Hey, much quicker update this time! I've seen peoples reviews of wanting Jerlita and honestly, I'm still not 100% sure on if Jerlita will be pairing for this story. Growing up with Code Lyoko, I was always a Oddlita shipper rather than a Jerlita but since I wrote Lucy specifically for Odd, Oddlita won't be a thing in this story sadly! Personally, this story is being wrote mainly for a friend (who owns the oc of Kale 'minus the name') so I'm aiming to do something that'll make them happy! But nothing is set in stone yet so we'll have to see! The only thing I know for a fact is that Aelita is going to play a big part in Kale's personality becoming more open and happier. Something that will be evident in either the next chapter or the one after that! So with that long winded paragraph out of the way, here's the next part and I hope you enjoy!

Call to Action: Chapter 7.

The first day of classes went by in what seemed like the blink of an eye. Yumi was nervous on her first day which all but vanished when Goss and Hugh sat on either side of her, making her feel safe and comfortable. Ulrich and Odd found themselves settled into their classes in no time, they may not have been in the same course but it seems fate held the reigns yet again when Odd' Art classes and other various subjects were held in the same building as Ulrichs' classroom portions of his Physical Education course.

Aelita on the other hand was sat on her own in her lecture hall, her eyes drifting around the room at all of the people who were currently sat and talking or in the midst of arriving. People that Aelita noticed were talking and catching up from the events from summer, a fact that made her realize she was currently on her own and knew no one in the room with her, which was a fact that didn't last long when a phone and some textbooks were placed on the table to her left and a bag on the ground. Looking up at the owner, Aelita felt her eyes widen as she looked up.

"Kale? What are you doing here?" Aelita asked, watching as the brunette sat down without even looking at her. Eventually, he blinked slowly and turned to look at her which caused Aelita to notice the heavy bags under his eyes.

"Class." he responded flatly before laying his head on the table and folding his arms up. Aelita stared at him for a while longer in confusion before a man entered the room and all the students filed into their seats.

As class moved on, Aelita stole a glance at the sleeping figure beside her and looked around, curious if anyone else had noticed that he hadn't been awake nor paying attention. Deciding it was best to wake him up in case he got in trouble, Aelita reached her finger out and poked him in the arm.

"Kale," Aelita whispered, not wanting to distract any of her classmates, "It's time to wake up."

Kale stirred on the table and eventually lifted his head to look at Aelita. He blinked and looked around the class before setting his eyes on the front of the room and opening his textbook finally.

The rest of class passed by quickly for Aelita but when she looked over at her friend, she could tell it was the complete opposite for him as he struggled to keep his eyes open. Finally, the bell rang to signal that class was over for the day and all of the students began to file out of the classroom, last of which were Aelita and Kale who walked in sync towards the lunch area while chatting.

"If I still have the notes, then sure." Kale shrugged, standing in front of the vending machine while deciding what he wanted. Settling on an energy drink, he punched in the number and watched as it dropped to the bottle of the machine.

"Thanks! It'd be nice to know if there's any major differences between this curriculum compared to my old one!" Aelita said, tilting her head to the side. Aelita watched as he lifted the drink to his lips and tilted his head back, gulping it down at a speed that would impress even Odd.

"That can't be healthy, can it?" Aelita laughed, watching as he threw the empty can in the trash and wiping his lips with the back of his hand. He shrugged in response which Aelita had noticed was he go too response for a lot of things. She watched as he fished something out of his pocket which she recognized as his car keys.

"I'm heading home, do you want a ride?" Kale asked her, absent mindedly scratching the back of her ear.

"Yeah, su-"

"Aelita?" a voice sounded behind her, causing her and Kale to turn around.

"Oh! Hey Jeremie!" Aelita waved, smiling at the blonde who as if by magic, showed up behind them. Jeremie smiled back at Aelita and as his eyes wandered to who she was standing beside, he felt his smile drop and his eyebrows furrow.

"Oh right! Jeremie, you know Kale, right?" Aelita smiled, gesturing to the brunette who looked down at Jeremie, his eyes locked with the blondes'.

"I do, hello." Jeremie flatly said, looking up at the taller man who Aelita guessed was 4 or 5 inches taller than him, offering a fake smile to Kale and to Aelita's surprise, he scoffed in response.

