***(Skylor's POV)***

Summer days mean lazy sunbathing beach trips, a seasonal boyfriend at my dad's vacation house four hours away, and balmy nights playing guitar at an outdoor coffee shack.

I find it bittersweet to say that those days are over.

And so is my life.

"Skylor," my dad sighs, "you know I give you free reign these days to do whatever you like, but this is where I put my foot down. I am not letting you stay in Nom while I move three hours away."

I shove my cereal bowl away. "You've got to be joking. Dad, my senior year just started, and now we're supposed to move?"

"For the good of the company," he says placatingly. "Skylor, I really do try to give you everything you want, but I'm not allowing us to be separated just so you can complete your senior year at your all-girls school. You are my daughter, after all."

I resist an eyeroll. Here we go again.

He loves his precious daughter so much, he's a permissive parent who doesn't even remember when I'm around. I could probably stay behind while he moved, and he wouldn't realize it until two weeks later.

The only problem with that idea is that I currently don't have a place to hide out while my dad moves. He apparently found a buyer for our house yesterday, and in four weeks we're supposed to move cities over to Shintaro to open a new noodle house there.

It was a good plan to stay behind while it lasted, though.

I try to paste on the smile that gets me everything I want. "Daddy, I just don't understand why you can't send some of our staff over to Shintaro. I'm sure they know how to open a noodle house." It's not like they haven't opened five since the original one started in Ninjago City.

My dad gets that shifty look in his eyes. That look.

Something's up.

"Well," he stalls, "see, Skylor...you wouldn't understand, but –,"

"I understand more than you think." The sweet cereal I just consumed makes me want to throw up now. What does my dad have up his sleeve?

He clears his throat. "Right. Well, see, Skylor...with a busy life like mine, it's very difficult to...er...meet someone."

My spoon clatters from my hand onto the table. "Meet someone?"

Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no, no, n-o. No!

He looks anywhere but at me. "Well, yes. I met a wonderful woman, Skylor – you'd like her – at a business meeting a few months ago, and since then we've gone long-distance. We're getting serious, kitten, and –,"

"And you're just now telling me this?" I scoff, shoving back my chair from the table. "What do you mean, you two have been talking for a few months?"

He bites his lip. "Well...since May. But Skylor, at my age, relationships tend to develop a lot faster. When a man and a woman love –,"

"I am not doing this today." I rise out of my chair. "You've never even mentioned her before now, Dad. Just like you didn't mention that you wanted to sell our house and move!"

He sighs, massaging the bridge of his nose. "You don't know how difficult this decision has been on me, Skylor. But I know it's for the best that we make the move. You'd really love Yvette if you just gave her –,"

"I don't even know who you're talking about." I snatch my keys off the table. "I have to go to school, Dad. And by the way, your idea to move to Shintaro so you can settle down with your perfect little mom-replacement sucks." I sling my backpack over one shoulder.

"Skylor, you're being unreasonable," my dad argues, his tone exasperated.

"I think that describes meeting a woman and deciding to marry her three months later, especially without input from your only daughter!" I storm out of the kitchen before tears fall and I ruin my mascara.

The last thing I need this morning is to look like the wreck that is my life.

The drive to school is filled with loud pop music blaring over my car's speakers, the occasional long sigh, and more than my share of potholes. Seriously, Nom is just outside Ninjago City. You'd think the mayor would get with the times and do some renovations here at some point.

My phone buzzes beside me. I grab it out of the cupholder and punch the power button to see a message light up the screen.

Sel: where r u?

I heave a sigh, opting to toss my phone to the side and avoid answering her. Seliel, one of my friends from school, has the perfect dad, so it's not like she'd understand my situation. Not only is her father the mayor of Nom, he also loves his daughter more than life itself.

My dad loves noodles more than life. Seriously, I think that man dreams about noodles at night. Most people count sheep. My dad? Dumplings.

My phone's signature love song ringtone reverberates throughout my car, and I sigh.

Great. Now Seliel's trying to call me.

With a quick glance at the road, I keep one hand on the wheel and use my free hand to grab my phone from the passenger seat beside me. It buzzes in my hand as I power it on and –

I look up at the road just in time to see a red convertible zip into the lane of traffic before me. I immediately slam my foot on the brakes and my palm against the horn. My phone goes flying down into my floorboard, bouncing off my foot and landing somewhere under the gas pedal.

Not good.

Somehow, I just barely avoid clipping the convertible. It speeds up to put distance between itself and me, and then the driver has the audacity to blare their horn at me.

I sputter and honk my own horn again. What kind of a jerk –

The driver suddenly sticks a hand out the window and flips me the bird before squeezing back into their original lane of traffic.

