most importantly, who's going to keep me company throughout the last two freaking school years?!
The answer's perfectly simple: nobody.
That's only the least of it – my problems, I mean. My biggest, though, is today's going to be my first ever day of my senior year: the year that will gear us for our final exams where one's future can skyrocket or go down the toilet, or so they tell us. For Natsu, who had been equipped for the moment of his graduation ever since he was born, the final exams are the least of his problems. Bright and intelligent, handsome and charming, Natsu Dragneel has got to be the coolest brother in the whole world.
He's brilliant at doing Ollies and kick-flips on his skateboard, and scoring a shedload of goals out on the soccer field. All that, and he's super nice to me as well. He will ruffle my hair; most kids in our neighbourhood would never stoop down this low since they don't have that kind of bosom relationship with their siblings. At midnight on Halloweens when we should be asleep, Natsu would sneak into my room to tell the scariest horror stories to scare me stupid, later giving me nightmares for a month. Being the school captain of Spellrow Academy has earned him the reputation as one of the most popular figures in Magnolia. Everyone looks up to Natsu Dragneel, including me. Oh, and he's also really, really brave and not afraid of anything at all, especially not something as small as a slasher scene on TV, something which would usually send me fainting on the futon couch.
From all that I've just told you, I think it's pretty clear what kind of a person I am: clumsy, weird, awkward and stupid. I even lack the proper looks and brains required to fit in with the popular social circle. Plus, I suck at everything I do… well, pretty much everything, except for tennis and painting and embroidery.
*Yawn*. Oh well, time to sleep.
"Oi, Wendy!" I hear Natsu call out in the hallway. "Wendy! Time to get up: it's now 7.00! If you don't hurry, I'll be late picking Lucy up and you know what happens to me if I don't arrive at her house at 8.00 on the dot!"
Grumbling, I rub at my eyes and pull the covers over my head to ignore my brother's persistent yelling. Ugh. His voice will be a good substitute for knives and swords: it's so loud I'm certain it can pierce through anything, even sound-proof iron. It's impossible to even have an extra five minutes of decent sleep without him nagging me to the point of insanity, until I am ended up with no choice but to oblige. I sit up, tuck my hair behind my ears and search for my slippers which are now nowhere to be seen.
"Alright, alright, Natsu," I call back. "I'm coming! Just give me ten minutes!" With that, I hurry into the bathroom to take a quick shower, and then proceed to straighten my hair. Seriously, either I was really jinxed at birth or just having a bad hair day because it's taking almost half an hour to smooth out all these knots and tangles. I should only be spending ten minutes at this, but whatever. Then I get dressed in my newly mended uniform and dash downstairs.
"What took you so long, Wendy?" is Mum's first question when I enter the kitchen. She is leaning against the stove dressed in her favourite blue cotton kimono, the one printed cunningly with small white jasmine blossoms that she bought from her few trips to Istonop, and pouring pancake batter into the pan.
Looking at my mother standing under the sunshine, her eyes dreamy and loving and her hair still bedraggled from sleep, I realise just then why someone as geeky as my father would go for her: she really is a gorgeous woman. I've actually never really noticed it before. I mean, sure, I'm her daughter and all, but I don't usually pay much attention to such things. Anyway, she has a beautiful milky white complexion, with skin as soft and velvety as rose petals – literally. She's tall and slender with large hazel eyes like two round walnuts and very manageable cobalt-blue hair that curls down past her shoulders in elegant waves. People say we look alike, but somehow I've missed out on the beautiful part. Her job as a retail buyer sends her flying off out of the country every month, leaving the three of us behind with the household management and washing up and cooking. And although we suck at house chores, we still put up with it.
My father Igneel is another story. He works as an economist, more specifically a statistician, for a government firm nearby, but I think he would've fared better as a basketball player or something, since he's so tall and towers over nearly everybody in this town. Sure he may be a mathematics nerd and all that, but with his face (and body) of a Greek god he could easily send the women of this country falling at his feet. He still surfs on a weekly basis, for a guy seeing forty, which is why he's always so tanned and broad-shouldered. He has a head full of dark maroon curls the exact shade of the type of grape wine my parents prefer. On the other hand, though, Natsu's sort of the odd one out in our family because his hair's nothing like Mum's or Dad's. Instead, its colour resembles the flesh of salmon fish and every single morning he goes into the trouble to add gel to make it all spiky so that they point out in all directions.
