Previously…

"But…!"

"But nothin'!" he said. "Either shut up or eat ash…" At that, I shut my mouth, and he grinned. Stupid sadist… Still, I can't believe it. Natsu likes Lisanna? Natsu likes Lisanna and not Lucy?! I was hysterical and I didn't know what to do.

Oh, NaLu fans of the world help me now!

Chapter 12:

School Life

.~ … ~.

MY P.O.V.

I awake with the sound of my phone alarm ringing under my pillow. I reached in and stopped it just before it got loud enough to wake anybody else up. I looked at my phone to figure out what time it is.

'4: 30 a. m.' I thought to myself. I released a yawn before rubbing my eyes. The conversation from last night with Michael and the discovery I had with Natsu was still killing my nerves.

.~ … ~.

"Seriously, Natsu…?" I whispered as quietly as possible. I was still in shock about his revelation that he liked Lisanna. He glared at me from the side, and nodded once. I bit my lip and just looked away, a pout now evident on my lips. Damn it, just when I thought my plan of getting Natsu jealous to fall for Lucy will backfire.

"Pen-san," I heard Mira call me from downstairs. "Michael-san said that if you're done up there, you should really go home."

"A-alright…!" I called back. Sighing, I looked around to see that all the ash had been removed and Michael's stuff had been arranged. I scrunched the top of the trash bag and tied it up real nice to prevent any more dirt from coming up. I nodded once at Natsu before opening the door and going down, the Dragon Slayer following suit.

When I got down, Mira was dusting one of the flower vases at the desk, I could hear Elfman saying manly things about cleaning the yard at night, and Lisanna was putting a blanket over Wendy, Charles, and Lily, who had fallen asleep on the sofa. Mira looked at me and smiled, ushering me to form a smile on my own. Natsu sat down on the couch, his arms spread and his left leg shaking slightly. I saw him spare a glance at Lisanna and smiled, initiating a very angry vein to pop in my forehead. I walked near him, and just before I passed by, I smacked his head REAL hard. I saw him rub his head before glaring at me, which caused me to smirk. Just then, Michael stepped out of the bathroom after, what it seemed, taking a bath. He was wearing nothing on his upper body while a pair of black baggy shorts covered him down. A blue towel was hanging from his neck as he held it with both his hands.

"We're done cleaning your room," I said happily. "That'll 200 bucks, please!" At that, Michael jolted back a little, but regained composure when I chuckled and waved it off.

"R-right…" He said, walking by Lisanna before going to the stairs. Michael didn't notice, or pretended not to, but when he passed by the youngest Strauss, a faint blush ran across her face. I quirked a brow at this, but decided to ask some other day. "You should really go home now, Pen-san. You do know what day it is tomorrow, right?"

"No…" I shrugged. "As far as I'm concerned, tomorrow is Monday."

"Yeah, tomorrow is Monday," Michael shrugged. "It's also the beginning of school, stupid." Suddenly, my eyes widened in realization. It was school! The one place I could get bored from actually reading! The one place I could get scolded for being myself. And the one place that it's actually a defiance to be you.

"I-I forgot…" I just muttered. "But either way," I added. "It's not like I'm going. I mean, our school's so lame, they actually banned school festivals!"

"They didn't ban school festivals…" Michael argued calmly. "They just banned outsiders from going to them."

"That also means that you get to spend a festival with only familiar faces!" I said. "The whole point of a festival is for us to enjoy ourselves, while meeting new friends and possibly rivals!"

"You've been stuck in your house for too long, I see…" Michael chuckled. "Still, you should go home. It's gettin' pretty late and you don't want Erza and the others waiting…" I blinked a few times, regaining my train of thought as it was so rudely derailed by the school. I stretched my arms and yawned, before walking back to Natsu and smack his head again.

"What the hell did I do?!" He asked furiously.

"It's time to go home, idiot." I said coldly. "If Erza is kept waiting," I narrowed my eyes. "Well, let's just say I'll prepare your funeral…" Before he could even give a response, I walked passed him and left for the door. I was just so annoyed and irritated at the moment, that even the slightest contact between Lisanna and Natsu makes me mad. I know that that smile might mean friendly and not longing, but I was too caught up in my anger to realize that.

