March 1st Friday.
The blonde sat in the large echoy hallway, her back agents the cold hard marble wall, and her feet flat on the matching floor. Her heart was racing so fast, she thought it would pop out of her chest. She never should have gone to that school...FTA was a booby trap for her. She felt the pressure building in her eyes, the thought of going back with that monster was enough to break her, but she couldn't show any of that right now. Her family, he real family, needed her to be strong. Her front teeth dug deep into her lower lip. Her eyes looked like they where staring down at the floor, but all she saw was the images of her father throwing books with his red face and flaming eyes. 'Stupid! Worthless! Pathetic! You shouldn't have been born!' All threats that will come back if he wins...she shuttered at the thought. Her newly polished nails dug into the skin of her bare knees enough to make her bleed. To think she could be on campus watching the others play sports right now... She hoped the rest of the gang was cheering them on.
Click Click.
The sound of the doors next to her bench opened Her heart skipped a beat and shot up her throat. Her brown eyes jerked to see the woman in a suite and a bright empathetic smile. "Lucy, you are allowed to go in now."
Moment of truth.
Cause girls don't want...
Monday... (Nov 10)
"No! No! No! No! No!" Whined a purple haired young woman from behind the diner's bar. Her large blue eyes scanned the sketch book paper in horror and stress. How is it that when her sisters were around she could do these things but not for an assignment? She groaned loudly as she ripped the paper out of the spirals, crumbled it, and tossed it in to the waist basket. Capricorn emerged from the kitchen doors just in time to catch a glimpse of the ball missing the basket. He rose a brow to the younger girl and pushed the tiny door to approach her. "Having trouble working?" he smirked slightly. Vigo looked up to glare at the pale man and straightened he uniform before 'humph'ing away back to her sketchbook.
"As a matter of fact, yes." she answered. "Class was canceled this morning, and I got an e-mail from my second class professor with the next assignment." she said in a slight bitterness as she moved her pen furiously on the white paper. "Which is nearly impossible seeing as I need to find a professional mentor to work for and have done at least three runway projects by the end of the semester-or-elseIdon'tgraduateontime!"
"Well someone's not bitter." he joked with a straight face. Virgo glanced up with a sarcastic smile. "You sure that you need to be doing that while you're working?"
"To be fair, I took on my shift early." she glanced at the clock behind her. "Like 4 hours early. Now I'm gonna leave early to finish my school work and Pieces is gonna take my shift, and Lucy is going back to wok and taking Aquarius's."
"Why would she do that?"
"Cause it's almost swim season. Besides, now that most of you guys aren't going to school, it's not like you really need the extra help" she said in a slight cold manner. Her brother sighed deeply, Lucy's been avoiding her siblings that have dropped out, he can tell that she was strongly agents with their choices and has been holding back to keep from blowing up. Seems like Virgo shared the same views... and Libra...and Aquarius. The elder brother sighed, it might look like they began to be lazy and just didn't want to go to school anymore, but with their drop out, Virgo, Lucy, and everyone who is still a student can be just that. A student. Too bad that they insist on working but the coach girl. He peaked over the blue eyed girl's shoulder to see the dress outline of her project. It a simple black circle dress for offices or formal events, tight and professional on top, loose and fun at the bottom, and backless for the touch of sexy.
"I like it." he smiled "You should make some like that for Libra, she has a mock trial for her law class I think."
"You think?" she asked desperately. "Gods I don't know, maybe I should start over again." she whined. The man rolled his eyes playfully at his sister. He would never understand fashion, all he knew was that he couldn't see his younger sisters with anything above the knee, backless, showing cleavage, shoulders, or...anything. Those girls needed to be nuns. Straight up nuns. Virgo shot up from her thinking pose with a light bulb on her head. "Maybe if I make another string striped suit with high waist-ed pants, no blouse, and the jacket a deep V-neck down to meet the pants?!" she asked with excitement. Capricorn had no idea what she was talking about, but he knows what 'V-neck' and 'no blouse' meant.
"No." he stated bluntly.
"Oh hush, it's a good idea." she waved off her brother's negativity and tuned to her sketch book. "This was gonna be so good! Not so revealing, but daring!" her eyes widen with inspiration, and her pen quickly moved on the paper. The older brother just rolled his eyes and moved to the register to help out a few payers. If Libra modeled for it he-and the rest of the guys- would be fine, but not to wear it out it public. Nope.
The two heard the doors open from the kitchen, Capricorn glanced to see red hear emerging from them. "I need air!" Scorpio gasped as he wiped his face with his chef sleeve.
"What happen?" Virgo asked without looking up.
