The Story of Nashi Dragneel

Suspension

"Honey, you should hurry up and get dressed before you're late for school!" Mom called from downstairs. I groaned and smashed my pillow on my face, trying to muffle her incessant nagging. I didn't really feel like going to school today. Or ever.

"Nashi!" Mom called again. I turned over in my bed, still not getting up. I wasn't a morning person, exactly. I only knew one person who got up at the crack of dawn willingly, and that was my best friend, Molly. She was really smart, obsessed with Sorcerer's Weekly, and has been my best friend since grade school. She's a month older than me, and we're both thirteen. Molly has really fiery red hair, that's too wild for her own good, and pretty blue eyes and freckles.

I've got pink hair down to my knees that I usually keep in high ponytails, chocolate brown eyes, and fair skin. I was starting to develop cleavage, and Molly was already there. I felt kinda insecure about my flat chest, but that was probably because of the taunting I received for it at school. Plus, I had Mom's own cleavage mocking me. My mom had blond hair, so I always assumed my pink hair came from my father. The thought of a man with pink hair made me laugh. I heard stomps ascending the stairs and curled into a ball in response. My door slammed open, and I knew Mom was pissed off.

"Nashi Layla Downheart, you get your a--honey, are you all right?" she asked me, approaching my bed and sitting beside me. I groaned, like I was sick, and pulled my head out from under my covers.

"I *fake cough* don't feel good *more intense fake cough*," I pretended. She frowned at me.

"Dear, why're you lying?" inquired Mom. I stiffened, but kept up the facade.

"Whatever do you mean, Mom?" I asked, my acting becoming more evident. She rolled her eyes and ripped the covers off of me. I yelped in surprise.

"That yelp sounds pretty damn healthy, if you ask me," Mom snickered.

"No, Mom really *pathetic attempt at a believeable cough*, I'm really sick!" I protested.

"Yeah, and I'm a wizard," she drawled. She was about to walk out the door, when she stopped, seeing my new scrunched up face of pain and depression.

"I-I'm sick," I muttered quietly. She furrowed her blond eyebrows and sat down beside me again.

"Is there a reason you don't want to go to school?" my mom questioned. I was about to say something, when I cut myself off, grunted, and looked away. Mom sighed sadly and pat my head, making me look up at her.

"I wish you could tell me, but I know better than to pry," Mom said while standing up. She crossed my pink bedroom, and halted at my white wooden door. There was a sign on the outside of it that said "Keep Out" and a poster of some pop music group Molly liked on the other side of it. "You do need to get ready for school."

Mom then closed the door. I scratched my head, exhaled as an attempt to calm myself, and stood up. My hair fell and brushed my legs, tickling me. I got dressed, and put my hair in my pigtails. Once I slid my brown boots on, I was getting anxious. I didn't want to go to school. I wanted to stay in the safe quarters of my room. No one could call me a coward for that, right?...crap, I was acting like a coward! I could not become a coward. That was lame, and I was too cool to be lame. I growled and clenched my fists. I wasn't a coward. I was going to face this head on, maybe even get in a fight. I stood up straight, now with a new goal in mind. I was going to fight Juliet. She didn't stand a chance against me, even with her phony, underdeveloped wind magic.

Her twin brother was who I was worried about. Justin. I would have fight both of them. Justin wasn't very aggressive, but Juliet was, and whenever she was in trouble, he would be right there to save her. It drove me nuts. Still, today was the day I would beat them both to a bloody pulp. I would settle this once and for all. I stood up quickly and made a fist, my face determined.