Chapter 2
"Oi!", I called out to a tall, bald man in front of me. He turns around slightly. "Are you the Natsu Dragneel everyone has been talking about?"
He smiles slightly and keeps walking. "Hey! Natsu Dragneel!" I ran up to him and grabbed his arm. "I need to talk to you!"
The bald man suddenly turned around and gripped my shoulders. I stared right into his face. But... I don't see a face. I don't see a face at all, but it seems somewhat normal.
"N-Natsu...?"
He stares at me with invisible eyes. "Punpuun!"
"Ha!", I jump. I open my eyes wide and clutched the pink comforter. "Ha... ha... ha...", I panted.
"Punpu?", Plue climbed on my chest and stretched.
"Plue... I think I know what Natsu Dragneel looks like."
"Pupu?"
"Tomorrow, we have to look for a bald man!", I declared, sitting up.
"Pun?", Plue turned his head.
"Hmmm?", I smiled at him. He pointed to the window. I faced the window, blinding sunlight greeting my face. Wait... sunlight?! "Ahh! I-Its morning already?!"
"Pun!"
"What time is it?!", I got up, ran into the bathroom and started the bath. When I got back into the bedroom, Plue was on top of the alarm clock. I squinted my eyes while undressing. It was 7:01 AM. I have to get to school by 8:20, I think. "Okay, Plue. I still have time for a bath!"
Naked, I picked up all my clothes and put it in the pastel orange hamper next to my dresser. I quickly ran to my bathroom, my boobs bouncing as I take each step.
I quickly rubbed my self with a pink sponge covered in vanilla bodywash. Then I applied strawberry-scented shampoo and conditioner. I jumped out of the bath before draining the water and dried myself with a fluffy, torquoise colored towel. I wrapped it around my torso and skipped into my bedroom.
"Ok, Plue. What time is it?!"
"Punpun!", he pointed under him. It was 7:22.
I ran to my wardrobe and pulled out the neatly ironed uniform I got from the old lady. Levy says that the uniform had different styles for students. Now that I'm looking without tired eyes, it was actually pretty cute.
It was a soft, white button up shirt. With a dark red, wool vest that had a dark blue bow on the neck collar. The pleated skirt was the color of the night sky. There was a sticky note on the skirt.
"Make sure to have proper shoes to go along with this outfit. Don't look like a fool, brats!", I read aloud. "Hmm... I think I've got the right shoes." I set the sticky note down on my vanity table and went back to my wardrobe. I picked out a bright red, laced panties and put it on under the towel. I got a matching bra and clasped it on after setting the towel on the rack in the bathroom.
I took the cute, pleated skirt and slid it on. "Would you look at that? It fits, Plue!", I commented. I slid my arms into the button up and- buttoned it up. Then I completed the outfit by putting on the vest. "Wahh! It all fits, Plue!", I chuckled, walking in front of my full body mirror. I turned and checked my back side.
"Okay, Plue. Now I have to find the right shoes... and the right hairstyle.", I patted the skirt. "How about that, Plue?"
"Punpun!"
I got on my knees and pulled out a pair of beige lady's combat boots and tried it on. "What'd you think, Plue?"
"Punpu!"
"Okay, now hairstyle."
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It took about 30 minutes until I decided on a hairtstyle. I pulled my loose bangs and twisted it to the side of my face and bobbypinned it. I made sure that my hair was messy, but not too messy. "'kay Plue. I'm all set. What time is it?"
"Pu!", he jumped off of the alarms clock and dragged out my leather school bag from under the bed. I looked at the time. It was... 8:11.
"Wahh?! 8:11?!"
"Punpu!"
"Okay! I have to go!", I grabbed my bag and ran out of my bedroom, followed by Plue.
I went down the stairs to the lobby and found some of the girls eating at the bar. "Ey, Lucy!", Cana called. I walked over to the girl, drinking something from a jug.
The nearer I got to her, the stronger the smell. "What're you doing drinking sweet sake so early in the morning?", I sighed.
"Good morning to you too!", she laughed.
