***We're getting into some of my favorite chapters in this book. You will like, I promise! <3

Also, when you see the double/triple enter in Nya's POV, it just means there's a time gap. It should be pretty easy to tell.

Also, sorry for less updates this week, but I've been really busy.***

***(Nya's POV; song for this chapter: "One Thing" by One Direction)***

"You know what's annoying the heck out of me?" Skylor asks as I sit down next to her.

I hand over some of the notes Jay and I have compiled for the wedding shower. "That neither Nadakhan nor Pythor have made an appearance in a week?"

She pushes the notes aside. "Nya, what's annoying is that you and Jay have been back in contact for a week now, yet you haven't confessed your feelings for him yet. He's not a clingy butt anymore. What's with you?"

"I've tried playing it cool,

But when I'm looking at you,

I can't ever be brave

'Cause you make my heart race."

Okay, yes, being around Jay when he's back to normal - yet not mine - is annoying, but I'm not going to give her the satisfaction of hearing that.

I roll my eyes. "Skylor – "

"Don't say my name like that, young lady," she smirks.

Again, I roll my eyes. "You sound like an old Karen."

"I'm practicing for later."

"You mean, you're practicing your mom-ness for the fake child you and Kai were supposedly having?" I'm still salty about that.

She blushes. "That was your brother's spur-of-the-moment idea, not mine. And we both know any ideas he has are entirely stupid. Well, besides proposing to me or taking care of you. Those are two good ones."

"The only two." I shake my head. "Skye, Jay and I aren't an item because we're both still messed up."

"You haven't talked about doubting your decision to stay in Ninjago City since he got back on the team. I think he's very good incentive for you to stay, apparently."

"Shot me out of the sky,

You're my kryptonite.

You keep making me weak.

Yeah, frozen and can't breathe."

My cheeks flush. "You're wrong. I just don't talk to you about my doubts." I talk to Jay or Cole. I'm honestly scared of what Skylor could see in my head.

She raises an eyebrow. "Maybe, but Jay also makes you want to stay, doesn't he?" She nonchalantly looks down at the notes. "You know, I've always thought you two would make a good couple."

"But Jay is still dealing with so much with his mom's loss, and even if he isn't so clingy anymore, he still could revert back to that, Skylor."

"You're right – but then, he could become clingy at any stage in your relationship, Nya. It'd be a shame if he moved on from you and you missed your chance, just because you're scared."

"Oh, what am I scared of now? You all seem to think I have horrible insecurity issues." Which, admittedly, I did have until two weeks ago. They're...getting better.

Skylor laughs. "Adorable. Nya, I get it if you're not ready yet, but maybe you two should at least talk about a relationship in the future. I mean, if you're in love with him – "

"Love is a strong word." That describes exactly how I feel, but I'm not entirely ready for that jump.

"Something's gotta give now

'Cause I'm dying just to make you see

That I need you here with me now,

'Cause you've got that one thing."

She rolls her eyes. "As I was saying, if you're in love with him – "

"Hey, guys," Jay smiles, walking in. "Sorry I'm late. I'm not supposed to be alone and all because of Nadakhan, so I decided to ride with Cole, but Cole took forever to get out of the monastery this morning. He was so busy complaining about that scratch on the Earth Drill due to Nya parking it on the roadside at our grad party – oh, but I'm rambling. What'd I miss?"

Skylor stifles a snicker, and I shoot her a glare.

"Now I'm climbing the walls,

But you don't notice at all

That I'm going out of my mind

All day and all night."

"Nothing," I reply. "We hadn't even gotten to the notes for the wedding shower yet. We were just talking."

"Oh, that's nice. Sorry I interrupted." He seats himself beside me, giving me a side hug.

Like a brother would.

"How are you?" he asks, his expression all happiness.

Dang it, I can't even form words. His joyful, carefree-yet-caring face appears in my dreams every night.

"I..." Clearly need to get my head checked, because all words have fled from my mind.

"Something's gotta give now

'Cause I'm dying just to know your name.

And I need you here with me now

'Cause you've got that one thing."

