~ Part 14~ | Maybe Father Doesn't Know Best

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** Unwritten (Natasha Bedingfield)**
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"Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten"

~ Natasha Bedingfield

This chapter is dedicated to -Lxly- !!! Thank you for voting! I appreciate it!

(comment or PM if you'd like a shoutout!)

******

"Well, this is officially a replay of the last time we were here," Cole muttered. "Except now it's Lloyd!"

Zane watched his friend rant with a calm expression. Cole knew Zane wasn't going to say anything in reply. Though he didn't mind. Sometimes you needed someone to listen rather than try and fix your problems.

"I'm sure your friend couldn't have gone far," Pixal told Cole as they walked through the halls.

Cole frowned as he scrolled through his contacts. "Hey Zane, do you have Lloyd's number?"

Zane shook his head. "I don't believe I do."

The raven-haired boy groaned the dark eyes flared at his screen as if it had personally offended him. "The only one who would have it is Nya and I do not want to face her wraith right now."

Zane chuckled and Cole debated on if he should let Kai or Jay know so that they could keep an eye out. But Jay was a blabbermouth who couldn't lie while Kai just didn't care and would probably reveal it without even noticing.

"Cole?"

Cole's head whipped up and his heart seemed to pound in his throat as he saw the familiar face. In one swift movement, the boy shoved his head down and spun on his heel. Zane and Pixal looked confused as their friend tried to speed-walk away but the man who had called out to him yelled again.

"I know it's you, son." In his head, Cole knew he wouldn't be able to get away. Every fibre of his being told him to bolt. But his heart told him he had to finally face him. Cole turned back around, raising his gaze to look at his father.

Lou looked the same as always. Tidy, gelled hair, same dark complexion, a moustache that rivalled a French chef's, and all decked out in a brown suit. As the man drew closer Cole could hear the light sound of his dad's tapping shoes. How could he not have heard that?

"What are you doing here?" Cole asked warily.

"I'm working with Cyrus to promote his tech," Lou replied. His brown gaze flicked to the entourage beside Cole and back to his son.

"You haven't answered my calls," Lou said gruffly.

"I've been busy," Cole replies awkwardly, his eyes glanced at his friend. Zane blinked back, curious but not prying. He simply regarded Lou with the same expression one would a stranger.

"Yes, well that school has certainly been keeping the world on its toes," Lou grumbled. He hesitated a moment. "Cole, I wanted to talk to you about... leaving Wu's academy."

Cole was speechless. He should've seen this coming. He knows his dad. But it still caught him off guard.

"The things people have been saying." Lou shook his head. "That school is terrible. The best thing to do is to leave before it gets worse."

"You mean before the judgement gets worse." Cole ground out through his teeth. His usually joyful gaze was hard. "This isn't about me, is it? It's about your reputation. That's all everything seems to be about lately."

"That's not true!" Lou snapped. "I know you are still bitter about that dance school but you have real talent and you refuse to use it!"

"You sent me to this place." Cole shook his head in disbelief, laughing at the ridiculousness. "You pushed me here. Because I 'couldn't handle' being at that dance school. I didn't want to be there in the first place but I stuck it out because you forced me there."

Lou scowled, eyes full of the disapproval that had haunted Cole every day. But no more.

"I 'couldn't handle'  being at that school because my mother just died!" Cole stepped forward so he was face to face with the man. Cole has grown and was now taller than him but their expressions were mirror images of each other.

"You need to let go, Cole!" Zane and Pixal watched with wide eyes as the man shouted out loudly. The other people in the hall quickly left as fast as they could. "You can't let grief block your life! Just move on!"

There was a beat of silence. Cole remembered sitting alone in his dorm, crying himself to sleep. He remembered the funeral, it was so horrible. He remembered just wanting to stay in her room, bask in her scent, and drown himself in memories. But Lou had come into the room, dark shadows under his eyes, his voice cracked from sobbing.

Cole had hoped for some sort of guidance. A "we'll get through this." Or maybe some reassurance that she had a happy life. What he said next Cole would never forgive him for.

"It's time for you to get back to school."

The two just stared at each other. Father and son. So different. But so the same. They were both hurting. But Cole was the child. He had needed support. And Lou hadn't given it up to him.

Cole raised his head, speaking the words slowly and carefully. As gentle as quiet as his voice was the tone was as solid and icy as can be.

"You mean forget? Like you did?"

Lou did a sharp intake. His eyes blinked rapidly and for a moment they seemed to become glassy. "I can never forget your mother," Lou whispered.

"Our job was to keep her memory alive." Cole swallowed, stepping back. "But you let it fall. You let yourself be consumed in your grief. You tried to distract yourself with work. You pushed me away."

