Wrong Place, Wrong Time

Chapter 10

***Congratulations, we're a third of the way through this story! We have 1.1k reads and 100 votes as of last chapter. Thanks for the support, guys!

I just hope you don't boot me from the fandom by the time you've finished reading this...but then, if you didn't boot me during Jay's clingy phase, we're probably okay. I hope. This is still my favorite book I've written, so I'm sure you guys will find something to like about it...right? *hides in fear of being ejected from Ninjago paradise***

***(Cole's POV)***

It's lunchtime on the last day of high school, and I, Cole Brookstone, have finally made it. I never thought I would get here – I'm just not a big fan of school – but I'm done. It's a huge wash of relief.

Zane's not at school today – he's staying with PIXAL. Apparently, Borg is still struggling to fix the issues with her power source.

Of course, unlike Jay and I, Zane won't need to make up any finals – most of his teachers offered to waive his tests since he has such good grades. He had intended to take all the exams anyway, but he has bigger priorities now.

I look around the cafeteria. Nya is nowhere to be found, so I imagine she's seated outside. Lloyd is...somewhere around here. I do see Jay, though.

Strange.

***Music Cue***

"So...you seem distant this morning." I sit down beside him. "Where's Nya? You usually sit with her."

He shakes his head. "Don't ask. I'm a jerk."

Okay, like, I know Nya already has a team of overprotective guys and really doesn't need any more, but I'm on high alert now. "Jay, what did you do to Nya?"

He flops on the lunch table, not caring that there's a blob of jelly right where his head lands. "I kissed her when she was still emotionally exhausted from her meltdown last night. I didn't care that she didn't want me to."

"Jay!" I exclaim. "You, like, kissed a girl when she obviously didn't give you permission?"

"I typically don't ask girls before I kiss them – not that there have been that many." He shakes his head, sighing. "But I knew she wasn't interested this time, Cole. I knew Nya didn't want me to do it, but I totally ignored that."

"Look, Jay, I know you have the hots for her and all, but this is out of control."

"I see that now." He sniffs. "I promised my mom I would give Nya every chance to run back to our relationship – that was my mom's dying wish, that Nya have a chance to run back – and I thought I was doing that by following her around and showing her I cared about her."

"Caring about her is one thing, Jay. Trying to force her into a relationship with you is another! Jay, we pummel guys like that! Remember those two dudes who propositioned Nya after the underwear incident last fall? Nya and I sent them to the nurse's office." 'The underwear incident' is a nice way of saying that someone posted pictures of Nya wearing...very little...around the cafeteria last fall. We never figured out who did it, never knew why it was done.

"I didn't proposition her!" Jay argues. "But...but I did kind of force myself on her by kissing her." He chokes on the words. "Cole, I'm a jerk!"

"Yeah, it kind of seems like it." I peel my orange. "So...what are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing, right now. Nya asked for space, Cole, and...and she deserves that much, at least. Gosh, I hate myself." He clenches his eyes shut.

I pat his back. "Good thinking, buddy. The first step in not being a jerk is admitting that you are one. But don't hate yourself, okay? That doesn't fix anything."