The Geek's Game | NaLu Fan Fiction [3rd place in FTWattyAwards Romance]

New School Year New Beginnings!

Lucy and Natsu are long time best friends. Natsu is the star basketball player and Lucy is a shadowed star, a girl with a dream. Natsu seems to fall for the sweet Lisanna Strauss- well known for her charity, kindness, super model older sister and successful older brother. Lucy convinced herself to be okay with the whole thing. But as the year continues on Lucy can't help but begin to notice changes between herself and Natsu. Especially in the feelings department. Lucy seems to face turmoil after turmoil, as she is almost kidnapped, has health issues, and unravels and whole conspiracy surrounding Lisanna and the newly arrived Sting. Natsu begins to treat her differently and she finds it harder and harder to deny her own feelings. Can she keep up with life's games?

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This will all be Lucy's perspective!

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Disclaimer! Fairy Tail and all its plots and characters belong to Hiro Mashima! (If it belonged to me Lucy and Natsu would be together already >.<)

Please enjoy!!!

~Kels-chan

• * •

Chapter 1 - New School Year, New Beginnings!

"Hey Lucy! Wake up!" I opened my eyes when an annoying voice began calling me fourth from sleep. I blinked a few times and saw my pink haired best friend, Natsu, grinning above me.

"Get up! It's time for school, and I am not going alone," he ripped the blankets off me.

"Hey! I was still using those!" I whine. He smirked and then stuck his tongue out at me tauntingly. I just gave him my best death glare as he left, and then made my way out of bed.

As Natsu said it was the first day of school and he of course was as excited as ever. He would get to see his school buddies every day now instead of twice a month at the movies or whenever all of them where awake at the same time long enough to hang out together.

I got a quick shower and changed my clothes before racing next door to the Dragneel's. Natsu and his younger sister Wendy shared the apartment that their parents paid for. They were busy being CEO's of Dragneel Inc. meanwhile my own father was off running a business of his own and being a single aristocrat who doesn't want me around to drive away the many women he brings to the mansion.

As I closed the door to Natsu's apartment I was slammed with a hug. I turned slightly to see a little bluenette crushing me in a bear hug. "Wendy... you are... too strong.." I pretend to suffocate and she giggles before her small arms release me.

"I can even beat Natsu!" A wicked grin covered her adorable face. She twirls away in one of her many dresses.

"She sure likes to boost her own ego..." I heard Natsu mutter from the entryway to the kitchen.

"Huh, sounds a lot like her older brother," I comment.

"Hey! I do not boost my own ego!" Natsu defended.

"I, Natsu Dragneel, am the beeeest basketball player in the universe!" I said in a mock Natsu voice.

He rolled his eyes at me. "Sheesh I've never said that..." He folds his arms and turns his head from me.

"Oh really? And you don't keep your basketball jacket all to yourself because you don't want others to "taint" it?" I giggle.

"I do not!" He protests. "I just, don't like others having it..." He huffed.

"Yeah, whatever," I stick my tongue out at him and then I grab some toast off the counter.

"Let's go Mr. Star Player, you don't want a tardy on the first day!" I call as I open the door. Natsu grabs his bag and tells Wendy to be safe before following me out the door. We walk to school, typical tradition for us. A soft breeze blows past and I hold my arm out to ride the current drifting past me. I hurry in front of Natsu and walk backwards facing him.

"So, when is your last day of tryouts?" I ask him.

"Today, though coach told me I pretty much secured my spot on the first day," he said shrugging.

"Mr. Star Player, I do believe that is a sign of boosting your own ego!" I laugh.

"Sure," he smirks at me and then runs at me full speed. I shriek and take off hoping to elude him, but as usual, I fail due to that fact that he is more of a runner than myself. He grabs me by my waist and pulls me to a dead stop. Then he steps around me and picks me up behind my thighs and onto his back before he carries me all the way to school. Of course I'm laughing my head off and he's grinning the entire time. We reach the front gates and he sets me down before we get on campus and then we walk in, ready to start school.

We head our separate ways the first few hours, with me in advanced english classes, theatre, and choir while he was in advanced physical fitness, foods, and regular physical education. Then we had FACS, (Family And Consumer Services- or how to do things in the real world that they don't teach us in Math or History) with Ms. Vermillion. She was a mystery to most of us, but we didn't mind since she was one of our best teachers. Natsu met me outside of choir.

"Who was that singing in there alone just now?" He looks at me as we make our way to FACS.

"Just someone practicing," I shrug.

He nods and we continue on to class. I sigh after he drops the conversation, I didn't want him to know it was me. Not yet anyway. We get into class and sit at an empty table together. Some of our other friends come in too, Erza, Levy, Gajeel, Juvia, Jellal and Gray all came in soon after. The last groups of kids walked in before Ms. V stood up and moved around to the front of her desk.

"Hello everyone," she smiled, "I see my favorite class from last year continued on."

"As you know," she moved from the desk to the whiteboard and grabbed a dry erase marker, "every year I assign a 'Yearly Assignment' that is due at the end of the year,"

She writes 'Business Project' across the top of the board and then underneath it writes three things,

Business Project

• all year long

• due on the last day of school

• work with 1 partner!!!

Natsu and I looked at each other. We nodded our heads in silent agreement. Last year we paired up on almost all our group assignments when we could. We waited to see just what the business project was. Ms. V looked around and when everyone had moved by their partners she started talking again.

She moved in front of her desk again before saying, "This year, you have to be successful business owners."

• * •

Chapter 2 - The Business Project and Moving In With the Dragneels - Preview

I gave him a puzzled look. "What's the job?" I ask reaching for the paper. He holds it above me out of my reach. I scowl at him.

"Hand it over!" I pout.

"I'll tell you after school, Mrs. Dragneel." He smirked at my face and then turned to go to his next class.