"Honey, you should hurry up and get dressed before you're late for school!" Mom called from downstairs. I groaned and smashed my pillow on my face, trying to muffle her incessant nagging. I didn't really feel like going to school today. Or ever.

"Nashi!" Mom called again. I turned over in my bed, still not getting up. I wasn't a morning person, exactly. I only knew one person who got up at the crack of dawn willingly, and that was my best friend, Molly. She was really smart, obsessed with Sorcerer's Weekly, and has been my best friend since grade school. She's a month older than me, and we're both thirteen. Molly has really fiery red hair, that's too wild for her own good, and pretty blue eyes and freckles.

I've got pink hair down to my knees that I usually keep in high ponytails, chocolate brown eyes, and fair skin. I was starting to develop cleavage, and Molly was already there. I felt kinda insecure about my flat chest, but that was probably because of the taunting I received for it at school. Plus, I had Mom's own cleavage mocking me. My mom had blond hair, so I always assumed my pink hair came from my father. The thought of a man with pink hair made me laugh. I heard stomps ascending the stairs and curled into a ball in response. My door slammed open, and I knew Mom was pissed off.

"Nashi Layla Downheart, you get your a--honey, are you all right?" she asked me, approaching my bed and sitting beside me. I groaned, like I was sick, and pulled my head out from under my covers.

"I *fake cough* don't feel good *more intense fake cough*," I pretended. She frowned at me.

"Dear, why're you lying?" inquired Mom. I stiffened, but kept up the facade.

"Whatever do you mean, Mom?" I asked, my acting becoming more evident. She rolled her eyes and ripped the covers off of me. I yelped in surprise.

"That yelp sounds pretty damn healthy, if you ask me," Mom snickered.

"No, Mom really *pathetic attempt at a believeable cough*, I'm really sick!" I protested.

"Yeah, and I'm a wizard," she drawled. She was about to walk out the door, when she stopped, seeing my new scrunched up face of pain and depression.

"I-I'm sick," I muttered quietly. She furrowed her blond eyebrows and sat down beside me again.

"Is there a reason you don't want to go to school?" my mom questioned. I was about to say something, when I cut myself off, grunted, and looked away. Mom sighed sadly and pat my head, making me look up at her.

"I wish you could tell me, but I know better than to pry," Mom said while standing up. She crossed my pink bedroom, and halted at my white wooden door. There was a sign on the outside of it that said "Keep Out" and a poster of some pop music group Molly liked on the other side of it. "You do need to get ready for school."

Mom then closed the door. I scratched my head, exhaled as an attempt to calm myself, and stood up. My hair fell and brushed my legs, tickling me. I got dressed, and put my hair in my pigtails. Once I slid my brown boots on, I was getting anxious. I didn't want to go to school. I wanted to stay in the safe quarters of my room. No one could call me a coward for that, right?...crap, I was acting like a coward! I could not become a coward. That was lame, and I was too cool to be lame. I growled and clenched my fists. I wasn't a coward. I was going to face this head on, maybe even get in a fight. I stood up straight, now with a new goal in mind. I was going to fight Juliet. She didn't stand a chance against me, even with her phony, underdeveloped wind magic.

Her twin brother was who I was worried about. Justin. I would have fight both of them. Justin wasn't very aggressive, but Juliet was, and whenever she was in trouble, he would be right there to save her. It drove me nuts. Still, today was the day I would beat them both to a bloody pulp. I would settle this once and for all. I stood up quickly and made a fist, my face determined.

"Right!" I cried like a battlecall.

My outfit consisted of a white dress made of really soft fabric that reached down to the middle of my thighs and sleeves that started just below my armpits and ended at my elbows, a pink cloth tied around my neck, and brown boots with light pink socks. I grabbed my black cloth backpack and raced down the stairs for the breakfast that smelled delicious. I knew she was making my favorite: spicy bacon with scrambled eggs. I came down to see the sizzling of the bacon grease on the pan, and her making my plate. I grinned and darted to the fridge. I looked around a bit and beamed when I found the hot sauce in the door. I closed it and dumped practically the whole bottle on my eggs.

"I don't know how you can stand that," Mom cringed. I laughed and ate like no tomorrow. It was a mountain of food, but I was done in seconds, patting my nonexistent belly. Mom sat down with her own considerably smaller plate of breakfast, but without the bacon. Only I ate the spicy bacon.

"Probably got it from my dad, right?" I inquired sneakily. Mom froze and glared at me. I took no notice. A knock at the door saved me from whatever argument we would have gotten into this time. I didn't like my dad; in fact, I despised him. Mom never really talked about him, and I've never met him, but he abandoned us. He didn't deserve my faith. I opened the door to see Molly beaming at me, tightly holding her school lunch.

