Hating a star

Chapter 18: Relieving stress

Lucy's POV

After I stormed away from Natsu, I found myself wondering the streets filled with anger and annoyance. I can't believe I thought I could trust him! I can't believe I wanted to try to get closer again! I strop, going god knows where as I swing nmh arms frustratedly. I instinctively turned into a house's front yard and knocked on the door, hoping to let out some of my emotions there. Unfortunately, it didn't work as well as I hoped. When I sighed, the door opened. "Finally, how long does it take you get to the door?" I grumble loudly, walking through the door of Erza's house. She looked at me in surprise for a moment before loosening up, heading to the kitchen as she knew that's where I was going.

As I slouched on the stool at her breakfast counter, she made me some hot cocoa. (Is that how you spell it?) We were both while I fumed on the inside, resisting the urge to break someone. I mean...something... Yeah, let's just go with that. She put the large mug in front of me as she held her own and I wrapped my hands around the source of warmth. I sighed, looking into the depth of the sweet, chocolaty goodness. "Erza?" Said girl's little sister, although she wasn't much younger than us, rubbed her eyes as she stood in the doorway. It was only then I had realised how late it was. "It's fine Kagura. Just having a late night snack." Erza smiled to her, keeping the fact she had no idea why I was here and not talking about it. Kagura nodded, realising she wasn't needed here, and returned to bed.

From then on, we grew more silence than before, the sound of the kettle boiling no longer drowning out how awkward it was. "I saw what happened." Erza finally spoke up, breaking the silence that was crushing me inside. "What?!" I gasped, standing on the bar that I rested my feet on, slamming my palms on the counter. "Someone filmed it. I think it was leaked by a gossip blog. I'm so sorry Lu, you looked like you were having fun." She admitted, looking away from me as if she were ashamed of herself. I looked down and my hands as I sat back down, clutching them together to ease the slow growing loneliness in my heart. "I thought I finally had him back, Erza. I was so happy, I forgot about everything that happened." Large tears streamed down my face as my voice broke, letting the amount I had from my daily, messed up life, out. I heard Erza quickly put her mug down and run around to me, hugging me as I clung to her arm. "I-I don't understand why it has to be me, Erza. Why does Natsu have to be part of my past and be such a dick. It's painful." I cry into her shoulder as she hugged me from the side. Slowly, she pet my head, encouraging me to let go. "Don't worry Lucy, we're here for you. Even if it's not about Natsu." She told me, maybe getting the impression not all of my tears were shed for the boy. "Thank you Erza. I don't know what I'd do without you guys." I look up at her, trying to smile and only crying more. You'd probably be six feet under. I thought in the back of my mind as Erza calmed me down.

When I was finally breathing steadily and my pulse had calmed, another knock came to the door. Erza went to get the door as I clean up the mugs. "What're you guys doing here?" Erza asked as two sets of people headed my way. "Lu!" The sound of my other two best friends jumped on me. "Ju? Lev? How did you know I was here?" I hug their arms around my neck before they get off. "Kagura called us and said something was up. Then we saw that video on the walk here." Levy explained. "That was pretty intense Lu. Are you okay?" Juvia asked, stroking my arm. "Yeah, better than when it happened anyway. Sorry for worrying you guys like that." Smiling sheepishly, I rub my elbow. "That's no problem, Lucy. We're here to worry for you. We want to let you worry about us." Erz came into our circle. "I agree." Ju nods, satisfied with her poetry. "Same here." Lev giggles. "Bring it in guys." I feel my tears returning, but happy this time, and grab my friend.

Releasing, I notice bags I remember seeing a lot. "The sleepover bags? Why'd you bring those?" I point at Levy's orange one as Juvia throws her deep blue one over the couch. "The sleepover of course. It's too dangerous to go home now, so we're staying the night!" Levy announced, opening the fridge to find any food. "Are you sure that's okay, Erz?" I ask her. "It's fine. Kagura asked your dad before we got here and he said it was fine." Juvia shrugged, catching the packet of crisps Lev had thrown to her. "Alright then. But no food and we're going to sleep now. We've got school in the morning, after all." Erza snatched the two chip packets the girls had before they opened them. "Aww. No fair, we walked all the way here." Lev complained. "Do you want to have nightmares?" Erza threatened over her, giving off a scary aura. "Well now we are anyway." Ju sighed, telling Erz her mistake. "I'm exhausted. You guys continue your fight." I yawned, jumping in the back of the sofa Ju was on and leaning my head on her shoulder. "Now that you mention it. I've been studying all night the past couple days." Levy yawned louder, leaning on Juvia's over shoulder. "Juvia is too." Said girl layed her head on mine. Whenever she got really tired, her vocabulary would change to 3rd person.

Erza chuckle sighed and got the large blanket on the back of the other couch, throwing it around us and she leaned on me, sending us all to sleep in a safe and comfortable space. A drastic change from our home lives. We were all suffering at home with one way or the other, but us being together made us feel like nothing could get to us. Me with my mom. Erza with her spilt up parents. Levy with her commanding and controlling ones. And Juvia not even living with her parents who live in the capital, but living with her older brother, a college student. We were each other's back bones, and nothing, not even boys, were going to change that.