STAR-CROSSED | NALU

01 | setting the scene

TWO YEARS LATER
★ ★ ★

It had only been a few weeks since Lucy's new life had begun.

Her new world was buzzing, her usually still and lifeless phone vibrating vigorously from the rush of notifications she was getting. This would be her first public appearance in years, so it was no surprise that the public was intrigued.

She smiled smugly as she stared out of the taxi's window, admiring the scenery of her new home– Fiore's capital city, Crocus.

She couldn't help but feel awestruck. Thanks to her recent job offer, she now had the opportunity to live in a place she'd always admired growing up.

Don't get her wrong, she never took her comfortable life in the mansion for granted. But this place provided her with a fresh start– a chance to reconnect with her hopes, aspirations and herself.

The disorderly buzzing on her lap was replaced by a rhythmic tune. She flipped it over and read the incoming FaceTime from Levy, answering immediately.

"Hey Lu! How's my favourite girl doing?!" her lively voice bounced off the walls of the vehicle.

"Great!" Lucy beamed. "I feel like I'm floating, this all just feels like a dream, you know?"

"I'm so happy for you!" Levy squealed excitedly. "And so are your fans, you've seen Twitter, right?"

"Of course not! The first rule of celebrity culture is to never read what people are saying about you, I've clearly outgrown that!" she lied, fighting the smile forming on her lips from the thousands of compliments she'd just finished reading.

Levy raised her brow, and she thought she heard her manager beside her snicker, but chalked it up to a harmless cough.

"Alright. So you're on your way to the party now?" Levy asked curiously.

"Yeah, we're approaching it now," she eyed the street ahead.

"Then have fun!" she wished her luck as Lucy unbuckled her seatbelt and grabbed her purse.

"One more thing, Lucy," Levy said. Lucy listened patiently.

"You're a wonderful person, so be yourself, okay? Don't worry about anything else," she reassured her.

Lucy smiled at her. "I will," she smirked. "They won't see what's coming." Levy laughed and ended the call.

Lucy thanked the driver as she exited the vehicle, Aquarius following. As she stood in front of the red carpet, she took a deep breath in.

She waved politely to the paparazzi, shielding her eyes with her hands from the vibrant burst of camera flashes.

This was the start of her new career. One she'd have to make for herself, without the help of her parents' influence or money.

Being an actor was going to be hard work, she knew that. She was a rookie in the field and was going to be surrounded by a cast full of experience. She'd have to break her back to even begin to compare.

But she had a chance to prove herself. And in this moment, she was confident.

She'd spent the last year meticulously curating the perfect character, after a year of feeling hopelessly sorry for herself. And now that she was reborn, nobody was going to be able to stop her.