Skylor speaks up. "She's fine. And I am, too, even though you didn't ask."

Jay laughs, running a hand through his hair. "Sorry, Skylor. So, do you like what Nya and I have put together so far? She had a really good idea for a guestbook. Did you tell her about that yet, Nya?" He looks down at me with another kilowatt smile.

"So get out, get out, get out of my head

And fall into my arms instead.

I don't, I don't, don't know what it is,

But I need that one thing."

I look over at Skylor, just because it's so hard to think when he flashes me one of those grins. "Um, not yet."

Skylor's eyes sparkle with amusement. She sends me a mental message that says, You have it so bad for Jay, and you aren't willing to do anything about it.

I glower at her. "Skylor, I was thinking that for your guestbook, we could all sign a toilet seat – "

A few hours later, we finally finish up talking with Skye. Jay walks beside me out of her house with his hands in his pockets. I have my hands in my pockets, too – I just need something to do with them so I don't reach out and hold Jay's. Yup, I have to do something about this incessant attraction. Jay and I both need more time to heal.

"So...you wanna get food?" Jay smiles down at me.

Time alone with him?

Too much to resist.

I nod, smiling. "Yeah. I like...food." I have the intellect of Cyrus Borg. "What do you want to get?"

"Chinese takeout? I know you like it a lot."

I suppress one of those goofy, lovestruck grins. "Okay." I open Skylor's door for him.

He frowns. "It's raining. Do you think Skylor will mind if we borrow one of her umbrellas?"

"I'm the master of water, remember?" I create a shield over my head and step out into the rain, offering him my hand. "Are you coming?"

He smiles timidly, taking my hand and stepping under the shield with me. We walk that way out to the Ultra Stealth Raider. Cole already drove the Earth Drill back to the monastery.

I finally got my license yesterday – courtesy of Jay taking me to the testing center, of course – so I head to the driver's seat after seeing Jay stays dry as he gets into the passenger side.

Jay never minds if I drive. Skylor does, my brother certainly does, and Cole definitely does, but not Jay.

I start the vehicle, turning on a little air conditioning due to the humidity. "So...how's life?"

"It's good," he answers. "It's, like, really good. I honestly can't remember being happier, even though we're facing Pythor and an evil Djinn and...well, anyway, I'm just happy, Nya. What about you?"

"I'm, uh, doing pretty well, too." I pull out of Skylor's garage – I learned my lesson about parking on the street after Cole lectured me about the Earth Drill.

"You didn't sound like you meant that," Jay observes.

"I'm just kind of confused right now," I admit.

"About what?"

You. The mission. "Life, I guess." I up the speed on my windshield wipers.

"I get it. Everything's kind of a whirlwind right now, what with graduation and all. And you just now decided that you're staying in Ninjago City, so...it's probably even harder for you." He gently elbows me. "I'm here if you need to talk, you know."

"Yeah." I ignore the feelings coursing through me at his touch and words.

Instead, I just turn on the radio. Makes things easier.

"So get out, get out, get out of my mind

And come on, come into my life.

I don't, I don't, don't know what it is,

But I need that one thing,

And you've got that one thing."

"I can take a hint," Jay smiles. "I'll back off. Sorry."

"It's fine. I just don't want to talk about everything going on in my head right now." It's all I want to talk about.

"That's okay," he shrugs. "I mean, it's really easy for me to say most of what's on my mind, but not you, so...yeah." He hums softly to the song on the radio.

Gosh, he really has changed, and it's doing all kinds of things to me that I'm uncomfortable with.

***(Lloyd's POV)***

"Hey, Harumi." I grab a folding chair and take my usual seat in front of her.

"Lloyd," she beams. "You look yummier every time you visit! How are you?"

"Well, for the first time in a while...I'm good. And you?"

"Fantastic, as always. Everyone should have a chance to go to prison at some point in their lives!"

The thing is, she's so good with deception, she actually sounds like she means the words.

"You don't have to pretend with me, Rumi," I say softly. Ever since I figured out that Nya isn't running away, I've had more patience with Harumi.

