Hello everyone! Yes it's has been more than a long time I know but I've finally gotten some more free time and I have been getting myself together. I have a couple of new chapters that I'm working on as well as other original stories but I'm going to TRY and keep posting for this fix because I love it. Anyway it's not the best chapter but I hope you like it. Enjoy!
Two weeks had passed by since the game between us and saber. In those two weeks I had hardly gone outside except to practice violin in my backyard. After the end of summer festival was another music competition and I had to practice. Natsu came over every now and again just to sit and watch me practice, but never said a word until I did.
Finally the festival was upon us. All day Natsu and I had hung out. We met the team at the park and played for a while and watched as parties happened all around us. On our water breaks we would watch as groups of kids played tag, hide and go seek, and combined their groups for other fun games. The parents setting up tables, chairs, food, etc. kept a watchful eye on them. After we had settled the game of 2-3, Grays team with the win, we all went for ice cream as the day was hot. The ice cream shops all around town were packed with parents and children alike.
After we had all finished our ice cream Natsu and I headed home. First a shower and then a small lunch before we went to help one of moms close friends with her booth at the festival. Natsu would meet up with me later. After we had lunch, we headed for the festival. Mom was always insistent that I wear a yukata when I wandered around the festival. So she brought it along with us for me to change into when we were done helping.
"Lucy dear!" Mom called out to me.
"Yea mom?"
"Could you go get my bag for me? I left it in the car and I need the tape."
"Sure." I replied and hurried away. I didn't do much except hold things for them and get them drinks when they needed it. It still made me feel important though.
As I approached the car I heard voices on the other side. I bent down to see if there were people passing by and saw 4 pairs of feet. I rounded the car to see who was there.
"It's you!" I pointed at the blue hair in front of my eyes.
The petite girl with blue hair turned around. "Lucy? What are you doing here?"
"Helping my mom and her friend set up a booth. What are you doing here, Levy?" I asked excitedly.
"Just hanging around. Oh Lucy, this is my friend Erza, Cana, and Mirajane." she gestured to a tall girl with red hair, a medium sized girl with brown hair, and another girl with equal height to her with white hair. "Girls this is Lucy."
"Hello." They all said in unison.
"Are you going to attend the festival later?" Levy asked.
"Yeah, but my friend Natsu is going to meet up with me later."
"That pink haired kid that's always loud and causing trouble?" Erza inquired.
I sighed both inwardly and outward. "Yup that's him alright."
"Are you sure he's just your friend? Or is he your, BOYFRIEND?!" Cana teased loudly.
I felt my cheeks grow hot and my heart beat faster. Quickly I waved my hands and shook my head. "N-no! Natsu and I are just friends!"
"Cana leave poor Lucy alone." Mirajane scolded her. "Don't mind her she likes to tease everyone."
"Anyway I better get back my mom needs help with the booth. See you!"
"See you Lucy!" Levy and her friends replied and off I went.
I rounded the car and grabbed moms bag, then raced back to the booth where my parents were waiting.
"What took you so long honey?" Mom asked worriedly.
"Sorry, I saw some friends and went to say hi."
"Oh, and are these friends attending the festival today?"
"I think so." I answered, then sat down on a chair patiently waiting for the festival to start.
..~*~..
A few hours later I was dressed in my yukata and my hair was done nicely thanks to mom. Dad and I waited at the entrance of the festival for Natsu and Igneel to arrive so we could walk around the festival. Dad promised that Natsu and I would be able to walk around by ourselves but he and Igneel would be close behind watching out for us.
"Luce!" A familiar voice called.
"Natsu!" I waved to him and Igneel.
Upon arriving Igneel complimented my yukata, Natsu stood quiet. To which the red headed man smacked the back of his sons head and gave him a stern look.
"You look great Luce." He complimented forcedly.
"Thanks, you don't look too bad yourself." I returned the half hearted compliment.
We spent most of the time wandering around the festival playing games and eating various foods throughout. As we walked around we saw groups of older kids not dressed in yukatas but in regular clothing. There were boys and girls talking, laughing and having a good time. I couldn't wait to be like them. Hanging out with Natsu and our friends with no parents around to watch us. I turned to my best friend who was busy looking at a wall of masks.
"Hey Luce, what'dya think?" He turned to me with a gorilla mask strung to his head.
"Fits you perfectly Natsu." I laughed.
"LUUCYYYY!" someone shouted from a few booths down.
It was Levy, Erza, Cana, and Mirajane, along with two other white haired kids, one of which was Elfman.
"Hi Levy. Erza, Cana, Mirajane."
"Hey Elfman." Natsu and I said in unison.
"Sup guys." He replied.
"Elfman you know these two?" Mirajane turned to him surprised.
"Yeah we play soccer together all the time." He told her.
"Guys this is my older sister Mirajane. She's totally a man!" He shouted.
"Dude, your sister isn't a man." Natsu said straight faced and annoyed.
"Oh, right, girls this is Natsu. Natsu meet Levy, Erza, Cana, and Mirajane."
"Have you met our younger sister, Lisanna?" Mira jumped in a little too fast.
