Author's Note: May 11, 2014 SURPRISE CHAPTER. Now we enter the story's first arc. Enjoy! Reviews appreciated.

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail and characters all belong to Hiro Mashima.

Chapter Five

True suffering is having to go to a place where you are forced to watch unfathomable stupidity run amok.

Mr. Waylon's fifth period English class was a perfect example. Mr. Walyon was a stout man of his late sixties with a bushy mustache. A kind man he was, but not the greatest teacher. Majority of his students were rude and didn't listen to any of pleas for attention. Also, his lessons were pointless. He treated his students as if they were still children and let them get away with shenanigans, not marking late students for one. (It's fifth period. How you be possibly be late.) This truly frustrated the young Heartfilia to no end.

The teenager wanted to rip her hair out and yell at her classmates to at least try and shut up. Well if she could, she would. Sometimes she didn't know whether she should pity the teacher or herself. Lucy listened to his current lecture -which made no sense at all- while doodling in her notebook. Small cats, friends, and food sketches were scattered on the page. She then glanced at her phone for the time. 12:30 it said and she discreetly began to gather her belongings.

The bell rang and students dashed out the door to head to their lockers or the cafeteria. Lucy was first out the door and calmly walked to her locker. She opened the metal door and placed her books in it. The locker had a small rack for her books and was decorated with some pictures of her family and motivational quotes.

"Hello Lucy!" Her two best friends greeted her. Juvia Lockser, captain of the school's swim team, and Levy McGarden, one of the school's top students, had met in their freshman year after running into each other at the library. Lucy typed a greeting as well. Juvia and Levy began to tell a story if an event that happened in math class. It involved Erza and a bucket of nacho cheese.

"'Sup Luce!" A voice from behind called. Of course it was the one and only Natsu Dragneel. Lucy threw him a shy wave and her two friends eyed her mischievously.

"Ya want to eat lunch with me? You can bring your friends." Lucy was about to type a reply when her friends interjected.

"We'd love too!"

"Juvia doesn't mind." Natsu then grabbed Lucy's wrist and lead them to the cafeteria.

The cafeteria, always a busy place and the lunch tables were on the floor above the cafeteria. Natsu led Lucy and her friends to a lunch table near the large window.

"Hey guys!" Lucy recognized some familiar faces, Erza Scarlet and Gray Fullbuster were a few, although most were unfamiliar to her. Erza recognized her and motioned her to sit beside her. Juvia and Levy had seated themselves on the opposite side of Lucy and Erza beside Gray and some guy with studs.

"So Lucy what brings you here? Don't you usually eat lunch in the library or music room?" Erza asked. Lucy glanced if Natsu was near, but wasn't. She took her phone out again.

Natsu invited my friends and I to sit with him for some reason...

"Speaking of the pryo, how do you know him?" Gray interjected. "Oh and names."

I'm Lucy. The tall blue haired girl is Juvia and the short one is Levy. Natsu and I had a little run in at the mall- did you say pryo?

Erza turned slightly pink and Gray laughed a deep chuckle then mutter something about an inside joke.

"S-so were you the one...Natsu happened...to assault?" Lucy nodded, but waved her hands in a dismissing action. As Erza apologized for her friend's actions, Lucy was taking out her lunch and nodding her head this way-and-that. All went back to normal and people were chatting again. Erza began to converse with Levy and the studs guy, while Juvia bashfully held small talk with Gray. A large gasp left the blonde's mouth as someone had pulled her aside from where she sat. Natsu had returned with his lunch and seated himself directly between Erza and Lucy.

"They ran out of spicy chicken strips...so they gave me a sandwich." Natsu sulked as he opened the foil to his 'meal'.

"Salamander, that smells horrible." Gajeel, the stud guy, stated.

"Well when someone has a better lunch to offer, let me know." Natsu brought the sandwich and took a rather large bite. He went green, spit the so-called chicken into the foil, and slammed it back on his tray. There goes lunch.