"Ready to go?" she asked.

"Mom, I'm leaving with Molly!" I called before closing the door. I sighed and we skipped off my front porch.

"So I just got the newest issue of Sorcerer's Weekly..." Molly trailed off excitedly.

"You'd probably be able to get it sooner if we were closer to the city," I commented.

"Well, there's no helping we live in the small and reclusive village of Moorbush. Anyway, so, apparently, Lamia Scale's very own Sherry Blendy and Blue Pegasus's Ren Akatsuki are thinking about switching guilds so they can be together," Molly said. I furrowed my brows.

"Why would they do that?" I humored her. I honestly didn't have any idea who and what she was talking about half the time. I knew some names, but the ones she just spoke of did not ring a bell. But, in order for her to quickly get her monthly dose of geeking out on famous wizards, I pretended to understand what she was gushing about, even if it was only on a small scale.

"So, it's been said that Sherry is now pregnant and they decided they shouldn't be in different guilds. I'm pretty sure Ren and Sherry are leaning towards staying in Lamia Scale together, since it's way more family friendly than the Blue Pegasus guild," Molly further explained.

"It's that bad at Blue Pegasus?"

"I wouldn't know. I've never seen a guild before, or ever met a full fledged wizard, but they've got a reputation," said Molly.

"Say, do you ever plan on getting out of this one horse town?" I asked. Molly nodded.

"I sure wouldn't want to stay here. I mean, I'd visit my family and all, but I'm training to be a wizard and join the best guild there is: Fairy Tail! I mean, they're still number one after all these years, and they made that awesome comeback in X791!" gushed Molly.

"Maybe I can learn magic with you..." I muttered. Molly gasped.

"Your mom wants you to have nothing to do with magic, though! She would make me dig my own grave!" Molly pointed out.

"She'll have no control over me. I plan on running away around age 17. It'll be easier to get around at that age," I shrugged.

"I'll leave with you then!" Molly said with determination as she pumped her fist. I was mildly surprised that she wasn't trying to talk me out of it, but when Molly was on a roll, there was no stopping her. "We'll learn magic and join Fairy Tail!"

I laughed.

"Sure. Sounds like a plan," I said, seeing as that plan was more thought out then what I had in mind.

Molly squealed.

"Then I hope to meet Laxus--wait, no, Gray--wait, Titania!" Molly fangirled. I only recognized the name Gray. It was hard to forget him, seeing as how I saw a lacrima video of him stripping sub-consciously. He literally had no idea it was happening, and, while his wife was fangirling over him, his son was trying to catch his attention. Honestly, only someone super crazy would marry a stripper.

"What's so great about the stripper?" I asked, interrupting Molly.

"His ice magic is over the top, plus he's hot, but too old for me. His son is hot too...and our age! Oh my Mavis--"

"Mavis?" I asked again. Molly sighed in exasperation.

"You really need to start learning the Fairy Tail lingo," Molly said.

"I just hope they aren't stuck up or anything," I said. "It seems like a lot of famous wizards are pretty stuck up." I started remembering my encounter with Bacchus from Quadros Cerberus. He was one cocky drunkard.

"That's not Fairy Tail," Molly said automatically.

"You really like them, don't you?" I giggled.

"Of course! I'd trust them with anything! They get the job done," said Molly. "They stopped Grimoire Heart, the Oracion Seis, and even Tartaros! Lucy Heartfilia really helped in that division! If Lucy wasn't there, I fear that might've been the end for Fairy Tail. It really makes you think twice about Celestial Spirit wizards."

"Lucy Heartfilia?" I repeated. "You've never mentioned her, I don't think."

"Oh, well, that's because she disappeared from the guild around a decade ago--maybe a few years longer. All of the guild members refuse to talk about her with the press, especially her old team, and I've never even seen a picture of her," Molly informed. I nodded.

"We're here," I said, speeding up slightly to our local junior high.

"Wait up!" Molly called, trying to catch up with me.

---

"Class is dismissed. Everyone should head up to lunch now," my teacher said. I gulped and put my notebook in my bag. Lunch.

"Nashi!"

I turned around and saw Timothy racing up to me at my desk.

"Hey, Timothy," I greeted. He was a nerd, to be honest. He liked to study all kinds of ancient languages and runes. He said he wanted to learn rune magic.

"Molly is already at the table, but she wanted me to come get you," Timothy explained. I had only recently made friends with Timothy. Ever since last year. Molly brought us together, I guess you could say.

