Rivals {Ninjago AU}

Chapter 19

***(Harumi's POV)***

Fifteen minutes after I get off the phone with Lloyd, I finish applying my lip tint and give myself the once-over. The convention tonight is a medical fundraiser my mom promised someone she'd go to, and since my parents love appearances, all three of us are going. That means I'd better look the part of a sweet, happy daughter who can do no wrong.

I walk to my wardrobe and pull open the doors, surveying the contents. I have a number of evening gowns from charity events I've gone to in the past. My favorite is my little spaghetti-strap red dress, so I reach for that one just as I hear a thunk downstairs.

"I did put gas in the car before I left work today!" my dad snaps, his voice echoing up through the house. "We're not going to be late, Maren."

"Well I'm sorry for accusing you, but last time we had a time-sensitive errand, you forgot!" my mom bounces back.

I roll my eyes and slip out of my school outfit. I'll have to show up downstairs in another ten minutes or so and interrupt their sparring match so they're not late. In the meantime, I'm going to avoid them as long as possible.

I tug the red dress over my head and try to keep my mind off of the fight downstairs. Hanging out with the girls at lunch this week has been fun. Ever since auditions, Seliel seems like she's been more open around me, and I've realized that the girl has a hilarious sense of humor. PIXAL is an absolute sweetheart who asked me if I'd like to get my nails done with her tomorrow. Nya's a great listener, and her intuition is spot on. And then there's Skylor, whom I relate to on all things fashion, flirting, and fun. Well, my sense of fun may be a bit wilder than hers, but nevertheless we seem to enjoy most of the same things.

That's why in the end, I will date Lloyd so she can get her pageant back. I feel more than a little guilty about it, but I need Skylor's friendship, and I'm pretty sure she won't be too interested in me if I won't do her bidding.

I cringe just a little. Lloyd's a nice guy, and I've only ever dated guys on the not-so-good end of the spectrum. Take my former best friend's boyfriend who was willing to cheat on her with me. Not a stellar guy. And I was an even worse friend.

But I didn't know what to do. She was head over heels for this guy, and he literally flirted with any girl he could find when she wasn't around. She deserved better. I couldn't make her break up with him, so I did the next best thing: I made him break up with her. Unfortunately, that meant I had to lead him astray.

I don't think it was the right way to fix her problem, but it's what everyone expects out of Harumi Jade. I'm the girl who serial dates and races at dangerous speeds and can't back down from a dare. That's the Harumi Jade everyone wants.

Not the girls I hang out with now, though. Even Skylor's too principled for crazy Rumi, and she's the one who wants me to date a guy just to get a pageant back.

I bite my lip. Lloyd's too good for this. I could tell from the time we first met, when he stared at me through lunch and couldn't quite string sentences together, that he was a good guy who found me interesting. Bad boys who like me flirt and tell dirty jokes that make my insides squirm. They never have trouble talking to me because they know all the right moves and words and sultry glances.

But not Lloyd. He's innocent. And I don't know quite what to do with an innocent guy.

I mean, I know how to get him. It's kind of instinctual. I laugh at his jokes, pretend like I don't know silly stuff so he can swoop in like the hero, and hold eye contact a little longer than necessary before glancing down in embarrassment. That's all easy.

What I mean is that I don't know how to keep him. My wild girl façade isn't going to cut it for Lloyd. He may be looking for a little crazy, but nothing too out there. He wants someone who breaks the rules just a little – dancing in the grass that no one's supposed to step in – rather than someone who breaks and enters just because she can.