Going back to retrace my thoughts, I noticed how Michael was interacting with the Fairy Mages more normally, as if he was already used to them being there. I'm really happy that he wasn't anime hater anymore, and he's finally getting along nicely with everyone, even me surprisingly. As I made my way down the road, I heard footsteps following me. And a few moments later, the ever-active Dragon Slayer was walking beside me. Since we're all alone, I could ask him about a few things now. I just hope he answers them right.

"Natsu…" I called. He just grumbled in response, which I took as a 'What?' and continued. "I know you aren't very… smart, when it comes to certain things such as love and relationships, but can you tell me how you feel when you and Lisanna are together?"

"W-what?" he quickly responded, causing me to look up to him. He was blushing, faintly. But I couldn't quite tell since the only light outside was a crescent moon. "W-what do you mean?"

"You know," 'Well, I guess not…' "How you feel when she smiles, how you feel you hold hands, how you feel generally when you're around her?" I felt awkward asking him this when it was about Lisanna and not Lucy, but I needed to find out what he was actually feeling on the inside.

"Well," he stated, almost hesitantly. "I guess you could say when I'm with her I'm… happy. Very happy, unlike how I felt before. Yeah, that's it…" He looked at me like I was about to say something. Truth is, I was, but I don't think it's what he was expecting.

"I see…" I answered, making the boy blink a few times. "Oh, okay then…" I looked away from him and saw that the house was in sight. As we neared said place, I can't help but think of his answer. It seemed force, and it didn't convince me but I just pretended to get it or he might punch me for real. But for the long run, I concluded temporarily that he was confused. Confused on how to sort out romantic feelings from platonic ones. Everyone experienced this before, even me, so it was only natural for someone who hasn't experienced a romantic relationship. But I had too many crushes before, so I can tell at first glance if I'm going to like someone as either a friend or more. Natsu was different. He had a circle of friends. Tons of friends that he considered his family, nothing more, nothing less. They were his friends and we normal people eventually became a part of that too. So if it ever comes to a point where he feels more for a certain person, he might get his feelings mixed up and would taunt his love interest and eventually chase her away. Or even worse, he might avoid her for fear that he might change their friendship. That's so typically cliché that I find it really easy to fix, depending on the person on the situation. Well, since it's Natsu…

It'll be a hell of a lot harder than I thought it would be.

Sighing inwardly, I noticed that we reached the house. I opened the gate, then the glass sliding door carefully. Once inside, Natsu completely abandoned me, and downstairs was NOT a place you want to be at night, especially when no lights were turned on! I scrambled to find the locks for each door, and once locked, I whipped my head to try and go up without shaking like a leaf. That would be easy, since there was a giant mirror just beside the door, and I could see everything with that. Sarcasm rocks… I raced from the doors to upstairs with speed almost rivaling Erza's Flight Armor. Once I reached the top of the stairs, I raised my fists in triumph that the imaginary creature chasing me was beaten and I doubled over before panting. When I looked back up, I saw everyone preparing for bed.

Erza was already in her purple pyjamas while she was sat on one of the chairs while reading one of my mom's romance novels. Lucy was in the bathroom, I can tell from the loud sighing and humming that echoed inside. Gray was in his boxers, as usual and was staring out from the window. Then Juvia came to him and cuddled with him, enticing Gray to circle an arm around her waist. Happy was eating some bread he found by the cupboards. And Natsu, who just got back with me, was heading to my mother's room.

"That's a restricted area, Natsu." I warned gently. "You can't go there, that's my mom's room. If you don't want to get bald, I suggest you back away…"

"Where am I supposed to sleep, then?" he asked me in a sleepy tone. "No way in hell Gray's letting me share his and Juvia's mattress. And I'm not sleeping with Lucy or Erza. Maybe Lucy when I get really sleepy, but-"

"I heard that!" Lucy shouted from inside the bathroom. "Don't even think about it, Natsu! Erza's sharing the bed with me!" At that, Natsu rolled his eyes tiredly and shrugged, before proceeding to go in my mother's room. That is, until I threw my house slipper at him. It hit him dead on the head, and it made a 'thud' sound. I snickered when it caused a large bump to appear on his head.

