It was the start of the new school year, something Ulrich was both excited for and resentful of. He was excited to get away from his father, reminding him each day what a failure he was, how he had no direction in life, bad influences for friends blah blah, etc. But when Ulrich was dropped of at the front gates of Kadic he felt his stomach drop to his knees, along with his bags his father had careless flung from the trunk of the car. After a warm hug to his overly emotional mother and a tense and unnecessarily firm, silent handshake from his father, Ulrich picked up his duffel bag and walked onto campus, his feet getting heavier with each step. The school was already buzzing with the excitement of students, boasting about their summer activites and verbally pondering the upcoming year. They showed each other trinkets and pictures from their summers or their new schedules. Ulrich groaned, beginning to think that checking in early was a bad idea, even if it meant getting away from his family. He anxiously looked around seeing if he could find someone he knew but to no avail. After heading to the main office and getting the key to his room he dragged his stuff to the dorm building and went to his new room.
It was standard issue with a bed up against the wall, a closet adjacent to it, a desk to the far end of the room in front of the window and below some shelves for books and the sort and next to it a chair which was leaned up against the wall to try to hide for it shabby leaned state. It wasn't a luxurious suite, but it would do. It took Ulrich a while to realize that I was a single and not a double. He wouldn't have Odd(or Jeremy) as his roommate. Hell, he would have no roommate at all. Ulrich frowned realizing what an impediment this was. Who knew how long it would take to sneak to Odd's room wherever it was an wake him up, in case of a XANA attack. It would take them at leats ten minutes too…It took Ulrich a while to also realize that there was no more XANA. They took him out last year and had (finally) saved the world for the last time. It wasn't easy though. They lost Franz Hopper but Aelita bounced back fairly quickly and their lives were back to normal.
But Ulrich had this feeling…this sense of dread that always crept up on him whenever he thought of XANA. Even though it wasn't a breeze taking out the evil virus and saving the world practically everyday, he always believed that the fight would be a little bit longer and harder. He was never truly convinced. Every unusual occurance reeked of XANA to him and he would run down to the factory and boot up the super computeronly to discover that all was well.
Ulrich sat down on his bed and put his head in his hands and sighed deeply running his hands over his face and in his hair repeatedly. He could tell that this was going to be a bad year. Not only did he not have Odd or even Jeremy as a room mate, he could feel that he would be alone in his classes too. Ulrich didn't know what but he had some qualms about the upcoming school year and wanted to be as close to his friends as possible. Ulrich checked his phone. It was almost six and he figured he should go to the administrative office and get his schedule so he could properly prepare for the school year. He wanted to make even more of an effort to please his family. Maybe then his dad's insults would stop along with his mother's tears.
He went out into the courtyard where the crowd of students that flooded the area died down to a trickle. It was the occasional new student running from building to building, or someone running to office for dorm changes. Ulrich dug his hand into his pockets, feeling a bit tense at the lack of human activity. Ulrich felt something in the air, some kind of charge, like electricity. The air was thick with fear and mystery and Ulrich's feet moved a little faster. He heard footsteps behind him, on the off beat of his own. He sped up and slowed down and the stranger's footsteps followed his fluctuating pattern. Ulrich surreptitiously glanced over his shoulder but didn't get a full look at the person, only knew that there was one. He quickly rounded a corner of an class room building, that didn't lead him to his destination and waited behind a wooden column. The footsteps slowed down and became quieter but were still persistent. Ulrich got down into a stance and balled up his fist ready to strike. The footsteps came closer and as a sneaker came into view Ulrich pulled back and then executed a right hook that connected with the strangers face. Ulrich heard him grunt as he hit the ground and Ulrich wasted no time straddling his stalker, another punch ready to fly. The stranger turned his half swollen and bruised face to Ulrich.
"Odd?"
"Ow, Ulrich, what the hell?"
Ulrich got up and extended a hand to his friend who begrudgingly accepted. Odd brushed the dirt off his purple zip up and black jeans.
"Some greeting," he murmured sarcastically, making sure his hair was stil in its odd(ha!) pointy shape.
"Well what were you doing sneaking up on me?" Ulrich asked.
"I was just trying to surprise you," Odd said innocently.
"Yeah, well you scared the shit out of me! Don't do it again!"
"Jeez ok I'm sorry!"
Ulrich sighed and put a light hand on his friend's shoulder.
"Don't mind me I'm just a bit wound up," he explained sadly. "It was a rough summer".
Odd nodded understandingly. He knew that Ulrich didn't have the loving parents he was not always grateful for and took for granted. But he still gave his friend a sympathetic ear to vent whenever he needed it.
"So where you heading?" Odd asked.
"The administrative office for my schedule, I forgot to pick it up,"
"Yea me too,"
The two boys continued their journey to retrieve their schedules.
"So what about you?" Ulrich asked to pass the time on their journey. "What did you do this summer?"
"Eh, bum around the house, a few art classes, some family visited, nothing special" Odd replied in a bored tone waving his hand lazily in the air.
