*See the video above to listen to this story's soundtrack as you read!*

(Jay's POV; song for this chapter: "The Rose" by Betty Midler)

"Some say love, it is a river..."

My alarm croons this early morning. I moan. I am so not an early riser. But sadly, this is what high school does to a person. No wonder Ninjago City has such a high crime rate. I know I don't feel like doing nice things at this time of morning.

"...that drowns the tender reed..."

Stretching my arms above my head, I start my day by dancing. Cheesy, I know. But my birth mom always told me that you should start every day with a dance, even if a sad tune is playing. I guess it helps express your feelings. I play this song every Monday to get emotionally prepared for school. It was her favorite, so I suppose it's similar to what she would've reminded me before I started each week.

"...Some say love, it is a razor that leaves your soul to bleed..."

I let the words flow through my body. In remembrance of my mom, I always play this stupid tween dance game at the local arcade. As a result, I'm not a bad dancer.

"...Some say love, it is a hunger, an endless, aching need.

I say love, it is a flower, and you, its only seed..."

My mom left me in foster care thirteen years ago, promising she'd come back for me. She never did. However, she did secure a foster family that loved me and, eventually, adopted me. I guess it took us all a little while to figure out she wasn't returning.

"It's the heart afraid of breaking, that never learns to dance,

It's the dream afraid of waking, that never takes the chance..."

I remember bedtime stories, bike rides, and birthday cupcakes. We'd watch Breakfast at Tiffany's together every Saturday because it was "magical", in her words. I still have the copy she left with me all those years ago.

"...It's the one who can't be taken, who cannot seem to give,

And the soul, afraid of dying, that never learns to live..."

I'm proud of my mom. She's helped shape the person I am today, even if she left me. I like to think she had a reason for not coming back.

The song now reaches its climax:

"...When the night has been too lonely and the road has been too long,

And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong,

Just remember in the winter, far beneath the bitter snows,

Lies the seed, that with the sun's love in the spring, becomes the rose."

I can feel the tears streaming down my face as I finish. Yup, I'm an emotional guy. I think it's good to hold onto your feelings because they help confirm your humanity. Or whatever that means.

After getting ready for breakfast, I kiss my adopted parents – and real family – goodbye. Ed is the father I never had in my life. My birth mom always told me my bio-dad was a very special person. She said he made the stars glow brighter and the sun shine more brilliantly. I guess she was a child at heart. And, in truth, she couldn't have been that old when she had me. The reason she didn't give me to her parents was that they kicked her out for having a baby outside of marriage.

I never thought of my adopted mom, Edna, as a replacement for my birth mom. My birth mom was a lot like a best friend: She'd jump on trampolines with me and build puzzles. Edna was more of a mother, mom: She made sure I ate my vegetables and that I wasn't getting picked on at school. I love them both, but neither of them fit the same role in my life.

"Have a good day, son," Ed waves.

Edna wraps me in a hug. "You smell nice. Are you trying to impress a girl at school?" she whispers.

"Mom!" I blush. "I'm eighteen years old! Am I not grown up enough to wear deodorant without being pestered about it?"

She eyes me. "Well – "

"Don't answer that!" I groan, slapping my face. I hop in my fixer-upper car and drive away from my family's junkyard.

Yep. My family does, indeed, live in other people's trash. On the bright side, it's given me plenty of room to invent. I inherited that skill from Ed. On the down side, I can never, ever have friends over. Especially not girls. Combine my home's location with my embarrassing parents? I will never have a love life until I've moved out.

Not that I really want to, anyway. I wasn't super interested in girls until I met her...

(Nya's POV)

"Kai, get your butt out here! We're going to be late!" I yell.

The front door suddenly opens. "I'm coming, Sis," my big brother sighs, rolling his eyes.

"You do remember I have a test today, right?" I ask, raising a brow.

"Good luck," he shrugs.

"You know that's not the response I'm looking for."

He gives me a kiss on the cheek. "I'm sorry, okay?"

"Much better," I grin.

Ever since my parents got into a horrible accident a few years ago, it's just been Kai and me. He became my super-protective guardian, though he's only two years my elder. We used to live in a village several hours from Ninjago City, so we moved out here to escape being separated through an orphanage. Everyone thought Kai was eighteen, so they bought his lie about "starting a business in Ninjago city while his younger sister stayed with him". Of course, Kai couldn't go to the high school, or he would be found out. So I basically taught him what I learned until we earned enough money to buy a laptop. Kai then started some high school classes online.

"Also, we have a meeting with Master Wu right after school today," I remind him. "Don't forget to bring your suit when you come to pick me up."

"Okay, Nya. Wow, you don't have to boss me around all the time."

"Last time, when you forgot, you got stuck with Zane's pink gi. I'm just watching out for you."

"Uh-huh. And you don't forget to stay out of trouble. No boys, no fighting, nothing illegal."

"Since when have I ever – "

Kai waves me off. "It could happen. It's my job to protect you."

"To an extent, yes. But I can take care of myself."

He remains silent for a moment, causing me to look over. He's crestfallen.

"Hey," I smile, putting a hand on his arm. "I meant with fighting and stuff. Of course, I still need you. You're my brother. I'm glad providence left you with me."

He clears his throat and pastes on his usual cocky expression. "Yeah, whatever. Don't get all gushy on me. You know I don't know what to do with that stuff."

"O-kay," I reply, drawing out the last syllable. "Anyway, did I tell you I'm starting Spanish classes?"

Kai looks interested. "No. Why are they letting you in, since we're a few weeks into the second semester?"

"I promised I'd get a tutor. I just realized that we have a lot of Latin customers coming to the shop, and I thought it'd be helpful to know some basic conversational skills."

Kai nods. "Great idea, Sis." He only lets me take classes and train with Wu, so I knew this would be okay with him.

"So you'll be graduating a year early, right?" he asks.

I nod. "And then, I'll be helping you around the blacksmith's shop."

He shakes his head in defiance. "No, Nya, we've already talked about this. You're smart enough to take some college courses. I don't want you to throw away your future."

"Kai – "

"No, Nya. I'm not going to continue to argue about this. You're going to college, and that's that."

I sigh, knowing there's no use in arguing with him. Having your future determined for you is just great.

*Yay! That's chapter 1! Hope ya liked it!*