"I told you not to go there!" I said strictly. "If you're that desperate to sleep, why don't you sleep with Happy at the top bunk of the double-deck?" I asked him. I turned to Happy and gazed at him in silent question. I smiled when he noticed and nodded, then I turned back to the pink-haired man.

"Thanks, Happy!" he exclaimed.

"Aye, sir!" the blue furred Exceed chimed happily. I closed my eyes and nodded thoughtfully, and I thought I was about to receive a thank you. A few seconds of no mention, I opened my eyes, which widened in frustration when I saw Natsu walking to my room without thanking me for MY idea!

"Jerk…" I muttered. I took a deep breath to compose myself before turning to the other three. "I'm going to sleep now, okay?"

"Good night, Pen-san." Erza muttered as she looked at me and smiled. I nodded in agreement and I saw Gray and Juvia nod too. "Oh, before I forget."

"What is it?" I turned to see Lucy clad in a red towel while her hair was covered by a white one.

"Tomorrow I'm going to school." I said. I can tell their confused from all the 'huh's I received.

"What's a school?" Happy asked me.

"Well, a school is," I tapped my chin to try and simplify what it means. "A school is like a guild. But at the same time it's different. You see, children here from the age of two or four to eighteen enter a facility where they are taught of the basics of education. It gradually gets harder each year you pass. And if you get high marks, you'll be a top-class student."

"So you mean like an S-class Wizard?" the blue cat asked. I nodded my head.

"Sort of like that…" I answered. "But unlike guilds, to reach there you have to have at least a high level of intelligence and a tactful wit. Things like cheating on tests and working with other students to get good grades aren't easy. Cheating, of course, is not allowed. But the more clever and smart the student, the less likely he or she will get caught. And at the end of every semester they will call parents to announce who have made it to the top. Those who made it mean that they passed with flying colors and are above the rest."

"So, in other words, Natsu has no chance of reaching the top there?" Gray asked slyly. Everyone chuckled at this, and because the dragon slayer was already asleep, no one stopped our fun.

"I suppose…" I said as I wiped a tear from my eye.

"So, Pen-san, are you a top student at 'school'?" Lucy asked me. I pouted at this, cupped my chin, and hummed loudly. A few seconds later, I snickered and spun around once.

"Nope!" I answered.

"Well, why not?" Erza asked me. "You seem to be intelligent and tactful…"

"Oh, stop it you~!" I gestured. "I'm not that smart at all…"

"Really…? But from our point of view, you are very smart."

"Smart but lazy…" I pointed out. I stretched my arms and yawned a bit before rubbing my eyes. "Well, I have to wake up early tomorrow, so I'll have to go to sleep, okay?" Everyone nodded. "Well, good night!"

.~ … ~.

I rubbed my eyes to take the sleep dust away from them. Then after blinking a few times, I lazily stood up and trudged to the kitchen. I opened the door to my mother's room and closed it quietly. Grabbing a bowl and spoon from the kitchen, I opened the kitchen cabinets and took a box of chocolate cereal. I placed everything I got on the table and took a pot. I reached for a jar that contained powdered milk and poured four heaping tablespoons. I also added a little sugar for extra sweetness.

Normally, I make my own milk for breakfast. Not only is it fun, I could measure the ingredients to match my extremely sweet tastes. I left it on the stove in medium heat before quietly going into my room and tiptoeing between the group's mattresses. I saw Gray and Juvia were hugging each other as they slept with smiles on their faces. Erza slept calmly, so was Lucy, as they lied comfortably on their mattress. Natsu had his back turned, and Happy was a little ways from his foot, curled into a sleeping blue furball. As quietly as I can to not disturb their peace, I opened my cabinet and took out my uniform.

After letting myself out, I hung my uniform on one of the hooks by my mom's door. Just then, I saw steam coming from the pot and I quickly went over to turn it off. I let it cool down for a few minutes before I poured it on my cereal. Our classes don't start until 6 : 30, so I still have about an hour and a half before I worry about getting late. Taking my time with the cereal, I thought of what I'm going to do when I get to school. Probably sleep the moment I hit the desk. It'll just be another boring lecture anyway. But then again, I'm going to see my classmates, friends, again. That would be nice. I haven't seen them in a while, either.