Aelita instantly felt tension building between the two of them and she took the time to mentally compare them. Jeremie was brightly awake, bag over both shoulders and stood with his arms at his side with a frustrated look. Kale on the other hand looked like he had just rolled out of bed, bag slung over one shoulder with one hand shoved in his pocket and the other hanging loosely by his side, his gaze as unfocused and aloof as ever as his eyes wandered around the building. She didn't think she could find two people as opposite each other as Jeremie and Kale if she tried. It wasn't until Kale yawned that the tension was interrupted.

"I'll catch you later, Schaeffer." Kale said, walking away and waving once over his shoulder.

"Okay, bye?" Aelita responded, confused at the interaction that had just happened between the two men. She watched as he walked away and disappear into the crowd before turning back to Jeremie.

"So, what's up?" she smiled which caused Jeremie to instantly smile back.

"We had plans to get coffee and catch up, remember?" Jeremie laughed, rubbing the back of his head before fixing his glasses. Aelita facepalmed and sighed.

"I forgot! I'm so sorry! Yeah, let's get a coffee and catch up!" Aelita nodded, shooting Jeremie and thumbs up along with a smile.

"Great! I know this great little Café!"

Goss exited the building with Hugh and Yumi who were in the midst of conversation. Once they were outside, they noticed Lucy leaning against a wall who waved as they got closer.

"So?" Lucy smiled, pushing herself off of the wall to stand up straight, "How was your first day?"

"Actually, not bad!" Hugh smiled, adjusting the bag that hung off of his shoulder, "I enjoyed a lot of it!"

"Good! I'm glad to hear!" Lucy beamed, turning to Yumi and offering her the same question.

"It was fine, I'm glad Goss and Hugh were there though, I don't think I'd have been able to keep up without Hugh's notes!"

"Ahh, praise! Finally, someone who appreciates my brains!" Hugh fake sighed, putting a hand on his forehead and leaning against Goss who laughed as she shoved him off.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Goss responded, smiling at Hugh before turning back to Lucy, "So, what brings you here anyway? You don't actually go here!"

"Oh!" Lucy grinned, snapping her attention to her surroundings and looking at the door behind them, "I wanted to talk to Odd actually!"

"Oh? You need something from him?" Goss asked, tilting in head in confusion at the raven-haired girl. It wasn't until Yumi sniggered that he realized what was happening, "OH!"

"I'm gonna ask him to lunch, don't get ahead of yourself!" Lucy laughed, pointing a warning finger at Goss and earning a chuckle from the group.

From behind them, they noticed the sound of familiar voices growing closer as Ulrich and Odd walked out of the building at the same time. Once they noticed the group at the side of the entrance, the duo altered their course and walked over to them.

"Hey!" Ulrich smiled, mostly aimed at Yumi as they approached the group. After they had all said their hellos, Odd dropped his bag from his shoulders onto the ground and leaned on the wall. It wasn't until then that he noticed Lucy in the group.

"What're you doing here?" Odd asked, tilting his head in confusion at Lucy.

"Oh, actually..." Lucy started which signaled Goss to usher the others way while Lucy spoke too Odd. When they were a suitable distance away, the noticed Kale exiting the building from another door and noticed them, turning to walk over.

"Hey." he yawned as he approached them, earning an eyebrow raise from Yumi.

"Late night?" she asked when she noticed the bags under his eyes to which he responded with a nod.

"I was working last night." Kale responded before he noticed Lucy and Odd standing a little way away from them, "What's going on?"

"Oh uhhh," Goss coughed, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish grin, "I think your sister is asking Odd out."

This being the first he had heard about it, Ulrich spun on the spot and stared at the two of them while they talked, noticing how Odd smiled while he ran a hand through his hair.

"She is?" Kale asked, looking over Ulrichs shoulder with curiosity, something that Yumi tilted her head at.

"So, you do have emotions!" Yumi laughed, gesturing at the curiosity on the face of the brunette. Kale rolled his eyes in response before looking at the group again.

"Does it bother you?" Ulrich asked honestly, turning away from Odd and Lucy to give them some privacy.

"No, not really. Odd's nice." Kale shrugged, rubbing the scar on his nose which earned a laugh from Hugh.

"And there it is, the official blessing!" Hugh laughed, earning a round of laughs from everyone except Kale who blinked his response as usual.

