The quad was a beautiful place to sit down on a bench and have some peace and quiet. There was a small murmuring of people talking all around me but none of it really entered my mind. The birds were chirping the flowers seemed to dance, and nature's beauty surrounded me.
I was on my portable gaming system paying attention to none of that. I always saw more beauty in technology and games than I ever would just stargazing or bird watching. Funny I guess because the game I was playing was all about nature.
I did notice however that nature seem to grow darker whenever Sissy stepped outside. I peeked above my system to see that she was headed towards a couple of first years that were gawking at Ulrich. I knew his name because of Odd.
I didn't know Sissy all too well, but from what I heard from Odd, she could get really jealous of people who hang around Ulrich. Curiosity got the best of me so I got up and followed Sissy (And two other people that seemed to be following her) to the gawking girls.
"Hello little ones. Aren't you two a little wet behind the ears to be looking at boys." Sissy looked down on them and put her arms to her side. "Just look at yourselves, you even got a drop of milk from your bottle on your cheek."
One of the girls wiped her cheek off then realized that Sissy was only tormenting them.
"Hehe, she believed you Sissy. Not only is she a baby but she's also dumb." The blonde guy following her said.
"Hey Nicholas! You should be defending her not insulting her, you dumbbells otta be sticking together." Sissy turned her attention away from Nicholas. "Besides girls, you're setting your sights much too high. Ulrich's way out of your league. Why don't you go back to your dolls and stop dreaming."
I'm surprised that Sissy managed to retain any friends at all.
"Yea, well just because you are just a few years older, you think you can snap your fingers and he'll just come running to you?" The red head first year said.
"I don't think, I know! There isn't a boy in school who isn't dying to go out with me." Sissy said in confidence.
"Guess you can put that to the test. Here comes Ulrich," I pointed to an approaching Ulrich and his friends finding my way over to us. They must of overheard some of it because they flow next to the two first years seeming in support of them.
"Well what do you know, it's miss conceited in person." Odd said. I find it's less of a joke and more of an insult. Not really Odd's style. Yep, they definitely overheard something.
"Nobody asked you creep!" Sissy retaliated, Looking past Odd and over to Ulrich she said, "So, Ulrich, when are you going to stop being so shy and finally tell me how you feel about me huh?"
"You're wrong. I'm not shy. Not at all. I'm just allergic to anyone who stuck up. And in that category you wins hands down."
Everyone laughs, included her two "friends" around her. She glares at them both and they are the first to stop laughing.
"I bet she's been telling you how nobody can resist her charm!" Odd waves his arms as if to introduce Sissy as being someone really important, "And she's right! Look at the two nobody's that she's always hanging out with."
The two "friends" are more angry than Sissy is by the way she has to hold them back.
"Wow, you otta be a dog trainer when you grow up." Ulrich says.
"Go on. Laugh all you want. But I can see the way you look at me when your friends aren't around." Sissy threw her hair up in the air, turned around and walked away as if she had won the battle.
There was a moment when nobody said anything, then the two first years left. "I think she's hallucinating" Ulrich finally said.
"Oh no, speaking of dogs, I need to go feed Kiwi!" Odd brushed his hand threw his hair making his hair give the vibe that he turn slightly more stressed out. I knew about Kiwi from the day that I met Odd. It's kinda hard to keep a dog secret from a roommate, but I promised I wouldn't tell anyone. Besides, I really love dogs! Especially small dogs.
"Go on, I'll come with you. Do you want to come Yumi?" Ulrich asked. I could tell that he really liked her. I think Yumi may have gotten a little jealous of sissy because she was a little flustered with what she said next.
"I'll go later, I promised Jeremy I'd stop by and see him." and with that she walked off to Jeremy's room, which was in the same direction we were headed to.
"Well what about you Thomas?" Ulrich said.
I was a bit surprised that he invited me actually, even if it is my room. "Sure, got nothing else I'm doing."
"Slow down Kiwi, you look like Nicholas in the lunch room." Ulrich was watching Kiwi scarf down his food in pretty much the same way he described. I laughed.
"Hey, don't insult my dog, his manners are ten times better than that sloppy airhead." Odd was on the ground with his dog, petting his head as if he were trying to comfort the dog's feelings.
Ulrich looked over my way, as if he had a plan but wasn't sure if he was ready to tell it yet.
"You've been real quiet over there Thomas." Ulrich said changing positions on his bed to get more comfortable.
