Chapter Text
School sucks. Kai hated every class he was in except math and gym. Gym because he was actually good at it, and math because he got to see Lloyd. Lloyd is like a brother to Kai. A little baby brother. Lloyd was like Nya in the sense that he was younger and still wicked smart. But Lloyd was smart enough to be taking junior level classes in freshman year. Lloyd was also the youngest in his year too, but he still managed being in one junior class.
Kai sat next to Lloyd, and promptly groaning and banging his head against his desk. Lloyd chuckled, saying, “Someone's over dramatic today.” Kai turned his head so his eyes looked over his shoulder at Lloyd,
“Lloyd, buddy,” Kai said, “I talked to this kid at the dojo your dad works at. I may or may not have it bad.” Kai ruffled his hair before sitting up. He had been texting Jay all throughout the day, telling jokes and commenting on stupid kids in their classes. It was fun, and the more Kai talked to him, the more and more he felt himself fall. It was dumb, and he knew it. The thing with soulmates is you do not know if they are platonic or not until you meet that person, but if Kai has a crush without meeting his soulmates, that could mean one of two things. One, that his soulmates are platonic and Kai has been fretting over nothing for the last few years, or,
“Maybe he’s one of your soulmates.” Lloyd said, shrugging, “Or you are screwed.” He said, looking over to the teacher, who looked more tired than usual. Probably forgot his coffee that morning.
“Either way I’m screwed Lloyd! If he's not my soulmate, which is most likely, he probably will think I'm weird for having a crush on him. And if he somehow is, he could get pissed at me because I don't talk ever!” Kai let out an exasperated sigh, flinging himself over his desk for a second time, “Just let me wallow in my Pythagorean Theorem. Forever.”
“We aren't even in geometry, Kai.”
“The moment, Lloyd Montgomery.” Kai said, chuckling to himself. Lloyd just rolled his eyes and started taking notes, hoping that he would get some information even if he missed most of his class. Kai continued to just sit there, staring at the board. He hoped Lloyd would not mind if he copied his notes later.
Once the bell rang Lloyd said, “Listen Kai, it may just be easiest to ask about his soulmate, and go from there. It could work out.” Lloyd swiftly left the room, running to the freshman classes. Kai just sighed, walking to English and contemplating whether or not Lloyd has the right idea. He probably did, but Lloyd was younger, why should Kai listen to him?
Once lunch rolled around, Kai sat with Nya and Lloyd at some table full of kids. Nya frowned at Kai as he depressedly ate his even more depressing lunch, “You really need to make friends, Kai. Like, friends your age that go here.” Nya said, leaning on the lunch table, “Am I right, Lloyd?”
“You're right Nya.” Lloyd said, almost as if this interaction was scripted.
“See, I’m right!” Nya exclaimed, standing up and pointing at Kai, who just looked at her with a blank expression. She narrowed her eyebrows and said in a dramatic tone of voice, “We’re kicking you out of our table.” Kai stared up at her, with a dumb expression. When she did not sit down after their staring contest Kai sighed, taking his tray and moving tables,
“Gee, thanks Nya.” He said sarcastically,
“You’re welcome!” Nya called, as if she could hear Kai. Rolling his eyes, Kai traversed the lunchroom, scanning for some place to sit. There was the drama table, chattering the loudest, despite having only a few people at it. The jock table was the obvious choice for Kai, but that was the table he was just kicked out of. Kai, the quarterback for fuck's sake. There was the nerd table, social suicide. And then some miscellaneous tables but they were completely full and probably really closely knit. There was the not eating in the lunchroom option, but that was for the marching band. Sighing, Kai sat at the drama table. The kids all looked at him, almost afraid. But once he did not do anything mean or whatever they were expecting, they went back to talking about something involving a Pierre and a comet.
“Yo, you're the new kid at the dojo, yeah?” Some kid next to Kai said, looking awfully familiar. Kai stared at him with a blank expression, “I guess being kicked out of your table has done a number on you. It's me, Cole. The kid who Jay was laughing at.” Cole smirked, flexing his bicep jokingly. He was actually more built than Kai, which shocked and disturbed Kai.