So having a little bit more smile in my morning, I finished my breakfast, grabbed a towel, and went to the bathroom to take a, well, bath. I turned on the shower to let the warm water hit my skin. As I wash my body, I started to think of ways on how to confirm whether or not Natsu likes, more like love, Lisanna and not Lucy. If he loves Lisanna, I'll just accept it as a person, but as a fan, I guess boiling his head in acid would be a fair enough punishment. But if he were to be lying, and I find out that he loves Lucy, I'll throw the biggest party ever and invite every single NaLu fan out there to bash! Anyway, enough of that, I need to get to school.

After cleaning up, I dried with the towel and to proceeded to the room and changed. After I finished my morning rituals for the day, I took one final glance at the sleeping mages, who were still undisturbed. I smiled at them, and decided to leave a note before going to school.

.~ … ~.

NATSU'S P.O.V.

After I felt Pen leave the house, I lied on my back and stared at the ceiling. Damn him… His answer last night freaked me out. I was expecting something along the lines of a lecture, not an 'Ah! Okay, I totally get it and not want to argue anymore!', because I seriously don't get what I've gotten myself into. Last night… when he asked me who I liked, I had no idea how to respond. I just blurted out the first name that came to mind, which was Lisanna. I do like Lisanna, but I don't know if it's love or just platonic, as they call it. Now I've gotten into a mess I can't very well dig myself out of. But maybe this is the edge I was looking for? I could learn more about these feelings if I listen to Pen more often. No way in hell am I asking Erza or the stripper for this kind of stuff.

I felt the lack of sleep hitting me as I yawned loudly. That kid annoyed the hell out of me, and I can't get his answer out of my head. It was tact, almost planned. And I didn't like it one bit. Plus that thing Michael showed me and ice-pants still creeps up from the back of my head. It's really disgusting! I can't believe that Michael would show us something like that! Those two, they really are cousins…

Having nothing better to do at the moment, I sat up gently so I wouldn't wake Happy, and hopped down the bunk-bed, landing with a soft 'thud'. I examined everyone's faces, and I was glad I didn't wake anyone up. Stripper and Juvia were still sleeping soundly, Juvia's body hugging Gray's in a tight embrace. Lucky bastard… Just because he has a girlfriend doesn't mean he's better than me! I looked on the other side to see Erza and Lucy sleeping peacefully as well. I would've have looked away if it wasn't for Lucy's nose scrunching up a little. It was, cute. She was cute. But I never understood why her appeal doesn't work on the guys she used them on. It wasn't that she's ugly, is she? Maybe those guys have bad taste in women, just like that Evershou guy or something with the ugly maids.

I saw, even from a distance, that her lips were slightly parted. The sun was barely up and hasn't really risen yet, but there was a faint dawn glow that radiated the room. Her pale skin shined like moonlight circled by stars. If only Erza wasn't there, maybe I could…

'Could what…?' I suddenly found myself asking. Maybe I could do what? Do something stupid? Stupid, stupid idiot. If I do something stupid, Lucy will probably hate me and might not talk to me again. I should probably stay away from her. Ever since Erza and Jellal, and the stripper and Juvia got together, I feel… different. I feel lonely. I rarely feel lonely. And yet, I do. But when I'm with Lucy, I…

I groaned in frustration and clenched my fists. I like Lisanna; that's the story I made up, and Pen was the only person who heard it, but I doubt he'll change his mind when I tell him I was joking. I can't desire another girl, or at least that's what I read in one of Lucy's novels. She was extremely critical that men who want other girls instead of the one they choose are big jerks. I'm not a jerk, so I won't be like that. But still… I can't help but feel I made… the wrong decision.

"Damn it…" I muttered before opening the door, not bothering to close it again.

'You tried once, and you failed, Natsu. Give it up… You can't have Lucy…' I said to myself before clearing my mind of any thought.

.~ … ~.

MY P.O.V.

I paid the tricycle the standard student fee before hopping of the cube-like vehicle. I gazed long and hard at the entrance of my school. Light green gates painted with red letters, white tiles the very first step you take but peach on the actual hallways. The second floor was visible, the only guards being white bars held by dark-brown frames. Since it was only a quarter to six, I could only feel the presence of a few students. By that, I mean I can see their bags hanging from the glass window bars.

