Hidden Away || Ninjago AU

Chapter 21

The evening air was crispy from the cold weather that had consumed the City of Ninjago. The thick jacket Kai had on was barely enough to stop him from letting out a sneeze. One could tell by the paleness of his face that the cold had gotten to the young teen. His sister, Nya, was faring much better than he was. Perhaps it was because she had on an extra jacket atop another or that she was just more resistant to the cold.

"Kai?"

"Yes, sis?"

"Why is that despite your being the fire ninja, you still can't handle the cold?"

"I don't see how my being sensitive to the cold has anything to do with my element, sis," Kai answered, holding in another sneeze. "Now, if I were the Master of Ice like White, then we can talk about cold resistance."

The two continued to talk until they reached the bus stop. Kai's hair ended up covered in soft little pieces of snow after stumbling a lot in the snow. His sneezes got the best of him on more occasions than one and most times, he couldn't help ending up on the ground. Nya helped him dust it off as they waited for the bus to arrive. It was nearing six o clock, the scheduled time for the bus to arrive, so they didn't think they'd have to wait much.

"How is there so much snow in your hair? You know, I told you to have taken the extra jacket. Now, look at you. You're a sneezing mess." Nya complained. Kai sneezed once again.

Her voice continued to ring like a thousand bells in Kai's ears. He had expected her nagging, but he was completely unprepared. He was stuck with a scowl on his cold face until the bus arrived.

"Would you look at that, sis?" Kai said enthusiastically, "Let's get on. You can nag about the jacket later."

"How many times have I told that I don't nag?!" Nya fumed and turned away from her brother, "Do you need me to pull your ears out? You don't seem to use them anyway."

Nya turned back to face Kai, ready to tell him off some more. She was instead met with a saddened expression on her brother's face. He seemed to be staring at something on the bus so, she looked that way too. She recognized a familiar redhead sitting by the window.

"Oh, Kai, look, it's Skylor!" Nya said excitedly.

"Why don't you go on ahead without me. I think I left my ninja suit at home."

Nya seemed confused by her brother's sudden behavior. Skylor was the girl Kai had had a secret crush on for a year and a half. The brunette would never pass up an opportunity to say hi to her even if he were busy with something important.

Nya adjusted the bag she carried on her shoulder and stepped on the bus, still as confused as ever. She waved by to Kai.

"Get an extra jacket while you're at it."

~X~x~X~x~X~

Jay, Cole, and Zane walked home from school talking about the upcoming Valentine's day dance. With Valentine's only a few days away, Jay was eager to talk about it with Cole and Zane. Cole already knew why Jay was excited about it and it didn't take long for Zane to figure it out.

"Jay?" Cole asked, hesitantly looking away from Jay, "Did you ask her out yet?"

"W- what?" Jay asked, his face flushing red, "A- ask who out? I have no idea what you're talking about."

"That's a bald-faced lie, Jay," Zane deadpanned.

"It is not."

Cole and Zane looked at each other, communicating with their eyes.

"Well, then you wouldn't mind..." Cole said, a wide smirk appearing on his face, "...if the two of us tried to ask Nya out to the dance?"

"Ha, like you would actually pull that off," Jay laughed to himself. Cole and Zane looked at each other again, giving knowing glances.

Zane pulled out his phone and went straight to contacts.

"I'm pretty sure we could," Cole's smile widened.

"You wouldn't."

"Why wouldn't we? You don't seem all that interested."

"Hey, Zane."

"Oh, you did not." Jay gasped.

"Hello, Nya."

"What's up, Zane?"

"What are you doing?!! Zane cut it out!!!"

"Don't listen to him, Zane. Don't cut the call!"

"Well, Nya, I was wondering if you would-"

"Don't listen to him!" Jay grabbed the phone from Zane. "Ahem. What I mean is Zane just uh... wanted to know if you uh... um..."

Cole grabbed the phone from Jay. "What Jay was trying to say is that if you're not busy tomorrow at lunch, we'd like to talk to you about something important."

"Okay, sure. I have to go now. See you tomorrow."

Zane cut the call and turned to the newly mortified Jay. "Are you okay?" Zane asked.

"You guys," Jay said, turning away from them, "Are the worst."

"What are friends for?" Cole said, "Besides, you should be happy it's us and not the other students at our school."

"Cole is right," Zane agreed, "There are other people at school who would like to ask Nya out to the dance."

"I- I guess," Jay said, rubbing the back of his neck, "But you didn't have to do that."

"Once again, Jay," Cole said, coming at Jay's side, hand on his shoulder.

"What are friends for?" Zane finished, coming at Jay's other side. The two flashed Jay a genuine smile and they continued on their way home.

~X~x~X~x~X~

Kai had gotten on the next bus, the sullen expression still evident on his face.

"Why do they... look so good together?" Kai wondered aloud as he trudged his way through the snow. He and Skylor had been friends since the first day of school during their freshman year. It was from then he had secretly come to fall for her. Her beautiful long red hair, her big brown eyes that tended to sparkle, and her admirable and amazing personality made her so attractive.

"I thought I had a chance," Kai said angrily, kicking against the snow. "But I guess I can't beat someone she's known since childhood."

Kai laid his head against the window, his mind thinking of Morro. Morro became a student at NCHS a few months into the school year during the freshman year. He wasn't the most sociable, but after he was recruited as a member of the ALAGG, he became popular. When Kai thought about it, he realized that Skylor was the person who suggested Morro join the group.

Kai remembered rumors that circulated during his freshman year. Most were about Morro. Just remembering it, caused him more pain than it did during his freshman year.

Pushing his thoughts aside, Kai decided to focus on meeting up with Nya on time. Once the bus reached his stop, he hurried off to the secret base of The Secret Ninja Force and met up with Nya.

"Took you long enough," Nya whispered to Kai. "We have a problem."