Chapter 36

On the other side of the cafeteria there was a mob similar to the one surrounding Eric and Steven's table. The only difference was the gender of the mob. The mob surrounding Eric's and Steven's table were all girls. This mob was made up entirely of guys. The entire cafeteria was empty. All the girls were crowded around one table, with the exception of two and all the guys were crowded around another table, with the exception of three.

After Sakura and Riley emerged from the gaggle of giddy girls (their clothing was extremely disheveled at this point). Sakura had a better view of the situation.

"Is that our table they're surrounding?"

Riley nodded his head.

"Stella's in there? Alone? Where were you guys?" Sakura said pointing at the wall of guys. Meaning why did you let that happen. Riley sighed. He didn't like explaining himself to Sakura.

"We were in Dante's room running a scan on towers. Nothing's active, but he has a strange feeling about Lyoko. The scan made us late for lunch. Drew should have been here with Stella, but he has disappeared. When we got here we saw this." Riley gave her an appraising look and put a hand on her forehead.

"Are you feeling alright?"

Sakura slapped the hand away, "I'm fine. I just wanted to talk to my boyfriend."

Sakura turned back to face the group of guys. She rolled her sleeves up in anticipation. "This is going to get messy."

Before she could plunge into the fricassee to extract Stella the group parted like the Red Sea. Dante walked through the cleared path with a pale Stella hiding behind him holding onto his elbow. Stella seeing Sakura and Riley disengaged from Dante and ran to them.

"Hide me." She pleaded, "They're animals! I need to get away from them." The last word came out accompanied with a shudder.

She had been eating her raviolis when a guy came over and started acting all macho and cool. It made her think of a male peacock spreading his feathers for all to admire. The one liners started rolling and then another guy came and then another one until she was surrounded unable to escape. All were trying to ask her out.

Stella had felt herself grow meeker and shy and scared until in her place sat a scared big brown eyed 5 year old Stella with a quivering lip trying not to cry from fright. At least that is how she felt emotionally. All this attention was too much.

She was relieved beyond expression when Dante appeared. All it took was a cool stare off and the male in his way would back off. Stella gave him a look that clearly said, "HELP ME!" He rescued her from the peacocks.

Stella had nothing against guys. They were great buddies, and friends and one day far off in the future potential boyfriends, but when they got into the impress the girl mode they were automatically downgraded to microforms that must be avoided at all costs. They scared her, and she didn't know what to do with them. Other then that they were great.

"Hide me from the carnivores. I fear for my sanity around them."

Riley exchanged glances with Sakura. Stella was freaked, obviously. Sakura nodded in understanding.

"Come on, we're going to the one sanctuary girls have from hormone crazed guys. The girl's restroom."

(O)

Conference call in the girl's restroom

"It's so strange. Why would these two groups decide to surround three different people?" Indeed, why?

"They've won the jackpot of instant popularity?" Drew asked.

Sakura tolerated him, "It's more then that. The girls were fawning over Steven and Eric today and when yesterday they were normal guys. They practically were trying to tear off the guys shirts for souvenirs. Plus, Stella isn't popular. She's a very nice person, someone you'd ask to "borrow" a piece of paper of pencil, but not one to instantly become desirable for dates. The guys were salivating over her. And they aren't even respecting the sanctity of the girl's restroom. Their hormones are driving them bananas."

"What do you mean by that?" Riley asked.

"Going bananas?"

Drew chastised her, "NO, the not respecting the girls restroom sanctity thing." Stella gritted her teeth and braced herself against the door.

"I mean there is a reason why I have you guys on speaker phone. Currently a crowd of human beings from your gender are trying to break in. Luckily I have back-up."

The guys had trailed the Stella and Sakura as they headed to the bathroom. Some even came out of classrooms. It was as if they could smell Stella and her "attractiveness", which Stella said she lacked.

"Back up?"

"The highest of school authority, the principal."

Indeed coming down the main corridor was a force to be reckoned with, Principal Elizabeth "Sissy" Delmas. She eyed the crowd of guys trying to break into the bathroom. Let the verbal lashings and detention giving start.

"What are you doing?"

Five minutes later

Sakura poked her head out of the doorway. The hall was empty. No males in sight. Sakura exited the girl's bathroom.

"Thanks Principal Delmas."

Sissy nodded. As soon as those guys had finished their ice cold showers they were up for a month of detention.

Stella had climbed out of the bathroom via a window (it was a first story restroom) when approaching heavy footsteps were first heard. Stella had left Drew's jacket for Sakura to give to Drew.

Sakura muttered to herself and the phone, "Guys are hormone crazed less mature, growing nightmares on two legs; that are too cute without any courtesy tucked behind their foreheads." She paused, "With a few notable exceptions." Sakura hung up her call, stuffed Drew's jacket in her backpack, and walked down the empty hall to go to her next class.