***Things happen in this chapter...***
***(Lloyd's POV)***
"Hey, has anyone seen Nya or Harumi?" I ask. "It's been a while."
Jay looks like he's freaking out. "Nya said they'd join us in a few minutes. Are they still by the pool?" He rushes to the window.
"Calm down, buddy," Cole sighs. "I'm sure they're fine."
"They're not there anymore," Jay exclaims. "Oh, no. What if – "
I roll my eyes. "Don't even start it, Jay. I know you think Harumi is literally evil, but you're wrong. That's just how Skylor sees her. Let me call Nya and see where she's at."
I punch in her number right as the door swings open. Harumi Jade walks in, giving us all a wave.
"Hey, Rumi," I smile. "Good talk?"
Her eyes are distressed, but her tone is as chipper as ever. "The greatest. Did you save me any pizza?"
"I think so. Hey, have you seen Nya?"
Again, with that distressed look. "Um, she told me that she wasn't feeling well. I assumed she'd come in here with you guys."
"Not yet," I shrug. "I'll give her a call, though."
I finish putting in her number, but her phone goes straight to voicemail.
I sigh. "Oh, yeah. I forgot that her battery died while we were playing Monastery Mayhem earlier. Well...I guess we'll give her a few minutes before we go searching for her."
Jay looks like he's about to jump out of his skin. "Every minute we stay away is a minute she could be in trouble!"
Zane pats his shoulder. "Your anxiety at her absence is highly illogical. She's been out of our sight for less than half an hour, and Harumi was with her for part of that time."
Speaking of Rumi, she looks exhausted.
"What happened to you?" I ask.
She blinks, then smiles. "Oh, nothing. I could really use a shot of something right now."
Something in me softens, and I enfold her in my arms. "Hey, it's okay. Do you need to talk?"
She chuckles, but the sound is sad. "Lloyd, you are the sweetest guy. I'm fine, but thanks."
I hear someone cough and look behind me.
It's Nya.
I gently let go of Harumi. "Hey, Nya. What took you so long?"
She toes the floor. "I got lost."
I approach her. "Are...you good? You look kind of pale."
"Can I borrow your phone?" she asks quietly.
"Yeah, sure." I frown at her subdued tone. "What's wrong?"
"I don't feel well. I'm going to call Kai to pick me up." She wraps her towel tighter around her shoulders.
"I know you better than that," I sigh. "What's really wrong?"
"Just give me your stupid phone."
"Meeeee-owwwww." I pull it out of my pocket, only to wince when I see the lock screen photo. While my background is still of me and Nya, I changed my lock screen to Harumi and me at the pool this evening. I thought nothing of it while I was eating, but now...I feel guilty.
Nya peers down at my device, then looks up at me with huge eyes.
Ouch. Why do I feel like I've kicked my pet dog?
Rumi clears her throat. "Hey, Nya, why don't you go lie down for a while? You can take a nap in my room, if you'd like."
I smile down at Harumi. "Thanks for that. Nya, do you want me to..." I trail off, seeing her expression.
She shakes her head and walks over to the others. "Anyone have a phone I can use?" Her voice is barely above a whisper.
Jay starts to pull his out of his pocket, but Cole shakes his head.
"I can go ahead and take you back to the monastery, Nya, since I drove separately from everyone else." He loosely wraps an arm around her, then leads her down the hall.
"Huh," I muse. "I wonder what's...hey, Harumi, are you there?"
She stares off into space. "I'm not feeling the best, either."
Zane frowns. "Statistically, this does not – "
Jay interrupts him, running a hand through his curly hair. "I don't like this. I don't like this at all. You know what? I'm going with them. They're probably lost in the hall, anyway. Zane, can you guide me to them?"
"Of course. By my calculations, it's best if we both leave, anyway. Given the rapid spreading of this disease since we've arrived at the Jade household, there could plausibly be something here to cause illness. Lloyd, it would be most prudent for you to join us."
"No, Zane. You guys ride with Cole, okay? I'll drive myself home."
"Fine," Jay sighs. "Let's go!"
***Music Cue***
As he and Zane exit, I place my hands on Rumi's shoulders. "Talk to me."
"I'd rather make out," she simpers, looking into my eyes. However, she's just giving me a full view of the darkness looming inside her.
"Uh-huh. I can see you're in a funk. Tell me what it's about."
She moans. "You're a great boy, but sometimes, you're just too perceptive."
"Then let's go talk." I grab her hand. "Would you like to go back out by the pool?"
"Whatever." She snatches a slice of pizza from the box, then pulls me out into the night. I follow her until she sits down on a beach chair.
"Throw me a towel," she orders.
I find one in a nearby cubby, then toss it to her. She proceeds to cover her face with it and sigh miserably.