“Oh yeah. You were the guy who kept getting his ass kicked by some scrawny guy with white hair.” Kai blurted out, smirking back at Cole, “Nice to meet you, I’m Kai.” He said, combing his hair out of his face. Cole’s smirk faded as he got a really sad look on his face, looking at his seat,
“I’ll never be able to beat Zane huh..?” Cole said glumly, “He’s the only one I can't beat! I've beaten everything else. He’s like… A final boss almost.” Cole said, throwing his arms above his head, “I'm like the Newsies trying to get better pay or whatever.” Kai just stared perplexed. He understood the first analogy, but the second one was just gibberish. Kai patted Cole’s back sympathetically,
“We can't always win.” Kai said, attempting to console his distressed acquaintance.
“Yeah, unless we’re Zane.” Cole grumbled, “I bet he cheats.”
“How do you cheat at a martial art?” Kai asked, curious what Cole’s wacky answer would be.
“Guhh I don't know? Maybe he's a robot or something.” Cole ruffled his hair, as if searching for an answer in his brain and that would help somehow. Kai shrugged, taking his phone out and began to text Jay.
You:
DUDE COLE GOES TO MY SCHOOL
CONSPIRACY THEORY: ZANE IS A ROBOT
Jay ⚡:
HOLY SHIT!!!
“If you're going to make fun of me… at least do it to my face.” Cole said, frowning as Kai held back a laugh.
“I’m sorry, Jay is just ridiculous.” Kai said as he took a photo of Cole, as he deliberately intensified his frown for the photo.
You sent a photo.
Jay⚡:
THE MAN THE MYTH THE LEGEND! COLE!!!
“Dude what's your number, we should totally talk and stuff.” Cole said, reaching for his… flip phone?
“Is that a flip phone in our good year of 2017?” Kai asked, in mock terror.
“Yes Kai, yes it is.” Cole said, playing along. Once they exchanged numbers and kept talking about dumb things the history teachers have said, the lunch bell rang. They went their separate ways, and Kai could feel himself get happier. He was glad football season was over, so he would be able to go to the dojo everyday. Downside: it was really cold all the time. When Kai left for home, he and Nya had to shove their hands and their pockets and their shirts. Once they eventually made it to their apartment, they relaxed, turning up the heat so the place could potentially spontaneously combust.
Nya went to work on schoolwork before procrastinating and talking to her soulmate. Nya was closer to finding out who they were. They are a girl, she lives in another state, and she travels a lot. Nya hopes that one day she can visit, and Kai just keeps smiling and nodding, afraid of what Nya’s soulmate could do. If somebody matched with his little sister, Kai was in a run for his money.
Checking his phone, Kai sees a wall of texts from Cole and Jay. Smiling to himself he checks his arm. Unusually, they were quieter today, however the white and black ones had a long discussion about foods. Going back to his phone, Kai checked the time and panicked, he was going to be late again. Rushing to his duffle bag and placing his work next to Nya he said, “I have to go to the dojo, please do my work! Bye love you!” He called that last sentence as he ran out of the door, barely catching the bus.
When Kai made it, late just like the day before, Cole was getting beat up by Zane again. Kai quickly returned to his place next to Jay, and they bumped elbows with each other. Wu shook his head at the two of them, but continued to let the class go on.
The class went on with nothing unusual, just your typical anime battle between Zane and Cole. However once everything was over and Kai was quickly changing, Jay came up behind him, patting his shoulder as Kai was putting his shirt on, “Good job today! Your form needs work though. Nothin’ a little practice with me won't fix!” Jay jutted his thumb at himself, and Kai laughed, finishing putting his shirt on. He did not notice Jay’s glance at Kai’s arm, the fall of his smile, before putting it right back on, “See you later Kai!” Jay called, quickly leaving. Kai followed after, oblivious to the fact that the amount of people who knew about his secret increased by one.