After getting home 15 minutes late, my punishment was cleaning the bathroom on Sunday. The holy Jesus day for non-atheists, but it was bathroom cleaning day for me. I learned that from Freed's family a while back that it was abnormal to see God's day as a punishment. Well, they didn't exactly know that church would be more of a punishment for me but that's why I never stay at his house until Sunday. Absolute death for me; it's already hard enough for me to pray before every meal with them. It takes its toll after a few years.

"Why do you call Jesus 'The Holy Jesus,'; I know I didn't raise you religiously but I would've thought enough time with Freed's family would be enough. As well as 7th grade world history classes." Mom taunted me.

"Haha. I know I passed that class with the highest A but that doesn't mean I payed attention." I said in defense.

"Mhm. Sure, honey." Mom waved off my truth-telling (a rare thing I did), "Can you get me some beans? I think enchiladas go well with refried beans, don't ya' think?"

"Only if there's that weird taco rice." I said excitedly.

"Of course." She laughed.

"Score!" I yelled as I went to the pantry for a can of beans. "Tonight, we shall feast!" I yelled once again as I dumped the beans into a little pot to heat them up.

"Oh my! The thing can cook!" My mom joked, acting falsely excited.

"Only on enchilada night." I said, dead serious. More small talk was made as we made and served our dinner.

"Why don't you get the boys and get the pets their food while you're at it?" Mom asked right when I was about to eat. "Fine." I grumbled and surrendered my silverware. "YO, BOYS! Get your enchiladas before I swallow the pan whole like last time!" I yelled down the hall as I got the cat food and mom facepalmed.

The first to appear was Laxus, a close family friend that somehow ended up living with us. "Get the dog food before you get your own." I ordered him as I put the cat's food in his little blue bowl on top of our hall cabinet. The cat and dog were both territorial and serious about food. "As long as you don't swallow the pan." He responded as he called Pantherlily. "Promise." I responded.

Immediately after I put the food in his bowl, Happy scrambled to it and ate away. "Jellal! Don't make me break my promise to Laxus!" I yelled for the other one.

"I'm on the phone with Erza!" He yelled from his doorway.

"Not on enchilada night." I said scarily which made him immediately hang up with Erza and run to the kitchen. "That's what I thought." I said as I walked behind him to get to my awaiting plate of Holy Jesus blessings.

Mom and Laxus were already eating when Jellal and I sat down to eat. Dinner was silent. Everyone liked eating too much to talk. After dinner, Jellal and Laxus did the dishes as Mom and I put away the leftovers and went to do our own things.

I went to my room to get pjs to change into after my shower and headed to the bathroom. Most of the time I spent under the hot water was spent thinking about Natsu's voice; one of mine.

Freaking myself out too much, I shut off the water and got out to change and whatnot. After doing so, I went to my room. It was covered in as many if not, more, posters than Freed's room. Most were bands and art stuff from Red (what I called Erza) she and Jellal had been dating for a while and we became friends pretty easily. I found her style unique and I approved of her because of it, so every now and then she brings me things she thought she couldn't sell on the streets.

Under the posters, though, were walls painted jet-black. Mom didn't know, but that's because she wasn't allowed in my room; limited and permitted access only. Similar to Freed's rules and boundaries. Other than that, my room was plain; white dresser, small bedside table, twin-sized tumblr looking bed, and a desk with random stuff all over it.

I threw my dirty clothes into my hamper and switched off the light. I had enough awake time for today. Before going to sleep, I sent Freed a goodnight text like I have for a very long time now and fell asleep right away.

➖

I awoke with a jolt. My alarm went off, so I rolled off my bed to my dresser and turned it off. Nothing like waking up at 5AM for the fifth time in a row this week. Today was Friday. Freed-day, I called it since I spend the night on Fridays to avoid The Holy Jesus day. Getting dressed in mom approved clothing, I grabbed my backpack and a prepacked duffel bag that held my outfits for next week and other stuff for Freed's house.

I slipped on my shoes before getting out of my room and left a note on the kitchen table before leaving, it was something I did every morning to assure where I was going and why I wouldn't be home later. It didn't need explaining by now, but it was a habit that I found fun to keep up.

I walked out the door and headed to Freed's. To make sure he was awake, I texted him. He immediately responded with a morphed picture of Nicholas Cage fused with a cat. My favorite picture.

When I got to his door, I didn't even knock. I walked in and said good morning to whoever was downstairs and awake then headed to Freed's room.

"That's a pretty big bag for a night or two here." I heard a familiar voice from behind me.

"The clothes thing." I responded and gestures towards my girly, conservative outfit. Yesterday, I was here in ripped skinny jeans, all black Chucks, and a band t-shirt that I had done a weird D.I.Y. opened back thing to. Today, I was wearing a blouse with a solid colored cardigan, nude ballet flats, and dark-wash loose jeans. "Not exactly what I like to be seen in." I explained as he examined me.

"Doesn't seem like who I met yesterday." He agreed as I entered Freed's room without knocking.

