After putting her books and journals into her bag, Lucy proceeded to go downstairs from her room and toward the front door of her house. Once outside she would head to the library to meet Natsu.
"Just where do you think you're going young lady?" Her father asked her.
"I'm going to the library to study with my partner. We're doing a project."
"I see. Be back by nine Lucy."
"Yes Dad."
She left for the library. Natsu arrived about five minutes after she did.
"Are you sure that you wanted to get started on our project tonight?" Natsu asked. "It doesn't bother you?"
"No. Not at all. Why do you ask? Did you not want to work on it tonight?"
"No it's just that I didn't think you would feel like doing it considering what today is."
"Oh?...Oh...You remembered that today is the anniversary of my mother's death."
"Yeah I did. I thought that you might be too upset to get started."
"No I need something to take my mind off of how sad this date makes me feel."
"I understand...So did you get my flowers?"
"You sent me the flowers?"
"Yep."
"You totally didn't."
"But I did. I always know how sad this day makes you feel so I thought that you might like something to cheer you up a bit."
"That's so sweet."
"Did you like them?"
"I loved them. They're beautiful and they're my favorite flowers. How did you know?"
"Juvia might have mentioned it to me a couple of times."
"Thank you. That's one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me."
"You're welcome. Anything to make you happy."
Lucy blushed and smiled.
"We...We should probably get started on the project."
"Right."
After looking through various books in the library they agreed to do their project on how water freezes and melts. They made a few notes and at 8:30 they decided to call it a night.
"So do you want to get back to the project on Monday?" Lucy asked.
"Sure that sounds cool but uh listen I was wondering if...If you would like to go to the beach with me this weekend?"
"You? And me? Alone? At the beach?"
"Sure we could go fishing, play volleyball, walk on the sand, what do you say?"
"I...I don't know. Can I think about it?"
"Sure. You'll let me know what your decision is right?"
"Of course."
It's not that Lucy didn't want to go to the beach with him it was just that she was worried that it might be too risky. If she were to get wet than he and who knows how many other people would learn her secret. The next day she met up with Juvia and Erza to ask their opinion on it.
"I think you should do it." Erza said. "You seem to like him pretty much."
"But we'll be at the beach. What if he wants to swim?"
"Just tell him that you have an ear infection."
"But what if I get splashed? No I'm going to call him and tell him that I can't."
"Lucy are you sure that you're just not scared?" Juvia asked.
"I'm not scared, I'm just cautious."
"No you're scared." Erza said.
"Lucy you can't be scared of every drop of water that might hit you. You'll never have a life."
"You really think I should go?"
"Definitely." Juvia said. "You'd have a good time."
"Okay. You're right. I should go but um... Could you guys do me a favor?"
"What's that?" Erza said.
Much later...
"She wants us to spy on her date." Erza said as she and Juvia stood behind the large rocks that were located where Lucy and Natsu were supposed to meet.
"Not exactly spy." Juvia said. "She just wants us to stick around in case something wet happens."
"But that's so boring. I don't want to do this."
"You think I do? We're not doing this for enjoyment. We're doing this because we're her friends."
"What I wanna know is, why do I have to be here?" Gray asked.
"Because Gray you're our emergency back up in case all three of us get wet."
"Plus spying works up an appetite and we could use you to go get us some snacks." Erza said.
"What am I? A butler?"
"Well actually...You do look like the butler type."
"Oh come on!'
"Both of you shh! Here comes Natsu." Juvia said.
The three of them kept quiet as Natsu made his way over to Lucy.
"Glad you could come." He told her.
"Thanks for inviting me." She said.
"So after we wait for the sunblock to dry, do you wanna go for a swim?"
"No I can't. I have an ear infection so I can't get wet."
"Oh well that's okay. We can find other fun things to do."
For two hours the two of them smiled and laughed. Playing frisbee and playing volleyball together, Lucy was very glad that she had agreed to do this with him.
"Don't they look cute together?" Juvia smiled.
"Adorable." Erza said sarcastically. "Can we go now? Nothing is going to happen."
"Uh-oh here comes trouble." Gray said.
Just then Minerva and Laxus walked on to the beach.
"Hi Lucy. Hi Natsu." Minerva said in her most fake sweet voice ever.
"Oh great." Natsu groaned under his breath. "Hello Minerva, Laxus, what brings you by?"
"Nothing. We just thought a day at the beach would be fun. Hope that's not a problem."
"No it's not." Lucy said. "We were just about to go fishing."
"Are you two on a date?" Laxus asked.
"No we're just hanging out."
"Come on Lucy let's get started before all the good fish swim away." Natsu said.
They moved their beach chairs a little closer to the water but Lucy made sure that hers was at a spot where the water couldn't touch her. Then they each grabbed a fishing pole that Natsu brought and cast their lines. Unfortunately, Lucy had trouble casting hers out.
