***OH MY, GUYS! IT'S FINALLY HEEEEERE! YAY! For those of you who read I Never Knew, this book will have a playlist, too. However, the song lyrics won't be posted in the chapters, so you can just listen along as you read! :) Oh, and I'll give you a music cue LOL ***

***(Skylor's POV)***

Four years earlier...

It's a late, muggy summer afternoon when my bike finally reaches the rundown building. I could've asked Clouse to drive me, but that guy gives me the creeps. And the bike ride isn't long – about six blocks.

I guess some parents would have a heart attack if their fourteen-year-old daughter biked that far at dusk. Not my dad, though. I mean, he's never around to care, always dealing with his thriving noodle company. I'm telling you, the burden some parents place on their kids.

I ditch my bicycle in the grass and see a girl with long dark hair on the front porch. She sports a backwards hat, a ratty old t-shirt, and a pair of ripped jeans.

Her total package says I don't care what I look like, and I don't care if you care.

I dust off my own denim Rock and Republic shorts and clear my throat, causing her to glance up from her novel. Once her nose is out of the book, I can see confused blue eyes.

"Hi," I greet with a smile. "I'm Skylor Chen. I heard you just moved in, so I thought I'd bring over a housewarming gift."

The girl awkwardly stands up. "Uh, hi. I'm, uh, Nya. Nice to meet you." She extends a hand, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

I shake her hand, a little amused by her odd behavior. "Where are you from?"

A slightly panicked look crosses her face, but she catches herself and returns to neutrality. "Oh, uh, the countryside. It's nice of you to bring over a present."

I don't miss her topic change, but decide not to press. "Mind if I drop it off inside?"

She takes a sniff. "Is it noodles?"

I nod. "Yeah, my dad's really into them."

"Wait here." She runs in the store that doubles as home, slamming the screen door behind her.

I take in the sound of cars jostling by, of a dog barking behind a wooden fence, of someone's ticked-off voice yelling at a passerby. If they really lived in the middle of nowhere, this has to be a pretty big change for Nya and her brother.

The girl reappears through the door with a plate and fork. "Sorry to leave you here," she apologizes, "but my brother would never leave me any if you took the noodles inside." She snatches the to-go bag from my hands, dishing a large serving out for herself.

"I promise you, I'm not a pig," she laughs nervously. "But if your chef burned everything you were supposed to eat, I'm sure you'd do the same."

I laugh. "I get it. I'll go ahead and bring your brother the rest, if that's okay."

Her eyes huge, she grabs another dollop of food. "Okay, you're good now."

Nya doesn't make a move to show me inside, and I marvel at it. She really is socially awkward. Then again, she didn't mention her parents being around, so maybe she doesn't have many boundaries.

I open the door, balancing all the food on one arm. "Soup's on!" I call, hoping for a response.

Instead of a reply, I hear grunts coming from a side room.

Usually, I'd be a little nervous to go snooping through people's houses. What am I supposed to do, though? Nya didn't exactly give me a tour.

I approach the door. "Hello?"

Through the entryway, I see a boy around my age pushing an enormous box to the back of the room. Against my will, I notice the way the muscles in his arms pop when he does it.

"Hey, uh, I brought over some – "

The boy suddenly swivels, his face startled. In that moment I see grief, anger, and uncanny maturity shining in his eyes.

A mask quickly slips over his features. "Uh, hi. I don't think we've met." He walks up. "I'm Kai Smith."

"Skylor. Nice to meet you." I'm kind of at a loss for words at the moment, so I avoid speaking.

He motions toward the bag in my hand. "Whatcha got there?"

"Oh, uh, noodles. I decided to bring some over to welcome you to Ninjago City."

His features tense. "How did you know we were moving in?"

Okay, that wasn't expected. "I'm pretty active in my school, so while I was helping out the leadership there recently, they told me about a family that had just moved here. I think they said your sister would be joining the middle school in about a month?"

"Oh, right." He scratches his head, and his hair – a few inches too long – falls in front of his face.

It makes me want to brush it back.

"So...did you meet Nya already?" he questions, taking the food from my grasp. He sets it on top of the box he just moved, rather than on a table.

That makes me look around. There isn't any furniture around here, at least not unpacked.

"I did. She seemed nice," I say, for lack of anything better.

"Yeah, she's cool. I'm sorry if she was at a total loss for manners. She's taking the move here pretty hard."

"I get it. Why'd you guys come out here?"

He turns to me with a far-off look in his eyes. "Change. I had to move out on my own, and my parents left me with Nya."

I blink. "You're here on your own? You can't be that much older than I am, and I'm only fourteen."

