On Sunday morning, Nya woke Kai up with breakfast and a wide smile.

"Uh, hey." Kai rubbed his eyes, yawning. He glanced at the plate of food and frowned. "Alright, alright, what do you want?"

"What do you mean?" Nya asked innocently. "I just made you breakfast, that's all."

"You're gonna ask me for something. Why else would you make me breakfast?" Kai smirked, poking at the small bowl of rice. "Come on, I'm not dad. What's up?"

"Well, um..." Nya twiddled her fingers. "I was thinking of going over to Jay's house."

Kai blinked. "Jay? Did I hear you correctly? Nah, you said Skylor's house, right?"

Nya pursed her lips. "No. I said Jay's house."

"Why do you wanna go over there? It's not like you guys are close or anything."

"Actually, we are." Nya rolled her eyes up to the ceiling and sighed heavily. "I'm not gonna stay there for very long. His parents insisted on making us lunch, but I'll be back before you go to work."

"Alright. How do you plan on getting to his house?" Kai rose his brows. "Doesn't he live half an hour away from here?"

"... He has a car. He's picking me up."

"I'm not letting you get in the car with him." Kai frowned. "Either have his parents drive or you're taking my bike. Or he walks here and walks you back home."

"You're being so unfair!" Nya snapped. Before Kai could say anything else, she grabbed her phone and stormed out of the room.

Kai sat in silence for a moment, stunned. Nya rarely acted out like that. Had he said something wrong?

No. It was whatever Harumi said to her. Nya couldn't hide her emotions for long, and now it was really showing.

Taking a deep breath, Kai finished his egg and rice and took the plates to the kitchen. Nya was sitting at the table, scrolling through her phone and hiding her face.

"I'm sorry." Kai spoke up, breaking the silence.

"It's fine." She mumbled quickly, typing something on her phone.

Kai rubbed the back of his neck. "Um. Did you tell him-"

"Yes." She answered, putting down her phone. "His parents are driving."

"Oh. Good." Kai shifted awkwardly on his feet. "Um. You didn't tell him why, did you?"

"Of course I told him why." Nya said nonchalantly. "I can't just tell him you don't want me to get in the car with him for no reason at all. Obviously I had to bring up the dead parents."

"Nya-" Kai started, moving towards her.

"He's going to be here soon." Nya interrupted him, furiously wiping tears away with her sleeve. "I should wait outside."

"Nya, listen to me-" Kai took her arm.

"Get off of me!" Nya hissed, pulling her arm back. "Why can't you trust me anymore? You don't take my word for anything!"

"Because I have to be the adult now, Nya!" Kai snapped. "I have to protect you!"

"No you don't!"

"Yes, I do!" Kai pulled her in, holding her by the shoulders. "Nya, listen, I don't want you to get hurt, all because I let you roam free!"

"That isn't fair!"

"You're still a kid, Nya!"

"So are you!"

Kai inhaled sharply, unable to retort. She was right. He covered his face, shaking. "Dammit."

Nya stopped resisting, trying to face him. "Kai?" She spoke softly, her voice breaking.

"I... I don't know what I was thinking." Kai swallowed, wrapping his arms around her. "God, I'm so sorry... I'm sorry..."

"No." Nya shook her head. "No, I should be sorry, I overreacted and acted like your feelings didn't matter, like... like they didn't matter." Kai could feel her hot tears on his shoulder.

"No, no, it's my fault." Kai held her close, rocking her. "I've been holding you back for too long, treating you like a little kid." He rubbed her back, sighing. "I don't want to see tears, alright? You've got a date with Jay and-"

"It's not a date." Nya mumbled. "We're just going to design sets."

"Yeah alright." Kai whispered to himself, smirking. He pulled away from her and patted her shoulder. "Go ahead. You can stay a little later if you want. Just text me when you get home safe."

"Got it." Nya wiped her eyes again and smiled. "Thanks, Kai."

"Yeah, no prob." Kai waved her off. "Go on, I wanna have some downtime before I have to get ready for work."

Nya nodded, grabbing her purse and giving Kai a quick hug. "I think I hear the car coming."

The Walker's car was in their driveway, blasting what sounded like Beyoncé's Love on Top.

"Mom, turn it down!" Kai could hear Jay shout above the music. "Nya and Kai can hear!"

