~ cigarettes after sex

'TW: gang violence, suggestion of rape, knife wound, fighting

It was a breath of fresh air when the weekend came. I had told my Dad I was ill and he brought it, I stayed home for the rest of the week, not able to bring myself to face Jacob and the cheerleaders, the glares at students who didn't deserve them and Lloyd Garmadon. They all deserved better, that was for sure. On my days off, I occupied myself with studying natural medical properties and homework. Occasionally, and even when I tried really hard, I would think about the victims and the whole City had grown to hate. My heart ached for all of them.

Sometimes I visited the shop, I pretended to have a stuffy nose and mostly sat at the counter to speak to customers who entered. I did a couple invoices to help my Dad out but that was pretty much it. I could tell he still believed my act, but everyday after school, I was met with an unimpressed look from Kai. I wasn't sure if it was because he could see straight through my bull or because he found out about Lloyd. Either way it made me anxious so I tried my best to not look at him.

Saturday evening, after my Dad had just finished cooking us a dinner consisting of chicken noodles with veggies, we engaged in a conversation. He was full of praise for Kai and how well he was doing in the shop. I listened with slight surprise in expression. It took years, and I mean years, for my Dad to be as good as he was at being a Blacksmith, and Kai was amazing at it? I was impressed, sure, but also a little suspicious. Maybe it just came natural to him.

Sunday was the first of February and I found myself lingering in the City's library. I needed stimulating, sitting at home in my bed was doing nothing for me despite the documentaries playing. Maybe more reading would do the trick? The books I picked up were mostly educational, a book about arts and medicine, but one Sci-Fi caught my eye and I ended up taking that one out too. I judged books by their covers, and then I read the blurb. This one seemed fascinating so I just had to take it. On my way through town I saw the department store where I first met Lloyd. I did have the card with me and it didn't run out for another 5 days... I crossed the road without fully finalising my thoughts. I might as well take advantage of it even though Paul asked me not to. Everyday after work Dad had been using it to buy food, clothes and tools. I think it was his dream to have a full tool box and now he had one... maybe it was a Dad thing.

The automatic doors opened and hit me with a whoosh of hot air. I ignored the food and went straight to the escalator. The clothes, home decorations and beauty isles were all upstairs. My eyes took in the clothes first, seeing all the springwear on mannequins. It may only be the start of February, but I thought it was a good idea to stock up before the fashion gets overboard and everyone was wearing the same thing. I picked up some leggings and a white tank top, walking down the shelves mindlessly. But then I saw a dress and my eyes was instantly hooked on it. It was white, summers dress. It went just below the knees on the mannequin and showed the perfect amount of skin on the chest. I nearly ran to the hangers and snatched one off to take home with me.

Nothing really caught my eye in the home section apart from a candle which smelled like the forest when it rained, so I went to look at the makeup. I picked up a lipbalm and some concealer; I made my way to the men's section to find something for my Dad. I settled with a shirt that he would probably use for work. I decided to head back downstairs for some snacks, I'd been craving peanut butter cups and salt and vinegar crisps. Better to stock up since I got it for free.

Admittedly, I did pick up a few more things then I had intended, some strawberries, two cupcakes for my Dad and I and some bread, since we were running out. I had grabbed my favourite crisps then made my way to the candy. I was so excited to endulge in the chocolatey, peanut butter goodness that I didn't even notice the person standing beside me. I'm not sure they noticed me either, but it finally clicked when they reached out to grab something in a pink wrapper then dumped it in his basket. I frowned for a second, I had seen that before.

I turned my head only for my breath to be caught in my throat. It was Lloyd Garmadon. His side profile was absolutely insane, I could see his face close up, the bridge of his nose and how it was bent slightly, maybe it had been broken before? My eyes travelled to his jaw, catching the small scar that embedded onto his skin. When my eyes looked in search for his, I almost flinched when I saw them already on me. I swallowed, this was my chance, I needed to say something. Anything.

"Hey Lloyd," hey Lloyd? Really Nora? "How are you doing?"

He frowned at me, as if I was pulling some sick joke on him, which was exactly what I needed to change. He didn't trust me and I didn't blame him, there was uncertainty in his expression.

"You shouldn't talk to me," He said softly, but it didn't match his expression.

"I just wanna say that I'm sorry. I didn’t know what they were going to do to you and I definitely didn't know they did it because of me," I rambled, not being able to stop my tongue, "I know you might think that this is some prank but I promise it's not. Jacob is an asshole, all of his friends are-- I'm-- I'm just so sorry,"

Lloyd looked surprised at my outburst, for a moment I thought he was going to smile at me, but he clenched his jaw and frowned deeper.

