Rivals {Ninjago AU}

Chapter 18

***(Skylor's POV)***

Like any good best friend would, I hit Nya's contact as soon as I hang up on her brother. That phone call has weird and possible scheming written all over it.

"Hey, Skye," Nya abruptly greets from the other side of the phone.

"You'll never believe who just called me." My stress levels rise a notch as my dad has to slam on the brakes in this bumper-to-bumper traffic. If we have to make the trip to Yvette's again anytime soon, I am so packing some motion sickness meds.

"Let me think...your dad's fiancée called to cancel the visit for this weekend?" she tries.

I snort a humorless laugh. "No such luck." My tone takes a less sarcastic edge. "Actually, it was your brother."

She's quiet for a moment. "Sorry, I think I must've misheard you. Can you try that again?"

"I just got off a call with your brother," I repeat myself. "He called me up asking me how I can help him be a better sibling to you."

She's silent for so long that concern worms its way into my chest. "Nya?" I ask. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she replies softly, her voice strained. "Don't joke with me like that, Skylor."

"I'm not," I sigh, staring out the windshield as traffic begins to inch forward again. "I wouldn't believe it either if I were you."

She moans. "So this is his angle now? Pretending he cares now that the truth came out that he actually has a sister?"

In my mind, I can see her running her hands through her dark hair in stress and worry. Kai was telling the truth in our conversation a few minutes ago; he really hasn't manipulated Nya by trying to use their relationship to his advantage. This must be some new plot to somehow get what he wants through her.

"Tell me what you're thinking," I finally bid her.

"I think...I think he's trying to use you to get to me," she says carefully. "That's all I can think of. He hasn't done anything to me in weeks, and I knew he must've been looking for some way to get payback. I don't know what he really wants out of this, but whatever it is, don't fall for it."

I furrow my forehead. "I'm not going to, believe me. You know that I would be the last person to somehow be complicit in one of your brother's schemes." I bite my lip. "What I'm concerned about is if this isn't just another scheme of his, and somewhere in his point of view he thinks he can just pick up where things left off when he started cutting you off. It's just selfish for him to wait until everyone knows he has a sister to finally decide to treat you better."

"I'm not concerned about that because I don't believe he actually wants a relationship with me."

I debate how much I should share with her from my conversation with Kai. Do I really need to burden her with all his pretty words about feeling remorseful and hating what he'd done to her? I mean, if he really meant those things, he'd just tell her, right?

I opt to play it safe and analyze the whole situation strategically. "Nya," I ask, "what do you think your brother's scheme would be in trying to use me to get close to you?"

She sighs. "I don't know. Maybe he thinks there'll be less Graceton backlash against him if you two are working together on something."

"That's a good point." But Lloyd said he was crying. I guess he could have faked tears, but would Kai really damage his ego to these lengths just so he didn't have to deal with so much conflict? He doesn't get me as somebody who'd play the victim for attention.