astra

Astra's phone was on fire. Alright, that was a bit of an exaggeration but it was heating up like crazy from the insane amount of notifications she was getting. She'd been standing in the crowds, trying to make her way to sport when the big commotion started. Way back in the crowd, standing on a bench, she saw Nya Smith kiss Coal, wait, no, was it Cole? Brookstone, and the students' reaction was absolutely priceless.

Now, Astra wasn't one to get into drama. Fine, that was a lie, but this was the most action Ninjago High had since she'd started high school. Specifically, the notifications were from the school's biggest gossip account she was following. At lunch, she finally had time to scroll through all the comments and posts. Whether to like something so....ugh, remained to be seen.

And that wasn't even the worst of it. Astra felt bad for both parties, but she didn't know both sides of the story. Instagram tea accounts could only provide her with so much information. She needed to meet Rema and get her cookie box back anyway, so she stood up, let her phone continue buzzing and walked off to the cafeteria.

"Yo, your lip is bleeding!" noticed Kade.

"Sorry—sorry—sorry." Astra murmured, holding up her hand to touch her lips. When they came back down it was stained red. The cut must have reopened again.

"Why are you apologising?" called Kade as she moved through the wave of people.

Astra ignored his calls as she brushed past a crowd, wrapping her jacket around her tighter to cushion her rib cage. Astra tugged down on the cuffs of her Dragons jacket, wincing as her fingers brushed past the blues and purples cuffing her wrists.

She was getting good at hiding them, but you could never be too careful. At least it was cold, and she had excuses for long sleeves and scarves.

skylor

After the initial shock wore off, Skylor sifted through all her memories with Jay's bumbling interactions near Nya and almost slapped herself. It was so obvious once you heard it aloud. She was currently sitting to the left of Jay, Lloyd on his right as Jay ran through his concerns and worries all over again.

Skylor sipped on some fizzy grape juice, the last of the dwindling supply since Jay was on his second, and Lloyd on his third.

"You skipped all of fourth period," she commented, watching for Jay's reaction. Her friend seemed to be feeling better, he'd obviously been cheered up by Lloyd (who was usually a moody grump or a child, so that was first).

"I know." said Jay.

"Quite the rebel," she replied dryly. Jay chuckled lightly. "Kai and Cole weren't in fourth either."

Jay made a disinterested sound in his throat, looking away with a frown on his face before carefully saying "Have you...talked to Nya?"

Skylor shook her head and slurped loudly from her can to break the now awkward silence. "She's not in any of my other classes today, but I was supposed to meet her and Pixal for fro-yo after school."

"And Cole?"

"I'm afraid my stalker skills aren't up to par for him, so I have no idea where Rocky is going."

"Rocky?" Lloyd cocked his head and reached for his fourth can. Skylor batted his hand back as she explained.

"I don't know, he just seems like a Rocky."

"Rocky's not a real name," countered Jay, pulling on a snake with his teeth so the green lolly stretched out.

"I want Pocky." griped Lloyd out of the blue.

"What?" asked Jay, completely baffled.

"I want Pocky." repeated Lloyd again with the nature of a child demanding sweets. "You know, the biscuit sticky things dipped in chocolate? I want those."

"Sorry kid, we don't have any of those." Jay ruffled Lloyd's hair in a big brother manner that Skylor found the rest of her friends often used when with Lloyd.

"I'm gonna go have lunch now..." Skylor trailed off as she stood up. "Are you guys coming?"

Jay took a deep breath and then stood up. "I can't hide forever, can I?"

They all moved to the backs of their respective lockers, and just as Jay stepped into his, Skylor placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I don't know why Nya kissed Cole—"

"You-Know-Who."

"But I'm getting both sides of the story before I 'take sides'." her eyes became pleading, lips curving down into a slight frown as she knit her brows in concern for Jay's wellbeing. "Don't talk to her until you feel ready, but I can't help but feel biased towards her, she's one of my best friends."

"I understand Sky," Jay said with a sad smile. "And don't feel obligated to take sides at all, I doubt this is going to blow up at all. If anything, it's going to be the fight unless Morro decides to spill the beans."

"How does Morro know?"

