It was the day before the dance and Reagan found herself enjoying Lexi's company more than her usual groups of friends.

  "Ooh!" Lexi struck a silly pose as she threw a feather boa she had found in her locker over her shoulder. Reagan laughed and shook her head. She had never felt more like herself than she did now.

  Reagan shook her head but turned when she heard commotion. Some older kids were pushing a scrawny boy to the ground, knocking him off his feet making his books fall from his bag.

  She pursed her lips at the sight and exchanged looks with Lexi.

  "Hey!" The kids jerked their head up to see Lloyd running over with Ninja behind him.

  "Green ninja!" They exclaimed, looking fearful. They scrambled away and went running. The boy frantically tried to save his things and winced at the sound of a crack when one of the bullied stepped on his phone.

  Lloyd helped him gather his things. Handing him his broken cellular device. The boy groaned.

  "Oh no..." He sighed. "Now I can't call a cab."

  Lloyd looked at him curiously, handing a pencil over. "Why do you need a cab?"

  "My car broke down when I got to school and my parents are busy." He explained, hoisting the bag over his shoulder.

  "Maybe I can take a look at your car after school." Lloyd told him. "I'm pretty good with mechanics, and if you need to get home sooner I'm sure Nya could take you on a ride on her motorbike."

  Nya winked at him. He blushed. "Really? Thank you!"

  Lloyd smiled and clapped him over the shoulder. "I'll meet you after school to check out your car." The boy waved goodbye and ran to get to his class as the ninja smiled and gave Lloyd a fist pump.

  Lexi smiled. "He's very nice isn't he?"

  Reagan nodded. Her eyes on Lloyd. She'd never noticed before but his green eyes seemed to sparkle, and when he saw that boy being bullied they had this fierceness to them. She studied him, watching as the sun made his blonde hair look golden as he laughed a musical note at something Kai said.

  Suddenly she saw him in a new way. He caught her gaze and his lips tilted upwards and he raised his hand in greeting. Reagan gave a shake of her head, a smile on her face and waved back. She wasn't sure what made her do it but...she was glad she did as he disappeared in the crowd of students.

*****

  Tania pulled her aside after first period. "You waved at Lloyd Garmadon!" She exclaimed as Reagan switched out her things.

  Reagan's gaze stayed on her task. "Yeah, so?"

  "So? That goes against everything our group is about! If Brock knew what would he do?" She hissed. She wasn't being mean spirited but she had general concern for her friends social status.

  Reagan turned to her friend, jaw set. "Look, just because Lloyd is someone that isn't well liked by Brock it doesn't mean I can't be friendly to him."

  She glanced at her watch. "I only have forty seconds to get to the lab Tania, see you later."

  Tania watched as she went, mouth agape at her friend's change of heart.

****

  "Very nice girls." Lexi and Reagan exchanged grins at their teachers praise. They had made a small robot and Reagan would be lying if she said he wasn't cute. He was a little robot on wheels made out of some scrap pieces.

  "So, what are you wearing to the dance?" Lexi asked.

  "I have this really nice orange dress, it has two layers with his wavy cut." Reagan told her.

  "I'm wearing my baby blue one and that white jacket I had on yesterday." Lexi informed her, doodling on the side of her page.

  Reagan smiled. "Nice."

  Her eyes strayed over to where Lloyd was sitting, he was currently bent over something on his desk, his face concentrated as Jay accidentally electrocuted himself.

  Lexi followed her gaze before waggling her eyebrows, Reagan caught the motion in the corner of her eye and turned with a frown.

  "What?" She demanded.

  "Do you like him?" Lexi asked knowingly.

  Reagan furrowed her brow and lightly shoved the girl. "Of course I like him I just don't....like him." The words were empty and tasteless but Reagan ignored it in her struggle in vain to convince herself.
 
  Lexi brought the straw of her juice box to her mouth, looking at her friend from under her eyelashes with a small smirk.

  "Shut up." Reagan grumbled softly. Glancing to make sure no one was listening. "I...can't like him."

  "Why not?"

  "Well for one I'm dating anti-Lloyd Brock!" Reagan pointed out. "And two..."

Reagan glanced over at the boy once more as he smiled at Jay and helped him adjust the wiring if their own robot.

  "I just don't like him." She said firmly. "Not that way at least. I respect him and that's that."

  Lexi rolled her eyes. "You are so utterly naive it's not even funny."

  Reagan scrunched up her nose. "I'm not naive."

  "You are so! You are so naive that you don't even see that you-"

  "Who's naive?" Reagan whipped around so fast she almost got whiplash as she turned to see Lloyd waiting there expectantly.

  Lexi did another eye roll. "Reagan is obviously." She said smoothly.

  "Why do you say that?" Lloyd's eyes twinkled wth amusement.

  "She just is." Lexi and Reagan exchanged looks.

  With a slightly confused look Lloyd nodded along but turned to Reagan. "I'm going to have to stay a little later to help that boy with his car."

  "Got it." Reagan began organizing her papers. "I'll stay behind."

  "You sure?" Lloyd shifted his weight. "It might get boring, you could probably hang out with your friends or something."

  Reagan raised an eyebrow. "Do you not want me to stay...?"

  "No! No it's fine I....see you then." He said finally before joining Jay as the bell rang.

  Lexi shook her head. "So naive." She tsked, ducking Reagan's swing.