Ninjago Secondary School - A British Ninjago Story (Ninjago AU)

Chapter 4

ZANE'S POV

I came out of my English class and went to the bathroom to eat my lunch. Yes, gross, but it's embarrassing sitting outside all alone while your best friend is doing football try outs. I walked in and it was empty apart from one stall.

I heard crying so I came closer and asked, "Hey, are you okay?"

"Huh? Um-" he sniffed, "I'm fine..."

"I can sense that you're upset. Did someone hurt you?"

"You could say so..."

"Was it a friend? Or a bully?"

I heard the boy take a shaky deep breath before replying with his voice breaking slightly, "Me." I was stunned. I didn't know how to react.

"You mean, like..."

"You can say it. I don't care anymore." He knew I implied it.

"Why do you hurt yourself?" I asked as I sat in the stall next to his, taking my lunch out.

The boy sighed, "Everyone hates me anyway. They all point their fingers at me, blaming me for something that I didn't do... What's the point of living in constant anxiety and anger when I can just not be here..."

"What about your parents?" I asked, hoping that it would change his mind.

"My dad doesn't believe me. He's so strict and when I try to stand up for myself, I end up with another bruise..."

"And your mum?"

"She passed away last year. If she was here, she'd believe me. She was the one who told me to stand up to those who are cruel and unjust. Always. But everyone is just so ignorant it drives me insane. I can't do this anymore..."

"I'm sorry to hear that..." I said before taking a bite out of my sandwich. "I never knew my mum. I have to help around the house a lot and I have to balance that with my school life and social life. It's difficult..."

"Yeah... Uh- are you- are you eating your lunch in here?" he asked chuckling slightly.

"Well, my friend is busy doing something else and I didn't want to seem lonely. It's awkward... Especially that he's one of the popular kids. Sure, I guess that makes me popular too but people only try to get close to me until they feel comfortable enough to give me their homework for me to do. I only hang out with my best friend because I know that he wouldn't use me."

"...or in the toilets with me, the most hated guy in year 10 and possibly the whole school." We laughed and sighed. 

"What's your name?" I asked.

"If I tell you, you'll hate me too. For all I know, you probably already do, you just don't know who you're talking to."

"I don't hate anyone. I try not to. I don't want to make assumptions. I will only ever hate someone if I know them really well and they do something horrible to me or someone I love."

"That's reassuring, but I won't say it anyway."

There was a moment of silence. "You seem like your name would be 'Kirby'..." I guessed.

"And you sound like an 'Brent' to me." We laughed, knowing full well that those aren't our names, but we decided to stick with them. We chatted for a bit longer to get to know each other a bit more and even shared some food since he didn't have any with him.

"So, Kirby, what lesson have you got after lunch?"

"Philosophy with Mr Wu. What about you, Brent?"

"Philosophy with Mr Wu..."