Hot damn.
Summer was hectic as fuck.
I'd go over what I ended up being roped into on Lloyd's behalf, but I was more so concentrating on holding onto his torso for dear life while we flew over the sleeping city of Ninjago.
I had asked the blonde saviour multiple times where we were headed, but the wind swallowed my voice as soon as I opened my mouth. After a few more failed attempts, I gave up and opted to slump against his back and wait for whatever the sneaky-sneak had planned.
The only thing Lloyd had hinted to was back in his room when he said 'do you like How To Train Your Dragon?' in which I replied in a completely serious tone: "if I had to choose between having Toothless or you, I'd chose Toothless."
And then I profusely (and amusedly) apologised and kissed his cheeks many times while he sulked.

The erratic thumping of my adrenaline-intoxicated heart rang in my ears as wind whistled through my tossing hair. Lloyd, however bright and sunny, offered little warmth to the cold dusk of the incoming night. Stars sprinkled the sky from when they appeared from behind the duvet of clouds. The full moon shone like a ghostly white coin and slathered everything in a luminous, murky hue. The direction we were flying in, nor the sudden absent of streets down below gave me any clue as to what Lloyd had in mind.
I chose to then focus my attention on the body in front of me then, snuggling closer for warmth and digging my face into his neck, only to be thrown back when Lloyd's dragon suddenly changed direction and headed straight for the clouds.

My exclamation of surprise was thrown right back down my throat, but that was fine because the very next second, we burst through the clouds and... entered more clouds.
Lloyd pulled up, frowning foolishly as we hovered in a cold, foggy nothing. He looked around, disgruntled and perturbed.
"Aw, man," he slumped in disappointment. "That was meant to go way differently."
I blinked before it clicked and I began snickering. Of course he wanted to recreate Hiccup and Astrid's flight over Berk. Dork.
Unfortunately, it seemed that the clouds were particularly heavy that night, and didn't think to cooperate.
"Don't worry!" Lloyd said, craning his neck to send me a cheeky smile. "I've got something else planned, too. I guarantee this'll be the best-first date you've ever been on."
"It's been the only one, but continue."
"How do you feel about going to a planetarium?"
I gasped with a wide smile.

The planetarium was closed 'due to safety issues.'
Lloyd growled at the sign on the doors childishly and crossed his arms. I hovered beside him, unsure and amused.
"I can't believe this," he grumbled, glaring at the ground with steely eyes before slapping his palms to his face and groaning. "This is all going so wrong! Why can't I do anything right?!"
"Hey, hey, Blondie, it's okay," I giggled, prying his hands from his face and linking my fingers through his. "You're doing great."
"No, I'm not!"
"Yes, you are," I reassured. "It's all good, Garmadude, I'll take over. Come on."
Lloyd's frown only deepened as I released one hand and began tugging him down the darkened street. It was well and truly night, and it was well and truly chilly. Thankfully, we were both smart enough to bring thick sweaters (well, I was. Lloyd was going to go in a t-shirt... lovable idiot. Mainly idiot).

"Where are we going?" Lloyd whined as we raced down a bustling street, dodging our way through the crowds. I just sent him a smile and a shrug in return, making him moan in complaint.
I ducked into a convenience store with Lloyd trailing boredly behind me. He brightened at the sight of the packets of sweets, and proceeded to grab one of each until I told him off for it and made him put more than half of it back.
After slamming our haul onto the counter and paying for it, we swept back into the street. Lloyd, now a little happier at the promise of sugar rushes, contently allowed me to lead him up a fire escape to the top of a building.

"Here we are," I smiled and cracked open a can of soda. "The best place in all of Ninjago."
Lloyd glanced around the dirty building roof dubiously.
"... really?" he tilted his head, taking a seat beside me and thrusting his hand into a bag of candy. "Why's that?"
I grinned, nodding down at the ocean of jostling forms below.
"People watching," I answered, popping a jelly snake into my mouth. "You'll be surprised how much crazy stuff happens on this particular street."
Lloyd huffed, shaking his head and swinging his legs over the edge of the building. My heart jumped into my throat and I resisted the urge of pulling him away from the ledge. He looked so calm and content, but thoughtful, with a slouched back and his forearms on his thighs as he stared out at the glimmering lights of the city. The mullings of down below whispered in the breeze as I watched people walk, trip or obnoxiously laugh.
"I've seen my fair share of crazy," he murmured.
"You mean in general or just your brothers?" I said, nudging him with my elbow. He smiled softly, green eyes flicking to mine.
"My team is on a whole 'nother level of crazy," he commented amusedly, raising his eyebrows in mock exaggeration.
"Yeah, I know," I snickered, shifting my weight backwards and onto a hand. "Like family, though. Gotta love 'em."
Lloyd sighed through his nose and returned his gaze to the street.
"Exactly," he began to say, before cutting his own sentence short with a snort. "Look at that. He's crazy."