"Fucking Taurus man!" he gaped still fanning himself. "No one go in there or let anyone order food for a bit." The two chuckled at the suffering cook, Taurus always had the most bad ass ninja farts there was. They where the kind thatcaused anger and would call the cops n cause you'd think there was a dead body somewhere near. They sunked up in the most unexpected places, and attacked at full force. The recovering victim sat at the stool in front of the purple haired student and asked to flick on the corner tv above the kitchen window behind her. She nodded and used the hidden remote in the bar. "Thank sis, I need a distraction from that..." he shivered at the thought of smelling the rage-filling ninja farts. He glanced up to see a man behind a desk and a fake cityscape behind him.
"On more political news, Fiore's highest stock holder and owner of Heartfillia Hotels, Jude Heartfillia, has a lead of his long lost child 'Lucky' Lucia Heartfilla." Immediately, the cook stood up straight and leaned in peaking interest in the report. Even King stepped out of his office to hear. "Our sources tell us the young girl may be roaming around in our own very city, Magnolia. Here is Kinana with the rest."
The rest of the restaurant came to a stop, customers held their food a inches away from their mouths, Loki and Libra stopped taking orders, Virgo and Capricorn glanced up and noticed everyone looking at the TV, so they joined. A purple haired woman with a green holtertop dress holding a mic to her mouth. "Thank you Jason, I'm here on at the famous first Heartfilia Hotel in Acalypha Town, known for it's rich Gothic architecture and it's high royal feel, to see the CEO give a press conference discussing the matter at hand." Jude suddenly appeared behind a panel and a army of camera men and woman surrounding him and flashing lights.
"I just want my child back" he announced in a shaky voice. "I want us to be a family, and with this lead, we can take that next step into doing so."
"Bullshit!" Loki and Scorpio snapped at the screen. The other Zodiacs snarled at the box and growled lowly, the little girl that walked into their dinner in the middle of the night was not from a home. Out of anger and frustration, Virgo shut off the TV. "What an asshole!" Loki gawked. "Does he really think people buy that shit?"
"Language Leo!" Celeste snapped at his son. The tall large man had tense shoulders, and was biting his lip extremely hard, it was painfully obvious to see his feelings about the situation. The staff went silent. "We have customers. Attended to them, we'll talk about this later." his voice was hard and hurt.
"But-"
"LATER!"
The bells of the door rang gently, Romeo pushed the doors with Aquarius and Lucy behind him, all of them recently back from school with backpacks and everything. The guest returned to eating their food, Loki turned his back and attend to some of the guest waiting to eat, as did Libra, Virgo snapped her head down to the sketch and Capricorn and Scorpio smiled at the three. "Welcome back." Capricorn greeted cheerfully. "How was school?"
The teal haired woman groaned loudly as she flopped on to a booth. "I need to be behind those girls if the want to be ready by May."
"I didn't get into a fight." Romeo shrugged.
"And I got a good score on a test!" Lucy announced proudly. She smiled at the two males, but their smiles were too wide, too eyes traveled to her grandfather who shared the same expression. "Um...everything okay?"
"Yup." Scorpio swallowed hard. "Nothing wrong at all..."
Celeste pressed his lips in a hard line. His eyes twinkled in slight worry behind his fake smile. The blonde opened her mouth to speak, but he held up his hand to stop her. "We'll talk later Starshine, go get changed."
"Yes sir."
Erza stepped out of the limo with a her smart phone in her ear and her bag being carried by some tall men in suits. "Yes mother I understand." she responded through the device. Her mother went off to Pre-Fashion Week somewhere in Keburg (Italy in Earth). She would only be gone in a few days, and was looking for a new apprentice to assist her, the woman has been stressed to no end. "Of course mother, I'm sure she would accept your offer if you asked." Erza spoke in the phone once again as she stepped through her large glass door into her manner. "Trust me mother, Virgo is going to be the next big thing. You should have seen some of the new clubbing outfits she put together. Plus her family could really use the money."
"Oh darling you have such a big heart, but are you sure about this...um...commoner?"
"Yes mother," she said rolling her eyes. She stepped into the large kitchen and pulled open the fridge pulling out a china plate with a neatly sliced strawberry cake "she is Lucy's sister. You remember her right? The blonde?"
"The Scholar's sister!?" the woman gasped. Erza just shook her head at the phone, her mother was no different than most of her friend's parents, she looked fro image. And being in the fashion industry, image was everything. A second scholar that was already involved with one of Firore's most respected school district would make the Scarlet line look better than charity. The red headed senior just brought her plate of her favorite snack-yes, she calls it a snack-and took it down to her enormous living room with a wide flat screen surrounded by pure white sofas, carpet, drapes and...well everything. Lady Scarlet says it's very chic. She flicked on the screen with the remote and waited for the screen to warm up.
"Why yes-"
"Benissimo! Oh well why didn't you say so! I'll have my people contact her and get her on the first flight here."