"Rumi, tell me what's up with you. Why are you so sad all of a sudden?"
She peeks out from under the towel. "Lloyd, how do you see me?"
I debate on my answer, but finally settle for the truth. "I see a broken girl who wants to make sense of her world," I admit. "And because you're so lost, you think you have to numb your pain with lies and alcohol and a string of guys."
Her eyes stare up into the night sky. "You said I'm lost. Do you know how to be found?"
I sigh, settling on the chair next to her. "I've been a wanderer several times in my life. And I'll go into that...but first, I need you to promise me something."
"What?"
"If I pour out my heart to you, you have to do the same for me."
"Nope. Sorry." She sends me a fake smile. "Can we skip to the part where we kiss now?"
I can't help a small blush at the thought. "U-um...not yet. I really want to talk this out with you, Rumi." Besides, I'm supposed to be crushing on my best friend. It's just...hard to think about Nya right now, given that Rumi is clouding my mind.
She sighs, standing up and draping the beach towel over me. Then, she crawls in right beside me and cuddles into my shoulder.
"Put your arm around me," she commands.
I laugh and do as she says, enjoying the closeness. However, I wince when I move. I guess the motorcycle crash yesterday must still be getting to me.
"Mmm," she murmurs. "You always smell so good, Lloyd. Now, I propose we play a game. I'll ask you a personal question, and you'll answer. Then, you'll do the same thing with me. If I ask you a hard question, you get to give me a hard one, and if I go easy, you do, too. Got it?"
"It's a good thing I'm in honors English. I don't know that I could keep up with you, otherwise. That was a lot of words."
"So...you'll play?"
I frown. "Is this going to help you be honest with me?"
"Maybe."
I think about it for a moment, but finally give in. "You go first." My hand absently strokes her white-blonde hair.
"Mmkay. My question for you is...how long have you liked Nya?"
I blink. "That was...unexpected. Uh, just a few months, actually. I never really noticed she was girlfriend material until she stopped dressing like a grandma and started standing up for herself like a boss." Difficult to recount those reasons when Harumi's cuddled up next to me.
"Okay. Now, you ask me something."
"Have you ever been in a serious romantic relationship?"
She titters. "What do you mean by 'serious'?"
"I mean...have you ever gone steady with a guy? It seems to me that you just go on one or two dates, and then you're done with it."
"Oh, well...no, now that I think about it. I never stick with anyone for long."
My heart drops.
"Don't look so sad," she says. "You're different. Not that I want to be in a serious romantic relationship, but we can be...friends with benefits?"
I sigh. "I'm not into that, Rumi. I'm not going to give my all to someone who won't put in the work to deserve it."
"Well, then...I guess we're just friends." She buries her head in my arm, and I feel tears trickle down my skin.
"I'm sorry, Rumi," I murmur, "but that's the way it has to be if you can't promise me yourself. I think I kind of like you, but unless you want to have something real with me, I have no reason not to pursue Nya." Except that I don't like my best friend as much as I did just a few days ago.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it." She rises on stiff legs. "I'll catch you later."
***(Harumi's POV)***
My hands grip the car's wheel. "Ultraviolet...can I just stop now?"
She shoots me an annoyed look. "Not yet. That's the point of chicken: you don't let up. It's the perfect initiation into the Sons of Garmadon."
I swallow. So far, this game has only resulted in the person next to me slowing down. I guess he wants me to pass him, but Ultraviolet won't let me.
"Slow your speed," she orders me. "Try to egg him on. Let him know you're up for a game."
My foot slowly presses on the gas so I'm neck and neck with the other car.
He does nothing.
I see oncoming headlights in the distance, and I immediately speed up to pass the guy in my lane. However, Ultraviolet laughs.
"What'd I say about not letting up? Wait until the last minute to get over."
At first, I'm angry. Ultraviolet could get me killed.
Then I feel the adrenaline surging through my blood, and I realize I really need a high right about now. I might as well use it to impress the Sons of Garmadon.
The headlights come closer, and I take a deep breath.
The oncoming car honks.
I honk right back.
The person beside me slams on his brakes, giving me every chance to get over.
I don't.
Right as the oncoming car begins to travel off-road, I swerve into my lane. Horns blare and lights flash, but I speed away. Ultraviolet laughs hysterically beside me, and I feel...good. Like I have something to be proud of, something to look up to.
That's when I hear a siren and see flashing lights reflected in my rearview mirror.
The oncoming car...how did I not see that? It's a cop.
I curse and gun it down the road. I can't afford to be caught by the police. The Jades would for sure give me up.
Ultraviolet screeches. "You've got to be kidding me! Did you remember to smear the license plate with mud?"
I nod in response.
