Lucky Lucy Heartfilia (Lucy Harem)

Twenty Three: Keeping Score

Loke and I are almost to his Suburban when I hear the trampling footsteps behind us. "LUCYYYY!!!"

Startled, I whirl around to see Natsu and Gray running at full speed toward us.

My eyes buldge. "What are you two doing!?"

They keep running, even though they have my attention. When they stop in front of me, they both damn near collapse.

"I'm so glad we caught you," Natsu huffs in exhaustion. He's leaning over with his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath.

"Okay, you caught me. What's the deal?" I ask curiously.

Gray heaves a sigh, also short of breath. "We were thinking of ditching too, then we heard you left." He straightens up and looks at me. "You wanna go get ramen with us?"

I blink at them. They rushed over here just to ask me that?

"Are the others coming?" I ask.

Natsu shakes his head. "We told them just to enjoy themselves. Pretty sure Sting left too, and I don't think I saw Rogue anyways."

I stiffen. "Not that I cared for Sting coming anyways. But, yeah, ramen sounds good!" 

I turn to see Loke looking annoyed and silent. "Loke, I'm gonna go with them."

"Are you sure, Princess? These two?"

"Hey! Don't act so high and mighty!" Natsu says. "We're Lucy's friends and you can't do nothin' about it!"

I giggle. "You're sweet." Hanging out with Natsu and Gray sounds like a good distraction of what just went down. Now I've decided. "You can't stop me Loke. I'm going with them."

Loke looks off to the side, glowering. "Okay, fine."

Despite saying that, my bodyguard just stands there.

A moment passes. Natsu and Gray look at each other, then back at Loke and me.

"That was kind of your cue to leave, genius," I say.

With that, Loke turns and starts walking to his side of the Suburban. "All right fine. I know when I'm not wanted," he says with a gloomy tone.

"I don't think you do!" I call after him.

Natsu and Gray chuckle. I turn back to face them. "So we're going?"

"Yeah let's go!" Natsu grabs my hand and starts running toward the front of the school.

"What are you running for idiot!?" Gray yells after us.

"I'm excited for ramen!" Natsu yells back. As he drags me alongside him he turns to look back at me and grins. "Aren't you too, Lucy!?"

I pause, kinda dazed by his enthusiasm. "Yeah!" I agree.

The ramen bar they end up taking me to is called Jinya. It's kind of a loud rowdy place but we get a table in the corner away from the noise. I gotta say, I like how this place looks. The walls are black, and the lighting is kinda dim and slightly yellow. It's also a bit small, but it's kinda busy in here for a Thursday evening. 

A brunette male approaches our booth. "Hey everyone! I'll be your server today, my names Kazuki. Here are some menus." He passes them to us, and that's when he glances over each of us. "Whoa, what's the occasion?"

Our attire is kind of over the top...

I speak up, since Gray and Natsu seem somewhat embarrassed. "We just came from our school dance."