"Of course mother, thank y-" she cut herself off when she saw the news anchor on the screen. "Mother I need to go."
"Alright, Chao cara mia."
"Chao mama." she pressed the red button on her phone screen and turned to the tv in front of her with wide and terrified eyes.
"On more political news, Fiore's highest stock holder and owner of Heartfillia Hotels, Jude Heartfillia, has a lead of his long lost child 'Lucky' Lucia Heartfilla." In panic, the senior punched in numbers as fast as she could into her phone and held it to her ear. It rang as the next news reporter continued the same story. Her heart raced, and her brain began to feel slightly light headed. "Come on pick up pick up pick up!" she muttered under her breath.
"Our sources tell us the young girl may be roaming around in our own very city, Magnolia. Here is Kinana with the rest."
"Hello, Miraja-"
"Mira! Oh thank god, turn on your Tv!"
"Erza? What's-"
"Just hurry! Lucy's in trouble!"
Natsu and Wendy closed the door behind them and did their usual route around the house greeting their parents in their mother's office. Practice ran short for some reason and he promised he and Wendy would visit Lucy later at the diner with his parents. They seemed to miss her. When they arrived to the double doors, they where wide open with the television on. The blue haired woman sat behind her desk with her elbows on her desk and holding her chin with her manicured fingers. Igneel was leaning at the corner of the wooden desk with his arms crossed over his chest, both had a very pierced look at the screen hanging in the book shelf in front of them. "Mom? Daddy?" Wendy whispered timidly. The rose haired man glanced his bright eyes to his little princess, and held out his arm inviting her and her brother in.
"Come here, both of you. You need to hear this."
The two did as they where told and hurried in, Wendy cuddled into her father's torso under his arm, while Natsu stood next to his mother behind the desk.
"What's this about?" he asked quietly. His eyes began to fix on the screen, Jude Heartfilia stood behind a panel with mics, in a sea of reporters and photographers.
"I just want my child back" he announced in a shaky voice. "I want us to be a family, and with this lead, we can take that next step into doing so." Natsu fl felt his gut drop to the floor, the man who he saw as evil as King Jeffery was looking for his best friend. In the screen , Jude whipped the bottom lashes of one eye, and opened his mouth to speak once more. "For those of you who don't know, my little 'Lucy' Princess was most likely taken from her mother's family members off in commoner country. If anyone has any information regarding the Konzern family around Magnolia country and it's districts, please contact my corporate office as soon as possible and will be granted a generous reward. Also, thank you to the source to have finally give us this lead."
Igneel held his daughter closer to him with a sour face. "I can't believe he didn't make a big deal out of this years ago." he muttered under his breath. "What kind of father is he?"
"A shitty one." the pinkette said a bit too loudly.
"Natsu!" his mother smacked his shoulder lightly. "Manners young man." she nagged. Natsu just rolled his eyes and rubbed his new bruise developing. Casual play like this he would be fine with, but Lucy...poor Lucy...she was beaten pretty hard, she can't even tell him what that monster has done.
"Can you blame me? I mean he beat her didn't he?"
"Now Natsu those are only rumors, we have no right to judge others. We don't know their history."
"Then what do we know?" his voice was slightly aggressive, but his parents seemed to let it slide, the situation was a up to debate now. Igneel adjusted himself to face his wife and son behind the desk, but maintained his sweet worry-faced-daughter under his wing.
"What we do know," the father began "is that he at one point was a dear friend of ours, he and his wife and he has suffered two terrible losses." he sighed "Now he refused to listen to any form of reason what so ever, and it was looking like that he wasn't going to find her so the Fullbusters and Dragneel-Marvel corp.s were going to keep it in safe hands."
"We can still do that." the young man stated firmly. "He wont find her, I know it. I'll make sure of it."
Wendy felt her heart skip at the sound of that sentence. The idiot was gonna blow it big time. Igneel and Grandine rose a brow at their son. "What do you mean by that?" the mother asked in a slow and firm. Now Natsu was the one that was a bit uneasy. He felt his palms sweat up, and his heart thump out of his chest. Damn, what was he gonna do?
"J-just forget it. If she left, I say it was for a reason." he adjusted his bag oh his shoulder and marched out of the room. "I'ma be outside training." he muttered as we disappeared behind the double doors. The lawyer glanced up at her husband with a worried expression. Her son was a little too worked up over this, just a few weeks ago she was talking about this with him and he seemed fine.
"Igneel-"
"I'll talk to him later." he assured. "Let him cool down first."
"Do you think he knows something?"
"Maybe." he scratched his chin with his free hand. He glanced down at the middle schooler still in her brown and grey uniform. "What do you think little blueberry muffin?" she giggled at the nickname, he hasn't called her that since she was 8.
"I think we should go to Zodiac's for dinner tonight."
We don't want our hearts to break.