Chapter 3

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~N~

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Hiding Pasts

One of the weirdest things about teenagers is that they tend to look up to their ceilings, stare until they figure out some sort of conclusion to their unimaginable number of thoughts; search for answers.

Natsu couldn't take his eyes off the blank white wall above him. His head swirled around, competing with everything else, giving him no space for organizing the thoughts themselves. The more questions came, the more messed up his head becomes.

His two hands finally came up to his face and broke off his internal fight. His fingers covered just below his eyes. Natsu's eyes searched the ceiling again, but instead of staying in one place it rattled. He was very confused. Everything that happened, all of the things that transpired…they were just too much. For him, anyway, but who knows? Maybe even Gramps would get all crazy being in his shoes.

The teen shook the thought off, finding it ridiculous, but can you blame him? He was under a very, very unusual situation, it was aggravating.

One minute he was thinking about how stupid everything was(that's life for ya), then about how he couldn't have been so naïve to think that his own cousin would offer an answer to his suicidal thoughts. One thought would come up after another, break his head into pieces that he couldn't put back together…he'd guess what the final view would be though, and the first and only guess was always this…Lucy girl.

Lucy…love letter…it had Mirajane written all over it, but he didn't know how or even why. He didn't get it, the word 'why' had always been his guide before taking his path, but right now it just keeps giving him the wrong signs. Why is Mirajane doing this to him? Why is his brain being picked at by that woman?

Why is that Lucy girl involved?

The sigh came out when Natsu sat up. His eyes scavenged his dimly lit room, as it was 5 in the morning based on his clock, then finding his uniform finally, neatly hung by the closet doors. He dragged his feet over the edge of the bed, then stretched before preparing to take a shower.

As he went up to take his clothes, Natsu pulled at them expecting to take them all in his hand, but instead the hanger the uniform was on also pulled at the closet doors. Natsu's breath almost hitched, seeing it scattered among the clothes he decided never to use.

The sun came peeking into his windows, it's rays shone on it, and Natsu's eyes dimmed into it's onyx color.

"You should have just—!"

"N—"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU?!"

Why…

"IF YOU CAN'T—"

Why's a question in itself huh?

"—YOURSELF!"

Natsu closed the closet.

"I know, I know…yes I'll look after myself,"

"Pft, like you'd ever do that."

"Shut up," Natsu sneered, covering his phone, "mind your own business."

His friend just scoffed and did it anyway.

Natsu sighed and returned to his phone, "Anyway…yes I was talking to Gray…WHAT?! I'm not gay, he is! …sure, when I die tomorrow."

"I hope you do,"

"Shush it,"

"Ah, young men these days," Natsu heard Ms. Spetto say from the other end, "So, she should be arriving today soon. Remember, be nice to her, especially since I can't be here for the next few weeks."

"Yes Ms—"

"Mom,"

"—yes, Mom."

"Oh! My flight's here. Gotta go now, take care!" The call ended.

"He won't," Gray snorted, working on his sculpture. Natsu turned his phone off and resumed his own work.

"You've really gotta stop talking one day," Natsu paused for a second, then shrugged, "No wait, on second thought, I'll call Uncle right now and get ya a spot on Alvin and the chipmunks,"

"Shut up,"

"Exactly."

Gray groaned and paused at his work to rub his temples, "Look Natsu…why are you even here?" He asked, clearly agitated, Natsu only rose a brow.

"What do you mean?"

"Your Arts class is in Future Professionals dumbass. The room right next to this wall. AFP." The raven-haired man said, patting at the wall beside him, "Why the hell are you here? This is ABS, Arts for Beginner Students!"

"Lower your voice Fullbuster," Miss Bisca warned as she passed by their table.

The boy lowered his head and muttered a 'sorry'.

Natsu paused from his dragon sketches and said, "So? Bisca barely notices anybody here. I've been skipping classes here for like, what? 2 years? And besides…something weird happened yesterday,"

"Let me guess, nothing endangered your life yesterday?"

"Not actually…my life just almost went extinct."

Gray accidentally chipped off the nose of his ice sculpture's face, eyes widening in shock. "Shit…" He looked at his failure and glanced at Natsu again, "Seriously?!" He whisper-shouted.

"Yeah."

"Wait a minute, what exactly happened? Were you planning to do it on your own or?"

"Actually—"

"Sorry I'm late!" A girl barges into the room.

Natsu's breath hitched at the sight of blonde hair.

Without thinking, he stood up abruptly.

"Lu—!"

Lu…

"Whatever happens next, just go along with it."

"Mr. Dragneel?" At the sound of his name Natsu snapped out of it. He looked towards the source and saw Miss Bisca, eyebrows knitted at him. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be at Future Professionals?"

"Um, well—" He whipped his head towards the girl.

He sighed, it wasn't her.

Natsu didn't notice Miss Bisca approaching until she was right in front of him. "Well?"

"Uh…" He looked to Gray and the teen shrugged back. Natsu scoffed silently. The traitor. "You see I…"

"You know what, I'll save you the explanation." She says, waving him off and motioning towards his bag. "Just take your things and proceed to your respective class."

"O-Okay…" Natsu spared a glance at the girl one more time before glaring at Gray. Picking up his bag, he nodded to Miss Bisca before leaving.

He stepped into the empty hallways, gritting his teeth. Damn that guy, Natsu thought. He was more than pissed, that stupid idiot knew he had no intention whatsoever to return to that boring ass classroom. If he didn't know any better, he could have gone and bore himself to death, but nope, too bad, he knew better.

"This sucks…" Natsu murmured, walking pass the AFP classroom he was supposed to go. Cutting classes were common for him but hey, he didn't need to get any smarter than he already was, he knew that much.

Although, at the back of his mind, he could've sworn he saw a familiar blond-haired girl through the AFP classroom door's small window.

