Light At The End Of The Tunnel

Chapter Fifteen

Hey guys! I just wanted to dedicate the next few chapters to 11525DREAMTHEATER who gave me the fantastic ideas that I'll be using or referencing for the next few chapters! Thank you so much for helping me out with your ideas, I really appreciate it!
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Natsu's perspective
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Lucy. That was all that could run through my head. I hadn't seen her in 4 days. Anytime I went to pick her up for school her dad politely told me she was super sick. I don't want to crowd her, especially when she's feeling under the weather but maybe I could pick up some medicine or something. Just so I could get in to her house to see her. It feels like it's been too long, and the growing crush that seemed to speed through me every time I saw her didn't help that at all.
      It also didn't help that I couldn't help but worry she was avoiding me. Her dad always seemed a little mad at me, and the last time I'd seen her we had cuddled on my couch, I was pretty sure she may have gotten in slight trouble for it, and I felt terrible. But she seemed to have disappeared off the face of the Earth, there's no way that could have been me. Plus even at my house she'd acted a bit off, looking a bit pale. Unless she really didn't like me?
No, I stubbornly thought, she's not like that. Surely she really is just sick with a bad cold.
In Lucy's absence at school, though, Lisanna has been talking to me more and more. Although I'm not the most observant of people, even I could tell she was flirting with me. And she was starting to get really desperate as of late. She seems like a nice girl, or at least she is to me. But there's always this funny feeling at the back of my head every time her voice seems to float from nowhere, every time I look around and she's suddenly there, as if appearing just because I turned.
      Today was Friday though, and I was determined to see Lucy and make sure she was okay before the weekend.
      When the final bell rang, and school was officially out, I rushed out of my seat, I had already formed a plan. I was going to grab medicine and water bottles. Along with chicken noodle soup stuff, and I'd knock on Lucy's door. If Lucy finally answered then great! I'd get her set up in bed and I'd take care of her. And if her dad answered then I'd just explain that I was planning on taking care of her. I'm sure he'd understand! I start to race to my car, speed walking as fast as I could without looking too dumb.
      A delicate hand gliding across my shoulders stopped me. Deep blue eyes connecting with mine. And the stark, cropped white hair all halted my movements.
      I didn't really want to talk with Lisanna right now, I wanted to make sure Lucy was alright. But, Lisanna's also been nice to me, and I couldn't repay that with meanness.
"Hey, why the hurry? It's Friday so I was thinking that you could take me somewhere fancy over the weekend..." she trailed off, leaving me to fill in the blanks.
"I'm sorry Lisanna, I'm actually trying to check up on Lucy soon, she hasn't been here for awhile and I'm worried"
"Well, you and I both know she's not important, she is a slut after all"
      My gaze hardened as she continued to talk about Lucy.
"I mean, it's not like anyone even likes her, poor little girl though, it has to suck knowing that everyone around her hates her. But I guess she deserves it, don't you agree? I mean first she tries to take you from me, and not to mention we all know what her dad's really like, and honestly, I'm glad he puts her in her place, she needs to learn where she stands. At the bottom of the ladder" she spat.
      I'd had enough. I didn't understand what any of those had to do with each other, or even what she meant, but I did know they were meant to be harmful and mean. She can't say those things about Lucy and get away with them, especially behind her back. Who does she think she is?
"Listen, first of all, I like Lucy, even if you claim no one else does. Second what do you even mean about her dad? He seems perfectly fine whenever I've met him. You don't have any right to talk about her family when you don't know. You also have no right to think your above her. You aren't. Lisanna, I'm not saying you're below her, everyone is equal and should be treated as such, but you need to stop whatever thought process you have and rethink" I took a deep breath before continuing "I truly believe there's a nice person in you, and that all that's happened is no one has appreciated it so you turned into the only person people saw, and that's not okay, but, I want you to be nice, and I believe in you. But until you find that girl, I don't think I can be around you. I'm sorry"
      She stood blinking in a daze, clearly confused before I started to walk off, feeling like one of the worst people alive. But she needed to know, she wouldn't grow as a person if no one ever told her that she needed to. And it's not like I could just tell her to fix her attitude and the next day it'd be fine. She had to figure it out herself.
      I looked back only once, seeing that Lisanna still hadn't moved. She stood shock still, and I truly hoped, with all my heart, that she'd be okay and figures everything out. Even though I didn't particularly like her, that didn't mean I had any right to hurt her-feelings or otherwise.

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      I knocked on Lucy's door having got everything I wanted to help her get better-I had chicken noodle soup, water bottles, and lots of medicine, now I was just left hoping she'd answer. I didn't want anything else to go wrong today, I had shoved what happened earlier out of my mind, not wanting to dwell on it. But that didn't make me feel much better.
No one answered and I raised my hand up to knock again when I heard an ear shattering scream.
      My blood turned cold and drained from my face. That was a girls scream. And only Lucy and her father live in that house.

Lucy!!!