Aelita linked arms with Jeremy and laughed, "We did good work this afternoon."
"Yes we did, although we have a lot of work still in front of us." Jeremy smiled before stopping to whisper into Aelita's ear. "If anyone asks where we have been, our cover is that we were spending time alone studying." Jeremy kissed her on the cheek.
"Or we can simply tell them that we are formally dating." Aelita kissed Jeremy on the lips, "we are growing up and have made a big decision as to our future, and we should be able to know that we can take care of ourselves."
Jeremy smiled and kissed her back as Sissy walked around a corner.
"Eww, you do know that my daddy imposed a no PDA rule this year?" she whined as she caught them.
"We don't really care, Sissy. It isn't like you don't go out and dream of kissing Ulrich like this." Aelita sassed, "Besides this is what two people who are in love do."
"Figures that the school's two Einsteins would fall for each other; you already spend most of your time together." Sissy sassed back before making her way over to the dining room doors.
Jeremy shrugged, "In a few weeks she will be in our past."
"Let's get to the dining room before Odd and Ulrich send out the troops to look for us." Aelita grabbed Jeremy's hand and dragged him all the way to their table.
Ulrich looked up, "Geesh, you two almost didn't make it for the beginning of the year commission."
"Yeah, what a way to get on Jim's bad side for the year than to miss his special pep speech; he takes it almost as seriously as he does gym class." Odd replied as he eyed longingly at the serving line.
"It is the same speech every year." Jeremy muttered, "I think we could probably talk our way out of it."
Aelita reached over and kissed Jeremy on the cheek, "Well we made it and that is all that matters. It's not like anything has started yet."
Jim walked by, "And it won't start unless you quiet down, Miss Stones, if you haven't noticed the rest of the dining room quieted down while you and Jeremy were smooching."
There was a crack of laughter from everyone in the dining room which responded in Jim yelling out a very loud "QUIET!"
Jim made his way back to the front, "For all you new students tonight before you can help yourself to the food we will be commencing the school year. Traditionally this was held the night before the formal start of classes but due to some past scheduling errors we decided to modify this night and hold it after the first day of classes. Which as many of you noticed the classes were pretty unstructured and relaxed today; THIS will not happen tomorrow."
Jim went on to deliver his half of the speech before giving the podium to Principal Delmas, "Welcome students and with that welcome I feel that I need to inform a number of you that due to incidents last year I must regretfully inform the student body that this year we will be heavily policing our PDA policy. This will include changes in the dorms as well as on campus. Jim will fill in the rules on dormitory living while I will review the expectations of the main campus and classroom."
Principal Delmas handed the podium back to Jim, "In the dormitories we have had complaints that girls have been staying over in the boys' dorms and even using the boys' bathrooms. If anyone is in a room belonging to the opposite gender then the door must be left open. The opposite gender should never be caught in a bathroom assigned to the other gender. If anyone is caught breaking these rules there will be serious consequences."
Jeremy started to sink down as he felt Jim's eyes on him. Aelita had never spent the night in his room albeit if she knew he was up and she couldn't sleep she would come down to his room but only if they were both awake.
Aelita bit her lip as she looked at Jeremy remembering the one time she had been tricked into using the boys' bathroom.
Principal Delmas returned to the podium, "With that I will continue to say that out on main campus, members of the opposite sex may continue to hold hands and walk each other to class so long as it does not impede on their ability to get to their own classes on time. What will not be tolerated is if two members of the opposite genders are caught obstructing the door ways or impeding in the ability of your fellow classmates to get to classes in a timely matter."
"For the students who would also prefer to be with members of the same gender this rule applies to them as well and room checks will be done frequently to make sure all parties are keeping doors open when they have visitors." Jim threw into the rule.
After the rules were done with, Aelita whispered into Jeremy's ear, "We are going to have to think of something."
"Not here though." Jeremy whispered back as Odd came back from his race to get food first.
"What isn't happening here?" he asked as he sat down.
Jeremy blushed, "Odd, Aelita and I were just thinking about a new place for you to hide Kiwi with the room checks that will be happening."
"Yeah, I don't think that will be a problem. And somehow I think you were talking about something else the way you turned red." Odd snickered.
Aelita frowned, "Well keeping Kiwi is going to be a problem considering the room checks."
"I am telling you it isn't. Ulrich and I got the scoop on it the other day while you two were too busy smooching it up in the park. We decided that where Yumi doesn't come to school here anymore you are the only girl we really willingly hang out with. So therefore there is no reason why there should be a girl in our room. I never invite anyone to mine anyways and we can just hang out with you in Jeremy's room or in your own room." Odd explained his master plan as Ulrich returned.
"So you two are going to keep everyone out of your room this year?" Aelita asked Ulrich.
"That is what Odd wants to try, though I think he is going to forget it in the first week." Ulrich moaned as he sat down, "Is it me or has the food quality gone down yet again?"
Jeremy eyed the food, "I think it is you because it looks the same as it has for the last four years here."
"You might think it looks awful but it sure tastes divine! If you don't want it I will take it off your hands." Odd said as he swallowed down his roll.
Aelita grimaced, "tell you what, Odd, we will try the food and if it totally disgusts us we will give it to you. But we still need to go get our trays and give the food a try first."
Jeremy took her hand and they walked together to join into the mob that was scrambling for their dinner. "It always makes a big mess when they make us all wait to get our food."
"You're telling me, you would think they would do something about this like maybe hold this meeting elsewhere instead of in the dining room or maybe hold it after dinner." Aelita groaned as a sixth grader pushed through the two of them taking a place in front of them.
