AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hope you enjoyed my Nexo Knights-influenced names in the previous chapter!

In this chapter (the second to last of this story), I made up the song title "Dance Forever With You." Hope you like this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it, particularly the second half! :)


Chapter 9 - Love Blooms in Paradise

The next thing Lloyd knew, he was lying on the sand on his back, rubbing his sore jaw where Lance had just punched him.

Uncle wouldn't be pleased that I didn't have my guard up, Lloyd thought, briefly imagining if this were a training session and his wise teacher had been standing there, observing.

"Lance! Stop!" Sarah screamed.

Lance grabbed her arm. "Come on, Sarah! Let's leave this loser alone."

"I'm not going anywhere with you, Lance! Leave me alone!"

Lance began to drag her along, but just then, his path was blocked by Jeremy.

"The girl just said she didn't want to go with you," the high school youth stated with his hands on his hips.

By this time, Lloyd had jumped back up on his feet. He was prepared to enter the conflict when he needed to, but for now he hung back. This had turned into Jeremy's fight.

Lance let go of Sarah and clenched his fists. "You yourself said you didn't care who she hung out with, moron, so why do you care now?"

"That was when I considered her to be an ex-girlfriend. But now I'm not considering her an ex yet until I have a good talk with her."

"So until then," Jeremy continued. "She's still my girlfriend, and you need to keep your paws off her!"

Sarah gasped. She had never seen Jeremy act so chivalrous before. She liked it.

"Make me, ya little high school punk!" Lance growled, reaching for Jeremy's shirt collar.

But to the college student's surprise, Jeremy landed a punch on his jaw. Lance staggered but did not fall down.

"Jeremy, watch out!" Sarah shouted.

Lance reached for Jeremy's shirt collar a second time, and this time he managed to grab a hold of it. Lloyd was just about to intervene when a big burly uniformed security officer approached.

Lloyd was shocked to recognize the man. Hal was a member of the quarry crew who apparently was making extra money tonight at a second job, keeping order at the concert.

"What's going on here?" Hal demanded to know, his voice gruff.

Then he recognized the green ninja. "Oh, hi, Lloyd," he said, his demeanor softening. "Someone giving you trouble tonight?" he asked, eyeballing the three other young people.

"Officer, this guy" - Sarah spoke up, gesturing to Lance - "was trying to drag me away when I didn't want to go, and he hit Lloyd here and was about to hit Jeremy."

"Is this true?" the officer asked Lance.

"I only hit in self defense," Lance whined.

Hal looked at Lloyd, who rolled his eyes and shook his head side to side. "Sarah's the one telling the truth."

"Then that's it. You're coming with me, son. No one messes with a ninja on my watch." Hal deftly spun Lance around and handcuffed him. "We're taking a walk down to the office."

"See ya in the morning, Lloyd!" the officer called as he hauled away the college student.

"Bye!" Lloyd called, waving goodbye to Hal. He turned to Jeremy and Sarah. They were both staring at him.

"You're...a ninja?" Sarah stammered.

The green ninja blushed. "Um, yeah," he admitted.

"And is Cole…" Jeremy began.

"He's a ninja, too," Lloyd answered his unfinished question.

Jeremy let out a low whistle. "Wow! Well, that explains the martial arts thing."

Jeremy and Sarah looked at each other awkwardly, not knowing what to do next.

Lloyd folded his arms, observing the couple. "You know what, guys? It seems you two have a little catching up to do, so I'll leave you alone to do that."

"Heh heh, yeah. How about if we get a soda, Sarah?" Jeremy suggested. He turned to Lloyd. "I never did get a drink. I heard Lance tell his buddies that he saw Cole leave the concert area, so he was gonna find you. That's when I followed him."

"Glad you did," Lloyd said. "Well, I guess I'll say goodbye now, guys. I'm glad we met this week. Stay safe these next few days!" He fistbumped Jeremy as he added, "Let's get together when you get to Ninjago U this fall."

Jeremy nodded. "Sounds like a plan!"

Sarah gave the green ninja a hug. "Yeah, maybe on a weekend when I come visiting from Castle College, where I'm going to attend!" she smiled.

"That would be fun," Lloyd chuckled. "See you guys!" He turned away and departed from the couple, feeling certain that they would be making plans to attend the Paradise Beach High School prom together before the evening was over.


Meanwhile, the earth ninja took the hand of his girlfriend and guided her away from the concert area and down the beach, along the waterline where the ocean lazily lapped the sand. A slight breeze ruffled their hair and stirred Brooke's sundress.

"So what do you think of the concert so far?" he asked her.

"Awesome!" she replied as they walked. "They still deserve a spot in my list of top ten favorite groups. How are you liking it?"

"Great!" he answered. "But their music isn't the only reason I'm enjoying the concert," he said as he gave her hand a squeeze.

Brooke let go of his hand, but only so she could wrap her arm around his waist as they continued walking. "I'm glad you're here at Paradise Beach," she said, smiling up at him.

"Me, too, babe," Cole smiled back, draping his arm around her shoulders. "I mean, I'm not glad about the reason that brought me here - the hurricane - but I'm glad it worked out that we could spend some time together in this awesome place. It's good they're sending you guys home early, to make sure you're safe."

With her free hand, Brooke brushed away a tendril of hair blown into her eyes by the sea breeze. "Well, you stay safe yourself, OK, sweetie?" she pleaded. "Promise me you'll call me as soon as you can to let me know you're out of the hurricane's way. 'Cause you know me - I'll worry, otherwise!" she grinned.

"I'll call. I promise," he assured her, giving her shoulders a squeeze.

They continued walking in a comfortable silence. Suddenly, in the distance they heard some muffled talking over the loudspeaker and cheering by the crowd.

"Ack! I forgot about the concert!" Brooke laughed. She grabbed Cole's hand and started to drag him in the direction of the sound, with the intention of running back.

"Wait!" he stopped her as the first few measures of a song wafted their way. It was a song with a slow, steady beat.

"They're playing 'Dance Forever With You,'" he explained. "As long as we have a whole dance floor to ourselves" - he moved his chin to indicate the surrounding beach - "let's dance!"

With their eyes locked in a steady gaze, he drew her close to him. He knew all sorts of dances - thanks to his musical upbringing - but right now, on a warm tropical night with the moon shining down on a sandy seaside beach, the simplest dance would be the best kind.

He slid his muscular arms around her thin waist and held her warm body against him. Her long brown hair, loosely hanging down her back, tickled his forearms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled up at him. They simply swayed to the slow beat, with not a word between them.

As Cole gazed into her soft hazel eyes, a thought suddenly crossed his mind. A thought that terrified and excited him at the same time...

I love her.

To calm the fluttering butterflies in his stomach, he reminded himself that there was plenty of time to ponder the implications of this new thought, and plenty of time to act on it. The next few months belonged to Kai and Sam, anyway.

The song ended, but he did not release her. Instead, his lips were drawn to hers, like a bee drawn to a pollen-laden flower.

He did not hear what the next song was, nor did he care. All that mattered at that moment was her intoxicating vanilla scent and her soft, warm, affectionate kisses. He had sampled them before, but tonight, next to the majestic ocean, they were especially exquisite.