The Playboy of Fairy Tail High

Inviting my ex to a dance...

"Loke, what are you doing here!?" I walk up to his table, where he's non-effectively trying to push girls away.

"I'm here to see you, Lucy."

"That's not what you just announced." I cross my arms over my chest.

He clears his throat, "yeah, sorry about that. But it's all about the theatrics, isn't it? I mean, that's what my parents always say! It's all about the show!" His voice gets a little high pitched and desperate, but I'm probably the only one to notice. Loke is cool, calm, and collected on the outside, but his parents are very hard on him at home. "Everything's for show," they're always telling him. He has to act like a loving kid, and like they're loving parents, at every photo shoot, and I'm sure it tears away at his sanity every time.

"I understand, Loke but you can't pull the parent card on me now. I know my father put you up to this. He's trying to get me to come back home."

"Where you'll be my bride!" He says frantically. Some girls look up at that, so he collects himself. "Look, I can't help it Lucy. It's arranged."

"Yeah, by our greedy, no-good parents. Look, Loke," I take a breath and place one hand on the table. "We had a thing. We were on the covers of every magazine. It was good, for some time. But are you sure we should get married? Are you really, truly into it? Do you want to get married?" Before Loke can respond, Aries comes by and shoos the other girls away apologetically.

"Ehh, I'm sorry, but may I take your order?" Aries looks up shyly.

I'm still standing there with my hand on the table, but when Loke's and Aries' eyes meet, it's like there's no one in the room.

"H-hello!" Loke actually seems at a loss for words.

"I'm sorry!" Aries shields herself with a menu, and Loke reaches out to lower it. Widening my eyes, I clear my throat.

"Loke Lion, meet Aries-chan. She's the manager of this place." I watch as she blushes and looks down again.

"You are beautiful, my little sheep. You just need confidence. Maybe some experience under the lights and cameras will do you good, no?" Loke smiles. (A/N: I know Aries is the sign of the Ram, but sheep is just a cuter nickname for Loke to give her)

"O-oh thank you Loke-san, but I-I don't know. I'm sorry, I still haven't taken your order." Loke quickly orders a drink, and then immediately tries again to get her to do a photo shoot. Loke's always doing this. Using his charm to get the numbers of people who have potential. But this seems different. I breathe a sigh of relief and walk back to my table.

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Cana says, a little angry. There's a famous teenager a couple feet away from her, who I was talking to, and I forgot to introduce him to my friends.

"Sorry guys. But I really don't want to interrupt those two right now..." I look back over to Loke's table and smile in shock. He actually managed to make Aries laugh. Now if they'll only fall madly in love... I think. I won't have to worry about Loke anymore. He'll be a safe pawn away from my father, because with my help, when Aries signed this restaurant with my father I made sure he couldn't take it completely away from her. And even if he does find a way, I made sure Aries saved the money she made. And she'll be safe with Loke. I always liked Aries.

"Hmm. They're cute together," Erza says with approval.

"Right? This is the perfect solution!" I smile and sip my milkshake.

"You need a plan. Hey, maybe they can go to the Halloween dance together! It's in the big studio off campus, so if we get them tickets they can go. They don't look much older either..."

"They're not. Aries took over this business after her parents died. She's only twenty, and so is Loke." I smile at the prospect of the two of them happy together. My smile fades a little when I see Loke start to get up and walk over here.

"Hello Lucy, my love. Are you going to introduce me to your friends?"

"What are you doing here? What about Aries-chan?" I say sweetly through grit teeth.

"Oh she agreed to do a photo shoot for my parents later. But I haven't forgotten why I'm here! Allow me to whisk you away." He throws me one of his stunning smiles, but I imagine slapping it away.

"Not before the dance!" Erza shouts. "She has to go to the dance."

"What dance? Might I take Lucy as my date?" Loke smiles at Erza this time, and she begins to weaken. "Or would you rather me take you? You know, the two of you are truly beautiful." He nods at Cana, acknowledging her. She smiles, and I see the hint of a blush.

"Thanks, but no thanks," I confirm for my friends.

"I-I have a boyfriend." Erza stammers.

"And I already have a date." Erza and I look at Cana, who shrugs. "Bacchus. He asked me yesterday, I said yes, and he agreed to be a pirate too."

"Oh Cana! See, now you have to go, Lucy!" Erza looks at me. "You have to see Cana go anywhere with a date!" Cana shrinks and begins to blush.

"It doesn't mean anything," she mutters.

"What about me?" Loke clears his throat. "Is it alright if I go to the dance?"

"It is possible for you to go to the dance..." Erza says slowly.

"But not with me!" I say abruptly.

"Why not?" Loke pouts.

"I already have a date!" I make up on the spot. "Yeah, you have to have a date to even go to the dance. Hey, how about you ask Aries-chan? You guys seemed to be hitting it off."

"Maybe I will," Loke says, a little put off. Maybe I offended him with my straight forwardness abut setting him up with someone else, but he has to understand. I can't marry him, I just can't.

"You can buy tickets from me, through Aries." Erza informs.

"How about you just give me your number? All charm aside, you and your friend Cana are both beautiful women who should be on the big screen. Or at least in a magazine. You can't keep your beauty to yourself!"

Both Erza and Cana look at me with a mix of pleading and questioning. I nod my head, and they quickly give him their numbers.

"Lucy, my love. I'm staying at the Magnolia Hotel if you ever wish to stop by. You can also reach me on my phone. But I think we do need to talk." He looks at me, a little pained in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Loke," I whisper. "But I don't think there is more to say. I don't want to get married. I don't want to be your bride. And I especially don't want to do anything my father decides to force onto me. Can't you see it, Loke? Your father is taking advantage of this, too. You'll have to put on a show for him everyday with your 'perfect family'. He'll make millions off your misery. Don't let him control you anymore." I look at Loke, who looks ready to pull his hair out.

"I'll think about it, Lucy. Thank you. Your date is one lucky man." Loke stands up and walks out, but not before stopping to say goodbye to Aries. I can breathe again.

"So, Lucy?" Cana smirks at me.

"What?" I say, physically and mentally exhausted from all of that.

"Who's your date to the dance?"

Oh my god. I have to get a date to the dance!