"Why?" I asked, getting up. He laughed nervously, blushing, and scratching the back of his head.

"Well, she knows how things have been between you and Juliet-san...and she knew how aggressive you were..." he trailed off.

"So you're--what?--my bodyguard?" I asked.

"I guess."

"But you're pretty weak. I'd end up having to defend you instead," I said dismissively. Timothy looked like he'd been stabbed in the back. I laughed. "Let's get to lunch already."

He nodded and we headed out. When we entered the lunchroom, I was surprised to see Juliet and Justin actually waiting for us a few chairs from Molly. Molly was nibbling her sandwich nervously, then spotted us, and started nibbling faster. I sat across from Molly, and Timothy sat beside her. About five seconds later, Juliet and Justin were behind my two friends without them noticing. Both smirked down on me with a haughtiness I would never be able to truly capture. Well, Juliet was smirking. Justin just looked impassive--as always.

"So," Juliet started, shocking Molly and Timothy, who didn't know they were so close. "Nashi, that dress is pretty revealing. Wait--oops! You've got nothing to reveal, flat chest."

I glared daggers at her and her D-cups.

"I have a feeling the more you have down there, the less you have up here," I said, pointing to my skull. "You're solid proof of that theory."

We were both having a stare down up to now. I released our gaze and closed my eyes, exhaled loudly and tiredly, and stood up. Everyone in the lunchroom was silent when they noticed us conversing and waited to see if a fight was coming. I would give the crowd what they want. I walked up to Juliet's smirking face. Her brown eyes were mocking.

"Did I upset you? You're rather annoying, if you ask me. No wonder your dad left you and your slut of a mother--" Juliet started to say, but my fist collided with her pearly whites before she could utter another offending word. I felt my blood boiling, and my teeth were bared. How dare she talk about something she has no idea about?! I would destroy her! No one insults my mom without paying the price. 

To my surprise, Justin took a few steps back, allowing us room. Juliet wiped blood from her lips and turned around to face her twin.

"You aren't going to avenge me, brother?" Juliet asked, stunned.

"This is your fight. You were out of line this time--way out of line," her brother said in disapproval. I was glad to see his priorities in line for the first time.

Juliet turned to face me now, a hundred times angrier than before. I saw I knocked out a tooth. A front one too. The gods were on my side, it seemed.

Chants engulfed the room.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

"Thirty jewel on Nashi-san!"

"No way! Juliet-san has magic!"

"I take that bet!"

"I don't take back what I said, flat chest," sneered Juliet. "Your father got tired of your slutty mother, and threw her away. He threw you away. You're worthless; you are pointless; you shouldn't even be alive! Your bitch mother should--"

"You really need to learn when to shut up," I seethed, knocking her down and punching her repeatedly.

"Nashi!" Molly cried.

"Nashi!" Timothy yelled.

I kept punching, and punching, and punching. How could she?! My dad may have abandoned us, but my mom wasn't a slut! I wasn't worthless! I couldn't be worthless! I couldn't afford to believe that! Juliet needed to pay! She needed to learn her place.

"Miss Downheart!"

I froze mid-punch. I knew that voice all too well. I heard it almost every day, right before I was sent up to the principal's office. Juliet surprisingly didn't go up with me any of those times. I looked up to see the stern face of our grade's counselor.

"Hey~..." I mumbled nervously and in a sing-song voice, trying to smile innocently, and ended up looking guilty. Next thing I knew, I was forced to wash my hands of the blood, clean up the cafeteria, apologize to the smug Juliet, and was sent up to the principal's office to "take a seat".

I heard a knock at the door and flinched noticeably.

"Come in, Lucy," Mr. Patterson said. The door creaked and I heard footsteps, then a thump against the chair beside me. I looked up slightly to see my mother's long, blond side ponytail.

"Thank you for your time. I know this must be a nuisance every other day," Mr. Patterson said with sympathy.

"I've learned to never have a full schedule," Mom said seriously. "So, what happened? I wasn't given details."

"Nashi beat a girl to a bloody pulp, is what happened, Lucy," Mr. Patterson explained in disgust. I waited for Mom's scolding, like always, but nothing came. I released the breath of anxiety I didn't know I was holding. Mr. Patterson seemed to notice too, because he cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"I expect you wish to expel her?" inquired Mom monotonously.

"I wish...but this is the only school in the village, and we can't deprive any child of education...legally," sighed Mr. Patterson regrettably. I took high offense to that.

"So, suspension," Mom said.

"Starting now," Mr. Patterson informed. "Nashi may come back in one week."