Melting Gray [Gratsu]

26

Chapter Twenty-Six

☆ Natsu Dragneel ☆

November

I didn't go to school on that Tuesday.

Or Wednesday or Thursday or Friday either.

All in all, I missed 8 days of school.

Igneel had been lenient on letting me stay home (out of guilt, I guessed) for eight days, but by Friday of the next week, he was begging me to leave my bedroom and face the world, because I can't "hide from my fears forever".

Just watch me, I had thought as he padded downstairs and left for work.

All week I had barely been eating- food just didn't seem important to me, and I haven felt hungry, which wasn't typical for my gluttonous self. I think I took a shower on Wednesday, it just all seems a blur. Crying your eyes out and mindlessly staring at my closed blinds makes time pass so quickly. Days became nights and I didn't know what anything was anymore.

When Friday morning rolled around, I reluctantly tossed the covers off me, feeling the cold November air seep through my windows and making me shiver. I took a long shower, not bothering with rushing to school. What was the point anyways? I'd be leaving them soon, might as well get used to not seeing them.

On the way back from my half-hour long shower, I passed by my cellphone, which had blown up with texts and calls from my friends. Most, obviously, were from Lucy, and judging by the gravity and abundance of her texts, she seemed to think I was abducted by horse-alien hybrids.

I ignored all of them and turned off my phone. Since Igneel was making me go to school today, I'd just pass off lies of me being sick and recovering so they wouldn't have to worry about me.

I got dressed in an oversized hoodie, sweatpants, and lace-up leather boots. I tucked my phone in my jacket pocket and began to leave my room when I saw my scale-print scarf loosely draped over my desk chair.

I stared at it, wondering if I should wear it. Usually it would be a no-brainer- every day you could find that scarf around my neck. It was my birthday present from my parents when I was four.

I looked at it a second longer before shaking my head slightly and leaving my room.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Natsu, where have you been?" Lucy demanded angrily, shouting as she stomped up to my locker. "Why didn't you answer my texts?"

I didn't look over at her and instead focused on spinning my combination lock. "I was sick."

"Oh my God, did you get Ebola? Ew, don't sneeze on me, you can pass that stuff through mucus. Oh God, ew, ew, okay, see you later," Lucy shuddered, backing away before taking off into a run down the hall.

I sighed and opened my locker, swapping out all the books I needed. Next was Lunch, anyway, so all I needed was the book I was going to drown myself in.

As awful as it sounded, I decided to ignore Gray. I wasn't ready to hurt his feelings about the move and I certainly wasn't ready for him to get mad at me, because lord knows he will. Therefore, I was going to sink into a comfortable couch in the library and read for an hour.

I climbed up the stairs, trudged down the hall, sullenly entered the library, and took a seat on one of the empty couches. I tested my head against the pillow and propped the book sideways so I could read it easier.

I didn't really get anywhere in my book, however. I think by this point I've read this same paragraph six times now. I shut the book and snuggled deeper into the linty couch, staring blankly straight ahead.