moral of the story | a ninjago highschool fanfiction

[34] yes lloyd, we get it. you have trust and daddy issues

"Uh. What was that?" Jay asked through a mouthful of pizza.

"No idea." Lloyd said, cocking his head. His eyes briefly made contact with Harumi's before her gaze slipped away.

A minute later, Vice Principal Dareth ran into the cafeteria, his eyes wild and terrified. He skidded to a halt in the middle of the room.

"Teacher...dead in the gym. Thought you should know." His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he slumped to the ground.

Screaming infected everyone in fear after they unfroze from shock. Students rushed to pick up their bags and leg it out the entrances when Miss Kelly and the Police Commissioner strode in and ordered everyone to sit down and keep quiet.

Miss Kelly cleared her throat, gesturing to where VP Dareth had been pushed into a chair still unconscious. "While Mr Dareth is temporarily incapacitated, and with Principal Wu away at the moment, I will assume head of school. Please remain calm. Commissioner,"

The head of police cleared his throat and stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. "What Vice Principal Dareth has just revealed to you is, in fact true. I see no point in lying to you all when you already have been told this news. School will be shut over the weekend and tomorrow. Your teachers will email your lessons to you, and we have not reached a conclusion as to whether or not school will continue on Monday. Once lunch finishes, you are all free to go home."

Whispers filled the room as the Commissioner left, turning on his heel with two lower officers flanking him on their way out.

Miss Kelly cleared her throat, recalling the student's attention. "Please do not pressure your peers into telling you what may have happened. This situation is very traumatic and the wellbeing of your students is our greatest concern. As the Commissioner said, you are free to go once lunch finishes. Keep an eye out for important emails, and have a good day."

She walked away with his beads jangling in an ominous cheery tune, leaving the cafeteria in pensive silence.

Then Harumi stood up, jutting a hip out with her arm on it. "Well? What are we waiting for? Let's go." She turned and gave the slightest wink in his direction, which he returned subtly but felt like he was actually blinking.

Everyone cheered, which Lloyd considered weird since they'd literally been told about a teacher dying five minutes ago, but that was high school. Until everyone was gossiping again, the strange matter would lay at rest. He exchanged slightly confused looks with his friends before shrugging as Pixal and Zane headed off early to Borg Tower, and Jay and Nya sat at the lunch table awkwardly.

They hadn't really made up from their muted fight at the monastery, but then Jay cleared his throat and offered to show Nya something about a motor. Somehow the cafeteria emptied before Lloyd registered it and stood there blinking slowly, moving to trudge out the door when an arm slid through the crook of his. Glancing sideways, he almost tripped over his own feet to see Harumi walking alongside him.

"H—hi?"

"Hey Lloyd," her red lips parted in an easy smile as they walked to a sleek limo discreetly parked outside.

In a burst of chivalry — and basic decency, Lloyd darted forward and opened the door for Rumi, getting in on his own side. Unsure of where to sit, he just sat next to her on the driver-facing booth seat. She pressed her fingers to a black box in the middle of the car's floor which hissed as it rose upwards. Opening it, Harumi handed Lloyd a Sprite and settled back comfortably on the seat. She brought out a compact mirror and wiped away a smudge.

Lloyd sipped from the can uncomfortably, watching the tinted divider separating them from the driver as if the car would stop and he'd be yanked out by armed bodyguards.