A Desperate Life
Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko.
Chapter 1: That girl Yumi
Three days later the three teenage boys had been on the move since yesterday afternoon. They had just gotten off a bus and were now near a suburban neighbourhood. They knew that they had to be careful. Anyone could be out there waiting to capture them. Civilians, police, no one could be trusted. Someone could even claim to want to be of help. It didn't matter; they could trust no one. Not even other teenagers.
Ulrich soon pointed out a store and told the other two to wait by the stoplight where they were in plain sight. This would give Ulrich a clear idea of the situation if he exited the store and didn't see them. It was everyman for himself in the end. Ulrich made no fun in saying that there was a possibility that they might get separated. This scared no one more than Odd. He was the only one who often refused to sleep because of horrible nightmares. Ulrich had nightmares too but he learned to sleep through most of them. Also he trained his mind to sometimes not dream at all when he fell asleep. Jeremie had few nightmares. Most were just dumb things; he didn't have much horrors at the whorehouse to get nightmares about.
Ulrich entered the store and picked up a plastic cart. He proceeded to put in sodas, snacks, and a few fruits mainly for Odd and Jeremie. He also put in a few bottles of water. He soon waited in line to cash the items at the counter. Suddenly he felt water squirted into his face. Ulrich turned around to give the perpetrator of the deed a death glare. He saw a frightened Japanese boy staring back at him. Ulrich shook slightly as he tried to control his anger.
A Japanese girl ran up and grabbed the boy. Ulrich noticed that she was a teen.
"You can't do that to strangers Hiroki!" the girl cried incredulously, "I'm so sorry," she apologized.
"Whatever," Ulrich said coldly and turned around.
Ulrich could feel the girl staring at him.
He wished she'd get lost.
"It's rude to stare," Ulrich dared to speak when the girl wouldn't stop.
"Oh, I'm sorry," the girl apologized, "um, my name is Yumi Ishiyama," she told him.
Why is she telling me that? Ulrich wondered.
"That's nice," Ulrich said hoping to shake her.
The line finally moved and Ulrich soon cashed his items and turned to leave. But just then Odd and Jeremie entered the store. He could tell that something was wrong. Usually if they saw something suspicious, one would enter the store to tell the other to either hurry up or to forget buying the items. But both of them entering meant something dangerous was out there. Ulrich stepped forward and Odd turned around. Odd was one that learned to distinguish footsteps. Ulrich could do it too but nowhere near as good as Odd could.
"If you have trouble you can sneak out back," Yumi suggested suddenly.
Ulrich could feel a vein in his temple throbbing.
"She annoys me too," Hiroki whispered.
Yumi gave Hiroki a hard look.
Ulrich couldn't help but let slip a laugh.
"Ahem," Odd said and Ulrich looked to see that Odd had walked up to him while Jeremie stayed glued to where he was.
"Yeah," Ulrich said and handed Odd the bag, which he took despite being a bit surprised, "bye."
Ulrich and Odd turned to leave but realized that Jeremie wasn't where he was a while ago. Confused, Ulrich allowed Odd to search while he went closer to the exit to wait with the bag he now again held. Ulrich looked outside to see a school bus not too far outside.
"That's a bus from my school Kadic Academy," Yumi said and Ulrich jumped, "oh, sorry if I scared…"
"Why won't you go away?" Ulrich demanded done with tolerating her.
"I'm not usually this nice," Yumi warned.
"Hey," Odd said suddenly as he returned with Jeremie.
Odd was usually shy. But he was especially hostile to teens he didn't trust.
Yumi saw the violent look in Odd's eyes and backed off.
Jeremie gently touched Odd's shoulder and Odd's violent demeanour subsided.
"Let's go," Ulrich said and exited the store with the other two.
"We can't leave the parking lot," Jeremie said suddenly, "they're on either side waiting," he explained.
Damn, Ulrich thought.
They knew this tactic. The enemy blocked either side so that they couldn't leave. And if they snuck into a vehicle, it was likely that the enemy would mark each vehicle and find the address that the car and all its occupants belonged to. They knew they were trapped. Their best bet to hide around the store and leave when the coast was either clear or when they found a safe alternative route out of the parking lot.
There was suddenly a tap on the glass. Ulrich and Odd turned to see the little boy Hiroki. Hiroki pointed to a secluded corner of the parking lot. Jeremie turned around and shooed him. Hiroki only left after sticking out his tongue and then running off while Jeremie rolled his eyes and turned around.
After standing for over an hour Odd spoke.
"Think that kid knows we're running from something?" Odd asked.
Ulrich and Jeremie looked at Odd to see him tugging at the right sleeve of his black sweater. Ulrich and Jeremie immediately knew that Odd was doing this to keep himself from crying. Ulrich didn't know what the other two had seen. But now he knew that it had to be extremely bad.
"I'm going to check where the kid pointed," Jeremy told them, "cover me," he said and moved before they could protest.
But as he reached the area he heard footsteps and turned to see Odd and Ulrich running towards him. Then he noticed the two angry Caucasian gentlemen entering the parking lot. One Jeremie immediately recognized from the whorehouse.
Jeremie gulped.
