Lucy will never understand the annual Fairy High school-wide trip to the nearby beach. It's not like she didn't like the beach, oh no she would come to the beach at least five times over the summer. But the key word there was summer, not winter because you see the trip always for some odd reason happened on the last Friday of November.

Whoever decided this was a good time of year to go to the beach with close to five hundred kids was obviously off their rocker. But according to Principal Makarov it was the ideal time to take a large number of students and there was also something like they went on the day of the town founder's birthday or something.

Sighing Lucy tugged down her sunglasses over her eyes with a huff before following the herd of kids she had to control. Unfortunately for this trip, teachers couldn't pair up so she couldn't even attempt to enjoy the beach time with Natsu. She had even dug around her closet for her nice bikini too! But it's not like anyone would see it considering how cold it was, she was planning on keeping her clothes on. Somehow though Natsu was walking around somewhere with only a swimsuit and a tee on, how he did it she'd never know.

The group of kids that she was supposed to chaperone seemed like they hadn't really wanted to come, but who'd pass up a day out of school? Lucy had guessed by now that most of the kids had come probably because their friends had convinced them to come but didn't realize they'd be put into groups. The rest were either in the categories of 'I don't care it's a free day away from school', 'no way was I staying behind with Vice Principal Dreyar' and the rare 'I'm actually excited to be here.' There was only one person in that category and that student was Cindy Laurence

"So" Cindy said turning around to face the group "What do you all want to do?" All she got in response was a few coughs and a single replay of "I don't even want to be here!"

Cindy retaliated to this statement by placing her hands on her hips and snidely replying "Well then you shouldn't have come. We have to stick together as a group so we're stuck with each other. So we'd better make the best of it." Lucy by then had decided that Cindy could handle the group on her own and that she really didn't need to put in any input, unless the other students didn't replay to her.

There were a few grumbles following Cindy's statement but in the end they got a unanimous vote on going to the beach. Once they arrived at the beach though it seemed like they had only responded to Cindy so she would shut up. Most of the students just stood around while a few shuffled down to the water's edge or just sat down in the sand. Cindy seemed preoccupied with building what Lucy guessed was going to be a sand castle.

Since it looked like she had all her students under control she decided that she wasn't going to let the fact that half of them didn't seem to know how to have fun get in the way of her trying to enjoy this day. Slipping her bag off Lucy pulled out the towel she had brought and laid it out on the sand. Then after she had found a semi-comfortable position she pulled out a novel she had been trying to start and began reading.

It was then pretty quiet for a good hour before Cindy somehow convinced the others to play a volleyball game (where she got the volleyball Lucy would never know) and the peace and quiet was replaced with loud teens who didn't seem to realize that she could hear all their curse words. But it's not like Lucy wasn't used to loud noises and distractions while reading, reading around Natsu had been enough practice for her.

So life carried on and Lucy figured that they would tell her if they wanted to go get food at the boardwalk. But after two more hours of reading she was getting to get hungry herself, taking out her phone to look at the time she was somewhat shocked to see that it was noon and they were still down at the beach. She was considering saying something to the kids when Cindy appeared out of nowhere and plopped down next to her with a huff.

"Hey Cindy, you think they're going to be done with the game soon?" Lucy asked in hopes that they could leave the beach and head up for food soon.

Cindy's reply was a shrug of her shoulders and an "I guess", which was an unusual response for her normal chatterbox ways.

"Everything okay?" Lucy asked though she hoped she wouldn't have to play Erza's job on this trip.

"Yeah I guess" Cindy said before shifting her position so her hands were behind her "It's just hard to enjoy myself when I got stuck in a group full of idiots and people I don't particularly like."

"Wow those are words I'd never expect out of your mouth" Lucy said in shock, Cindy was well known among both teachers and peers alike as friendly and easy to get along with. There was almost no student in the school that wouldn't say they didn't consider her as a friend.

"Well I mean I have to get along with pretty much everyone since I'm the president of student council. Can't really have people hating me if I plan to run again next year" Cindy said with a sigh "I just wished I had ended up in Coach Dragneel's group, no offense though Ms. Heartfilia, most of my friends are in his group."

