Chapter 5 - recap
I was dangerously close to Natsu. I yank my fist lose and shove myself away, turning my head at the same time. My cuts where now searing as I hit the wall from moving backwards. I bit my lip as not to cry, but my face was twisted with pain. Natsu came over to me and despite my attempts to push him away, pulled my forward and into an embrace.
"Natsu..?!" I whisper, as silence falls over us
"You aren't feeling well or something, are you?" He finally says breaking the silence. I don't answer the question, because I don't want to hear the answer myself.
• * •
Chapter 6 - The First Game
A month had passed since I was potentially abducted. Lisanna and Natsu where the talk of the school still, and I had been continually hiding my anguish. I put my folder in my shoulder bag and then headed out into the hall leaving Ms. V's room.
"Hello Lucy, how are you?" I hear Erza, the class president, greet me.
"Hi Erza, and I'm better thanks," I smile.
"Good. I can't have my friends getting hurt by drunken men," she folded her arms.
I winced and held my hand to my temple. A sudden throbbing pain erupted there. Erza gave me a concerned look.
"Lucy? Are you alright? Do I need to carry you to the nurse?" She questioned.
I shake my head, "no, no it's fine Erza," I assure her.
"Hm, okay Lucy. Just be careful," she advises me.
"Will do Erza," I wink at her and continue to class. As Sir Guildarts rambles on about the latest topic, I softly hum my music to myself while writing down notes as they become clear on the board.
"And by dividing these you will get x as 7, does everyone understand?" Guildarts asked, reviving a series of nods.
"Good, homework is pages 117-119 all evens," he dismisses us. I stand up and push my things into my bag before heading to lunch. I stop before reaching the lunchroom as another pain erupts in the same spot. I grimace and rub the spot before finally making my way to the spot I shared with Levy. She had her nose in a book only pausing to much on a carrot.
I eat my lunch in silence, my gaze making its way over the people in the lunchroom. My eyes accidentally land on Natsu, my old lunch partner. He was sitting with Lisanna, the cheer squad, and a few of his team mates. He turned his head in a direction where he could see me and I quickly snapped my head the other direction. My hair hung over my eyes a bit, and Levy looked up at my sudden movement.
"Are you-?" She silently questions.
I nod my head before standing and throwing away my trash. I hurry from the lunch room, where I run my hands through my hair, resting my arms on the back of my neck. I make my way through the hall slowly, not in any rush. I hear whispers nearby, and I draw nearer to them, and I recognize two cheerleader's.
They where whispering back and fourth about something, and the second they saw me the stood away from each other and send me a quick glare before retreating done the hall. I stare after them dumbfounded. Why did they glare at me?
I shake it off and head to the library. I browse trough books hoping to find something to keep me occupied. I skim through popular magazines and I sing softly to myself. The librarian hears me but doesn't tell me to be quiet. I was the only one there, and she had grown to like my song.
"So are you going to really perform this year?" She asked me as I brought two books up for check out.
I look up at her. "I think I will," I nod. "But it's still up in the air."
"Either way... Good, it's about time you showed this school what real talent you hold," she tells me.
"Yeah, I guess," I laugh.
"I'll see you soon Lucy," she waves as I leave. After that I make my way down the now crowding hallways. I make it to my next class in time and sit down. The teacher took roll and then began the lecture that would seem to last forever. I just wanted the day over.
• * •
That afternoon after classes let out I hurry to the gym. I couldn't wait to watch the first game of the season. I entered the gym which was already packed with people.
I watched from a far corner as Natsu and Gray worked in tandem. Then they broke the pattern by passing back to Jellal who tossed it over to Gajeel. Gajeel took it up the side of the court and bounced it to Loki, who got it to Natsu. Natsu went in and avoided the last few opponents before slamming it in the net. I cheered with the rest of the student body there watching.
The other team called a time out so the team circled the coach. I could see Natsu's pink hair in between the others. He was right in front, as usual. My eyes land on Lisanna after that. I had a nagging feeling in the back of my mind. Something was off. There was just something different about her. And it couldn't just be that Natsu is officially her boyfriend. Could it?
She saw me looking her way, and she smirked and gave me a "peace" sign. I was startled but I recovered quickly enough to give a tiny wave- prompting her and her squad to giggle amongst themselves. I just shook my head and went back to watching my best friend play basketball. He was my Bo- er best friend, after all.
I ran my hand through my hair and then held my head for a minute, and right before the teams got back on the court I got up and hurried out. I had a huge throbbing headache out of nowhere. It hit me harder than being crushed by a ton of bricks. Tears fell from my eyes as I got dizzy and lost my footing. I fell and slammed into some nearby lockers. I pushed myself up and continued forward only to come to a door that I couldn't read the sign on.
That's when I collapsed. I could barely see, and I tired to speak but it was as if my mouth wouldn't move. I tried to move but I could hardly move a centimeter. I lay there slumped against the lockers, my head throbbing painfully. Finally a few soft sobs escaped my lips. I heard the people cheering in the gym and someone announcing Fairy Tail High's win. That's when people began leaving the gym.
I couldn't tell where I was exactly so when people didn't really come my way I tried to call out, but my voice has escaped me. I closed my eyes, certain I could at least be found tomorrow. That's when I heard footsteps drawing near me, and loud talking. Then coach Gildarts rounded the corner with the team and they saw me, lying there with my legs sprawled about leaned against the lockers on the floor.
"Lucy," I heard Natsu breathe as the whole group had gone silent.
"Is she okay?!" I heard him panic a little.
"I'm about to find out," Gildarts crouched before me and I turned my eyes to him.
"Lucy what are you doing on the floor?" He asked.
I could barely move my lips, and no sounds came out. Gildarts then looked at Natsu.
"Get dressed, now. I want to see you right back in this spot in less than two minutes," he ordered. "The rest of you need to change, Gray I need you to be in charge. I'm talking Lucy to the hospital,"
And with that all the boys hurried into the locker room and I closed my eyes. Tears had formed on the brims of my eyelids as the pain continued to worsen. New spots erupted in pain and I was finally able to cry out, and it was a horrible sound, like that of someone being tortured.
Natsu burst out of the locker room. He scooped me up in his arms and nodded to Gildarts. They took me outside to Gildarts car where they laid me in the backseat, resting my head on Natsu's lap.
"What's the matter Lucy?" Natsu whispered.
I put all of my will into moving my arm, and though it took me a minute I placed it to my head before it dropped again. Then new waves of pain broke out and I screamed in agony. Natsu and Gildarts visibly winced. That's when we arrived at the hospital.
• * •
Chapter 7 - A Change of the Mind, A Change of the Heart - Preview
I was barely conscious, but I could make out the spiky pink hair of the person in the chair next to me. As I slowly gained awareness the room became clear. Natsu was passed out in the chair beside me. Wendy was on the couch against the wall. I closed my eyes and sighed deeply.
I knew I would be okay after it was gone. For now the painkillers where doing their job, and I couldn't feel it anymore. The silence of the room was unfamiliar. The soft beeping of the monitoring machine was keeping time to a perfect beat, so I softly began to hum the tune of the song I was writing.
Right as the last note died away the door opened and Natsu woke up. The doctor came in along with a nurse.
"Miss Heartfilia, are you ready?" The doctor asked standing next to the bed. I nodded slowly, growing nervous. Natsu blinked and stared at me, and then got up.
"It's time?" He questioned the doctor.
"Yes, we are ready to start her surgery,"