And here it is! Chapter Twelve at last! I took a long time in updating this chapter. Two days ago, I had half of this in the bag, but I had to delete the other half because it just wasn't working for me, and it was a little too confusing. So I changed what was going to happen in the last half.

Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Fairy Tail!

Just the plot.

Dear Journal,

Despite the thousand times I told my mom that her burnt supper last night was finally catching up to my stomach, she made me go to school anyways.

As I unlocked my bike from the personal stand we have in our front yard, I thought things over miserably.

A million things jumbled in my brain, but there were a few that stuck out more than others.

One: There is an unlikely chance I am going to survive school today.

Two: My death will probably be caused by Sue.

Three: Everybody probably knows what I did to Natsu.

Four: Number three means Cana knows as well.

Five: Because Cana knows, there is also a chance my death will be caused by her as well.

I made sure my brakes and wheels were okay before I set off.

As my legs pumped up and down, I couldn't help but feel anger towards Natsu still.

In our five minute conversation, I had been reminded of awful things.

I was anti-social.

I was a loser who stuttered to people.

I had called nearly ever hot boy in school HOT out loud.

Nearly everybody in Fairy Tail Academy knew I was an otaku.

I blinked back tears furiously as I remembered what he had said.

"You always stutter and look like you want to pee your pants when you speak to me!"

If I remember correctly, I do NOT consider the world as my bathroom…

Wait. Wrong point.

I meant…

I can't help it.

Stuttering to people I'm nervous around isn't something I can control.

It's become a habit with me.

Just like breathing and chewing is natural, stuttering has become sort of like a second nature.

But that doesn't mean I like it.

In fact, I hate it.

I've always hated the part of me who has always been so scared of rejection that I've never bothered to make friends.

Maybe if I had tried, I wouldn't have entered Fairy Tail as a complete nobody.

The high school came into view before me as I swam in my endless pool of thoughts.

But it was true a lot of things had changed since middle school.

I shuddered to think of junior high.

Dad had thought it a good idea to enroll me into a rich ladies' and gentlemen's elite academy.

I fit in there no better than I did at the beginning of public school.

I dismounted my noble, two-wheeled steed, twisted the chain around the first wheel and the ring of the bike stand, and shouldered my backpack.

My glasses slipped down my nose as I looked around at the dozens of people already gathered.

I had come later than usual today; a bad choice for someone who was hoping to avoid getting noticed.

Shoving my hands deeply into the pockets of my jacket, I walked inside, and winced as a whole explosion of whispers aroused at my entrance.

My eyes sought out Cana in an instant.

Her face flashed with violence and concern for a moment as she took a step forward to approach me.

But a mob of people swept between us, and I was instead confronted with a group of pissed off looking girls.

"Get the hell out of my way!" I heard the brunette's voice. "Lucy!"

A light-brown-haired girl, who headed the group, came forward, staring me down with her sharp eyes, and with her glasses sliding down the bridge of her nose.

In a condescending tone, she muttered, "You are a bitch, aren't you?"

A million voices attacked me at once as I backed away, the scene too overwhelming for me.

Then, a familiar, cold, icy voice rang out above all the hubbub.

"Get your asses to the side of the hallway, bastards!"

My breath hitched in my throat as full-blown terror crashed down on my head.

Sue.

Crap.

A ragged path was split down the middle of the crowd as the tanned girl approached me with a murderous glare in her face.

I didn't see it coming.

Not for a second.

Sue slapped me in the face.

And it hurt real badly.

I looked at her in shock as tears formed at the corners of my eyes from the stinging sensation that spread out on my face.

"You bitch!" Cana roared, marching forward with determination written in the features of her face. The girls around her held her back, blocking the girl's way effectively.

"Let me go!" she screamed. "Let me at that bitchy bitch bitch!"

My whole attention focused on Sue again as a low growl rumbled from her throat.

"You lowdown stupid nerd," she hissed, her eyes glinting evilly.

"How DARE you insult my boyfriend like that?!"

I searched my mind for a witty answer, but I came up short.

My voice caught in my throat as I gave off a strangled whine.

"It's not enough you drive us apart, but you have to humiliate him in front of his mom and dad and customers!?"

I had never thought of it like that.

My mind guiltily flashed back to the way I had yelled at Igneel.

That had been rather unnecessary.

I caressed my face and whimpered.

Of all the times for my defense to break down completely, it was now.

Her eyes flashed with anger.

"Stop acting so defenseless! It's really pissing me off!"

She raised her hand to strike again and I flinched as it came down-

"SUE!"

The voice that came suddenly was swelling with fury and rage.