"The dude's got a sixth sense." added Lloyd who was already out in the hallway. "I hate it when he comes over to my house, he always knows where my sweet stash is."

Jay nodded again, though it seemed to be a confirmation for himself, a nod of confidence and I've got this because if there was one thing Skylor had learnt very quickly in high school, was that it was very easy to get beaten down, and it was so hard to get up again.

Even if you didn't want to, you had to get up and keep moving.

Life was like that.

o o o

Skylor was waiting in line with her lunch tray, watching with a grossed out expression as the lunch ladies slopped a runny scoop of mashed potatoes onto her plate.

"Move along!" barked the lady sharply.

Skylor did just that but faster than anticipated which meant she stumbled into the back of the person in the line in front of her.

"Sorry—" her apology was cut off when the recipient of a tray-in-the-back turned around. "Oh. It's you."

"Don't sound so excited to see me love,"

"Yes, because I'm not excited to see you Liam."

Watching Mean Girls was paying off.

"Hey, how about I take you out for dinner tomorrow and then maybe you'll start being excited to see me?"

"I—uh,"

"She'll go," said a sweet voice from behind Skylor. Her previously gaping mouth shut real quick, because standing there was Harumi. AKA, the girl who ditched her on the first day of school.

"I'll pick you up at seven-thirty then, Chen. Text me your address." He plucked her phone out from between her books and entered his number, he then picked up his garlic bread then walked away coolly, leaving Skylor rooted to the spot holding up the line of very, very hungry students.

Harumi less-then gently shoved Skylor along, then guided her to a table filled with very snooty, nose upturned girls. Skylor left her tray on the table and turned to Harumi with a wild look in her eyes.

"Why did you do that?"

"Oh hush, Liam's a very nice boy, trust me, I know, besides you need to get out and about girl!"

"I do not need to get 'out and about' I am perfectly fine doing what I'm doing—" Once again, Skylor was cut off as Harumi handed her makeup product after makeup product.

"These are just for now, don't complain, I've barely used them, they're my back-up back ups. Right, Liam is meeting you at seven-thirty which means you need to start getting ready at... six, maybe? Six thirty if you absolutely must, so I expect you to be showered by half past six, I'll come over and pick out your outfit and help you do your makeup—"

"Why are you helping me?" Skylor was still refusing to believe that a) she was now going on a date with Liam and b) Harumi had turned over a very worrying new leaf and was acting like Skylor's BFF as if she hadn't abandoned her on her first day.

"Sky-Sky," Skylor flinched at that and wondered if you could crush a metal bench with your bare hands. "I want to apologise for leaving you on your first day. Truly." Harumi looked at her with doleful eyes, flipping back her hair. "Something very important came up and I had to leave."

"It's okay." Skylor murmured, although she did not feel that it was okay. However, it was easier to just let Harumi do her thing.

"Great! Now, what's your address?" Harumi's rueful expression was replaced with one of pure glee as she clapped her hands together.

Skylor clamped her lips together.

"Aw, it doesn't matter if your house only has two floors hon, it's okay."

"Quite the opposite, actually." snapped Skylor. "It's Lily Avenue."

Harumi's fingers were hovering over the keys of her phone. "Number?"

"Don't have one." If she was going to go through with this, might as well make the most of it. And subtly make it clear she and Harumi weren't friends.

"I'm sorry, what?" Harumi's two best cronies, Michelle and Brittney leaned in as they reapplied their mascara in tiny compact mirrors.

"I don't have a house number. Just show up on the Charles Street end of Lily Avenue and I'll get security to let you in." Harumi's mouth hung open. "Ta-ta." Skylor wiggled her fingers in goodbye and kept her pleased smile to herself.

Skylor stood up, not forgetting to take her tray with her and walked over to an empty table on the other side of the cafeteria and then promptly collapsed onto the bench as if her spine were of overcooked spaghetti.

"What the hell just happened?" She muttered to herself, checking her phone for the time. Her eyes widened at the hundreds of notifications assaulting her poor BorgPhone, as well as one from Liam and Harumi. Uh, how did she get my number?

Skylor noticed immediately that she'd been added to a new group chat amongst the other messages flooding in.

