Chapter 13: Birthday parties and cake fights.

Friday, November 7.

Third person view.

In the early hours, Mira had asked Erza's closest friends to meet her in the library. Now, five in the morning, six lethargic teenagers sat at one table littered with hoodies and coffee. Heads were propped up with hands or rested on pillows made of the hoodies. Except Lucy was using Natsu's shoulder as a pillow as she slowly slurped at her cup of coffee. Mira felt a wave of excitement seeing it and wanted to squeal in delight but knew now wasn't the time. Instead she placed her hands down on the hard wood surface.

"We have exactly 15 hours to prepare a kickass, unforgettable party for Erza" Mira announced from the head of the table, gaining the attention of every droopy eye in the room. Well, all except Gajeel's, who insisted on trying to catch a few snoozes.

"Are you crazy?!"

"What are you thinking?"

"We could never pull it off!"

"Miiirraaa."

Mira had prepared for the chorus of doubts and whines, and simply waved them off. After all the complaints had quieted, she heard Lucy mumble a question about the somewhat impossible time limit. She opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by Natsu. "Because Mira likes to try impossible things." The boy was barely audible through the pink hoodie the side of his face was stuffed into. However, his remark irritated her.

"Becaaauuussse," Mira drug out and glared at Natsu. "Our friend Erza Scarlett has always found out about these surprise parties if we try any sooner. Within 15 hours, makes it a little harder to find out before the party."

"But we barely got the party together in a week. How are we supposed to get it down in one day?" Levy asked.

"Skip school?" Natsu asked, opening both of his eyes and perking his head up. Levy looked appalled. She had never missed a day of school. Ever.

"You can do that but not everyone can. Remember, we have to act natural." Juvia sighed from her resting spot against Gray.

"I will skip school." Natsu muttered as he returned to Lucy's hoodie.

Lucy patted his head then turned her attention back to Mira. "If what I hear is true, then why are you trying?"

Mira ignored the act of affection Lucy just showed and answered her question. "Why would I stop trying to give my best friend a surprise party? I will succeed one day."

"How are we going to do it?"

"Well, I have this system." Mira stood from the table and reached around the counter behind them to retrieve a drawing board with a full plan mapped out. "As you can see, I already have the plan. I just need some help putting it together."

…..

Lucy P.O.V.

It didn't take long for Mira to assign everyone a job for the party. Jellal was going to be the distracter, taking Erza on a birthday date, Gajeel was to find the music, Gray and Juvia oversaw games, party favors, and gifts, Levy and Mira was in charge of decorations, and only thing I had to do was get food and a cake with Natsu. During school, everyone was to act normal. Attend class or whatever it was that was taken for normal behavior. Which technically meant we had only 4 hours to get everything set up because we had to be at my house by 7 before she came at 8. Any later then that and Erza would get suspicious. Even Erza's mom was going to help keep Erza away.

I only had one concern. Why were we in charge of food? With Natsu of all people? No offense but Natsu couldn't focus on anything but sports and the boy ate everything he saw without a second thought of what it was meant for. Of course, I already tried to change jobs with someone, but Mira harshly declined, claiming it was a delicate plan and changing one thing could cause the whole thing to fail.

After everyone was clear on what they were supposed to do (whether they liked it or not), Mira shooed us out of the library. It was weird being in these halls again after so long. Even weirder that it was empty. Only sounds of shuffling feet and the guys' hands hitting everything along the way filled the space, each one echoing off the walls of brick and rows of metal lockers. Gray and Natsu even started shouting contests like it was a cave full of endless wonders.

Natsu and Gajeel walked ahead of everyone as Levy and I walked slower than them, catching up for all the time I've been away. Since I transferred schools, we've barely had time for small talk much less the book talk that we do. She gushed about this book she read last week about fallen angels and reincarnated soulmates, but I couldn't follow what she was saying. I was feeling too much at once. Sad because I missed how things used to be. I know I had only been here for a few months, but I really grew to love everything about this place. Overjoyed because I was in the middle of it all again; Levy was talking about books and dates, and the guys were bickering over something that I still haven't been able to figure out. And, of course, I was worried over this party planning with Natsu, I didn't know what I was going to do! Most of all though, I was angry. So angry that my heartless father had taken all this normality away from me.

