Chapter 2 - Where's Your Shirt, Stripper?
Fourth period was chemistry, Lucy's least favourite subject. There was something about the explosions and reactions that scared the hell out of her. And it felt like the fates knew that all too well, which is why she was paired up with Natsu Dragneel of all people.
Levy had told her all about Natsu and Gray after home room.
Natsu wasn't exactly popular, but he was definitely well known around school because a) he had pink hair, b) he was on the track team (and had even broken a couple of records) and c) he's known as a pyromaniac cause he blew up the chemistry lab twice and -oddly enough- is the highest scorer in chemistry, in all of Magnolia.
Gray Fulbuster on the other hand was captain of the hockey team, and had girls falling for him, trying to break his icy cold exterior. Levy made him sound like some extremely popular playboy and then revealed what a goof he really was. She claimed he had the charms of a donkey (which was really saying something). Levy knew them since middle school which was when Natsu and Gray's rivalry began.
Erza was also one of them and Levy promised to introduce her during lunch.
-/-
Sliding into the seat beside her explosive classmate, she whispered: "If you're gonna blow up the class again, please give me a warning. I don't need you destroying my clothes again. "
Natsu bit his lip. It really wasn't the new girl's fault that he couldn't prank Stripper. Though he got his revenge with the hot coal. He smirked.
"Why do you look like you're already planning my funeral?" Lucy asked.
"Huh? I'm just thinking about how to piss off Stripper."
"I still don't get why you guys hate each other."
"It's mutual. By the way, uh, Luce. I'm sorry about blaming you. About the prank, I mean."
She raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you already apologise?"
"But then you kicked me. Hey do you practise martial arts?"
"Wha- no way. I wanted to but my dad thinks it's not lady-like." Lucy crossed her arms. "And my name is Lucy. Not Luce and not Luigi."
He grinned nervously. "It was an honest mistake." He protested. "Besides Luce is easier to pronounce than Lucy. "
"It's just an extra syllable." She said raising an eyebrow.
"Ah forget it!" Natsu said raising his hands up in surrender. "Okay so I'll do the experiment and you do the recording stuff."
"Seriously?" Lucy couldn't help but sigh in relief. "Don't worry. Recording is the easy part. Mixing dangerous chemicals? Not so much?" She shuddered.
"Chillax, Luce." Natsu reassured. "Just watch the master at work."
-/-
There weren't a lot of blunettes in Fairy Academy. One of them was Levy. Her hair was a royal blue colour and brushed past her shoulders. With her flowery headband, petite body and hazel eyes, she looked a wood nymph.
Compared to her, sophomore Wendy Marvell was a pixie. She was shorter than Levy, barely five feet and her waist length hair was a deep blue. Her brown eyes were larger than Lucy's. Wendy Marvel, at fifteen was the epitome of innocence.
She was also incredibly sweet and polite. "So Lucy-san, how was your day?" She asked, her bento precariously balanced on her lap.
"Well, it started with a splash." Lucy replied, pausing to have a bite of her lunch. "When Natsu caused a bucket of water to fall on me."
They were sitting in the school courtyard. Levy and Wendy were sitting on the bench under a willow tree while Erza was leaning against the tree. Lucy was perched on the low wall facing her new friends.
"And it would've ended with a bang, Lu-chan." Levy continued. "Had it not been for Erza."
"What did Erza do?" Wendy asked, confused.
"She drenched me and Natsu in water. I didn't even know the chemistry lab had buckets that big." Lucy said. "Thank god Erza and I are almost the same uniform size."
"If Erza hadn't come to your rescue, Natsu would've blown up the lab again." Levy chided her blonde friend.
"Oh it was nothing." Erza said looking up from her slice of strawberry cake. "The same thing happened two weeks ago as well."
"I don't get. How does Natsu still have amazing grades in chemistry if he's a pyro?"
"It's because when Natsu is focused about something, nothing can stop him from achieving it." Wendy replied. "By the way, Levy, here's the volume I borrowed." She handed Levy a manga volume titled 'Hunter x Hunter'.
