Chapter 11
An aged, orange volkswagen beetle discreetly pulled up 5 feet from the front gates, careful not to attract any attention from the dozing gatekeepers. The driver spotted a blonde dot in the distance digging her way out of the many green branches that adored a seven feet lush, green hedge.
The car's headlights intentionally flashed on and off, earning the blonde's attention. She gasped, then smiled before picking up her luggage and sprinting to the car. She opened the passenger seat, throwing her bag at the back.
"Ohmygodmyheartisbeatingsofast..", she panted, closing the door shut. The girl closed her eyes, resting her head onto the airbag compartment. "I think... I think.. I-I think I might pass out now..." Her voice died out before everything went black.
The smell of firewood stuck onto my pink scarf as it clung onto my neck, the ends touching my chest which confined my oh-so beating heart. My hands clasped onto the leather steering wheel, my eyes followed the fidgeting blonde as her arms fell limp.
"L-Luce...!", I gasped, reaching out to her. My hand stopped midway, shaking in hesitation. Should I touch her...? What if... if she's not okay with it, then... then..
"Mmmm...", she moaned, throwing her body back. Her head rolled onto the cold window slate. I stared in awe at her calm, sleeping expression. She's so beautiful...
Just then, my iPhone started ringing with the loudest ringtone that ever happened to the history of ringtones. I scurried to fish it out of my red varsity jacket's pocket, holding the volume down button as the noise died out.
"SSssss...", I parted my mouth, cautiously looking over to Luce. She eyed me with the most sweetest chocolate brown I've ever seen, her pink lips forming a frown.
"D-Dragneel!", she peeped, jerking up.
I held up a finger and gave her a sheepish smile. "W-wait a bit- I need to answer this.." Her eyebrows knotted down, her frown worsening.
I turned on my phone and immediately noticed Michelle's mad face stuck onto the screen. I sighed, answering the call.
"NATSU!", she screeched from the other side.
There was silence before I decided to reply. "Y-yesh...?"
"WHAT THE-.! Ha...", she sighed. "What the fucking hell do you think you're doing?!"
"Mi-"
"How did you think this was going to end, Natsu?! Did you think you were going to be a fucking hero?!", she screamed. I flinched at how such a delicate and fragile lady like her could cuss so passionately and hurtfully. She must've been pretty pissed.
"Michelle, calm down, I just wan-"
"Wanted what?! Wanted what, you selfish bastard?!"
I kept my mouth shut. Guilty and confused at the same time. Sure it was a dick move for to trick her, much less hijack her car, but I didn't do anything that bad.
"You don't know what you're getting into, Natsu... you don't know what kind of fucking fire you're playing with! And.. and...", she breathed into the phone.
"I'm sorry, but everyone was worried about her!"
"Sure.. yeah, sure, whatever. Especially you, right? You're worried about her.", she emphazised. "I've known you for years! Years! And... Natsu, why?"
My eyebrows brought together, as I looked across from me. Lucy was looking out the window with a bored look on her face. Noticing my attention, she turned back around and managed a slight smile. My heart skipped a bit as Michelle's unrecognizable voice kept on going on the other side of the phone.
"I-I'll let you go.", I automatically whispered to the black tablet, before pushing the end call button on the screen.
There was a comfortable silence between me and the blonde as we stared at each other, chemistry only I could see swirling around us like fairy dust. I attempted a smirk, the one I have mastered my whole life, but only ended up making her giggle. I felt my face flush at the embarrasment. But there was a hollow, empty feeling in her laugh. Almost like it wasn't complete.
"H-Hi...", I managed. Her eyes softened before smiling. There. That empty feeling... again.
"Dragneel... what the hell are you doing here?", her previous smile had turned into a frown and a glare. My stress lightened, recognizing her normal attitude towards me.
"Well... I overheard, you know, Michelle talking about having to pick you up with Loke over the phone.. so..", I trailed off. I shrugged and gave her red-faced smile, "Here I am...!"
"So... how did you get Michelle's car? Don't you have your own car?"
"Yea, but you would've only waited for her car-"
"Okay, so you stole her keys? I would understand why she's mad...", she looked out the window, crossing her arm in an angry manner.
"Luce... well... um.."
"Start driving! How stupid can you be?", she scoffed, continuing to look out the window. I sighed, stepping down on the gas and taking off towards the main road.
As the many buildings and stop lights flew behind us, silence overtook. We didn't say a single word until the car arrived at Loke's house. Michelle's car abruptly stopped, in front of the middle class building decorated with shark blue and many, many flowers out the front yard.
"Are we at... Loke's house?", she squinted, turning around to scan the surroundings.
"Yea, I called him a bit before, he said you could stay.", I smiled. She looked back in disbelief.
"And you're somehow okay with that?", she spatted.
"Well, no. But, hey, would you like to stay at my-"
"No."
"I thought so.", I chuckled, scruffling her hair. She swatted my hand away, glaring at me before acquiring her luggage and exiting the car.
The garage opened on cue, slowly revealing Loke's built figure as he wore his black muscle shirt and basketball shorts. She ran to him like an excited puppy, her arms moving at the tiniest bit. I took the key out of the ignition and got out of the beetle.
He embraced Lucy with the hottest of rage building up inside me. The man glanced at me and nodded, as if saying thank you. I tossed him the key to Michelle's car and left without another word.
