If Time Permits

ACT I

Part I

She could still remember the first time she had ever heard his name. Looking back, she would have never thought that one name, such a strange name, could change everything she had ever thought about her life…could change everything.

"…Lucy? Lucy, are you even listening?"

The blond girl looked up from the book in her lap and saw the exasperated face of her best friend Levy looking down at her. Grinning sheepishly, Lucy closed the book she had been reading.

"Sorry, Levy. What were you saying?"

Levy sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, her small nose scrunching up. "You know, Lucy. I love reading just as much as you do, but it's kind of rude to do it when someone is trying to talk to you."

Lucy's smile turned apologetic. "I'm sorry, Levy. It was just such a good book."

Levy's frown was smoothed away and a curious smile replaced it. "Which book was it? Have I read it before?"

"It's called If Time Permits. It's a beautiful love story." Lucy sighed. "But it has a sad ending."

"I think I've heard of it. I heard it was really good."

"It is," Lucy confirmed. "But anyway, what did you come here to tell me?"

Levy's face brightened a little. "Oh! I was wondering if you had met the new kid yet?"

Just as Levy's question left her lips, they heard the chime of the school bell signaling the end of free period and the beginning of class. Lucy got to her feet from her curled up position in one of the arm chairs in the library and stretched her arms over her head with a sigh. Her sizable chest strained the front of her uniform and brought the emblem of Fair Tail High into stark relief.

"New kid?" Lucy asked as she bent down to gather her bag. "I didn't know we had a new student."

"Yeah, he apparently just transferred from some high school outside of Kyoto. I've heard he's rather…strange."

Lucy frowned a little and fell into step beside her friend as they made their way to class. "Strange how?"

Levy shrugged her dainty shoulders as she brushed a piece of her bright blue hair out of her big eyes. "I'm not sure. I've only heard that you won't forget him if you ever run into him."

"What's his name anyway?"

"Natsu Dragoneel."

Part II

"My name is Natsu Dragoneel. It's nice to meet you all."

Lucy stared up at the front of the class with wide eyes. Since she sat in the front desk right in front of him, she had to crane her neck a little to look up at his face. The first thing she could say for certain that she noticed about him was his bright pink hair.

Pink hair? Who in the world would die their hair pink?

And who wears a scarf in July?

Beyond that, she noticed that he was actually very attractive. He had bright, warm black eyes that scanned and looked over every face in the classroom before finally settling on Lucy. When he saw her, his bright smile became even brighter if that was at all possible, making him almost ooze boyish charm. Behind her, she could hear the girls begin to giggle and whisper, 'He's so cute!' and 'I wonder if he's seeing anyone?'

Blinking, Lucy noticed that his gaze hadn't wavered from her face ever since he had spotted her and she felt her cheeks warm. It was weird, blushing in front of a boy. Lucy was not shy in the least and had blushed very few times in her life and never simply because a cute boy was looking at her. How strange.

She looked away, down at her desk and licked her lips as the teacher interrupted the excited whispering that had erupted. "Natsu, why don't you sit behind Lucy? If you need anything or have any questions, I'm sure she would be happy to help you. Lucy, raise your hand, please."

Jerking to attention and feeling her cheeks warm even more, she raised her hand hesitantly. She watched as his eyes connected with hers and he grinned. Striding toward her, he stopped next to her desk. Looking up at him, she had never felt so nervous in her life.

Nervous? Nervous about what?

"Nice to meet ya, Lucy."

Oh.

And that was all it took to change everything.

Part III

"And to find the variable…"

Squeak…Sigh…

"You must subtract both sides by this number here and…"

Squeak…squeak…

"Now can anyone tell me what the answer would be?"

Squeak…sigh…

"Ms. Heartifilia, can you tell us the answer?"

Squeeeeaaaak…

Lucy whipped around in her seat, her face twisted into a mask of irritation.

"Would you stop it?!"

Silence. Horrible, awful silence.

"Ms. Heartifilia, since you seem to be a little distracted, maybe detention will help you refocus."

Turning back to face her teacher, Lucy winced and looked down at her desk, her cheeks hot with her embarrassment.

"Yes, ma'am," she murmured. Nodding, her teacher resumed her lecture. Behind her, Lucy heard a snicker.

Lucy felt her eyebrow twitch but was determined not to be bothered by the pink haired menace behind her. All movement behind her paused for a moment.

Squeeeaaak…"Psst. Lucy."

Her grip on her pencil tightened until her knuckles turned white.

Ignore him. He'll lose interest soon enough.

"Luuuccyy…"

She felt her shoulders tense when she felt warmth at her back and hot breath fan the nape of her neck.

"Come on, Lucy. I know you can hear me."

Sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose, Lucy leaned back in her seat and turned her head so she could see the pink of his hair from the corner of her eye.

"What do you want?"

She saw a flash of white teeth.

"What are you doing during lunch today?" he whispered. She felt the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand on end at his proximity.

"N-Nothing. Probably going to the library. Why?"

Natsu peeked up at the teacher to make sure she was still distracted before continuing.

"You should have lunch with me and some of the guys today."

Lucy felt her heart beat a little faster and frowned.

"Why?" she asked again. In the two weeks that Natsu had been at the school, he already had more friends than Lucy who had been there for two years. It wasn't too surprising considering no one was a stranger in Natsu's eyes. He was everyone's best friend and it annoyed Lucy to no end.

She saw him shrug from the corner of her eye before feeling his hot breath on her neck again. That was another thing that annoyed Lucy about Natsu. He had no concept of personal space.

"You seem cool…so what do you say? You want to join us?"

Seeing the teacher was turned toward the black board, Lucy turned her head as far as she could so she could look into Natsu's face. She almost gasped in surprise at how close his face was to hers. Their noses brushed briefly before Lucy jerked her head back a few inches.

Natsu flashed her his bright grin that always made her blush and her heart race. Biting her lip she warred with herself. She could say no and go to the library to meet Levy like she did every day or she could say yes and maybe get to know this enigma of a boy that sat behind her every day. Sighing, she knew she didn't really have much of a choice no matter what she might think.

"Where?"

At her answer, his grin brightened and he reached up to squeeze her shoulder a little.

"Awesome! We meet on the roof. See you there."

With that, he leaned back in his seat once more, the chair protesting with a obnoxious squeak. Lucy turned back to the teacher but didn't hear anything of what she said. The symbols on the board seemed as if they were hieroglyphics with how much she could comprehend them. And the entire time, her shoulder tingled from the remnants of his touch.

Who would have thought his hands would be so…warm?

(AN: Okay, now I know I should be working on Strength, but this idea was another persistent one and I felt almost empty now the Year of the Sun is completed. Yes, this is a Fairy Tail High story, but only at first. It won't remain that way. It will be told in little snippets at first for a few chapters until I get to the real plot line. I hope you enjoyed what I have so far! Please send me your feedback! Thanks for reading)

Jane