Lucy smiled when she saw it. "I didn't know you read manga too, Wendy."
"Oh that's how we actually met." Levy said with a laugh. "In the manga section of the library."
"How come you guys are talking about manga without me?" A voice behind Lucy cried indignantly. Before she could turn around, the owner of the voice plopped down on the wall beside her.
"Oh it's you, Flame Brain." Lucy said dismissively. Before Natsu could protest another person sat down on her other side.
"Ha! Lucy agrees with me." Gray remarked triumphantly.
Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Where's your shirt, Stripper?"
"Shit, not again!"
-/-
The rest of the classes passed a daze and before she knew it Lucy was unlocking the door to her apartment. Her father had insisted she get a larger place but Lucy refused. She wanted something compact, which she could maintain on her own. It's not like servants were a problem, but after living amongst maids and butlers all her life, Lucy wanted to try and be independent for once. Yet her father had bought the most expensive apartment on the block and had it furnished exquisitely to make up for the lack of space.
Lucy entered her living room, shrugging off her shoes as she glanced past the full length window out of habit. Dropping her school bag on the nearest leather couch, she headed to her bedroom.
Shedding her, well Erza's uniform, she stepped into her bathroom for a much awaited bath. She emerged twenty minutes later dressed in plaid pink pyjama bottoms and a white tank top. She tossed her own damp uniform into the washing machine along with yesterday's clothes and started the cycle.
Attached to her living room was an open kitchen and a small round table that seated three. Opposite to the large window was balcony. Even from the third floor, all of Magnolia looked breath taking. The distant hum of the microwave was replaced by a sharp ting snapping her out of her daze. Lucy pulled out a bowl of mac-and-cheese before sitting down on her sofa and pressing play.
Today was her first day at Fairy Academy. She had made some totally awesome friends like Levy, Wendy and Erza. Even Gray was pretty cool once you got used to his strange stripping habit. And Natsu? Lucy didn't know what to make of him. He wasn't the sharpest knife but there was something striking about him. A sense of humility? A sense of humour? A sense of reality? He was completely different from her friends back at her old school. For them, their image was everything. For Natsu? Each day seemed like a new one.
Woah, she thought, I barely know the guy and I'm already being philosophical about him?
Shaking her head, Lucy turned back to the movie she was watching. But even The Fault in Our Stars couldn't distract her from Fairy Academy.
-/-
The next day was pretty much the same. Study, study, study until gym class. Unlike Levy, Lucy didn't hate gym class, but she wasn't the most athletic like Erza either. Couch Sagittarius blew his whistle. "Three laps around the ground. Quick!"
Every one ran off almost instantly. Lucy wasn't one for running but she was surprised that she easily managed to keep up with the rest of the class. Putting on an extra burst of speed, Lucy burst ahead finishing fourth after Natsu, Erza and Gray.
"I didn't know you were so athletic, Lucy." Erza remarked in surprise. "You were quite fast!"
Lucy smiled. "Thanks Erza. I haven't run like that in weeks!"
"Don't tell me you were on the track time like doofus over there." Gray said dryly, glancing over to where Natsu was deep in discussion with the coach of the track team.
"Actually I was on the cheerleading team -"
"That was almost too fast for a cheerleader, Lu-chan." Levy said between pants, hands on her knees.
"Actually, Spirit Academy's cheerleading squad is the best in Fiore." Erza interjected. "They've been winning the Nationals for the past two years. I remember something about a secret weapon." Her eyes widened. "'The blonde angel'. It was you!"
Levy's eyes darted from Erza to Lucy who was blushing. "The blonde angel?"
"She was the fastest cheerleader on the squad. Like an angel." A green haired girl joined them, slightly out of breath. "Hey, I'm Bisca. We could really use someone like you on the squad, if you're interested." She jogged off to where her own friends were standing.
"Uh..." Lucy was lost for words. "Who was that?"
