Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, or its characters

Lucy felt awkward as she stepped in the busy lunchroom. There were rows upon rows of splintery, dried wood benches. The cafeteria smelled of burnt pepperoni pizza and spoiled chocolate milk. There were two lunch lines, that each, consisted of two different things. The first snack line carried fries, soda's, and stuff like that. The other line was consisting of meals like a burger, fries, salad or fruit, and a chocolate-chip cookie. But since they were both full, Lucy decided to stick with her lunch bag full of who-knows-what. Now, the other hard part of being in this cafeteria, was finding where to sit She couldn't find Erza in this stack of people. Cliques were everywhere, gangs everywhere and even the band geeks had a place to sit.

When Erza spotted Lucy at the entrance of the cafeteria holding a sack lunch, and biting her lip nervously she waved and called,

"Hey Lucy!"

When Lucy looked up and saw Erza waving, she smiled relievingly. But when she saw all those girls surrounding her, she felt nervous. Who were these people? The only other person she recognized was Levy, and Levy was talking to a green-haired girl, oblivious to Erza waving at Lucy.

Then Lucy nodded, and headed over to the table. As she sat in the available chair next to the red-haired beauty, the white-haired girl smiled at her welcomingly.

She was quite beautiful, with long, wavy, white-hair that and big blue eyes, matched with porcelain skin.

"Hi, I'm Mirajane," the girl said, smiling wider and touching Lucy's hand.

Lucy instantly felt an instant liking to this girl and said shyly, "Hi, I'm…"

"Lucy," Mirajane finished with a giggle. "Erza just mentioned you a minute ago."

Lucy glanced at Erza, who was purposely missing her gaze.

"Hi, I'm Bisca," the green-haired girl said to Lucy, with a slight southern drawl.

This girl had long, straight light green hair, tanned skin and a haircut that added to the word sexy.

When Lucy shook her leather gloved hand she smiled at her and said, "Hi Bisca."

Then Levy smiled and waved at Lucy from Erza's left, and Lucy waved back, glad to see a familiar face.

"Trade my chocolate cookie, for your pudding," Levy said to Lucy, with that same kind smile on her face.

"Sure," Lucy said, handing her chocolate pudding over, and taking the cookie.

"This is Cana," Mirajane said to Lucy, pointing to a pretty girl with long dark brown hair, with distinct waves. She seemed to swigging something from a thermos, and enjoyed it a lot.

Cana turned to look at Lucy and asked, "Hey, have any booze?"

"What?" Lucy asked with a cock of her head, slightly weirded out from that direct question.

Mirajane laughed and said, "Ignore her, she's very…lively."

Lucy took a bite of her cookie, and nodded. So far these girls were pretty interesting, and she liked all of them.

As Lucy began to talk to them and get to know them better, the guy's table right across from theirs began to chat…

"Who's the new chick?" a blonde boy asked, staring at Lucy's overexposed bosom.

Now this guy's name was Laxus, and he sat on the table, crossing his arms over his chest while his eyes set on Lucy. He had a scar on his left eye, shaped like a lightning streak and he had huge earphones on; but he could still hear the others.

Gray shrugged his bare shoulders and replied, "Dunno, obviously close to Erza though…"

Gerard, who was picking his teeth with a toothpick stopped when he heard Erza's name. He hadn't seen her all day, but was waiting to see her beautiful face once more. It's been a long time, and they needed to catch up on a few things…

"Erza's back?" he asked, chewing on his sandwich, his eyes trying to see the girls table.

Shudders ran through the table and some of the guys chorused, "Don't remind me."

"Seems she hasn't changed, beside that eye patch," a handsome guy said, with longish black hair, and a slight country drawl from him too.

His name was Alzack, but he seemed to be paying more attention to a green-haired girl talking to Lucy…

"Let's be men, and introduce ourselves to Lucy," a guy said his name Elfman.

He was the younger brother of Mirajane, with silver-hair, big, sad squinty eyes and a deep tan. He was pretty muscular, but very nice.

"We are part of the same-"

"Yeah, yeah," Gray waved him off.

"Dude, Gray…your shirt," said a boy with dark green hair that was held in a long ponytail down his back.

His name was Freed. He had dark green eyes, and was often quiet.

Gray quickly found his shirt, hanging from the back pocket of his faded jeans, then put it back on.

As some of the guys walked over to introduce themselves Loke, a really handsome guy with golden hair, green-tinted glasses and a light tan got to Lucy first. He was part of this group as well.

When he got to Lucy first, he bent down and kissed her pale hand with a flirtatious smile. Lucy couldn't help but to stare in his deep blue eyes, yet something seemed off about him…

Then he winked at her and asked, "What modeling agency do you belong to?"

Lucy sighed pitifully. So much for this guy being the hottest one of all of them, he was too much a flirt. Sure he was good eye-candy, but his flirtatious ways ruined him.

Mirajane shook her head, knowing full well that Lucy would reject that fool off the bat.

When Loke saw a few girls pass by, he pulled his gaze away from the blonde, and started to pursue them.

"Hi, I'm Gray," the black-haired guy said, offering a handshake to Lucy.

When Lucy touched his hand, she was surprised by how cold it was and how it didn't bother him at all.

Lucy smiled at him in response, and admitted to herself he was pretty good-looking as well.

"Hey Luigi, I'm Natsu," a salmon-haired boy said to her, smiling toothily.

One hand was in the back pocket of his jeans, the other hand in his spiky, pink locks. Lucy could see his muscles, and how flat his stomach was by how his black shirt, under his red vest was still a little loose.

