Rivals {Ninjago AU}

Chapter 2

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

Summer days mean lazy sunbathing beach trips, a seasonal boyfriend at my dad's vacation house four hours away, and balmy nights playing guitar at an outdoor coffee shack.

I find it bittersweet to say that those days are over.

And so is my life.

"Skylor," my dad sighs, "you know I give you free reign these days to do whatever you like, but this is where I put my foot down. I am not letting you stay in Nom while I move three hours away."

I shove my cereal bowl away. "You've got to be joking. Dad, my senior year just started, and now we're supposed to move?"

"For the good of the company," he says placatingly. "Skylor, I really do try to give you everything you want, but I'm not allowing us to be separated just so you can complete your senior year at your all-girls school. You are my daughter, after all."

I resist an eyeroll. Here we go again.

He loves his precious daughter so much, he's a permissive parent who doesn't even remember when I'm around. I could probably stay behind while he moved, and he wouldn't realize it until two weeks later.

The only problem with that idea is that I currently don't have a place to hide out while my dad moves. He apparently found a buyer for our house yesterday, and in four weeks we're supposed to move cities over to Shintaro to open a new noodle house there.

It was a good plan to stay behind while it lasted, though.

I try to paste on the smile that gets me everything I want. "Daddy, I just don't understand why you can't send some of our staff over to Shintaro. I'm sure they know how to open a noodle house." It's not like they haven't opened five since the original one started in Ninjago City.

My dad gets that shifty look in his eyes. That look.

Something's up.

"Well," he stalls, "see, Skylor...you wouldn't understand, but –,"

"I understand more than you think." The sweet cereal I just consumed makes me want to throw up now. What does my dad have up his sleeve?

He clears his throat. "Right. Well, see, Skylor...with a busy life like mine, it's very difficult to...er...meet someone."

My spoon clatters from my hand onto the table. "Meet someone?"

Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no, no, n-o. No!

He looks anywhere but at me. "Well, yes. I met a wonderful woman, Skylor – you'd like her – at a business meeting a few months ago, and since then we've gone long-distance. We're getting serious, kitten, and –,"

"And you're just now telling me this?" I scoff, shoving back my chair from the table. "What do you mean, you two have been talking for a few months?"

He bites his lip. "Well...since May. But Skylor, at my age, relationships tend to develop a lot faster. When a man and a woman love –,"

"I am not doing this today." I rise out of my chair. "You've never even mentioned her before now, Dad. Just like you didn't mention that you wanted to sell our house and move!"

He sighs, massaging the bridge of his nose. "You don't know how difficult this decision has been on me, Skylor. But I know it's for the best that we make the move. You'd really love Yvette if you just gave her –,"

"I don't even know who you're talking about." I snatch my keys off the table. "I have to go to school, Dad. And by the way, your idea to move to Shintaro so you can settle down with your perfect little mom-replacement sucks." I sling my backpack over one shoulder.