Chapter 1: Orientation
Chapter Word Count: 10,061 words
Authors: Scarlettarose & San child of the wolves
Title: And So It Begins Again
Summary: Twenty-one years have passed since the supercomputer and X.A.N.A has been shut down. The Lyoko Warriors have moved on with their lives and have gotten married and have had kids of their own. Not every former Lyoko Warrior has a happy ending, but they make do with what they have. What no one knows is that all the former Lyoko Warriors have moved back to France or have remained there since their final fight with X.A.N.A and their final years at Kadic Academy and have all sent their kids to Kadic Academy. XA.N.A has rebuilt Lyoko and has grown exponentially in power. X.A.N.A will shake the foundations of both the Original Warriors and the New Warriors. In order to stop this monster, once and for all, it will take both the Originals and the New Generation and put a stop to X.A.N.A once and for all.
Story Note: This is a Code Lyoko: OC story. All OC's in this story were created by Taigablade, Lucifers Descendant, Supreme Kai of Writing, San child of the wolves, and myself. We are not accepting more OC's at this time, so please do not spam the comments with submissions. If you think you know this story, think again. Everything within this story was created by the mentioned creators above and my doing. Also, we do not acknowledge Code Lyoko: Evolution in this story. Everything involved in this story picks up after the end of season four.
Scarlett's Note: Thank you Taigablade, Lucifers Descendant, Supreme Kai of Writing, A.J. Aviary, and San child of the wolves for creating some freakin' amazing OC's for this crazy story and for sticking with this after being in development for four years. If anyone else finds this story, we hope you stay and tag along with us in this unforgettable journey. We promise you won't be disappointed!
San's Note: I hope all you readers enjoy the first chapter of this story! Also, don't expect 10k+ chapters every time we update.
Disclaimer: We don't own Code Lyoko. It belongs to Thomas Romain and Tania Palumgo, and it was produced by The MoonScoop Group.
Monday, 9:21 AM
The summer heat in France was atrocious. The September morning sun was rising high in the sky, and there were no signs of clouds to provide temporary relief from the unforgiving rays. As the weatherman on the radio called for more heat and sunshine for the next two weeks, Everett Stern let out a long sigh. His father's black four-door truck was packed with cardboard boxes and totes, making the air in the car even more miserable with the combined heat. The seventeen-year-old boy leaned forward, his fingers reaching for the air-conditioner temperature knob. He tried to turn it all the way to the left, but the black knob wouldn't budge. Knowing the truck wouldn't get any cooler, Everett adjusted himself back in his seat with a harsh thud and turned his head, looking out the passenger window. The drive seemed to go on forever, and Everett was not looking forward to reaching their destination.
Everett didn't know a lot about Kadic Academy. He knew his father went there and was the MVP of the soccer team during the years of going there. He even mentioned he had a lot of friends and a lot of good times there. His best friend's children would be attending there as well. He knew they were his own age, but that didn't make the sudden move any easier. It was his senior year of high school. He didn't want a new start like his father wanted.
Ulrich kept his green eyes focused on the road but that didn't stop him from glancing at his son out of the corner of his eye every time he shifted. He didn't know what to say. Was there anything he could say? The truth, probably, but Ulrich didn't want to burden his son with the truth that he'd lost his job. It wasn't due to anything he had done personally but because of sabotage. It was sabotage that came from his own family, his own parents no less. Ulrich had kept Everett out of as much drama and arguments with his parents as he could. It was easier when his son was older and entered middle school and high school and had friends to go play with or hang out with for a few hours, which let him deal with his parents' disappointments over his failures in life. Ulrich didn't view anything he'd done as a 'failure' but his parents, especially his father, loved reopening old wounds to watch them bleed anew.
Everett released another sigh, then he shifted to look at his father. "Why do I have to go to this stupid school again?" he asked. He didn't know why he was asking again, and he knew he'd get the same answer. "Do you even know where we are going?"
Ulrich groaned inwardly to himself and quickly glanced at his son because he wasn't going to risk wrecking the car. "Because . . ." he paused, tired of lying to his son about the reason why they had to move. "Okay, fine. I'll tell you the truth. I got fired and a friend of mine offered me a job at Kadic Academy, my old school, and I took it. That's why you'll be attending there, too." He waited for the reaction, bracing himself for whatever his son was going to say. "And yes, I know where we're going. I've been here before."