"Lucy?"

I pulled out of my thoughts and turned to face my best friend. We had stopped walking, and everyone was getting ahead of us. Levy was looking at me with concern.

"I'm okay." I say before she has time to even ask the question I knew was coming. "I'm just a little distracted."

"The party?" She asked.

I snort out a laugh and respond. "And other things."

...

I had to go to school. No matter how much Natsu pleaded that I skip with him again, I couldn't. My father paid close attention to my attendance now, even though I wasn't at Fairy High anymore. Why couldn't he just focus that on me and not this nonsense we went through every day. This was just building on my anger. I was finding it hard to focus at school but that really wasn't any different from any other day. However today I wasn't just daydreaming and mindlessly wandering or reading a book. No, today I was caught up in everything. My emotions and trying to plan what to serve tonight. Mostly I was trying to plan this with Natsu. Once during the third class of today, I looked outside and saw Natsu leaning against his car, waiting for me. So, during lunch, I went out there. It was great to see him, even though he wasn't taking anything serious that entire hour but I had convinced him to take my card and go to this list of caterers and bakeries in town to get the food for Erza's party and have it delivered to my house. He said he would if he could be the one to pick me up from school and take me home.

Now, I had two more minutes until final bell, and I kept catching myself glancing outside, looking for Natsu. I was hoping I could see him again, but I had to remind myself -more than once- that he would be waiting for me at the front of the building not the back where I currently was. He had texted me not too long ago to let me know he was there and to give the occasional advice to just come outside now. And I really wanted to. It was a welcoming thought with all this excited talk around me. I felt more alone than I ever did before at this school and the thought that my friend wasn't far away was warming.

Finally, the bell rang, and I practically flew with how fast I left the classroom. I quickly went to my locker one last time for the day to drop off unneeded books and to gather the ones I needed before running down the halls again towards the front entrance. I burst through the heavy metal doors and the crowds of girls and spotted Natsu's car instantly. A smile spread across my cheeks. There he was standing there again, like a knight in shining armor, while hordes of girls started to surround him. Okay, maybe not hordes, but it was plenty. Though he paid them no attention, just waved me over and opened the door for me when I approached his car. All these girls were glaring at me from the moment Natsu waved at me and I got in his car. I shrank down in my seat a little bit.

Natsu got in the car and the crowd dispersed, but I could still feel the glares. I don't understand why. They all had boyfriends, so why was I getting this hostile look from them?

"Ready to go?" Natsu asked, looking at me as he shifted the car into gear.

"Yes." I nervously laughed. I'm just overreacting. They weren't looking at me. My nerves and emotions were just shot after a long day. I'll feel much better after a shower.

"So, we might have a problem..." Natsu began and then told me what had happened while I was at school

...

" ...Combine the flour and baking powder; stir into the batter alternately with the milk. Blend in vanilla and strawberry puree. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans."

Natsu was sitting on the counter beside me reading the directions to me as I mixed the batter for the cake. After Natsu picked me up, he told me the story of how the bakery told him he would not make the cake for us seeing how rude Natsu had been about the baker's masterpieces. And so, we had to bake a cake because nowhere was going to be able to get us one at this short notice. Luckily Natsu hadn't offended any the caters so at least we had plenty of food. Way too much honestly. But now, we were currently working on the third cake that night. The first one, Natsu was mixing and he put the eggshells in the batter. He said it would make it better since he hated soft foods. That's when I made him read. The second cake, I mixed it wrong and it fell apart. And honestly, if this one doesn't work, I don't know what we are going to do. We won't have time to try to bake one. I guess there wouldn't be one.

