Natsu

I remember the first day of second grade school when you walked in the room. You had pigtails, with pink bows holding them. Your school dress was slightly big on you, and one of your baby teeth were missing. Your lunch box was covered in stars, showing the Big Dipper.

Mr. Wakaba put us next to each other, you waved at me with a friendly smile. "Hi! My name is Lucy!" You sat down, your bubbly self putting a smile on me. I lost my cat before school started, and I didn't smile for a long time, but you fixed that. "My name is Natsu! Wanna be friends?"

You were so happy to have made a friend on the first day of school. So was I.

I found out you moved from New York, that's a big town if you ask me. I didn't know your dad passed away from cancer, I'm really sorry to hear that. You must've been more sad than me when my cat ran away. You told me we would find him, and we did when you came over one night. You were so excited to find out we dyed him blue. You and I were inseparable, two peas in a pod. I held your hand when we walked to the playground, or when a fourth grader was picking on you. You called me your Big Dragon that protected his sweet princess. I liked dragons ever since.

In middle school, sixth grade, another girl moved. You fell in love with her because you both loved reading. I wasn't much of a reader, I preferred science because of things blowing up. But you started to eat lunch with her, you started to play with her on the playground. I was scared you were going to forget me, but you would always gave me your peanut butter and jelly sandwich during reading time. We would sit next to each other on the beanbags while we read. "Luce, were gonna be best friends forever right?"

Your smiled made butterflies appear in my stomach.

"Silly. Just because I'm hanging out with Levy, you'll always be my best friend no matter what. Best friends forever." Our pinkies laced around each other. A promise that I would hold close to my heart was to never be broken. I split half of the sandwich with you.

Freshmen year, the year where I didn't really see you. For some reason you were absent almost everyday. At first it was only family issues, but you weren't the bubbly girl I knew. You were always cold, you were wearing more clothing to cover yourself, the pigtails were also gone. I wanted to help you, but you told me I couldn't. "Natsu, I'm not gonna be here around a lot now. Some things came up."

"What's wrong?" I asked to my best friend. You hid in the turtle neck of your sweater. "Well, I'm really busy. But I'll be back soon okay? I have to stick with my best friend!" You smiled, but it wasn't shining as bright as the sun; it was forced, sad. My heart ached, I wanted you to be happy. I thought for a second when I pulled you to the computer desk. "Listen to this Luce! I thought about you when I heard it." I put the headphones over your ears.

"You Are My Sunshine? I remember my mom singing this to me." I pulled one of the headphone's cushion to listen with you. My voice began to hum with the rhythm, as my feet also tapped to it. For some reason you only stared at me like a weirdo, but you actually smiled. That made me feel better.

Sophomore year I found out why you were always missing. Why didn't you tell me, why didn't you tell me about the cancer? You were wearing hats for some reason, always telling me that it was a trend, but none of the girls were wearing hats. Your hair was missing, your skin was as pale as a ghost. Why didn't you tell me the cancer was eating you, especially where your brain was...

You fought for so long, all the way through Senior year. You had to leave school because of always getting sick. The chemo was also eating you, you were to frail to walk. You were so tired, your mom didn't want me over much. She didn't want to tell me what might happen, but I knew. I may lose my best friend. The closer winter came, the closer I knew you were parting ways. I wanted to take you to the Winter Ball, a dance where only seniors could go to. I wanted you to have fun before you had to leave.

I visited you in the hospital, so many tanks and IV's were around you. Though your time was coming, you were still fighting. "Natsu." You smiled, joyful to see me. I was holding a bouquet of your favorite flowers, yellow roses; it reminded you of your hair. You showed me a bubbly smile when you sniffed the roses. "Thank you for getting my favorite flowers, better than the tulips I was given from the school, but it was really nice of them to think about me."

I thought I was ready for you to go to a better place, but I found out I lied to myself for three years...I cried that night, the night I was going to ask you to the ball. The night where I was going to make you cry tears of joy, but there was only tears of pain...tears of a broken person.

You were gorgeous that night. You wore a dazzling baby blue dress, it was a layered dress that became lighter until it was the color white at the end of your toes. Your shawl kept you warm in the house, but it was freezing outside. I let you use my coat after we took pictures your mom wanted. You were the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

That night I slow danced you in a wheelchair, all but one dance. You forced me to make you stand, and we tiptoed through the crowd that scattered just for you and me to dance. All the seniors watched you dance with me, you leaned your head on my chest, still wearing my jacket to stay warm. "I never want this to end." You whispered. I too never wanted this to end. I wanted to do this everyday with you...

You were very tired, so I took you home. Your mom called my mom for me to stay over, and it was alright we slept in the same room. Your mom changed you into your pj's in the bathroom while I wore your dad's shorts and plain white shirt. Your room was filled with tanks and a hospital bed, but I remembered when it was pink with glow in the dark stars on your ceiling. They were still on the ceiling, only the glowing dimmed from how old they were.

Your mom tucked us both in the small hospital bed, kissing you a goodnight as she also did for me but on my forehead. You snuggled close for the warmth of my body temperature, I felt your small body shiver. My arms wrapped around you and pulled you closer. I closed my eyes, and softly began to hum a lullaby to you.

You are my sunshine,
My only sunshine.

You make me happy
when skies are grey.

You never know dear,
how much I love you.

Please don't take,
my Sunshine away.

We both cried in each other arms that night. Knowing your time to leave was growing closer.

Winter finally blew over. Fields of flowers bloomed over my small town. I was to graduate in a month, already planning on becoming a doctor. I stepped into a territory that I mesmerized by heart. The old tree that was on the left of me, the bench no one ever sat in.

And you, where your gravestone sat. Yellow roses grew around your gravestone, and where the soil that you were buried in. I sat a piece of paper by your stone, it was a picture of us in second grade. Our first sleep over.

A day never goes by without thinking how much I miss you Lucy. A life without you, was a life I didn't want to be a part of...I miss you so much. Thank you for being with me through all these years.

Your best friend,

Natsu Dragneel