Everett looked away, his green eyes staring straight ahead as he processed what he just heard. The look on his father's face showed he was telling the truth but that didn't make things any easier. He wished his father was more honest with him. He wished for a lot of things, and he knew most of them wouldn't come true. "I'm sorry that happened to you, Dad. I know you liked it there." He thought for a moment, not knowing what else to say. "You're not going to make me enroll in your class, are you?" he asked almost jokingly. The last thing he wanted was to be followed around by him in school like the movies showed.
Ulrich was aware that his son wasn't too happy with him and he had every right to be. Ulrich hadn't been happy when his father had sent him away to Kadic Academy either until he met Odd and the others. He ended up gaining six great friends and marrying the girl of his dreams. "It's fine. I'm sorry I'm making you start a new school in your senior year." At his son's question, he chuckled, "Only if you want to, but what class I'm teaching might interest you."
"It's okay. I'll get over it eventually," Everett grumbled. "So what are you going to be doing? I know you don't have a teaching degree."
"I'm sure you'll make some friends, Rhett. I made some great ones that I still keep in contact with when I went there." He was trying but it seemed that all he was doing lately was failing at one thing after another. He really hoped things would turn out alright for his son. "Do you know what Pencak Silat is?" he asked, chancing a look at his son just to see the look on his face.
A light smile tugged at his lips. "Of course I do," Everett said almost too excitedly. "It's been three years since we have practiced together." Maybe longer, he thought to himself. He shook his head, brown hair falling into his eyes, and let his smile take over. "You can count me in as your first student."
At that light smile on his son's lips, it made Ulrich feel less like he was making a bad decision. "Good thing you still remember," he nodded. "Yeah, it has been." It wasn't from lack of trying on Ulrich's part. Something work-related always came up when he and Everett were going to practice Pencak Silat, and he had to fix whatever issue had cropped up. "Glad to have you. Practice will start at 7:00 PM and end at 8:30 PM. That gives you and anyone else who takes my class plenty of time to get your homework done." He laughed a little at that, remembering the times he and Odd procrastinated on their own homework.
"At least that will be something to look forward to," Everett said. He rolled his eyes at the mention of homework. "If this school is anything like the last one, I won't be too worried about homework. Senior year is supposed to be a breeze."
"Yep." Ulrich smirked at his son's response. "Don't get your hopes up, Everett. Senior year isn't always a breeze to get through." His senior year was eventful, to say the least. Schoolwork, much less graduating, had been the least of his worries when he was in school. He had to worry about an evil AI that wanted to destroy the world and kill them along with it. Hopefully, things would be easier for the next generation. There'd be no X.A.N.A or destructive attacks to worry about.
"Yeah." Everett knew what his father was getting at. He didn't know what this new school or his senior year would bring him.
As the truck came to a sudden stop, the teen could see cars lined up ahead of them, waiting to turn right. He heard the faint sound of a blinker inside the vehicle and knew they were heading to the same destination. Everett looked toward the right, catching glimpses of the school, hidden behind large trees and a gate, as the truck started to move again. His nervousness started to grow when his father made the right turn for the school grounds.
Kadic Academy was already bursting with life. Parents and students were all over the place, carrying cardboard boxes or walking over to known friends and acquaintances across the road. He expected the place to look dull and boring but it was quite the opposite. The dark green grass and the different variety of plants and trees surrounding the school gave the place some type of beauty that Everett was not expecting.
Ulrich slowed the truck down as he looked for a place to park while also avoiding those that were going to and fro from their cars to get more boxes to bring into the dormitories for their kids. It took him a minute to find a parking spot, but once he did he shut off the engine and pulled the key from the ignition. "You do know you'll be getting a roommate right?" he asked, unhooking the seatbelt and pocketing the key into his army green slacks. "There weren't any single dorms left," he added in his defense because he had asked but Sissi had said that only double dorms were left. He got out of the truck and waited on Everett to do the same, deliberately keeping the driver's side door open to wait on his son.
"Great," Everett muttered under his breath. When they discussed he was going to live at the school, he automatically assumed he'd have his own dorm. No questions asked. He never lived in the dorms or had to live with anyone else except his own family. He was a senior. He didn't need a roommate, nor did he want to be placed with someone younger than him. As his father stood outside the truck waiting on him, he sighed and shook his head, bracing himself for more of the unknown. "Let's get this over with," he said as he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the truck. The passenger door slammed shut, and Everett opened the back door. During their move, they decided it would be easier to have his belongings in the back instead of the bed of the truck. Everett reached for the first box, but he quickly realized his father wasn't moving. He dodged his head down to get a better look at him from inside the vehicle, seeing he was staring off into the distance. "Dad?"
