The Rules of Dance | f.t

S I X

☆ = Begining of flash back
♢ = Time skip (still flashback)
♦︎ = End of flashback
♪ = Play music
♣︎ = Time Skip

Lucy's POV

Cold Night, Cold Tears

An applause errupted when the music stopped. What was it for?

Our performance? Or our looks?

Maybe not either, maybe the applause was because they felt the need to do it after every performance.

Whatever it was for, I didn't acknowledge it for longer than I had to. After a quick scan of the crowd, I immediately blushed and walked off the stage as quickly as possible.

I went backstage but even as I walked past Mira, I didn't stop.

I kept walking. I didn't stop even after I was being called for from afar.

Tears formed in my eyes but they flew into the wind. My arms swung at my sides as I looked around for a place to be alone.

To my right, the Fairy Tail campus, to my left, a huge forest.

Without thinking, I walked to my left. I needed to get away from people. I wanted to be alone. I needed to go over everything that happened, in silence. I sniffled and let out an involuntary whimper as I found a perfect seating area under a tree.

I sat down and did the only thing I could do to relieve my anxiety.

I sobbed. I wasn't sure how long I did, but I didn't care.

Tears continuously flowed until nothing was left. My cheeks were sticky with the salty water and my lips were swollen from trying to contain any loud cries with my teeth. I hugged my knees to my chest and leaned my back against my choosen tree.

Why? Why did I feel so free up there on that stage? Why did I enjoy it? What was it... that made me feel happy for once? ...

I raised my chin up slowly and took in the glittery sky above with my brown eyes. The stars were in such a perfect and organized way, but at the same time, they weren't. They were all skattered with no pattern whatsoever. It made me smile a bit.

An inner voice suddenly intruded, mixing in with my thoughts.

How would mom feel? What would she do knowing that you swore to never do what she loved?

I sniffled as my conscious wandered, "She--" I paused.

"She would be...

I hiccuped, "Disappointed," I let out, and covered my eyes with my hands as tears slid down my cheeks silently.

I looked up again with a frown, searching for the constellations my mother would show me as a kid.

A crunching of leaves shook me out of my thoughts and I began to panic. I completely forgot about what my friends would be thinking, "Oh God, they'll be so worried." I mumbled pressing my hands to my cold cheeks.

The footsteps neared and I closed my eyes to wait for Erza's scolding and Levy's comforting that I didn't deserve.

"Oi," a masculine voice said, I looked up seeing a guy's figure in the dim lighting. "Sorry." I blurted and shrunk back in my spot.

"Yer friends are lookin' for ya. They sent me to find ya." The tall man said, crossing his arms across his chest and turning around. I assumed he expected me to follow him.

I stood up and dusted my leggings, the ones I wore for the dance.

I followed the man out of the forest and with the better lighting, I noticed his height and hair.

It was really long almost to his knees and pitch black. His body was covered in peircings and he seemed ten times more intimidating than he did when we were in the forest.

"Redfox. Gajeel Redfox."

I cracked a smiled at his James Bond hinted joke.

"Heartfilia." I replied, "Lucy Heartfilia."

He grunted, "Ya look like a bunny and yer name sounds like something ya'd name a bunny." I huffed and crossed my arms across my chest.

"Bunny girl would suit ya better if ye ask me." He laughed strangely and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Idiot." I muttered as we reached the backstage entrance. He pushed the door open and walked in, I grabbed the door just as it swung behind him and pushed it slightly so that it gave me enough time to get in without having to hold it.

"Found 'er." He announces to my friends and they look up immediately. "Lu-Chan!" Levy cried and hugged me tightly.

"Where are your other band mates, Gajeel?" I heard Mira ask him as he walked past her. "Gray 'n Jellal went home after the girls ballerina thingy and Natsu didn't come at all. Bastard." He replied, mumbling the last part.

Mira sighed and whispered some things to Gajeel which I couldn't catch because then Erza began to interrogate me.

I sweat dropped but answered her questions, Juvia and Levy listening as I explained why I did what I did.

Soon enough, we're all back in Mira's car, tired and exhausted from everything that had happened.

I once again watched the trees as we drove past them, this time quietly since the girls were too tired to sing along with the radio.

"So, I was talking to the principle..." Mira began as we waited at a stop light.

"Yeah?" Erza asked, then yawned.

"Well..." She looked at the stop light impatiently.

"Yes, Mira-San?" Juvia insisted sleepily.

Levy's head fell on my shoulder and her eyes struggled to stay open.

"He got a lot of comments from students who watched your performance." Mira stated, focusing her eyes on the road as the light turned green.

She looked at the rearview mirror for a second and met my eyes, "The students... They--" she paused to look back at the road, gripping the wheel tighter, "they want you girls to join our school."