{Location: A park}(Morro's POV)

Say. something. You. Idiot.

It's only been an hour since the Clouse thing but nothing's happened since that. We're just awkwardly avoiding eye contact.

"So..." Topic. I need a topic. "Anything new?"

"Not really." Maya plays with her napkin, "Been getting into origami."

"Cool."

"I'm not very good."

"Better then me. I have to use glue all the time."

She snickers, almost crushing the paper in her hands, "That's not origami, dummie."

"I know. I was just trying to point out how bad I was." At least we've got a conversation going. Better then mutters and awkward stutters.

"Show me," She lets one fly down into my lap.

"THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!" Ray's chuckles echo from the rooftop of a store. "COME ON, DON'T CHA GET IT?"

Maya rolls her eyes as I try following her lead. She shakes her head, "I can't wait to move away from that idiot."

"Harsh. How have you not gotten used to him yet?"

"I'm water, which is awesome. He's," Her lips push together as she starts folding again, "A hot-headed, prankster dummie who's head is filled with nonsense."

I have no idea what's she's making. I smooth it out, picturing a flimsy paper box, "Prankster?"

"Big time. Yesterday, and he knows I need to take my time in the mornings, he set up a stupid mud prank."

"Go on."

"He had multiple buckets of mud balance on top of the doors. I just know that he got some type of fun out of that."

"Pfft, lame. He couldn't even see your face when it happened. What's the point?"

She raises her eyebrow a smidge.

"I mean, how dare he. The fiend. What happened next?"

She shrugs, proudly presenting her origami crane, "With my power, I pulled it off. I got most of it but it ruined my hair."

"But it looks amazing. Wow," not a bent out of shape. "Can I hold it?"

"Sure."

"Amazing, it looks like it could be alive."

"What about you, how'd you do?"

I carefully set down the crane, showing off a napkin with a bunch of fallen folds.

She snorts while covoring her mouth, "You're right. You suck at this."

Out of nowhere, a small fireball narrowly burns our hair. Ray cracks up, holding his stomach.
"DANG IT, RAYMOND!" Maya get up, balling her fist, "WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

He wipes a tear from his eyes, "You're gonna be late getting home." He walks off with a salute, snicking a lot, "Keep an eye on your front door tomorrow."

She moans, "I should get a higher fence between us."

I have an idea. A little cheesy but cute...I hope. I gently lift the crane up getting its wings to flap. I send it over to Maya's shoulder, "Hey Maya, check it out."

Her eyes widen a little before it hits her, smiling while cupping her hands under the bird, "Gusse I'm better then I thought. You really can fly little guy." She shuffles back before tripping over a rock, the crane goes one way she heads in another.

I jump up, missing her by an inch. "You all right?"

"Yeah," she checks her self, "No cuts or bruises." She frowns while getting up, watching the crane sink into a pond.

I fold my hands together, bowing my head, "Poor crane...forever in our hearts."

"Yeah."

"And in that pond."

She elbows me, "Really?"

I snort as I pick up the basket, sloppily folding up the blanket, "What?"

She shakes her head a little before carefully picking up broken plates and putting them in the basket, "You know what. I should go. My parents are going to have some talk with me and I want it done sooner rather than later."

I loop the basket in my arm, walking next to her, "I'll walk you home."

"Thanks." She smiles a little, "But I'm a tough girl. I can take care of myself."

"Believe me, I know. It's just the nice guy thing to do."

We get out of Jamanakai ok. Back to awkward pauses in our conversation.

I've chewed my lower lip to death and yet, I keep finding new places to nervously chew on. "So about you little Ray pranking you problem since I can't get there every time he decides to be a doofus-"

"I heard that!" Ray not too secretly follows us from behind. Either Maya's parents and/or Sensei asked him to keep an eye on us...or he's just being Ray.

"GO BURN A BUSH! Keep going." Maya's switches tones so fast I nearly get whiplash.

"I could plan pranks with you to get him back."

"Thanks but no." She leans in as the wet gravel crunches under our feet, "I think it'd only encourage him."

"Offor's always on the table." There are some huge ditches and pothole here. No surprise, this is a little rural and we've been getting lots of storms lately.

Mabey I should switch sides with Maya, so she doesn't slip and....there she goes. "Careful," I grip Maya's hand, "The storms make huge holes."

She thinly smiles in the rising moonlight, "Thanks. Are you sure that Wu won't be mad about the china?"

I shrug as I can see her house lights, "60-40." Should I let her hand go? Yes. Too much on a first date.

So why can't I let go?
"Hehe." Maya pulls her hand free as we step up on her porch. "Your hands are pretty cold."

"Yeah."

Ray throws up a fireball, "Night!" He lingers a little. Does he see something he likes or something? "See ya tomorrow."

Maya smirks, sticking her tongue out at him, "Later loser!" She looks at the ground, kicking it a little.

Say something, stupid. "Do you um...wanna go out again?" I'm not quite sure what possed me to crush on her. She is still jaw-dropping gorgeous but she just seems like Maya. My friend. After the Clouse and crane thing, it really doesn't feel like how I'd imagine a date to be. More like we're just pals...spending time together and having fun. Not to mention I've made this date super awkard and awful enough.

She hums, "I don't know."

"Oh."

"I didn't mean like that. I had a blast. Like when we were messing with that Clouse guy or you teaching me a card trick and game and the crane bit was cute. But-"

"You still SeE me as a friend." Did I just have my first voice crack? GAHHH! WHY IS MY LIFE THE WAY IT IS?!

