Music to the Max

2 - "It's Garmadon"

After English, there was Science. Leah slammed the door open to find only three people had arrived on time like her; Zane, Camilla, and Sam. She sang out as she slipped into her seat, turning the volume up. "I get the short end of it. Oh, I'd love to be, I'd love to be the underdog- hey!" Cole was right; Underdog fit any situation. Mrs. Fleethorn sat stiffly at her desk, paging delicately through some papers. Skylor slowly walked through the empty door and sauntered to a desk in the back. Her dark red hair stood out like the sun, and it was one of the reasons why Kai had a huge crush on her. Speaking of the devil, Kai crashed into the room and sat down next to Leah and whispered, "Look who it is- Skylor!"

For some reason, the Fire Ninja liked to pretend it wasn't him who had a crush on Skylor but Leah herself, but she didn't really care. "Oh my gosh, Kai, you can admit your undying love for her now- don't let Mrs. Fleethorn hear you though, you know she doesn't like romance between the students." It was the perfect deadpan, and Kai slowly leaned back into his seat with his cheeks dark red. Zane smiled at him, "You have a secret-"

"Shh!" Leah hissed. "Skylor doesn't know- it's a secret for a reason."

In that moment everyone else flooded into the classroom the last one in Leah's row turned out to be Lloyd, while the rest of their group scattered across the other three rows with the other students. Mrs. Fleethorn looked down her nose at the students as if she were more superior than them- which she was, obviously- and stood up from her seat. "Today we will be learning about why siblings are so different. I'm sure you've asked yourself this question many times throughout your life if you have your own siblings, and now I shall answer it."

The teacher went on about DNA and parents and such, writing on the chalkboard and the whole shebang, but Leah wasn't paying much attention. Million Years Ago beat into her soul like a knife, the words singing true in her ears. I miss the air, I miss my friends. I miss my mother, I miss it way. Life was a party to be thrown... but that was a million years ago. She couldn't help but write a note with the simple words 'million years ago' and subtly pass it ahead to Nya who was in the row in front of her. Leah's friend took it, read it, and then reached back to take the daughter of Garmadon's hand. Nya's hand was strong and reassuring, and Leah wished she wouldn't have to let go at the end of class.

The end of class, in fact, came quickly and finally it was time for the Horrid Class of All Time Which Was Also Called Social Studies, aka HCATWWACSS. Leah sat on the same row as Nya this time and they passed notes between each other constantly, managing to avoid Ms. Buckleberry's careful gaze. But at the moment the song turned to It's Garmadon (a song by Garmadon himself) the Garmadon-Alert whined on throughout the whole school and Ms. Buckleberry dropped her teaching stick, or whatever you call it. "Uh-oh, it's Garmadon!"

"THANKS, LLOYD AND LEAH," everyone said at the same time. Lloyd kicked Leah's leg from behind and with the rest of her friends jumped up and asked, "Can I have a bathroom pass?" Leah quickly joined in, "Uh, yeah, me too."

Ms. Buckleberry's eyes flicked between the seven of them. "I think you mean 'may I', 'may I have a bathroom pass'? You know what, do whatever you want."

As the seven burst down the hallways toward their lockers (not the nearest bathroom, of course- that was a ploy, obviously) Leah joined Lloyd at the front of the pack. "What am I coming with you for? I'm not a ninja!"

"Maybe that's not true anymore," Lloyd shrugged. "I built you a mech and everyone agrees- even Uncle Wu- that it would be good for a new ninja on our team. You can be the Music Ninja, and I programmed your mech to work at your voice command as well as actual levers and such."

Leah became uneasy, "Are you sure? I would just slow you down; I've never even practiced fighting! How am I supposed to get anything done?"

Nya punched her arm softly, "Don't worry, it's easy, and you wouldn't be able to practice with a mech anywhere, right? Unless you went into that huge jungle, but even then the mech would be too big."