"I'm eighteen."

"No, you're not." There's just no way. Sure, maybe in stature, but I can tell he's lying.

"Yes, I am."

"If you say so." I let it slide. "So, your parents made your sister go with you?"

Attitude sparks in his eyes. "Yep."

Above his eye I notice a jagged scar, and it appears to be fresh. "Where'd you get the wound from?"

"Look, if you're just going to stand around and ask really personal questions, you should go. I have work to do here."

*MUSIC CUE (LOL)*

I place a hand on my hip. "Well, I'm sorry if your story is totally unbelievable. I won't press anymore." I go to move a box, but he places a hand on my wrist to stop me.

Unwanted chills race through my body.

"What do you think you're doing?" he demands.

"Helping you unpack, since your sister seems to be out of commission."

He lets go of me, crossing his arms.

An arrogant smile tugs at his lips.

He starts to chuckle.

Then flat-out guffaws.

"What's so funny?" I frown.

"Are you kidding me?" he exclaims, finally able to breathe. "Go home and play dolls or something. I'm not about to let you get hurt moving this stuff."

"Excuse me?" I snap, getting right up in his face. "I have never played with dolls, and I'd much rather help your sorry butt clean up around here than go back to my house."

That smug, infuriating smile never leaves. "Oh, sorry I hurt your feelings, princess."

I scoff. "What is your problem?"

"I could ask you the same thing. You come waltzing into my house like you own the place – oh, and the noodles look delicious, thank you – then decide to quiz me on my messed up family, claim I'm not telling the truth whenever a word comes out of my mouth, and finally, want to give my new business a lawsuit." His eyes assess my form. "Don't think I haven't noticed you're a rich girl, Skye."

We're nose-to-nose now. "Do not call me 'Skye', as if you have any right to my name. And just so you know, I was trying to help. I can see now how utterly unappreciated I – "

His arm is suddenly at my back, pulling me closer, and his lips crush against mine.

I'm shocked, infuriated, and –

Kissing him back?

He pulls away after a few moments, eyes gleaming in triumph. I fight through the fog that is my head, trying to be mad.

I'm really just on an emotional high.

Kai's chest rumbles against me. "You're a good kisser." His hand slowly reaches out to touch me, to caress my cheek, to –

I find the strength to shove him away. "You are such a freak!" I yell, throwing my hands in the air. "I'm leaving."

He laughs as I go to exit. "Mission accomplished," he calls after me.

I freeze. "What did you just say?"

"I got you to leave," he taunts. "You have to admit, that was a pretty smart move on my part."

Is he saying that kiss meant literally...nothing? I mean, I knew that, in a way, but...

Oh, whatever!

I march right back up to him, but keep a safe distance this time. "You are a chauvinistic, egotistical jerk."

"You're a spoiled brat."

"You're an ungrateful peasant."

He yawns. "That's the best you could do?"

I sputter. "Well, what would you like me to insult?"

"I'm just saying, there's not much to complain about. My charming good looks, athletic capabilities, charismatic bad-boy persona – "

"How about the shaggy mop that had babies on your head?"

His face goes blank, and I know I've hit a cord.

Yes!
"Oh, you think I didn't notice?" I spit. "Your hair's hard not to miss."

"You're just jealous!"

"Of that?" I snicker. "It has zero volume and is a little long, if your mirror – "

Before I can finish, he's pushing me out the door.

"What do you think you're doing?" I snap.

"You don't belong here, Prissy Pants. My peasant sister and I aren't worthy to have you under our roof. I'm just doing you a favor and getting you back out to the world of the high class." He wrenches open the screen door. "See you later."

"I hope not!" I screech as he slams it in my face.

His retreating footsteps are accented by laughter, and I get so mad. That boy has got issues!

"That sounded like it went well," Nya muses from her spot on the porch.

My anger doesn't calm as I turn to her. "Do you have a phone?" I breathe.

She shrugs. "Sure. My parents got me one for my last birthday, and I'm on their plan for another few months." Her entire face falls at the thought.

"Can I see it?"

She looks a little wary, but pulls it out of her pocket and hands it over.

It's an inexpensive model, but it'll do the trick. I quickly pull up her contacts and type in my information.

When I hand it back, she frowns. "You're...giving me your number?"

"Let me know if I can help you out in any way. Heaven knows I needed friends when my dad moved to Ninjago City." I swing my leg over my bicycle. "And that was without an evil brother."

Not wasting another word, I furiously pedal off into the darkening city.

Stupid Kai. Stupid kiss. Stupid...

Me, for liking both way too much.

***Aaaand that's the prologue! I'll post Chapter 1 tonight!***