"No, no I understand" Lucy said with a smile "I'd much prefer spending this day with friends instead of with students I don't particularly like though, no offense though."

Cindy began laughing after hearing the last part of Lucy's statement before saying "Yeah I guess that's true for students and teachers alike" Cindy finished. It was quiet between the two for a few seconds before Cindy broke the silence with the question of "Can I ask you a semi-personal question Ms. Heartfilia?"

"Huh" Lucy said taken back "That depends on what it's about I guess."

"Well I mean it's kinda something my friends and I have been wondering about for a while now. I don't really want to call it a bet but that's kinda what it's become" Cindy said before pausing for a second "The question is whether or not you and Coach Dragneel are dating."

"What?" Lucy asked surprised, she had expected that by now the entire student body had known by now since they weren't exactly being that secretive of it. It was true that they were allowed to date even though they were co-workers but they pretty much were on the same rules of student which was simply no PDA allowed ever during school hours.

"You don't have to answer it if you don't want to!" Cindy said quickly while waving her hands in front of her in panic.

"No, no it's fine. I'm just…..surprised that you don't know the answer. But to answer your question its yes" Lucy said simply waiting to see what the reaction would be.

"Well than, cool. That means I was totally right, I can't want to rub it in their faces" Cindy said with a nod as though she was assuring herself of what she would do.

Lucy let out a snort before saying "That's the most interesting response I've gotten yet."

"Is that so?" Cindy said before making a noise that sounded like a hum of sorts. Lucy was about to respond when she heard a yell from the group playing volleyball that sounded something like "Damn I'm fucking hungry!" Making a face Lucy turned around to see that the others students seemed to be done with the game and were heading over to where she was sitting.

"Hey Ms. Heartfilia" said the student who was leading the group, she was pretty sure his name was Eve Tearm or something like that "We were wondering if we could go up to the boardwalk?"

"Oh sure" Lucy said sitting up a bit more while putting her book into the bag "Just give me a few seconds to pack up" and after Lucy had shoved her towel into her bag did they began to walk back up to the boardwalk. She felt a buzz in her bag and slipped it down to her elbow so she could dig around for her phone; once she had pulled it out did she see who it was.

From Natsu: My groups up at the boardwalk if you wanna meet up or somethin'

Smiling Lucy replied back Already heading up there, where are you?

While waiting for Natsu's response she noticed Cindy slowing inching her way towards her. Raising an eyebrow at the behavior she looked a little bit behind the heads of the other students to see that student from before, Eve, was following all while talking to her. About what Lucy wasn't sure but whatever it was, Cindy was obviously uncomfortable with it.

Lucy was about to say something when her phone went off again looking down she saw that the place Natsu was at was right up ahead of them. She texted back a quick response and once she looked back up Cindy was walking beside her and Eve was nowhere to be seen. Shrugging her shoulders Lucy figured that Cindy had taken care of it herself.

When they arrived at the boardwalk Lucy found Natsu and his group almost immediately. True all she had to look for was pink hair but even without it she would've found him just as fast, it was just as easy to find the pouting man who was surrounded by hyper active teenagers. It looked like Natsu had gotten the group where everyone was actually excited to be on the trip. Once Natsu noticed her he waved and she waved back before she turned around to her group.

"Okay then here's the deal, you can go wherever you want on the boardwalk but at one thirty we'll meet back up at the arcade, okay?" Lucy asked hoping that she could get rid of a few of them.

"Which one?" some kid yelled from the back to which Lucy replied with a swift point to the closest one near them. There was then a large chorus of okay before almost her entire group left her. Only Cindy and one other kid remained with her as she walked over to Natsu's group.

The hello she got from Natsu was "Thank you for coming, I thought I was about to explode."

"Natsu you're a teacher" Lucy said while placing her hands on his shoulders and staring him straight in the eye "You watch kids for a living."

"I know" Natsu whined "But I got him in my group."

"Oh my mavis Natsu, really?" Lucy asked before she noticed that he was right and Will was in his group. But at the moment he was preoccupied with whatever Cindy was telling him.

