Chapter Ninety-Six: Goals
Erza waited until the hostess sat them down at their table before beginning, pulling out a manila envelope and some flashcards. "So, we usually do this in the morning before school, but we weren't all together, so here we are."
Erza passed the cards around the table while Lucy gave hers a puzzled look. "What's this for?"
"To write down your goal," Erza started, wondering why Lucy looked confused. "Remember a few months ago when we all looked at our cards on the last day of school? We're going to write down our goals for this school year. Didn't Natsu remind you? Natsu? Didn't you tell her?"
The boy in question cringed, feeling sweat bead on the back of his neck when Erza glared. "Shoot! I dropped the ball on that one. Sorry."
"It's okay," Lucy assured, moving to grab her purse to retrieve a pen. She ignored her menu for the time being as she pondered what her goal for the school year would be, a smile gracing her lips as she thought of the perfect one.
I want to make a friend my age.
She hoped her friends wouldn't be offended by her goal. Surely they understood, seeing as they were all seniors while she was just a junior. She didn't want to spend next year alone, so she would make it her mission to befriend someone in the same grade as her.
She resisted the urge to peek at Natsu or Levy's card, the two sitting on either side of her. When everyone was finished, they passed their cards to Erza, watching as she sealed the envelope before passing it around the table.
Everyone signed their initials on the seal, making sure it wouldn't be opened prematurely. Lucy listened as the group discussed their previous years with their tradition, Lucy, Levy, and Gajeel joining for the first time that year.
"Alright, we'll see these again next year," Erza said, tucking the envelope into her bag for safekeeping.
"How was everyone's first day?" Levy asked, starting a round of conversation over their different classes, only pausing when the waiter came to take their orders.
Natsu frowned when the waiter gave Lucy more attention than everyone else. He knew he went to their school, but he couldn't quite place the name with the face, but that didn't matter. He didn't like how friendly he was being with Lucy, which only made his stomach roll as he thought about the hypocrisy.
'I'm over here telling Lucy to trust me, when I'm getting jealous too. But that guy is totally flirting with her! Look at him with his fancy hair and cheeky grin!' Natsu almost growled when it was his turn to order, but he behaved himself, not wanting to make a fool in front of everyone.
When the waiter walked away and the conversation returned, Natsu dipped his head, trying to sort out his muddled thoughts. 'I guess I can see why Lucy would be upset. She told me how she felt and I just shrugged it off like her feelings didn't matter. Fuck, I'm a jerk. There's really nothing to worry about with me and Beth though. We're just friends, that's it!'
Natsu grit his teeth, wishing it were that simple. 'But that doesn't mean her jealous wasn't real, just like I know she wouldn't ditch me for some other guy but I'm still feeling sick to my stomach seeing some other guy being all friendly with her. Ugh! Emotions suck. Feelings suck. Being a teenager sucks.'
"Natsu?"
"Everything sucks," he muttered before looking up, realizing all eyes were on him. He blinked, face growing pale as he wondered how much he said aloud. "Uh, yes?"
Gray was the one to cock his head, catching his attention. "I asked what you were doing after this?"
"Oh. I uh..." A flush spread over his face when he realized how silly he looked, Natsu clearing his throat before saying, "I'm not sure."
"Juvia and I are going to my house to watch a movie. I was seeing who all wanted to come."
"I'd be interested," Erza said before looking at the others. "What about everyone else?"
"Well," Levy started, holding back a smile. "Gajeel and I are, um, we're—"
"Getting some piercings," her boyfriend finished, not looking the least bit fazed. "Short-stacks over here is getting an industrial while I'm getting my tongue done."
"Do you need any more piercings?" Natsu asked, unable to figure out why his cousin wanted that many. His eyebrows and ears were filled, but that didn't seem good enough.
"Don't need 'em, but no one can stop me from gettin' 'em."
"What's an industrial piercing?" Lucy asked, causing Levy to pull up an example on her phone. "It's the bar piercing on the top of your ear. I already called. They're going to do two individual hoops, then when it heals I can put a real bar in it."
"That'll be really cute!" Lucy grinned. "Can I come?"
Before Levy could nod, Natsu said, "I wanna go too."
"I guess it'll just be the three of us for movie night," Gray mumbled before Erza shook her head.
"Oh no, I'm not getting suckered into that one again."
"What do you mean?" Juvia asked, earning a groan from their redheaded friend.
"I remember the last time I played third wheel to you two. Halfway through the movie you ended up making out on the couch while I had to try to pretend I couldn't hear you."
Juvia and Gray's faces were naturally pale, but they lit up like tomatoes at the mention of being caught. Unable to conjure a good excuse for their behavior, Erza sighed, letting them off the hook.
