It was late at night. Koko was staying late at work and Garmadon was still at a job interview. They were the only ones left.

Reagan was sitting on the old chair in the warehouse while Lloyd fiddled with the mechanics of the huge green dragon mech. He cursed as something dropped on him as he tried to twist something to something else.

  Reagan had already finished her her homework and was currently chewing on a leftover granola bar. At first there was this awkward silence. Only the small noises of Lloyd tinkering away.

"What's your favourite colour?" Suddenly Lloyd asked.

Reagan did a double take. "What?"

"Favourite colour, go." Lloyd pulled out from under the dragons belly to look at her.

"Um..." Reagan thought. Not pink. She hated yellow.

"Orange." She said finally. "Not the colour of orange juice but that nice mango colour."

   "Mine's green." Lloyd grunted as he slid back under with a smirk.

  Reagan rolled her eyes. "Of course."

  "Favourite food?" He asked, cranking away.

  "Cherry pie." Reagan said adamantly.

  "Really? Not Apple? Or pumpkin? What about lemon meringue?" Lloyd suggested  his hand patting the concrete searching for the pliers.

  "Well what's you're favourite pie?" Reagan retorted, handing him the tool. With a small thank you he continued.

  "Apple, duh! It's the best pie ever!" Lloyd answered. "Ow"

Reagan rolled her eyes. "That is so cliche!"

  "No it isn't!"

"Yes it is!"

  Lloyd rolled himself out just enough so that he could stick his tongue out. Reagan gaped at his childish motion. With a devilish smile he shuffled under once more to place the panel back.

  "What was wrong with it anyway?" Reagan asked. As he cleaned off the oil from his hands, grimacing at the large stain on his gi.

  "I had to fix the fire power, tampered up in the middle of a robbery. Basically turned into a bomb, one more jerk it would've went off with me on it." Lloyd explained, gesturing as he put the wrench away.

  "Ooh." Reagan peered at it. "Is it a bomb now?" She tested it, kicking the mech with her foot.

  "Hey-no!" Lloyd protested. "I fixed it but that doesn't mean you kick it!"

  Lloyd huffed and pressed the panel making the dragon fall back into its sleeping position.

  "Time to go home" he announced.

  Reagan stared at him. "So we're just going to walk home in the middle of the night?"

  "No," Lloyd scoffed. "We're walking home in the middle of the night ninja style."

Lloyd helped her up the fire escape of a large skyscraper and leaped easily over the gaps. As they treaded on Lloyd's well memorized path on the roofs of Ninjago City Reagan felt a question of her own pop in her head.

  "Who are you going with to the dance?" Reagan asked.

  Lloyd's eyes were focused on his feet as he edged over a pipe they had laid over the larger space between the news station and an apartment.

  "I don't  know." He answered. "The Kai, Zane, and I will probably go as friends. Nya and Jay will probably say their going as friends but we all know they like each other. And Cole has Siena, boy are we going to tease him about that."

  Reagan rolled her eyes. "Just wait until you get a girlfriend Mr. Ninja you'll be the one on the chopping block."

  Lloyd choked, turning to help her over a steep spot. "I am not getting a girlfriend."

  "Why? To chicken?"

  The corners of Lloyd's lips twitched. "I recall you freaking out on that date thing with Brock."

  "Well I recall something different." She sniffed.

  Silence. A small pause.

  "Tell me something you've never told anyone else." Lloyd asked after a moment when they made it to the top of a hotel.

  Reagan let out a breath. "Ooh...I don't know....um..." She sat down for a second. Lloyd settled beside her.

  "Before high school," Reagan began. "I was bullied, constantly picked on by all the other kids. Mostly the girls but eventually the boys got in on it. Finally about two thirds of the grade were all picking on me."

  Lloyd studied her. "I moved schools and by high school I had reinvented myself. I changed how I looked, the things I liked, everything." Reagan gestured. "I didn't want to be the weird kid with the horrible haircut, braces, and the weird habits. I changed who I was. I was no longer the girl who fangirled over stuff, who could make funny puns, who....had exstreme arachnophobia."

  Reagan sighed. "I started being the cool girl. The one with the straight teeth. The one with the cool auburn hair, the one with good clothing style and who wanted to get into clothes design. The girl who would roll her eyes at everyone-which I did before anyway."

  Lloyd didn't look at her. Reagan couldn't read his face. "Is that why you don't stand up for things? Is that why you try so hard to get Brock's attention? Is that why you hate me just because you want to fit in?" His tone wasn't cold. It was quite soft. But it had that accusation that made it feel so much harsher.

  Reagan wasn't sure what to say. "I don't hate you Lloyd." She said finally. And she realized she didn't. She never did. Every harsh word, chorus and agreement waist out if hate for him.

  "I've always had trust issues but I guess you were a good way to place my anger and frustration for not being able to...fan girl about what I wanted to. Not being able to experiment with the fashions I truly liked because it wasn't cool. It was wrong..and I'm sorry." And she was. Reagan felt the guilt naw at her.

  She turned to look at him. "Why did you still take me in even after I was so horrible to you?"

  Lloyd have a small smile. "Mom says its because I have a big heart." He looked down at his hands. "I'm bullied too, at a young age right away everyone hated me because of my father. Even mature adults would say stupid stuff. No one trusted me alone in stores, I wasn't welcomed anywhere, and school was a menace."

  "But...I was never angry at the people who did it. I wasn't angry at my father for being evil. I was more angry that he wasn't there...I wanted a dad to talk to. I saw kids running around and playing ball with their dads. After I made friends with the guys and Nya, I still would see them with their  dads and how close they are."

  "I forgive you Reagan." He said finally. "Yes, the words hurt. Yes, throughout my years I had a fair share of tears from this all. But I don't need anyone's opinion on me. I'm happy with who I am."

  He glanced at Reagan. "Are you?"

A/N*****

Sort of a more bonding point for Reagan and Lloyd because I realized they need to get to know each other  more. The last one was a filler and I'm sorry but this one is significant. It also has a lesson, are you happy with the person you are? Who you let people view you as? Don't just think about your friends and peers but everyone, your family, the insignificant people in your lives...

Are you friendly? Have you hurt anyone before and if you have is that apart of you? Everyone's made mistakes and I've made my fair share of unkind things that I truly regret. But don't be that popular kid that doesn't care about others. Don't be that person that will do anything to be viewed better. Valued.

It's okay to be popular.

But just think, what are you willing to sacrifice for it? What are you willing to do?

Anyway, on a happier note I posted the new cover on this chapter because I ran out of pictures, I'll have to find new ones. Also who enjoyed season 12 for Lego Ninjago? I loved it! Anyone else picking up chemistry between Racer Seven and Lloyd?

As soon as they had that knowing look at the end I totally shipped it!

LuckyBugBooks 🐞