Disclaimer - I do not own Code Lyoko or the lyrics to Open Your Eyes by Dj Encore feat. Engelina.

Creak. Creak. Creak.

The loose floorboard under the carpet squeaks every time Aelita's restless foot steps on it. She shakes her head wryly at the spectacle of her pacing uncontrollably at three in the morning. Her pink nightshirt and hair flutter in the breeze formed by her tight pirouettes when she reaches either the door or the window. Sleep evades her hyperactive mind as the usual concern crosses her thoughts: Jeremie.

She knew he liked her. The look in his eyes whenever he gazed at her proved that time and again. Yet…Jeremie made no move to express his feelings. A sigh of frustration escapes her lips and she spins towards the door again. At first she decided to give his shyness time to thaw; that was over four months ago. Her patience was wearing thin like the rubber on an old tire. It would snap sooner or later.

Another creak emanates from the floor and Aelita stops in the middle of her room. I might have to take matters into my own hands. She didn't know what else to do though; Aelita had done most everything to express her love short of kissing him outright. He continued with his life oblivious to all the hints and tricks and hugs. Aelita loves him for now but her human form came with one major joy and flaw: change. Who knows how long it would last?

You can't keep me holding on
I've given you some time
I can't make you come along if you don't share your mind
Every time you close your eyes I know you feel the same
Everything you try to fight is drowning in the rain

Aelita morosely collapses on her bed and chuckles sardonically at all the failed attempts to get Jeremie's heart out of its self imposed prison. Even asking Ulrich and Odd to prod him in the right direction seemed to have no effect. At times like these doubt fills her and spreads its venomous tendrils around her heart. The pinkette's certainty in the matters of love crumbles away. Logic just didn't work for her 100% of the time anymore. The defect and strength of humankind resides in emotion; those powerful feelings which sweep her off her feet.

I have to stop this train of thought. I know he likes me. Aelita pushes the doubt as far away from her mind as she can but it hovers at the back of her consciousness. Content to wait until the next chance to strike at her, the viper of uncertainty coils into sleep and leaves Aelita with a modicum of peace. Shelving the brainstorming on new ideas to try on him for tomorrow, the troubled girl wraps herself in her covers and drifts into oblivion. A loud clatter quickly ruins her dreams. Aelita snaps awake with a groan and smashes her alarm clock off the desk with a fist. Only four hours of sleep was going to turn this into a long day indeed. How did Jeremie do this for a year?

Aelita trudges zombie-like out the door and through the quiet halls to the group restrooms. At least her habit of morning showers allows for a chance to wake up under a stream of water. Her eyes still felt grainy and tired but at least she could think a coherent thought. I am such a typical teenager. Finally feeling somewhat ready for what Monday could bring, Aelita shoulders her backpack and walks to the cafeteria with the usual rising spirits at seeing Jeremie again.

What does it take to open your eyes
Don't let it fade
You got to let the sunshine through the rain
Open your eyes don't make me wait
You got to let the sunshine through the rain

A surprised Aelita sits down at the diminished group table and raises an eyebrow at Yumi. "Where's Jeremie?" she asks. Ulrich and Odd break out of their conversation to point at the far end of the room.

"He's down there talking with the new student." Yumi replies quietly. Aelita turns to stare at Jeremie laughing at something a very pretty brunette said to him before brushing the girl's shoulder with a hand. Something ugly rises in her and her hands clench into fists. Yumi winces at the flash in her friend's stormy green eyes. Odd and Ulrich pale slightly and fervently thank whatever being watched over the world that they weren't Jeremie at this point in time. "I'm sure it's nothing." Yumi begins soothingly but her words fall on deaf ears.

Aelita searches for some stray bit of calm but finds absolutely nothing except anger tinted with jealousy. Okay, she shouldn't lie to herself. It was jealousy tinted with anger. The storm of emotions threatens to block out her sanity for the moment. Breathing heavily, Aelita stands up and stalks out of the cafeteria. What is he doing? I can't believe this. Yumi half-rises as if to follow her out but decides against it. The pinkette needed time to cool down. Odd and Ulrich share concerned glances and silently promise to figure out what was going on with Jeremie. They knew as well as Aelita did that he loved her.

Tell me why you turn away, whenever I believe
Finally you come to say I'm everything you need
Every time you close your eyes I know you feel the same
Everything you try to fight is drowning in the rain

Students take one look at the incoming pink firestorm and immediately move out of Aelita's way. She was going to miss class today. She also didn't care about that at all. The easy way Jeremie's hand had touched the girl replays over and over in her head. Aelita struggles once again to contain this savage feeling and manages to contain it slightly. What is going on here…? This reaction is ridiculous. Unfortunately her emotions didn't follow the beck and call of logic. Not really seeing the path in front of her, Aelita bumps into someone. "Hey, watch where you're going loser." Sissi snaps then notices the state Aelita was in. A remembered snippet of conversation from yesterday flashes across her mind and Sissi smiles.

