The Huntress

■Chapter Twenty: Huntress■

A week had passed and Natsu's friends were starting to try and find him during lunch break, knowing they couldn't wait around for him to show up. They already knew that he snuck off to see Lucy everyday, they just needed to know where. Soon Lisanna started to disappear to hang with Natsu and Lucy too, preferring their presences to her friends at the moment. She hated how Gajeel and Erza were behaving lately and was hurt by how rude they spoke about Lucy. 

Lucy welcomed her with open arms and became a sister figure to her. Lisanna loved being able to talk to someone about her day without them mentioning their ships or boys or being manly. It was like how every conversation she wanted to have, and she enjoyed each and everyone of them thoroughly. She was also happy that Natsu didn't mind, knowing he was uncomfortable around her. On first glance at the park she assured him that she no longer harbored feelings for him, and that she had her eye on Bickslow. They even spoke with her about her feelings so she could have a better understanding of what they all meant. When they came out that they were dating she was joyful and supporting. 

Of course, no one from their friend group knew about their meetings. All they knew about was Natsu and Lucy hanging out in secret and Lisanna running off somewhere to supposedly 'look for them'. However it was starting to become clear to them that she was not searching for the duo what-so-ever. When ever she came back from her 'searches' she always came back with a vibrant smile. They all started to get suspicious thinking she was running off to see some boy. 

"Ok," Erza started. "we know that Natsu is sneaking off to who-knows-where to see that blonde chick, and that Lisanna goes off to 'search' for them during lunch. What we don't know is where they go and what they do while they're there." Gajeel nodded at her, being the only one out of the group besides Erza to be passionate about finding them. 

It seemed everyone else would've rather they redo their encounter with the blonde and actually get to know her before judging her right off the bat. There was always more to a character than what meets the eye, and Jellal believed that Erza had more than wanting to find Natsu in mind. It hurt him to think that she could've been crushing on the pink haired teen, but deep down he couldn't help but think that it was something else. He knew what it looked like when she looked at something she was infatuated with. For instance, whenever Erza looked at him she looked like she saw him as a piece of cake, showing she loved him. When she looked over at Natsu, her eyes took on more of a protective and caring sheen. Making him wonder if she saw him as someone to protect. 

"Why don't we just approach Lucy after the bell rings for school to end so we can understand why she acted so cold that day?" Levy suggested. She didn't understand Gajeel and Erza. Lucy clearly had a rough past that shaped her into the character she was today. She probably was truly bothered by them staring at her and didn't know how to tell them to stop politely. Levy was under the impression that Lucy was just a closed-off person with a novel like past. Maybe if they talked to her like the civil people they were, she would open up a bit and they could all have an understanding. 

Gajeel peered down at her, his sharp eyes narrowing the slightest bit. "Don't you get it, shrimp? We don't need to understand why she acted that way, it was wrong to speak to us like that regardless of her reasoning." he crossed his arms in annoyance. Levy glared at him. He was always so easily butt-hurt and it was really starting to get on her nerves. 

She stood up, harshly pushing her chair back. "Fine then. If you guys wanna be insulted then be insulted. I don't care anymore. Just know this: you're being ridiculous for judging her like that and you're just as bad-maybe even worse-than you're making her out to be by acting the way you are." she then stomped off. Her out burst enticed Juvia to join her, knowing from her encounter with the blonde at the lockers that she was not at they made her seem.