I put the dress on and got ready at six in the evening. The dress, as I discovered a few minutes ago, had pockets. So I carried some candy with me, just in case.
There were no attacks these past few days, and it was suspicious. Is Garmadon preparing something? Perhaps that new project of his?
Brandon texted me on Thursday but all he sent was "Stars" and I could not make out what he meant, I texted him and called him multiple times but he didn't pick up any of my calls. And I got even more concerned about him, but I couldn't get any response so I had no choice but to wait for one.
Lloyd didn't give me my letter when I visited him a couple of days ago as S/n when he was going home from school, it would have looked suspicious if I asked him about it without him telling me. I mean, if I knew about the letter then why couldn't that messenger deliver it to me? Where else would I find out about it from without being Y/n? It made no sense...And the messenger definitely knew about my identity, and I didn't care.
I wore my Octostar outfit -I called my new S/n outfit that- underneath my dress as a precaution, it had a dagger tied to my thigh, I thought I might need it.
But I didn't wear the octopus mask because it would be obvious from outside and wouldn't even fit. So, I carried my old mask in one of the secret pockets and took my handbag and was ready to leave.
I looked through my window at Lloyd's before I left, his curtains were closed all the past few days. He didn't talk to me at all, and I didn't make any more effort to rekindle our 'friendship' either.
I left my apartment to go to school and hoped nothing would go wrong, I was done with Garmadon and his attacks, and I already told Brandon to tell him that I quit, so here I was, a normal Ninjago citizen.
I never thought I'd become one again in my life.
~~~
"You look beautiful," Francis told me when I arrived at school. He was wearing a black tux and his hair looked so smooth. Yes, that's all I noticed.
"Thank you, you look amazing as well."
"Shall we go in?"
"Of course, why are we even waiting outside anyway? The sun is setting."
He took my hand and we went into the gym where the ball was in.
The amount of decoration that was in the place made it look like a decent ballroom. Black and white curtains and blue lights. The buffet on one of the gym's sides looked delicious. The music club played classical music in the corner. They really put a lot of effort into this.
Amy walked to us in her red and black gown, her dark hair was in a low bun with red rose decorations on top, and she wore long black gloves to match her gown.
"Y/n, you look great! Where did you get that dress?" she asked.
"You look beautiful as well." I answered her question, with a lie, as usual, "I went shopping again yesterday."
She said 'hi' to Francis before he left us to go get something to drink. There was no alcohol...I think, and I hoped there wasn't.
Amy told me as I looked around, "Looking for Lloyd?"
"No," I lied.
She said anyway, "I didn't see him come at all. All his friends are here, but no sight of him."
Indeed, all his friends were already here. Nya was talking to Jay. Cole was helping the music club with the sound speakers and stuff. Zane was talking to a grey-haired girl wearing a purple gown. And finally, Kai walked up to a red-haired girl and probably asked her to dance.
The musicians started playing some waltz music, something we could actually dance to instead of the calm classical one. Students started to dance.
Francis came back as soon as Amy complained about F. Wreigh not posting today's chapter yet. I looked at Francis, he shrugged his shoulders and told me after she left, "I had no time to write."
"It's fine, she'll calm down in a few minutes."
"Well, then. Will you dance with me?"
"Okay, but I'm warning you, I might mess this up."
"No problem."
He took my hand and we joined the dancing students.
Meanwhile Amy was at the buffet eating and having no other interest in the ball but food.
Francis put one arm around my waist and took my hand in the other as I put my other hand on his shoulder. I paid extra attention and caution to my left arm, it hadn't fully healed yet.
Francis asked, "Is your arm okay?"
"You noticed?"
"Yeah, is it okay?"
I answered, "I got into an accident and a bone broke, it hadn't fully healed since the surgery."
He started being more careful around it as well, trying not to accidentally hurt me.
He asked as we danced and while I was trying so hard not to trip him or myself, "So you said you read my fanfic. What's your favorite chapter?"
"Definitely not chapter seventy-six."
"Which one was that?"
"You don't remember? You ripped out one of the character's insides out in an alleyway in front of his love interest."
"Oh...that one." He chuckled. "Everyone still messages me about it to this day. I turned off my notifications because of it."
"You're too evil."
"Thank you." He asked again, "So what's your favorite chapter or scene?"
"Let me think." I remembered one and said it, "Probably the chapter where (Y/n) (Not you, the one in Francis' fanfic) and her best friend were cornered by the villain's army and they had an epic fight scene."
"Which villain? There are three."
I gave him a questioning look, "But there are only two, what are you talking about?"
"No...I'm pretty sure there are three."