I opened my eyes, and despite myself, I felt a rush of relief when I saw Natsu coming.

A flood of anger and annoyance immediately followed.

I was acting like a helpless main character.

And I hated those kinds of female protagonists the most.

The sea of females quickly dispersed, creating a huge space for the salmon-haired boy to come through.

Behind him was Sting and Gray, who looked livid with fury as well.

Feeling conscious of appearing weak, I immediately straightened myself up and put my hands on my hips.

There was no way I was going down without a fight.

If there was ever a need for the strong, non-nervous, non-stuttering Lucy Heartfilia, it was now.

It was badass Lucy's debut.

And I planned to make the most of it.

"What are you doing?" Natsu demanded, confronting his girlfriend, and towering over her.

She barely glanced at him.

"I told you to meet me in the gym," she said flatly, still looking at me with the utmost ferocity in her eyes.

"You just wanted me to get out of the way so that you could do…THIS."

Suddenly, the tanned girl spun on him, practically spitting out lava and fire.

"She EMBARRASSED you in front of strangers; she CUSSED at your dad! How can you NOT be upset?!"

"Because like I've told you, it was my fault she did so in the first place! And if you even ever BOTHER to listen when I'm telling you important things, you'd know that!"

Sue fell silent at that.

Her whole attention was on Natsu and the crowd was riveted on the pair.

My heart thumped in my chest as Natsu and Sue's intense stares bore holes in each other's faces.

Finally, Sue turned her head away and muttered, "But you don't even listen to me at all."

Natsu's face twisted into one of surprise and dismay.

His mouth opened to protest, but a flicker of realization crossed his features as he analyzed his girlfriend's words.

"The only time you DO listen is when I'm talking sh*t about HER."

Sue shot me a look of disgust.

"If you care about her so much, then we should just break up."

Natsu finally found his voice again.

"I never said I wanted that!"

"No one said it, you dumbass!" Sue said furiously, clenching her fists tightly. "It's over."

The girl pushed past Natsu leaving him a in a state of shock and in a trance.

Natsu's mouth dropped open as he looked straight ahead, trying to process what had just happened.

The group of girls detached from our side of the hallway to scurry after Sue, whispering to each other about what had just taken place.

Gray and Sting put a hand on Natsu's shoulders, and muttered, "Dude, you all right?"

"Sue-" he began, and his gaze fell on me.

I watched with a sickening feeling that spread throughout my body as his expression changed from bewilderment, to one of evaluation, and finally to that of accusation.

"Your fault," he said, his voice firm and hard, and packed with abhorrence. "Sue and I were just fine until YOU came along."

"Natsu, you don't know what you're saying," Sting said, his fingers tightening on his friend's shoulder. "You're just surprised."

"I don't ever want to speak to you again," Natsu said in a low tone, his voice cracking as he turned away from me. "I don't ever want to hear your voice again, Lucy Heartfilia."

It was as if he had punched me in the stomach.

"Don't be an idiot-!" Gray started, but was interrupted as Natsu gave him a dark glare, and bumped into his shoulder hard as he passed by.

The two jocks looked at me helplessly, their hands hesitating to comfort me, or to run off after their friend.

After a few awkward seconds, they sighed and sprinted off, their footsteps like thunder in the big hall.

Cana finally fought her way through the crowd streaming through the front entrance and came to me.

Without saying anything, she wrapped her arms around me and brought me close to her.

"Cana, what should I do?" I asked, my voice rising as stress and helplessness entered my tone.

I wished right then and there that I could be a heroic heroine who was never discouraged by anything.

But that's not how I work.

"Lucy," Cana said, her fingers tangling into my shirt. "Just shut up and cry, will you?"

And so I listened to her.

I listened to her for a few good minutes.

And when I was done listening, my eyes were red and puffy and swollen.

After that, Gray, Sting, Erza, and all the others took extreme measures to avoid me.

And when I came home with my eyes red and puffy and swollen, Dad wasn't happy.

Two hours later, I eavesdropped on a conversation he was having over his phone in his study.

I'm being transferred to another school.

Sabertooth Elite Academy.

Sounds good.

Signed,

Lucy

Wah! Done! Talk about Natsu and his overreaction, huh? Who knew that dense idiot could be so overemotional and sensitive? I'm just fooling around :D! Anyways, I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'm sorry for the long hold-up with this update! Writer's block, busy daily life, tiredness, blah, blah, blah...you know the excuses...anyways, I'm not sure when the next update of this is going to be. I don't really have a schedule for these sorts of things...anyways, I hope you liked this chapter!

Please review!

Until next chapter!