tomboy - a nalu fic

chapter two

Mother softly shook me awake.

"Lucy, it's time to get ready for school," my mom whispered.

I groaned and sat up reluctantly.

I told my eleven-and-a-half-year-old self that I could wear whatever I wanted. I wore a loose white t-shirt that had the words "Ball is Life" printed on them. I paired the shirt with navy blue basketball shorts and Air Jordans. I pulled my hair into a ponytail and placed my lucky hat on my head after spritzing on perfume.

Grabbing my superhero backpack, I headed downstairs. I greeted my family and sat down to snarf down my breakfast.

Running outside, I heard the familiar screech of the bus's brakes. Luckily, the bus stopped outside my house.

I hopped on the bus and walked down the aisle to where Natsu was sitting and plopped down next to him. He must've gotten whiplash from how fast he turned his head to look at me. He looked me up and down and wrinkled his nose as if I was the nastiest piece of trash ever to exist.

"Can you not sit with me, thanks," he said as he pressed as close to the window of the bus.

I nodded slowly as my heart dropped into my stomach, mind running at a million miles per hour, and plopped down next to someone I didn't know who was listening to music and looking out the window in a three-seat bench. She felt the seat bubble due to me sitting there, and turned her head. Scooting closer to the window until her whole left thigh was against the inside of the bus, she resumed her actions, apparently finding the same old landscape extremely interesting.

What was with everyone today?

***

When we reached school I hopped off the bus. Slinging my backpack over my shoulder, I smiled as I breathed in the scent of the last days of summer. As soon as I entered the school, I heard whispers.

"...wierd..."
"...ugly..."
"...look at her!..."
"...such a tomboy..."
"...oh look..."
"...there she is..."
"...so that's why she has no friends..."

Though they were the same amount of people speaking at the same whispered tone, the sounds seemed to get louder and louder as I walked deeper into the school. It felt like everyone was staring at me, looking me up and down while criticizing me. Someone started coughing when I passed by, and I curled into myself, hands gripping the straps of my backpack.

When I trudged to class, people were still whispering. I sighed. I had a feeling that this year wasn't going to go so well.

Then, suddenly, I was pushed so hard that I slammed into the wall. I whipped around to glare and reprimand the perpetrators. It was Laxus, Bickslow, Freed, and Evergreen. They'd been the feared clique, as everyone labeled them as the bullies of the school. If their eyes had landed on you, you'd be dead meat. They cornered me, but I still stood tall.

"You didn't have to push me. You'd better say sorry, brats," I growled, ignoring the bruise that would be forming sooner or later on my cheek from the force of it hitting the rough brick wall.

"Actually, you should be saying sorry. All of our eyes have been scarred. We want to know, blondie-" Laxus started.

"Why you're wearing that trash," Evergreen finished.

I opened my mouth to retort wittily, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw Natsu smirk and mouth, "Disgusting" to me. I shut my mouth, in awe that he'd say that.

"Yes dear, Natsu maaaay have talked trash about you...to everyone. Now, everyone seems to hate you, maybe except for those losers you call friends," Evergreen told me.

You see, I always stuck to the friends that were practically family: Gray, Gajeel, and Jellal, so nobody really knew me. I was always in the shadows when I wasn't with my friends. When I was with them, others either didn't notice me or ignored me. Therefore, when there was news that there was this one "girl" that was different than all the others, people seemed to turn their attention at that girl and make her life miserable.

That girl apparently was me.

Thinking this made me seethe with anger. I knew that I wasn't like every other girl. But so what? Is it really that strange if you don't act like someone else? Is there no room for differences? The world would be extremely boring if that was true.

"What's so wrong about that, you plastic-"

Laxus shoved me again. "Watch it, freak. Everyone here is normal except you. Learn to be like the rest of us, you piece of trash."

He and his clique walked away before I could diss them. Darn it, I really wanted to give them a piece of my mind.

Some boy was stupid enough to start a chant. "Tomboy, tomboy, tomboy," he started.

Soon enough, the population in the hallway had cornered me and picked up on the chant as well. "TOMBOY, TOMBOY, TOMBOY!" they shouted, as if I was abhorrent to them, disgust and mockery visible in every pair of eyes.

I clenched my fists as they shook in anger and anxiety.

"LOSER!"

"FREAK!"

"STUPID!"

"UGLY!"

"ANNOYING!"

Someone threw an apple at my head. It hit me, hard.

I looked up, and suddenly they all had the face of Natsu. I blinked and shook my head, and then they all looked like they did before.

I had enough.

I opened my mouth and shouted with my loudest voice, "SHUT UP ALREADY, DAMN!"

I started forward, and the thick crowd parted as if it was a sin to come in close contact with me.

I stalked to class, fuming, but also with less self-esteem than I had before.

***

hey guys! thanks for reading. how'd you like this chapter? lmk!

love,

mo-ch-i