The two of them – my father and brother, I mean – are as much alike as two bolls of cotton: they seem to burn with so much energy and life it's as though they are a flame that can never be extinguished. Since they're the only men within the house, Dad and Natsu are the best of mates. They do everything together: fish together, play soccer together, head off to the local club to leer at the strippers together. They are warm-hearted, reckless, lively and funny, and they both love to crack weird (if not, perverted) jokes. Sometimes they can be so painfully honest you can't be sure whether they're complimenting or badmouthing you. Other than that, they can also be very quick to anger, especially in situations where Mum and I are involved. This is one of the reasons why my eighteen year old brother Natsu Dragneel is always so fiercely – weirdly – protective when it comes to his best friend, Lucy Heartfilia.
I can tell what people think of me when they compare the four of us together: an ugly duckling, a rough diamond, a fish out of water. They know I'm a loser, a freak, with no talent or skill whatsoever. Honestly, life is so frustrating I could just hang myself.
"Sorry about that, Mum," I say. "I had a restless night, so I guess I kind of slept in."
"Aw, that's too bad," she sympathises. "Make sure you don't push yourself too hard at school today. Okay?"
"I won't," I smile, giving her a cuddle.
"Stressed about your second last year in high school, right?" Dad peers over his morning newspaper, looking at me through bespectacled onyx eyes. My father is kind of young to be wearing reading glasses right now but he insists they make him look professional, literary. Um, okay. I don't think they're doing that great of a job.
"Hmmm… Something like that," I answer, kissing his cheek and sitting down with my stack of chocolate chip pancakes with salted caramel ice-cream and ripe red strawberries, fresh from the garden, which smell absolutely amazing. I ladle some warm maple syrup on top and sample with a large mouthful. "But I'm also worried who my teachers are going to be this year. I really hope I don't get Mr Hades again: he almost scared me to death."
"He's okay," my brother defends. He stands up and places his dirty plates in the dishwasher, slinging his rucksack over the shoulder with a glass of homemade carrot and apple juice in one hand. "The little kids reckon he's the living dead but if I have to choose, Gildarts… I mean, Mr Clive," he amends when Mum shoots him a reproving look, "is the BEST. Have you checked out his daughter, Kana? Man, she is fine."
"Stop being such a pervert," I scold, outraged. "Besides, I think it's about time you settled for a girlfriend now." I gulp three more bites and then wash it down with a swig of iced chocolate.
"Like whom?" Natsu asks between swallows.
I shrug, chewing and trying to comprehend. "I dunno… Lucy, maybe?" I suggest.
My older brother almost chokes on his juice. He coughs a few times before sobering up. "W-Wendy, she's my best friend! That'd be so… I don't know. Weird."
"You never know; she might even become your wife someday," I add with a sly grin. "And then the mother of your future children."
"I wouldn't mind that," Mum pipes up as she takes a jug of sweet soya milk out of the fridge. "Lucy's a lovely girl. I can totally imagine a future with you two being all lovey-dovey with each other… Oh dear, I think I'm getting old all of a sudden." She dabs at her eyes with her sleeve, while Natsu and I roll our own.
"Speaking of this love matter, Wendy, what about you?" Dad breaks in as I get up to clear away my dishes, including his. "Do you have a boy you fancy at school or anywhere that I would or wouldn't know?"
I am so horrified, startled, by the question that I almost drop the dishes. "What? No, of course not! I'm not even into boys yet! Besides, even if I was, I doubt anyone would ever be interested in me: I'm boring and useless and –" I stare at my watch and panic. "Oh God, is that the time? We're really late: Natsu, let's go. Don't you have to stop by at Lucy's? See you later, Mum, Dad!"
Our house is a series of rectangles constructed of steel and glass, designed by one of my father's architect friends, and is unapologetically modern. The roof is flat and there are no visible chimneys. The metallic front door opens with the operation of both a key pad and biometric scanner to a manicured flower garden and a driveway on which Natsu's ember black Maserati GranTurismo is parked. I can't say whether it's safe or not in my brother's vehicle, but the problem with him is that he likes to show off too much. He becomes as reckless as hell and drives like a madman (maybe to attract the girls, but hey, you can never tell with my brother). I'm surprised he hasn't got his license suspended yet, considering he speeds so often in broad daylight.
"You were lying, weren't you?" says Natsu as we climb into the car.
I fasten my seatbelt. "Huh, what did I lie about?"
"You said you weren't into guys, but I saw you blushing and tearing up when – what's his name? – Romeo waved at you on the last day of school."
"I wasn't blushing," I protest, "I was crying. It was his last day of school, too, because he's moving away."
"Moving away?" Natsu echoes. "Why, where'd he go?"
"His dad got a promotion in Gurumi."
