Cole glared at Jay. Jay made himself comfortable on the edge of Cole's bed. "I can wait, man."
"Fine." Cole spat the word. "I don't like the lightning, okay?"
Jay inhaled with surprise. "Seriously?"
"Go back to bed."
"No, sorry, I didn't mean- but I'm the Ninja of Lightning! That's my element! You never have problems when I do my thing!"
Cole sat up in bed, wrapping his arms around his knees. "Yeah, because you can control it. This-" he indicated the window- "this you can't control. It's big, it's too bright, it hurts my eyes, and it scares me."
Jay grinned. "This is kinda surprising, Cole. I guess you could say it's a... bolt from the blue."
Cole didn't smile.
"Jay, if you tell anyone, I'll-"
Jay's smile slid off his face. "Oh, come on, Cole! Give me a break! Do you actually think I'd tell anyone about this?"
"You never know."
"Well," Jay said firmly, "I won't. You have my word."
He punched Cole lightly on the shoulder. "And if I break my word, may evil, misfortune and ill befall my very best pair of tuna floaties."
Cole, who had begun to smile, tensed.
"Do you hear something?"
"No," Jay said slowly. "What?"
"Something's going on in the next room." In an instant, Cole had shoved back the blanket and was stepping gingerly onto the floor. He put a finger to his lips, beckoning Jay to follow him.
The two ninja crept out of the bedroom and into the hallway, accompanied by more crashes of thunder. Lightning flashed twice, and Cole winced, but he kept going.
Cole pointed suddenly to a door, and suddenly Jay could hear it too- a low, muffled sob.
Should we knock? Jay mouthed. Cole nodded. Jay pointed to himself, one eyebrow raised in a question. Want me to do it?
Cole gave him a thumbs up. What's a tuna floatie?
Later, Jay mouthed, and knocked.
Nothing happened.
Jay knocked again, harder, to the same result. Cole put out a hand to stop him; his other hand twisting the doorknob.
The door swung open.