My eyes bug. Oh, so that weirdo is going to act like it was my fault for almost hitting them?

I speed up so I too can change lanes, running the driver's license plate number through my mind so I can memorize it. I don't know what I'll do with it, but I'd like to keep the information all the same.

And on the bumper beside the license plate is a –

Ridgewood Academy bumper sticker.

I should've known a jerk like that would be a Ridgewood boy.

I spare a glance down at my car's clock and bite my lip on a swear. Unfortunately, I'm already running five minutes late for school, so I don't have time to follow this prissy boy to his prissy school and chew him out this morning.

But now I know where to find him once I've come up with a plan to exact my revenge.

Right. I resist the urge to roll my eyes at myself. I'm too much of a good girl to try to get revenge on anyone.

Yet I find myself pulling into the Graceton parking lot, finding the nearest free spot, and throwing my car in park. I snatch my phone from under my gas pedal and pull open my notetaking app, jotting down the Ridgewood driver's license plate number.

I'm in a mood. Maybe I'll slash his tires during lunch or something. After all, since my life is falling apart, I'm sure he can stand a few rubber tires doing the same.

Okay, okay, maybe that's a bit too much punishment. But I'll find something.

***(Harumi's POV)***

Some people say it sucks to be the new girl. I find it a challenge.

My eyes trace the cafeteria, searching for anyone who looks fun and willing to accept a newcomer. I am not going to just sit still and look pretty while eating my lunch alone in a corner. Boring.

A moment later, I spot PIXAL – that girl with the weird name who showed me around Graceton earlier. She seems to be happily chatting with a group of girls, but chances are, they're all nerds. I mean, PIXAL seemed nice and all, but definitely nerdy.

And nerds do not fit my criteria of fun. In my opinion, if they aren't willing to prank a substitute teacher, we aren't going to get along very well.

A head of highlighted red hair beside PIXAL, however, catches my attention.

A fashionable nerd, perhaps?

An oddity for sure, but I knew one had to exist somewhere.

I rise up on my tiptoes and try to get a good look at the girl. Leaning a little to the left, I spot her side profile – defined cheekbones, long eyelashes, and a scowl visible for miles. She screams "queen bee".

One nerd plus a queen bee equal drama and dynamic. This is just the crowd I'm looking for.

I pour all the confidence I've gleaned over the years into one stride and march up to their table.

"Is this spot free?" I ask with the gracious smile I've mastered, cocking my head to an empty seat beside a dark-complected girl. Her hair is streaked with magenta and turquoise in an appealingly loud way.

The girl in question looks up at me slowly, swallowing a bite of her nachos. "I'm sorry?"

I gesture to the seat beside her. "Oh, I was just wondering if I could sit with you. PIXAL" – I give her a tiny wave – "showed me around earlier."

The queen bee ginger-hair arches a manicured brow. "I hate to –,"

The raven-headed girl beside her quickly speaks up, interrupting her friend. "Feel free to join us. I'm Nya."

"Harumi," I smile whimsically, seating myself beside cotton-candy hair. "But I go by Rumi."

PIXAL looks toward Nya. "Harumi's family is originally from the Jade City. Harumi, this is Skylor" – she indicates the redhead – "and Seliel." She nods to the girl I'm seated beside.

A tight smile flits over Skylor's lips before she looks down at her paltry salad and forks a limp green vegetable. "How are you enjoying your first day?"

"I'm used to having a few boys around," I shrug, "so that's a bit of an adjustment." I let that hang for a moment, then continue, "But I super love the community and spirit here." I dart my eyes upward, judging Skylor's reaction.

To my surprise, her jaw clenches. "If you knew the boys around here, you wouldn't be complaining, trust me." She proceeds to stuff a wad of lettuce in her mouth with a fury.

Interesting. So even the queen of the nerds doesn't miss male company.

Seliel snorts next to me. "Skye, you're just in a crappy mood since that loser from Ridgewood cut you off in traffic this morning."

"I have to agree with Skylor on this one," Nya says, shaking her head. "I don't know many Ridgewood boys, but from the few I've interacted with, I'm not so sure I like them."

Seliel aims one cheese-lathered nacho in her direction. "Says the girl who caught a ride to school today with some knight in a shining pickup truck!"

Nya scowls at her. "He wasn't a knight in shining anything, and I am not a damsel in distress."

"Whatever." Seliel pops the chip in her mouth, unafraid of speaking while she chews.

Gross, yet weirdly confident. I'm starting to wonder if this isn't a table of nerds after all, but a table of outcasts.