"Oh, honey, are you sure?" His mother's voice answered sweetly. "You sounded incredible! I'm sure Nya would love to-"

"No, no, no, no-" Jay groaned loudly. "She hears enough of my voice at drama..."

"Hey Jay! Hi Mr. and Mrs. Walker!" Nya's voice interrupted. Kai didn't even realize she had run outside. "Oh my gosh, I love this song!"

Kai watched Jay and Nya hug briefly, smiling to himself. They were kind of cute together. Why did he have to be so protective sometimes?

As he watched them drive off, Kai felt his phone vibrate. He quickly checked it to make sure it wasn't Nya, only to realize it was someone other than his sister, for once.

Skylor: Hey

Kai nearly dropped his phone, feeling his cheeks flush.

Kai: heyy, what's up?

Skylor: Got word that the cast list is going out tonight. You wanna have a little hangout and wait for it? Pizza, snacks, movie marathon?
Skylor: Okay, scratch the pizza, probably gonna be noodles lmao. But I swear they're bomb. Down?

Kai grinned, about to send yes, absolutely yes, but then his stomach dropped. Work. Sighing heavily, he typed out his disappointing response.

Kai: fuck I'd really like to but I have work tonight.

Skylor: Damn. You can't get out of it?

Kai: not without a week's notice, sorry. Plus I gotta make that bread ..

Skylor: Nah don't worry about it, it's cool. You anxious about it now?

Kai: haha yeah, idk how I'm gonna focus on work now

Skylor: Oof sorry
Skylor: omg speaking of work, it's a good thing you weren't able to come over tonight. My dad just told me I have to work the kitchen tonight.

Kai: crap that sucks, where do you work?

Skylor: Seriously ?? It's in my last name bro, lol, Chen's Noodle House

Kai: WTF I didn't know you were related
Kai: that's crazy I had no idea, you've worked next to my work this whole time

Skylor: Then I guess you'd better stop by on your break so we can read that cast list lol

Kai grinned at his phone. What luck that the cutest girl in drama also worked right next door to him, and knew how to make the world's best food?

And now, he was going on almost a date!
-
Skylor served steaming hot bowls of noodles and potstickers as Kai frantically updated the drama group chat.

"Thanks for setting me up on this thing." Kai nodded at Skylor. "I completely forgot to join the chat, and I figured it was too late. I was just gonna get information from Nya."

Skylor laughed, taking a bite of her food. "It's really no problem. Anything yet?"

"Nope, nothing." Kai slurped on his noodles quickly.

"You in a rush or something?" Skylor smirked.

"Hm?" Kai swallowed his food. "Oh, Sorry. I just haven't eaten since breakfast. This is really good."

Skylor waved her hand. "It's nothing, I still have a lot to learn. Apparently my future is already decided, and I am now the noodle king in training. So, y'know..." She traced her fingers along the table. "Gotta pick up the trade."

"That's bullshit." Kai frowned. "You shouldn't have to do what your father says."

"Ah, he wouldn't listen to me." Skylor waved her hand, rolling her eyes. "He wouldn't even go to any of my plays, and he's the one that put me in drama in the first place. Not my fault I fell in love with acting."

"You wanna be an actress?"

"Maybe someday." She sighed, resting her head in her hands. "I've been acting since I was six. It's been my dream."

"That's incredible, Skylor." Kai smiled softly. "I'm sure you'll change his mind. Parents aren't easy to deal with, but they mean well."

"You're kinda wise, you know that?" Skylor smirked.

Kai chuckled. "I guess pretending to be an adult for a year changes you."

"Oh believe me, all adults are pretending." She tapped on his bowl. "Eat your dinner before it gets cold, skinny boy."

"I'm not skinny." Kai laughed, kicking her lightly. Skylor giggled and kicked him back, and Kai fell in love all over again with her smile. The way she scrunched up her nose, that tiny snort she did, the way she shyly looked down after.

"Kai! It updated!" Skylor cried out, pointing at his phone.

Kai gasped, opening the file. His heart pounded loudly, losing feeling in his limbs. This was it, this was it...

Ninjago High Presents: Grease
-Official Cast List-

Danny Zuko: Lloyd M. Garmadon

"Figures!" Skylor sing-songed. "Scroll down to Sandy! Scroll down already!"

Kai and Skylor both gasped at the name on the list.

Sandra "Sandy" Dombrowski: Nya Smith

"KAI!" Skylor nearly screamed, reaching across the table to hug him. "Nya got the part! Nya got the part!"