Lisanna was a petite girl with white hair up to her shoulders. She wore a red yukata with gold trimmings and her hair had two small braids on either side that met up in the back of her head.
"Hello, my name is Lucy." I introduced myself.
"Hello." She said softly.
I looked toward Natsu who was staring blank faced at the new girl in front of us. To which I elbowed him discreetly and he finally introduced himself.
"Natsu." He stated, and she simply smiled as her hello.
Our groups split up and it was just me and Natsu again.
"You were pretty spaced out in front of Lisanna back there." I started.
"Huh? Oh, yeah." Pink head responded.
"You sure you weren't starting to crush on her?" I teased, poking my friends arm.
"What? Ew Luce, no way!" He stuck out his tongue in disgust.
It was nearing the end of the festival and that meant it was almost time for the fireworks. Natsu and I found my parents and Igneel and waited on a small grassy hill next to a tree, for the fireworks to start. It wasn't completely above the crowd but it was high enough to see them light the night sky. Soon the sky was filled with flashes of blues, reds, greens, yellows, and many other colors. I watched in childlike wonder as each new firework popped a different color and younger kids 'oohed' and 'awed' in harmony.
..~*~..
The next day was another busy and long one for me. Waking up at 6 am to get ready and arrive at the music hall by 7:15 am to practice with my music instructor. Natsu was going to arrive with my parents and Igneel before I had to go backstage. After half an hour of practicing and fine tuning I sat on a bench by myself drinking water and waiting for my family to get here.
"Hey Lucy."
I looked up excitedly not to see my best friend but to see, "Sting."
"Where're your parents?" he asked.
"They'll be here before I have to go on stage. What are you doing here? How come you're by yourself?" I pointed out that the rest of saber wasn't with him.
"They didn't know I was coming." He smiled and rubbed the back of his head. Suddenly, his face became very serious. "But I'm also not staying to watch you this time."
He must have noticed my mood change with his statement because his eyes became soft.
"What do you mean you're not staying?" I asked, my voice a little hoarse.
"Obviously last time Natsu didn't like me being there. I don't want to ruin this day too so I'm not staying." He finished sadly.
There were no words that I could say that would make him consider staying. I saw it in his expression. He genuinely did not want anything like last time to happen. After he gave me a cheer up speech, he hugged me good luck and we said our goodbyes. I sat for another fifteen minutes before Natsu, Igneel, and my parents showed up to wish me good luck. Then, I went backstage to get a little more practice in and also a little bit of rest.
..~*~..
A week had passed by and we tried to enjoy it as much as possible. In two more days there was no staying up late, staying over each other's house during the week night or any fun sort of activity until homework, chores, and music were done with. It was a bittersweet time for kids of all ages. They would finally be able to see each other everyday again, as most of them had went on trips elsewhere for the summer, but they would also have homework and club activities to focus on for the next several months. Like I said, a bittersweet time for most kids.
Two days later and school started up again. The last weekend of summer was over before we knew it. Mom was up bright and early as usual and came to knock on my door around 6:30.
"Lucy, dear, it's time to get up. Breakfast will be ready soon, you don't want to be late to the first day of your new year." I could hear her trot off back down stairs to finish up breakfast.
I was up and ready sooner than I had anticipated, ate breakfast and went to school early. I found my class list, searched for both mine and Natsus name and any of our friends, then headed off to class to find my seat. Nothing interesting happened in our second year except that someone had seen Natsu and I alone together at the festival and spread a rumor we were boyfriend and girlfriend. Many of the kids believed it as we were always together, whether it was walking to school, from school, playing soccer with the team, in class, they had enough "evidence" to confirm we were more than just friends. But we knew the truth and so did the rest of our team, or so we thought.
One day Natsu and I were eating lunch together and the guys came up to us with very serious business faces on. Loke slammed his hands on our desks to get our attention.
"Can fwe help fyou?" Natsu said with a mouth full of food.
"We heard you two are secretly together. Is that true?" Loke inquired.
"No." came our annoyed, unison responses.
"Then why are you two always together?" Jet asked.
"Really you guys?" Natsu stood up. "We live next door to each other you idiots. We're friends. What's so wrong with that?"
"You're even defending yourselves!" Loke shouted.
Finally I stood up and slammed my palms on the table. "You would defend yourselves if you were accused of something false too, wouldn't you?!"
The classroom became quiet, at least for the first time for me. I'm sure they had noticed and become quiet as soon as the encounter had happened. Loke remained quiet, as did Gray, Elfman, and Jet. After a moment of silence I spoke.
"So? What's your answer?" I was now standing straight up and my hands were in fists resting on my hips, my face in a pout.
"I- I.." the ginger stuttered.
"Loke if you want to keep your friends I suggest you don't believe rumors before you get the truth." I sat back down and continued eating my lunch. Natsu sat back down without another word and that was the end of that. The rest of the year went just as the year before had, school, homework, chores, music, and then free time.
well that's it for this chapter like I said not much but it's something. Anyway as always let me know what you think maybe where you want this to go what you would like to see things like that. Again constructive criticism is always welcome destructive is not! Until next time.
