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Kai didn’t see himself as a troublemaker, he just got into fights more than most people. Sure he knows he often threw the first punch or kick or spit, but they were all justifiable.
What wasn’t justifiable was how he was always the one being sent to the office.
Kai slumped down in his chair, the cheap plastic familiar and uncomfortable. His leg tapped the floor while his eyes skimmed the dated posters on the wall.
“Say not to Drugs”
“Bullying is not ok”
“If Garmadon strikes, duck and cover”
Kai snorted at the crappy illustration of Garmadon, he looked almost purple with big eyes and wonky arms. The clock above it read 1:30, after lunch but long before the end of the day. Kai knew from previous office visits that he’d probably be here a while before the principal showed up.
Kai laid his head back onto the wall, and closed his eyes. The bright lights made it hard to sleep but he’d done it before. He’d been sitting there for only a few minutes when he felt another person joined him, and he cracked an eye open to see who.
Lloyd Garmadon.
His body sagged in his green hoodie and his red eyes hid behind blonde bangs. He sat down 2 chairs away from him, staring at the floor.
Kai hadn't really met Lloyd before. Seen him in passing, yes, he shared a class or two with him, but they’d never spoken.
So Kai closed his eyes again and tried to sleep.
Troublesome kid too, it seems.
—----------------
The next time Kai got sent to the office it wasn’t for a physical fight but a verbal one. Some cheerleaders were mocking some nerdy kid during science and Kai cursed them out because the kid looked so close to a panic attack, that it just felt wrong to watch.
Sent to the office, yet again.
Same posters, same ticking clock, same cold air.
Kai pulled his phone out to text his sister, she’d freak out if she knew he missed lunch because of another office visit.
He’d almost missed him coming in, Lloyd walked so softly barely making a sound, but here he was again. Two times in one week, the kid was tied up with Kai.
Again kids like that do exist, Kai had heard tons of stories about Lloyd. Fights, pranks, cheating, there were even a group of girls that claimed Lloyd had cursed them during class.
Bit of a weirdo kid, it seems.
—-------------
Three times in one week was a lot, even for Kai. It especially sucked that it was Friday and it was the last period before the weekend started.
Stupid English teacher. The 50 year old woman had been screaming at a kid for wearing headphones in class and tried to snap the headphones to get her point across.
Kai had returned the headphones, which had been sent to the office by the English teacher who was on the floor, holding her now shattered glasses.
Lloyd was there when he arrived, same spot, but with a quickly forming black eye on his face. He was touching the spot with his fingers tenderly, wincing at areas with darker bruising.
It looked wrong to Kai, every time he got hit during a fight he’d been sent to the nurse before the office. Why didn’t this kid have an ice pack?
Kai pivoted towards the nurse office, it was early in the day, the nurse might not be in yet.
The little fridge at the back of the nurses room hummed faintly with electricity and was cold to the touch. Kai plucked a blue icepack off the door and wrapped it in a cloth before heading back to the office.
As he got closer to Lloyd the boy tensed, eyes darting up then back down to the floor. He held out the ice pack to the boy, waiting for him to take it.
When he didn’t, eyes glued to the floor. Kai spoke up.
“Take it, that bruise looks like a nasty one. Don’t want it to get any worse.”
Lloyd looked at him like he’d spoken another language. He sat frozen, staring up at Kai with shock.
“Take it.” Kai said again, moving his hand closer. “It’s not gonna eat you.”
Slowly, Lloyd took the icepack from his hand, looking it over before bringing it up to his bruise.
“Thank you.” He said quietly, practically whispering.
“Ya know, if the nurse isn’t in yet you can just go grab one from that fridge in the back. Just remember to return it, I once took one home with me and forgot to bring it back for like 2 weeks.” Kai chuckled, taking his usual seat away from Lloyd.
For a moment, Kai swore he saw the kid crack a smile behind his hand.
Bit of a shy kid, it seems.
_________________
Kai made it to next Wednesday before he got sent to the office again. A group of kids were whispering about one of the boys during history, and Kai kicked a chair out from under one of the kids when he called the kid a ‘stupid robo freak’.
Bullies who were mean to someone because they were smarter, deserved to hit their head on a table.
He wasn’t alone in the office however, once again Lloyd was sitting in his usual chair.
This time though he was covered in black paint, which had drenched his typical green hoodie.
“What happened to you?” Kai asked, as he sat down. He chose a seat closer to the kid so they could talk properly.
Again, the kid stared at him like he was speaking another language.
“Did you get attacked by the art rooms?”
No response. Kai stared at the boy with confusion, he’d heard the kid speak before. Lloyd did seem like the shy type, always making himself look smaller, walking softly, avoiding eye contact.