Kai grinned, his heart beating rapidly. Nya got the lead! He zoomed in and out of her name in disbelief. She really did it! In your face, Harumi!

"Kai!" Skylor grabbed his hand, making him scroll now. "Or should I say, Kenickie?"

"What?" Kai blinked as he stared at his own name in disbelief.

Kenickie: Kai Smith

Skylor hugged him again. "Kai! Congrats! And look right above!"

How could he have missed it?

Betty Rizzo: Skylor Chen

"Holy shit!" Kai grinned. "We're gonna fucking crush it!"

"Hell yeah we are!" Skylor laughed, punching him on the arm. "Goodbye noodles, hello milkshakes and burgers!"

Kai snorted. "That was cheesy. Let's look at the rest of the list."

Roger "Rump": Cole Bucket
Jan: Pending
Doody: Jay Walker
Frenchy: Harumi Jade

"I don't see why she should get such a big role." Skylor huffed. "She should have been Cha-Cha. That would've been funny."

Dominic "Sonny" LaTierri: Pending
Marty: Pending
Patricia "Patty" Simcox: Pixal Borg
Eugene Florczyk: Zane Roberts

"They're so cute together." Skylor noted. "I wish Pixal would have gone for a bigger role, but Patty is funny. Zane is pretty stoic, he usually does Shakespeare, so this should be interesting."

Miss Lynch: Pending
Vince Fontaine: Pending
Johnny Casino and the Gamblers: Pending
Charlene "Cha-Cha" DiGregorio: Pending
Teen Angel: Pending

"Why are there so many empty roles?" Kai asked, slurping up the rest of his noodles

"Usually people who audition for lead roles don't pick a backup because they think they're going to land the part." Skylor explained. "And then when they get a lesser role as a result, they call up Garmy and tell him they aren't interested anymore."

"That's kind of stupid." Kai frowned. "And now we're stuck with all of these blanks."

"Eh, don't worry about it." Skylor reached for a potsticker. "Garmy is pretty good at hunting random people down. For example, you." She took a bite, thinking. "Last semester we did Little Shop, and there were barely any people on the list. That's a tiny cast too."

"Oh, Little Shop." He remembered that was one of Nya's favorites. "Who was, uh, what was his name? Cecil, Simon...?"

"Seymour." Skylor smirked. "And Jay played him."

"Get out." Kai's mouth dropped open. "Jay?"

"He's pretty good, you know." Skylor finished up her food. "Harumi played Audrey. So this isn't the first time she didn't get to lead with her Lloyd."

"I bet she threw a fit." Kai grabbed another potsticker.

"Oh yeah." Skylor laughed. "It was pretty funny. Poor Jay was trying to give up his role, but Garmy wouldn't let him."

Kai nodded, suddenly feeling confident that Garmadon wouldn't let Nya give up her role, no matter how hard Harumi would pressure her.

"Alright, well I gotta get back to work." Skylor touched Kai's hand. "Thanks for hanging out with me tonight. I needed the company."

"Yeah, no prob." Kai helped clean up. "I gotta get back to the market anyways. Oh, and congratulations again."

"Hey, you too, hot stuff." Skylor nudged him, smirking. "You'll call me later, right?"

Kai blushed. "Oh, yeah. Yeah, I will. As soon as I get home."

She giggled, doing her adorable little nose-scrunch again. "Alright. See you soon."

Skylor suddenly stopped, reaching for her phone, which was chiming to Out Tonight from Rent.

"Hey Nya, what's up?" She answered, shooing Kai away a little and mouthing "it's fine".

Kai rose a brow and left, but hung around to listen in anyway.

"What?" Skylor's voice didn't sound happy. "Nya, you shouldn't worry about her. You got the part, and you deserve it because you worked hard."

"Come on, don't say that. She isn't going to hit on Jay. I'll make sure of that."

"Nya, she can't convince Garmadon. Remember the Jay story? And look, he did incredible. You're gonna be fine, okay?"

"Yeah. I still can't believe she said that shit to you, though. Next time I see that bitch, I'm gonna spit in her noodles."

"Okay. Okay, I'll talk to you after work. Keep texting Jay, alright? I know he likes you... Bye, love you."

Kai walked out, fists clenched. So Harumi really did say something to Nya after all. All he had to do now was figure out what she said, and pray that she didn't persuade Nya to switch roles with her.