Melting Gray [Gratsu]

17

Chapter Seventeen

☆ Natsu Dragneel ☆

December 19, 2011

I'd like to say it all began with pizza, but I'd be lying, because in actuality, that's how it ended.

"I'm bored. Let's go do something," Lisanna whined, pressing her white fringe against my shoulder. I hardly looked up from the video game we were playing. "I'm feeling pizza."

"That does sound good," said thoughtfully. "But Dad's out. He can't take us to Sicily's," I pointed out.

Lisanna smirked at me with her typical glint in her eyes. "I have my license, remember? And you have your permit," She grinned. "The perks of being held back in kindergarten."

I set down the Wii remote and turned to face my girlfriend, dedicating brushing a stand of her pixie-cut hair behind her ears. "Okay. We can go, but only for you."

Lisanna pecked me on the lips happily. "Hooray! Pizza party!" She clapped, jumping off the couch and tossing on her fur boots. She practically dragged me out the door when I noticed the storm clouds approaching. I could already feel drops of water hitting my glasses.

"Ne, Lis? Do you really think we should drive? It's starting to rain," I asked skeptically. Lisanna shrugged and opened her car door.

"Do it for the pizza," She joked before slamming the door behind her. I chuckled and shook my head, locking the door behind me and getting in the car.

This was one of the many reasons why I liked Lisanna- she was spontaneous and didn't care what people thought of her. She was also incredibly charming, athletic, bubbly, smart, and confident in whatever she did. She was the all-around perfect girl. Smiling contently to myself, I turned on the radio and allowed the bass fill the void.

Lisanna and I sung along as I pulled out of the driveway and headed down the street. "What you want, what you need, has been right here, yeah, I can see that you're holding back those tears, tears!" We sang horridly, bopping our heads awkwardly and snapping like untrained flamenca dancers.

After a few minutes on the road, I noticed the rain had picked up considerably. Sheets of it- pounding against the windshield, practically drowning out the sound of the radio. A bolt of lightning stuck over the horizon, followed by a rolling thunderclap in the distance, shaking my bones.

Crash. Boom. They got considerably louder. And louder. I tried to brush all perposterous negative ideas out of my mind. "Lisanna, seriously. Let's go home."

"I don't think I can," Lisanna admitted, voice shaking. She must've finally understanded the gravity of the situation, and her fingers gripped the armrests tighter. "We need to find somewhere to park and let the rain die out."

"That sounds good." The windshield wipers were now at full speed, but it was still super hard to see anything ahead of me. I could barely even make out the lisence plate of the car in front of us, and that was with my headlights on. I gulped and tried to think happy thoughts. It's alright, Natsu, I persuaded myself. You and Lis will find a place to park, you'll let the rain pass, and then you'll go enjoy a nice pizza date with your beautiful girlfriend.

I inhaled and blinked rapidly, trying to focus only on the road in front of us. Subconcuously, I shut off the radio and ignored the text tone that just came from my phone. What I wanted to do was get off this highway, and wait the storm out where it was safe. The roads were beginning to flood, and I heard the tires shooting water in different directions.

"Natsu!" Lisanna shouted suddenly. "Quick, get in the next lane!" Lisanna commanded as I pressed on the gas a little harder. Instinctively, my head whipped around. I had to squint and tilt my head different ways to see, but I didn't see anyone coming.