"They were crazy!" Natsu said throwing his hands up in the air "The lifeguard literally kicked us out of the water and then out of the beach. So were stuck here for the next two hours!"

"Oh poor baby" Lucy said with a roll of her eyes while patting his shoulder "Is that the only reason you requested my presence?"

"Well I mean I also hoped for a bathing suit but I guess it is a little chilly" Natsu said with a shrug before Lucy punched him in the arm. "Okay, okay" he said while rubbing the offending area "I deserved that."

"Yes you did" Lucy said with a nod before asking "But you know how you can make it up?"

"Let me guess stand in the ten minute line for fries?" Natsu said while rolling his eyes even though his smile gave away that he joking.

"Yep!" Lucy exclaimed before grabbing his arm "You know you'd get them even if I didn't ask you."

"Well yeah because they are some damn good fries" Natsu said before looking over at the growing line with a grimace on his face "You'll watch the kid's right?"

"Yeah of course" Lucy said before she watched him head off to the fry line. She gave him a wave before she turned her attention to the kids. Half of them were eyeing the ice cream place and the others seemed to just be sitting around waiting for something to happen.

"If any of you guys want food now would be the time to get it" Lucy said right as half of them made a beeline for the random junk food places around. She counted ten running towards the ice cream place and four already at the caramel corn stall. The only two left were Cindy and Will who were debating whether or not to get fries or pizza.

Apparently they decided pizza because three minutes later they were standing in the long line for the single pizza stall on the entire boardwalk. Sighing Lucy sat down and watched Natsu as he slowly moved forward in the line while occasionally checking on the kids that were slowly trickling back over to the benches that Lucy had claimed. Heck Will and Cindy got back before he did. But he did come back eventually and the most important thing was that he came back with fries.

"Are you happy now?" Natsu asked as he sat down beside her with the bucket of fries.

"Did you put vinegar on them?" Lucy asked.

"Yes."

"Then yes, I am" Lucy said before grabbing a handful of fries.

"Sure just go right on ahead and start eating the fries that I stood in line forever to eat" Natsu dramatically while watching Lucy from the corner of his eye.

"I know how tragic" she responded while she waited for him to grab his handful of fries and then promptly shoving them into his mouth. "And that demonstration is why I grab a handful of fries before you" Lucy said before she threw a few more fries from her handful into her mouth.

"Hey you snooze you lose" Natsu said before shoving more fries in his mouth.

"Do you remember that time when we went to the beach last summer with the others" Lucy said as continued munching on her fries.

"Which time-wait are you talking about when Gray found out we put vinegar on our fires?" Natsu asked with a tinge of laughter hiding in his voice as though he was trying not to laugh.

"Yeah I can still see his shocked and disgusted face" Lucy said as Natsu shoved more fries in his mouth "It's like he had found out that we had killed our first born child or something." Natsu than promptly choked on his fries while Lucy began laughing.

In between coughs Natsu managed to spit out "He called us monsters and said we'd go to hell!"

"Ahh that will always be a great memory" Lucy said wiping a tear away from her eye before grabbing more fries.

"Hey Lucy, Lucy, Lucy!"

"What Natsu?" Lucy said turning to him to see him balancing a fry on his nose. She stared at him for a few seconds before replaying "Natsu please, we're in public."

"So?" Natsu said trying to not move his face as to keep the fry on.

"You're a bad influence to the kids" Lucy said while eating her fries.

"Everything's a bad influence" Natsu said simply with a shrug right before the fry toppled off his face and onto the ground.

"See" Lucy said pointing at the offending fry that was soon attacked by seagulls "Now you are going to have one less fry, how do you feel?"

"Terrible" Natsu said hanging his head in mock shame "But that doesn't stop me from eating them!" he exclaimed before grabbing another handful.

"Of course it doesn't" Lucy said with a sigh.

"Hey Luce, you wanna do me a favor?" Natsu asked.

"And what would that be?" Lucy asked as she ate another fry.

Picking up a fry and holding it out to her he said "Throw this fry in my mouth."