I followed his pointing finger to see a man running in only tighty whities down the bustling street. I blanched, grimacing, while Lloyd snickered. It fell short when a serpentine came barreling down the street. The blonde beside me sighed and pulled out his ninja hood.
"Duty calls," he grumbled, before slipping off the edge of the building after shoving the green material over his head. Landing on a fire escape a few feet below, Lloyd made quick work of making it down to the street and confronting the blue snake. Making quick work of that, he was then surrounded by adoring fans as the snake slithered into the sewers.
From the massive crowd, Lloyd found my gaze and gave me a huge thumbs-up. Even through the mask, I could see his ear-to-ear grin.
I rolled my eyes.

"Dork."

"Wake up."
I frowned slightly, but refused to open my eyes. Maybe if I'll keep really still, they'll forget about me so I can continue to sleep.
"Wake uup."
My failproof plan... failed. Drat.
"Wakeupwakeupwakeupwakeup-"
"Oh, my god!" I burst, snapping my eyes open and sending the culprit of my annoyance a blurry glare. The blonde blob sheepishly grinned. "What?"
"I'm taking a meditating class," Lloyd said, and just past his head sat the alarm clock that blinked the unholy time of five in the morning. I groaned a cry, digging my face into the pillow. "... I'm guessing that's a no from you, then."
"Nooooo."
"Alright, alright, I get it," Lloyd said with raised palms as he stood. "I'm just little, lonely Lloyd Garmadon, with not a purpose in the world-"
"What're you playing at, Blondie?"
Lloyd faltered in his speech, pausing for a second, before continuing his false sob story even louder and more infuriating than before.
"For I! Little, lonely Lloyd Garmadon, conquers this sad, cold world deprived of love, alone, however-"
I threw a pillow at his face.

"You need to get better at guilt tripping," I grumbled, sitting up and pulling up the duvet to my chin. "It's not working."
"Who said anything about guilt tripping?" Lloyd said, grabbing the pillow that had landed on his floor and smacking the top of my head with it. I whined. "I was just trying to annoy you."
I sharply gasped in disgrace.
"How dare-! In my morning sleep-!"
Lloyd hit my face with the pillow. I grabbed it before he went to pull away and yanked it out of his hands. A brief flash of fear crossed his face (rightfully so) a second before I began pummelling him with it while he burst into fits of laughter.
"Okay- okay!" he yelped, holding his palms up in surrender as he choked on his breath while laughing. "I concede!"
I paused my attack and eyed him skeptically. Lloyd lifted his bowed head and sent me a wicked smirk.
"But aren't you awake, now?

"LLOYD GARMADON!"

And that was how I, angry and covered in blankets like a burrito with a mug of coffee in my hands, joined Lloyd while he taught other monk kids to meditate in the early hours of a Friday morning.
"I never agreed to this," I mumbled while Lloyd sat crossed legged a few feet away from me in front of the group. A small smile played on his lips, but he made no other signs of acknowledging my complaint.
"You should join in," he suggested, voice soft in the peaceful silence. "You might even enlighten yourself a little bit."
I frowned, glancing out at the large group of peaceful-minded people finding their inner selves, or what else meditation was for.
"I don't know how to meditate, though," I replied, whispering. Lloyd sighed through his nose.
"Close your eyes and silence your thoughts," he said softly, closed eyes raising to the sky. "Allow the wind to carry your soul-" a gentle breeze ruffled his blonde hair. "- and cleanse your mind. Feel the earth beneath you. Connect with the spirit of the world. Become one with the power that surrounds you in the form of nature."

