Chapter 10
"Aye, Pinky!", Gajeel slammed his hand down on the wooden desk. Natsu's pink hair was slouched on it, his arms covering his face from view. He looked up slightly and gave the metal head a glare before putting his head back down.
Gajeel looked around to the others with a surprised look on his face. "Okay, geez.." He took a seat behind the sulking figure, throwing his legs onto the table, leaning back in his chair.
Sting was the next to enter the classroom, being it that it was morning and they were usually early. The room piled up with more people, Gray being the last of the basketball players to take their seat at the back.
"Got anything?", Gajeel called to him. The raven-haired boy shook his head, his face full of focus and confusion.
"No.. but I seriously think something's up."
"What makes you think so?", Sting asked.
"I just spoke with that Michelle girl and she started acting really weird when I talked about Lucy.."
"Weird?"
"Yea... almost like she didn't want me finding out about something."
"Bunny Girl's probably moving away or somethi-"
He was interrupted by a fist brought down on his desk, making the metalhead jump. Everyone turned to look at Natsu, who had an angry, yet a pleading expression etched onto his tanned face. "No.", he growled. "No, she's not moving and nothings wrong... she's just.. on a vacation.. that's all."
Gray felt seriously sorry for the guy. He was helpless, and the only one who could fix it was currently out of touch. "Natsu, its okay. Calm down, she's fine. We believe you-"
"You don't have to believe me! She is fine!", he argued like a child, clasping his jaw.
Gray nodded knowingly to help him ease, which luckily worked as the pink haired boy turned back around, putting his head back down on the table.
They all looked at each other in pity and disbelief, not believing what had become of their team captain and friend.
"Okay, young mistress, how are you feeling?", a sophistacted voice lulled into Lucy's ears. She was sitting on her bed, the sheets now the regular color and scent they were before. Her arm was sore and unmoving and there was a man dressed in a white lab coat sitting on an arm chair just to her right.
"I feel fine.", she monotoned.
"Again, how are you feeling?", he repeated.
"I feel fine."
"How, are you feeling?", he insisted.
"I'm okay.", she replied, getting annoyed.
"Those are two different answers. Are you okay or are you fine?", he crossed his legs. Lucy felt a bein pop on her forehead.
"I feel too many things right now, the answer you get is the only answer I know." He hummed a 'sure', before jotting down on his fancy clipboard.
"Okay, now I want you to think back-"
"I told you I didn't know I did it."
"I know I know, but I want you to remember: what were you thinking about before coming into conciousness with you know- the knife and your arm?", he cleared his throat.
Lucy thought back a bit. What was she thinking about? She only remembered... thinking about something that made her happy, then she remembered thinking about the time she jumped off her balcony... then she just.. woke up?
"Young Mistress-"
"I was...", she started. "I was... thinking back to when I jumped."
He looked confused for a moment. "You mean, while you were- with the knife-"
"Yea.", she simply nodded. He hummed again, jotting down on his clipboard.
"Okay, well that's it for today. I'll come back next week and check up on you, for the meantime-" Lucy groaned. "For the meantime, I want you to stay in bed and have Ms. Virgo do everything."
"I can't do that, she may be my maid but I have hands, feet, I can use them-"
"Use them for what?" Lucy fell silent.
"If you were going to use them for anything, it would be another attempt at your life and thus will you be bedridden, so it won't matter wether you do anything or not, you will stay in bed one way or the other.", he concluded, standing up. He dusted off his coat before opening and closing the door behind him.
Lucy closed her eyes and sighed. This was another down side to depression, weekly or worse, daily appointments with the doctor and therapists. She wouldn't mind it that much really, if it wasn't for their stubborness and nosiness in everything. But that's their job.
The blonde thought back to the months she spent with freedom, oh was it so wonderful! Her heart had lightened and it really felt like she was capable of anything. She was capable of having teenage girl problems; Natsu Dragneel for example and her depression had lessened. Those were the highlights of her entire life. One day, one of her attempts would work... and the only thing in her life worth remembering was those six months. They were all she had to keep her at this moment. At this moment.
Silence.
Although Lucy had been umoving and next to lifeless at that time, she had heard everything her friends had said. They were the only ones fighting, even though it was her life. She needed to fight too. She can't just lay here all day and watch as Virgo and the others struggle to keep her life off Death's radar.
Lucy stands up, wobbling due to laying in bed for the past three days. She grabbed her bed pole, gaining balance once again before exiting her room. The blonde snuck around the corners, peeking over her shoulder and the walls before tip toeing to the other side. She had to get to Sagittarius or Tari, as she calls him. He'll be able to help, and he's one of the friendliest and more capable member of her servant groups. He'll do anything for his mistress without hesitation.
Lucy finally made it down to the courtyard entrance, having climbed down four flights of stairs. She nudged open the double doors, staggering her way around the hedges and out back to the ranch where Tari would spend most of his hours. She trudged across the bare dirt imprinted with horse shoe prints and spotted the horse-loving man brushing his beloved with a rather large brush. He had heard someone coming, turning around with a surprised look when finding his young mistress.
"Y-"
"Tari..!", she coughed, her hands on her knees, panting.
"Young mistress!", he exclaimed. He immediately rushed over to her side, guiding her to a wooden bench by the stalls. "You should be resting right now."
She coughed a few times before replying. "I need you to cover for me."
He shook his head over and over. "No no no no no no no, no-"
"Tari, please I feel like this will make me bette-"
"No no no no no no."
"Just listen me out!", she pleaded, squeezing his hand. He stopped, looking at her suspicously before nodding his head. "I-I was happy... when I was alone on my own with my friends back in Magnolia.. so could you-"
"I'm sorry, I don't think you understand how serious this is. They are against you being alone and-"
"I was alone in my room, I could've bit my tongue or something!" He gave her a disappointed look. "Buuut I didn't, and I was alone or six months and those six months had to be the happiest days of my life, I'm telling you Tari, this will be the best for me."
