Sostanza Odorosa

Chapter 3: Part III

Aelita's first thought once she stepped foot into the scope, that it was almost too dark to even see her hands. Adjusting the strap of her backpack, Aelita approached the center of the crowds, with the deepest intention to get the best view of Odd she could get. It was awhile since she seen the blonde Italian, it was sad, they attended the same school yet they haven't encountered each other nor have they spoken to each other since the great split. It depressed Aelita, to know that the once tight-knit group she called family was separated and barely talked to each other. Well, she talked to Jeremie, Yumi and Ulrich recently, but she hadn't been able to talk to Odd yet, she wasn't sure if he even made contact with the others either.

"Excuse me." Aelita said squeezing through sweaty bodies of people she didn't know. Did they even attend their school? Probably not, they probably were local fans that probably heard about Svelte Chocolat through a friend and liked their music. Well, judging from the first song Aelita heard them release, it was pretty good, but that song was a long time ago. She heard them mutter a curse and made barely an inch of space for her to advance. Adjusting herself the way she was able to squeeze through them.

She hurried forward, not wanting to be near such foul-mouth people who seemed the type to cause a mosh pit at her expense. A girl standing beside her uttered a shrill scream, almost damaging Aelita's eardrums. The pink-haired teenager cringed involuntarily, she knew at concerts that the fans were loud, but she never knew that they were this loud. Popping out Millie's video camera she quickly pressed in night-vision, hoping that setting will be appropriate for this concert. Lights flared and the speakers boomed of the intro song they were going to make an appearance with. The audience erupted with screams, shouts of appreciation and other incoherent words that Aelita couldn't identify.

Smoke flooded the stage. Nothing could be seen through that thick blanket of white fog. As the fog dimmed, Aelita could faintly make out the outlines of the band members entering the stage. Almost instantly the fog was whisked away, gently rushing through the very first few rows of people.

"Heyyyyyy, what're ya'll doing out here? Didn't your mom tell you that you have school tomorrow?"

Aelita stiffened as she heard the voice through the microphone. The voice has deepened from the last time they have spoken to each other, losing the squeaky voice Aelita had been so accustomed of hearing. Through any other voice alteration they had or was using, she was able to recognize his voice. Even if they haven't talked for a good three years, she still remembers.

All around her, the audience threw in their two cent response, the majority being laughter. Aelita chuckled slightly, a small smile creeping across her face. She kept the camera on focus, stopping her small fit of chuckles, because if she kept on, the camera would catch her bouncy movements and it would be reflected in the tape.

"So anyways, since it's one of those nights, we gotta' close around 9:00ish, so hurry and get your souvenirs before we close down, 'cause I guarantee you that you'll need something to remember this night," Odd said, his voice filled with happiness.

Odd, Aelita noted wore a pair of jean shorts that had strands of cloth hanging, a slim fitting shirt that almost looked purple-black in this light. Across his shirt it had 'Conflict' written in a circle right on his chest. And his shoes looked exactly like hers, except unlike Aelita's it stopped a few inches above his ankles. There was also something hanging out of the back of his pocket, it looked like a thick cloth rag of some sort that had a checkered design on it.

Now Odd, during those three years, he had matured severely. She saw him around, but never actually got a chance to approach him, for reasons of his rabid fan club. Now, at this angle, she can observe him without being insinuated that something was entirely up. He grew a little taller, still a bit short for a guy, but he was taller than an average girl, which was a good thing. His blonde-domed hair glimmered in the dim lights of the scope. Aelita was surprised, she thought that he would probably throw away his "Lyoko" look after awhile, but he still had it and just by seeing it, it made her happy. She didn't know why, but it was satisfying to see a bit of the old Odd that she had to pose as a cousin for.

Also, Odd was a little more muscular but still retaining that "svelte" body appearance. Truth be told, he was a bit attractive, surpassing most of the boy population at school.

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe it! He is like so hot!" a girl behind Aelita squealed. Aelita glanced at her slightly and back at her camera, slowly steadying the focus on the minor band members then towards Odd. The lead man, the head honcho, the big cheese, the everything.

'I haven't talked to him all this time and this is how I picture him? The everything? Where did that thought come out of?' she thought amused at her own choice of words. Her eyes were glued on to the mini screen, finally looking up once Odd started singing. She wasn't really paying attention to the words, but she did acknowledge them.

The music was strong, loud and heavy. It wasn't something she normally preferred, but it was pretty good. The lyrics were carefully chosen and the music was pounding in her ears; it was exhilarating! The people all around her jumped and swayed to the side, some of their friends even pushing into them. In-between the squealing girls and the "enthusiastic" groupies behind her that said a few vulgar things that made her blush.

"Ah!" The girls around Aelita swarmed all around her, squeezing her into a pink sandwich.

'I can't breathe,' she thought, trying to ease her way out of the sweaty bodies. She grimaced, the people all around her were screaming so hard and her so bunched up together that she didn't even have an inch to breathe. All at once, the music and the people all around her changed. The melody had changed into something smoother, more calmer than the previous songs he had started out with.

"Huh? What's this? So the rumors are true, he did make a ballad, that's really rare…" Aelita heard people mutter all around her. A small sigh of relief escaped from her lips and she glanced up at Odd appreciatively, thankful that through some sort of weird luck that he changed the tone of his song.

Aelita choked back a gasp. For a moment, for just a moment, it …it looked like he glanced back over at her and smiled. Aelita felt her body grow bit warm, her face hot with…timidity? Her hand faltered and she just remembered that she had a performance to tape. Her hand wielding the camera shot up, her eyes glued to the screen, watching Odd through a machine rather than just to stare at himself.

"OH MAH GAWD! BECKY! HE JUST STARE OUR WAY! OH MAH GAWD OH MAH GAWD! DID YOU SEE THAT?!?!!?" the girls hovering around Aelita squealed happily. Aelita blinked. That's right, why would he stare her way? They were old friends that went through the changing stage and sadly, they never stayed.

Taking a deep breath Aelita's eyes stayed pasted on the small camera screen, never once leaving Odd's mesmerizing performance. Aelita smiled absent-mindedly, her thoughts lost in the memories that used to be and just wishing that they were the same as they were back so long ago.

"That would be nice, wouldn't it?" the pink-haired girl found herself asking.


Author's Note:

Well, I think I'm going to update the last few chapters today, but I'm not so sure, I still have homework anda project that's due this upcoming Friday. And the chapter progression on "I think I", I barely started on it, so that chapter installation won't be until awhile. This story was so stuck in my head that I had to hurry up and type it or I'll forget. So, ongegaishimasu! Please take your time and leave a little review for me. :)

P.S. Odd's outfit and Aelita's outfit is based on this manga that I read.

P.S.S. It'll be on my deviantart. XD