Chapter 3

It is the last class of the day and Lucy is eager to leave. The seconds are ticking by on the clock near the doorway. Just a few more minutes and she can leave to get ready for practice out on the field.

She looks back down at the book she is reading for pleasure. Lucy finished the math tests not too long ago and she is reading to pass the time. Other students are still working so everyone needs to be quiet.

As soon as the bell does ring, students stand up to gather their things and leave.

"Heartfilia, I need to see you before you go," Mr. Clive says.

She is surprised really because it is strange he would want to see her after class. She is a good student who turns everything in on time and has never caused trouble for the teacher. After picking up her things, she walks up to the desk. "Yes?"

The muscular teacher holds up a stack of papers in a hand. "I don't have the worksheet assignment from you."

She is stunned. "But I turned it in at the beginning!"

Mr. Clive uses his other hand to fan through the stack like a desk of cards. "I went through them all while you guys were taking the test. Yours is the only one I'm missing."

"That's impossible. I put it in the pile when I walked into the room."

"Heartfilia, I went through all of the worksheets in that pile. I didn't see yours in it."

Lucy's mind starts racing. She knows she put it in the pile when she walked past his desk to get to her seat. It makes no sense for her worksheet not to be with the others.

"It's okay if you didn't turn it in–"

"But I did!" she bursts, not meaning to.

Mr. Clive rubs a hand over his stubbly beard. "Then where did it go?"

Lucy holds out a hand. "May I see the worksheets? Maybe it's just sticking to one of them."

"Knock yourself out."

She goes through each of the pieces of papers, completely dumbstruck when she does not see the one with her name on it. "I don't… get it…" Lucy starts going through the pile again just to be sure she did not skip it.

Mr. Clive walks around his desk and takes a seat. He runs a hand through his shoulder-length light brown hair that is slicked back in its usual style. "I don't want you stressing now, Heartfilia."

"But I am stressing!" she admits. "My worksheet isn't here even though I turned it in."

"Are you sure you did? For this class? You're not thinking of turning an assignment in for another class you had?"

"I'm positive, Mr. Clive. Positive."

His dark eyes quickly shoot over to the classroom clock before looking back at Lucy. "Huh. Got any ideas?"

A thought comes to mind. "Could you have moved it?"

He blinks. "Moved it?"

Lucy nods. "Like moved it somewhere else? Or misplaced it?"

He shrugs and looks at his messy desk that is utter chaos. "Maybe." He looks up at her. "Want to help me look for it?"

"But I have practice in a little bit…" She has burned out time already that she would be spending on relaxing and changing out of her uniform for something more comfortable. Practice starts fifteen minutes after school lets out on the dot because that is how the band director likes it.

"Then you won't leave the room until I find it," he says. "Helping me may lead to one of us finding it faster."

"Just let me tell someone where I am." Lucy takes out her phone and texts Natsu a short message explaining she is being held captive by Mr. Clive until they find her worksheet. Then she gets to work on looking for her assignment.

The two start on each end of the cluttered desk. Minutes later, her worksheet is still nowhere to be found. Lucy groans loudly. "I'm going to miss all of practice at this rate."

"If it's here, then one of us will find it, Heartfilia," Mr. Clive says to comfort her. A buzzing sound comes from his pocket and he pulls out his phone to check it.

"Do you have somewhere to be?" Lucy asks.

He jumps in surprise and looks at her. "Huh? Oh, uh, no." Then he busies himself by looking in his work bag.

She gets back to looking over an area of the desk she already checked.

"Found it!" Mr. Clive starts laughing when he pulls out her worksheet. "I put it with a wrong period!"

She sighs in relief. "At least you found it." Then Lucy jolts in realization. "I have to go!"

"Sorry about that, Heartfilia!" he shouts as she speeds out of the classroom.

While Lucy hurries down the hall to the band locker she shares with Natsu, she texts him again.

Lucy: I'll be there soon! It's like Clive didn't even remember looking at my worksheet and it ended up in some other period!

She copies and pastes the message and sends it to Levy, just in case she has her phone on her. Then she sprints to the locker and opens it up. There is a note from Natsu taped to the door and she takes the time to read it.

Luceeeeeee,

I hope you've had a wonderful day so far, beautiful! Sure we have school and the football game keeping us busy, but I promise to take you out on a real date to celebrate. Because seven years of being together is a great reason to celebrate! :)

We could go out to your favorite restaurant this weekend and maaaybe I'll dress up for you! Just lemme know whatcha think and we'll plan something out for sure!

It also reads "Love, Natsu" in giant letters at the bottom of the paper.

She cannot help the smile spreading across her face. "I love you, too, Natsu."


A/N Part 1: Edited as of 3/27/2016


nicole143mb: I willlllllllllll :D I plan on making this only seven chapters long to keep going with the seven theme of the fic!