She growls. "Why do you have to be the one behind the wheel? You know nothing about high-speed chases!"
The adrenaline has me laughing. "That doesn't mean I'm not a natural."
Seeing a stop sign up ahead, I make a quick check for cross traffic. There's no one coming, so I fly through the intersection.
I know for a fact there are quite a few backroads leading off the highway. I can theoretically lose the police if I take a wild enough path. Ultraviolet and I can go the rest of the way by foot.
Wait...no. There'd be DNA testing to worry about. Even if Ultraviolet isn't in the police's system, I am. I was in foster care, and they can find out exactly who I am with just a strand of my hair.
But...I don't know that we have the option to worry about that.
I hang a left, and Ultraviolet hits the window.
"OW!" she screams.
All I can do is laugh. As it turns out, a high-speed chase is a great distraction from a broken heart. Well, for the most part.
I hang several more brazen turns until I can't hear sirens anymore. Then, I throw the car in park and take a huge breath.
"What are you doing?" Ultraviolet exclaims. "We can't stop! They'll catch us!"
"We have no choice," I hiss. "We have to get out. The whole police force is going to be after us."
"Look, Harumi, I appreciate your guts and all, but we don't stand a chance on – "
Her eyes light. "Stay here. I have to grab something from the back." She throws open her door and rushes around to the trunk.
I nervously tap my fingers on the steering wheel, hoping Ultraviolet isn't going to leave me here. That'd be just like her, though.
Suddenly, my door is open, and she thrusts a bag at me. "Pick one."
I frown, looking down at the sack. My hands fumble with the top. "What's inside?"
"Masks," she grins, holding a purple wooden structure up to her face. Something that appears to be horse hair protrudes in pigtails from each of the mask's ears.
"Masks?" I hiss. "How are these supposed to help us? It's not like the police are looking for our faces!"
"Just put one on!" she orders.
I don't know why she thinks I'll trust her, but...
Oh, whatever. I'll do it.
I snatch a red mask with white horns.
"You chose vengeance, I see," she smirks.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Ultraviolet." I slip it on my face, then feel something cold and dark begin to flow through my veins.
It's painful, but...it feeds something inside me. Didn't Ultraviolet call this vengeance? Isn't that what I wanted from Lloyd, Nya, and their friends?
"What's...happening to me?" I choke out, clutching my stomach.
My chest heaves. I see Lloyd's disappointed face, the way he believes in a better version of me than I do, how he actually cares that I'm dying inside.
The sirens come closer.
"Give in to it," Ultraviolet prods me. "We don't have much time!"
"Lloyd," I moan, unlatching my seatbelt and stumbling out of the car.
Ultraviolet grabs the bag with the remaining mask in it, then takes off running for the woods.
"Lloyd...help," I plead. This darkness is killing me.
But I have to give in.
As soon as I let the vengeance take over, I feel myself growing stronger. Stronger than I was before the pain started, stronger than I was before my parents died.
I'm...unstoppable.
I race into the woods, my legs possessing a power I've ever known. I catch up to Ultraviolet.
"Where are we headed?" I ask, barely out of breath.
"No clue," Ultraviolet replies. "We just need to get away with those guys."
I see flashing lights through the trees behind us, and I cringe. That's when an idea comes to me.
"Ultraviolet, stop," I urge her.
"Are you crazy? I know I am, but at least my crazy makes sense! I still know it's bad if we get caught by the police!"
"Not necessarily. I need you to punch me."
Her eyes gleam, and she lets out a low chuckle. "I see. Take off your mask."
I do as she says, my white-blonde hair falling from under it. I immediately begin to wheeze from all the running. I am not into sports, so without the help of the mask...I'm asphyxiating.
Ultraviolet strikes me across the face, and I taste blood. I cry out in pain.
She then hits me in the gut several times, delivering a kick to knock me over. I double over in agony.
"See you later," she cackles, grabbing my mask and running.
I breathe deeply – well, as deeply as I can, given the stabbing pain in my stomach. Hot liquid dribbles from my nose.
Before I know it, a flashlight shines in my eyes. "Please place your hands where I can see them."
I struggle to do as told.
Another officer pats me down, then realizes I'm not a threat. "Is there anyone else with you?"
I focus on the biting pain inside, the sorrow of everything I've lost. How I'm too insecure to have a meaningful relationship with Lloyd.
The result is tears streaming down my face – just the reaction I wanted.
"Sh-she came after me," I sob.
The officer standing over me tenses. "What direction did she go?"
"I-I don't know. I'm s-sorry." I cry miserably.
"Spread out," the police officer commands. He phones in to get paramedic services at our location.
"Who are you?" the officer frowns, examining my injuries.
"Harumi Jade," I whimper. "And some freak tried to kidnap me tonight."