Lucy took out a lunch container. This morning she had made pasta for her and her dad to eat, so she decided might as well bring some. The pasta had shrimp and Alfredo sauce. Natsu eyed the pasta and swallowed a lump in his throat. From his view, the pasta was dazzling as if it was a gift from the heavens. The blonde didn't fail to notice and decided to offer food.

She took her fork, whirled up the pasta, and held the fork up near the young man's mouth. Natsu made a face and jerked his thumb toward himself as if asking if it was for him. She replied by rolling her eyes and moving the fork closer. Grinning, he gradually took a bite.

"So is she your girlfriend or something, Salamander?" Gajeel asked, drawling out the "So". Lucy was taken a back a bit and was going to reply, when she was interrupted.

"What if she is? We all know you can't snag one." Natsu smirked triumphantly. Lucy smacked the back of his head then furiously typed.

NO NO NO. I'm not his girlfriend to make everything crystal clear.

"Sure thing, bunny girl..."

Lucy cocked a brow. Bunny girl? Gajeel pointed to her necklace, it was her bunny necklace her parents gave her. Oh. Makes sense.

"Can you share with me, Lucy?" Natsu looked at her with the most innocent face he could muster. She shrugged and typed, I don't mind. So sure.

The lunch period ended and Lucy was being walked by Natsu to her last period: History. During the entire lunch period, the three girls had hung out with Natsu's group of friends. There was Gray Fullbuster, the soccer team's star player, Gajeel Redfox, the school "delinquent", Cana Alberona, daughter of Mr. Clive, and apparently their neighbor Lisanna Strauss lounged with them as well. They were a colorful group indeed. Lucy guessed there were more members to the pack, but she could guess that if put all together, chaos would arise.

"That was a really good lunch. Did you make it?" He asked and she nodded.

"It really good. You should invite me for dinner sometime, just puttin' that out there." She made a small giggle. It sounded like the small chime of silver bells ringing, a cute noise.

He took note of that.

Lucy then pulled the sleeve of his flannel, making him stop. She pointed her thumb at the door near by and walked towards it. The blonde waved and he began walking again.

I should run or I'll be late...

He impatiently twirled the pencil in his hand. Only a few more minutes and-.

"Good afternoon Fairies! This month, we'll be taking sign ups for the yearly Grand Games! Sign ups are behind the gym. Please check the lost and found for lost items. That'll be all. Class dismissed."

The class filed out the door as soon as the announcement ended. Excitement bubbled in Natsu's viens, then he saw a certain blonde slip out a class room.

"Lucy!"

Said blonde turned around. There's always a sort of feeling of satisfaction when her name was called. It was her name and was being used to catch her attention. It made her a little happy.

"D'ja here the announcement? The Grand Games are soon to begin!" Natsu cheered. Lucy eyed him, his own eyes sparkling like a child. She slipped her phone out.

I don't see what's so great about the Games. I've never even watched them. Usually just there to watch Juvia's competitions.

"Aw. Really? You should watch this it this year since it's our last."

I suppose you're right. Hey where are we headed?

"The gym area to sign up for the tournament."

The Games are usually at the beginning of March?

Natsu nodded at her nonverbal response.

"Well come on! I wanna sign up already." The pink haired young man took Lucy's hand and dragged her behind. She fumbled her books in her unoccupied hand as she and Natsu ran. Oh if she could, she'd yell at him to slow down. Only then she realized, Natsu was holding her hand. Calloused, yet soft...

She took note of that.

Groups and Games

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He only meant to drop her off.

He ended up being tutored by her instead. There the two were: sitting in her room doing their maths homework. Lucy was engaging with problem number 103, while Natsu was taking a gander at his companion's room.

There were creatures of colorful kinds on the walls, while constellations filled the ceiling. Her dresser was stacked with ribbons and had a little jewelry box. Near the closet, a bulliten board contained pinned pictures of her family, past friends, and new ones. Just as he was fully engrossed with the paintings, something hit his head