But then, that Skylor girl seems like she'd be socially popular, so I have no idea where I'm sitting.

"You have to admit, Nya," Seliel goes on, "he was a nice guy. He arrived late at Ridgewood today so he could make sure you weren't left stranded at a gas station." She wiggles her eyebrows and swallows. "Was he cute?"

Nya raises her eyebrows. "Does it matter? It's not like I'm ever going to see him again."

Skylor snorts. "Her brother will have her cut up into tiny pieces and buried in their backyard shed for even being in the same parking lot as one of his friends today."

Nya looks up at me, then blushes. "Um...moving on..."

PIXAL smiles sympathetically at me. "I'm sorry for their exclusiveness, Harumi. They've been arguing all morning."

Seliel barks out a laugh. "Are you joking, PIX? She's eating this stuff up. This is way better drama than you'd get in a gossip magazine."

I shrug. "Yeah, I'm actually enjoying this." I live for drama.

Nya stares at the table, shoving her sub sandwich away. "Yeah, well I'm not."

Skylor crosses her arms. "Besides, I think it's out of the question that any of us would go fishing for a date in Ridgewood waters, Seliel, so this conversation is effectively over."

She shrugs. "They're jerks, but you have to admit, there's a lot to pick from at Ridgewood."

Skylor clears her throat. "Moving past that...Sel, I know you haven't been hanging out much with the drama club lately, but did you hear the rumors about what musical the school is putting on for the fall?"

She hitches a shoulder, looking back down at her plate of half-finished nachos. "I think they said Beauty and the Beast, right?"

"It's practically confirmed," Nya puts in. "I overheard Ms. Laudita talking about it in the hall this morning."

"That woman doesn't know how to shut up," Skylor mutters under her breath.

Nya looks over at her, arches a brow, then goes back to eating her sub.

PIXAL clears her throat. "Do you like musicals, Harumi?"

I hitch a shoulder and take a bite of my own sandwich. "As much as the next girl. I'm more of a Wicked fan than anything, and I'm not an actress by any means, but I enjoy watching them."

"Are you excited for auditions, Sel?" Nya asks.

She makes a sour face. "Are you joking? Not when Principal Misako's husband is destined to play the beast. You know she always drags him in to play male leads."

"But...what about Gaston?" PIXAL frowns.

Sel rolls her eyes. "All of the drama girls already want to play him. I don't think there's anyone left to be Belle with all their antics."

I look at her with interest. "So...you could basically take the lead female role with the right audition?"

Seliel sighs. "They're making a mockery of art. Why would I want to join?"

"Good point." Nya looks up sympathetically. "So...Harumi...I'm sorry we've really excluded you from the conversation. Um...what are you most excited about now that you'll be going to Graceton?"

I hitch a shoulder. "I think the friendships are really what I'm looking forward to. I've always been an only-child, so hanging out in an all-girls environment for my last year at school will be super fun. I think it'll be like having sisters."

"I wish it were," Skylor huffs. "Then I could beat Nya's stupid brother up for the crap he pulls on her."

Nya abruptly stands. "Skylor, you've never even met my brother." She grabs her sandwich trash. "I'm going to go finish editing my article for the paper. Enjoy the rest of lunch." And she walks off without so much as a glance back.

PIXAL furrows her forehead. "Skylor, something tells me you should not have pushed the topic of Kai and his faults. I think Nya may be offended." She flashes me an apologetic smile.

Skylor raises a hand in the air. "I was just saying I'm on her side in this." She casts a glance at a retreating Nya before turning back to her wimpy salad.

Seliel rises. "I'm going after her." She shoves her half-eaten nachos at me. "Dig in." And with that, she stalks away.

PIXAL turns to me. "I am sorry about your experience at our lunch table today, Harumi. I promise things are not usually so" – she eyes Skylor – "tense."

I hitch a shoulder. "Oh, it's no big deal." In fact, I find the level of drama here appealing. After all, life is a heck of a lot more interesting when tensions are high, emotions are raw, and fallouts are impending.

It seems like each of these girls has a story, and it's my job to ride the wave and figure them out.

***Aight, ya girl is back :) I felt like there was a lot - a LOT - of drama in this chapter, but I tried to make it somewhat realistic LOL I also had trouble deciding how I was going to portray Harumi's character here, but I kind of like the way she's turned out. Unlike in my INK series, I feel like she'll be a really valuable character to this story.

Any parting thoughts? Suggestions?

Does anyone listen to the playlists for books like these? LOL I always do, but I'm wondering if I'm alone in that!

See you when I next update, kiddos! Should be sometime this weekend.***