The principal's daughter grabs a hold of Aelita's arm. "Wait. You're upset because of Jeremie aren't you?" Aelita looks at her curiously and nods. "So you just heard Kate has him all to herself?" Sissi asks with a fake pretense of concern. Aelita's trusting nature doesn't notice as she absorbs those words.

"Kate…?" Aelita stammers as the jealousy within her screams "Mine!" at her rival. "What do you mean?" Sissi chuckles inside at this perfect opportunity to drive a wedge into the group that she mostly detests.

"I thought he would've told you and your friends. Jeremie has been going out with her for a while and she just transferred to this school." Sissi replies and smirks at the betrayed look in the other girl's eyes. A glimmer of guilt springs up in her at this low blow. Maybe I should lay off of her. Aelita believes me I think. Sissi opens her mouth but Aelita whirls and runs across the courtyard towards the dorms. The wrecker of Aelita's dreams closes her mouth and follows the one idea in her head. She takes off towards the cafeteria and the group that needs to know what she did.

Ulrich, Yumi, and Odd look up from their whispered conversation at a strangely agitated Sissi. "What do you want?" Ulrich asks. Sissi nervously fiddles with her hair and looks down at the floor before replying.

"I need to tell you that…I spun a little story concerning Kate and Jeremie to Aelita and she believed me." Sissi mutters in shame. The Lyoko warriors gasp in shock and harden their gazes at her.

"You did what? You know as well as we do that she has a thing for him. And that she would believe even you…" Yumi trails off in disgust at the fine mess this Monday was turning into. Ulrich buries his face in his hands while Odd smacks his fist against the table.

What does it take to open your eyes
Don't let it fade
You got to let the sunshine through the rain
Open your eyes don't make me wait
You got to let the sunshine through the rain

"So…what do we do?" Sissi asks quietly. Yumi shakes her head and stands up.

"You've done enough. I will admit you did the respectful thing by trying to help but we'll go find Aelita." Ulrich replies acidly. Sissi walks away while the others try to figure out what to do.

"Odd, go look for her in the dorms. I'll scout out the rest of the school and the factory. She might have headed back to Lyoko. Ulrich, tell Jeremie about this and where we're all headed. Try to figure out what Kate has to do with this as well." Yumi commands. The three nod and break apart in different directions.

Aelita curls into a ball on her bed and tries to cry out the pain and betrayal within. Skittering along her cheeks and darkening the sheets, the tears are her witnesses to the hurt and the conduits of her agony. So the little snake in the back of her mind had been right. The reason he never spoke of his feelings was because he didn't have any for her. How can love hurt this much…? To her inexperience with emotions this ravaging of her inner self felt like the end of the world.

The door quietly opens and she looks up at Odd with a tear-streaked face. "Aelita. We'll figure this out alright?" Odd murmurs. He sits on the edge of the bed and waits for her to gather the shattered fragments of her composure into something resembling normalcy. She sniffles and leans against the wall while looking at him.

"Figure what out? I think that's about all I need to know." Aelita responds then thinks of her current situation. Here was someone who hadn't crushed her completely. Here was someone who was there for her whenever she needed some solace. Here was Odd. Out of her anger and pain Aelita acts almost on instinct. She needs something to distract her and hold her. Now that it couldn't be Jeremie…

I'm not asking of you, to give yourself away
I just want you to hear the words I say
It's only a matter of time
It's only a matter of time
It's only a matter of time
It's only a matter of time

Aelita wraps her arms around Odd and sits there while crying. This friend of hers was her favorite person in the world right now. Using his shirt as a tissue, Aelita dampens the purple fabric with plenty of moisture. Odd starts to open his mouth and explain that Sissi had lied to her and that it was probably nothing when Aelita leans in and presses her mouth to his.

"So what was that all about?" Jeremie asks Ulrich on the way to Aelita's room. "Kate was a bit shocked by your behavior."

"Speaking of behavior, what's with Kate?" Ulrich retorts. Jeremie rolls his eyes and looks at his friend.

"She's an old family friend who is scoping out the school for a day. Why? Oh…" Jeremie slaps himself in the forehead for how it must have looked. "That was stupid for not mentioning it to you guys." A suspicion glimmers in his mind. "What happened with Aelita?" he asks with concern.

Ulrich sighs. "Let's put it this way. She believed something Sissi told her about Kate and you." Anger flashes in Jeremie's eyes before regret follows.

"If I would have told her how I feel by now this would not have happened…" Jeremie shakes his head as he puts a hand on Aelita's door, opens it, and stares at the one thing he would have never expected.

Aelita immediately pulls away and wonders what the hell she is thinking. At least the kiss showed her who she truly loves. That was nothing compared to what I imagine a kiss by Jeremie would feel like. She shakes her head and catches a glimpse of a blue shirt standing in the door before footsteps echo down the hall. Oh shit. And I thought this day couldn't get any worse. Aelita buries her face in her hands as Odd hastily makes an exit past an accusing Ulrich.

What does it take to open your eyes
Don't let it fade
You got to let the sunshine through the rain
Open your eyes don't make me wait
You got to let the sunshine through the rain