AN: I know this isn't the update you guys wanted, but I was really unhappy with the way the first chapter came out. After re-reading it, I decided to change some things and make the chapter flow better. I also added a bit of dialogue and character background. I promise I'll be updating more often now and nothing like this will ever happen again. Thanks so much for all the positive feedback. It really makes me enjoy writing again. Love you all! xxx
"Damn," Natsu huffed, making his way quickly to the town square. He shivered; the cold December evening bit at him through his thin clothing, putting his cold-resistant skin to the test. Fuck, Erza's gonna kill me. It was bad enough he hadn't made it to any rehearsals this week, but missing the night of the performance? She'd definitely chew him out for this one. Natsu could just hear her now….
He shook his head, ridding himself of the horrible thought. She wouldn't get that mad….right? Feet pounding on pavement, he sprinted toward the competition.
XOXOX
Lucy and Levy ran through the streets of Magnolia, struggling to catch up with Cana, who had already gone ahead to Battle of the Bands to save them good spots on the lawn of central square. Lucy's long blonde hair was flying out behind her, catching in Levy's glasses and causing her to halt to a stop. "Come on, Lu!" She panted. "It's okay if we're only a little bit late! Cana will understand….It's our first night in town anyways. How will we even find central square?"
The three teens had been friends since childhood, sharing every spare moment together. When Cana had been transferred to Fairy Tail Academy, the two remaining girls had been devastated. Their trio had become a lonely duo and Lucy and Levy were not having it. Levy had suggested getting scholarships, but Lucy's grades were nowhere near high enough. It took them a year, but they had finally brought their grades up enough to apply for financial aid, and they'd been accepted to the school. In just a few short weeks, the trio was reunited and getting ready to spend the next two years together.
Lucy sighed and scratched her head. She really had not thought that far into the future. She had been so excited to kick off the new school year that she had practically begged Cana to get the three of them tickets to Magnolia's Battle of the Bands. Lucy wanted to meet as many citizens as possible in order to make friends for school. Unfortunately, this left her with no extra planning time, and as her and Levy rounded yet another corner, she had begun wondering if she'd just gotten them lost. Lucy was contemplating calling Cana when she heard a surprised Levy call out, "Lucy! Look out!" She turned just quickly enough to see a shock of pink as it crashed into her.
"EEP!" Squealing, Lucy tried to regain her balance but her head was headed straight toward the pavement. Suddenly a strong arm grasped her waist, pulling her upright. Looking up, Lucy found herself face to face with a pink haired boy.
"You okay?" He asked hurriedly, eye gazing longingly past Lucy toward the center of town. "That could have been quite the fall…."
"I'm fine," she replied. She noted that he seemed to be a little out of touch at the moment. Glancing down, she realized that she'd dropped her phone—and that it was shattered into a million pieces. "You…..you broke my phone!" Lucy yelled, glaring daggers at this unruly stranger. "Watch where you're walking!"
"Woah there, little girl, calm down….." The boy started, but stopped when he saw the expression on Lucy's face. He began to back away slowly as she seethed over her broken phone. Just as he got far enough away to turn around, Lucy screeched,
"And where the HELL do you think you're going, you pink haired idiot!?" The boy sighed.
"The name's Natsu," He said with a wink, "And I'm gonna get going now. You see, I've got this event that I absolutely cannot be late for." Natsu smirked at his own cleverness and turned to run. "We'll meet again somewhere, Luigi."
"My name is Lucy!" Lucy cried as she watched his spiky pink head bob out of sight.
XOXOX
Natsu sprinted away from Lucy, shaking with laughter. He usually didn't try to get on people's nerves, but that girl was just so sensitive. Pushing her buttons was just too easy, and also quite amusing.
Chuckling, Natsu jogged the rest of the way to central square, where the Battle of the Bands competition was being held. Once there, he made his way to the main stage, where he and his bandmates would be performing. Natsu arrived with just minutes to spare, looking a tad worse for wear, his guitar slung behind his back and a pick clenched between his teeth. The backstage area was packed with amps, equipment, and instruments, all perched precariously around the set or in the hands of their respective musicians. People were hurrying about, all focused on their own separate tasks. Behind the curtain, stagehands tested mics and equipment for feedback and assisted the musicians. This was Natsu's paradise; the tension and energy in the air, the musicians releasing their emotions through music. He breathed it all in, temporarily providing respite from his buzzing thoughts. Distantly, he was aware of Erza and Gray's presence, but he chose to ignore it, given the circumstances of his arrival.
Erza's long legs took gaping strides, the look on her face was neutral, but her eyes betrayed her. In seconds, she stood at Natsu's shoulder, fuming.
"Natsu you fool! This is our first major performance and you couldn't even bother to show up on time!?" Erza was more than just angry, she was pissed. In fact, she was beyond pissed. She was murderous. "This band was supposed to be the best thing for Makarov's music department! That's why I asked you and Gray to be a part of this!" Erza chastised, "I expected you to care more about keeping our music department in business!"
"Yeah, like fire brains over here would be responsible enough for the task," Gray muttered. He was shirtless, as usual, leaning up against one of the larger guitar speakers behind the stage.
"Oh yeah, stripper?" Natsu spat, his pink hair ruffled with rage. "If I remember correctly, you almost didn't even agree to this idea!"
"Well who'd want to be in a band with some pink-haired hothead?" Gray retorted, waving his wrist flippantly and walking off. "Erza's angry with you, not me. Did you see the way she's glaring at you? We entered the Battle of the Bands to save the music department by winning the prize money….she has every right to be upset with you, as do I." And with that, he disappeared around the corner. Natsu glanced at his remaining bandmate.
"Oh come on, Erza!" He gulped. The look on her face was intense. "I wasn't…ah…that late…" Erza's eyes spewed fire. She lunged at him, her red hair glinting in the dark lights of the set.
"G'ahhhh!" Natsu screeched.