"Bisca's a cheerleader. And she's on the volleyball team." Erza explained. "And it's true, Lucy you really should-"
Coach Sagittarius cut her off. "Alright kids we're playing basketball today. Team captains, Fulbuster and McGarden." He gestured to Gray and Levy. "Pick your teams. Quick."
Levy looked like someone had asked her to jump of the school building. "Hey, Levy. It's gonna be okay." Lucy said, trying to sound reassuring.
Levy scowled. "I'm five foot four. Barely. I can't even reach the basketball hoop, Lu-chan."
"Oh come on, Levy." Gray said. "I'm going first. I pick Erza." Collective groans rang out.
"I pick Natsu."
"Alzack."
"Lucy, can you play basketball?" Levy whispered to her. Lucy shook her head.
"Hell no." She protested.
"I pick Lu-chan. "
Lucy groaned.
-/-
Lucy bit her lip. The teams were tied. While Gray's team had Erza, he also had people like Max and Warren who always 'accidentally' passed the ball to Lucy and Bisca when they sent seductive winks or smiles in their direction. All they had to do was pass it to Natsu who seemed to be on fire with his rapid three pointers.
"Two minutes!" Coach yelled from the sidelines. Lucy knew they had to win. She had to defend Levy's honour for being so short. There was a sudden blur of red as Erza intercepted the ball from Levy who was passing it to Natsu. Dribbling it up to the centre of the court, time passed slower than usual as Erza lifted the ball, aiming for the basket and she missed.
Natsu stole the ball and in a flash of lightening, shot it through the hoop. A piercing whistle cut through the air.
"Times up!" Coach yelled. "It's thirty two to thirty four. McGraden's team wins."
Lucy and Levy cheered, hugging as more of them celebrated. Gray and the others headed to the showers, a depressed aura leaking out of them.
"We did it, Lucy! We beat Erza! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Levy said wrapping her arms around her again.
"You shouldn't be thanking me, Levy. It's Natsu who made the winning shot." As an after thought she added. "And most of the shots..."
"No thanks necessary ladies." Natsu said jogging up to them. "Just doing my duty."
"At least you didn't make the court explode." Lucy muttered.
"At least I beat Fulbuster, Luigi." Natsu smirked as she glared at him.
"Watch it Dragneel." She replied. "You're still on probation."
"Pro- wha? What the hell is that?"
"It's the release of an offender from detention, subject to a period of good behaviour under supervision." Levy explained as she walked behind the bickering pair on the way to the locker rooms.
"In English, please."
"Basically, Lucy's still wary of you and is trying to decide whether she should be friends with you or just stay away." Levy replied, glancing at Lucy who was laughing with Erza at something Gray said.
"Wary? As in afraid?"
"More like not sure..." Levy drifted off. "Basically, in Spirit Academy, there was no such thing as 'friends'. You had allies. The more richer and influential, the better. Lu-chan has become cautious of her friends. Not to mention you must seem intimidating to her. Since she comes from an all-girl school. But don't worry. I have a feeling she'll trust you."
Natsu shook his head. "She's not intimidated by me. And she doesn't really strike me as the nervous type either." He mused.
Levy shoved him playfully. "Are you done being all philosophical about my best friend?"
"Woah, Levy you've known her for two days."
"I trust Lu-chan. And she trusts me."
-/-
"I can't believe you were a cheerleader." Natsu said, cocking his head to one side. "It seems pretty obvious though."
"What do you mean by that?" Lucy asked, genuinely curious.
"Well, you're always jumping around and stuff." Natsu shook his head. "It's difficult to explain. Kinda like a vibe... "
"Wow, Flame Ass learning new words, never thought I'd live to see the day." Gray remarked.
"Shut up Ice Princess."
"So are you going to try out, Lucy?" Levy asked her, trying to change the subject.
"Uh, I don't know -"
"One of the girls fell down and broke her leg during practice yesterday. There is actually an opening in the squad. I can talk to Mirajane if you want, Lucy." Erza offered.
