His Heart's Key | nalu

o3. Love Cages are Restrictions

[ T h r e e ]
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"I am so sorry," A pretty girl with white-blonde hair and sparking blue eyes came up to Lucy the second she walked into the cafeteria, still shaken up after what had happened outside.

"It's alright," she replied automatically, she was in no mood to think.

The other girl smiled sadly. "I really am,"

"Wait - What for?" Lucy asked, being brought out of her reverie.

The blue-eyed girl laughed, tilting her head back and the little long strands of her fell back with her. "I haven'g even introduced myself. Hi, I'm Lisanna." She grinned. "My sister - Mira - told me what happened with Natsu, and well... I know he isn't the nicest person. He doesn't like new people and you probably wouldn't believe me but he's really not that bad."

"Lisanna, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but if Natsu is as saint-like as you impose, I'm sure he can apologize himself for his hurtful behaviour."

My tone came out a lot ruder than I thought, and I regretted my words. The girl was just trying to apologize for him, but Lucy could already tell he wasn't one to feel guilty about his actions. And at the rate he was going, it didn't seem like he'd want to. She was going to have to be careful about him. As for leaving FTA, that wasn't an option. No other school would accept her when her head was worth more than all their funds put together, they would succumb to greed and sell her out the second they could.

"Alright," she frowned, making me feel even guiltier than before. She seemed like a nice girl and Lucy definitely didn't want to give her the wrong impression. "What you're saying is true... I just felt the need to apologize, on behalf of my boyfriend."

Lucy's jaw dropped open. "You're telling me that that asshole - sorry, I meant boy - from before is your boyfriend?!" This she truly could not comprehend. Someone who seemed as sweet as Lisanna surely deserves better.

"We've known each other for a long time," she smiled shyly.

Lucy grabbed Lisannas shoulders all too seriously. "He hasn't," her eyes looked around, making sure no one could hear them before she whispered, "Threatened you to be with him or anything right. Does he have some blackmail over you? I could help!"

"What, no. Of course not! Why would you think something like that?" She frowned.

"Wait, so you're telling me your with him because you actually like him?" Lucy was incredulous, how could someone like such a deceiving, mean person such as Natsu Dragneel.

Lucy saw Lisannas eyes quickly look to the side before she replied. "There's definitely mutual consent of that's what you're asking," she laughed, a nice melodic sound that was nothing compared to Lucy's dying whale.

"Why don't you sit with us?" She beckoned, welcoming her to a table where she could spot a couple of familiar faces.

Lucy cautiously walked to their table, not wanting to intrude as the new kid, but Erza's warming smile made her feel at ease.

"Come Lucy, I was going to ask you earlier to sit with us, but I thought I had scared you away." She laughed.

Lucy chuckled awkwardly. You did. But she wasn't stupid enough to mention it.

"So, Lucy." A girl with curly brown hair that cascaded down to her elbows and sun-kissed tan started up a conversation. "You like Gray huh?"

"What?! I just got here, I don't like anybody..." And she didn't think she would. Lucy felt like sighing when she thought of her old crush, light blond hair and messy school tie, a rarely visible scar hidden on top of his eyebrow. She missed him, the guy who was hopelessly in love with her best friend. She missed his laughs, she missed her smile, and she missed his sullen face. The four of them had been inseparable - until now. But she had to do what she had to do, it was the only way.

"Mhmm, sure. I heard him talk about you and something with his ass..."

Another head turned to girl, eyes narrowing. It was the same woman from the fight scene earlier, the one who fawned over Gray. "What is this, a love rival?!"

"What? No! Definitely not! I don't even like him!"

The girl narrowed her eyes at Lucy than turned away, sending her glares every time she turned her head.

"Oh that's Juvia," the brown haired girl whispered. "I'm Cana by the way. Juvia and Gray kind of have this thing. Gray always flaunts around girls in front of her but he'll kill any guys who attempts to flirt with her. But he apparently doesn't feel that way for her..."

"Sad..." Lucy whispered back to Cana. She knew how unrequited love worked, being a victim of it herself. She did deeply miss her old friends, but not enough to return back to home. Definitely not after what he had done. She couldn't help but feel sympathy for Juvia, the girl had hope for something that would never truly be.

That day, Lucy had a lot on her mind as she walked back from school, the threatening words of Natsu and the stings of love she could see everywhere in FTA. It was a lot to take in just after her first day back, and she was excited to see what would happen next, her life seemed like an exhilarating story she would love to read but would have to suffice to playing it out.

Oh, how the tables would turn on her. Because soon, the story she was living was going to turn into the nightmare she could never relieve but hope the cage expands as more people join her down the road to her misery.

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[ A/N: School started for me this week, and I got so much homework on like the second day of school which is why I haven't been updating... Sorry!

Anyways, I hope you all had a great weekend! Xx ]