The ABCs of Moving On

Ulterior

Lucy can't help but doubt everything she ever believed in — if everything she had trusted actually had an ulterior motive for their actions, as Natsu pushed his chair back from the table and began to gather his things. 

"Where are you going?" Lucy asked him, eyeing him with uncertainty.

In return, Natsu gave her a weird look. "Going," he replied simply.

Always one to over-analyze, a million questions raced through Lucy's mind with his vague answer. Going to leave her like everyone always do? Going to tell Loke how he succeeded in his plan to break her heart? Going —

"Home." Natsu had seemed to read her mind. "I have to go before the bell to avoid soccer practice."

Lucy cast him a worried glance, as if she now couldn't handle being alone with her thoughts without him.

Natsu noticed that and laughed softly. "Relax, I'm gonna return tomorrow, alright?"

"I — " Lucy started, then paused."Okay. Same place and time?"

With this, Natsu smiled and stood up. "Of course." He was about to head for the door when he called out, "Aren't you going home too?"

"Yeah, yeah, I will. Just gimme a second."

The bell rang and immediately Natsu was nowhere to be seen.

After gathering her things — including the book — and leaving the room, she was faced with Levy McGarden.

"Levy!" Lucy exclaimed, rushing to hug her. But she stopped when she noticed Levy just standing there without any trace of emotion on her face. And for the first time ever, she couldn't read her best friend. "Levy?"

Ruining Lucy's plan to ask Levy what's wrong and perhaps explain everything, Cana Alberona suddenly pushed past Levy and went straight for Lucy — slapping her hard across the face.

Stunned, Lucy just stared at Cana with a shocked expression, her hand subconsciously touching her red cheek. Everything happened so fast, and she became at loss for any logical thought.

"You deserved that, for your information," Cana seethed.

"Why?" Lucy asked her slowly, eyes still wide. "What was that for?"

Cana's face was just a few centimeters away from Lucy's, face flushed and smelled like alcohol. "Loke. He told us you cheated on him with Natsu. At the bar on your anniversary."

"Lies," Lucy whispered, eyes flashing with  fury. "Loke was lying to you. He..." her voice hitched on her throat as she tried to find the words to say. "He almost raped me."

A ripple of murmurs sounded through the crowd around them that she was unaware of gathering.

Cana, however, was undeterred. "Can you actually believe her?" she shouted in a tone of disbelief and amusement. "Lucy, Lucy, Loke is actually at home, drunk and miserable — all because of you and your slutiness."

Lucy tried to bite back a retort at how Cana and Loke were so, so similar. One of their shared characteristics was how they were both such liars.

"And what's that?" Cana looked over Lucy's shoulder before Lucy could speak. "Natsu's scarf. You're telling that's a new trend and you're desperate to follow it?"

"We were there to help each other overcome our tragedies."

"Tragedies? Um, sorry, what tragedies?" Cana asked, sarcasm evident in her tone.

"Lisanna died a week ago, for your information," Lucy spat.

She took note of how everyone froze at her news even for just a moment, as perhaps she has confirmed their suspicions about her disappearance.

"This girl," Cana laughed weakly, "still has the nerve to lie?"

"Cana, if there are any liars around here, it's you and Loke," she concluded, walking away from the commotion.

"How did Lisanna die then?" Cana's question had taken her aback and she stopped in her tracks.

She didn't know. Natsu didn't tell her. But she can't let them doubt her. "You still wouldn't believe any word I say, right? Why don't you just ask Natsu himself?"

"Lucy, when forming a lie, one must supply their story with credible-sounding information. Unfortunately you failed to do that."

Lucy turned around, thinking her previous reply wasn't quick enough for them to believe her. She took one good look at Levy, still staring at her impassively. Levy must be thinking how her friend has changed so much that she actually couldn't trust her now.

"I'm — not — a — fucking — liar." She left the school without looking back at the people who now had started to mock her words.

Well, ultimately, she wasn't Lucy Heartfilia anymore — she was just Lucy with a mad and broken heart.

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dedicated to ceriese_heartfilia, another supportive (and very talented) friend of mine irl + a fellow (ex?) ft fan lol