In the next room I could hear everyone else setting the party up in my living room. They had arrived between the first two cake attempts and had got started right away and have ignored us for the most part. Music started thumping between the walls and once again I wished I was in there with everybody.

"Here, let me try it! I'll make sure everything is mixing right." Natsu suggested as he leaned over about to stick his finger in the batter, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I slapped his hand back. " I thought you didn't like soft foods."

"Cake batter is different then baked cake."

"It has no form at all. It's just cake soup!"

"Like a drink then!" Natsu got excited about that logic and jumped off the counter.

I stopped stirring the batter and turned around to watch as he marched around the island and started shuffling through all the doors.

"Ah ha!" He exclaimed holding up his treasure. A straw. "If it's a drink, then I can sip it through a straw."

I stood defensively in front of the bowl. "Don't you dare." I warned.

He slowly stalked towards me, straw at the ready. He had that playful glare in his eyes. I could see victory in them even though he hadn't won yet. He was being cocky and that made me a little angry. Thinking he could just get around me like that.

As he got closer, I frantically looked for something to use to fend him off. There wasn't much around to use, most of it was just empty boxes and tiny bottles. I grabbed the mixing spoon and flung it towards him, prepared to smack the straw out of his hand. However, I didn't think about the fact that this spoon was just in a bowl full of batter or that when I flung it like that, cake batter was going to fly. Natsu's shirt and side of his face was now covered in the strawberry concoction.

My eyes went wide open and my hands flew to my mouth in shock. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean too." I said around my hands, trying to bite down laughter.

He looked down for a second, nodded his head a couple of times then looked back up at me. Slowly, he dropped the straw and took the last few steps toward me. I gulped, not understanding what he was doing. Suddenly, he dipped his whole hand into the batter and wiped it across my cheek causing me to squeak at the displeasure of goo sliding down my skin. And he laughed. Before I knew it, I had both hands in the bowl and bringing a handful of batter into Natsu's hair and face. Now it was my turn to laugh. Until he started flinging batter at me and I attempted to dodge as I dug in the bowl, trying to get more on him. Cake batter was going everywhere and Natsu was grabbing my waist to pull me closer, the bowl now in his hand. We were grinning wildly, cakey goo dripping down our faces and I was filling with hysterical laughter. I was doubling over and goo was falling on the floor beneath us. We were roaring with laughter as we both slid around on the batter covered floor, still throwing batter at each other and eventually took the failed mixtures of the previous cakes and started throwing those as well. The kitchen was looking more and more like a war zone and getting increasingly more dangerous to run around in due to the slippery goo on the floors. I gave one more fling of half-baked cake gunk at Natsu before he caught up with me, to smear more cake on me. Of course, my aim was off, and I missed him by a foot, and he grabbed me by my wrist, his other hand lifting to smash the cake on me. I tried to dodge this and with the jerky movement, my feet slipped from beneath me.

Natsu and I both crashed to the floor, him landing on top of me, and we were both mad with laughter. My head was pressed against the floor as hollers rumbled up my back and through my throat, exploding into laughter. Natsu's head was rested against my collarbone as his laughter rocked his body. A moment later, when all our laughter had disappeared, Natsu raised his head to look at me and our eyes met. I had this fuzzy feeling in my stomach and then I heard the door open and close. I pushed against Natsu, and we scrambled off the floor, almost laughing again about the batter all over us. When I was on my feet again, I looked to see who opened the door, but no one was there. Maybe I had made it up.

"There goes our cake." We say at the same time and we both smile in amusement.

"What are we going to do?" I ask. "We don't have time to bake one and take showers to get all this off us." I pointed at our clothes that were now crusted in strawberry cake.

"I'll text my mom and see if she'll bake one." Natsu said.

"I thought she was at work." I said, looking at him with my hands on my hip.

"No, she was off today." Natsu shrugged and went to get his phone from the counter.

"So, we could have just asked her sooner?"

"That wouldn't have been any fun Luce."

…

Natsu P.O.V.

