A/N
I don't usually plug things, but I just set up a Tumblr blog mainly focused on my books and I'd really appreciate it if you checked it out!
You can go through my Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nicolkoutoulaki
Also heyyy, my real name lol. Enjoy.
Anyway, regarding the story, I hope you enjoy this kind of different dynamic between certain characters this chapter. How do you think things will develop?
Finally, I hope the story's not boring. I know the pacing is a bit slower with this one, but I wanted to set up some characters/lore before the juicy stuff next chapter.
Enjoy!
(Also I hate how delaying a chapter by one day can instantly cause very low viewership, Wattpad hates me)
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
I wake up to the sound of shuffling. My eyes open slowly, not wanting to escape from whatever nice dream I was having. I find myself alone in bed, Lloyd having probably left the room hours ago.
I glare at the light peeking through the curtain, burying my head in my pillow. But the annoying sound continues, and I'm forced to sit up. My gaze travels around the room as I stretch, but it's cut short when I spot the source of the noise.
Jay is rummaging through my bookshelf, though I can't help but notice a particular book floating beside him. My eyes widen in panic.
"Don't touch that," I say more sternly than I'd like to admit.
He turns to me and smiles. "Good morning," he says. He makes the book float over to me. "I already finished reading through your calculus textbooks, I needed something else to read."
My arms fold over my chest. "I thought you only read comics."
He floats down next to me on the bed, book in hand. "My mum used to read a ton of romance books, so I would read them out of boredom. This one was her favourite."
"I got this one from my mum too," I admit. "As a birthday gift a few years back."
I frown at the memory. I pretended not to like it back then (I wasn't really known as the romantic type) but I still remember those endless nights of secretly reading through it, annotating it, and thoroughly enjoying every moment. Mum never found out how much I loved her gift...
"Well, your mum had great taste for picking out a book from the 40s," Jay tells me, flipping through the pages as he floats around. "A Captain, his bride, and a humble inventor. What more can you ask for?"
I roll my eyes at his antics, but I can't help but feel a smile creeping up my face.
"What? Are ye scared the Captain's gonna take ye away too?" he teases with a bad pirate accent. Next thing I know, he's charging towards me. He scoops me up just above the ground, twirling me around to make me dizzy.
I try to playfully push him away but my hand goes straight through him. I also try to tell him to stop, but I'm unable to through my laughter.
When he finally releases me, I stumble on the ground, trying to breathe properly again.
"Told you I could technically pick up stuff. You're light as a feather for this ghost," he says, proudly pointing at himself. But then he notices my movements and cringes, helping me stand straight. "Too far?"
"Ya think?" I say, though chuckles still manage to escape my lips.
The door slowly creaks open. Kai enters the room with a sleeping Lloyd in his arms. For a moment, his smile is genuine.
My laughter immediately quiets down. Even Jay is silent behind me, even though he technically can't be heard.
"You're becoming a morning person again. You're scaring me," Kai tells me and Lloyd groans.
I narrow my eyes. I don't know how he can be so cheerful in the mornings. I've been waking up and falling asleep with the same empty feeling every day since what happened. Kai just... got over it. I don't understand it. It can't help but irritate me at times.
"Are you going to the landfill again?" Kai continues before placing Lloyd under my covers. Of course, he didn't resist to stretch all across my bed.
"It's a junkyard, not a landfill," I correct him. "And yes, of course I'm going there."
"Just be back before noon. Don't think you've escaped that noodle lunch."
I sigh internally, but at the same time, my stomach grumbles. I guess noodles don't sound too bad.
But I've got a bigger target to focus on.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"This is so cool!" Jay says as he races beside me, trying to catch up with my motorcycle through the wind.
I smile at his antics as he twirls around me in the air, knowing he couldn't get too far away from me.
I remember my parents' faces when Ed n' Edna gifted me a motorcycle last year; it was priceless. I hadn't laughed that hard in a long time, but my excitement was through the roof.