A single guard was stationed at the front gates, for now. Annoying as they be, these guards will take shifts, and even interact with other students. But there was always this one guard that everyone hates because of his 'Principality Complex'. He thinks he has the power equaling a principal and actually doesn't grant entrance for a student who is less than a minute late. In our school, there's a thirty-minute countdown if you're late. If you reach school within that time, you're safe. But cross that, and you can't come in. Apparently some idiots don't know how to read! THIS is one of the reasons why I don't want to go to school. Another being that this stupid guard likes to get buddy-buddy with students.

"Yo!" I twitched my eye when the guard hollered over. Guess there's no escaping getting caught. I just nodded my head and swiftly maneuvered my way to the gates while avoiding the sluggish slinging arms of the guard. Once I slid past him, I ran to my right and turned to a staircase. I followed the path up to the 2nd floor where all the senior and freshmen students were roomed. Ours was the luckiest. Yeah, if you call being right next to the teacher's faculty and within earshot of the Principal's office lucky, that is.

I sighed at the sight. I was the only student upstairs. There were school bags from other students, and I recognized Michael's at first glance. His was in a separate room, since we aren't classmates. All the classroom doors were locked due to the incident a few years ago when a few students were caught ditching the daily flag ceremonies and hiding inside the rooms, so we had to place our bags on either the ground or hang them by the window. Another advantage of mine, I have three bags: one for my books, the other for my notebooks, and the last is for my bento. I hung them all by the window, and after checking everything was okay, I headed to the stairs at the right wing leading to the gymnasium. As expected, there were already tons of students there, elementary and high school alike.

I recognize my classmates anywhere, so I went down the stairs and went over to them. They were just by the lockers, one of them putting in books while the other pulling out notes for lectures. I waved at them, and it didn't take long for them to notice as one waved back to me quickly.

"Pen-chii~!" A girl with short black hair called. "You seem early today!"

"Yeah," I nodded. "I'm just…'excited' for school…" I snickered as I air quote the word excited.

"Pssh, yeah right…" Another girl with long waist hair remarked. "Don't kid me! You probably just didn't sleep!"

"I slept soundly as a matter of fact!" I stated. "And the best part is I woke up on my own, too."

"Oi!" the third girl shouted as she finally finished unpacking things from her locker. "Did you bring your PSP?"

"No Jonelle, I didn't…" I said. She just nodded and sighed. "Anyway, A.C., I watched the latest episode of Fairy Tail last week…"

"Oh, wasn't Sting just hot in that episode!" she exclaimed. "I almost had a nosebleed just seeing his face~!" She's always been a major fangirl for Sting for reasons that are well above my logical understanding. Seriously, Sting is big bastard! But judging from her anime tastes, I guess that he's the kind of guy she's after. After all, his attitude doesn't matter to her as long as he looks handsome.

"Your 'husband', I presume?" I asked jokingly.

"Oh, we're married, for like, a while now. And he's just, really handsome and we're totally gonna be together for like, forever~?" she answered in a pretend high-society voice. I can't help but laugh at this, but at the same time tease her again so I can laugh some more. Just then, my short-haired friend Iya, tugged at my hand, causing me to stop laughing and pay attention to her.

"The Flag ceremony's about to start, and Axel is waiting for us there!" she pointed to spot in the gym where a guy with short hair was waving at us.

"Oh, okay then." I answered. "You guys done with your locker?"

"Just gonna put some more things in it," Jonelle said. "You guys go ahead, we'll catch up." Iya and I nodded before turning heel and walking to the line of our section. We were section one, and as such, we had the earliest students, and even the laziest and latest students. Once we reached the lines, it was divided into two, one for the boys and one for the girls. The two of us waved a 'see-you-later' to each other before I headed to where Axel was.

"Took you long enough…" he said the moment I got there. I rolled my eyes, and since I'm taller than him, -I was the second tallest person in class-, I got behind him and waited for the teachers to conduct our National Anthem. Although I don't sing our National Anthem, I sing something different. When the teacher was in the center, he waved his hands to signal everyone to stop talking and start singing when he conducts. Everyone began to sing, but I, on the other hand, had another anthem.

