Aelita's fantasy snaps apart as a giant hand shakes the ground beneath her. Consciousness returns in a rush and Aelita moves under the covers of her warm bed. "Unghh…I thought summer allows me to sleep in?" the pink haired girl complains.
"Of course it does! But you already have slept in; its noon." Jeremie replies, smirking at the lump hidden under the covers. A zombie-like face pops up and turns slightly pink as Aelita looks at the object of her dreams. Shaking her head, Aelita tries to get her brain rolling. "Well, I would've liked a bit more sleep you know." Jeremie chuckles.
"The party obviously took it out of you. You still got ten hours of sleep though." Jeremie sits at the edge of her bed while Aelita flops back down and buries her face in a pillow. "What are your plans for the summer anyway?"
Aelita frowns into the pillow. "You already know I'm stuck here for the duration. A vacation would be nice though." Jeremie clears his throat and she raises her eyebrows.
"About that…I talked to my dad this morning. He wants to bring us all to Hawaii for a week. If you'd like to go that is." Aelita doesn't react for a few seconds as her sleepy brain processes his statement. Vacation? The girl has her arms wrapped around Jeremie before he can react.
"Of course I'd love to go!" Aelita relishes the comforting presence of him as she relaxes in his arms. "Wait, when do we leave?"
Jeremie looks down at her pink hair. "Err…tomorrow actually. We'll be packing all day. The others are already getting ready by now." Aelita has a sudden stab of regret flare in her as she realizes the others are coming along. Embarrassed, she pushes it down and looks forward to the actual vacation. "What's Hawaii like?"
"I've never been there but it's a series of islands. There will be plenty of stuff to see and do, like surfing or snorkeling!" Aelita's anticipation grows as she envisions lazy days spent on a beach. Looks like I can finally use that pink swimsuit Yumi bought for me a couple months ago. Wonder what Jeremie would think? She blushes at the unbidden thought. A yawn cracks through her jaws and Aelita snuggles closer to Jeremie.
Jeremie rests his chin on her head and the two peacefully contemplate the vacation for a few minutes. The door bangs open and they immediately fling apart in opposite directions. Jeremie flips over the side of the bed while Aelita dings her head against the wall. "Ow!" the two simultaneously yell out. The sound of laughter reaches their ears as they nurse the injuries.
Odd and Yumi lean against the doorframe while smirking at the two on the floor. "Doing something against the rules you two?" Odd jokes. Aelita and Jeremie blush while staring daggers at Odd.
Yumi turns to whisper, "Hey Odd. You might want to lay low today alright? I don't think they enjoyed that one." Her voice returning to normal volume, she says, "Well, be glad we weren't Jim. Even though its summer he wouldn't take kindly to you being in here Jeremie. Especially doing umm… whatever you two were doing." She couldn't stifle the chuckle that escaped her lips.
"Oh? You probably wish you could do the same with Ulrich right?" Aelita smirks as her remark makes Yumi turn crimson. Jeremie helps Aelita onto her feet while Odd laughs at the comeback. "Besides, it was just a hug for inviting me on vacation." No need to mention how long the hug lasted.
Aelita rubs her sore head and realizes she needed to get ready for the day. "Alright, fun's over. I need to get cleaned up and start packing I guess." The other three nod and file out the door. Yumi looks over her shoulder and mouths, "Don't forget the swimsuit! Jeremie will love it." Aelita winks back before grabbing her toiletries and heading to the showers. The halls were eerily silent as the majority of kids had left that morning for home. Her footsteps echo down the hall and Aelita becomes a little spooked in spite of herself.
Showers are definitely a huge perk to being human. Aelita finally wakes up under the warm stream of water and heads back to her room after getting ready. She looks at the tangled mess of clothes on her floor and winces at the thought of the chores ahead. An hour of frantic cleaning merely moves the clothes from the floor to the bed, closets, and one suitcase. Running a hand through her damp hair, Aelita decides to take a short breather.
