[Ninjago: Amplified] Modern AU

[7] - Similar Stories, Different Paths

Lloyd's first class of the day was math.

He took a seat closest to the windows, watching the rain cascade down the exterior sill. Propping his head up with a lazy hand, he listened to his teacher's instructions while he kept his eyes on the downpour.

It seemed even his teacher didn't feel like doing much that day. She passed out worksheets for them to do in pairs– a task that Lloyd was sure he'd be doing alone.

Lloyd peered at his classmates out of the corner of his eye as they slid their chairs away from their seats, hurrying over to pair with their friends. The seats closest to Lloyd emptied out as the other students appeared to collectively migrate to the right side of the classroom.

That was when Lloyd did a double take, realizing that his assumption had been false.

All seats empty– except one.

Lloyd swiveled in his chair, resting an arm on its back. A familiar ginger sat at the far back of the room, her head resting atop of her arms on her desk face. Her eyes were vacantly set on the rain, lost in thought.

Lloyd's gaze shifted to the desk in front of her, realizing the girl hadn't even reached for the extra worksheet that had been passed onto it.

She wasn't exactly friends with Lloyd, but they definitely weren't enemies, either. If anything, Aurora was the one student that Lloyd could relate to.

He'd heard enough about her from student gossip– that she and her friends were orphans, and she always had bad luck with her foster parents. There were some pretty exaggerated stories floating about as to why she couldn't find suitable fosters, but Lloyd knew better than to believe them.

After all, he knew what it was like to have the world assume all the negatives about you.

Knowing well that the teacher would probably pair them up anyways, Lloyd decided to move before he was scolded.

He sat in the empty desk in front of her, grabbing her untouched worksheet with his free hand.

"Here," He passed it onto her desk politely. "This is yours."

"Thanks." Aurora slid the paper under her arms before putting her head down again. "But no thanks. I can do these myself."

When her eyes wandered back to the window, Lloyd guessed the opposite.

"...We're probably gonna be forced to pair up anyway. I might as well stay." Lloyd figured, to which Aurora gave an uncaring shrug. "Alright, then, uh..."

He lifted his worksheet, skimming over the problems they needed to complete.

"Okay, so... You do the first ten, I'll do the last." He decided as he scribbled his name on the top of the page. "Sounds fair?"

Aurora didn't say anything, transfixed on the rain.

"Uh... Aurora?" Lloyd called. When she didn't respond, he repeated himself. "Aurora??"

"Huh?" She snapped back into reality, looking over to the paper under her arms. She lifted her head, rubbing at her eyes groggily. "Oh, right, yeah, the assignment. Got it."

As she finally picked up her worksheet to survey the problems they had yet to start, Lloyd realized just how exhausted she looked.

Aurora had visible bags under her eyes, very obviously due to lack of sleep. She kept re-reading the same instructions over and over, as though her mind was in another place. Judging from her bouncing leg, Lloyd concluded something had to have been stressing her out.

"...Are you doing okay?"

Aurora heard him that time. She peered at Lloyd suspiciously, as though calculating his motives.

"You're asking me that?"

"Well, yeah," Lloyd pointed to her paper with the end of his pencil. "You're so spaced out you haven't even noticed your sheet's upside-down."

Aurora's eyes shot to her worksheet, her eyebrows raised. Scoffing, she flipped it over.

"Let me guess. Haven't had the brightest morning either?"

"Doesn't matter." Aurora dismissed. She wrote half her name on the paper before her pencil's lead snapped. Sighing, she reached into her backpack for another utensil. "Let's just get these over with."

"Don't worry. I think this weather's got all of us feeling off," Lloyd joked, doing his best to lighten the mood.

Aurora didn't say anything in return, instead getting to work on her assignment. Taking the hint, Lloyd turned back to his own problems, tapping his pencil against his knee in thought.

His mind traveled to his own dreary morning. Much too focused on a problem's instructions, Lloyd didn't think twice about what he had already begun to say.

"At least you don't have to worry about trouble with famil–"

Lloyd clamped his mouth shut, horrified at himself. He felt his face pale, dread sinking in his stomach.

"Shit," He turned to Aurora in shame. "I didn't mean to say that, I'm so sor–"

"Are you kidding me?" Aurora dropped her pencil against her desk with a scowl.

"I– I'm so sorry–" Lloyd held up his palms, guilty. "I– I just–"

"Oh, no, don't worry. You've said plenty." Aurora spat coolly. She zipped up her bag, throwing it over her shoulder. "I'm working alone."

"I– I didn't mean it, I swear." Lloyd promised. "I– I just had a bad morning with my dad, and I got too caught up thinking about it, I–"

"And what?" Aurora challenged, snatching her worksheet from her desk. "You thought it made sense to tell me I'm lucky to be an orphan?"

"No, I–"

"Not everyone's you, Lloyd." Aurora reminded as she rose from her seat. "I don't need your pity, so stop pretending like you understand me."

She didn't bother to stay to hear his countless apologies. She headed for a desk to the back of the room, leaving Lloyd without another word.

Lloyd cursed under his breath, his shoulders drooping. He didn't move from the desk, instead fixing his gaze unblinkingly on the problems he had yet to start.

Just like that, Lloyd Garmadon was left alone– as he always was.