I don't know if I'll manage the dance in this chapter, I know I said I would so if I don't: I lied and I'm sorry and if I do: you're goddamn bloody fucking welcome.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own code Lyoko or Cocaine: the energy mentioned in this chapter or Hall Om Mig the song later on.
Dedication: Yutaro for getting me over my terrible crippling writers block by telling me his life story.
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"Have we got anything stronger than this?" I asked, holding my clear plastic cup of water up so that the light shown through in speckles.
"If you mean alcoholic then no."
"Well, I wouldn't say no to it at the moment but I was leaning more towards the energy drinks I keep locked in the closet." I pulled the thin chain off my neck, out from under my dress where it was hidden. Depending on whether I wore it over or under my clothes the small golden key would hang anywhere from my belly button to the waistband of my pants.
She took the chain from me with a cock of one eyebrow and went to the closet. "Why do you even have these in here?"
We had both finished dressing a good hour and a half before we were needed anywhere to do anything. This had left us sitting and staring at each other for several minutes and while we didn't dislike each other it had become increasingly awkward as time passed.
I had risen and gotten a glass of water, hoping to quell the nervous fluttering of tiny wings in my stomach but was having to resort to stronger methods.
Aelita fumbled with the locked case on the top shelf for a moment. I licked my lips and looked around for Chap Stick. "For occasions such as this, when the situation unfortunately calls for it."
I drained my cup of water and set it on the desk next to me.
"No I mean why do you have it locked up like this?" she pulled off the lid , treating it as one would treat a live bomb.
"Well, its sort of illegal."
She sniffed it tentively and immediately drew back, "and for good reason. I wouldn't touch the stuff with a 10 foot pole."
I snatched the can from her and cradled it protectively against my chest. "Besides, its not for you, you'd probably pass out."
She had been sipping her own water but at this she dumped the rest of the contents into her mouth and thunked her glass down next to mine on the desk, swallowing the water convulsively, eyes glittering. "Try me."
I sighed and poured her about a shot's worth then filled my own glass to the brim. She didn't seem to notice this and with an excited, thrilled squeak sank onto my bed.
I held my glass gingerly and settled myself cross-legged on the floor, careful not to spill.
She upended the cup into her mouth and I watched it slide down her throat. She smiled smugly at me for a moment then her eyed rolled back into her head and she collapsed backwards onto the bed.
I lifted my cup in her direction and then swallowed a mouthful, enjoying the burning of it as it traveled down. "Told you." I said cheerfully to the unconscious body laid out on my bed like a cadaver. "What will Jeremy think I've done to you?" I sighed.
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Aelita groaned loudly at a soft knock on the door echoed in her head making the pounding headache she had flare into bursts of angry lights behind her eyelids. Serenity got up with only the merest ruffle of satin and padded softly over to the door. The mechanism on the doorknob clicked and Aelita flinched and groaned again. Serenity opened the door just enough to allow Yumi to slip in.
Yumi opened her mouth to speak but Serenity hushed her motioning to Aelita prostrate on the bed.
Yumi's eyes widened and she knelt by the bed, looking concerned then turned back to glare at Serenity, who put her hands up, palms facing out in a gesture of "it wasn't me!"
The glare only deepened as Aelita groaned again, louder. Serenity sighed and pushed Yumi out of the way in order to sit Aelita up. Once wrestled into a sitting position with her feet dangling off the side of the bed, Aelita's head was forced between her knees.
"Take deep breaths." Serenity said through gritted teeth, one hand on the back of Aelita's head pressing it into position. Aelita did as she was told and was surprised to find that with each deep breath the dull throb behind her temples eased. Before long she felt fine.
"What did you do to her?" Yumi was not amused.
"I saved her!" Serenity shouted, exasperated, throwing her hands up in the air and moving quickly to the other side of the room. She went to run her hands angrily through her hair and stopped herself for fear of ruining the time spent taming it.
Yumi smiled, "Yes I know but after that."
"I warned you." Serenity crossed back over and thrust an accusing finger under Aelita's nose. "Didn't I? But no, 'I can handle it' she says. One sip and what do you do? You pass out on me! Jesus woman!" She had worked herself into a frenzy, shaking Aelita's shoulders.
Yumi took one look at Serenity's crazed figure and Aelita's sheepish expression and burst into laughter, rolling around on the floor in mirth until tears came to her eyes, a very un-Yumi-like thing to do indeed.
Serenity calmed quickly and starting to laugh with Yumi. After a while they stopped and sat in silence.
"I'm glad you saved her." Yumi said softly, breaking the silence, toying with the bedspread.
Serenity looked up at her from her hands clasped in her lap, which she had been staring at. She looked down again and mumbled something.
Yumi, moving quickly, wrapped her arms around her, hugging her tightly around the middle. "There's nothing to forgive."
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Yumi and I pushed Aelita round the corner and heard her gasp of delight as she saw Jeremy.
We poked our heads around the corner in time to see them running toward each other (like that slow mo thing they do in fields of flowers in chick flicks xD). Aelita caught him around the middle and then he had lifted her off the ground and they were spinning and kissing. Yumi had drifted over to Ulrich, rested her head on his shoulder, he had put his arm around her waist and they were smiling.