I did what any normal person would do and spent a month painting it black and printing some designs on it (my favourite being the red phoenix on the side). There was no way my parents would let me drive it in the city, so... here I am. I've only ever gotten to drive it in the long, straight, empty road that is the Sea of Sands.
It's colder than usual, something I failed to realise before. Imagining Edna's warm soup and Ed's fuzzy blankets is all I can think about right now.
I've accepted that I can't keep Jay away from my life. Besides, Edna won't stop calling me if I don't visit as promised. It's a weekly occurrence, but one I don't mind at all; I like working on vehicles, and I hear stories about my parents every week. It's a win-win.
I pull up at "Ed n' Edna's Scrap and Junk". Jay chuckles at the lack of an 'S' in the sign, but I can't help but groan. Everyone does that.
"This place is cleaner than Stiix when I was alive," Jay jokes behind me, going through all the piles of scrap metal on the ground. Alongside them, I can't help but notice a few piles of actual trash... Well, more like secondhand items. Old toys, clothes, furniture...
"I don't think any of these shirts will fit ya," I hear a male voice say behind me. I turn around immediately, grinning at the old man in front of me. As per usual, he's wearing his grease-covered overalls, squinting at me due to the glasses he refuses to wear.
He hugs me and pats my back. "You're here early today," Ed tells me. "I don't think Edna even has the food ready yet."
I wave my hand dismissively. "I won't stay for long. I promised Kai to go get noodles."
"Kai... He hasn't visited for a while, huh?" he tells me as we walk towards the humble trailer they call home.
Jay is trying to tell me something, but I don't listen. I don't want to start talking to thin air out of nowhere, after all.
Ed winks at me. "Ah, I bet he's too busy with his new girlfriend." He ruffles my hair. "Anything of the sorts with ya?"
I lower my voice, my footsteps slowing down as we approach the door. "No, and don't let Edna hear any of that. She'll go crazy."
Ed laughs, taking out his keys.
"Nya!" Jay finally yells behind me.
I can't quite yell at him back, so I just glare.
"Can we go back there? I think I saw something."
Just him pointing towards the pile of old stuff is enough to intrigue my curiosity. I may be getting rid of him forever tomorrow, but that doesn't mean I can't get to know him at least a little bit.
Or maybe he just saw a shiny thing he wants to check out. That wouldn't really surprise me.
Regardless, I can't say no to his pleading eyes. I may not be able to properly see their colour, but I can at least imagine it. It's the one thing I can properly remember about him. I like it.
"Can I go check something on the motorcycle first?" I quickly say. Ed just nods, so I'm free to go.
I approach the pile, stop, and tilt my head to the side. It's, well, what it looks like: a pile of old stuff.
"Is the other guy looking?" Jay tells me. I look back to see Ed has already gone inside, so I shake my head.
One by one, Jay makes the items float off the pile and onto the ground. His target is one thing only, something blue buried near the bottom. Even I can't make out what it is, but he seems dead focused on it.
He eventually manages to pull it out and it's a... plushie. I look at him and my eyebrow quirks up.
He lets it float in front of him for a few moments. The biggest smile spreads across his face, almost reaching his ears.
"Mr Cuddlywomp!" he says. I can't even tell what animal the toy is supposed to be (a horse? A cow?) but nevertheless, it's blue and dirty. "This is my old bud," Jay continues.
I frown. "Out of all the plushies in the world, this one's yours?"
He turns it around for me to see. There is a 'J' sewn on the plushie's stomach. Definitely handmade.
He hugs it even if he can't really feel it. But his joy doesn't last long. It only takes him a few seconds to think of something, and his face falls.
"I hope my mother didn't throw him away..." he mumbles, mainly to himself, but I'm able to overhear.
"I mean, everything is thrown out eventually..." I wish I knew how to comfort him better.
His smile returns. "You're right, my mum would never throw him away on purpose. I think." He tosses it in my arms. "Can we take him home please?"
I only hold it up with two fingers. I don't even want to think about the germs.
But then I look at Jay's face and I can't bear to tell him no. I guess he has that effect on me sometimes. Maybe it's the eyes.