"Whatever Nora," He shook his head, his blonde curls shaking softly too, "I can't trust that this isn't a joke. I don't know you," And then he sighed, "I'm not sure I want to,"

Oh no, no no please. I let out a small breath.

"Can't I prove it?" I looked up at him, did I look too needy? Did I really want to prove a point this badly.

Yes. Yes I did. Because this boy and his friends were hated for no reason and it hurt me physically to know that I had some reasons towards it.

"No. If they see us together, I'll get the shit," And then he turned properly so I saw all of his face.

My eyes widened. He had a dark bruise on the other side of his jaw, it was purple. I gulped, he probably heard it. What could I say, I needed to say something! I couldn't just leave it like this. It wasn't fair. My eyes flickered to the candy, trying to think of something, anything.

"Can I at least pay for you?" I wondered, hoping he would accept.

"No," He looked to the floor and then turned around, walking away from me.

My hand tightened on my basket. There's no way I could just leave him. He had been hurt because of me, none of this was fair. It was clear he had serious trust issues and I couldn't blame him, so how could I find a way to break down his walls and get him to talk. We could maybe even be friends. Just as I was about to walk towards the tills, I paused, reaching out behind me to grab multiple packets of an item.

💫

I tried to navigate my way back home without following the maps on my phone. I had done this before and managed it alright, the only difference was that it was currently dark outside and I had only done it in the day. It couldn’t be any different, surely. The two bags weighed heavy in my hands, maybe I should've asked for three to distribute the weight. Eh, I couldn't turn back time now. It was a warmer night then what it had previously been so I was thankful for that, but since I was unable to lift my hands to their pockets, the cold nipped at their tips more then anything. I looked to a sign which pointed to the library which was close to my house, then I peered to another road I hadn't been down before. It made sense in my head to go down it, if it lead to the library, then it would lead me to familiar grounds that I could navigate my way back home with. Besides, I needed to get to know the area better anyway.

I turned down the road, confident that this was the right choice. The road was empty, a few houses scattered on either side, cars parked neatly... but it was quiet. Ninjago was a bustling City. The only thing in the distance was cars on the main road and the birds quietening down to sleep. It was kind of peaceful, though slightly unsettling. I kept walking, the faster I saw the library, the faster I got home. But then someone whistled out to me.

"You need help with those bags?"

I turned to the unrecognisable voice. There was a man sat in the curb, no, not just one, three. I wasn't sure who specifically had called out, but I smiled politely and shook my head.

"No thank you," I called back, turning my head to continue walking.

I heard shuffling but shook it off, it was my probably just my footsteps. But then they became more frequent.

"Are you sure Lady?" Another voice added, "I haven't seen you around here before,"

"You lost?" The same voice who had called out to me first asked.

I turned around to them again, the same fake smile plastered on my face.

"I'm sure," I insisted, not answering the other question or retaliating to the observation.

It was as if they didn't have ears or just chose not to listen. They continued to tail me. It was at this point my heart began to race and my hands clenched around the bags. The plastic carrier bags felt like they were digging into my skin, the weight feeling a lot more heavy then when they last started. I swallowed. My father had taught me how to sword fight, but I had no sword to defend myself with. I had never punched anyone before, so I'd probably end up breaking a knuckle in the process. Either way it would deem useless. There were three of them, and whether I liked it or not, one of them alone were going to be stronger then me. I probably wouldn't even lay a hit.

My mind began to wonder, trying my best to ignore the men behind me whilst my brain screamed at me. If they wanted my shopping, I might as well tell them now that there was nothing valuable inside the bag. I doubt they wanted makeup or a pretty dress, I wouldn't fight for any of what I brought. Actually, maybe I would for my Reese's Cups, but that was only because I had really wanted them for ages. Though a darker voice in my head scared me more. I don't think it's the shopping they want.

I looked over my shoulder and no surprise, they were still following. Time for me to practice standing my ground.

"Do you guys need help with anything?" I stopped walking, surprising them to a halt too.

"Yeah actually," A man in a cap said, his voice was the one I hadn't heard before.

The other two looked at him and just from observation, he looked like the leader of whatever pack they had.  He was wearing a dark jacket and dark jeans. I couldn't see his face, the shadow covered his features.

"Um..." My voice shook despite trying my hardest to sound strong, "What can I... do for you?"