"Any summer flings I should know about?" Ulrich asked with a smirk.
"Ha! you have no idea,"
They both chuckled before Odd continued,
"So Ulrich did you find a lady friend over the summer?" he asked with waggling blonde eyebrows.
"Pfft no,"
"Still hung up on Yumi?"
Ulrich stopped walking. He never really thought of Yumi that much over the summer. With XANa gone he had a chance to improve his grades and now that William was back, Ulrich and Yumi didn't seem to talk as much as they used to. They were still friends but had the distance that prevented them from a chance of becoming something more. The thing that Ulrich had fought almost two years for, even risking the safety of the world, to get was beginning to seem less and less of a desired implementation.
"Well I'm sure when you see her, you'll do that thing where you get tongue-tied to the point you switch each other's name in sentences,"
"Odd..."Ulrich groaned.
"She told me she thinks its cute,"
They reached the office and went inside and recieved their schedule before heading outside to compare them.
"Let's see we got English and Chemistry together," Ulrich said slowly as he scanned over his schedule
"Yea and Gym," Odd chimed in.
"Hey do you have this new class you have to take that's not part of the core curriculum?"
"Yeah its weird we've never had these before,"
"What do you have?"
"Business and Financing," Odd groaned. "You?"
"Psychology,"Ulrich replied bitterly
"Jealous!"
"What's so interesting about figuring out what makes people minds work?"
"Everything! Can you imagine the mind games you'd use to screw with people's heads?"
"Excuse me,"
Both boys turned around to the man who had just materialized in front of them who they had never seen before. He was tall with short, black, curly hair. His eyes were an curious onyx shade that were so entrancing and seemed to flicker, or shimmer, or even pulsate. His face was unusually stoic. It lacked any wrinkles even though Ulrich would put him in the early to mid thirties range. His cheekbones where high and sharp and his nose was narrow and straight. His jaw was strong and square and set and coated by a thin coat of dark stubble. His face in general looked very angular like someone stood over him with a ruler until everything was set inhumanly straight. He seemed perfectly fine all black suit even though the heat of the day still lingered in the evening air and stood straight and stiff like a poker was shoved where the sun don't shine.
"How can we help you," Odd replied when he broke out of this trance.
"I'm looking for the Science building, and I'm new to the Kacid,"
"Uhm Kadic," Odd corrected. The stranger gave a small toothless smile, that didn't reach those black hole eyes of his.
"Yes how silly of me," the man chuckled softly. "I'll get the hang of it."
Odd rambled off the directions to the science building as Ulrich zoned out. This man did not sit well with him. He made him cynical and overwrought. The man stared at Ulrich, those dark eyes burning holes into his brown ones. The stare down was intese but Ulrich did not break his gaze. There was a feeling that crept up his spine and whispered bad things in his ear about this man. Ulrich was not a judgemental person but this man's very appearance made him distrustful. Odd finished giving directions and the man turned away from Ulrich to Odd.
"Thank you," he replied. He then turned to Ulrich again. "I couldn't help but over hear you have Psychology. I'm the new teacher, Mr. Dolous, and its nice to get to know my students mister...?"
"Ulrich Stern," he said coolly, not extending his arm for a customary handshake.
"Well Ulrich I look forward to seeing you in my class," he replied monotonously with that fake half smile that made Ulrich almost feel empty and cold. He turned and walked away, with four eyes on him until he rounded a corner and disappaeared from view.
"Was it me or was that guy an odd one?" said Odd as the they sat on Ulrich's floor. The sun set and the boys put on an old Sub Digitals CD as they disucssed the day's events.
"You're telling me. I mean, did you see the way he stared me down?" Ulrich asked.
"Don't feel so bad Ulrich, you're a good looking guy," Odd joked.
"This isn't the time for jokes Odd," Ulrich snapped. "That guy means trouble."
"So he walks, breaths and talks like a machine doesn't mean he's some kind of terrorist," Odd scoffed.
"How can you be so blasé abotu this!" Ulrich demanded. Odd shrugged.
"Five minutes with this guy and you think he's planning to take over the world? Maybe you should take it easy Ulrich..."
"What do you mean, 'take it easy?'" Ulrich asked, eyes narrowed and hand crossed. Odd got up and walked to the door.
"I'm just saying you're all paranoid now and tense. You're suspicious of a guy who's a bit funny and to say nothing of what you did to my face because you thought i was some kind of stalker," Odd said pointing to his swollen cheek and bruised eye.
Ulrich was quiet.
"I'm just saying, maybe you should rest yourself and not jump to conclusions. Take it easy buddy,"
Odd closed the door behind him and Ulrich plopped down onto his bed.
I'm not overreacting! He's under reacting. That guy was weird and up to something. He doesn't sit well with me. I need to keep an eye on him
Ulrich pulled the covers over himself as sleep came to claim him. His thoughts were invaded by images and thoughts of the mysterious man and the last thought Ulrich had before he entered darkness was that he was almost excited for Psychology.
A/N: I know its a bit rough and nothing special but it'll get better. Maybe. I dunno yet.