Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Moonscoop, France 3, and Canal J. The custom-created characters NOT in the actual series and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with Moonscoop, France 3, Canal J, or any of their affiliates. No copyright infringement is intended.
Owner of a Lonely Heart
"So Odd, how's your relationship going with that new girl from Australia?"
Odd Della Robbia noticed that his friend sitting across from him, Jeremie Belpois, looked extremely confident that his latest relationship with a girl has failed epically. Unfortunately for the scrawny fifteen year old, his friend was right. The relationship didn't last very long. Well, he was lucky it had lasted as long as four days.
Like all the other girls the young womaniser had dated, she was attractive. Not just in looks, but she had a very nice Australian accent instead of the usual stereotypical blokey accent that Australians were associated with. She was also quite feminine too, wearing her make-up and nail polish wherever she goes.
However, because of her country of origin, Odd found her too similar to himself, and ended up breaking up with her. As much as he didn't want to be discriminatory, girls that had too much in common in terms was personality was a big let down for Odd. Sure, he liked a girl that loves to have fun but she was too laid back to his liking.
"I broke up with her," Odd stated distantly.
"You? How come?" Jeremie asked in a bit of shock.
"She was pretty much a female version of myself, apart from being exotic," Odd responded, almost mumbling.
"You don't seem to be happy about it," Jeremie mentioned.
"It has nothing to do with the girl," Odd snapped.
"What is it then? You can talk to me about it."
It was hard to pinpoint it down to one thing for Odd though. Ever since defeating XANA, it was difficult to fill the hole with something exciting and meaningful. As much as he enjoyed hanging out with friends and getting annoyed with the increasing amount of schoolwork, he desired something momentous to happen.
Perhaps it was his lack of direction. He didn't have a career path in mind. He knew he could be an exquisite artist, creating wonderful pieces of work, or being a decent comedian coming up with good and lame jokes. He could possibly head down the road of being an electronics mechanic, as his parents had doted on his ability to fix anything electrical.
However, compared to romance, the career path could wait for a while. While there wasn't a lot of things that were better to do at his age, it was best to find the one, wherever she was. The one was a girl who would sweep him off his feet, be a bit more mature than he was and tolerate his bad habits and smelly feet.
He had to admit, his list of prerequisites made him sound like a sappy romantic at first. But according to the girls that he wooed and broke up with him, he was anything but a romantic guy. Once he started to date them, Odd lost interest in them very, very rapidly. There was even a time where he dated another girl just so he could break up with both of them faster.
He tried dating girls his age; until he had dated all of them par Sissi, who was public enemy number one to their group. Odd Della Robbia would have to wait until a new female student came to their school, or he would have to date somebody younger or older than him. Not that he minded that much about age.
Although, because of his reputation as a womaniser, playboy, or two-timer, depending on which ex would speak about Odd, getting a date in another age group would be difficult. And almost every time, the girls he had dated broke up with him for unjustified reasons.
The reasons why he didn't date girls for a long time was because once they had begun their relationship, it was evident the girls were not interested in him, but what he could provide during the dates. Odd understood that there was no getting away from material items, but throughout all his dates, he felt like the girl would avoid getting to know him more. Overall, the dates were unsatisfactory and just killed time until he returned to Kadic Academy.
He looked at Jeremie, and wondered why it was hard for a guy like him to find a wonderful and meaningful relationship with the opposite sex. Hell, Jeremie found his girlfriend in a Supercomputer and materialised her to Earth. And Odd was certain that Ulrich would be seizing the opportunity to go out with Yumi now that XANA was erased from their lives.
"Odd?"
Odd shook his head upon hearing Jeremie's voice. He didn't realise how long he was stuck in his head, thinking about his relationships and his friends'. He smiled at Jeremie, understanding how lucky his friend was to find a girl that liked him for who he was.
Jeremie was perplexed by Odd's sudden mood change, and enquired, "Why are you so happy all of a sudden?"
"You're a lucky guy Jeremie. And Ulrich too. The girls love you two for who you are," Odd stated.
Caught off guard by his statement, Jeremie stammered, "T-Thank you Odd," but he promptly recovered, "But you're lucky too."
"How?"
"Well, for one, you don't have to deal with any complications in a relationship. Imagine being in Ulrich or Yumi's shoes and trying to deal with a relationship there."
Odd was not the one to think too deeply on things, let alone think about being in his friend's shoes about a relationship. As much as their relationship was meaningful, he didn't want to have a relationship as complex and confusing like theirs.
"And most importantly, while you haven't been in a serious relationship, you're not at risk of getting a broken heart if you end up breaking up with her," Jeremie responded solemnly.
"Oh. But at least you get the feeling of being in love, despite that risk."
"That's the wonderful thing about spending time with Aelita. You appreciate everything in life, and learn not to take anything and anybody for granted," Jeremie replied proudly, "I'm sure you'll find your one eventually Odd. You make everybody happy when they're down, despite your lame jokes. Stay who you are, and I'm sure you would be the person who would make your special one smile, even if they had a horrible day."
Odd couldn't help but smile at Jeremie's insightful words. He was still young, and shouldn't be discouraged that he hadn't found a girl to fall head over heels for. Odd had to be patient to find the right girl for him. She may be years away, or perhaps he would find her this year.
Jeremie checked his watch and exclaimed, "Speaking of special ones, I better find Aelita. She might still be in her room working on our science project. I have to remind her its lunch now! See you soon!"
Jeremie rushed out of the cafeteria before Odd could get in a word. As much as his mind was now focused on food, he was distracted by Jeremie's wise words. He knew now that he could cope with being single, despite his closest friends probably being in relationships, because he could look forward to a special girl taking him completely by surprise.
The teenager looked outside and spotted Ulrich and Yumi. Although they weren't holding hands, Yumi was deep into Ulrich's personal space. Odd knew they were a couple, whether they like to admit it to him or not.
He smirked as he focused his attention back in the cafeteria. And all of a sudden, Odd realised just how lucky he was.
William Dunbar, suitor to Yumi's heart, was moping at his table, alone. Odd was aware that Yumi was only interested in William as a friend, but William seriously thought he could take it to another level. He could see that the older boy paid dearly for chasing after Yumi.
Odd gazed at William, with the past conversation in mind, there was a message behind Jeremie's words.
An owner of a lonely heart is better than an owner of a broken heart.
Author's Notes: I have to admit, this is a really unusual oneshot for me to write. To be inspired by a light-hearted song with a serious message, while putting the moral behind the song to an immature teenager who loves to joke around is a difficult thing to put together. But I'm glad I pulled it off. Somehow.
And if you're wondering, the song is called Owner of a Lonely Heart by a band called Yes. Yes, you're reading that right. The band is called Yes. They're a progressive rock band that had their largest success during the late seventies to early eighties.
And that's it from me. I hope you enjoyed this very unusual oneshot about Odd, and drop a review while you're at it!