"I'm not pretending." She rolls her eyes. "So tell me why you're so happy, Lloyd. I hope you haven't found another girl. That would make me so sad," she swallows.

I can't tell if she's lying or not. "There's not another girl, Harumi. I'm starting to wonder if there ever will be." The thought plagues me that I'm going to spend my life in love with someone who doesn't care about me.

"Oh, Lloyd, that's so sweet!" Harumi coos. "But if it's not a girl who's made you so happy, why the sudden change in mood?"

"Well...Nya's starting to forgive me for what I did back in February. For what we did – you're the reason I got drunk, after all."

"It doesn't sound like you forgive me," she observes.

"I..." I shake my head. "Think what you want."

She frowns. "Do you not hold that against me, Lloyd?"

"Harumi..." I sigh. "You already know the truth. You can read me like an open book." And this book says I will always forgive you.

She smiles softly. "You're so good. You should learn to hate people like me – we're the ones who will break you, you know." There's an odd thread of honesty to the words.

I rise from my chair and step closer to the glass of her prison. "Harumi, the good people are the ones who can't help but love the lost and broken ones."

She laughs slightly. "I can't believe you still love me. But you shouldn't, you know. I've done horrible things."

"Harumi, I know all about what you've done, and I've accounted for that." I place my palm to her glass cage, and she puts hers over mine.

"You know everything I've done? Then tell me what all that is. I'm sure I've done something you don't know about."

"I know you got me drunk so I would subvert my team while incredibly emotional. I know you kidnapped two of my teammates and many other elemental masters, then stole their powers regardless of the harm that would be caused them. I know that even though Chamille was faulted for the death of Neuro, you were still part of that – you're the one who suggested his power be taken. I know that back in August when you were 'kidnapped' by the Sons of Garmadon, you were really just covering your tracks because you and Ultraviolet were up to something. And one of the Oni masks was discovered when the police searched your home – that was considered reasonable evidence that you were involved with my father when we finally subdued him." I shake my head. "And through all that, I see someone who was lost and broken. Both your parents died tragically – so did Kai and Nya's. If they didn't have each other around, would they have turned out like you?"

Her eyes gleam with tears. "You're determined to see me as a lost sheep with good excuse for her actions."

"I'm not excusing you, but understanding you."

Her mouth twists into a sneer, and she removes her palm from mine. "You don't realize one very wicked thing I've done, Lloyd – one that's incredibly close to home."

"You can tell me, Rumi. I'm not going to hold whatever it is against you."

She presses her nose right up to the glass. "I dare you to hate me, Lloyd Garmadon. Feel righteous anger at me rise up in you, just this once."

I frown. "Rumi, what are you talking about?"

She stalks over to her cot and flops down on it, reclining her arms behind her head. "I'm sure you recall the cafeteria incident back in August, correct?"

"You mean...the one with Nya's near-nude pictures?"

"Yes. Lloyd, I know who did that, and it was because of pure jealousy for you."

Something niggles at the back of my mind. "Rumi, what are you hiding?"

"It was me," she grins. "So hate me, Lloyd Garmadon. I'm ready to take it all. Never come back to see me again."

I gape. "Oh, Rumi, you...you did that out of jealousy? That – that's horrible!"

"I know." She swivels her legs off her bed and comes back at me. "So hate me – I dare you."

"Rumi, that – " I slam my fist against the glass. "Goshdang it!"

"What, Lloyd? Are you filled with wrath? Anger? Do you wish you could come in here right now and give me payback?" Her eyes are triumphant, yet also...strangely sad.

I rest my forehead against the glass, feeling tears come to my eyes. "Rumi, the only person I can hate is myself – because even though you've done so many horrible things to me and those I care about, I'm still in love with you!" I give a shaky inhale. "And once again...I'm left wondering which one of us is the evil one."

***Thoughts? I think Jaya is at that cute-but-confused state right now. Llorumi? It's just a mess.

And you guys will really like next chapter - it has a scene I've been planning for a while in it. I'll try to double-update tomorrow! <3***