"Fine," I say, and he cheers.
I keep looking at the embroidered 'J' on the plushie as we walk back to the trailer. It's an awfully convenient coincidence, but one I don't want to cling onto for long.
"Are they your grandparents?" Jay asks me, snapping me out of my thoughts.
My gaze drifts to Ed n' Edna through the trailer window, happily immersed in endless conversation. "The Walkers? Oh, no, they're my parents' old business partners and friends," I explain. "My parents were blacksmiths before we moved to Ninjago City and they were a good metal provider."
He chuckles. "Walkers. Imagine if I was called that. I'd be a Jay-Walker."
"Jay."
"I just think it's funny!"
"Why?" I ask. "What's your real last name then?"
"I guess Gordon, but my mum said I'd change it once I turned eighteen."
My eyes widen. I stop my hand before it can knock on the door, turning to look at him.
"Gordon?" I say. "Like... Cliff Gordon?"
He looks at me intensely. Guilt washes over me. Good job Nya, way to ruin another person's life.
He bursts into laughter. I frown.
"Nya, there are a ton of Gordons out there. If I was the son of a movie star, I'd have known." He shrugs. "Besides, dad wasn't allowed to see me. Cliff Gordon wouldn't be that kind of dad."
I bite my inner cheek, holding back my tongue. Knowing the countless scandals the man had been in before his death... I don't know what to believe.
Edna opens the door. The old woman fixes her glasses, looking me up and down before enveloping me in a warm hug. "Are ya just gonna stand there forever or come inside?" she tells me, taking me by the hand. "Come on, I've prepared those blueprints for ya in the back."
"You like building stuff?" Jay asks me. I nod. "I used to do that too! I once built a working cog machine thingy. I don't know what it did, but—"
"Hun, ya might wanna wash that before taking it with you," Edna interrupts Jay, gesturing at the plushie in my arms. "Some folks just dumped their trash to us. Like we're some kind of landfill!"
Right, I forgot about the walking germ demon. "I'll wash it when I get home..." I say, sitting down on the couch. "Are you guys doing alright?"
"As always," she says, going back to stirring the pot by the stove. "Are ya staying for lunch?"
I shake my head. "I promised Kai I'd get noodles with him. I just wanted to see you for a bit."
"You're always welcome here, sweetie. Even if it's just once a month." She took my hand and smiled. "Try as ya might, you'll never be a burden here."
Even though they were simply business partners... In my eyes, these two are the best friends my parents have ever had. Sure, they knew Misako and Cole's mum better, but... They always seemed so distant. None of them helped our parents quite like these two did. Even as 'acquaintances', they're the only ones to encourage me through it all. Even Kai's smiles couldn't match with the Walkers: they didn't mention much, just made sure I knew they were there for us.
Jay was looking at Edna awkwardly. He looked uncomfortable for some reason. I noticed a hint of sadness in his gaze.
I could only watch as he floated next to her, then sat down on one of the open chairs just to join us. He was silent, knowing she wouldn't hear him either way.
"Everything okay, Nya?"
I turn to Edna. She squeezes my hand in reassurance and I see Jay turn away through the corner of my eye.
I fake a smile. "Yeah. I just remembered I forgot to grab something last time I visited. Can I..."
"Of course. Ya already know where the 'guest room' is."
Their 'guest room' is essentially an old workshop with a bed in it. Kai was always scared of the sharp tools whenever we had to sleep in there as kids, but I never really minded. I just liked to experiment with them (even if my parents eventually took them away from my hands).
As I walk towards it and close the door, Jay is forced to follow me. I guess that's one perk to being stuck with him.
I sit on the bed, placing the plush beside me. "What's up?" I ask.
"The sky?"
"Jay."
"Nothing's up." He shrugs. "They just seem like lovely people and I was interested in listening."
"Okay." I pause.
He looks at me weirdly. I persist.
"Just that?" he says. "Okay?"
"I'm waiting for you to speak." Wu always tries that on me, and it always works. Jay is too much of a blabbermouth to resist it, I know it. "So, I'm not talking until you do."