Resting on the floor, the pink haired girl notices something glinting under her bed. So that's where it went! She leans over and pulls out a shining pink crystal on a long silver chain. The facets of the gem reflect light into Aelita's mesmerized face. She puts it over her head and looks in the mirror at a stunningly beautiful girl. The mirror image's emerald eyes glisten with moisture as Aelita recalls the night before.
-Flashback-
"Aelita, let's go! The others are waiting." Yumi calls while knocking on the door. "Besides, I'm curious as to what you decided to wear to the dance."
"Hold on!" Aelita replies. A muffled curse along with a clattering sound reaches Yumi's ears. "Yumi, remind me to clean up a little! I can barely move without hitting something."
"Well if you wouldn't spend so much time chatting with Jeremie your room might actually have a floor that's findable." Silence greets this statement before the door opens and a slightly blushing Aelita walks out.
"True, I will admit that. Now how do I look?" Aelita twirls in place as she replies. Her pink hair and matching top flutter a little from spinning. Two small green earrings complement her eyes while contrasting with Aelita's black skirt and heels.
"Excellent. Wouldn't be surprised if Jeremie faints when he sees you. Let's go live a little!" Yumi grabs Aelita's arm and the two head for the gym. A steady group of kids enters the hive of activity when the two girls rush up to the line. Jim looks over the controlled chaos while handing out admonishments left and right.
"Remember, this is a school sponsored activity! So no crazy stuff at all. None!" his voice booms over the crowd but is readily ignored. All the children can chat about is the upcoming dance to celebrate another year's end. Aelita peers around the multitude of people for a glimpse of Jeremie but fails. Instead she turns to Yumi and talks about what to expect at a dance while the line inches towards the doors. "Oh excuse me losers! Why'd you bother to show up?" yells Sissi as she knocks Aelita to the side. Yumi helps Aelita up and shakes her head at the anger tightening her friend's face.
"There's no point responding. She only did that because you're clearly the prettiest girl here tonight."
"I am?" Aelita replies in shock. Yumi laughs and nods.
"Wow, so you haven't noticed every single guy looking at you? You are clueless. That or hopelessly besotted with a certain…someone." Yumi winks while waving her hand at the many males surreptitiously glancing at Aelita. Yumi has a point. They are all looking at me. I might as well admit it: the second part of her sentence is true.
Aelita turns to Yumi. "Hey! I wouldn't say hopelessly…" She punches Yumi in the shoulder for insinuating she had no chance at her crush. Crush? Bit more than that. Aelita mentally shushes herself and almost misses Yumi's words.
"So you don't deny it? I can guess the lucky guy." Yumi replies while trudging forward towards the increasingly loud music. "Of course, you do a really bad job of hiding it. Unfortunately Jeremie is too focused on you to even notice." Aelita is puzzled by Yumi's response.
"Too focused? You're saying he likes me?" Yumi laughs and raises an eyebrow at her oblivious friend.
"You seriously just asked that? We're talking about the guy who would do anything for you. I mean he did spend almost all of his time for a year working on your materialization. No way would he do that for anyone else or for a mere friend for that matter. Trust me, he likes you."
"Interesting. I'll keep that in mind." Aelita smiles but it slowly fades as uncertainty rises in her. "You sure he does?" she queries as they finally reach the door.
"Yes I'm sure. You'll notice when he can't stop staring at you tonight. Now get in there!" Yumi pushes Aelita through the doors and into the wall of sound. The sea of moving bodies, flashing lights, and sheer presence of the deafening music disorients Aelita more than materialization did. Strangely enough, spying Jeremie in animated conversation with Ulrich by the wall calms her down faster than she thought possible. A smile transforms her radiant face as she heads straight for them.
Just as Yumi had predicted, the second Jeremie laid eyes on her he couldn't tear them away. Aelita releases a delighted laugh as she weaves through the crowd without breaking eye contact with Jeremie. Yumi trails behind while laughing under her breath at the disappointed faces that watch Aelita.
"Wow, you look…err…simply gorgeous." Jeremie stammers as Aelita finally reaches him. "Although you are missing one thing." He reaches into his pocket.
Aelita looks at him curiously. "Thanks for the compliment. But what exactly am I missing?"