"Having trouble?" Natsu chuckled after seeing Lucy become tangled in her line.
"A little." Lucy said feeling embarrassed.
"Here let me show you how it's done."
Natsu helped Lucy untangle herself and moved his arms over here which made her blush. He moved the fishing pole with her and helped her cast it perfectly.
When Minerva saw Natsu and Lucy together she felt very jealous. You see Minerva had been throwing herself at Jellal for lord knows how long but she's always turned her down which greatly confused and upset her because she was "In the popular crowd." So she didn't think it was fair that someone "In the unpopular crowd." Managed to get her crush to notice her.
"Hey Laxus." Minerva said.
"What?"
"Have you noticed that Lucy is doing everything she can to avoid getting wet."
"Yeah, Juvia probably got to her with that fear of the water she has."
"Well it sure has gotten very hot out here. I think she could use some cooling off."
Realizing what she was hinting at, Laxus grinned wickedly and without warning he scooped up Lucy and threw her into the nearest wave.
"Oh no!" Juvia and Erza cried.
"Laxus what's the matter with you?" Natsu asked angrily.
"What? She looked like she needed a swim."
"You're such a colossal jerk Laxus!"
Natsu then started to search the water for Lucy.
"Oh this is not good." Gray said.
"We have to do something before they see her." Juvia said.
"I have an idea. Juvia throw water at Laxus."
"Why?"
"Just do it."
Juvia raised her hand causing a bubble of water to rise up and she threw it at the back of Laxus's head. He angrily turned to Natsu.
"Hey!" He grabbed Natsu by the arm.
"What?"
"Don't play dumb Dragneel! I know you threw water at me!"
"No I didn't."
"You calling me a liar?!"
"No. Let go of me! I have to help Lucy!"
"I'll let you go after you apologize."
"I'm not apologizing for something I didn't do."
"Fine! If that's the way you want it!"
He shoved Natsu under water but he quickly bounced back up.
"That's it!"
He started to wrestle him. Soon the two were in a water brawl.
"That should keep them busy." Erza said. "Come on we gotta get Lucy."
"Gray you stay here and cover for us." Juvia said.
"Right." He told her.
The girls saw an orange fish tail swimming near the other side of the beach. Juvia quickly grabbed one of the towels Lucy had brought and went with Erza to the other side. There they found Lucy washed ashore. Luckily no one was around.
"Are you okay?" Juvia asked covering Lucy with the towel.
"No one saw me if that's what you mean." She sighed. "Can't believe Laxus just threw me into the water."
"I can." Juvia said remembering when he and Jellal threw her into Minerva's pool last week.
"I'd be willing to bet he did it because Minerva told him too. He and Jellal are basically her puppets." Erza said.
"Of all the things Minerva and Laxus could ruin for me it had to be this." Lucy sighed. "And Natsu and I were having such a wonderful time."
"I'm sorry Lucy." Juvia said.
"You should freeze Laxus and Minerva's behinds for this." Erza said.
"No. No I won't stoop to their level. Just dry me off so I can go home."
Erza steam dried Lucy's tail which caused her to grow her legs back. She stood up and sadly walked back home.
"This is just terrible and everything was going so well." Juvia said.
"Yeah well Lucy might be too mature to stoop to their level but I'm not." Erza said cracking her knuckles.
"What are you going to do?"
"Don't worry I won't hurt them."
"Erza I really don't think-"
"Now you just make sure that Lucy gets home alright."
"Okay but please don't do anything you'll regret."
"Trust me I'm not going to regret this. Not at all."
Being as quiet as a mouse and as discreet as a bat, Erza followed Laxus and Minerva to the park. They were standing by a stand that was selling bottled drinks. She proceeded to heat up the juice and sodas inside the bottles making them boil and simmer until at last they explode out of their bottles and fell all over Laxus and Minerva. Covering them in sticky, sugary liquid that ruined a brand new outfit Minerva was wearing.
"You idiot! What did you do?!" She screamed at Laxus.
"Me?! I didn't do anything?!"
"This outfit cost me three hundred dollars! You are so paying for this!"
"No way! I didn't do this!"
Erza laughed to herself as she watched them bicker.
"Erza!" She was startled to see Natsu running her way. She hoped that he hadn't of seen what she did. "Hey Erza do you know where Lucy is? We were at the beach when Laxus threw her into the ocean and she just disappeared."
"She's okay. She went home."
"That's a relief. Listen I really need to talk to her. Could you tell her to call me?"
"I think that can be arranged." Erza said with an approving smile.
"Great." He looked over to see Laxus and Minerva dripping in juice and soda. "What happened to them?"
"That my pink haired friend is called karma." The red head chuckled.