"Mou ikkai, mou ikkai. 'Watashi wa kyou mo korogarimasu' to, Shoujo wa iu shoujo wa iu Kotoba ni imi wo kanade nagara!" I sang in a whisper like tone." 'Mou ii kai?' 'Mada desu yo, madamada saki wa mienai no de. Iki wo tomeru no, ima.'"

"Zip it…" I heard Axel whisper. I snickered a little at this, but remained still and stopped while just humming the tunes of the song. When the ceremony was over, we greeted the teachers a good morning before we were sent to our now open rooms. I took my bags and entered the room. I was seated at the back seat to left, fourth seat away from the indoor windows. Jonelle sat next to me, A.C. sat in front of me, Axel was beside A.C. to the right, and Iya was the farthest from us, the last row by the windows.

As usual, I do the first thing I do in school everyday… Lie on my desk with both hands below my head, and in seconds, doze off into blissful slumber. Jonelle followed suite, and so did Iya, but Axel has more things to do and A.C. was, and this was odd, hyperactive. She's never been hyperactive. She's also always been the one to fall asleep before any of us do. Strange. Oh well, can't be bothered by that now, I got to rest!

.~ … ~.

NORMAL P.O.V.

Natsu got Happy to wake up and help him find something to eat. It had been well over two hours since Pen's classes started and everyone else was still asleep. Natsu didn't know what to do for now, but decided to find something to eat first. He can't very well burn the house down for fire, he'll get in big trouble for that.

"Natsu, look," the blue-haired feline said as he flew over his partner. "I found a note…"

"Really?" Natsu asked. "What's it say?"

"Um…" Happy hummed as he flipped the paper a couple of times to see what was written on it, before finally smiling to himself. "It says that, 'To whom this may concern, please don't let Natsu anywhere near the stove. He might burn the house down. Sincerely, Pen-san ;D'. That's what it says, Natsu!" At this, Natsu's eye twitched in annoyance.

"That idiot…" Natsu muttered. "What the hell does he mean by that? I can control my own flames!" he clenched his fist and in mere seconds, it ignited in flames. "I'll show him a thing or two!"

"That'll just prove his point…" Happy pointed out, the note covering his mouth as he muffled his chuckle.

"And that is…?" Natsu asked him.

"That you can't control your fire…" he chuckled as he flew a few feet away from him. Natsu's flames disintegrated before he bit his lip in annoyance.

"Get back here, you blue traitor!" he almost shouted. Even though he was angry, he didn't forget that there were people sleeping. When he got no response from his cat partner, he just assumed he was asleep again. Sighing, he rummaged the cupboards to find anything edible.

.~ … ~.

MY P.O.V.

Time sure flies when you're bored in school… NOT. We've been stuck here for hours, and there's only about 2 minutes before we can leave. The day wasn't so bad, I got to prove teachers wrong again. They always think that I'm slacking off, but when they ask me questions I can answer without even looking for answers. I may be lazy at writing notes, but I do have a brain. By this time, I'm usually full of energy again, so I paid attention to the last class, which was Home Ec. Though our teacher was just chatting with some of my classmates, completely oblivious that the need to teach is high.

"Ma'am, shouldn't we be going home?" A boy from our class asked. The teacher looked at her watch for a few moments, before shaking her head, much to my annoyance.

"We still have 45 seconds of class left." She pointed out. "Use this time to fix yourselves up. You had a long day, so pamper yourselves for the little time you have left." This is also the reason why I hate going to school. Teachers like these! Always up for proper time measurement when they're doing nothing in particular. I did what she said, either way the school is a really hot place, and the uniform doesn't help much, so I freshened up a bit and did a countdown for the remaining seconds as I packed my things.

"Alright class," our teacher finally said. "Remember the homework I've given you for tomorrow."

'We have homework…?!' I exclaimed inwardly. Hating school a little more now…

"And don't forget, the exams will be two weeks from now…"

'We have exams?!' That's it. Its official, school SUCKS. We all stood up and bowed to the teacher before she left along with the other students. Iya had said goodbye to me since she was going to walk home with her boyfriend. Axel was asked by his mom to stop by the office to collect some of the paperwork, so he had to go to. Jonelle, A.C. and I were the only ones left in the room.