Natsu isn't even listening properly. He's too busy backing his car out onto the road. "Wait," he says after a couple of minutes. "Where did you say he went?"
"God, Natsu, pay attention next time, will you?"
"Cut me some slack," my brother says, irritated. "Just answer the question."
"Some weird place called Gurumi."
Natsu sighs. "So… he moved away. What's the big deal? I thought you'd have more sense than cry for a guy who's moving to the other side of the country. You like him, or what?"
"N-No," I say, blushing in spite of myself. "He's my childhood best friend, in case you didn't know."
"No. No, I didn't," he admits. "But isn't Gurumi pretty close to Magnolia? You can still go and visit him whenever you want."
He has a point. "But it isn't the same if he's not going to the same school as me anymore."
Natsu peels his eyes off the road for a minute, shooting me a mock horrified look. "Oh, is that the reason? Well, cheer up, little sis. I'm sure you'll get to spend heaps of precious time with him when he comes back during the hols," he assures me, ruffling my hair, even though it took me forever to smooth it into place with styling serum and Mum's straighteners. Suddenly he turns deathly pale. "Oh man, I'm totally in for it now."
Remember how I said Natsu Dragneel isn't afraid of anything in the universe? Well, save for one person: his childhood best friend, Lucy Heartfilia. She is the only daughter of one of the most powerful tycoons in the country, but this little family of three acts nothing like what you expected of rich people. They're actually very humble: they don't flaunt their wealth on expensive sports cars like my brother, or luxury makeup like my mum, or new techno devices like my dad. Nevertheless, they own quite a nice red brick home that could not have been cheap to buy. It's got three bedrooms upstairs and two spares on the ground floor, along with a dining room and a huge living room and a stylish modern kitchen. Lucy's my second best friend in the world, after Romeo, so I've slept over many times to know the whole place really well.
Right now she is standing on the grass lawn with her hands on her hips, her glossy red lips set temporarily in a scowl and her usually humorous chocolate-brown eyes narrowed, as if she is ready to do away with my brother any minute. She catches sight of Natsu's uneasy smile, flushed cheeks and violent trembling, then raises one of her long perfect eyebrows in an intimidating way. You never want to rub Lucy the wrong way; the consequence is either a harsh beating or simply a wallop… if you're lucky.
Ever since she was small, Lucy has been a legendary yet dreaded figure in Magnolia for possessing exceptional prowess in martial arts. She is a black belt in karate, as well as leader and ace of the Spellrow Academy team, having won eleven regional tournaments starting from when she was in Year 5. It's totally amazing how many people, including delinquents and criminals, are afraid of her: should they tick her off with any word, any insult, any exploit, and she'll incapacitate them with one of her torture techniques. My poor dear brother receives at least twelve thrashes from her per week, but he just submits to them without complaint.
I think, somewhere deep within their desire to save face, those two both have a soft spot for one another. They stick together like glue so much that you can't even prise them apart, not with a chisel. And no matter how hard they try to deny it Lucy and my brother make quite the pretty pair – don't they? At birth they've been graced with looks, fashion sense, brains, wits, charisma and talent. Moreover, they're both the most popular students at Spellrow Academy.
Marching in our direction with a don't-mess-with-me look in her big mahogany eyes, Lucy casually throws the car door wide, prompting an urgent cry from Natsu.
"Hoy, Lucy!" my brother exclaims, glaring at her as she sits calmly in the backseat, arms folded. "Be more careful when you're opening the door!"
"Drive," she mutters.
"Huh?"
"I said 'drive', you twit," Lucy snarls.
Sighing, Natsu rolls his eyes and goes along with the order without further argument, but watching her closely in the rear-view mirror.
"Keep your eyes on the road when you're driving, moron!" she snaps.
Natsu and I exchange worried glances. He mouths, "What's the matter with her?"
I shrug and look behind me. Lucy is staring dazedly out the window. "What's wrong?" I ask her. "Are you okay?"
She pretends as though she hasn't heard a word, as she continues to ignore us. I catch sight of a teardrop bleeding out of the corner of her eye and then cascading down her apple-pie cheeks. She wipes it away impatiently with the back of her head, perhaps even assuming that no one saw. I turn, a little embarrassed for seeing something that I shouldn't, but I can feel determination seeping in through my veins like liquid mercury.
There's something wrong with Lucy… very wrong. And I must help her with everything I've got. That's what friends are for, right?
