I almost bumped into Chen on my way to my locker. "Hi Chen," I said and continued walking.
"Hi." He started walking with me and asked "What were you doing with Lloyd Garmadon over there?"
I glanced at him before I opened my locker "Why are you asking?"
"Well, because he's Lloyd Garmadon? Did you hit your head or something?"
"Did you?" I locked my locker and looked at him. "I don't see why you're interested in my social interactions."
"Because we're friends now, obviously."
"I never agree-"
"And you're new, you need some guidance throughout your high school life."
I stared at him and spoke "Look, if you're going to give me the same lecture you gave me before then I don't want to hear it. Lloyd and I are just doing a history project together and nothing else."
"Oh, okay." He changed the subject "So what are you doing later today?"
"A history project, I just said that," I answered while carrying my Biology book and stuff.
"No, I mean after that."
I thought for a moment then said "I don't really have much in mind except for homework and food, but I'm sure I'll find something to do." I asked "What about you?"
"Maggie and I are going out with a bunch of friends. I was wondering if you'd like to come with us."
"Depends on where we're going."
"There's this new bowling place we're going to check out. So, are you interested?"
"Ow!" A crumbled piece of paper hit my head. I looked behind me and saw two girls laughing at me.
"What was that for?" I asked.
"Oops, sorry. I was aiming for the trash can."
There was no trash can near me. I gave her a look "Seriously? That's the best thing you got?"
"Well, there's more if you want. But I don't have the time to deal with someone like you." She turned to her friend "Let's get out of here." And her friend followed her as she walked away.
"What's her deal?" I asked. It's like she got out of a badly written Gacha story.
"See what happens when you talk to Lloyd Garmadon?" Chen said.
"Just shut up! I've heard enough." I walked away but he called after me.
"So are you coming with us tonight or not?"
"Give me some time to think about it."
~~~
At four o'clock, I started getting dressed and got my study kit ready to go to Lloyd's apartment to work on that history project.
When I finished, I opened my window to see if Lloyd was there. His window was closed and covered with the green curtains from inside. I wanted to ask him which apartment is his since he lives in the opposite building, so that I won't get lost.
Well, I guess the receptionist will tell me, I thought and closed my window. Then headed out of my apartment.
As I was locking my door, someone spoke to me.
"Hey, Y/n. where are you going?" Brandon asked, waking towards his apartment.
"Oh, hey Brandon. I'm just going to a classmate's house to study."
"Oh really? You made friends already?" He unlocked his door and looked at me.
"No... he's not really a friend yet." I added before leaving "Talk to you later."
"Okay, but be careful!"
~~~
I walked into the apartment complex Lloyd lives in and asked which apartment Lloyd is in. people gave me weird looks -as expected- but told me his apartment number. So I headed there.
As I arrived in front of the door, I overheard something.
"No mom, you don't have to make a whole meal. We'll spent the time studying anyway."
"Well, this is the first time you bring a friend here. Let me be excited about my son making friends for once."
"She's not...a friend. We're just assigned to work on this project together."
"Fine... I'll just prepare some snacks then." She stopped talking for a second then added "By the way, isn't she supposed to arrive now?"
I knocked on the door as soon as I heard that.
"Oh, there she is!" Lloyd's mom said and opened the door. "Hello dear, come on in."
"Hello Mrs. Garmadon." I walked in.
She closed the door "Oh please, you can call me Koko." She added "How about you kids go to Lloyd's room and study while I prepare some snacks for you?"
"Sounds good, mom," Lloyd said. He looked at me "Let's go."
We went to his room and sat on the carpet. I put my stuff near me and we started studying.
"First of all," I spoke "Do you have an idea of what we should write about?"
He thought "Not really. All that comes to my mind right now is the same old boring story of the First Spinjitzu Master who created Ninjago."
"I think others will write about that, it's a famous story...too famous."
"Yeah, do you have any other ideas?" he asked.
I thought and thought, trying to find anything interesting in the hall of memories in my mind, all happy memories, all in the volcano. Nothing was special, nothing stood out. There weren't any events that were not personal. All were centered around me.
I kept looking and looking until I reached that dark corner of my life. The corner full of sadness, fear and undesired incidents. But again, all of them were about me and only me.
I murmured to myself "Come on, there has to be something."
As I reached the corner and could see the edges of the walls, I remembered something. Something that happened to all of Ninjago. Something that became part of our history.
"How about the first Garmadon attack?" I suggested.
Lloyd looked at me for a second then replied "Okay, sounds good. Let's do it."
~~~
We talked and worked on the project for what felt like half an hour before Koko knocked on the door.
"Lloyd, Y/n, I made you some food." She added "Also, open the door. My hands are full."
Lloyd got up and opened the door for his mom. She came into the room and placed a plate full of chicken dumplings, two glasses of juice, and a bowl of candy.
"Thanks mom."
"Let me know if you need anything else," she told us then left.
We started eating and studying at the same time. I was being so cautious while eating, afraid of dropping anything.
I said after taking another bite "Your mom's cooking is delicious."
"It's the best," he said "She always knows how to cheer me up."
"By the way, didn't you say that you're grounded?" I asked "It doesn't look like it to me."
"Oh, yeah...I am. But not in a 'you're not allowed to get out of your room' way. I'm just not allowed to go out."
"Why? What did you do?"
He sighed "I snuck out in the middle of the night and my mom freaked out when she didn't find me, so she started calling everybody she knew, hoping they knew where I was."
"You're so mean."
He gave me a confused look.
"You should've at least told her you were going out. I can't imagine what she must have felt like while she was trying to find you."
"Oh come on, I apologized a million times."
"It doesn't work like that. You could've given her a heart attack."
"Don't tell me you never snuck out of your house before and did the same to your parents, because I bet you did."
I didn't answer for a few seconds. Yeah, I snuck out before. But not when I was with my parents. Also, Garmadon almost fired me out of the volcano when he found out about me sneaking out every now and then if it wasn't for Brandon who convinced him to give me a mission.
"I did..."
"I knew it."
"But I didn't do the same to my parents, given that I never saw them again since the first Garmadon attack."
That surely left him at a loss of words. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know."
"It's fine." I looked back at all the work we got done.
Lloyd asked "Did they...?"
"Die? I don't know, I got lost and never found them." I added "Let's just get this project done."