I hung back and so did Odd, on opposite sides of the happy couples, feeling lonely, Odd with a dark cloud almost visible over his head, arms crossed and his face growing more shadowed in anger and resentment by the minute.
I waved off the happy couples with a cheery, "we'll catch up in just a minute."
Odd stayed where he was, glowering. I approached him with caution. "Want to go for a walk?
"No."
"Will you?" I offered him my hand. He ignored it and brushed roughly past me stomping off toward the door to the outside. I followed.
The cold air hit me, drawing out my breath in a cloud of white smoke.
I followed Odd to a small clearing in the park. I waited patiently while he paced, and grumbled to himself and yanked his fingers through his hair. Finally, he turned on me.
"I hate you."
I didn't look up, kept my eyes fixed on my shoes lest I look up and accidentally meet his eyes directly.
"You used me. You used me and I fell for it. I fell for it." He turned his back towards me. "How could I have been so stupid, so careless? I'm an idiot. Goddammit!" he drove his fist into a tree on his right.
He pulled his hand back and stared at it.
"What would you like to do?" My voice sounded so very quiet.
"Hurt you."
I flicked my bangs out of my face impatiently. "You've already done that."
"Not enough."
I fell silent.
He turned suddenly and pushed past me, grabbing my hand roughly and towing me out of the clearing.
"We're going to the dance." He answered my unspoken questions. "You say you're sorry, you're going to prove it."
I opened my mouth to speak and he pulled me almost viciously to keep up with him. "You're not going to talk."
We had come to the cafeteria building and Odd wrenched open the door and pushed me inside.
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(Author's note: this is the part of the chapter that's songfic-ish. I'unfortunatly cant figure a way to get the link for the song into the story so im going to put links on my profile(or im going to try) If theyre not there just go to and search for hall om meg or hold me now. I highly suggest listening to the song the entire time you're reading this. I'll put another author's note when you can stop. It sets the mood very nicely though.)
Lights flashed and bodies moved together in perfect motion. A new song came on as Odd led me to the center of the dance floor.
Att vår värld behöver ha
Mera kärlek varje dag
Det vet både jag och du
Låt oss börja här och nu
I moved so that we were about a foot apart but he grasped one of my hands and put his other hand on my waist and pulled me to him.
Så håll om mig
Släpp inte taget om mig
Är som förhäxad av dig
Och jag vill ha dig
Kom och håll om mig nu
We danced. He was very angry, his body tense, his grip on me tight.
Ja kom närmare ett slag
Hör du mina andetag?
Blodet rusar vilt och hett
Ja på många skilda sätt
And now we were moving, quickly, fiercely.
Så kom och håll om mig
Släpp inte taget om mig
Är som förhäxad av dig
Och jag vill ha dig
Kom och håll om mig nu
We stood still again, locked together in a pas de deux, positive betrayal of body and mind.
Pulsen slår, jag ser din blick
Åhh, jag är i ett hjälplöst skick
Jag kan bli räddad först om du
Ger mun-mot-mun-metoden nu
Odd quickly forced me to lean back over his arm, dipping my head down, back arching. And back up again, radiating hatred and dissapiontment and sadness and desire; anger and betrayal.
Så håll om mig
Släpp inte taget om mig
Är som förhäxad av dig
Och jag vill ha dig
Kom och håll om mig nu
Ja kom och håll om mig
Släpp inte taget om mig
Är som förhäxad av dig
Och jag vill ha dig
Kom och håll om mig nu
Är förlorad och förförd
Jag är skakad och berörd
Hjärtat slår så hårt
Låta bli dig blir för svårt
Och jag tror du ser
Att jag faller mer och mer
Håll om mig
And then we were spinning; I spotted Demi in the crowd that had gathered on the side to watch, pale with concern.
(Ja håll om mig)
(Släpp inte taget) om mig
Är som förhäxad av dig
Och jag vill ha dig
Kom och håll om mig nu
Ja kom och håll om mig
Släpp inte taget om mig
Är som förhäxad av dig
Och jag vill ha dig
Kom och håll om mig nu
(Ooohh, ooohh)
Wouh, kom och håll om mig
(Ooohh, ooohh)
Släpp inte taget om mig
Och jag vill ha dig
Kom och håll om mig nu
The song was ending but the frustration was not dissipating from Odd. The dance did not come to a graceful end but rather stopped abruptly. There was a brief flurry of applause as Odd dragged me out of the dance and back into the dorm building.
I was slammed against the wall next to the door to my room. Odd's lips found mine, rough, desiring, bruising. He pouring his feelings into that kiss; frustration, anger, hatred, sadness, betrayal, wanting, love…
The slap resounded in the empty hallway. Odd pulled back, looking hurt, touched two fingers to the red mark on his cheek. My eyes met his for a brief moment then I ducked under the arm on the wall next to my head and retreated to my room. I shut the door behind me and slid down it to a sitting position, resting my forehead on my knees, blood pounding in my ears.
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You are welcome. Let me tell you. This almost killed me. This story appears to be losing interest, which makes me sad. :( There haven't been many reviews lately. Oh right you can stop listening to that song now. :D I had something else to say but I've forgotten it. So whether you're celebrating chrismahanakwanza or the rebirth of the great flying spaghetti god happy holidays from all of us here at Xana's Ally (I don't know why I said that it's only me…)