~XXX~
Even though students aren't really allowed to drive a vehicle in their uniform to get to school, our headmaster Mr Dreyar usually turns a blind eye to some of the seniors taking up the vacant spaces in the teachers' parking lot with their flashy sport salons and summer convertibles and motorcycles. But my brother won't even hear a word of leaving his cherished grand tourer anywhere near school property: he fears one of the cheeky little kids would tamper with it. Natsu has this pig-headed belief that if he doesn't park his car under foliage – particularly these beautiful red sandalwood trees near the lake – it'll suffer from sunstroke. Weird, huh?
Anyway as we make our way towards the school gates, we are joined by ten of Natsu's best mates: his avowed frienemy Gray Fullbuster and his sweet yet somewhat fanatic girlfriend Juvia Lockser; the Strauss siblings including Mirajane, captain of the Music Committee, as well as her younger overprotective brother Elfman and little sister Lisanna, whose dream is to become a vet in the future; binge drinker Kana Alberona, also known as the beloved daughter of Spellrow Academy's Head of Sciences, Mr Gildarts Clive; studious and bookish Levy McGarden, Lucy's sworn third best friend after Natsu and I; renowned playboy Loke Celeste, son of the president of an automobile company; infamous delinquent Gajeel Redfox, who happens to be freeloading at Kana's house for the past two years; and last but not least, the beautiful and intelligent head of Student Representative Council, Erza Scarlet.
The others seem to be in a bit of a hurry to arrive early, even though it is only 7.55 and school doesn't start until 8.30. But Lucy and I take our time and we fall behind the rest. I can't help stealing a sneaky glance at her, feeling just a teeny bit alarmed by the gloominess in those eyes and the misery that she carries around her person like an invisible cloud. I realise she's barely concentrating as she walks. Twice she had tripped over because of a gap in the tiles.
"Say, Lucy," I begin, when I steered her to safety after she almost walked right into a tree.
Those almond eyes of hers squint at me in the low morning light, as though she is seeing me for the first time. "Yeah, what?"
"Is there something going on that you're not telling me?"
Lucy blinks for a few times, before shaking her head. "No. No, there isn't, Wendy. Truly."
I raise my eyebrows doubtfully. "Are you sure?"
"Positive," Lucy nods, but her mile-wide smile can't fool me. "Because if I wasn't, then I would tell you, wouldn't I? We're friends, aren't we?"
"True. But you also forgot the number one rule on the 'Friendship Charter' which states that best friends aren't allowed to lie to each other. That's also the first rule you just broke."
Lucy can't quite meet my eyes. "Fine, I admit it," she says at last, a little indignantly, "but you should also remember, Wendy, that friends aren't supposed to tell each other every single little thing. Especially not about their problems –" Realising what she had just blurted out, Lucy tears her gaze away from mine and hides behind a curtain of hair.
I sigh. "Drop the act, Lucy. There's no need to pretend anymore. Anyone could see how troubled you are just by looking at you. So spill, what exactly is going on?"
A blank, impassive expression sweeps over her face as anguish gradually leaches in. Unable to hold them – perhaps the distress, the humiliation, the damage – any longer, Lucy slumps onto the pathway in a dishevelled heap, her grief erupting in a flood of uncontrollable tears. With the others having gone a long way ahead of us, I crouch down beside her and place a tentative hand on Lucy's shoulder. Grabbing onto me, she buries her face into my chest, sobbing, making a damp patch on my blouse and holding me so hard that I can't breathe.
"Lucy?" I appeal, with a note of panic in my voice. "What's the matter? What's wrong?"
She pulls back abruptly. Blinking salty tears from bloodshot eyes, Lucy's thick long lashes stick together in clumps as if she'd been taking a dip in the ocean. "S-Sorry," she whispers. Three or four witnesses, the occasional jogger or a student from another school, blow past us and gawk, but I ignore them. "I'm really, really sorry, Wendy. I just… well, I'm just being silly."
"Silly?" I echo. "What do you mean? Oh well, never mind. So, are you going to tell me what's up or not? Is it something at home, something to do with your mum, or your dad? Oh wait, don't tell me – did Plue lick off all of his fur again? God, your dog has seriously got some OCD issues."
Fresh tears well up in Lucy's glassy coffee eyes, flowing over her blotchy cheeks. I panic, worrying if I am meddling too much. A potbellied old man with a white beard and hair scraped back in a ponytail on his morning stroll stops to ask if there's anything wrong with us young ladies, and I assure him that we're okay and that Lucy just tripped over and hurt herself. He doesn't look convinced, but thinks better of it, and moves on.
We hear the school bell erupt in the distance signalling the start of roll call, but we both take no notice of it.
I sigh again. "Look, Lucy… either you tell me straight away what the heck is going on, or I will seriously –"
"I'm being threatened."