Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
‑ˏˋ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐄𝐍 ˊˎ‑
"𝐈 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔, Natsu," Romeo said, a bright smile on his face. "This is going to be so much fun that you'll forget everything!"
I rose an eyebrow at the cheery sixteen-year-old, highly doubting what he just said. Wendy just smiled along, leading the way with her hands behind her back. At Romeo's statement, she turned her head back to him. "You have to remember that this was where Lisanna always took Natsu. He won't be able to forget everything."
Romeo crossed his arms childishly. "Well, I know that, but I just want Natsu to feel better. That's all."
I honestly didn't want to do this, but a few hours ago, all of my friends had said that if I wouldn't see a therapist that they would help me. It had warmed my heart at the moment, though it disappeared when I learned what I was going to be doing this afternoon. It was my last day off from work, and they thought it would be better to make use of it.
There was only one art studio in town, and from time to time, the people in charge would host art lessons where you could paint your own picture. It was something Lisanna had insisted on doing with me every time we could, and it slowly led to a weird tradition. We wouldn't be the only ones of our group to go, though. The others would come from time to time, but it was mainly me and Lisanna who went.
My heart twisted just at the thought, and when the small building came into view, I couldn't take another step. Wendy and Romeo kept on walking, only stopping when they realized I was no longer following.
Wendy took a step back towards me. "Natsu ― "
"I can't," I stepped back, not able to go forward. "I can't do this."
I had my focus trained on that door leading inside the small building, so I practically jumped out of my skin when Romeo grabbed onto my wrist, gently pulling me forward. "It'll be fine," he said, grinning back at me. "Do it for Lisanna."
Why did he have to say that? Just her name was enough for my throat to dry up, the backs of my eyes stinging. I ripped my wrist from Romeo's hand, staggering back before falling. My hands stung from coming into contact with the sidewalk, making me hiss. Before I knew it, Wendy and Romeo were next to me, both of them checking my hands.
"I'm pretty sure I have a first-aid kit in here somewhere," Wendy muttered to herself, digging around in her purse. As she searched for the kit, Romeo tried to gently wipe away the little pieces of dirt.
I flinched every time his fingernails came into contact with the sensitive skin. Once he had gotten most of the dirt out, he moved onto my other palm. I watched his tongue sticking out in concentration, not believing he would be willing to do this for me. I had been a jerk to him and everyone else, and yet here they were ― helping me when I needed it the most.
"Hey, Romeo," I caught his attention, momentarily halting his work. "You still play basketball, right?"
He nodded once, going back to my hand. "We're starting a new season in a few weeks." His grin widened when he laughed. "A lot of people actually think we have a shot at winning the championship this year with me as point guard."
"They're right, you know," I was tired of not being there for my friends like they were for me. The silence that followed my statement almost made me laugh; even Wendy had stopped. "You're an amazing player, Romeo. Tell you what, you start believing in yourself more and I'll be at the first game of the season."
Romeo's face lit up, his smile growing until it practically reached his ears. "Seriously? You're not kidding?" A single shake of my head sent Romeo to his feet, jumping and shouting excitedly. Both me and Wendy laughed at him, but it quickly disappeared when he almost tripped over his own two feet. "I'm okay," he said, then came bouncing to a halt by my side. He took my hand back in his again, only breathless this time.
"Ah-ha! I knew I had this darned thing somewhere in here!" Wendy exclaimed, proceeding to wrap my hands in loose enough bandages to where I could still move. Once my hands were wrapped, I got back to my feet.
I gulped, watching that door like it was my doom itself. Wendy noticed this, placing a hand on my arm. "We don't have to go in there if you don't want to," she spoke softly. I felt my lip tremble, but I forced it to stop, shaking my head.
"We said we were going to do this, though," I reminded them.
"Yeah, but this is just the beginning stage, Natsu," Romeo said. "You just need to get back out into the world right now. That's why we were going to take here, so you could socialize."
"But if you're not up to it quite yet, then we'll do something else." Wendy smiled. She began walking backward, mine and Romeo's gaze following her as she put a sole finger to her lips. "Just don't tell Erza."
I laughed with Romeo, both of us following her. "I didn't know you were a rulebreaker, Wendy." I poked her in the side, making her giggle and squirm.
Romeo bumped her shoulder with his, saying, "It's your funeral."
"And yours. Remember that you were supposed to take Natsu to that painting class, too," Wendy's smile only grew when Romeo full out stopped in his tracks. We kept walking, causing Romeo to catch up with us hurriedly.
"How about no one tells Erza that we didn't go. Deal?"
All three of us laughed at the silly promise we made to each other, all walking towards a new, unknown destination. While we walked, I would occasionally bump Wendy into Romeo or secretly pull Romeo's hair, often causing laughs and giggles. I didn't get off the hook that easily, though. They had gotten their revenge by picking on me, as well.
I had forgotten how much fun it was to be with my friends, and I was glad that it seemed like everything was aligned in my life. Because for one fleeting moment, I had forgotten about the past couple of years. And I was back to how my life had been before the storm.
