~ Part 5 ~ | A Little Bit of Stupid

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** I've Got This (Mandy Moore- Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure) **
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"Royal decision making?
Hey, I was born to do it
Yes sure I'm slightly faking
But there's not that much to it
Bring it on, I'm ready 'cause I've got this
I've got this
Just watch"

~ Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure

*****

"This feels stupid."

Nya internally sighed as her brother awkwardly tripped over his feet as he stumbled to copy the headmaster's position.

Wu stood poised on one leg. Arms in the air like wings with his nose to the sky as he balanced a tea cup on the foot off of the ground.

"It's only stupid if you make it stupid." Master Wu retorted calmly.

"No I'm pretty sure this is just stupid."

Wu scowled his toe lowering the teacup perfectly to the ground without spilling a drop before he extended his leg and nudged the wobbling boy off balance with his toe. Kai's arms flailed and he fell with a grunt.

The movement threw Jay off balance as Kai accidentally smacked him in the face, causing him to stumble into Cole who fell backwards towards...

Dammit Kai. Nya thought as she went down. Yelping as her wrist twisted weirdly. She landed with a thump, as her opened her eyes, her gaze landed on Zane. Zane had gracefully kept his balance as he slid into the next form. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking in confusion when he spotted the bundle of his classmates.

"Have we switched our activity?"

*****

"And what is the triple point?" Wu asked the class as he stroked his beard, textbook in hand as he stood at the front of the classroom. The old man was attempting to teach Science to the students. All at various age, maturity, and learning levels. And while he was an old inexperienced teacher who was already baffled by the constant change of education material.

Though Nya was younger by two years she was smart enough to be at the same pace as most of them. Nya rolled her eyes when she heard a soft snore coming from Kai's desk. Maybe even smarter than one.

Nya glanced around the room. Kai was sleeping, as said before, Cole looked utterly lost, and Zane had been told he couldn't answer anymore questions so the others could get a chance. Nya secretly had cheered inside because Zane's answers were far more complex for even her to understand. Nya sighed when she realized that she would have to answer once more and raised her hand.

To her surprise, Master Wu fixed his gaze on something behind her with an almost relieved expression in his still ever cheerful- but tired- eyes. "Yes, Jay. What is the answer?"

Nya's mouth fell open and she spun to stare at the boy sitting in the back of the class. Jay shifted uncomfortably in his teeth. Nervousness obvious in his body language as he drummed his pen onto the desk top. "Uh...the triple point is when with the right temperature and pressure a substance can exist in three states at the same time."

"Correct, Jay." Master Wu praised with a pleased smile. Nya couldn't help but eye the boy, impressed. Jay flushed, the red colour almost as deep as the orange of his hair as he shrunk in his seat. Cole nudged him with his foot and gave him a fist pump as Jay smiled shyly at his desk.

He looked cute with his rumpled hair and goofy grin. Nya blinked. Where did that come from? She had shown interest in boys before but mostly stupid little crushes of an eleven year old. Those romantic fantasies of true love were long gone now.

And yet she couldn't deny the tiny little flutter in her heart when Jay raised his head. Beautiful blue gaze locking in on hers.

******

Jay has a crush on Nya.

There was no doubt about it. As soon as he had set her eyes on her it was like the red string of lover's fate had been secured with a big giant knot.

Cole had been subtly hinting that he was becoming obsessed. That his crazy feelings for her were a little weird especially for his first day at the school. Jay promptly ignored him. He wasn't obsessed with her. He just had a huge strong feeling whenever he was around her that made his skin sweat, his voice shake, and his hands get all clammy.

And he couldn't stop thinking about her. Like ever. It was like on part of his brain remained working while the other was on autopilot constantly thinking about Nya.

So not obsessed. Not at all.

There was one problem though.

Kai.

At first Jay thought they had gotten off on the wrong foot and that he was just in a bad mood when they first met. Jay figured they would hit it off like he had with Cole.

Boy, was he mistaken.

Kai constantly would shoot him sharp looks whenever he would get to close too his sister. And his barbed tongue seemed to bring stinging blows to Jay with a simple sentence. Of course he wasn't targeting Jay. He wasn't really being a bully because he was like this to everyone. And he mostly was aloof, only talking when he felt sarcasm was absolutely necessary.

It's the first day. Jay chided himself for being so presumptuous. He had been quite negative when he first came here and he still had the underlying doubts. But positive thinking, a new best friend, and a super gorgeous classmate had helped him see the silver lining. Kai just didn't have all that yet.

"Jay Walker!" Jay violently flinched when he suddenly became aware of the narrowed eyes of Master Wu's friend and colleague, Mistaké.

"I-uh-yes?" Jay stuttered out.

Mistaké fixed her beady eyed stare on him. She was short, very short. Even shorter than Jay. Her hair was greyed, tied back in a bun. And she had about a bazillion wrinkles on her face. She jabbed him with a crooked finger.

