Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko or Tattoo by Jordan Sparks. I only own the plot, Lacey and the kids.

This chapter gets better as it goes along. It may start off boring, but it gets better. There isn't much more to say so... yeah. ENJOY!


Chapter 7

Runaway

Tanya was listening and singing along to her favourite song on her iPod, Tattoo by Jordan Sparks.

Just like a tattoo, I'll always have you

As the song ended, she heard some clapping coming from the door to her room. She looked around and saw Mark standing by the door smiling.

"Your door was unlocked," Mark told her, answering her unsaid question. "You're really good at singing."

"Thanks. Why are you here?" Tanya asked.

"You've come to eat in your room every day. I don't think you'd expect that to go unnoticed," Mark answered, coming down to sit on her bed. Tanya smiled softly, but Mark could tell that there was worry behind it.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Tanya sighed. "I'm still worried about The Golden Key to Carthage."

"Don't worry; you have the rest of us to protect you. That's more than double the amount of warriors my mum had to protect her and she pulled through," Mark reassured her.

"Yeah, but she had her father to save her. I don't have anyone to save me from death afterwards. Somewhere in my mind is a key. Or, maybe my mind is the key. How am I supposed to live with that? If Xana gets to my mind, he'll read all my personal thoughts as well," Tanya explained.

"Personal thoughts, like what?" Mark asked her.

"Why do you think they're personal thoughts?" Tanya asked laughing.

"Oh, I see, you're not allowed to share any of your personal thoughts to your best friends," Mark commented, smiling.

"I tell Arielle and Angel, just not the boys!" Tanya exclaimed.

"But you just shared some personal thoughts to me now," Mark told her.

Tanya thought about it. She had, in a way, confessed some of her personal thoughts to Mark. Maybe that's just because I… no, it was just chance, she thought.

"Sorry, but still no." Tanya smiled and ruffled his hair.

"Ok, then will you please come outside with us?" Mark asked. Tanya nodded and went with him outside.

"Look whose back!" Mark announced as he led Tanya to the others.

"FINALLY!" Chris exaggerated.

"Where have you been!?" Arielle asked, shaking Tanya.

"In our room," Tanya laughed. "Where are Angel and Luke?"

"Over there." Arielle pointed to the nearest bench. Arielle had her head on Luke's chest and he was stroking her hair.

"They have a date tonight," Chris explained.

"I never knew my brother could be that romantic," Arielle confessed.

"Where are they going for their date?" Mark asked.

"The restaurant down the street," Chris answered.

"Cool," Tanya answered.

"No offence, but I'm BORED!!"Chris complained.

"So am I," Arielle agreed.

"Geez, you two are a pair of wailers! I have some video games we can play," Mark told them.

They all went up to Mark's room and got the video games set up. Mark and Chris were the first to verse each other. It was a car racing game and there were certain levels, so Tanya and Arielle had to wait for their turn. When they were halfway, Arielle was flicking very tiny black rocks with her pointer and her thumb. One of them accidently hit Mark in the head.

"OW! What was that for?" Mark asked.

"Sorry, it was an accident," Arielle replied.

When it was Tanya and Arielle's go, Arielle accidently stepped on a wire and the whole video game got disconnected.

"ARIELLE!! GET OUT! YOU'RE ONLY IN THE WAY!" Mark yelled.

Shocked, Arielle stood up and ran out of the room. She ran to her room and went in to see Angel putting her earrings on.

"Hey, nice outfit. Luke hasn't gone up to his room yet," Arielle told Angel.

"He just went up a second ago," Angel replied. Suddenly, Mark burst through the door.

"Why do you have to bring bad luck wherever you go?!" he asked. "You have no consideration for anyone! You have no love life and you make stupid little stories. You have no life!"

Every word hit her with such force. She knew he wasn't shouting, but those words spoke for themselves. Tears started to form in her eyes and she ran out of the room weeping as Chris, Luke and Tanya came walking up behind Mark.

"Dude, what did you say to her?" Chris asked.

"That was low cuz," Angel told him. Mark just looked at the floor.

Later that night

Everyone was asleep, except for Arielle. She had come back, but she wasn't feeling any better. She had one question on her mind.

Should I do it? Nobody wants me around…

She decided to do it. She wrote a note to the others to explain why she was leaving, packed up a backpack full of her things and snuck outside. She thought of the factory and decided to go there first. She ran, remaining as sneaky as the shadows of the night.

Next morning

Angel woke up to see Tanya already awake. Tanya had a frightened look on her face and she was holding a piece of paper.

"What's up?" Angel asked Tanya tiredly.

"Arielle's run away," Tanya answered.

"Huh?" Angel asked, suddenly awake.

"Here, she left us this." Tanya handed her the piece of paper. Angel started reading.

Dear friends,

I am running away, I guess you'll know that by the time you read this. I know I'm a big pain and I get in everybody's way. I dumped all my stories in the bin. The only things that I brought besides some food, water and clothes were picture of you guys. Never forget me, because I will never forget you.

Love you always,

Arielle

"We have to show this to the boys," Angel told Tanya.

"Don't you wanna get dressed first?" Tanya asked.

"No need, I was so tired last night that I forgot where my PJ's were and I just put on anything to go to bed," Angel explained.

The two girls ran out the door and to the boy's room. Tanya knocked on the door and a sleepy Luke answered. "Where's Arielle?" he asked.

"That's why we came," Tanya told him. By now the other boys were there too.

"What's going on?" Mark asked.

"Read this." Angel handed them the piece of paper. When they read it, they gasped.

"We have to find her!" Chris exclaimed.

"Ok, just let us get dressed," Mark told them.

Five minutes later the boys came out of their room fully dressed. They all ran outside and looked around. They didn't know where she possibly could've gone.

"Angel and I will check the shops, Tanya and Mark, you go into the forest and Chris, you go to the factory," Luke instructed. They ran off in their different areas.

The Factory

Arielle looked at the photos of her friends one more time before she left. There was a picture of her and her brother when they were ten. That was a two months before they had met the others. There was a picture of her, Chris, Tanya, Luke and Mark having a water fight. They were eleven and Angel hadn't come yet. The next picture was of her and the others at her and Luke's birthday party. She and Luke were blowing out the candles. Angel was there this time, having only arrived six months ago from that point. The last photo was a group photo of them a month ago. She, Angel and Tanya were sitting on a bench while Luke was standing on Angel's side, Mark was standing on Tanya's side and Chris was resting his arms on the back of the bench.

Arielle started up the delayed transfer program and went down to the scanner room. She scanned herself and landed in the ice sector of Lyoko. She looked around and saw nothing but some rocks, a tower and a cavern leading to a waterfall. She ran towards the waterfall. She didn't want to go into the tower since it seemed boring, according to Angel.

When she got to the waterfall she sat by the edge and dipped her feet in. She shed a tear and it dropped into the water below. She looked at her reflection in the water. She was pretty, anyone would agree. But if you looked at her you would think she was just a normal teenager. Of course, she had been, until Xana and Lyoko came up.

Why did I come here of all places. This may have been the place that ruined my life. Then again, only some people know about this place, so I guess it was a good place…

"ARIELLE!"


Cliffie! I'll have the next chapter up probably tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then the next day. Bye!