Sweetheart

16

"This is stupid," Aina mumbled. "I shouldn't be thinking about it this much."

She fell backwards on her bed and stared up at the ceiling.

"Besides, it's just a regular thing for him. It definitely doesn't matter for him, so why am I doing this to myself?"

She let out a frustrated scream into her pillow. After a few minutes of staring blankly, Aina made her way downstairs.

"There you are, sweetheart."

Her heart jumped when she heard the nickname, but calmed down when she saw it was just her mom. A breath of relief made its way past her lips.

"Are you alright? You don't look too well."

Aina shook it off, assuring her mom that she was fine. It was around eleven at night, so Aina took the leftovers from the fridge and microwaved them.

"So how was work today?"

"It was the usual. A leopard gecko came in today."

"Did you get to hold it?"

"Yeah. She was squirming though, so she probably doesn't get handled that much. She had dropped her tail recently because it was just starting to grow back."

"Oh my. Did they say what happened?"

"They just said that she got scared when one of their cousins went to hold her. She'll be fine."

"Well that's a relief."

Aina nodded and brought her dinner into the living and ate while she watched TV.

--------------------------------------------

"Lucy," Aina whined, "can you go get me a spoon?"

Lucy rolled her eyes and walked back over to the utensil station and grabbed a spoon. She tossed it to her friend who excitedly took it before she started eating her cranberry sauce.

"I didn't even realize it was turkey dinner day."

"It's like, the best lunch on the menu," Levy spoke when she looked up from her tray.

"Next to the popcorn chicken bowl!"

"Aina, you're one of the few people to like everything in that one."

She shrugged and continued to eat.

"Did you want my cornbread, Luce?"

Lucy's eyes lit up and leaned over to Aina's tray.

"Actually, I think it's my turn for the cornbread."

Before she could process what happened, Natsu had leaned over and snatched the cornbread. Lucy gasped before standing up suddenly and glaring at him.

"Since when do you have a turn at my cornbread?"

"Actually, I think it's my cornbread now."

Natsu gave a quick and discrete tap to Aina's back before smirking at Lucy and returning to his table.

"I can't believe him! Aina, you need to--"

Levy and Lucy looked at their friend to see that she was severely blushing. Lucy groaned.

"Aina!"

Said brunette snapped out of her trance and looked up to her friends.

"What?"

"Oh man," Levy complained, "he's already gotten to her brain."

"Aina, go to the bathroom and splash some water on your face. It'll help you snap out of it. Believe me it worked with me against--"