"This." Jeremie replies as he hands her a long jewelry box. "Try it on." Aelita takes the box and gazes at it for a few seconds before opening it. Nestled in the center was an iridescent pink orb surrounded by elegant silver chain. Aelita pulls it out and spins it in the multicolored light.
"Ohh…it's so beautiful! You didn't have to do this…" She puts the necklace on and squeals with gratitude while giving Jeremie a kiss on the cheek. Not where I wanted it but it'll have to do for now. She smiles in satisfaction at Jeremie's blush before giving him a hug. "Thanks so much! Now, who here is ready to have a little fun?" Ulrich looks at Yumi before nodding his agreement. Yumi grabs Ulrich and the two are quickly lost in the crowd. Aelita takes the hint and looks up at Jeremie. "Ready?"
Aelita latches onto Jeremie's arm and drags him towards the stage. "You are going to dance with me. There isn't another option." she commands. Jeremie rolls his eyes and nods before slipping a hand about her waist. Soon the beat picks up Aelita in its embrace and she loses herself in the music and Jeremie's arms. The pink haired girl has no idea how much time passes before the band calls for a break. Damp with perspiration, she notices Jeremie panting with effort. "Ready for some refreshment?" She drags him towards the drinks before he could nod.
"Hey there Einstein! I see Aelita has you busy." Odd calls as he walks up to Jeremie while Aelita uses the restroom.
"Yeah she definitely loves music." Jeremie replies while sipping on a glass of ice cold water and watching the crowd. "What have you been doing?"
"You know me. Dancing with any girl I can." Odd nudges Jeremie in the ribs. "Speaking of which, I see you made your move with that gift. About time!" Jeremie nods his agreement.
"She loves it. It looks amazing on her too. I'm horrible at dancing but she makes me not care at all…Aelita's finally here and I still can't say what I feel." Odd claps a despondent Jeremie on the shoulder.
"Not a problem. She'll come round sooner or later. From what Yumi has been hinting, I'm going to bet on sooner. Aelita likes you a lot." Odd encourages while Ulrich strolls out of the crowd and joins them.
"We talking about Einstein's singularly bad luck with girls?" Ulrich jokes. Catching his victim's death glare, Ulrich relents. "Oh come on, you know I was joking. Besides your little surprise vacation will do the trick. I don't know how many times the princess has mentioned her wish to go somewhere this summer."
Odd clamps a hand over both their mouths. "Shush, the girl in question is on her way." They chat innocently until Aelita and Yumi push through the throng. Snatching the last cup of punch, Aelita leans against Jeremie and tries to cool down before the band rejoins the stage. The music works its tantalizing magic around the crowd once more and she winks at Jeremie. "Let's go back in!" I love how I can make him do most anything I want. Smirking at the connotations of that thought, she lets the music carry her mind away once more. Far too soon Jim walks onto the stage and dismisses the students back to bed.
"Blah, what time is it Jeremie?" Aelita asks tiredly. Her legs refused to work properly and she leans against Jeremie for support. He puts an arm around her waist and looks at the watch on his other hand.
"Almost two in the morning. This is the latest you've ever stayed up isn't it? I'm not bothered, this is early for me thanks to the materialization program." Jeremie chuckles. "Actually, this isn't late at all for you! You used to not need sleep."
"Yeah it is. Dancing takes it out of me for sur-woah!" Aelita stumbles and almost falls into the ground. Jeremie immediately catches her and she murmurs her gratitude. They walk through the now-quiet path towards Kadic Academy and the wondrous item known as a bed. "Good night Jeremie. It was a wonderful evening and thanks so much for the necklace. I love it."
"You're always welcome. I had an amazing time as well." Jeremie brushes a hair behind her ear. Aelita gives a lingering hug and another kiss on the cheek to Jeremie before collapsing on her bed and immediately drifting into oblivion.
-End Flashback-
Aelita snaps out of her reverie and moans in frustration. "Another ten minutes gone and I still haven't made any progress. This sucks." She throws herself back into the packing with a frenzy, never noticing the blue eyed boy who had gazed in wonder at her beauty through the slightly ajar door while she looked in the mirror.