A Chance at Your Heart

Chapter 15

"Luffy's doing okay. Said to tell you guys hi."

Everyone around the table heads snapped up like well timed bombs looking at Nami who picked up the veggies that had fallen out her tuna-fish sandwich and replacing them before taking one big bite. It was good. Kind of matched her mood.

"You got to see him?" Usopp couldn't believe his ears.

"Yeah."

Nami sucked on her juice pouch and looked them all in the eye like it was no big deal.

"But he's grounded. We went to his house right after school yesterday. His dad wouldn't let us see him no matter how hard we tried."

Nami side-eyed Zoro who was fast asleep having already eaten. She had a bone to pick with him for scaring her like that but decided on a second thought to let it slide.

"I have my ways."

"You're so lucky, Nami." Chopper said, stars replacing his eyes.

"Is that idiot eating properly?"

Sanji hated when all the food he prepared for Luffy stayed there and got cold. They hadn't heard a word from him since that day and his dad proved to be the stingiest person alive.

"He looked fine to me."

"That's good." Sanji never told anyone but he was smoking more than usual.

"Luffy always gets us so worried. The guy's too reckless but I don't blame him for what happened. What that jerk did was uncalled for," said Usopp slurping up his noodles. Just the thought of what Luffy endured was enough to put him in a sour mood.

"Enough of that," Nami wiped dressing off the side of her chin with a napkin. "Have you confessed to Kaya as yet?"

Usopp almost choked and blushed so bright that Nami was certain he could glow in the dark. Everyone catching on laughed at this already knowing the answer. For someone who kept denying having zero romantic interest in their childhood friend, Usopp was a terrible actor. They all saw right through him like glass.

"Haha. Real funny guys."

Even Zoro cracked a smile presumably now awake.

"Whore!"

Nami's smile washed away and she looked hard at the crumbs on her plate. If she ignored them long enough they'll go away.

A group of guys chortled in the background slapping at their knees giving each other high fives but had shut up real quick picking up on the deadly aura directed their way.

They swallowed and before their fight-or-flight response could kick in Usopp pulled his arm back already firing stones from his slingshot, seamlessly knocking the ring leader hard between the eyes. They ran away with their tails between their legs. It was a good thing he did cause Sanji was this close to asking the marimo to hold him back from tearing them apart.

"Why do you make them call you names, Nami?" Chopper asked.

"They're just names. It doesn't bother me." Nami tried assuring him with a smile but Zoro didn't believe a word.

"Stop lying to yourself. It may not hurt that bad now but there's gonna be a time when you'll reach your limit."

Zoro disliked that about strong people. He's seen her stand up to bullies for fellow students and give the victims a listening ear but when the tables turn she still upheld that strong persona. It was almost sad.

"We know that it bothers you, Nami-san."

"I said it doesn't."

"But it does," Zoro pressed.