I wanted to face-palm so bad. "Damn you, Francis! You spoiled the fanfic!"
"Sorry, I got my plans mixed up and forgot I didn't write that part yet."
"Three villains are too many, why must you make us suffer?"
"If an angst fanfic can't crush the readers' hearts, then what's the point?"
I took a second before replying, "True. But may I ask how you do it?"
"Crush readers' hearts or write a fanfic?"
"They're the same thing."
"I know, I meant the angst or writing in general."
"Angst and pain and suffering. That's all you write anyway."
Lloyd walked into the gym-ballroom-something-room, glanced at me without even smiling, and went to Cole and started talking to him.
Francis asked me, "Did something happen between you two?"
We stopped dancing and walked to the side out of the dance floor when I answered, "I don't know, he didn't explain why he's mad at me."
"I know why."
I asked him as we approached Amy who was on her phone reading on Wattpad, "How would you know?"
"Well, it's obvious. You two probably had a fight or something and someone said something they didn't mean and the other didn't forget it. It's the simple main ship argument in my fanfic as the love interest started ignoring (Y/n) after what happened and didn't let her explain herself."
How in the world-
Amy's jaw dropped. Oh shit, she'll kill him.
She said with her eyes wide open and her phone screen showing Francis' fanfic on the scene he just described, "You're that sadistic author?"
He sighed and responded to her in a slightly annoyed tone, "Why does everyone keep calling me that?"
I said, "Because it's true."
Amy looked at me. "You knew it was him and didn't tell me?"
"I'm sorry but I didn't want you to go to prison for murdering him before he finishes the fanfic."
Amy told Francis, "Why must you make me suffer? Why do you write these heartbreaking torture scenes? And why are they so damn perfect?"
"Thank you...I guess?"
"Those were three questions and you didn't answer any of them."
"I thought they were an expression of pain that doesn't need a reply."
I said, "I'll leave you two for now." And I walked towards Lloyd who was standing aside and watching everyone.
"Lloyd," I said.
He looked at me then back at his friends on the dance floor and said, "What?"
"That's all you're going to say? No hello or anything?"
"What do you want, Y/n? I'm not in the mood to talk."
I said after a few silent seconds, "If you're mad at me then just say it. You've been ignoring me for days and I never got a reason why."
He turned to look at me. "Y/n, are you playing dumb or do you really not know?"
I sighed. "Fine, I get it."
"Finally."
"I'm sorry about my bad reaction when you took me home on Tuesday night."
"You should be- Wait, what?" He asked, surprised, "What are you talking about?"
"Aren't you mad at me for that? You started ignoring me right after it happened."
"No." He said, "That's not the reason."
"Then what? I got worried that I may have hurt your feelings and wanted to apologize but you never gave me a chance to." I asked, "What's the matter, Lloyd?"
The look on his face suggested worry, guilt, or perhaps even sadness as he told me, "Y/n, be honest with me."
Oh god, no. I think I know where this is going.
"What is it?"
"Do you personally know any of my dad's generals or anyone associated with him?"
I didn't realize that I took a few silent seconds until he said, "Please be honest with me, it's important."
I thought of a reply, I wish I could tell you. I opened my mouth to speak, but I feel like you'd hate me if I said the truth. I said, "No...I don't." I spoke more, to make the lie more believable, "I did once...but...now I don't."
"What happened?"
"I..." I said, "I knew her before I found out she worked for Garmadon. I cut all my friendship with her when I found out. I don't know where she is."
He took a second then asked, lowering his voice so only I could hear him, "Are you talking about S/n?"
I forced myself to nod.
And the next second, his expression changed to a sadder one and said something I didn't expect, "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"I thought you still knew her, that you were working with her and that's why she came to me for the letter...And I even suspected for a moment that you two were the same person. It didn't make any sense how she'd know if that messenger could not contact her." He said, "I'm sorry for doubting you."
Please don't, you're making me regret lying already.
I asked, "Did you give her the letter?"
"No..."
"Why?"
"She works for my father, if the information was not important then they'd just send it to her through text, which could be tracked and read."
I looked at him in silence for a bit then said, "You read the letter, didn't you?"
He nodded.
How dare you? What if Garmadon mentioned my real name? Well, I guess he didn't mention it or Lloyd wouldn't be apologizing for doubting me.
"And," I started, "What did it say?"
He did not answer me, but he looked hurt. What was in the letter? Why did he look sad?
I never got an answer, warning sirens started and a huge octopus tentacle wrecked the ceiling and entered the ballroom.
Screaming started before I could process what just happened.
"Let's go." Lloyd grabbed my hand and ran out of the gym as soon as possible and I couldn't even see where Amy or Francis went.