The Playboy of Fairy Tail High

They're all just jealous

The day before the dance, it rained.

Levy was out of her mind, claiming it's a bad omen for the dance. Juvia rejoiced in the falling water, and Cana was cranky. Only Lisanna seemed relatively unaffected, but for the past week she's been very distant. Because of the rain, everyone was eating in the campus cafeteria. I enter slowly, inching behind a sulking Levy. Now that I'm faced with seeing the majority of the school, I can't get Gray's or Laxus' words out of my head.

You're not as invisible as you think you are.

Oh, everybody knows your name.

What did they mean by that?

"Lucy! Sit over here." I turn to see Erza waving at me. Mira gives me a big smile. I look over at Levy, who shrugs.

"Go ahead. We'll just-"

"Levy! You guys sit with us too!" Mira calls out cheerfully. We all try to squeeze onto the bench, but realize it's a little small. With the snap of her fingers, two boys carry over another table, and we sit.

"So Erza," Mira continues. "Who're you going to the dance with? Since you can't sneak Jellal in..."

"I thought I'd just go by myself, you know. Be the chaperone..."

"You could go with us," Cana offers. "We don't exactly have dates either." I hear a little cough, and turn my attention to the small blue haired girl next to me.

"W-well actually..."

"NANI! LEVY-CHAN, HE ASKED YOU???" I interrupt. She gives me a shy smile, and I squeeze her tightly. "That's great!"

"When?" Lisanna asks.

"Who?" Erza leans over.

"Gajeel, of course." Mira smiles knowingly.

"He asked me yesterday," Levy doesn't deny it, and just shrugs again. "After he helped me set up for the dance. He surprised me with a small song..."

"Gajeel sings? I never knew..." Erza trails off.

"And then he just asked me! He was so nervous, too."

"Well, if he was blushing half as much as you are now..." I joke. Levy punches me on the arm. "I'm happy for you."

"Yeah well, what about you, Lu-chan?"

"Haha, no I-" I begin awkwardly, but gratefully shut up as someone enters the cafeteria.

"Oh no..." Levy mutters.

"I was worried of this." Erza sighs.

"Why? What?"

"You mean who," Mira whispers.

"Why are we whispering?" I reply.

"You'll see." Mira says at normal volume.

"He's here," Lisanna sighs, smiling.

"Natsu."

The whole room seems to echo his name, as girls whisper to each other and fawn over him. He glides over towards the S-class table, more or less ignoring the girls' ogling eyes.

Lisanna says, rather loudly, "so Natsu. Who are YOU taking to the dance?" Lots of girls sigh at the prospect of him taking them to the dance.

"Why, Lisanna? Hoping it will be you?" Natsu replies smoothly, with a faint trace of sarcasm. Lisanna blushes the color of Erza's hair, proof that Natsu hit the mark.

"Did you ask someone?"

"Who are you going with?"

"Natsu!!!"

"I love you!"

"Natsu take me!"

"No, take me!" The whole cafeteria bursts with screaming girls' questions. Slowly, I stand up to throw out my things, trying to find a distraction.

"Here, let me." I look up to see Natsu's strong hands and onyx eyes looking down at me. His voice is syrupy and deep as he gently takes my trash and throws it out. The whole room holds their breath.

"Thanks." I say in a flat tone, rolling my eyes over how dramatic that all seemed. I guess that's Natsu for you. There's another pause before the room goes haywire again.

"Is it her?"

"Natsu, are you taking her?"

"Are you dating her?" Girls from all sides shoot me looks and glare me down. Even Lisanna looks at her hands.

"N- no, I just-" I try to say something, but I'm immediately cut off.

"Ohmigod, she is!" A baby carrot from the school lunch comes flying out from the crowd and hits my cheek. I stand still, trying to collect my thoughts and emotions before I burn up with rage. Embarrassment fills my cheeks, and my hands form fists.

Ducking my head, I leave the cafeteria as fast as I can, before the entire place could turn into a food fight.

---

What's wrong with some people? Why don't they find out what's going on before jumping to conclusions? And why do people have to be so jealous?

I sit in a stairwell and begin to silently cry.

These kinds of people are the reason I can't show my face and say my name in the same room. It's because I try to protect myself from people like that. It doesn't matter how much stuff I have if people are only going to be... well, bitchy about it. It doesn't matter that I didn't ask for any of this.

"Lucy?" I wipe my eyes at the sound of my name, looking for even the slightest bit of composure left in me. "Lucy? It's me, Mira."

"Hi Mira," I manage without a sob.

"Oh Lucy, are you ok? That whole ordeal meant more to you than just Natsu, didn't it?"

"I- I'm fine."

"Does it have to do with... You know..."

"My name? My identity? Who I was born as? Who I was born to?" I break down, and Mira holds me. "Yes. Yes yes yes yes." She pats my head and strokes my hair.

"It must feel so unfair," she whispers into my hair.

"Why are people so cruel? I've never complained about the things I have. I've never said I was better than anyone. I've never claimed to be Natsu's girlfriend. Why? Why are those girls so spiteful?"

Mira waits for me to finish, then speaks softly, "Levy's still out there, trying to calm the crowd, along with Erza. But I don't think you should go back there. Not yet."

"I know." I can't face him, I think to myself.

__________________________________________________________

The rumors died down a little after Erza gave everybody a meaningful glare, but that doesn't stop people from harboring feelings. I've heard a couple of girls whispering, but of course it stops once I get closer. I squeeze my eyes shut and just keep walking towards the dormitories.

"LU- CHAN!!!" Levy cries out, running up to me.

"Hi, Levy- chan," I smile.

Classes just finished for the day, which is good too. Because of the dance, everyone is having trouble paying attention. Levi's happy because the sky's clear, and the moon's supposed to be out tonight. And somehow, Natsu found more time during Professor Gildart's class to annoy me. Some girls kept sneaking glances over at us though...

"What are you doing? Why aren't you getting ready?" Levy puts her hands on her hips. "Come on, I'm going to your room to help you get ready."

"What, you don't think I can handle it?" Cana appears behind me, and puts her hands on my shoulders, gently pushing both of us into the building.

"Guys..." I say, laughing my earlier worries away.

"Let's go, Lucy. We've got to prep for the dance!!"