The Rules and Regulations of Love (Nalu Fanfic)

Chapter Twenty-Three

Lucy

Rule Number Twenty-Three: Do What's Best For You

Prom. I can't believe it's prom night. I can't believe I'm actually going. From the moment I started high school I'd heard people I'd known my whole life raving about prom and how exciting it was or would be. I'd always avoided the subject, because I never thought I'd have a date. I didn't think I needed to talk about dresses or hairstyles or nails or anything like that. I still didn't. The whole week I was waiting in preparation of the prom Juvia was the one talking about my hair and all that stuff. Last night when he called around six and asked me what my dress looked like, I was forced to admit that I had been planning to sneak in with jeans on. Needless to say, she's fainted. When Gray came on the phone and told me that Juvia was going to be all right, I unhappily agreed to go dress shopping. The only store that we had in our small little town that sold nice prom dresses was Pins and Needles, and when Gray and Juvia picked me up they both agreed that every girl in town would have gone to Pins and Needles. Therefore, the two of them drove an hour outside of town to some broken down warehouse that looked like something straight out of a horror movie, and Gray had had to drag me out of the car and carry me fireman style to the warehouse door, with me kicking his front and pounding his back the whole way. When they reached the door, I'd stopped with my fighting to see what would happen, and Juvia knocked on the door twice, then once, paused for a few seconds, then pounded out the first few notes of Paparazzi before leaning in close to the door, lifting a latch, and whispering, "fantabulous".

The door creaked open and a tall, willowy girl was revealed. She looked like she was about twenty-five, with long blonde hair that reached her lower back, and a pair of old ripped jeans and an oversized blue and white striped man's shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Her hair was piled up on her head and held in place with a chopstick, and if I were a lesbian I so would have gone for her.

"Lisa!" Juvia exclaimed, giving the girl Lisa an air hug and two air kisses on her cheeks. I rolled my eyes at this exchange, which I was watching upside down, my view partially blocked from Gray's body.

"Juvia! It's been too long since we last got together. And who is this?" Lisa asked, while sizing up Gray with hungry eyes. Her voice was rough and scratchy, and I could only assume she was a chain smoker, especially from the hacking cough she let out a moment later.

"This is my boyfriend Gray. Gray, meet Lisa, my sister."

"Sister? What are you talking about Juvia? I thought you only had a brother!" I said, struggling with Gray to get to my feet. He finally let me upright, and grabbed my arm when I wobbled a little on my unsteady legs.

"Let's just say mom and dad didn't want anyone to know about their little rebel, so she was 'shipped away' to grandma's. Now let's get down to business. Lisa, I need a dress for Lucy. She's going to the prom with her boyfriend tomorrow and she has yet to get a dress."

"You know, I have just the thing," Lisa had said ominously, taking my hand and leading me inside.

And that was how I'd ended up here, standing in my mother's room and examining myself in her full length mirror. My mother was sitting on her bed staring at me, like she was in a trance. I felt like I was in a trance too. That girl in the mirror wasn't me. I wasn't that pretty. That girl in the mirror was some other blonde chick. I didn't wear dresses. But it was me. I knew it was because the girl in the mirror was waving her hands around like a bird just like me.

"Lucy, that dress is gorgeous," my mother said, sounding pretty breathless.

I was kind of breathless myself. Lisa had given me an absolutely breathtaking dress. She'd given me a red satin babydoll dress that ended three quarters down my thighs, with spaghetti straps, along with a slim silver band under the bust, a small detail that pulled the outfit together. I'd borrowed some of my mom's heels, a strappy silver pair that matched the band on my dress perfectly. I'd also worn a pair of silver chandelier earrings my dad had given me on Valentine's Day one year, and a silver heart necklace Juvia had given me to go with the dress. I felt so beautiful. I didn't know I could be this pretty.