"Care for some hot cocoa?", Loke asked, peeking from the wall that hid the kitchen from the living room. I threw my body back on the soft, beige couch and hummed a 'yes'. Today has been a poop day, although I have to admit, I'm pretty happy and excited that I actually obtained my freedom back. For at least 6 months.
I closed my eyes, pictures unexpectedly flashing by. That look of hope in Tari's eyes as he hugged me one last time in the courtyard. When I carried my trusty luggage with pained arms, the sight of Michelle's car shining in front of my eyes. That time before I fell asleep, the last thing I saw being Natsu's pink locks. Natsu... Natsu... NATSU!
"OH HEY, Loke!", I squealed, jerking up from the couch.
"Yesss?", he sung from the kitchen. The sound of a spoon hitting the inside of a glass mason jar, the way he prepared his hot cocoa, could be heard all the way to the living room.
I jumped from the couch, and skipped to the kitchen, hopping up on the counter. "Natsu...", I muttered, crossing my legs. "What was his deal..? I mean, why? Why did he choose to help me out.."
He looked over his shoulder, and smiled suspiciously.
I sheepishly smiled back. "What?"
"Oh, oh nothing.. nothing at all.", he turned back to the marble counters.
"What? Loke, what?", I pressed on, my smile growing wider.
"No nothing. I mean, are you really that dense?", he laughed.
"Oh, no, don't put me next to that Dragneel! I'm not... I'm not that dense, am I?"
"Well, most of the time you're not. Right now is a pretty good exception."
"What does that supposed to mean?!", I giggled. Then my eyes went wide with realization. I bit my lip, and hoped for the best. "Wait... wait.. Loke.. are you saying that N-natsu- Natsu Dragneel, that immature, egoistic bastard... l-likes me?"
He stopped stirring the spoon, then started again.
"Loke? Loke...?", I jumped off the kitchen counter, and sneaked up behind him. I jumped on his shoulder, almost making him spill the mason jars.
"Lucy! Lucy, if I drop this, you'll have to clean it up! I swear!", he jokingly shook his back. I giggled, wrapping my arms around his neck tighter, and tighter.
"Loke, tell me!", I whined.
"Okay, okay. What if I were to tell you.. that Natsu Dragneel does-"
"Ohmygod, you're kidding!", I giggled.
"Mm-mm.", he shook his head.
"You're kidding! Pinkhead does not like me!"
"Nope, nope, you're wrong. Lucy-"
"He does NOT like me, Loke! Stop it!", I squealed, blood gathering up my cheeks.
"Well, not 'like' you.", he sighed, picking up two mason jars filled with sweet, brown liquid. He exited the kitchen, me still on his back, and made his way to the living room. "More like, say, love."
I felt my cheeks grow hotter, my stubborn demeanor fading. "No, noooo! I don't want to hear it!"
"He's in love with you, Lucy. He's in love with you~!", he started to sing out loud, setting the hot cocoas on the redwood coffee table. I let go of his neck, and jumped off of his toned back. I shook my head of the warm, heart-throbbing feeling, and regained my composure.
"There's no possible way that could happen, Loke. The chances are too low-"
"Hmm, sounds like someone is hoping to get some D."
"Oh shut up, you lion!", I frowned, slapping the back of his head. I sat down on the couch, carefully guiding the hot mason jar to my lips, taking a sip from the chocolate drink.
"I'm just saying! Just saying.. the way he acted when you were gone, compared to how happy he looked when he was in the car talking to you.."
"Honestly, he looked pretty mad, you know. Right before I got out of the car, he looked pissed."
"Well, yea, because he's pretty much handing his girl over to another man for a night.", he smirked to himself. "Watch, he'll come tomorrow-"
"Wait, wait, waaaaiiiittt. His girl?!"
"Admit it, Lucy. The feeling is mutual."
"I-I can't even right now, Loke, I'm just tired. So many things happened today, I-I can't even-..", I sighed, setting down the half empty mason jar back onto the coffee table.
"Okay, well, I've prepared the guest room upstairs to your preference, my princess. Don't forget to brush your teeth.", he called, throwing his right leg over the other, his left hand pushing buttons on the remote control. "Good night, princess."
"Good night, Loke.", I smiled to myself at my older brother figure.
Dear Diary,
Today, my life has turned around spontaneously. I have no one reigning over me, telling me what to do every second of every day. No one is constantly monitoring my every move, minus Loke. I found that it is much more easier to smile when I'm not imprisoned in that god-forsaken castle. My eyes feel much more wider, as if I can see farther, and more vividly than I've ever had. It is much easier to talk, and do things. I haven't had the feeling of sleep overtake my everyday tasks, well, now that I have everday tasks. I finally get to talk to Loke without the constant nagging at the back of my head that it might the last time I get the chance to tell him how much I love him. I get to see Michelle again, and we finally get to catch up with some coffee. I get to interact, make some new friends, and be able to love another. And to love another is when I get to finally see the beauty of not dying. But I still feel these butterflies in my stomach. And it's not because of the non-existent fear that Virgo will show up tomorrow with the inevitable bad news. It's something else. It gets worse like a constant jab in the stomach when I think over the conversation me and Loke had tonight. Oh-opp.. I'm getting it again, oh sweet lord. Oh god, I feel sick. Ok, ok, I'm going to stop writing now, I just want to sleep this off. Ok, good night.