"It's Lucy," Lucy said, her eyebrow twitching with slight annoyance. Yet, she felt weirdly pulled to this guy, and wondered if he felt that weird sensation as well.

"That's what I said," Natsu replied seriously.

"You idiot," she whispered.

"Hey! That hurts my pride," he said, the smile wiped clean off his face.

"Shut up!" Gray said his eyes downcast. "You hear people call you that all the time."

Then Natsu smiled at Lucy again and asked, "Hey Lucy, are you going to join our-"

Erza punched him in the gut, before he could say anything else.

Lucy jumped nervously as Natsu held his gut, looking up at Erza's narrowed brown eyes.

"What…was that for?" he asked, slightly out of breath.

"Are you ok?" Lucy asked them both, concern fully in her voice.

"Yeah," Natsu said, eyeing Erza with confusion.

'What's with her?' he thought.

Lucy looked around, suddenly feeling that same awkwardness she felt when she walked in the cafeteria.

She got up, grabbed her garbage and gulped as the big group looked at her.

She explained, "I'm going to the bathroom…"

Then she put her head down, and walked away as fast as she could tears starting to sting her eyes.

"What just happened?" Loke said, appearing next to Freed and staring after the blonde.

Natsu frowned and also stared after where the blonde left. For some odd reason, he felt there was something…different about her and it intrigued him, unlike other people in the…

Then Erza looked down, her red hair shadowing over her face.

"It's my fault," she said softly, causing everyone to freeze and look at her.

Then she looked up at Natsu and said, "I'm sorry Natsu, about punching you. But…"

Then she looked down again, and tears filled her eyes.

Quietly she said, "I didn't tell her much about you guys, and who you were. I didn't even tell her about the rest of the stuff…regarding us."

Then Gerard walked over, putting a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"You need to tell her," he said simply.

Then Erza looked up, in his strange blue eyes and smiled a little.

"I need to tell you guys something. Having to do with Lucy and me," she said, wiping her eyes with her finger.

Mirajane leaned across the table, and squeezed Erza's hand. If this issue was causing Erza to cry, she knew something was terribly wrong.

"Lucy…well…she's been abused ever since she's lived with her dad," Erza started, looking back at the splintery table.

"What?" Natsu said angrily, his eyes taking a scary look.

Erza continued, "What I mean is, well, I got adopted by Lucy's dad and that's why I left. And that's why Lucy and I are such good friends, sisters even, because we've experienced that pain and got through it. I mean, I get abused too…but not as bad as Lucy. I don't know why, but her father targets her more and…But anyway, she's practically my sister and we have to do something about this. I promised I would…but I keep cowering away. And without all of you, I felt weaker, less aware of my value of life per say. That's why I need you guys…why Lucy needs you guys."

Everyone was in stunned silence, not expecting this lay out at all.

Lucy…was abused?

Erza…was abused?

Somehow, they knew Erza wasn't lying about this. They could sense some of Lucy's timidity as she talked to them.

"We'll definitely do something," Gray said breaking the silence, his eyes as cold as ice. "She's basically one of us now, and we carry the weight of pain together. And no one hurts our nakama."


Lucy sat in the bathroom stall crying her eyes out. Only she knew the reason why though. When she was with everyone she felt an unfamiliar rush of something she only experienced with her mom, Erza, and how it used to be with her father. When she sensed that warmness, or that caring feeling for others from everyone there it was overwhelming. Sure, Erza was her best friend and brought that same feeling as well…but she was one person, a person she grew a strong relationship with over time. But with all those kind people she felt unusual; nervous even.

Then she wiped her eyes and sniffled a little.

When she walked out the stall, she came face-to-face with a girl.

She had dark pink hair, in two pig-tails tied by pink ribbons. She had tons of makeup on her porcelain-skin face. She wore a purple halter-top over a fishnet long sleeve shirt. She also had a black miniskirt on, and dark gray boots with purple stockings.

"Excuse me," Lucy said, knowing she didn't look too good right now.

"You I cannot love," the girl said with a dramatic sigh and eye roll.

Lucy started to feel a little irritated and said, "Excuse me. I'm starting to not really like you either."

The girl still didn't move, and put pink-gloved hands on her hips.

"Well then," the girl said, pursing her pink lips. "You really just got on my bad side."

Lucy didn't really care if this girl like her or not, because she wasn't feeling it at the moment.

"I don't care," Lucy said, pushing her way to the sink and began to wash her hands angrily.

After she cooled down a little, she looked up in the mirror and sighed. Her eyes were sparkly, and she had a rim of red underneath her eyes. Also, her face was slightly blotchy but other than that, she looked fine.

"I look horrible!" she shrieked.

As the toilet flushed, the girl walked out the stall and said next to her, as she washed her hands,

"Yes you do."

As they both dried their hands Lucy asked, "What's your problem?"

The girl shrugged and said, "Leon hates Gray, and Sherry loves Leon."

Lucy figured that this girl was Sherry.

"And, since you're friends with Gray…"

'Ahhh,' Lucy thought. 'I get it now.'

"This is my first year at school, and I don't really need problems during it," Lucy said with a small smile; hoping it didn't turn out to look like a grimace.

Then the girl shrugged again and answered, "Sorry, but your luck isn't in your favor."

Just as Sherry opened the door, and turned back ready to blow her a kiss she put her hand back, smirked and shut the door with a loud thud.

Just then the bell rang signaling that lunch was over.

As Lucy walked into the hallway, students starting to file in…she didn't feel so hyped up about her next class.


A/N:

So how did that chapter go? Good I hope…so please read and review and stay tuned for the next chapter!

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