"I think I'll go home instead. It's never too early to get a start on my campaign."
"For student body president?" Lucy asked.
Erza nodded, her shoulders straightening as a prideful look came over her, speaking as if she were campaigning that moment. "Yes. I think I'm the only logical choice for the job!"
"Well, you have my vote," Lucy said, seeing her friend's eyes sparkle.
"She's obviously going to win," Natsu said, half-grinning when he saw their food approaching the table.
"No doubt about it," Gray added.
"Can I still count on your help to make posters this year?"
"Absolutely!" Juvia said, everyone else nodding as well.
"Excellent," Erza beamed before receiving her cake, which she ordered instead of an entree. "This year is going to be great! I can just feel it."
"How much do you think it's gonna hurt?" Natsu asked, trying to keep his tongue from touching the top of bottom of his mouth, not wanting to imagine the pain Gajeel was about to endure.
"I don't know. I've only gotten my ears done, but the tongue..." Lucy shook her head before glancing over at Levy, the girl picking out which hoops she wanted to go with for her industrial piercing.
Her eyes flitted around the lobby of the tattoo and piercing shop, seeing the odd decor hanging on the walls while soft leopard print carpet rested under her feet. The place was strange, but it didn't seem scary or unsanitary, which Lucy assumed it would feel like before entering the shop.
Natsu stood up, catching Lucy's attention. He grabbed a binder off the counter, returning to his seat before thumbing through the pages. Artwork adorned each sheet, sometimes multiple pieces, sometimes large ones taking up a whole page.
Lucy watched, intrigued when Natsu paused on a particular page before moving on. She smiled softly, resting her cheek on her hand as she leaned towards his chair. "See anything you like?"
He shrugged before glancing her way. "When I get one I'd wanna draw it myself."
'When, not if,' she noted.
Lucy nodded, asking, "Anything in mind?"
"I have a few ideas, something with fire for sure."
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, not surprised. "Obviously, what else?"
"Maybe a dragon?"
"Maybe?" Lucy asked, tilting her head.
Natsu's lip twitched before he smiled, eyes leaving the pages to rest his gaze on her. "I wanna be sure before getting anything permanent."
"A tattoo's a big commitment. That can be pretty scary," she said, only to see determination flash in Natsu's eyes, his voice unwavering as he spoke.
"I'm not afraid of commitment."
Lucy's blush started just as she leaned in to kiss his cheek, skimming the edge of his bandage. She pulled back, seconds away from leaning into a real kiss before he whispered, "Kinda wish we were alone."
Her lips pulled into a devious smile, already plotting their escape. "Think they'd notice if we ditched them?"
Before either could execute their plan, the moment was ruined as Gajeel's laughter filled the lobby. "That didn't even hurt!"
Lucy didn't bother holding in her sigh, pulling all the way back into her seat. "Never mind."
"I still think we have a chance," Natsu whispered, but neither made an attempt to leave, especially when Levy came in right afterwards. They couldn't see the two new additions to Levy's ears, the girl holding a napkin to the fresh piercings to stop the blood.
"So what's it feel like?" Natsu asked, perking up when he saw Gajeel moving his cheeks as he played with the new piercing in his mouth. "Does it taste like you're sucking on a quarter?"
"Why don't you get your punk ass in there and find out yourself?" Gajeel fired off, smirking when Natsu couldn't come up with a response quickly enough.
"Whatever," Natsu started,loosening the scarf around his neck before standing up. "So, did you guys have anything else you wanted to do?"
Lucy almost hoped there was nothing else planned, that way her and Natsu could sneak away for some much-needed alone time, but that idea was thwarted as soon as Levy suggested something that actually sounded a little better than lip-locking with her boyfriend.
"Anyone up for laser tag?"
After a fifteen minute drive, the group arrived at an entertainment venue which housed bowling, indoor mini golf, laser tag, and many various arcade games.
"You'll love it," Levy said as they strapped on their vests, sensors all over their chests and backs. The gun was attached to a belt that plugged into the vest, neither activated until one minute after the game began, or so said the instructor as they lined up.
"You sure you can play with your toe like that?" Natsu asked, earning a nod from his cousin.
"I'll be fine. I'm just gonna stick to the bottom floor and walk. Ain't no way I'm sitting out on all the fun."
"Alright, but don't go complaining when you hurt yourself worse."
"Let's go," the instructor said, opening a door.
"This is excited," Lucy all but squealed as she stepped forward with the others, walking into the dark arena. The walls, stairs, and floors were outlined with a glowing light, ensuring they would know where they were going.
