Forgotten and Forgiveness

Chapter 4 - One Simple Action

The next day I can barely walk out the door. Every step I take feels like a billion pins and needles. Probably because my father beat me to death for being in detention. He even threw me outside to sleep. It was a thunderstorm that night. So now after I apologized to him, he let me change and sent me off to school. I limp down the mile path that I have to walk almost everyday. 

When I get to school I get the usual morning welcome. But Natsu is nowhere to be seen. I still feel really bad about what I did to him. First hour, second hour, third. I haven't seen him anywhere. So I make a bad move. I decide to ask Lisanna about it. So between third and fourth hour I walk up to her locker and get a dirty look from her and her friends while they're trying on almost a dozen lip gloss flavors. 

"What do you want nerd?" She asks. "I was just wondering if Natsu was okay." I explain to her. "Oh yeah, he's totally fine. In fact he said he might break your legs so that you can't get home to your ugly little pile of dirt." My mood sinks a little. "Ok, thanks." I say dimly, then continue to my last class before lunch. 

While I'm walking I see Natsu in the distance and try to scoot out of the way so he won't do anything to me. Instead, I'm pushed the opposite direction. And then Minerva trips me which causes be to fall forward onto the last guy I wanted to land on. Natsu. I face plant into his chest, he slips backward and we crash onto the floor. His arms wrap around my waist as if he's trying to protect me. WHAT?! 

I swear this is the weirdest week of my life. I awkwardly get up off of him trying not to turn pink, then he gets up. "Sorry." I say out of breath and losing my mind. "Watch where your going." He says, then shoves me and moves on. I walk on, shaking, my heart beating faster than usual. I don't know why that scared me. Maybe because I hadn't been that close to him in a decade. 

I continue with my day, and enjoy lunch with my new friends. I tell Levy about what happened and she was too busy being a fan girl about the first sentence to hear the rest. "Lu, you should talk to him!" She says. In my mind there are so many things wrong with that but I don't want to tell her about those things yet. They're too embarrassing. "Uh, maybe." I say which means "No way." in my mind, but I don't want to hurt her feelings. She can dream. 

I hide under the bleachers for gym not wanting show my face. The whole time I watch Natsu. His movements, what he says, how he walks. I can't take my eyes off of him. Why hasn't he been as mean to me as usual? It's like something happened. But of course nothing could happen in his perfect life. A beautiful shiny car, a ginormous mansion, loving parents. But there's something about today. His eyes have dark circles under them, he looks sick. 

All of a sudden the intercom comes on. "Natsu Dragneel and Lucy Heartfelia please come to the office." I swear my heart skipped a few beats. I'm as good as dead. Me and Natsu walk to the office in pure silence. We get to the office and walk in. I'm sure he's been here a thousand times so it's no problem to him. 

We sit across from Principal Makarov and Vice Principal Mirajane. If this is about bullying I'm going to pass out on the spot. "Hello students." Begins Makarov. "I hope you're doing okay Lucy, same to you Natsu." He adds. I feel lightheaded. "You both are here today to discuss some things with us." He begins talking while me and Natsu listen. 

"Lucy, we are aware of you being bullied by this gentleman." I'm getting dizzy. "And Natsu we are also aware of what you have been through for the last month." I'm confused. Natsu's been through what? "Our policy for this school is that every student has to be treated like an equal, but Lucy's bullying case has been the worst one we've seen." Says Vice Principal. "Natsu, I'm sorry for your loss, and we don't want to see you like this. We don't want to see anyone of you like this."

"So, we've decided to help both of you by making one simple action." Says Principal Makarov. "Lucy, you will help Natsu in his time of need, and Natsu, you will return her with kindness. If you don't do this, you will be forced to move in together until you graduate." This is way to much to take in all in five minutes. So I do the only thing I can do. I faint. 

During that period of blackness, I have the tiniest bit of hope that Natsu and me will become friends again, and that all of the days of cruelty and sadness have ended with one simple action. I'm glowing.