Ulrich hadn't heard a thing his son had said and only came back down to earth when his son called for him. He shook his head to clear it of the memories of when he first attended Kadic all those years ago. When his dad had dropped him off, he left him to get settled in on his own. His dad hadn't even helped him get his stuff into his dorm room before he drove off. Ulrich to do it himself with Jim coming over to help him after the gym teacher saw him struggling with some of the heavier boxes. "It's nothing; let's get started." He shut the truck door before opening the other back door, rolling up the sleeves of his white button-down shirt before he grabbed one of the heavier boxes to take it to his son's dorm room.
Everett couldn't read the look on his father's face, but he knew he had strong ties to the place. While he didn't really like the idea of this place, he hoped his father's words had some truth in them for his future time here. "I hope you remember where we're going because I don't have a clue," he said, grabbing a box.
"Of course I do. I might not have been here for years, but I remember exactly where we're going." With that said Ulrich led the way to the dormitory building with Everett following close behind.
10:03 AM
Ashley Della Robbia, a short girl with blonde hair down to her shoulders, vivid purple eyes, and pale skin wearing a purple t-shirt, light blue jeans, and purple and magenta laceless Saucony tennis shoes, was stalling as she lingered by the back door of the closed car door, peeking in through the window at her beloved dog, a warm brown-eyed and red, long-haired miniature dachshund, wearing a purple collar attached to a purple and white paw print leash. The boxes for both she and her brother were sitting outside the car, so they didn't have to leave the trunk open.
"Ash, I swear," Odd started, trying to reassure his daughter for the third time. "Jasmine will survive being alone in the car for a couple of more minutes." He looked at his watch and saw an hour and a half had passed already. "The windows are cracked and the AC is still on. Now come on and grab something of yours. The faster we get done the faster you can come down and get her."
". . . if you say so . . ." Ashley looked at her father. He had the same blonde hair and purple eyes as her. His blonde hair was much shorter, styled in spikes and purple tips at the ends. He was wearing dark purple dress pants and a white buttoned-down short sleeve shirt. She thought her father looked nice for his first day.
Odd had to fight the urge to roll his eyes at the discontent in his daughter's voice. "I know so. Now stop stalling and get to lifting!" The blonde still couldn't believe dogs were allowed inside the dorms, whether it was an actual pet or a service animal. Twenty-one years ago he had to smuggle his dog Kiwi to and from the dorms. It was risky back then, but at least they didn't have to worry about Ashley having the same troubles as he did at her age.
"Yes, Dad . . ." came the sigh from the girl as she grabbed one of the smaller boxes from the rapidly dwindling stack that was hers. The boxes were labeled either Ashley's or Evan's, so they didn't accidentally take each other's stuff.
"She'll be fine, Ash," Evan told her as he wiped the sweat from his brow. He picked up a box of her belongings.
Odd watched the twins head back to the girls' dormitory, then he looked back at the rest of the boxes on the ground. There were only three boxes left of Ashley's things, which meant they only had one trip left to make. He gave each box a gentle shake and grabbed the heaviest of the three.
It didn't take him long to catch up to his kids. The girls' dormitory hallway wasn't as busy as it was earlier that morning. Teenage girls kept going from dorm to dorm, visiting their friends, or seeing if anyone needed help. Other girls kept making their way up or down the stairs, and he wondered if any of them would end up being a friend to his daughter. As he got closer to Ashley's room, he could hear his daughter's voice telling Evan where she wanted the box he was carrying placed. "Where do you want this one?" Odd asked her as he entered her dorm.
Ashley looked up when she heard his question, having already placed her box on the desk provided. She stared at the box in her father's arms trying to remember what was inside of it. "Can you put it by the window?" she asked, deciding that it didn't matter what was in it. She'd figure it out once she unpacked, something she didn't need her father or brother's help for.
"Sure thing," Odd told her as he leaned off the doorframe. He walked over to the window while being mindful of the boxes scattered around them. For the most part, Ashley had the walkway cleared. When he got to the window, he carefully bent down and set the heavy box on the floor.
"Thank you," she said, knowing that she wouldn't have been able to move into the dorm by herself. Some boxes were too heavy to lift and others were too big for her comfortably carry because they were too wide for her short arms.