"But what if I'm not good enough. Or-"
"Then you'll try again next year. You won't give up, right, Luce?" Natsu asked.
Lucy glanced at him. He looked like he believed she could do it. Almost as if his determination was contagious, Lucy replied. "Damn right I won't."
"That's the spirit Lucy." Erza said smiling at her. "I'll take you to Mirajane after school. "
-/-
Mirajane looked like she belonged on the cover of some fashion magazine. Her silver hair fell past her shoulders, tumbling down to her waist. Her fringe had been tied up in a small ponytail to keep her hair away from her face. She had bright blue eyes that twinkled as she caught sight of Lucy. Mirajane was her height, except slightly more curvy and well, mature. Dressed simply in a tank top and yoga pants, she seemed to radiate beauty and power.
"You must be Lucy!" She said smiling. "Bisca told me about you. How are you liking Fairy Academy so far?"
"It's been fun." Lucy replied honestly. "I've met a lot of nice people. "
"Good. So I hear you want to join the squad." She asked all amusement gone from her face.
Lucy nodded. "My mom used to be a cheerleader. And I want to continue that legacy."
"Great!" Mirajane said, clapping her hands together in excitement. "Now why don't you get changed and we'll see just how good you are. Bisca? Can you show Lucy to the change rooms?"
The green haired girl ushered her into a small room on one side of the gym. She paused by one of the lockers, pulling out a pair of tights and a sleeveless top.
"You can borrow my clothes, Lucy." She said with a smile. "And don't worry. You'll make the team." After a moment of hesitance she added: "No offence but don't think anyone is going to go easy on you just cause you're new. You're no longer a student from Spirit." She smiled. "You're one of us now."
Lucy felt surprised to hear that. You're one of us now. It felt, good. Like she had a place to go. A place where she belonged. She didn't belong at Spirit Academy. She didn't belong at the Heartfilia Mansion either. No, she belonged here. At Fairy Academy. With all of her friends, who accepted her for who she was. She smiled back. "Thanks Bisca. That means a lot to me."
-/-
"Lucy, this is Evergreen. She's a senior just like me. I ant you to copy her movements." Mirajane explained. Lucy only nodded. Evergreen had long curly brown hair and brown eyes. Her glasses and guarded expression only made her look even more intimidating. Lucy wished Bisca hadn't left so early. Now she was alone with Mirajane and Evergreen.
Lucy positioned herself in front of the older girl. After a series of stretches, Evergreen started with a simple somersault, followed by a three cartwheels, landing neatly on her feet.
Lucy braced herself before following. She held her breath, glancing at Mirajane for approval. But Mira was steadily watching her, her expression blank.
Evergreen only smirked, before doing a 'cheerleading jump'. This jump is commonly used in cheer leading. You have your arms up in a "V" above your head and then rotate one of your arms backwards, and right after, kick one of your legs up and point it straight in the direction of your face.
Lucy hesitated, before copying Evergreen, making sure to keep her movements graceful and light.
Evergreen looked slightly shocked, before launching into another routine, ending with a handstand. Lucy followed seconds later, imagining she was in the gym back at Spirit and ended with a backflip instead out of habit.
Evergreen looked triumphant. "You were supposed to end with a handstand. Did you forget?"
"I - uh." Her cheeks burned in embarrassment. Lucy was supposed to follow. Mira would think she was cocky, and was trying to insult the squad. "I didn't mean to - I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. I'll do it again -"
"There's no need." Mirajane said, her face impassive. "I want you to get changed, leave the gym and go home." Lucy winced. Here it comes. Everyone will be so disappointed in me. Especially Erza. And Natsu -
"And meet me here at seven thirty sharp tomorrow so I can introduce you to the rest of the squad."
"Huh?" Lucy's widened. Did Mira say what I think she said. No, no, no. Lucy control yourself. She squeaked. "I'm in?"
Mirajane laughed at the younger girl. "Of course you are. It's getting late. You really should get going. I want you fresh after school tomorrow at practice, got it?" Even Evergreen managed a smile.