"Have fun!" Natsu yelled as he patted Lucy's back before running away, afraid he would end up on opposite sides of her or his friends. They wouldn't know which team they were on until the game began, meaning no one could be trusted.
"Bye Lucy!" Levy shouted as some music started playing all around them. It was faint, but the volume increased just as a woman's robotic voice started counting down from ten.
"Nine... Eight... Seven..."
Lucy ran upstairs, her heart pumping quickly despite them not starting yet. Some parts of her clothes glowed from the blacklight, making her stand out, but most of the others around her glowed as well.
"Six... Five... Four..."
She took a deep breath before stopping, finding herself in the corner of the room, able to see to the other side of the area. It surprised her how massive it was considering it didn't look like the building could hold such a place, but her thoughts quickly disappeared until only one objective was left.
'Win.'
"Three... Two... One..."
The music stopped, the hairs on Lucy's neck and arms raising as the voice overhead said, "Let the game begin."
Something that sounded like electronic dance music blasted immediately, riling everyone up as bodies scattered around the arena, their guns and vests lighting up either either blue or red. Lucy had blue, her eyes sharp as she scanned around her for anyone wearing red as she dashed through what felt like a maze.
"Oh shoot!" a guy yelled when she got him, his vest flashing for a second before his colors turned to yellow, signalling he was in cool down mode. He couldn't shoot or be shot for the next ten seconds, giving him a chance to run away.
Lucy didn't bother with him, taking off before he could try to get revenge on her. Her teeth glowed as she grinned, hooked on the rush as she shot at more people, not even taking it that badly when she was shot back a few times, her vest vibrating with each hit.
The first game lasted fifteen minutes, but Lucy swore it felt twice as long. By the time the lights came on and everyone was directed towards the exit, she was sweating and panting.
"There she is!" Natsu grinned when Lucy made it to the room where people were discarding their vests and guns. "How'd you do?"
"That was amazing!" Lucy shouted, ignoring the question. "I didn't see any of you though. What team were you on?"
"How did you not see me?" Levy asked as she pouted. "You shot me like three times!"
"I did?" Lucy gaped, stunned when Levy nodded.
"The last time you laughed as you ran away. You don't remember that?"
Lucy's eyes widened, unable to say anything except, "I'm sorry."
Levy shivered, exaggerating as she said, "I think I'm going to have nightmares about it."
"I saw her, but she passed right by me since we were on the same team," Gajeel laughed. "I told her to save some for the rest of us."
"Now I do remember that," Lucy said, blushing when Natsu grinned at her. "What team were you on?"
"Red. I tried shooting at you once, but you wouldn't stay still."
"I didn't see any of you, or I thought I didn't," Lucy sighed before jolting, the instructor's voice catching everyone's attention.
"The scores are on the screen right outside. If you're playing again get in line like before. If not, thank you for joining us today!"
"Come on! Let's see how we did!" Natsu shouted, grabbing Lucy's hand before jerking her out of the room, leaving Levy and Gajeel behind.
As soon as they found the screen, Lucy started reading down the list, finding the number associated with her vest. Her eyes crinkled as she smiled, seeing she came in third place overall and second place on her team. "I did really good!"
"Yeah you did," Natsu whispered, snaking an arm around her waist to give her a sideways hug. "Great job!" He came in second on his team as well, but he got fifth overall.
"Awww," Levy whined when she saw her score. She came in last on both, but when Gajeel gave her a hug from behind and told her she still got three points, her face lit up with a smile.
"Who's ready for round two?" Natsu asked, making a gun with his finger. "Now I know who I'm competing with!" He eyed Lucy, the girl laughing in response.
"Hopefully we're all on the same team next time, that way we can just help each other."
"Nah, I'd rather us fight!" Natsu grinned, enjoying the sparkle in Lucy's eyes. "You ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," Lucy said, letting him lead her to the line again. Gajeel and Levy followed, the four waiting until another game to end before they could start.
"I'm going to the bathroom to dry my armpits," Levy whispered while Lucy held back a laugh. The guys were already in the bathrooms, cleaning up after the third intense round.
Lucy pushed her bangs out of her face before pulling out her phone, getting comfortable on a bench while she waited for her friends. She scrolled through her social media page before clicking on her internet app, planning on looking at the newest things from HK.
It wouldn't be long before she received her allowance, and Lucy wanted a new outfit for the upcoming pictures that would be taken for the yearbook. She had never had a picture in a yearbook, and she would be lying if she said she wasn't excited for the opportunity.
However, that excitement vanished as soon as the website loaded. Her smile quickly dropped, brows furrowing when she saw an unexpected face on the home screen of the HK website.
"What the..."
Lucy's face fell when she read the headliner, her body weighing heavier as the words sunk in.