"Have I?" I changed positions on my bed, though more out of feeling awkward."I guess I didn't really notice."
"Yea. Where are you from? You from outer space or something?" Ulrich asked. Ulrich tossed his phone in his hands a bit, kinda paying attention to the conversation.
"You mean where Odd is from?" I replied looking towards Odd to see if it offended him, or if he took it playfully like a friend.
"Hey!" Odd retaliated. "Look, just because I have hair this awesome, doesn't make it 'out of this world.' "
We laughed a bit, and after a few moments of silence Ulrich broke the silence again. He sure was curious. "Really though, what made you go to boarding school in the middle of the school year?"
"His parents moved." Odd said before I could answer. Wait? I never told him that my parents moved here.
"My parents didn't move here." I said because it was the truth. Then I looked around the room and saw both pairs of eyes on me. I wasn't ready to tell the whole truth though. "My parents thought I was a handful, so they sent me here to teach me to be… less of a handful I guess."
"Right… the most quiet handful I've ever seen." Ulrich said shaking his head. Odd couldn't stop glaring at me like I just did something wrong.
"Well, why don't you prove how much of a handful you really are. I've got a plan to knock our friend Sissy down a peg or two." Ulrich said.
Odd stopped being suspicious of me and said, "Nothing would make me happier, what's your plan of yours huh?"
We were hiding in the bushes next to the garden house. Ulrich had texted Sissy. I wasn't quite sure what he had texted her but I knew she was coming to here. Ulrich's phone buzzed.
"It's Yumi. She's trying to contact us. She's going to blow our cover." Ulrich turn his cell phone off.
"Got it. I'll turn mine off too." Odd switched off his phone and I followed suit. We peeked out of the bushes again and saw Sissy coming down the walking towards the garden house, unsuspecting of the prank that was about to ensue.
We watched Sissy open the door, saying something about how she always knew Ulrich had a crush on her.
To her surprise she got knocked down by Kiwi. In her shock she had left her mouth wide open, and I swear I saw the dog's tongue get inside her mouth. I laughed.
Ulrich and Odd got out of the bushes and into the open and I followed them. "What is going on here?" Sissy pushed Kiwi off of her lap.
"Irresistible Sissy…" Odd started.
"You're right, not even a dog could resist your charm." Ulrich said.
I couldn't resist but to add in my two cents, "She spends plenty of time with dogs all day. It was bound to happen."
"Hey, don't knock her down too much. Because Herb and Nicholas are no match for Kiwi." We all laughed. Odd patted his knees "Sorry to drag you away from this Kiwi." Kiwi jumped onto Odd.
"You'll pay for this." Sissy managed to get out, still laying on the ground.
"No problem. Just send us the bill when you're all dry. Choa!" With that, we all walked away still laughing.
The quad again. This time however, I was with people I hoped I could call friends. Odd was sitting on the top of the bench with Ulrich near the bottom. I was still standing, and we were still all trying to catch our breath from laughing at Sissy. I hardly noticed when Yumi walked up.
"Oh! Yumi. You got here too late. You missed a 'great' show!" Ulrich said.
"Sissy's got a new boyfriend… though boy isn't really the right word… anyway she's in love." Odd continued.
"Hey I've been trying to reach you guys for the past 15 minutes. Thanks guys." Yumi didn't look happy. In fact it looked like she was running all over the park the past 15 minutes just to find these guys here in the quad. "Xana has just launched an attack!" Yumi said.
"Who's Xana?" I asked, wondering why everyone was so serious all of the sudden.
They ignored me "Okay I read you. It's urgent." Ulrich said. For some reason, I felt like it was urgent.
"Hey! You there." We all turned around to see Jim and Sissy. It wouldn't have been too big of a problem except Jim was holding Kiwi.
"Oh no no no." Odd hoped over the top of the bench the I step in front of him. I realized that I had been quite almost this entire time I was hanging out with them, I felt like it was time to be a bit more loud and help my friend. Is he a friend?
"Go do whatever you need to do. I got Jim." I said. Odd and them didn't even glance twice at the situation. Odd just nodded and they ran off.
"Hey! Get back here you-" Jim started.
"He's my dog." I interrupted. "I didn't realize that dogs weren't allowed on campus."
"No!" Sissy started "I found him in Odd's room!"