- i need a bad (bleep) addison rae -

i put da muffins in da freezer changed their name to i am a bad (bleep) addison rae

brains of the operation: jay, may i ask why you have created another group chat? I believe we already have another named who in the hell put da muffins in da freezer?

i am a bad (bleep) addison rae: i just thought we needed a non-violent kissy free space to converse

lil green bean: jay stop using big words like converse

i am a bad (bleep) addison rae: right i forgot youre still in third grade

lil green bean: haha, no. at least i don't look like I'm in third grade

i am a bad (bleep) addison rae: YOU DID NOT ITS NOT MY FAJULT IM SH O R T

cool, calm and collected: i see no point in having another chat as the other one is perfectly fine. that is, unless you are avoiding Nya, Cole, and Kai?

Skylor went to the contacts list and was not surprised to find the mentioned students absent from the chat.

i am a bad (bleep) addison rae: look, is it a crime to not get involved with drama? wouldnt you guys rather steer clear through it all and not end up on the school gossip acc?

brains of the operation: if our intention is to not get involved in the current drama it is not a bad idea

i am a bad (bleep) addison rae: ZANE! Are you suggesting i have bad ideas?

Me: regularly motormouth. You wanted us to try out your pie warmer and edna's pie e x p l o d e d

i am a bad (bleep) addison rae: in my defense it was in testing phase noodle lady

lil green bean: skylor, why arent you sitting with us?

She looked up from her hunchback position over her lunch tray to see Lloyd and Jay waving like two geeks a couple of tables down. She held back a snort at their idiotic antics. Skylor also noticed Cole and Nya sitting at a small table in the furthest corner of the cafeteria opposite each other with very tense expressions as they talked. Kai was sitting with the jocks, showing off his injuries like a show horse or one of those pigs that win the weight prize at county fairs.

She supposed Cole would be sitting with the jocks as well, but under the ongoing commotion spreading through the school like wildfire it was a good idea she had to admit on his part, steering clear of everything. Either that, or those two spending more time together would just be adding wood to the fire.

Me: ugh ill be over in a sec hold on

Skylor dropped her phone onto her stack of books and balanced her tray and books as she walked over. She sat down at their spacious table, and with Cole and Nya gone there was plenty of room.

"Sorry, I got held up at the lunch line." She forked up some sausage and immediately spat out the first bite. Zane thumped her on the back as she gratefully accepted some water from Pixal.

"How about we all meet up at Mother Doomday's Comix after school?" suggested Jay with a smile that seemed a little too cheery.

Pixal winced, pushing her own tray of mush away. "Well, Nya, Skylor and I were supposed to get fro-yo after school..."

"We can do that!" jumped in Jay, his smile stretching even further, just adding to the creepy effect. "Comics and fro-yo! Yay!"

"Actually, Jay, how about you, Lloyd and Zane go to Mother Doomsday? Pixal and I need to talk to Nya after school."

"We do?"

"Yes," Skylor said pointedly. "I heard there was a new Fritz Donnegan comic out." She didn't know if there was, but there seemed to be one out every other day.

Lloyd and Jay launched into an animated conversation over the latest issue, pulling Zane in along with them. She took this opportunity to have a hushed talk with Pixal, who still seemed very confused over the drama and the reactions it provoked.

"Pix, we need to get Nya's side of the story." In sync, they swivelled their heads to survey Nya and Cole's conversation from afar. "We should text her asking if we're still doing fro-yo."

"Okay. You do it."

"No, you do it."

"You do it."

"You do it."

"Fine, I'll do it."

A few texts and some wary looks across the cafeteria later, Pixal confirmed the three of them were meeting up after school. Boy, Skylor had a full afternoon.

A/N: jeepers these chapters are getting l o n g er and l o n g e r. This one is 2.5k words tho the next might be shorter? Idk. i hope you enjoyed actually seeing those instagram posts (hopefully they loaded!) i also wanted to say that chapters may be coming out less frequently, maybe 2x a week depending on how im feeling because school is starting up soon. I have plenty of ideas, dont worry, just gotta figure out how to tie it all together. And my oc astra was an interesting addition to the pov list which has inspired me to try out more than just the eight of them. As for the main eight getting their powers? *laughs* hold on tight folks, time for some t r a u m a.