Lucy managed to keep it together until she reached the locker rooms, showered and changed into her own uniform. She placed Bisca's clothes back in her locker and walked back to the gym. Both Evergreen and Mira were long gone.
"I can't believe it!" She said to herself. "I'm a cheerleader again. At Fairy Academy. Mom," She whispered. "If you're up there, I hope your proud of me."
After blinking away tears, the blonde laughed and spent the next five minutes dancing around the gym, chanting "I got in, I got in, I got in the squad."
-/-
Clutching her school bag tighter, Lucy walked out of school, lost in thought about a new story she planned to write about the cheerleader and the jock. It's so cliché, though. She thought. Maybe she could fall for the nerd. No that's too obvious. Ugh think, Lucy, think -
"Oof!" Lucy stumbled, following down on her butt. The same couldn't be said for the person she bumped into.
"Is it just me or are you getting even more clumsy lately, Luigi? I mean, for a wannabe cheerleader -"
"I am not a wannabe cheerleader, Natsu. " Lucy snapped, getting back on her feet.
"Wait does that mean you got in?" Natsu looked down at her, genuinely curious.
"Uh, yeah. I did." She replied, slightly nervous at the lack of space between them.
"So what did you think of her?" Natsu asked, placing his hands behind his head as he fell into step beside her as they walked to the intersection.
Why are we walking together? Lucy thought. We're barely friends. No that's not true. She had known him for two days, but Lucy has never met a person so open to others about himself. She realised her had asked her something. "Who?"
"Mirajane." Natsu rolled his eyes. "That's weird."
"She's amazing. She looks like a model or an actress. And she's really sweet too." Lucy replied. "What's weird?"
"Well, Mira did do modelling last summer. And nice? You should've seen her in middle school." He scoffed. "I never roll my eyes. I must have caught your habit, Luce."
"What do you mean? And habits aren't contagious. You can't catch them, stupid."
"She was called the she-devil. That's all I have to say."
"Sh-she devil?"
Natsu smirked. "She was Erza's rival. Consider yourself lucky you've never faced them both."
Lucy shuddered. "I'm scared." As they passed the convenience store, she realised they were walking in the direction of her apartment. "Not to be rude, but are you walking me home?"
"Huh?" Natsu looked confused. "I thought you were walking me home."
"Why would I -" Lucy resisted the urge to slap her forehead. "Where do you live?"
"That's private. What if you were a stalker?"
"I'm your classmate. I am not a stalker, Natsu Dragneel!"
"Well that's reassuring."
"Urgh!" She noticed the had reached her street. "You live on Strawberry Street too?"
"Yeah, I share an apartment with Stripper."
"B - But there's only one apartment complex on this street." She asked suspiciously, her eyes narrowed.
"So?" Natsu asked. "You done following me?"
"What the hell, why would I follow - Ah!" Lucy raised her arms in exasperation, failing to notice the steps that led into the building. Now sprawled on the floor for the second time in an hour, Lucy scowled.
"Need some help?" Natsu asked, holding out his hand. Lucy took it, surprised by the gesture.
"Uh, thanks." She said as they walked inside the building.
Natsu called the lift before remarking. "Way to be graceful."
Lucy flushed as they entered the entered the lift, sticking out her tongue at him. She pressed the "3" button, surprised to find the "4" button had already been pushed.
"Wow you really weren't joking about living in the same building, were you?" She commented.
"Why would I lie about living with Stripper?"
Lucy leaned against the metallic walls waiting for the lift doors to close, closing her eyes shut. "Forget it!"
"Lucy?"
"Yeah?"
"You're pretty good in English right? And, the essay thingy we got for homework...?" He trailed off.
"What about it?"
"I need help!" Natsu blurted out, embarrassed. "I suck at English and -"
"Okay, come over to my place later. But you have to help me with chem." Lucy said with a grimace as she thought about the dreaded multiple choice questions she had gotten for homework. The doors opened with a 'ping'. "There's my queue. Apartment 307. Don't forget!" She called out as she skipped past the punk haired boy, into the silent hallway. As she turned a corner she saw Natsu's eyes widen just as the lift doors clanged shut.