"You guys want a ride?" Kale asked, lifting his keys up and gently shaking them. Ulrich, Hugh and Goss nodded and when he turned to Yumi, he noticed she was looking around them at various people.

"You okay?" Ulrich asked, noticing her curious gaze wandering. Yumi nodded before turning back to them.

"Yeah, I was just looking for Aelita, don't wanna leave without her." Yumi said, her eyes wandering but noticing how Kale rolled his eyes out of the corner of eye which caused her to raise an eyebrow at him.

"She's hanging with that blonde guy in the glasses." Kale said simply, looking at the car keys in his hand before shaking his head and snapping back to reality.

"Oh, Jeremie?" Yumi asked him but before he could answer, her questions were answered when Jeremie and Aelita exited the building, laughing between them. Waving them over, Yumi smiled at them as they neared.

When they had joined the group, Ulrich noticed how Jeremie kept locking eyes with Kale before looking away while Kale glared at Jeremie, his eyes unwavering and serious. After a few minutes of talking, Kale turned on the spot and began to walk away.

"Kale? Where you going?" Aelita asked, curious why he wordlessly decided to leave but found herself shocked when he didn't respond and kept walking, eventually making it to his car and climbing inside.

"What just happened?" Lucy asked as her and Odd approached the group once again, obviously having finished their conversation and with good results, judging by the smiles on their faces.

"Kale just... left?" Ulrich said, scratching his chin in confusion as he started his car and took off, "He was meant to be our ride..."

Lucy stared at the car leave before noticing the look on Goss's face which was filled with concern. She was about to ask what had happened before Jeremie spoke up.

"Who cares? He's a criminal."

The silence that fell over the group was almost defeaning as everyone slowly turned to look at Jeremie, including Lucy whose eyes had filled with rage.

"What was that?" Lucy spat, her anger flaring at this person she didn't know insulting her brother. Jeremie felt himself flinch when Lucy spoke to him, making him instantly regret his previous comment.

"No, I just meant th-"

"Yeah? What did you mean?" Lucy asked, taking a step forward and was stopped when Goss stepped in front of her and putting his hand on her shoulder. Looking up at Goss, she let out a sigh and nodded at him before turning to Jeremie one last time, "Don't insult my brother."

"Brother?" Jeremie spluttered while trying to find a way to apologize but noticed it was too late when Lucy was already turning away.

Lucy turned and started to walk away, something that made Goss and Hugh sigh and shrug before turning to catch up with her, waving their goodbyes to the other 4. Once Lucy, Hugh and Goss had left, the 4 ex Lyoko Warriors stood in silence for a moment before Ulrich sighed.

"Jesus Jeremie..." Ulrich side, scratching the side of his head with a finger. Yumi and Aelita looked at Ulrich with concern on their faces, he was Kale's roommate and was actually happy to be friends with him.

"I'm sorry, it just slipped out." Jeremie sighed, taking off his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose, looking up when Yumi put her hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay Jeremie, it's just..." Yumi began but was cut off by Aelita.

"He's our friend Jeremie." Aelita finished, meeting Jeremie's eyes as the blonde genius felt a hot wave of shame wash over him. They stood in silence for a little longer before Ulrich sighed.

"So, what do you mean he's a criminal?"

"So..." Jeremie sighed before starting his story.

Jeremie walked home in the silence of the night from work, his hands cold and his breath leaving a light fog in the air whenever he exhaled. Stopping at traffic lights, even though the roads were mostly empty, he waited until the light turned red and the walking light came on. Crossing the road and continuing down his path, Jeremie looked around the buildings at he walked down the street. It wasn't until he was almost at the end of the street, he heard it.

A scream, followed by a loud laugh.

Loud and close by.

Jeremie looked around him, trying to notice anyone that could have made the noise but was surprised to find the streets as empty as they always were. Shrugging it off as a noise from inside one of the buildings, he kept on his way until he heard it again, much closer this time. Knowing he wasn't hearing things this time, Jeremie instantly realized the noise was coming from an alleyway on the other side of the street. He was terrified and felt his feet stick in place in fear, unable to move. Swallowing his fear, he moved quickly to the other side of the street to find the source of the noise, knowing that if a crime was being committed, he'd instantly call the authorities. Closing in on the alleyway, he swallowed one last time before poking his head around the corner and felt his eyes widen in fear.