"I'll be going, you guys." Jonelle said as she carried her backpack. "School service is waiting downstairs."

"Take care, bro." A.C. said. The two of them bro-fisted, and I wondered if we were all normal people.

"T-take care…" I said cautiously with a wave and smiled. She nodded at me before leaving the classroom. I had the lucky day of being in homeroom, so I was arranging the seats while A.C., who was also in homeroom, swept garbage.

"Hey Pen," she called me suddenly. I turned my head to look at her, and she looked pretty excited, which I only see when she watches Sting or talks about Sting or… well, you get the idea.

"What?" I asked her.

"My house later?" she asked me. I smiled, thinking we're gonna have another c9 battle, but I had no chance against her anyway. Still, I could get new PSP games from her, so I nodded my head at her.

"Good, I'm gonna show you something later… You'll want to see this!" she said, and that really piqued my interest. What was she going to show me that was so important? A new collection of manga? A new Sting figurine? A new drawing, perhaps? I couldn't figure it out, so I ignored it for now and finished up my duties. Once we were both done with the last check, we both headed to her place.

It took a few twists and turns, a few intersections and a rocky pathway, but we made it to her home within 30 minutes, which was the fastest we've made it there. Her house was the last of a row of suburban homes, an untamed field just beside their house which was famous for all the ghosts and spirits that go there. There are even some at her house, but they rarely appear when there are a lot of people. Since we're already here, I was so anxious and couldn't wait to ask.

"What do you want to show me?" I asked her as she opened the lock to the gate. Opening the screen door, she let herself in first before I let myself in. I sat down the sofa and she went upstairs to change. I fiddled with my collar as I waited for her. That thing that she wanted to show me was getting me all excited, I wondered what it is.

"Come on, get down there!" I heard her from upstairs. She was with someone? Oh, this is really getting interesting.

"No way in hell!" I heard a guy's voice yell. Oh, this is very interesting. She's never been interested on normal guys before, so I had to figure out what his build is. Squinty eyes, pale skin, lean but sturdy body, tall, -specifically taller than me so I can't tease him for being short-, and has to be handsome! Definitely handsome. But who could it be? Before I could start another train of thought, I heard footsteps coming down. There was more than one, considering there was a fast-paced one while the other was calm, and another one who was slowly walking down.

A few seconds later, my eyes instantly widened in shock when I saw a flash of blond fly by the stairs and hit the floor, hard.

"Damn, that hurt…" he muttered as he rubbed his head. "I told you I don't want to make friends!"

"Just go meet him, if anyone could help you, it's him!" I heard A.C. say. I saw her come down, and behind her was the raven-haired follower of the blonde idiot, always as stoic as ever, I see.

"Anyway, Pen, allow me to introduce you to my husband and his friend!" she said as she circled her arms around the blonde's muscular one. "Meet Sting Eucliffe and Rogue Cheney~!" I sat there, blinking from the vision I see. Sting and Rogue are at my classmate's house? Okay…

"What…!" …Not.

A/N:

Hey, minna! I got my drive back! It took long, but thanks to Vocaloid, I got my writing spirit back, and is also the reason why I haven't posted. I've been recently addicted to a game called "Project Diva: Extend" and I can't stop playing for hours. Then I'll realize it's night time and I won't have time to write anymore! XD Oh, and the song I was singing up there was Miku Hatsune's "Rolling Girl". It's a really sad, but not too sad, story, and I'm planning to make an interpretation story of it. XD

Anyway, back to the story, what'd you think of it? Too short? Sorry if there are no fics for now, but as you can see, I'm going to school now, -in this fic, anyway… I've been going to school for 6 months now-, so there won't be any for a while. And what did you think of Natsu's revelation? He lied to me, haha! But will I be able to find out? Or will I cause him more suffering via fanfics? XD

To my final 4, the deadline is getting closer! Should I extend it? Oh, okay fine. XD The deadline is moved from Nov.18 to Nov. 30! There! You have extra time now, so do your best! So far, only Erza Scarlet Titania has a complete story. WinterValley is writing a multi-chapter story, and Mio Heartfilia999 and June Delph haven't started yet. So, I wish you luck, okay~? XD

Ja Ne~