She twirls her hair, smirking about something she's thinking of, "Yeah. Nice voice crack by the way." She leans back and forth on her toes, "You're not mad right? If you are I didn't mean to make you mad-"
"Maya. I'm fINe." I should get out of her before I sound like a rusty piano, "I feel the same. Mabey we JUst needED a date to snap us out of it."

She relaxes, letting go of her hair. Holding her hand out, "Friends?"

I grab it, so thin and tiny, lightly shaking it, "Friends." And as friends should, I should tease her just for fun. "You kNOw this is the part where I'm supposed to get a gOOd night kiSS." My stupid voice. My stupid, stupid voice.

She shakes her head, "That'd confuse you further." She shakes my hair around before pulling open her door. She lingers between the front door and a screen door, "I seriously did have fun though."

"Me too."

She unlocks her door, "If you need another date I could try setting you up with Wohira."

I shake my head, "Thanks but no thanks. I think I'm gonna stay out of the dating game for a bit." I smile as I pat my hair back into place. "Ya know, work on being the green ninja. Chosen one stuff."

"Good night oh powerful chosan one." She closes the door as I turn around.

Ok, so I don't have a girlfriend, a werdo almost ruined my first date, I could bearly talk and I hit puberty. But somehow, someway, this was an amazing date. I don't think I'd have it any other way.

It's getting dark. Clouds faintly cover the moon as I stroll home.

Wish there was a faster way. I'm like 75% sure my wind powers can double as flight but I'm not quite there yet. I'll get there, I hike up the monastery mountain walking up steeper but super shortcuts, I'm the chosen one.

Of course, my powers are going to grow unbelievably strong.

The red gates are ajar with some candle lights waving around the rooms. I didn't know Wu was expecting company. I head to the kitchen, taking out the dishes and cleaning a few. I pat my pockets, finding that talisman Wu gave me. I guess I had a good date, but I wouldn't call it lucky.

"I'll look in here," Sensei pulls open the door, holding a quickly melting candle, "Ah, Morro. I forgot I gave that to you. I found it, brother! How did the date go?"

Please don't let there be a voice crack. Please no, please, please, please now voice crack. "It wAS greAT." Oh, come on.

He holds down snickers as he takes the tailsmen, "I'm glad. Tell me everything."

"Well, at fIRst it looked bad. Some CREEp kicked us out of oUr spot- WHAT IS HE DOING HERE?!" Clouse walks in. Alike, 'ho hum, let's freak this guy out,' before glaring at me.

Sensei opens the basket, "My brother has been wanting to come back for that lucky talisman. And Chen and his other student followed him here." He whispers not too faintly, "Don't worry, I already hide the variables."

"I heard that." Clouse folds his arms while sitting on our dining table.

"You were supposed to." I sigh at Sensei's face when he sees the broken china. I rub the back of my neck, "BeforE you get mAd," I point as some cherry colored haired guy walks in, "He broke them!"

"HE AND THAT STUPID GIRL WERE IN MY SÉANCES SPOT!"

Cherry hair guy snickers, not to secretly winking to Clouse, "Good job."

"They're just plates," Sensei sighs as he dumps the broken piace into the trash, "At least most of them survived. Morro, I'd like for you to formally Master Chen. My brother's teacher."

Chen the cherry head nods as he sends Clouse outside, "I didn't know Wu adopted a hairless angry gremlin." I glare, what did he call me? And of course, I can't get him back without getting in trouble. Chen smirks.

As if I haven't met enough new people today, a brown-haired guy comes in and hey, didn't Clouse call him over when I was screwing with him? Garmadon. I don't quite the resemblions between him and Wu. Mabey the eyes but mostly diffrent otherwise. Garmadon rolls his eyes at Chen's cruel joke, "Master, do you think that you and Clouse should get a head start? It's getting late and I know how you like to sleep in."

"I just need to know, is this the hobo one that Wu was telling you about or a thief?"

Garmadon huffs as I keep my mouth shut, "The first one."

Chen nods, bends down, "Nice....to.....meet....you." Really? How is this guy a teacher? Chen gets up, waving as he backs out, "Goooood....bye!"

"Apolgies for my master, he can be a bit...."

"Nuts?"

"Eccentric." Garmadon holds his hand out as Sensei puts the tailsmen in, "I've hurad so much about you in my brother's letters."

"Nice to meet you," I bow a little, now I like this guy but I'll have to keep my sentences short, "SenSEI talks A lot aBOut you."

When.

Will.

This.

End?!
Garmadon bearly holds in a snort before cracking up, "S-Sorry. But it...Hahaha, you sound like a squicky door hinge."

Next time I can, I'm taping my mouth shut.

Sensei smiles, "It was good to see you brother, but we'll have to catch up at our next tea time. Morro, can you walk him out while I finish the dishes?"

I nod, not wanting to say anymore.

Garmadon waves as I open the door, "Next Thursday it is then." He looks diffringt at night..a little more menacing. He sighs happily thought, "So, how'd you meet my brother? He didn't seem to ever get to that part."

This will be fun to admit, "I was staRVing, having to dIG thought HIS trash."

He looks a little shocked.

"Then A woman fROM my old lIFe ordered me to StEAL from him."

"All right then," he nods before leaving, "Mabey we can learn more about each other if my brother brings you along."

"Mabey. Quick question and this might seem dumb...is that tailsmen really lucky?"

He tosses it over to me, "Truth be told, I just said I needed this because I needed a break from Chen and Clouse. But hold onto it," he starts closing the gate while smirking. His green eyes flicker red, the evil in his blood, "If you really are meant to be the green ninja, you'll need that when we battle."