"Don't scream," He spoke again whilst the other two walked forward, sharing a wicked grin.

I sucked in a breath, ready to scream.

"Nobody's gonna ask me?" A new voice called out, "What? Do I not exist to you?"

All three of them turned around, one of them cursed under their breath. From the parting they made, I saw clearly who was there. My eyes widened and my heart pumped quicker then it did before, but just from the sight, I knew I was safe. The Green Ninja. Someone I'd only ever read about on the news and fan pages. I'd seen pictures of him all over the Internet from fangirls and boys, never in my life did I expect to need saving from him unless it was from Lord Garmadon. He sounded sassy, he was confident and was currently positioned in front of us with his hands on his hips. Any other situation, I would've laughed at how he was acting, but I was still frozen.

"Get outta here Ninja," The guy in the cap hissed, "Things'll get messy,"

I half expected him to give in and leave, that what I would've done in this situation, I would be too scared. But he let out a laugh, a laugh so loud I had to dart my gaze across the setting. Where was the comedian cracking the jokes and why didn't I find them funny? He finished his laugh off with a sigh, wiping his eye as if it had brought him to tears.

"Oh God, that was a good one," There was a smile in his voice, but I couldn't be too sure, though it was obvious when it dropped and the humour dripped away from his tone like a leaky faucet, "You have once chance to leave,"

The guys looked at each other, debating their chances of winning. Their ego must've gotten too high and seen the ratio. 3:1. They surged towards him. I wanted to do something, but I was still frozen. They guy who spoke first took a swing at the Ninja who dodged it effortlessly, grabbing his arm, twisting it around his back and yanking him to the side. The second guy saw this and tried a different approach. He faked a punch which The Ninja turned to catch but ended up striking a kick. Just when I thought it landed, my saviour slapped the body part to the side then struck a punch to his jaw, knocking him clean out. The third guy with the cap didn't move at first, the two had a stare off before anything happened. I quickly realised why.

"Watch out!" I yelled, his eyes met mine.

I was too late, the first guy that The Green Ninja had flung backwards leaped onto his back. The Ninja struggled, elbowing the man who stayed clinging like his life depended on it. Now with a distracted target, the third man sprinted forwards, pulling something out of his pocket. The blade struck The Ninja's arm before he could stop it. A small yelp left his mouth before he twisted and knocked the guy clean off his back.

"Man, I just washed this," The Ninja complained, sending a glare to the guy with the knife, "I'm The Green Ninja, not the Red one,"

I didn't even have the chance to blink he was that quick. The hero had knocked the weapon clean out of the man's hand and then issued a kick to his chest, forcing him backwards. Then just to finish the job, he added two extra punches just to finish the job then watched him fall to the floor. My breath returned to me. He looked around him, almost comically before putting his attention to me. I froze again, not out of fear, but out of suspense. What was I supposed to say? This guy had just saved my life.

"You okay Ms?" He wondered, his eyes soft.

He held out a hand, placing it on my arm. And that's when I noticed his.

"Oh my God. You're bleeding, a lot. Oh my God," I rushed over my words, "Can I check it? I'm sorry if that's weird but I study a lot and I know about wounds and stuff and I can see that it's bad so can I check it? I promise I'm not a weird fangirl, I just want to help,"

He let out a small snort of amusement before checking his own arm. I couldn't tare my gaze from the little part of face he showed. He had light eyes, I could see that even in the dark. I couldn't tell what colour yet, I couldn't focus that intensely yet. But I noticed the wince. He knew I was right.

"Uh, sure," He nodded, pulling at the fabric of his Gi so it tore a bigger gap for me to look at it with.

I dropped my bags without a second thought and grabbed hold of his wounded arm. Blood was staining everything. I cursed under my breath and let go of him, turning to my bag and tugging out the shirt I had brought for my Father. Without even really thinking about it, I used it to wipe away the blood, not looking at his face when I heard his breathing stop. I wasn't surprised, that probably did hurt really bad. Once most of the blood was gone, I sighed with relief.

"He just nicked you. It's not bad, but it's still a lot of bleeding. I don't know how you Ninja heal so quickly after a mission, but do it to that arm," I say fearcly.

"Don't worry," He chuckled quietly, "I intend to,"

"For the meantime," I ignored him and grabbed the shirt with both hands, "Sorry,"

I saw him frown, he was probably thinking why I was apologising, but there wasn't time to explain. I pulled on each sides of the shirt, creating a knot over the cut. He hissed in pain, balling the hand from the injured arm.