The feeling had returned. I thought after the Halloween party, that feeling was just a mixture of the late night and the alcohol I had poured into the punch. But here it was again. I had this warm feeling in odd places when Lucy was laughing, like it was the most beautiful sound in the world, and I needed to keep hearing it. Whenever I touch her, I get this electricity in my veins and I find myself coming up with reasons to touch her. Then when we fell earlier and she looked up at me, I turned into a puddle. I couldn't move or breath, I was trapped there.

What was wrong with me? I had never felt like this before! And I had a girlfriend! It had never felt like this with Lisanna.

When we got off the floor, I took a second to calm myself and to act normally. Soon after, she sent me upstairs to shower off and she gave me the clothes she borrowed when she spent the night. The water felt nice on my feverish skin and I tried pushing aside whatever just happened in the kitchen. After I got out, I told her I was going to my house to pick up the cake Grandine made and to change, then I'll see her when I get back.

I got to my house quickly and went straight to my room to change into a pair of jeans. The shirt was fine, so I didn't bother changing that and I walked back down the hallway to the kitchen. Grandine was just putting the icing on the cake when I got there. "How's the party planning going?" she asked.

"Going pretty good. So far Erza doesn't know, or for all I know she doesn't." I leaned against the counter opposite her.

"How is Lucy doing?"

"What's with all the questions?"

"I just haven't seen her for a while." Grandine said defensively. She put the spatula she was using to spread the icing down and turned to get the cake box.

"She's just been busy." I said and folded my arms. "Can I have the cake now?"

Grandine laughed and told me to take it. I walked around the island and picked up the box. She laid her hand on my shoulder and she looked like she was going to say something, but she let her hand fall, gave me a smile, and walked out of the kitchen. I shrugged it off and took the cake to the car to go back to Lucy's house.

The car ride seemed shorter than normal and I guess I was still distracted. Why can't I get her off my mind? I feel like I'm going crazy. I mean I must be if I keep thinking about what happened and I keep reacting the way I am. Maybe it wasn't even a thing and I was making it up, and once I get to her house and see Lucy, it'll be okay.

I pull into the driveway and see Jellal's mustang by the front entrance. I look at the clock on my dash and notice it's already 8:23. I didn't notice I was taking this long. I park around the house so that I am closer to the kitchen. One of the kitchen workers is waiting on me, and he opens the door to get the cake. I got out and ran through the kitchen to meet up with all my friends, grabbing a handful of pretzels from a bowl on my way through.

Outside the kitchen is masses of bodies everywhere. Apparently, Mira didn't skip on the guest list. I work my way through the crowd until I finally spot Erza, Mira, and Lucy near the piano in her den. That feeling returns in my stomach when I see Lucy. The way her golden hair falls perfectly down her shoulders, the way the black dress she is wearing tonight fits perfectly on every curve, the way her bare legs look, and how soft her lips looked even from where I stood. It was getting very warm and normally I wasn't bothered by the temperature. I turned in circles until I saw a punch bowl in the middle of the room. I made my way to the table, filled a cup, and gulped down the entire contents.

"Hey, you're gonna have to slow down a little bit. Gray found a bottle of vodka in the office behind the staircase." Mira said as she came up behind me. I turned around to greet her, still feeling the slight burn in the back of my throat. She wasn't looking at me, instead looking in the direction of Lucy- how did I still know where she was? – and her arms were playfully crossed over her chest. She continued talking. "So, I went to the kitchen earlier to check on the food because I heard a lot of commotion."

My head snapped in her direction and I felt my mouth gaped open which I quickly shut. I tried to remain calm and that off in my body language. "She started it." I almost choke but stay solid.

"What did she start? The cake fight or the longing look into each other's eyes." Mira swooned on the last word. My palms started sweating and panic settled into my mind. I picked up another cup of punch, chugging it as quickly as possible. Mira laughed beside me. "It was a thing I saw. I wasn't sure until you just confirmed it."

I thought about denying it but something in the back of my mind told me it would be pointless. So, I admitted it. "I don't know what's going on."