Is there anything better than sex?
Yes, a healthy balance of mental well-being and university work - not that I had one.
"This is it," Chen cried from across the table in the common area of his hall. Our small study group looked up just in time for the former cheerleader to drop his forehead against his laptop's keyboard with an exhausted whine and send a 'jfjrifhduSHDKKFJDHSVWVAKAKJDJDJJ' hurtling along the page of his essay. "I'm dead."
"No," Ambrose said dully from where he was playing on his phone with an ankle propped up on his knee. Then he continued. "Don't die you're too sexy ha-ha."
Chen raised his hand and flipped him the bird. Ambrose snickered. Aisling patted Chen's back in sympathy.
"Come on," Aisling encouraged with a smile. "Only a few more weeks and then we're on break. One last push!"
I stretched my arms above my head before slumping, face listless with weariness. I was completely and totally drained, staring at my computer screen with blurry eyes. The words were literature soup.
"I can't," Dylan declared as he shut the lid of his laptop. "I'm done for the day. My brain is officially on strike."
"It isss unhealthy to force your brain to continue when a break isss needed," Kvasir piped up, already packing his gear away. I copied, while Aisling watched helplessly.
"Guys!" she complained. "We need to finish our work!"
Chen stared at her. He turned to Dylan.
"So, you said that you have band practice tonight?"
Aisling fell back into her seat with a huff, arms crossed and pouting heavily.
"Yep," Dylan nodded. He swung his laptop bag over his shoulder and patted an unhappy Aisling on the head. "It's in the music block. You guys wanna come along? We usually have dinner afterwards."
"Heck yeah!" Ambrose cheered. "What genre do you play?"
"Country."
"Never speak to me again," the elemental master said as he forced Chen away from Dylan as if he were contagious. Maybe he was. Maybe I'd wake up the next morning with a deep southern accent and a cowboy hat with a penance for putting a strand of wheat between my teeth.
"I'm kidding," Dylan chuckled. "We mainly do indie. Sometimes rock."
Ambrose stared at him suspiciously before slowly pulling Chen back with him. He was unamused to be dragged around.
"Keep talking," Ambrose said slowly.
"That sounds fun," I commented, finishing off my lukewarm tea with a final slurp. "It'll be nice to chill out for a change."
"Hear hear," Kvasir grumbled.
"So, it's decided?" I asked as we filed out of the hall. "We crashing Dylan's band's practise tonight?"
A chorus of agreements (and a reluctant one from Aisling) responded. Plans were put in place, and the time was set.
Pizza and a show, how methodically mundane. Lloyd would've loved to have gone, if he had the choice.
"Y/n," Dylan called as the others walked on ahead. His grip on my wrist was soft, only requesting my attention. I gave him it.
"Yes?" I answered, turning to him as our friends walked on ahead. My eyes locked on Ambrose over Dylan's shoulder. He sent me a look that told me that he'd be hanging around.
He shifted uncomfortably under my stare, still obviously finding things awkward ever since the Festival of Light.
C'mon, dude. That was almost four months ago.
"I just- I wanted to check in with you," he answered, rubbing a hand in the soft, dark hairs at the nape of his neck. "... and, uh, Lloyd. Is he doing okay?"
I set Dylan with a tired smile.
"You don't have to pretend to like him," I said, picking up on his false regard. "I'm used to it. Don't force yourself to do anything on my account."
That just made Dylan seem even more uncomfortable.
"I miss him," I said with a sigh. "He's doing fine, but I miss him a lot."
"But he's been treating you well, right?"
I smiled softly at his concern. Ah, he was still paranoid. Very paranoid. Incredibly so.
"He treats me like I'm his last breath on earth," I answered. "He respects and loves me, and I respect and love him."
Dylan nodded timidly, once again unable to hold my gaze. It'd been this way ever since he confronted me about Lord Garmadon having a hand in his uncle's death.
My smile slipped into a frown. Previous Garmadon who caused this distress or not, losing a family member was never easy. I couldn't pretend it never happened just because I was tight with sensei Garmadon.
"I'm fine, Dylan," I reassured gently. "Seriously really am. And if I wasn't, then you guys would be the first to know."
Lie, the rest of the monastery's residences would be the first to know, but it was something he needed to hear.
Dylan nodded again, still quiet. His blue eyes hesitantly found mine, but once they held my gaze, they locked on.
"If he screws up, I'm here."