"You're welcome," Odd said as he turned around and gave his daughter a smile. "There are two more boxes of yours downstairs, but Evan and I can bring them up here if you want to get Jasmine out of the car now."
"That would be great. She probably needs to go out anyway." Ashley smiled gratefully at the two before heading out the door and rushing down the hallway.
Odd grinned and shook his head as his daughter took off. He didn't blame her, knowing the dog had been in the car way too long. "The last two boxes are really light," he told Evan as they made their way back through the hallway. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his son look down at his watch. "It's possible you'll be the first one in your dorm so you can pick what side you want to be on. The school told me you would be sharing a room with a new student." Odd knew Ulrich's son would be living in the dorms too, but he couldn't get a definite answer on who his son's roommate would be.
Evan nodded as they made their way down the stairs. "That should make it a quick trip then." He couldn't help feeling curious and a little excited at the prospect of a roommate. "That's cool. I wonder what he'll be like."
"Well," Odd grinned as old memories came to mind, "if he's anything like Ulrich Stern, then you're going to have an unforgettable senior year. There were girls, we won the championship soccer game that no one thought we'd win, and we even threw a party once." He knew being nervous was natural. He remembered being nervous and excited when he transferred to Kadic during the middle of the school year and the look of pure annoyance on Ulrich's face when he told him he was his new roommate. However, they quickly became fast friends, and he didn't thank X.A.N.A. for it.
Evan listened closely as his father spoke, especially when he brought up the name Ulrich Stern, his father's old roommate and best friend. "I bet I'd have an unforgettable senior year regardless of who my roommate is."
"You're great at making fast friends, Ev," Odd said as they stepped outside. "Don't worry."
The seventeen-year-old shook his head before sighing. "I know, Dad," he said while picking up a box. "But it's not me I'm worried about. I don't want her only friends at this school to be me and that dog of hers."
"I know." The look on his son's face reflected how he felt as well. "Kadic Academy is a great school. Students all over the world come here for different opportunities it offers." Odd ran a hand through his blonde hair before picking up the last box of Ashley's. "Ash will find her way," he said as they made their way back up to the third floor of the girls' dormitory. "You just need to find yours and that doesn't mean getting kicked out of school again." He turned to look at his son when they reached Ashley's doorway. "Evan, I know you want what's best for her. She's your little sister, but you need to take care of yourself, too."
Evan frowned at his father's response, it was better than his other responses when he found out about the fights he got into for his sister's sake or the fact that he got suspended from school again or worse got kicked out of school for the numerous fights he got into. "I know . . . and I hope you're right, Dad," the teen said as he entered the room.
Odd didn't know what else to say to the boy. They had this talk numerous times already. He only hoped he was finally getting through this time. He set the light box on top of another box while Evan set the one he was carrying on the floor. "Maybe it'll be easier now that I'll be around to keep an eye on you both," he said as they left the room and shut the door behind them.
As they walked back down the stairs, Evan rubbed at the back of his neck, messing up his dirty blonde hair. He inherited his hair color from his mother, a woman he never got to know and from what he did know about her, he wasn't sure he wanted to know more about her. Besides his mother's dirty blonde hair, he got her hazel eyes and tall stature. Inheriting his mother's hair color was part of the reason why he put seafoam green streaks in it to take out some of the resemblances. He took a deep breath and finally spoke. "I'll try not to ruin my last chance to graduate, but I'm not making any promises about not getting into any fights either." He chuckled at his response. "Maybe it will, maybe it won't."
"I know," Odd sighed. "Just think before you make a move," he said seriously. He stopped before taking the next set of stairs down and turned left. "Now, let's get you checked in and see which dorm is yours."
"Okay," Evan said, becoming nervous again. Three doors down from them a red-headed teacher stepped out into the hallway. The tall, muscular man, dressed in denim shorts, a gray t-shirt, and sneakers, looked right and then left, catching sight of him and his dad.
"Good morning. I'm Mr. Scott," the man said as he made his way to them. "What can I do for you?" the dorm supervisor asked. The two before him looked familiar, but he wasn't quite sure. "Are you needing to be checked in?"
Before Evan could say anything, Odd spoke up. "Good morning. Yes. This is my son, Evan Della Robbia. We were getting my daughter settled earlier."