"Natsu, no" Lucy said "It won't land in your mouth."

"You don't know that, come on try it! It's not like it's a fry you're not going to eat."

"True" Lucy said, contemplating the matter for a few seconds before taking the fry out of her hand and began to aim it towards his mouth,

"Aww yeah this is going to be so awesome" Natsu said before opening his mouth.

"I just want you to know you look like a gigantic baby bird" Lucy said before she threw the fry at him. Natsu made a noise that sounded like what just as the fry hit his forehead and then slid down his face to the ground.

"Damn" Natsu muttered as he watched the seagulls attack the fry "I thought maybe it would've worked."

"Oh well" Lucy said with a shrug before leaning over and kissing his cheek "At least it hit your cheek."

"True" Natsu said with a nod before gesturing to the fry bucket "But now unfortunately all are fries are gone, whatever shall we do now?"

"I don't know" Lucy said with a shrug "Ask the kids what they want to do; we still have like an hour before we have to get ready to leave."

"Hey, what do you guys wanna do before we leave?" Natsu asked turning around to face the group. He got a few blank stares before he got a response, all of which said they should go to the arcade.

"Well Natsu" Lucy said while standing up "It looks like the people have spoken."

"Yeah, yeah" Natsu said while throwing the greasy bucket away "I heard." Standing up he followed Lucy and the herd of kids to the arcade. Lucy gagged at the smell of stale popcorn and burning plastic. She had forgotten how much she had hated the arcade from the last time Natsu had dragged her in to play air hokey for two hours.

"So Lucy" Natsu said while sliding up next to Lucy, the kids had pretty much all run off to who knows where leaving the two of them alone or however alone you could be in a crowded arcade "You ready for some air hokey."

A smiling crossing her face Lucy said "Bring it on!" and bring it on she did. Lucy ended up being the champion of the ten consecutive games of air hokey.

"Well" Natsu said as he watched Lucy dance around all while loudly declaring how she won "It looks like we know who's better at air hokey, but I'm still the best at Mario Kart."

"I will win that title from you so I can be the ultimate player!" Lucy loudly exclaimed before checking her watch. She may be celebrating her win rather immaturely but that still didn't mean she was going to slack off on her job. "Damn" Lucy said cursing under her breath before turning to Natsu "Looks like we better find the kids and head out."

"Aw man is it time to leave already?" Natsu said with a whine "I was hoping for a rematch."

"We can settle this once we get back to my apartment" Lucy said "But right now we need to find the kids and roll out of here before we get left behind."

"Got it" Natsu said before he disappeared into the depths of the arcade. Five minutes later the two both emerged from the arcade with all their assigned students, most of Lucy's had come to the arcade to wait but went inside when they hadn't seen her standing around.

"Okay then is everyone here, look around to see if we're missing anyone" Lucy said while clasping her hands together and glancing at her watch. They were cutting it close; they were supposed to be meeting at the buses in five minutes. After hearing the reply of no she quickly herded them towards the bus and they ended up getting there only a few minutes behind the time. But it wasn't like they were the only ones that were late, Gajeel's group showed up ten seconds after them.

Mirajane made a comment about how both Natsu and Lucy's groups had ended up together which Lucy choose to ignore for the moment. As everyone loaded onto their respective buses Lucy plopped herself down in a seat in the front and soon was joined by Natsu.

"Man" Lucy said with a sigh before resting her head on Natsu's shoulder "I'm wiped out."

"So were not going to do that rematch when we get back to your place?" Natsu asked with a smile.

"No we are going to have a rematch" Lucy said while looking up at him "I'm going to become the ultimate winner."

"Sure you are" Natsu said with a laugh "But you know I think I know what the loser should have to do."

"Hmm" Lucy asked while turning her face away from him and readjusting her head on his shoulder.

"The loser should have to show off to the other in their bathing suit."

"Did you want to see me in a swim suit that bad?"

"Yes?"

"Fine but you better be ready to take off that stupid t-shirt. I expect to see those muscles."

A/N: Where was I going with that Cindy side story thing, I don't really know? Just a warning that next weeks chapter might be up late.