I blinked. Whoa. Enlightening. I'd never seen that side of Lloyd before, the whole sensei-zen type thing. It looked peaceful. He looked peaceful. It suited him.
Deciding to suck it up and have a crack at the whole mediation-business, I allowed the blankets to slide down from my shoulders and set my mug to the side. Crossing my legs, I copied Lloyd's poised but relaxed pose and rested the back of my hands on my knees.
Sliding my eyes closed, I tried to 'silence my mind' and focus on the world around me - the curtains of air, the flickering, morning sunlight that glowed a honey-dew colour, the soil beneath my seat, buzzing with life and potential. The spirits that roamed this forest, and the beings that lived there.

And I got nothing.

I slumped slightly as I stared at the back of my eyelids. All I could see was the slight tinge of red, not a light, not a spirit, not a single thing. Was that meditation? Was I doing it right?
I peeked open an eyelid and found all the surrounding people looking sincerely focused and peaceful.
I don't think I'm doing it right.
Definitely not willing to be a nuisance, I sucked it up and sat there for the next hour, fidgeting subtly as I twiddled my thumbs for the class to end. When it finally did, I leapt to my feet and stretched out my numb legs.
"Ah, cool," I stretched out my arm over my head before switching to the other one. "Yes. Spiritual stuff. Wisdom. Air. Nice."

Lloyd raised an eyebrow as he stood.
"You didn't do it right, did you?"
"Not at all."
He smiled lightly, ruffling my sloppy ponytail affectionately as we began back to the warm indoors.
"Don't worry, I'll teach you how to do it properly soon," he promised with a crooked smile. I pulled a face.
"Learn how to sit still and do nothing for an hour? Sounds exhilarating!"
He chuckled, guiding me to the kitchen and opening the door for me.
"You just don't understand it yet, but you will," he said assuringly, bringing an arm around my shoulder and pulling me close. "Once you know what I'm talking about, you'll understand why meditating really is exhilarating."
I raised an eyebrow.
"If it's so good, why don't the others do it?" I challenged. He smiled, accepting my game.
"They do it in their own time," he replied expertly, dealing twenty damage to my defence. "Meditating by one's self is far more fulfilling than in a large group. It helps centre's one inner energy, and its easier to connect to the world around us."
Damn. Total K.O. Game over.

"Ugh, you win," I rolled my eyes. "You can teach me to meditate and be all zen, or whatever."
"Aloof and disrespectful! You're going to be fun to train."
"Shaddup, dork," I sneered playfully, shoving his arm. "I'm grumpy in the morning!"
Lloyd snickered, trapping me between his chest and the kitchen bench with his arms.
"Yeah, I can tell, sunshine."
I swatted at his arm. He caught my wrist and smiled, inclining forward to place an affectionate kiss on my forehead. My heart fluttered. He stepped back.
"What do you want for breakfast?" he asked, entering the large pantry and frowning thoughtfully at the cereal options. I hummed, stepping beside him and pointing at a certain brand Lloyd missed.
"That."
He followed my gaze to a box that sat discarded on its side. Falling into a groan, his shoulders slumped before sending me a desperate glance.
"Seriously?"
"Seriously," I replied as I reached for the box. The illustration on the front was a funky, 2000's graffiti style drawing of the Green Ninja pulling a peace sign. Ninja-O's!!! was labelled above him. "That's adorable."

Lloyd visibly grimaced before handing me the box.
"Do you have any other knock-off merchandise that I should know about?" I asked in amusement as Lloyd poured his own breakfast of fruit-loops. He shuddered.
"There's some I wish never existed," he replied, disgusted. I decided to not query about that. I'd rather not know.
"You think I can get a green ninja lunchbox?"
"You've got a large selection to chose from," Lloyd shrugged, turning his back to the kitchen bench and resting his weight on it. I gasped.
"Really?"
He nodded.
"Wow. I bet your mum has like, one of each design."
Lloyd shook his head and swallowed his mouthful of sugary cereal.
"Actually, it's Garmadad that collects them," he corrected me, spoon scraping against the ceramic. I raised my eyebrows and laughed in disbelief as I washed my empty bowl out.
"Honestly? Mood," I shrugged as I wiped my damp hands on a handy towel. "I'd do the same."