"Right." Mr. Scott looked down at his clipboard and made a note. "You'll be in dorm 211," he said as he flipped his papers back and grabbed a small squared envelope with the dorm number on it. "It's further down the hall on your left," he said, handing the envelope to Evan. "There will be a small meeting later today to discuss the rules of the dormitory. If you need anything, just holler out and I'll make my way to you."
"Thank you, Mr. Scott." Evan looked at the envelope.
"You're welcome, and welcome to Kadic Academy," he said. He walked by them and headed upstairs.
"After you," Odd told him, giving him a light smile.
"It's not as busy as I thought it would be," Evan said as he looked at the room numbers on the left side. He stopped suddenly, realizing the door to 211 was already open.
"What are you waiting for?" Odd whispered teasingly. He could hear muffled voices coming from the room.
"N-Nothing." Somehow he avoided stumbling too badly over the word as he felt heat flush to his cheeks in embarrassment as he realized he was hesitating. He took a breath and let it out before crossing the distance and entering the room.
Everett turned to look at his father and was about to say something, then he saw a blonde-haired teen standing in front of the doorway of his dorm. "Uh, Dad, move out of the way," he said, gesturing behind him.
Ulrich was looking at the boxes, silently counting them to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything in the truck. Satisfied that they hadn't but still wanting to double-check anyway, he was going to ask if his son had left his phone or any other valuables in the truck. He never got the chance to do so as Everett told him to move out of the way. He did so reflexively, sidestepping to the right side toward his son's side of the room to get out of the way of the doorframe. His eyes were on the teen, mouth opening to apologize, when he caught sight of the shorter familiar body behind the taller male. The words out of his mouth weren't the apology he had been planning to say at all. "Odd?!"
At the sound of his name, Odd suddenly stopped and looked up at the man. He knew his best friend's voice too well, but he couldn't believe his eyes, seeing him there in his son's room. "Ulrich! I know you and I had plans later, but this is a nice surprise!" Odd couldn't help but smile and feel relieved knowing that their two boys would be rooming together at Kadic. "This is great."
Ulrich couldn't believe his own eyes either. His green and hinted brown gaze shifted from his best friend to his best friend's son and then back again. He couldn't help smirking at the situation. "Yeah," he agreed with a nod. "I wasn't expecting our kids to be rooming together like you and I did when we were here. Talk about irony." He shook his head, wondering just what else could happen to turn things in their favor. He turned his eyes on his son. "Well Everett, this works out better than I expected." His attention turned from Everett to Evan. "How have you been, Evan?"
Evan blinked at the two, his gaze lingering on Everett before turning to the man his father sometimes drew in his free time. He saw Everett in some of the pictures his dad showed him, but the resemblance of him and Mr. Stern was almost uncanny. The only thing different was the teen wearing brown shorts and a light blue shirt and flip flops.
"I've been great. And it's nice to finally meet you face to face. Dad talks about you a lot."
Ulrich nodded at the older twin. "That's good." He looked between the two, his gaze landing on Odd. "Where's your daughter?"
"Ashley's upstairs getting settled in her dorm. I plan to check on her before I go," Odd said, smoothing down his white shirt.
Ulrich nodded when his friend explained where his daughter was. "That's good."
Evan's attention was back on Everett. He took two long strides over to the other teen and held out his hand. "Hi, it looks like we're roommates. I'm Evan Della Robbia." He couldn't stop himself from grinning widely at the other teen.
Everett looked at the blonde teen who was slightly taller than him and taking in the other male's attire that consisted of a black t-shirt and pants and seafoam green tennis shoes with white laces. "I'm glad I won't be the only one lost at the place," he said as he extended out his hand to Evan, giving it a firm shake, and smiled. "I'm Everett Stern. It's nice to meet you."
Evan's grin widened as the other shook his hand. "Same here," he agreed. "Glad to meet you too, Everett."
The brown-haired teen looked back at Odd. "And you too, Mr. Della Robbia. Dad's told me a few stories of your both's time here at the school."
"Only the good ones I hope," Odd laughed and grinned. He wondered what all Ulrich told his son. There was a lot he didn't tell Evan out of fear of him pulling the same stunts they did. "You know," he said, looking back at his best friend, "you should come with me. I know Ashley will be happy to finally meet you as well." He smirked. "You need to make a good impression before your class Wednesday night."
Ulrich smirked. "No promises, Odd. If your son is anything like you, things are going to be pretty wild." He ran a hand through his brown hair, messing it up. "Sure, might as well. I've already got to see Evan. It wouldn't be fair to not see her." He frowned, narrowing his eyes at the realization of his friend's jab. "Is that so? And what about you, Casanova? I bet I'll make a better first impression on my students than you will."