"Lucy-chan!", Levy's voice echoed in the room. We all looked around, confused. Then I heard thumping sounds. We all faced the stairs and saw Levy scrambling down, her schoolbag under her armpit. "Lucy! We have to go!", she panted, grabbing my hand and dragging me out.
I waved bye to Plue as I was pulled out of the building. "Why do we have to go so early?", I commented as she charged towards the ginormous building looming in near distance.
"So we get good seats!"
"Hmm? I thought you said we would be standing."
"I mean so that we're close to the stage!"
"Why is that good?"
"Think about it! If you're in the middle of the crowd, you'll be surrounded by people, but if the stage is in front of you, you'll only be surronded by people from behind, to the left and right. You have all the free space in front of you!", she snickered.
"Ok.", I replied.
"We're almost there!", she called out. "Ah! Lucy-chan! The school entrance is just right the- UGH!"
I felt her hand let go of mine as Levy fell to the ground. "Oh, Levy. What happened?", I sighed, crouching down beside her.
She looked at me with a disappointed look in her face. "Have more colors in your cheeks Lucy-chan! You're so emotionless!", she wailed. It seems that she has completely forgot she fell down.
I ignored her last comment as a shadow covered us. I looked up and saw a silhouette of a man. A tall man.
My eyes widened and I quickly stood up. Natsu Dragneel! When I stood up, I saw his face. No. He wasn't bald. Rather, the opposite. The man had tanned skin, piercings all over his face, he had rugged, coal black hair that reached his waist. But he was definitely tall. Eh.
I turned away and sighed while I heard Levy get up and start a conversation with him.
"Who's that chick?", I heard him say.
"Don't call her a 'chick', Gajeel! She's my friend!", Levy protested. "She's new to Fiore High and she's living in my apartments. Her name is Lucy, so she's not just a 'chick'."
"Weh... she looks more like a bunny girl.", he snickered.
I turned to him and crossed my arms. "You look stoned.", I turn my head away, disappointed.
He stared at me for a while, his eyes fixed on my face.
"Gajeel?", Levy waved a hand in front of his face.
"O-oh.. ha! She's got spunk!", he laughed out loud, turning away from me. "Not many girlies have that in this hell school."
"Tch.", I spitted.
"Lucy-chan, he's Gajeel. He's one of the school's top basketball player. He and the rest of the Fiore High team won the Sophmore's national championship game last year!", Levy patted his back.
I stared at her hand, touching him. I slowly stretched my arm in front of me, my pointer finger pointing to her hand. "Looks like you two are pretty close, unless you're already dating?", I tilted my head to my left.
"A-ah!", Levy backed off while her face turned red.
"Oh, would you look at that, its the color of prez's hair!", I pointed to her face.
"N-no! Don't get us wrong! W-we're not dating.. or anything.", Levy protested.
Ha~... this looks like a waste of time. "Okay, whatever."
"Oi! Gajeel!", a man with dark blue hair ran up next to the stoner dude. "Oh, whats up Levy?"
"Mornin' Gray!", Levy smiled. I looked at the male standing next to stoner. He wasn't bald. He had messy dark, blue hair, dark, droopy eyes and a scar on his forehead. He was only a little taller than me. Another no-Natsu Dragneel.
"Levy, Imma' go on ahead...", I inched away from the group.
"Wahh?!", Levy wailed. "Alread-"
"Who's that?", I heard 'Gray' ask stoner and Levy.
"She's a new one.", Gajeel replied. Tch, like he knows anything about me.
"Her name is Lucy and she just moved into my apartments a few months ago!", the girl added.
"A new student? Wow, who knew that a new one could climb up the ladder so high so fast?", the man sighed. I stopped at my tracks. Up the ladders? So they're the ones that rules the school... so they must know who Natsu Dragneel is!
"Right you are!", Gajeel laughed. "I didn't think I'd be hanging out with a new one on the first day of school!"
I heard a snapping sound in my head.
I continued to walk towards the school entrance. And with a very loud voice, I say, "Hanging out with you? Ha. Don't let your mind wander, it's far too small to be out by itself."
I could feel their stairs on my back as I walked farther away from them.