Jay inhaled sharply and held his breath. Was she psychic? Maybe she heard him thinking about her wrinkles!

"Pay attention!" Was all she snapped. The school nurse also was doubling as their history teacher for now so that Wu could set up what other torture- ahem- fun filled therapy activity he had in store for them.

"Were you listening to the prophecy about the oni and the princess of Taiyō?" Mistaké raised an eyebrow in challenge.

"Er...yes!" Jay lied with nervous laughter.

"Hmph." Mistaké grumbled. "I know a lie when I see one, Mr. Walker. Better get better at it or else you'll never be able to wiggle out of jail like I did just last month!"

"I know, I'm sor- WHAT?" Jay's tone went from apologetic to shrill in a matter of seconds when her words sunk in. His fellow classmates stared with wide eyes as well as Mistaké cackled.

"Nothing like a good criminal record, I tell ya." Her face suddenly changed as she lowered her tone. "Just...uh...don't tell Wu I said that."

*****

Awkward silence.

Jay hated it.

It was stifling. It was suffocating. It made his anxiety spike. It made his leg start to move up and down so fast and so much that Cole would give him a look that said "please stop that is the most annoying thing ever".

Wu seemed to be the only one perfectly comfortable. He walked around the room, pouring a nice cup of tea into a cup he had set on the armrest of everyone's chair.

"Um...Master Wu? Are we just going to sit here drinking tea?" Cole asked carefully.

"Of course not." Master Wu answered like that was the most absurd thing ever. "We're going to talk and sit here drinking tea."

Kai muttered something under his breath that sounded like "Jesus Christ" as he covered his face with his hands. Nya reached over, pulled them away, and hissed something to him softly that made he reluctantly stop slouching. The sulky expression was still on his face.

"What will our social party be discussing?" Zane tilted his head slightly and raised the tea cup delicately to his lips.

Jay tried to follow the taller boy's lead when Wu finished pouring his tea but he couldn't figure out how.

Tea spilt on his lap.

Oops. Jay's face reddened as he tried hastily to clean it up.

"Why don't we start by talking about our greatest fears." Wu suggested, making Kai groan, as he sat down.

Cliché but alright. Jay chewed nervously on his lip. He had a lot of fears.

"I'll go first." Wu paused, as if he was about to reveal something dark and deep. "I am afraid of..."

Jay waited, eyes wide, at the edge of his seat. Anticipation building, curiosity spiking....

"The Great mole rat."

Wait. What?

"It's called zemmiphobia." Wu continued as if this was the most normal thing ever. "I find his teeth and hairless body unsettling."

He turned to Jay. "Your turn." Jay stared. Unsure how to go about this.

"Uh... I'm afraid of spiders." He stumbled out.

Wu nodded. "A common fear." He glanced at Cole. "And you?"

"Er..." he shifted uncomfortably. "I..don't know."

Silence.

"I guess I'm afraid of ghosts." Cole said finally. "I tried to go to this haunted house when I was a kid but I hated it."

Next was Zane. "The impending doom of the future of the world." Zane told everyone casually.

Jay stared at him.

"What an interesting fear, Zane." Wu told the pale boy. "Care to explain why?"

"Please don't." Kai said, voice strained.

"Nya? What's your fear?" Master Wu moved on, motioning to the girl sipping her tea.

"I'm not sure." Nya looked thoughtful. Jay couldn't help but stare at the beautiful expression on her face as she set her cup down. "Uh...I used to be afraid of this old dog that lived in our town."

Last it was Kai's turn. His face seemed to redden as he skunk down into his seat at the states.

"Kai? Wha is your fear?" Wu prompted.

Kai mumbled something under his breath.

"Speak up, Kai." Nya rolled her eyes.

"*mumble* mumble...water." He muttered.

"What?" Jay squinted at him.

"WATER!" Kai shouted.

Silence once more. Kai crosses his arms and stared down at his feet.

Finally Jay could no longer take the stifling empty air. "I'm afraid of green jellybeans!" He blurted. Jay's eyes widened when he realized what he had said and his hands slapped over his mouth. All eyes were on him now. At first no one did anything. Then Cole snorted.

"What do you do when you're eating out of a candy jar?" Cole asked, an amused twinkle in his eye.

"I just dug in and pray: 'please not a green one, please not green one-'" Jay mimed sticking his hand in a jar and squeezed his eye shut before pretending to pull out a jellybean. "AH!" He feigned fear and released his invisible green jelly bean.

Nya had been drinking more tea but when he did that she choked and spat it out, aiming at poor Zane. The boy blinked as it hit his face. Confused. Master Wu began to chuckle at that and Nya slapped her hand over her mouth, giggling as she helped poor Zane clean up. Jay felt his cheeks hurt from grinning as he glanced across the room. Kai was sitting quietly in his chair. But he was no longer sunken into the cushion.

In fact, if Jay looked hard enough he could just make out a tiny smile.