"What's up, losers," Kai greeted as he entered the kitchen. Grabbing the milk from the fridge, he popped the top and chugged straight from the bottle.
"Nice, Kai," Lloyd commented dryly. I grinned in amusement at his disgusted expression. Kai shrugged and winked teasingly when he caught my eye. I snickered.
"Don't egg him on, Y/n!"
"Ah-ah-ah," Kai tsked as he kicked the fridge door closed and slung an arm around me. "This is brother-sister bonding. Don't mess with the best."
"You already have a sister, idiot," Nya said as she punched his shoulder, literally appearing out of nowhere. Which makes sense because, you know, Ninja. My heart still leapt into my throat.
"I can have more than one!" Kai exclaimed, unphased at his sister's sudden appearance. Lloyd rolled his eyes. Nya and I shared a look. Boys.
It was too early for this amount of sass.

"I got a call from the vet last night when you two were out on your date," Cole coed as he and Zane also were suddenly there out of thin air. Do they always do this? Are they just showing off because I was there? Did they intentionally want to spook me? I suppose that Cole was reasonable, considering that he was still literally a ghost.
I wonder if he's going to go to school? Probably not like that.
"He said that the puppy is doing well and can either come back with us or go to a foster place until he is off his antibiotics and ready for a new home," Zane explained. Lloyd straightened a little.
"We're brining him home!" Jay cheered as he entered normally.
Thank god. Thank you, Jay, for not making my heart stumble even more than it already is and-
"The decision is not final," Wu said as he stepped up from the wall.
- you've got to be fuCKING KIDDING ME HERE, WU.
My heart was going to give out at that rate.
"We still need to run it past the monks that also live in this monastery."

"Aw, come on, Sensei!" Jay encouraged. "You know Dimitri will say yes. Everybody loves puppies!"
"Dogs are good for morale and improving one's mood," Zane inputted helpfully.
"Puppies make for good exercise partners!" Kai chimed in.
"They become best friends with everyone and make the day a whole lot brighter!" tempted Cole.
"Dogs make lifelong memories and welcomes people with a happy attitudes everyday," Nya nodded, agreeing along with the others.
Wu raised an eyebrow before turning to Lloyd and I with a deadpanned expression.
"Do you want to share your thoughts, too?"
"Dogs are cool," I said with an awkward smile. Lloyd did an even awkwarder thumbs up. Wu sighed before leaving the room, probably in search of Dimitri. Jay giggled.

I was smiling in amusement before I felt a vibrate from my phone, notifying me of an alert. Pulling it out, I glanced at the screen and felt my heart sink. I sighed.
"They've cancelled," I murmured, closing Aaliyah's contact and turning off my phone. Nya turning her gaze to me. "Again."
Lloyd's brow furrowed.
"Is that normal?"
I shrugged a shoulder, suddenly hyperaware of the attention being focused on me. I shifted uncomfortably as I leant against the kitchen bench.
"Kind of," I replied truthfully. "They've always been a little bit flakey. It's probably just because school's coming up in a couple of days or something."
Lloyd hummed, though he didn't look convinced. Unbothered (or trying to convince both myself and those around me that I was), I simply smiled and tugged on the material of Lloyd's shirt once.
"I'll be back," I said. "I'm just gonna get changed out of my pyjamas."
He nodded in acknowledgment, and I left the kitchen. Once my back was turned and I was out of sight, only then did I mentally address the heavy weight that clogged up my chest.

Lloyd glanced back at his team when Y/n was out of sight. A silence fell flushed amongst the group, all thinking along the same tangent but none speaking up on it.
It was Jay who unsurprisingly broke the silence.
"Okay, that's not..."
"Normal," Cole finished.
"Did you see her face?" Kai said softly. "She looked so sad... it doesn't seem that them dipping out like that is a 'kind of' situation. I think it's more of an 'always.'"
"She's not good at hiding her emotions," Nya agreed. "Cancelling like that? Only a half-hour before we're meant to meet up? That's not a coincidence."
"Perhaps her friends ran into some trouble?" Zane suggested, ever the optimist. "There could be plenty of reasons as to why they cancelled."
"I don't think so, buddy," Cole sighed. "Y/n's just this... really nice kid, but she's naive. It makes her an easy target."

"Do you think it's because of me?" Lloyd asked, frowning at his socks. "That her friends don't want to hang out with her?"
No one replied. It was an answer enough.
Lloyd closed his eyes and sighed through his nose.
"Dammit."