"She's... no..." She couldn't be sure if she spoke or not, her whispered words drowned out by the racing thoughts in her head.
There, adorned in HK's latest dress, was Jenny Realight. Lucy didn't want to believe it, but the girl who helped destroy Natsu's confidence was now signed on as an HK model.
'Are you serious?!' She wanted to shout, her eyes narrowing as heat swept through her veins. It wasn't fair. Someone like Jenny didn't deserve to be in the spotlight, especially modeling for the most famous brand in Fiore.
The first thought that crossed Lucy's mind was to call Jenny out, to go public with what that hateful girl had done and see her world crumble around her, but she stopped herself, taking a few breaths while focusing on the consequences of such an action.
Not only was there a good chance no one would believe her, she couldn't do that to Natsu. It wasn't her place to expose the truth, and she didn't know if Natsu even wanted that. It seemed he preferred to bury it so it could never see the light of day, and she couldn't risk hurting him like that.
The thought of causing him pain made her heart hurt, Lucy's anger fading as reality set in.
'This isn't so bad,' she thought, taking a few mindful breaths to ease into the news. 'It's not like she's going to be modeling everything, and Natsu's probably not going to see because I doubt he even cares about fashion. Not to say he dresses poorly, just that he's not out there dressing like Loke or something.'
A small chuckle escaped as Lucy tired to imagine Natsu's dressing up in a suit every day for school like Loke did. While he did look good during the dance in his suit, she thought his current style fit him much better.
"Whatcha looking at?"
Lucy jumped, literally jumped out of her seat as she yelped, startled by Natsu's sudden appearance. He covered his mouth and laugh as she struggled to catch her breath, amused by her reaction. "You okay?"
"Oh my gosh!" She pressed a hand to her chest, feeling the rapid pulses. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"It might run in the family," Natsu started, his demeanor changing as he realized what he said.
Lucy watched as the color drained from his face, his mouth gaping as he struggled to redeem himself. "I'm so— Oh fuck I promise I didn't, shit. I'm sorry!"
Lucy shook her head as she patted her chest, still recovering from her scare. "You're fine, promise." She breathed out, relieved when her heartbeat calmed. "Are you done?" She looked over his shoulder, wondering where Levy and Gajeel had gone.
"Yeah, but Levy and Lughead are looking at the arcade games. I came over to see if you wanted to join? Or maybe do something else?"
Lucy smiled, the disturbing news about HK fading as she nodded. "I'd like to do mini golf, if you're up for it?"
"Sure! Sounds great!"
Natsu gave her his signature grin, extending a hand out before leading her to the other side of the building where the two would finally get some alone time, just not in the way they originally thought.
Here's the last update of 2019! Thank you so much for stopping by and reading! I appreciate all the support and patience! Seriously! Thank you! Shout out to those amazing people who reviewed last time: stranger1999, sakshishetty3003, xMuffinsx, shootingstarssel, Lodemai04, Michiamotippete, FTAnt, FairyTailxFanGirl, SistershoOk, SweatyFalcon, CelestialDreamer15, Dark Shining Light, Princess Dragneel, Mademart, Kitty9453, FlameDragonHime, cOokIe-MOnzTa, Duchixx, Stubenhocker, Shonix13, CupcakeGoddess22, Guest, Shonix13, Wolfcry77(x2), Nina of Fairy Tail, Guest, biscoiju, xhope14x, and fairytailfanatic0703! And as always, thank you to those who favorited and/or followed this story! Your support really means a lot to me!
I got an industrial piercing early 2019, but took it out after about 3 or 4 months because it got infected and it didn't seem worth it to try to save the piercing, so I took them out. It took maybe 6 months, but now the bumps are virtually gone where the piercings were. I also got my nipples pierced in January of 2019, but I took those out too for more *NSFW* reasons, mostly sensitivity issues. Never got my tongue pierced, have no desire to do so, but I'm pretty sure Gajeel would be down for it, lol.
How ironic is it that I'm posting this chapter on New Year's Eve when people will be making resolutions/goals for the upcoming year? It's good to have goals. I have eight total for 2020, but here are half of them I hope to accomplish this year:
*Pay off credit card (Yikes!)
*Watch 6 movies by myself (Yay! Independence!)
*Update fanfics at least 10 times (Need to progress these stories!)
*Enjoy life; find a little enjoyment every day (Yolo!)
It's good to have goals, but also don't beat yourself up if you don't achieve them. We have all the time in the world.
So, what are some of your goals/New Year's resolutions? Hope everyone is optimistic about 2020! I know I am! Thank you for stopping by! Let me know what you think, and have a great day/night!
Up next, Chapter Ninety-Seven: Tour