"I told you, it's nothing."
My silence continues.
He groans, floating down next to me on the bed. "Nyaaa," he moans.
"I've let out my issues, it's your turn," I say. "If it makes you feel any better, you'll never see me again after tomorrow. So... no one will know but me."
"Yeah." His voice cracks. I chuckle. He clears his throat. "I just... I don't know... You're lucky to have all these people around you."
"I... suppose so," I say, but it's hard to fully believe. One thing will always be missing. "You still had your mum."
"She worked a lot to support us both. And I guess working wasn't that easy then for her. You know, being a single mum and all," he says. "Has that changed?"
I purse my lips. "Kind of... Things are somewhat better, I guess."
He smiles a little. "Good. I don't want other kids to feel like burdens too."
I lay my back against the wall, bringing my knees closer to my body. "I don't think your mum thought you were a burden."
"I mean, I'm the reason she had to work so much. Always running away to play, making crazy 'inventions' that destroyed our furniture... If I knew what was happening back then, I would've been a better son."
"You were a kid," I tell him. "You didn't know."
I read somewhere that ghosts can't cry. Something to do with them being sensitive to liquids. I guess it's proving to be true. I can see in his eyes that they're welling up, but tears are refusing to come out. "I probably died before her. That's the worst thing I could've done."
"I'm sure it wasn't on purpose..." I bite back my tongue. "I hope."
"It wasn't. Just a very dumb mistake," he says. "She was really late from work one day and I went outside to find her... I knew there were some dangerous gangs in Stiix so I went to an abandoned warehouse to find her."
He continues before I can open my mouth. "Yeah, I know. Dumb decision, but I couldn't think of much else and it was near her workplace. But... anyway, the roof was broken so the rain was leaking through it and then this idiot," he says, pointing at himself, "didn't watch his step and touched a puddle with some faulty wiring nearby."
My eyes widen, but I don't want to reveal my shock. I don't want to stress him out more. "You got electrocuted?" I say quietly.
He chuckles sadly. "Yeah. Nice way to go, I guess." He looks at his plushie. "If my mum had some support like yours, I would've been less of a burden to her."
I feel my own eyes well up. Jay didn't deserve to die. Nobody did. Not my parents, not him... He had a long life ahead. But so did my parents. It's unfair.
I think of Mystaké and a pit appears in my stomach. I've been so nonchalant about getting rid of him... I'm taking away the only life he has left. I'm horrible.
"Hey, hey, no crying!" Jay tells me softly, trying to reassure me.
I didn't even realise I was. I never cry. I want to ask him to hug me, to make the feeling go away all over again, but this isn't about me anymore.
Suddenly, I feel something shifting next to me.
Jay is no longer with me; Mr Cuddlywomp, however, is slowly beginning to stand on two legs.
"I used to hold him all the time when I was feeling anxious," says Jay, and I finally realise his voice is coming from the stuffed animal. The plush wobbles around like a toddler trying to walk. While possessing it, he tries to do a little dance.
It's so uncanny and funny that I can't help but laugh, even through my tears.
"And... fin," he says and does a little bow. He still continues to walk towards me as the stuffed animal, not letting go of its possession.
I hear the door click. Without thinking, I grab the plush and hug it tightly to stop Jay from moving. I hope ghosts can't suffocate.
"Just wanted to check in on ya," Ed tells me. He glances down at the plushie and smiles. "I'm glad you're attached to it, but... ya might wanna wash it before bringing it so close to your face."
I wince upon remembering all the germs. I try to just imagine it's Jay... not that a ghost would smell any better. "Yup, I know. I'll come over in a sec."
"If ya say so," he tells me. "Anything ya need, I'm here."
When he closes the door, I finally release the plush from my grip. I stare into its eyes, failing to notice Jay has already gotten out until he sits next to me on the bed.
"You know... I kinda felt that hug," he says with the brightest of smiles. He hugs me from the side. "Thank you."
I still can't feel his touch. I pretend I can for just a moment, and my body shivers.
I wish I could hug him.