Disclaimer: This is fanfiction. Therefor, I do not own Code Lyoko.
This takes place as if Evolution never happened.
Persephone rubbed her hands together nervously as she leaned up against the pole that overlooked the Junior's classroom. She had watched Yumi Ishiyama do this many times in previous years which suggested that there was nothing to be nervous about but she still couldn't help it. Unlike the Japanese girl's little group of friends, she had made it her life's goal to refrain from being noticed by anyone which was proving to be working against her in this instance.
"Um..." the hairs on the back of her neck stood up on end as the familiar low voice of her fellow classmate's came behind her. She whirled around to see Yumi standing behind her, her short black hair pushed back behind one of her ears in its usual style. "Can I help you?"
Seph felt her backs stiffen as she clutched her books closer to her chest. "Um... I..." she fumbled over her words as she tried to figure out what to say. It wasn't that she was shy, persay, it had just been so long since she'd last had to converse with someone other than Roxanne and Julez that she had completely forgotten how to do so. Especially since they only ever talked via email ever since she'd come back to France. "N-Nothing..."
She dropped her head low, allowing her hair-carefully cut, not too long, not too short, so as to avoid too much attention being drawn to her-to fall down around her face and create a blonde veil between her and the rest of the world. Yumi let out a soft gasp as she pushed past her and brusquely walked back toward the dorms, where she belonged, anyway.
She had been so stupid. What had made her think she could actually make friends with the second most noticeable group in the school? Because Julez had told her to so she could get close to Ulrich Stern? What a laugh. Just the thought of how much attention people would begin giving her the second that started made her want to puke. It didn't even matter that the seemed somewhat liveable.
It just simply could not happen.
"Who was that?" Aelita asked.
Yumi shrugged, her dark eyes still locked on the retreating blonde. "I think her name's Persephone Carson. She's a classmate of mine, I believe."
Odd frowned at the girl's back. Him, Aelita, Ulrich, and Jeremie had left the building just in time to watch as she ran away from Yumi as if the Japanese girl were on fire. It was weird, considering they tended to be the group most people weren't afraid of. So the fact that someone, aside from Sissi and her little band of followers, was actually running away from them was pretty weird.
Then a smile took its place and he put one hand on his hip. "Well, she obviously saw me coming and got so embarrassed by my dashing good looks that she simply couldn't take it."
That didn't get nearly his desired response, as they had all grown used to him for the most part. All he really got was a few disgruntled looks, before he was back to being ignored as they slowly made their way to the cafeteria. Despite their leisurely pace, he could still feel the muscles in his back tense everytime someone got too close to them uninvited and watched as Ulrich's jumped at every unexpected noise.
It had been over a year since they'd shut down the Super Computer and one would think that time would cause them to grow used to the normal life they had known before. However, that proved to be nearly impossible. They'd seen too much in the two years that they'd travelled to Lyoko, had experienced too much. There was no way they could ever be normal again, no matter how hard they tried.
He sighed, and brushed back his spikey blonde hair, before shoving his hands in his pockets. Not for the first time, he couldn't help but wonder what life would've been like had they never found the super computer. Would Ulrich still be watching Yumi from afar even to this day? Would they still not even be able to stand each other? What would've happened to Aelita?
Even with the constant fear of being hunted that lingered, Odd couldn't help but always come to the conclusion that in the end, it had all been worth it. In fact, he would probably even be willing to go through it all over again. Gladly. Normal life no longer suited him, anyway.
Although he doubted the others felt the same way.
Seph collapsed onto her bed before kicking her bag underneath it. Per usual, her roommate was no where to be seen, despite it being well past curfew. Angelique often snuck out for "unknown reasons" (as if one couldn't guess from the mountain of condoms she had hidden in a tampax box) and rarely returned before dawn when she did. Not that she cared at all. As a matter of fact, the lack of a roommate 90% of the time was actually a welcome surprise. She could live without having to deal with the gag-worthy common pleasantries. Simply introducing themselves that first day had been bad enough, she didn't think she would've been able to make it if they had to actually live together.
She pulled her hair back into a short ponytail before firing up her laptop and flopping onto her stomach as she began scrolling through the dozens of unread emails she'd gotten that day. Most of them were barely worth more than trash, college invites and the such, but once those had all been cleared away, she had a crisp and nice four conversations left.
So, the one from Julez said Give me the deets. How was Ulrich? Was he everything I've ever dreamed?
Seph rolled her eyes-Julez had been creepily obsessed with the brunette ever since she'd seen him in a picture she had taken a couple of months before (although she would like to point out that it had actually been of the books in the library and he had just happened to show up in the background so it wasn't like she was some wacko stalker)-before replying. I didn't get to talk to him. I ran away before I could work up the nerve. And besides, you've never even met him. Why are you acting like a foolish girl in love?
The next was from Julez x-boyfriend-now-friend-with-benefit, Carson. Seph could barely stand him, from what she had seen over the past few months since the two of them started going out, but she couldn't just ignore him. As much as she hated it, it seemed he was going to be a part of her life for the foreseeable future. However, she barely paid any attention to what he had to say, before giving him a half-assed response and moving onto the one from Roxanne.
I think we need to actually start writing books now, instead of crackfics. it read. Otherwise nobody will take a seriously.
Seph snorted to herself. Do we want people to take us seriously?
The final one was another from Carson-because one wasn't enough, especially from the boy she despised. Much like the first, it was nothing she deemed important enough to really care about, so this time she didn't even bother replying. A choice she regretted almost immediately a notification showed up in the top left corner of her screen signalling that Julez had responded.
Because he's hot, with a capital HOT. And how have you not been able to work up the nerve, girl? You've gone to school with him for four years, now! Surely there must be someone there who can introduce you! Don't tell me you don't have any friends there!
Seph couldn't help but wince at that. Because the thing was... she didn't.