"You mean my room." I retaliated. It was enough for Sissy to get a bit mad at me, but it made her stop yelling at me. "It's my room too…"
"Okay, well dogs are strictly forbidden on school campus, and I'm afraid I still have to make you go to the principal's office." Jim said. I got the feeling he didn't buy it.
I was sitting in front of Mr. Delmas the school's principal. He was on the phone with my dad. All I heard him say was a series of yes Mr. Cline, I understand, and are you sure. He ended the conversation with a sorry to have bothered you Mr. Cline.
"So." Mr. Delmas started. I knew what was coming. "Your father has informed me that you do not own a dog, nor have you ever owned a dog."
I looked down at my feet, not willing to face the principal eye to eye. "I found him on my way here to the school and I didn't want to just leave him on the side of the road. So I brought him in. I was going to hide him until I got the chance to bring him back home." I lied. I had lied so much today and it was starting to bother me. Why was I even doing this again. Right, to be loud and to try to make a friend.
"Mm hmm." Mr. Delmas slid his glasses up his nose. He picked up the dog and tried to read the name on the collar, "Now tell me whose dog this is now that you know that I have read the tag on his collar."
Was he bluffing? The owners name isn't always on the tags, did Odd?
"Look, I know that the dog belongs to Odd. And since you haven't been able to tell me the truth, I have no choice but to give you and Odd detention. Once I talk with Odd, his parents will come and pick the dog up." I still look down at my shoes. I decide it's best not to say anything. I was being quite again.
"Now I know you've had it hard the past couple of months Thomas. Losing a parent can be quite hard, especially for someone of your age. And I'm willing to bet that you are lying for Della Robbia right now so that you may find a friend in him." Mr. Delmas put his hands on his desk. "Life can be hard, but you've got to find different ways of trying to deal with it then trying to pull something like this!"
I listen to him, but I have a feeling that his true reason behind telling me this isn't just to help me out, but to try to get more peace and quiet in his school. He didn't want to see me become a 'troublemaker' and he was using any leverage possible. I keep quiet.
"Four hours of detention to be served in two hour segments after school tomorrow and tuesday."
I nod my head and look up into Mr Delmas's eyes for the first time this entire conversation. I see that maybe he did legitimately care for me, though his eyes are glowing too bright to really see.
I realize that it wasn't just his eyes, the whole room was filled up with this bright light. The bright light engulfed me in it and suddenly my memories were gone and time had been turned back.
We were hiding behind the bushes in front of the garden shed. Ulrich, Odd, Jeremy, Yumi and I. We had a camera and had texted Sissy to come meet Ulrich in the garden shed. We could hardly keep in our laughter.
We stayed extra quiet when we saw Sissy walk down the path to the garden shed. I had to really keep it in when she opened the door, yelling for Ulrich. She would be surprised when it was Herb who knocked her off her feet and tried kissing her.
Jeremy took a picture then we hid behind the bushes before she ever noticed.
The picture came out of the camera and Yumi took hold of it. She started waving it in the air to make it develop faster. "Looks like Milly and Tamil are going to have a real super scoop tonight" Yumi said when the photo developed.
We laughed.
On the way back to the dorms, it was just Odd, Ulrich and I, though sometimes I felt like it was just me. "Hey Thomas." Ulrich said. "How'd you wind up here at Kadic Academy?" Ulrich asked the question as though he had rehearsed it.
"Oh, he got sent here because his parents thought he was too rambunctious." Odd said with a suspicious smile on his face. Wait? Why did he think that. I was probably the most quiet person here at Kadic.
"No, I never said that. I don't know which alternate dimension you came from Odd." I said.
I was caught off guard when he followed up by saying "Then tell us why you came here then?"
"My parents have a job that they have to move a lot, so instead of making me move schools all the time, they sent me here." It was half true, but I wasn't about to tell complete strangers the thing that was bothering me most ever since it had happened.
I got the feeling, however, that I may have lost their trust. I watch Ulrich give Odd the, 'I guess you were right.' look and Odd gave me the 'You're lying.' kind of look. I felt like that I had just gained their trust in that moment with Sissy, but I also think that I just lost it again right now.
An: So chapter two is up. Again I'm writing this with a few chapters done so it feels like that I'm writing this from the future and I just wanted to let you guys know something that you may see next chapter. I hate writing this story where every time my character make some sort of shift in personality it's lost due to the nature of the return to the past now function this story's got going for it.
I promise this problem will be fixed soon! Can I do teasers here? Next time on Code Lyoko watch Thomas fight a bulldozer!