Cole moved forward so that he was nose to nose with Lou. Making sure that he could see the anger in his eyes. The disappointment dripping from his tongue. "It's you who needs to let go."

Cole turned, gesturing to Zane and Pixal that he was leaving. "I'm staying at Wu's school. Because that's where my real family is."

Cole has waited so long for Lou to finally see how much he needed him. He had hoped if he just sucked it up a little more it would be okay. That he would one day come around and become the dad he needed. Cole had placed the blame on himself for so long. But when he arrived at Wu's school everything changed.

There were late nights with Jay, playing games and teasing the other as he tripped and fell over everything. There were eating contests with Kai as they gorged on any meal, whether it be Zane's spiciest stir fry or Cole's worst gumbo. There was a quiet conversation in the kitchen with Zane, no matter how many times he failed Zane still had faith that maybe the next dish will be better, chatting with Nya with a casual flow that made him appreciate the girl so much more, the silent support of Wu as he stayed up late to help him understand homework or listened to him no matter what silly, a stupid thing he did. Maybe Cole would be able to have these amazing memories with Lloyd too. Maybe making sure Lloyd never felt the same emptiness he had was worth giving him a chance.

Maybe Wu's School for Self-Discovery was his home after all.

******

"You lost him?!!" Kai said into the phone incredulously. His voice then pitched higher as he imitated his friend. "'I got this, Nya. I'm a totally chill guy who didn't lose a child in the busiest city of Ninjago'"

"Shut up, Kai," Cole grumbled on the other line.

Kai rolled his eyes and groaned dramatically. The young man glanced at Nya, she seemed pretty distracted listening to Jay as he went off on another tangent. Kai slowly slipped off the couch and moved hastily towards the door. They slid open and he glanced around, muttering under his breath. The boy rounded the corner and continued berating his friend.

"You know he could be vandalizing something? Maybe stealing a poor old lady's wedding ring? Or maybe he accidentally fell into a river-oh wait, yup, I found him." Kai paused, letting his hand fall to his side as he pressed the off button.

The boy observed the fresh spray paint that coated the wall. The signature green ninja symbol in the corner. Then his gaze dragged down to the sad, huddled shape on the side of the road. The black hood was drawn over the limp blonde hair, scuffed sneakers stood pathetically in a puddle, shoulder shuddering in ragged breaths as small sobs escaped.

Kai walked forward a few steps until he stood right beside the small shape. He looked down at it for a moment. The kid didn't seem to notice the tall figure looking over him or maybe he didn't care. Kai waited for a few moments, just watching the boy sit there all sad like a homeless person on the side of an abandoned parking lot. Eventually, Kai couldn't take it anymore when wet teardrops fell from the hood and made a faint mark on the kid's trembling hands. With a sigh, the brunette sunk down and sat down beside him. He gently reached over and hooking his fingers under the dark hood, pulling it off of the boy's head and revealing the broken face of Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon.

"Hey," Kai said, observing the tear-streamed cheeks, puffy eyes, runny nose, and pouty lip. "Cole's looking for you."

His gaze moved back to the wall and he nodded to that. "And someone illegally doodled on that wall."

Lloyd retreated back into himself, swiping furiously at his cheeks and he moved away. The blonde boy didn't meet his eyes and simply stared down at his shoes. "It wasn't me."

Kai's eyebrows raised. "Really. Well then, they must've accidentally sprayed you because you have something green riighhttt there." Lloyd glowered at him as he poked at the lime-painted sleeve.

When there was no response Kai let out another long exhale and extended his legs out. "I've known a long time, Lloyd," Kai told him.

"Why didn't you say anything? I know you hate me." Lloyd mumbled, watching the water in the puddle slowly trickle into his shoes.

"I don't...hate you," Kai spoke the words carefully.

And he didn't. As he thought about it, he didn't hate him exactly. Maybe it scared him to see that there was someone like him. Who felt lost and abandoned. Someone that may look to Kai for guidance but Kai had no idea how to give any advice. Because he was still working through it all on his own. Kai looked at Lloyd, crouched there alone. Kai had felt alone too.

"So..." Kai awkwardly drew out. "What's going on? What's all this about?" He gestured vaguely at the sad frame.

Lloyd gave him a wary look but let out a deep breath anyways. "My dad's a jerk."

Kai snorted. "Mood." Lloyd tried to glare at him but his lips started to turn up, just a bit.

"I've spent my whole life believing that maybe, just maybe, he was this good person. This good person that selflessly gave up his own child just so he could make a better future for him." Lloyd's tone was yearning, wishful, but sad. "But all that is just a fantasy. He's corrupt. Just this weak, selfish, man who doesn't care enough for me."

