Compliments

Chapter 12-Not Swimming for a Reason

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail and its characters belong to Hiro Mashima

The dismissal bell screamed out into the silent room of my last hour, and students hurried to get their things together, throwing books and binders into backpacks, flying out the door like water spilling out. I gathered my things, and calmly walked out. Being the last one out the door had its advantages, I guess. As I continued on through the halls, dodging people best I could, a large hand on my shoulder stopped me.

“Lucy,” the voice said, a serious tone agonizingly clear.

“What,” I nearly whispered, refusing to turn my head.

“Did Lisanna do that to you?” his demanding voice asked.

“I never said that,” I lied. Why did I lie? Oh right, because Lisanna was his childhood friend, and what was I? Someone he met earlier this week.

“I heard you say it,”

“Well maybe you heard wrong,” I spat, pushing his hand off my shoulder and briskly walking away.

Thoughts spun through my head the entire walk home. And they wouldn’t stop. Why was I so mean? Why did I care if she got in trouble? Why was I so mad about Natsu asking about me? Maybe because it still felt like a big setup. Nothing but a lie. I grabbed my keys from my pocket, unlocking the front door to my small apartment. An exasperated sigh escaped my lips as I dropped my backpack on the ground, and made my way into the kitchen. When I came back out into the small living space, I nearly dropped my freshly prepared iced-tea on the carpet.

“Hey,” he said sheepishly, and I stared owlishly at the man on my couch.

“How did you get in here? Why are you in here? W-“

“Geez, calm down, would ya? I just wanted to visit,” he said leisurely. “But I was wondering, there’s a party at Gray’s at 6:30, and I was wondering if you wanted to come?” Natsu asked hopefully, his voice cutely rising in question.

“What kind of party is it?” I asked, a hint of concern laced through my words.

“Pool party! You in?” He asked cheerfully.

“Uh, I…don’t swim,” I lied. But I couldn’t have anyone seeing my scars.

“Oh c’mon Luce, you don’t have to swim! Just come!” He pleaded, and he was doing a pretty good job at convincing me.

“No, Natsu. I don’t like swimming! Or any of that!” I argued, and averted my eyes from his begging gaze.

“Please! Please! Please! Please please please!” He continued, and I finally gave up.

“Ugh! Fine!” I sighed, and stalked off towards my bedroom.

“Yes!” He smiled that horrible grin of his, flashing his strangely sharp canines.

I stepped out of the bathroom, a cloud of steam rolling out after me. What would I do? How can I conceal my scars if I have a chance of getting my face wet? I have a one-piece swimsuit to cover the ugly scars on my stomach, but I need make up for the scars on my cheeks. I pulled out a pastel pink and blue swimsuit, and a pair of cut off shorts.

“Ready?” Natsu asked. He was dressed in black swim trunks, and a tight-fitting red shirt.

“Yeah, I’m ready,” I said, snatching my keys and phone and stuffing them into my small shorts pockets. We walked in silence on the way to Gray’s house, so I decided to strike up a conversation.

“So, who’s gonna be there?”

“The boys, obviously, and they said they’d invite your friends too. Uh, I don’t know some other people Gray knows,” Natsu trailed off.

“Wow. Descriptive,” I mocked, and he smiled down at me, sarcasm clearly spilled across his features.

“Oh, it’s this one,” Natsu said, picking up the pace a bit.

“Lucy! Aren’t you gonna swim?” A certain pink-haired idiot called from the large pool, the water’s surface shaking from the amount of movement inside of it.

“I told you, I don’t swim!” I called back from a table further from the water than probably needed. Erza and Levy sat with me, probably looking at their own crushes.

“Yeah Lucy, why don’t you go swimming?” Levy chimed, and I sighed.

“I just don’t like swimming, is all,” I explained, before I felt warm hands wrap around me, and I was soon being carried. Towards the pool. And that meant only one thing. Off my makeup would go. I looked up at my carrier, and it was the person I least wanted to see. He grinned down at me, before swinging his arms, ready to throw me into the water. At the last minute, however, I clutched onto his forearms, my body twisting at a strange angle.

“Natsu no!” I screamed, but my hold wasn’t tight enough on him. And I felt myself flying from his arms, as if in slow motion, and I hit the surface of the water.

Off comes the makeup. Out comes the past.