Forgotten (Sequel to 'Outcast')

Chapter 7: Presentation

-Enjoy!-

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Normal P.O.V.

"Woah!" Natsu narrowly avoided Wendy as she dashed past him. "What's got you so excited this early in the morning?"

"Are you kidding? It's the first day of school!" Wendy straightened her hair in the mirror of the hall bathroom and smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress.

"First day of-, but that's tomorrow?"

"No, it's today. Don't tell me you forgot! We have to leave soon!" She rushed back into the hall. "Do I look okay? Nothing in my teeth?"

"You...you look fine, Wen. Um..." Natsu glanced around tensely as realization dawned on him. If today was the first day of school, that meant he had to do his presentation at ECU today. He had totally forgotten!

"You ready to go? I've got all my stuff ready I just need to check on Carla." She started to walk up the stairs.

"Hey, uh, you'd be okay walking there by yourself, right?"

Wendy turned around sharply. "What? But you always walk with me on the first day!"

"I...I know, but...you know, you're getting older and-"

"You don't want to walk with me?"

"It's not that! I was just thinking that maybe...maybe it'd be good for you to go in by yourself. You wouldn't want me embarrassing you."

"You're not embarrassing! I love walking with you!" She cried out. "Well, you're only a little embarrassing." She corrected. "...okay, maybe a lot embarrassing, but I don't care! We always do this."

"Yeah..." Natsu's eyes drifted to his briefcase by the front door. Wendy watched him bite his lip anxiously and the pieces clicked.

"You have to go to work...don't you?"

Natsu looked over at her and nodded sadly. "I'm so sorry, Wen. I have to go do this big presentation at the local college-"

"But we always do this!" She repeated angrily.

"Wendy, you have to understand, I made this deal a while ago, I can't just bail."

"So you're bailing on me instead."

"Wendy-"

"Fine, whatever!" She turned around in a huff and began to stomp up the stairs. "Go to work!"

"I'm sorry, Wendy, I really am! But I have to do this."

Wendy sighed and opened to door to her room. "I hope your presentation goes well, Natsu."

It was so quiet, Natsu barely made out what she said from downstairs, but he heard her voice trembling. Before he could respond, Xavier groggily walked out of his room. "The hell is going on out here?"

Wendy slammed her door without a word. Xavier looked quizically down the stairs at Natsu, who simply turned around, picked up his briefcase, and walked out the door.

Xavier glanced around in confusion. "Did I do something wrong?"

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"I am so excited!!" Levy squealed, practically skipping down the halls. "Do you think they'll give us homework? I hope they give us a lot!"

Lucy gawked at her. "You want homework on the first day?! I really hope none of the professors here are that cruel..."

"It's not cruel, it pushing us to our limits so we succeed!"