Lucy reached her apartment, slotting in her key, before quickly slipping inside. She threw her bag on the couch like everyday, cheerfully humming 'Call Me Maybe'. She had heard it on TV yesterday and it was stuck in her head, being one of those annoyingly catchy songs that she hated.
"I need a bath. A long one." She muttered to herself. "Cheerleading is hard work..."
Sometime later she walked into her bed room, clad in a fluffy white towel, her damp hair in a bun. Lucy opened her closet, finger under her chin, in deep thought as her eyes roamed past the mounds of clothes. She pulled out a pair of denim short shorts and a pale pink strapless top with hot pink stripes. She combed out her hair, which currently fell past her shoulders and reached her breasts.
"Do I need a haircut again?" She murmured to herself, studying her reflection in the mirror. "Maybe I should give Cancer a call." She mused, smiling fondly at the thought of her eccentric hairstylist.
Dumping her uniform in the wicker basket beside her dresser, Lucy walked out of her room, intent on getting a head start with her English homework. "Plus I need to watch Yamada-Kun today too." She muttered. "And I need to email -" She paused her train of thought, gaping at her leather couch. Or more importantly at the person lounging on her couch, flipping through the TV channels. A particular, pink haired person who has supposed to come over later.
"What are you doing here?" Lucy asked him, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly.
"Gray was annoying me." He announced. "And you said you were gonna help me, remember?"
Lucy glared at him, placing her hands on her hips. "Natsu Dragneel, did you break into my apartment?" She seethed.
"The balcony was unlocked." Natsu replied, placing his arm over his eyes, making himself more comfortable on her couch.
"You climbed up to the third floor, slid open the door to my apartment and just walked in?" She asked, her voice getting higher with ever word.
Natsu propped himself up to a sitting position, cris-crossing his legs on her sofa. "Nope!" He said proudly. "I jumped from my living room window, opened the door and walked in."
"Wait that would mean." Lucy's eyes widened. She glanced above. "Your apartment is above mine?" She shrieked.
"Yup. Apartment 407. So you wanna get started -"
"Why didn't you just knock on my front door like a normal person?" She asked, glaring at the pink haired boy who seemed oblivious.
"Cause then I'd have to walk to lift, and wait for it and then walk to your place and knock and wait and -"
"Yeah, yeah I get it." Lucy said cutting him off. She placed her thumb and her index fingers against her temples, massaging them. "You're lazy. Do it again and I'll set my bodyguards on you."
"You have bodyguards?" Natsu asked curiously.
"Yes and they're supposed to be guarding me. Except they must b doing a really bad job." Lucy sighed.
"There was only one guy in a black suit when I was jumping down. He was staring at your window like some pervert, so I knocked him out."
Wordlessly Lucy ran to her balcony. Glancing down she saw one of her bodyguards, Taurus, unconscious on the ground. Lying near his head was a school bag.
"You used your backpack to knock out my body guard." Lucy stated, trying to control her anger.
"Nope." Natsu said as he shot up and pulled out a black bag from under the table. "This is my bag. That was Ice Princess's."
"You're unbelievable." She muttered as she walked off to her fridge. Pulling out her favourite grape juice, she poured it out before setting it on her dining table. It wasn't actually a dining table, since it was round and it seated three. Lucy pulled out her textbooks with a sigh before asking, "Are you gonna help me or not?"
Natsu who was preoccupied with some football game, jerked back to reality. He silently followed the blonde, placing his things besides her. "Chemistry first?" He asked, pulling out his notes. Lucy only nodded.
"Okay, question one. What happens when you mix sodium chloride with fluorine?"
"The answers 'C'." Natsu replied, engrossed in the world of chemistry.
"Are you sure?"
"Yup."
Chemistry homework had never been easier.