I unzipped the bag and switched out clothes and shoes. "Scandalous." Natsu added commentary that was unneeded. I ignored him.

"I'm about to change, so unless you want to confess to the Holy Jesus that you've been a peeping tom, then I'd go do something else if I were you." I said and shut Freed's door 'accidentally' in his face.

I quickly changed into the clothes I wanted to wear to school and grabbed my backpack from next to my duffel bag and went downstairs. I saw Freed eating breakfast by himself at the table.

"Your mom gone yet?" I whispered to him from behind his back.

He choked on his cereal before saying answering. "Yeah but that doesn't mean you can kill me. Geez." He sighed. Freed's not a morning person.

"Yes, dear." I said sarcastically.

He laughed as I sat next to him and layed my head down on the table. I'm not much of a morning person either.

"Ready to go to prison?" Freed cheered as he put his dishes in the sink and headed to the front door.

"Boy! Am I?" I said cheerfully as we laughed our way out the door.

We walked to school together, like we always did, and went our separate ways to our classes. We only had Gym and lunch together. Our favorite classes. Besides my time with Freed and other friends time went by slowly and uneventfully. All I payed attention to was the voice in my head. Natsu's voice read to me as we had reading assessments in English and my history textbook was filled with words from him during study hall.

"What a day." I sighed walking with Freed, Levy, and Gajeel to Freed's.

"Oh, yeah? Gray swallowed a pencil during science today." Gajeel laughed as he retold a rather gag-inducing event from second period.

"Really?" I challenged, "Coach Green ate shit today during our soccer unit."

"I think Lucy wins this one." Levy giggled as she waved goodbye and waited at the bus stop.

"Hey, I'm gonna wait with Levy. Bye, Freed. Bye, Lu." Gajeel said nervously.

"Bye, human voodoo doll!" I called after him as he jogged back to Levy.

He had the nerve to flip me the bird as he continued to Levy. I acted offended and put a hand to my chest. "How dare that young man! I should tell his mother!" I joked with Freed as we walked to his house.

The rest of the way we laughed about Coach Green's wipeout in Gym and Gray's E.R. visit. We got to his house around 4 and were greeted by Natsu in my spot watching T.V.

"Oh, no he didn't." Freed whispered, scared for my sanity.

"Th-that's my spot?" I said (questioned, really).

"Mhm..." Freed answered, walking towards Natsu cautiously.

Freed slowly tapped Natsu on the shoulder and explained that he was in my spot as I stood in the doorway twitching rather angrily. Natsu burst out into hysterical laughter and gave up the seat immediately. "Your friends are weird." He explained to Freed as he moved to Levy's spot.

I smiled politely and went to my seat next to Freed. "Order is my sanity in this house with the Holy Jesus all over the place." I explained when I was calm enough.

"Well, I suggest you don't stay until Sunday." Natsu warned, as if I didn't know.

"I did that once." I stated, remembering the constant Holy Jesus talk and Church people. "I will never do it again. It was a very dark time for me."

Freed laughed. "It's not that bad. They always bring cookies." He justified the Church people.

"But the Holy Jesus talk." I insisted.

"The Holy Jesus?" Natsu interrupted.

"She wasn't raised religiously. At all." Freed explained.

"Apparently." He said, eyes still glued on the T.V. screen.

"Offense taken, gentlemen, offense taken." I said dramatically and acted hurt.

"As if," Freed retorted.

"You win this round." I immediately surrendered under his superior chick flick memorization skills. "I always win those rounds." Freed smiled cockily.

"Suuure." I fed his ego and watch the T.V. Quickly, I got bored and started complaining. "Did you really just change it to the Holy Jesus music channel?" I groaned.

"Sure did." Natsu smirked as he sang along to a song that repeatedly said 'Jesus loves me,' in an annoyingly religious tune. Once Feed noticed my annoyance, he joined in. Both he and Natsu smothered my ears with their Jesus music and out of tune singing.

"My atheist ears! How dare you take their Jesus-virginity!" I complained when the song stopped.

"You haven't heard that song before?" Natsu asked extremely surprised.

"Didn't Freed already explain? Not raised religiously. At all. And I'd expect more from a Pantera junkie." I scolded.

"Pantera?" Freed questioned.

"One of my favorite bands." I explained. "I rather enojoy their song Heresy for more than one reason." I scoffed.

"Technically, a heretic-"

"It was a joke. I know the technical definition of a heretic." I said cutting off Freed, and shushing him by pinching his lips together.

He gave up trying to explain and left to get food for himself. Probably Coco Pebbles. Guess he wanted some before Levy came over next time.

"What happened to being so awkward?" I asked Natsu.

"I feel more comfortable when I know people's names. It can say a lot about you, I think." Natsu explained as he turned to look at me in the eyes.

"What does my name say about me?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"You're name shows how you have two sides. Lucy could be short for a proper rich girl name, or a common stripper name that could be easily turned skanky." He said being brutally honest.

"I can see that." I agreed. "The Holy Jesus might not, but ya' know how it goes."

---

lol idk what this is gonna be tbh