The ranch caretaker looked down at this leather boots, smudged with mud and hay, thinking about what she had said. It was true. She was left for six months without help from anyone except a few thousand jewels she took with her. And he, with a few others, would disguise themselves every now and then to go pay her a visit. Of course, they wouldn't actually talk to her, more like watch her from afar and he had to admit: she was happy. More than she ever will be at this prison.
He gulped. "Well, how about the others?"
Lucy shook her head. "No, they don't know, and I was hoping they wouldn't know until a few days."
"But Virgo checks up on you every hour and she brings you food."
"I was hoping you could take that job.", she looked up at the man, hope in her eyes, the first emotion she showed other than suffering and emptiness. "But, I understand if you don't. I mean, to do this, you'd have to take the heat, u-uh, when they finally find out, who knows what will happen to you-"
"They'll understand."
"Yea, I know that... it's just that Daddy won't."
"Your father won't be back in a few more months. He's abroad, Ms. Lucy.", Sagittarius told her, nodding his head.
Lucy's eyes filled with more hope every passing millisecond. She squeeled in delight before fist pumping in the air. The blonde regained her composure after realizing the caretaker had been observing her with an amused smile, "U-uh.. so this means I have a few months at best- but then there'll be the doctor and that hippie therapist-"
"I'll make sure to take care of them.", he assured her. The girl looked up hopefully.
"W-wait.. so that means..." Sagittarius nodded his head, a sly smirk pastered onto his thin face. Lucy jumped for joy lightly, before giving Tari a limited bear hug, careful as to not hurt her arm. "I-I'll go pack.. uh-"
"I'll tell Virgo about the job exchange."
"What will you tell her?"
"Don't worry about that- just wanting to be able to help the situation.", he nodded. "So who's going to bring you there, if Capricorn doesn't know? And who's going to take care of you? Give you a place to stay-"
"Tari! It's fine, I'm okay! Loke and Michelle will help me so everything is going to be fine!", she cheered before skipping back into the building. When out of earshot, she muttered under her breath, "I hope."
Lucy was excitedly stuffing her clothes into a small, pastel pink, hello kitty, hardcase trolley luggage. She took her round hair brush and ravaged through her hair, roughly yanking at the small knots of blonde threads. She washed her face, applying little make up to her pale face. She grabbed stuff animals from her stuff animals closet, adjusting it under her covers to make it look like there was a person. Then she took a mid size rag doll with blonde hair and put it on top of the other plushies to give it a 'blonde haired' look.
Then someone knocked on her door. She immediately freezed and rushed over to her bed. "Don't worry, Ms. Lucy, it's me.", Tari's voice came from the opening door. He closed it with a 'click' behind him before making his way to Lucy, a tray of porridge in hand. "So I see you're quite excited, young mistress.", he chuckled.
Lucy rolled her eyes, getting off the bed and returning to the half closed trolley on the floor. "Do you need any help?" Lucy shook her head, pulling the zipper closed.
"Have you called Ms. Lobster and Leo yet?", Tari set down the pink tray on the side table by her circular bed, sitting down in the arm chair.
"No, not yet. But I'm sure they'll help me. So what did Virgo say?"
"She bought it, I hope. But I didn't have to ask, the minute I came into the house, she handed me your food and told me to bring it up to you."
"Oh?", Lucy walked to her closet and closed the door, locking it with a heart shaped key. She hated the thought of anyone getting into her clothes and personal things.
"Yes, she seemed rather on edge."
"Hmm? Did you ask her?"
"No, she walked away from me faster than your transition from unmotivated to motivated."
"Wow, that's pretty fast!", the blonde exclaimed sarcastically. She grabbed her iPhone from the vanity table and dialed up Michelle first.
"Lucy? Lucy-chin, is this you?", a sweet, motherly voice picked up on the other side of the line.
"Michelle? Yea, it's me.", Lucy answered, pacing back and forth across her room. "Hey, listen. Me and Tari made up a plan-"
"Does Virgo know?"
Silence.
The phone sighed. "Okay, go ahead."
"Umm... okay well, daddy won't be home for a few months. And Tari had volunteered to 'keep an eye on me'-", she emphazised. "While you know, I- I.. while I'm free I guess."
"Free? Where? And who's going to get you out?"
"Weeeellllll...", Lucy peeped. "I was kinda-"
"Lucy, Virgo-"
"I was kinda hoping-"
"Lucy, Virgo'll beat my ass-"
"Sisters! Best friends! You know-"
"Lucy, I'm happy for-"
"I don't even have to stay, just pick me u-"
"Lucy, I love you but-"
"I felt happier out there-"
"Okay, Lucy FINE!", Michelle finally snapped. "I'll pick up in thirty outside the gates and you make sure I won't get in trouble with Virgo!" Lucy did a victory fist pump before kissing the phone goodbye. She picked up her little trolley, rushing outside her room.
"Okay, Tari, what now?", she gasped, hiding around a corner. Virgo and Aquarius were outside in the courtyard discussing something about the watering system.
"Hmmm... I could distract them by riding my horse out here but... that's too cliche..", he sighed, rubbing his chin.
"Well..", the blonde suggested. "I know of a way around back. A path in the hedges that leads to the front gates.. me and Loke made it when we were kids, I almost forgot about it."
Sagittarius stared at her in disbelief. "Then.. then that means anyone can gain access in the mansion if they were to run into the hedge."
"Yea, but you need to have keys to a tiny crawling gate inside the hedge. And I have just about that-", she smirked at the man, dangling the locket around my neck which held the key.
This was going to be a brilliant success. And for once... she felt happy.