Those little pieces of... how dare do they belittle me? Thinking that they're too great to be around me. I'm greater than they'll ever be! I have history, I have money, I could have them executed with just one word! They don't know the real meaning of power and fame! They're nothing but little kids with big heads!
"Ojo-san!", Millari called. She grabbed my arm and pulled me away from a little girl, about the same age as me, on the ground crying.
"Millari! What are you doing?!", I wailed, struggling out of her grip. "Don't touch me, sevant!"
She let go of me and backed away, shocked.
"W-why were you touching me?!", I hugged myself tightly.
"Y-you were hurting Madam Orlia's daughter.."
"I-I what?"
"You were hurting her..!", Millari rubbed her wrist and looked down. I looked back at the crying girl, I saw her being carried away by Ribbon. "You know what, Ojo-sama. Y-you're nothing but a little kid with a big head!"
I stared at the hesitating maid. "What did you say?"
"I-I said you-"
"Papa! I want her fired and exhiled from the country! Papa!", I wailed. "She hurt me! Papa!"
Before we completed the paperwork to throw her out of Fiore, she had commited suicide. I saw it... with my own eyes. Millari went to my room, her wrists were bleeding out. She said a few words that were inaudible to me due to the shock before she collapsed. I had that branch of the manor burnt to the ground with her body. That trauma was a big piece in my depression puzzle, and to my isolation from society and people. I didn't talk to anyone 3 years after that, not even my father. Everyone was sure I had lost my voice. No... I just wanted to be apart from everyone. Because I was scared.. that I'd do something like that again... that I'd hurt them... that I'd kill them.
I shook the memory and the thoughts out of my head. I'm... just a little kid with a big head.
I entered the open doors of the school entrance and looked around. Everything was wood and concrete. It looked so good on the outside.
"Ah! Lucy! Is that you?", I heard a familiar voice call. I faced towards the source of the voice and saw Erza.
"Oh, prez. Hi.", I turned to her. She stared at me for a little, then smiled.
"You're so blunt, Lucy.", she sighed. "Do you know where the gymasium is?"
"No. Why?"
"Because thats where the opening ceremony will be held. And there's only about 5 more minutes.", she flipped through the papers on her clipboard she carried around.
"I think I can manage."
"No. I'll show you where it is, you have PE don't you?", Erza smiled kindly. "Don't worry. I'm here for you if you need any help."
"Oh. Thanks."
"But not right now. I need to prepare for my speech.", she chuckled. "I'll have someone get you there."
"No, its oka-"
"Erza!", another voice called.
"Ha...", I sighed, starting to walk away.
"Oh, Natsu.", Erza greeted. I froze in my tracks. "This is Lucy. She's new, can you show her where the gymasium is?"
"Sure!", was the reply I heard. "Oh, and its gym, not gymnasium."
This voice... his voice... was loud and a bit squeaky and high. So the prez knows him. Levy knows him. I should've just asked! But it doesn't matter now, does it? Because Natsu Dragneel.. is just behind me.
I swiftly turned around and found a boy a little bit shorter than Erza. He had spiky, pink hair and slanted, dark eyes. He was grinning at Erza. Just like what the town girls said, it was a toothy grin. A sloppy one. Too big for his face. His smile... definitely made me jealous. How come he looks so happy?
His eyes averted from Erza to me. And slowly, his smile vanished. His eyes widened. And his jaw dropped. I could see a pink color rising from his cheeks.
"S-she's the Lucy girl...", he asked Erza without breaking his gaze.
"Beautiful, isn't she?", the prez chuckled. Erza checked her watch on her left wrist and sighed. She pushed Natsu towards me before walking away. "Good luck, Natsu. She's one hell of a tough nut!"
"W-what're you talking about?!", he protested. Natsu Dragneel turned back to me and grinned, the pink color turning redder. "Okay! The gym's this way!" He grabbed my hand and started to run.
I have had this happen to me many times before. But I don't think I like it this time. I pulled my hand away and held it with the other hand.
I stared into Natsu Dragneel's eyes and frowned.
"Don't... Don't touch me, Natsu Dragneel."