"Through here!" Odd cried and ran until he came to an employee only sign and pushed open the door and ran in.
Ulrich and Jeremie quickly followed.
They carefully walked through the work area packed with cars. They noticed a few feet sticking out from under a few cars, so they carefully moved until they found an exit. Upon leaving they ran.
They knew the two chasing them wouldn't be far behind. Ulrich quickly waved down a taxi and told the driver to just drive, they'd pay.
The taxi took them deeper into the suburbs. When Ulrich saw the taxi drive nearing the limit of their cash he told the driver to stop. The three boys exited and noticed that it was nearly nightfall. Nightfall in the suburbs. The boys were unsure how much more their luck in places could suck. Suburbs had people looking out for suspicious characters. Alarms protecting the houses. People looking out for youngsters outside their homes after hours. They'd be lucky to go over two hours unnoticed.
"Hey," a familiar voice said suddenly and they all turned around to see the same girl.
"You're Yumi," Jeremie said.
"Yeah," Yumi said surprised, "um, I can see that you guys need help," she said, "I'm not usually soft like this," she told them, "I'm usually the loner girl who'd kick your ass," she revealed.
"At random or when provoked," Ulrich asked.
"Provoked," Yumi said in an annoyed tone.
"Why are you following us?" Odd asked apprehensively.
Yumi looked at Odd fearfully.
"He's not dangerous," Jeremie spoke, "he just thought you were trying to pick on our friend earlier," he told her.
Yumi looked at Odd for nearly a minute. He started edging closer to Ulrich.
Soon Yumi smiled.
"You wouldn't harm a fly unless you had to, would you?" Yumi asked sweetly and Odd his behind Ulrich who slapped himself on the forehead, "of course your brown haired friend seems less pleasing," she added.
Ulrich looked at her darkly.
"Like I said," Yumi said sticking to her story.
"Don't you have a bed to be in?" Ulrich asked her.
"Not on a Saturday," Yumi responded.
"Could you give us somewhere to rest up for the night?" Jeremie asked suddenly.
"Jeremie!" the other two cried incredulously.
Jeremie responded with a glare.
The other two quickly realized why. They had just broken one of the unbreakable rules. Never give out your (or anyone else's) real name.
"Jeremie," Yumi said, "that's a nice name."
"Um, yeah," Jeremie said uncomfortably, "maybe I shouldn't impose…" he started.
"I'll forget your name if it bothers you so much," Yumi offered but it was obvious that she felt bad.
"I'm Odd," Odd said suddenly and stuck out his hand.
Jeremy and Ulrich looked at Odd in surprise. He was least likely to utter a word (unless under duress) much less his real name to a stranger.
"Yumi," Yumi said and shook his hand, "I can hide you in the guest room since my parents are away and my baby sitter will take in anyone with a little bribe of some money," she told them.
"We'll help pick up the charge if we choose to stay," Odd offered.
Jeremy looked at Odd with disapproval. Ulrich was still shocked that Odd was actually talking.
"If it's a majority vote I understand," Yumi said but she sounded sad.
"I say we go," Jeremie spoke openly.
Odd and Ulrich looked at Jeremie, both appalled by his behaviour.
"I say we stay," Ulrich said upset at Jeremy's lack of tact.
"Um maybe we should listen to Jeremy," Odd said humbly believing that Jeremy made the best decisions even if he had just been mean to Yumi.
"I'm sleeping over at her place," Ulrich said obstinately.
"Don't be stubborn," Jeremie responded.
"No," Ulrich refused, "you want to wander the suburbs at night Odd?" he asked the now terrified blonde, "wait until the neighbours call someone and you both get cut off by two pairs of headlights?"
Odd gulped while Jeremie looked ready to attack Ulrich for his fear tactics.
"I'm staying with Yumi," Odd decided.
"I'm not, enjoy your night," Jeremie said firmly and started to walk away.
"Just say your address," Ulrich told Yumi, "in case he wants to find us tomorrow."
"We can meet back here tomorrow," Jeremy said immediately.
Yumi stated her address anyway.
Jeremie kept walking until he reached an intersection. But he suddenly turned back.
"Are you two sure this is a good idea?" Jeremy asked the other two.
Yumi decided to hold her tongue about him talking as if she weren't there.
"No," Ulrich admitted, "but I wouldn't mind spending the night in a good neighbourhood and actually spending it in a house, not wandering the streets or hiding in vacant rooms or areas, or sharing different like an empty shed, an opening in a wall or a doghouse," he said frankly.
"You slept in a doghouse?" Yumi asked horrified.
Jeremie gave Ulrich a scathing look while Odd stared at his shoes.
"Lead the way Yumi," Ulrich said instead of facing Jeremie on the matter of breaking another rule (which was no talking of their experiences with strangers).
"Not till I know your name," Yumi refused.
Ulrich truly wished to hit her.
"Ulrich," Ulrich said after defusing his temper.
"You have a dark temper," Yumi observed, "so do I," she added and started to walk away.
The other two looked at Ulrich. Obviously impressed at how Yumi handled him.
Ulrich glared at Yumi's back. Then with a frustrated grunt followed her and the other two followed suit.