Kai looked at him. Since he had met Lloyd he just saw this trouble maker with an innocent face. But now he just saw a kid. A sad kid who just needed someone to be there for him.

"You don't need him, Lloyd. You have us. You are your own person with amazing talents." Kai told him.

Lloyd snorted. "All I am is a stupid kid. The world sees this artist, who can paint a picture on a wall, and allow them to blast into another world. Sometimes that's what people need, a little reminder on the wall. But really it's just a bunch of spray paint. Drawings on the wall."

Kai blinked. They perfectly stitched together making him realize something he hadn't before. Kai reached in his pocket and pulled out the crumpled paper drawing. "You create hope, Lloyd. You give people the message they need." He slowly unfurled the paper and passed it to him. "Rise Up? Those are the words of an influencer. Words are powerful, you can make a difference just by writing them."

*****

"Hey, Dad." It felt like the world was holding his breath. There was just silence between them.

"Lloyd?" Garmadon breathed. He struggled to compose himself. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here with Uncle Wu for the interview," Lloyd answered. His eyes moved to the dark car behind him. "What are you doing here?"

Garmadon ignored the question. He just curled his lip slightly at his brother's name. "Wu is a man with sweet words and empty promises, Lloyd," Garmadon told him darkly. "Don't fall prey to his belief. I'm sure Darkley's has taught you that."

Lloyd tilted his head. He felt something boiling inside of him. Anger, frustration, sadness. Everything that had been swirling in his heart, clouding his mind, and swallowing his spirit since he could remember.

"And what's your belief?" Lloyd challenged him. "That all people should shun other people? That kids that are different need to be 'saved'. That it's okay to leave your kid at some boarding school and then act like you actually care for him?"

Garmadon shook his head. A hand reached up and took the glasses off of his face, folding the arms and slipping them in the front pocket of his jacket. The slightly red-tinted eyes look back at Lloyd.

"The world is broken already, Lloyd. To survive the strongest must move forward. I was the child who has pushed aside because Wu needed the extra attention. Because he was 'special.' Filling children's heads with the belief that their difference are what makes them strong is cruel. Smashing them all together into one school is social suicide. It will make it harder for them to move forward into the world." Garmadon sighed.

"If the world is so broken isn't it up to us to fix it?" Lloyd asked incredulously. "Shouldn't we all be learning these lessons and be finding out who we are?"

"This is why you should've stayed at that school," Garmadon grumbled. He already moved for the car. "You will see one day, Lloyd, that I am doing this all for you."

"Are you?" Lloyd spoke loud and clear. His green eyes glaring into him. "Well, that school was going to throw me out if Wu hadn't come. They've been trying to contact you for weeks so that you could come to get me. But guess what? You never answered! And guess who did? Wu."

Lloyd was shaking, but he remained confident as he continued to talk. "If you had really cared for me you would've looked at the world to create one that's better for me. Not one that you believe is better for you."

Garmadon was silent. The tall man pressed his lips together as he thought. "I wish I could say more, son." He said at last. "I wish you could understand."

"Me too, Dad," Lloyd whispered. "Me too."

******

Lloyd had repeated that moment over and over in his head since Garmadon had left. Where he had been going he did not know. Maybe he just wanted to get away from him. To leave him.... again.

Kai's words awoken something in him. They snagged a memory. Wu staring at him with hope in his eyes. Lips slowly forming a carefully made speech.

"Words have power."

Lloyd stared down at the pencil sketches. Each one a jagged rough design. But each one was also writing of hope.

"Words. Have. Power."

That's what Wu told him.

Lloyd always felt like his words didn't matter. Like they fell flat to deaf ears. But words do have power. Kai and Jay are about to step up and talk to the world, trying to create a place that Lloyd could feel proud of. But Lloyd knew Garmadon was going to try something. He was going to appear and twist everything they say around until they snap.

But Lloyd knows his father's words. He had read every book, every newspaper, watching every show, interview, and podcast that he had been on. Lloyd had his own words. He had been countering negativity since the day he first raised a spray can to a wall.

This toxic circle ends now.

Lloyd was his own person.

He had his own words.

authors note****

Lotta angst and daddy issues. Sorry about that. I didn't realize that these parts would take so many words. The interview is coming, I swear! 😂

I hope you liked the chapter! I am working on a new part for PAL and I'm getting some new ideas for Heart Song as well so expect some fun new updates soon!

I'm also getting excited as this chapter draws to an end because it starting to formulate my plans for the next one. Hm... What could it be about?

LuckyBugBooks 🐞