In the alleyway, there was a group of what Jeremie counted, seven people. One of the laid on the ground and another was on one knee with finally, one more standing in the middle of them, clutching his arm.

Jeremie reached for his phone when one of the people moved quickly towards the person standing in the middle. He watched as the person in the middle stepped to the side and knocked the attacker to the ground. The person who was kneeling on the ground stood up as another person moved forward and swung his fist at the attacker, sending him sprawling to the ground in one hit. Jeremie watched as the two who were being attacked (from his perspective) moved in towards the last two attackers who stood close by before one of them was sent flying to the ground with a punch from the previously kneeling man.

The last had managed to run past the man holding his arm and made a dash for the street which was also the entrance which Jeremie was currently peering from. The man had almost made it out before a hand wrapped around his head and yanked him backwards before knocking him to the ground. Jeremie watched as the man struggled to stand up and escape but being stopped by a hand grabbing him by his hair and pulling him to his feet. The attacker begged to be let go before the man slammed his fist into the side of his face, sending him back against the wall. Jeremie clasped his hands over his mouth and continued to watch as the man grabbed the attacker's head before slamming it against the wall with sickening thud. The attacker slumped to the ground instantly, clutching his head in pain and wailing in pain. The man looked down at him before stepping back, placing himself in the light which gave Jeremie his first look at him.

His brunette hair was matted with blood and his eye was black and swollen with blood caked onto the side of his head. Jeremie took a step back but felt himself freeze up when he stepped on a soda can which lay on the ground. The man tilted his head back and found himself staring into Jeremie's eyes, who looked back at him in fear. The man turned to Jeremie before looking back at the man on the ground who had struggled to his feet and using the wall as a support, began to make his way away.

Jeremie used the man's distraction as a chance to run as he took off down the street as fast as his feet could take him, looking back over his shoulder once to see the man's deadpan eyes staring after him before disappearing back into the alleyway.

Kale slammed the door when he arrived home, slamming his fist against the wall once inside. He gritted his teeth in anger and made his way upstairs, slamming his bedroom door after he had entered. Throwing his bag into the corner, he sat down on his bed and put his elbows on his knees and brought his hands to his head.

Letting out a huge sigh, he flopped backwards onto his bed and stared at the roof. Eventually after he had calmed down, he fished his phone from his pocket and looked at the notifications. A missed call from Lucy, two texts from Goss and other social media notifications. Ignoring Lucy and Goss's messages, he opened the other notifications and looked at his screen. Friend requests on his social media from Ulrich, Odd, Yumi and Aelita.

Staring at them before closing his phone, he placed it on his bedside locker and pulled his feet onto the bed, laying lengthways and curling into a ball on his bed. He stayed like this for a little longer before his phone rang again and checking the ID, he saw it was William.

Answering the phone, he put the phone against his ear.

"Hey." he said simply, rubbing his eyes absentmindedly with the back of his hand, "A party? When?"

"Friday, next week!" Williams voiced came over the phone, Kale mulled over William's offer before sighing.

"Sure." Kale responded, talking about it a bit more with William and felt himself freeze when William suggested inviting all of the others.

"It could be fun!" William said, cheerful and excited about having a good night with his old friends.

"Alright." Kale eventually agreed, catching himself in the mirror for a split second while he spoke to William over the phone.

"Great, you invite them and I'll send you the details tomorrow! Later!" William said and before Kale could even object to him, he had hung up. Kale dropped the phone on the bed beside him and let out a sigh, standing up and walking towards his wardrobe, fishing out his work uniform and beginning to change. It wasn't until he began to remove his shirt, he looked at his hand that he used to rub his eyes and noticed they were wet. Closing the door of his wardrobe, he looked at himself in the mirror on the front.

He stared down at his hand in shock before realizing what had made his hand wet.

Tears.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter that sets up some of Kale's recent background and the conflict betwen Jeremie and him. The next chapter will be the start of a 2 or 3 chapter long party night that will set up and help make stable a lot of relationships, mainly Ulumi and Odd and Lucy (Who I can't figure out a ship name for.)

P.S: If Jerlita not being something that might happen in this story bothers you, I want to personally apologise if it upsets you. Again, I'm doing this mainly for a friend so it's with them in mind I'm writing this. I hope regardless of that, you can stick around and enjoy the story! I'm looking forward to hearing from more of you via reviews so until then, I'll catch you before the end of the week with the next chapter or two!