"This will stop the bleeding but not for long," I told, tieing it again for extra measure.

He nodded then pulled his arm away when I let go.

"Ms, are you okay?" He repeated, placing his hand on my shoulder oncemore.

"Yeah," I breathed, "I'm okay. You're the one that was stabbed, hah,"

Oh God, it was so obvious that I wasn't okay.

"I think your adrenaline is wearing off. I'll walk you home, I don't want you to go into shock," I could hear the concern in his voice.

"You don't have to," I assured, shaking my head, "You probably have way more important things to do,"

"Helping people of this City is important to me. It's the least I could do," He dodged passed me, grabbing my bags, "We should go,"

"You don't have to do that," I turn to grab one of the bags out of his hands but he swings it away.

"No way!" He chuckled, seeming offended that I had tried to decline, "It wouldn't be very gentlemanly if I didn't take a Lady's bag for her,"

My cheeks turned pink but I ignored it.

"Seriously Mr. Ninja Sir," I didn't know what to call him so I just blurted out everything, "Your arm is hurt,"

"I've been through a lot worse," He shrugged, starting to trudge forward so I had no other choice but to follow him, "They're not even heavy,"

I sighed, defeated. I followed him, but took the lead in the walk. He didn't know where I lived... I think. I kept staring at him, like he was some kind of God that had just rescued me. I mean, he definitely did just do that, but he came out of nowhere. If he hadn't, heaven only knows what situation I'd be in right now.

"I just want to say thank you... for saving me and stuff," I muttered awkwardly as my house came into view.

"No worries. I'm sure you'd help someone if they needed it," He brushed it off.

Ouch.

"This is me," I blinked at him stupidly again, then reached out for the bags which he handed over, "Thank you. Seriously,"

"Anytime. I'm glad I got there when I did," He assured, sticking his thumbs up.

I nodded at him, unsure on what to say. I ended up giving him a tight smile before turning my back on him and opening my front door which Dad had left unlocked. Once inside, I pressed my back up against it and let out a heavy sigh, shutting my eyes.

💫

"Here," I placed a bag of candy that I'd seen him grab twice now in front of him.

Lloyd Garmadon looked at me like I'd spoken a different language, then to the bag like it had just insulted him. I wanted to prove myself to him, I needed to. So quickly, I untucked the chair next to him and sat down. He looked at me like I was dangling off a cliffs edge.

"What is that?" He asked, eyes sliding to the bag then back to me.

"Think of it as a truce," I told, "Or a further apology,"

"An apology?" He questioned my words worriedly, but there wasn't the same poison in his voice like there was yesterday at the store.

"Look," I shook my head a little, "I didn't realize that Jacob's actions were bad until what happened to you on Wednesday--."

He cut me off.

"If you sit here, you'll get the same amount of shit that I do," He reminded, his eyes searching my face for something, "Are you not scared of me?"

I spoke without thinking of an answer, "Fear? Fear isn't a word where I come from,"

As soon as I realize what I'd said I wanted to die. Now was not the time to geek out in front of the boy I was trying to seek forgiveness from. But his reaction was one I didn't expect. His lips turned up in a smal smile... it was beautiful.

"You're a Fritz Donnegan fan?" He seemed amused by my outburst.

"Yeah, I love the movies," I admit, blush covering my whole face.

"What? Ew, the comics are where it's at," He shook his head.

"What?" I scoffed, "The movies are masterpieces,"

"Pfft. Whatever," He rolled his eyes, but there was still a small smile on his face all throughout his next words, "I don't get why you're doing this, if it's a prank I guess I'll find out the hard way,"

"It's not," I promised, but I still couldn't blame him for not believing me.

"When everyone finds out, you're going to get destroyed socially," Lloyd muttered, sadness taking over his expression, "You can still move seats. I won't hold it against you,"

I contemplate it for a second, but it wouldn't be right. People hated him for no reason and I couldn't be that person. Plus, with the new knowledge of our shared interest, I was surprised. He was just a kid that had a bad Dad. That didn't make him bad. He had a childhood and liked kid things like comics. He might be opposed to the movies, which I had to change if we became friends, but he was just a normal kid who had been made to become a social outcast.

"No," I shook my head, "Let them destroy me, or let them try," I watched him raise a brow, "Do losers get a welcome party, or what?"

I ignored the way my heart fluttered at the sight of his small smile. I heard the first bell ring and pulled in a breath. There was no turning back now.

🐉

Enjoy this little thing I made of future Nora and Lloyd