However Kai’s gut told him a different story, he knew bullying when he saw it, and Kai was never one to just let bullying happen.
“Did you get attacked by some other students?”
Lloyd’s eyes flashed with something that wasn’t fear, or shock, or even anger.
It was pain.
Tears were welling up in Lloyd’s eyes, he stared up at the ceiling to blink them away.
“Why are you in the office? Why didn’t you get sent home, or to the gym showers?”
Ignored once again. Kai clearly wasn’t getting a response out of the boy. Lloyd looked on edge, squirming in his seat, all that paint looked uncomfortable.
Kai stood up, startling the boy. He pulled his hoodie over his head and walked over to hand it to the blond.
“Here take this. I doubt you're enjoying your paint soaked attire.” Kai offered, holding his hoodie out for the blond to take.
“No, it's fine. I’m ok. Sorry.” Lloyd said in a shaky voice, still trying to fight back tears.
“You’re clearly not, and if you're not gonna tell me who did this so I can punch them for being an asshole. You’re putting this on.” Kai said sternly.
It took a moment before Lloyd stood, and another before he actually started removing the paint drenched hoodie. It was soaked pretty badly but nothing seemed to seep through to the blonde’s white t-shirt.
Lloyd accepted the hoodie slowly, eyes darting between it and Kai like he might take it back any moment.
“Thank you.” He said, once he’d gotten the hoodie on. It was slightly big on him but he was out of that damp hoodie. He pulled his limbs close, seemingly enjoying the lingering warmth Kai’s hoodie had.
As the two sat back down on the plastic chairs, closer than before, Kai spared the kid a thought.
Bit of a misunderstood kid, it seems.
_________
Kai was livid, he was angry, he was like a volcano that was about to erupt any moment.
His little sister Nya had returned home with a busted lip and a crumpled note that read, ‘No one cared about lady metal dragon, shut up already you annoying freak’.
His little sister, his sweet, kind and passionate little sister. Kai hated bullies, and he hated the ones that bullied those he cared about, most of all.
It had taken 2 hot chocolates and a movie to get the names out of Nya, and not Kai was on a war path.
He didn’t know these girls, what they looked like or where to find them. So he was a little stuck on that front.
His head was swirling with emotion that he didn’t see the blond approaching until he was right next to him.
“Um, hey.” The blond was back in a green jacket, noticeable void of black paint this time. “So, um, I wanted to say- I just want to say that, ah, thank you for yesterday. When you, like um, ya’know.”
The kid stuttered, eyes flickering everywhere but Kai as he placed his bag in his locker. He was about to ask if the kid was ok when a plastic bag was shoved into his arms.
“I washed it, don't worry, there isn't any paint on it or anything.”
His hoodie, Kai had forgotten about it with all the Nya stuff, it was folded nicely in the bag under a tupperware container with a note.
“I told my mum what happened, she made you those as a thank you. You don’t have to eat them or anything.”
Kai placed the bag with his hoodie down in his locker so he could read the carefully written note:
‘Dear Lloyd’s Office friend,
Thank you for helping my son out the other day, it was very kind of you. Not many people are nice to him so I appreciate your generosity. Please enjoy these cookies as a further thank you.
Lloyds Mum - Koko’
Lloyds mum had made him cookies?
He opened the box and there were, in fact, chocolate chip cookies in there. All this for a hoodie, wow this woman was nice.
He placed one into his mouth before offering one to Lloyd who was still looking around nervously, like he’d get sent to the office for talking to him.
Would he?
Lloyd had been in the office whenever Kai was there, but he didn’t hear about any fights or cheating scandals or alleged curses involving the boy.
Why was he in the office as much as the school's most notorious troublemaker.
Kai could not see a reason Lloyd Garmadon-
Garmadon.
Was Lloyd being sent to the office unjustly? Kai wouldn’t put it past the teachers to have a bias, everyone hated his dad because of the attacks.
Kai has already assumed Lloyd was being bullied but he never thought of why he was being bullied.
‘Lloyd’s Office Friend,’
Was Kai really considered Lloyds friend based on those few times they’d waited in the office together. Without speaking, barely looking. Showing basic human decency made him better than every other kid at this school.
Kai hated bullies, but it was sitting back and doing nothing when someone needed help that really made his blood boil, that got him sent to the office day after day. Kai refused to watch someone suffering when he could help, when he could protect them.
“It’s Kai” He said, watching Lloyds eyes snap towards him.
He was not gonna let this kid be hurt anymore, not if he could help it.
This kid needed a friend, it seems.
This kid needed a protector, it seems.