This time, he was wrong because he brushed the feeling off.

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~L~

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"…artfilia-san…filia-sa…Heartfilia-san!"

Her eyes shot open.

"This is NOT the time to do a dance around the flowers in dreamland, you've got an assignment coming!" The old and cranky arts teacher scolded, but Lucy ignored her and yawned, loudly. The unladylike action got the class' attention, including the teacher. "W-What's this, Miss Heartfilia has taken a rebelling turn…?"

Lucy blinked at the staring faces. "Hm…?"

'Wait…', she suddenly thought, 'staring faces…'.

"I-I-I—!" Lucy stammered out, full awareness and consciousness coming back to her. "U-Um I-I—ah! I, um…have been s-staying u-u-up all n-night studyi—I'M SORRY." She stood up and bowed down, but without noticing it, her head dropped down even further than she'd liked and ended up bumping into her desk.

The teacher gasped, "Oh my…must have been a long night…"

Lucy stood straight, rubbing at her forehead, and unconsciously her bagged eyes as well. "I-I'm sorry…I'll p-pay better at-t-tentio—"

"No, that's enough. You need rest. You're too out of yourself." The class nodded in agreement, not used to seeing the stiff but incredibly attentive Lucy Heartfilia all worn out. She smiled uneasily.

"S-Should I go h-home…?"

"Just sleep in the infirmary. It's only first period, get some rest 'till lunch break. I'll excuse you. Go on." The teacher pushed her out of the classroom. The blonde could only bow her head down in shame as she walked the empty halls towards the infirmary. She never got sleep-deprived before, sleeping was an automatic system of her body once she laid down on a bed. The night before, she never could have imagined this would happen.

Lucy sighed at the memory.

Thoughts of what had happened…they wouldn't leave her alone. She tried listening to music, even calling Levy from time to time, but what had happened the week before wouldn't leave her head. Nights were spent on thinking about what she'd do or how she should face him. It didn't help that the thought of him finding out that they were in the same school frightened her. If she enrolled somewhere else, this could have been avoided and forgotten of quickly, but no use. She knew he was here and that they'd have to face sooner or later…if he even remembered her. Lucy shook her head, trying to forget the weird events once again, but it only got her dizzy.

When she regained balance, she decided. Avoiding him would be the best course of action. For now, though, she'll just rest.

A sigh of relief came out as soon as she found the infirmary door. Lucy didn't hesitate in sliding it open, eager to get some sleep. She took off her glasses and walked to one curtain where she was sure her wonderfully awaited bed was placed. Bliss in her chest, she slid the curtains open.

And immediately regretted it.

Lying down on her 'long awaited bed', was the very man she was planning to avoid.

Natsu Dragneel.

The blonde's face paled into white. He's here, were her repeating thoughts. The memories of spending endless nights thinking about what to do came to her mind.

Then the realization that she couldn't possibly go anywhere else. Going back to class is a no, going outside is definitely a no, and looking for another infirmary is ridiculous.

Escape was futile.

Then she finally thought, 'Lucy…you've sunk.'

Natsu moved in his sleep, snapping Lucy out of her self-pity party. She thought of closing the curtains, but if she did that it'd make a loud screeching sound on top of the bed. It was a miracle enough that she managed to open them without waking up the sleeping teen at all. Lucy looked around and saw that the other bed was beside the side she opened the curtain in. She could've thought, why not the other side then?

Unfortunately, Natsu's bed was by the wall.

Lucy sighed.

Not only have you sunk, but your stupidity sunk with you.

The bed remaining had no curtains, which relieved Lucy a little bit, but the thought was immediately brought down when she realized how exposed she could be. Although…she doesn't really have a choice. The blonde sighed once again, laying down, not caring anymore at all about her situation. Honestly, at this moment, she just really wanted to sleep, with or without Natsu just one bed apart from her.

She fidgeted around until her position was facing him.

This decision was unknown to her, but she concluded that she'd let her idiocy go just this once.

Lucy inwardly called herself an idiot and took off her glasses. She reached for the side table between their beds and tried to place it as gently as possible, careful not to make it sound.

Silence.

Relief washed over her. Feeling proud of herself she was about to retreat her hand back when all of a sudden, her hand was grabbed.

Grabbed by Natsu Dragneel's own hand.

"W-Wha—?" She gasped out, but wondered why he didn't make a sound after that. Lucy looked to him even with slightly blurred vision and without needing clarity, knew he was still sleeping.

'That…that was too sudden…' She thought, and looked to her hand. His own…it was holding hers with strength she couldn't understand.

'Is he seriously sleeping right now?' She thought, confused out of her wits. Even in sleep, he could manage to hold onto something so tightly?

…

Even in sleep…

"Good night Lucy…I'll be right here…"

…he could hold on to something so tightly and not let go…

Lucy's eyes blinked softly a few times before closing completely.

"You know…" She whispered, feeling his hand still holding hers.

…tightly…

"…mommy…?"

Lucy smiled sadly as sleep enveloped her, "…I seriously envy you…"

Hello

I'm alive

*crickets*

Well, yeah, this bastard writer is still alive and active so deal with it.

School's seriously got me this time. It's summer now though, SO I'M PUMPED UUUUUP! Sooo~ happy! I miss my stories really, these unfinished pieces of **** will finally be written. BUWAHAHAHAHAHAHA so good to be back.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this useless chapter that I randomly thought up(lol just kidding this has been a draft for more than you think) It's just a warm up for me since my chest has been feeling painful just thinking about my future plans for this story. DON'T WORRY, I'M REALLY REALLY FOCUSSEEEEDDD

Thank you for reading, leave a review(I accept angry ones because I've kept you guys waiting ;OwO)

Ja ne~

Shoyukine