"Yeah, right," Odd scoffed. His purple eyes met his friend's, and they stared at each other in silence. A second later, he began to laugh as the seriousness he tried to muster for a challenge quickly faded. "It's so good to see you." He was a little uncertain about moving back into town because of his kids, but having his best friend physically back and knowing his son was rooming with a decent kid, Ulrich's son no less was already making him feel better.
Ulrich shook his head and smiled. "Everett, let's help them get the rest of Evan's stuff up here."
While Odd insisted they were fine, his best friend wouldn't let him refuse the offer. The two best friends were finally reunited, and nothing could separate them. As they left the dorm room, the two men walked side by side with their sons following behind them in the distance.
12:05 PM
Alison Belpois almost regretted what she had done. Almost, but not quite. The book, firmly grasped in her hands, was a deep, dark blue color, and titleless. Along the spine of the book had her mother's name, Aelita Belpois. After her mother's name there was a weird symbol at the bottom of the spine. The symbol consisted of a circle within a smaller circle with a small dot in the center of the smaller circle. The larger circle had a total of four line markings on it. Three thick lines ran across the bottom. The outer markings were almost diagonal while the center line was centered with the line at the top of the circle. Alison didn't know what the symbol meant, but it didn't matter right now. She hadn't stolen it. She borrowed it even though it had clearly been hidden away in the attic for a reason. If it was meant for her eyes, then it would have been on the bookshelf downstairs in the living room with all the other books.
Just as she was about to crack open the book and start reading, the door to her shared dorm burst open. In a panicked rush, the pinkette shoved the book under her pillow and whipped her head to the door, fearing it had been her parents who figured out she had taken something of her mother's and were angry with her. But no, it wasn't her mom or dad. Instead, it was her best friend, Naomi Ishiyama.
"Ailie, guess what! Guess what!" The black-haired girl, who wore her hair in a ponytail and was dressed in a black and crimson red striped t-shirt, black jeans, and black and crimson red boots, practically squealed in delight. There was a bounce in her step as she bolted across the threshold and grasped her hands in hers, shaking them up and down in her excitement.
Alison merely let Naomi do what she wished. It was better to do that than try and fight to free her hands. As her light blue eyes blinked in confusion, her light blue glasses were steadily sliding down the bridge of her nose as she was shaken none too gently. "What?" she asked.
Brown eyes were nearly alight with glee. "My brother's here at Kadic Academy! Isn't that great!?" The girl was overexcited if Alison had anything to say about it and she did.
"Yes, that's wonderful news! Now stop shaking me!"
"Oh . . . Sorry!" The shaking stopped, and Naomi swiftly retracted her hands, an embarrassed blush warming her cheeks. The other girl leaned back and sat down beside Alison on her bed.
With her hands free, she smoothed out her white and pink shirt and light blue jeans and flicked her French braid back over her shoulder. "It's fine. I know how you can be." Alison raised a hand to fix her glasses that had become askew during her friend's barely contained excitement. "So Everett is here now I take it?" she asked as she reached down to fix her pink socks and made sure the laces of her white and pink sneakers weren't loose.
"Yes! I can't wait to see him again. I already sent him a text to sit with us during orientation," Naomi said, watching as her best friend sat up straight again.
"That's good. I look forward to meeting Everett after everything you've told me about him." Alison smiled happily for her friend, wondering just what kind of person Naomi's older brother was.
Naomi nodded, sobering up. She was still excited, but at least she wasn't bouncing about as she had before."Ooh, we can hang out with Everett during lunch sometime!" Naomi said suddenly, clapping her hands together at the thought. "Would that be alright with you?"
"I'm fine with it," Alison said, nodding.
Naomi nodded."Cool! I'll tell him. He might end up bringing his roommate with him."
"Roommate?" Alison questioned.
"Yep. He's rooming with someone named Evan Della Robbia. Everett's dorm room is 211," Naomi answered. She was calmer now that she had something else to focus on.
Alison smirked as she looked at the door for a few seconds before reaching under her pillow and grabbing the book she had hidden. "I found something in the attic that I brought with me. I can't wait to read it!" She grinned as she showed her best friend the cover of the book that her mother wrote.
Naomi's sharp eyes cut over to Alison as she eyed the dark blue book she was holding. "Oh? I didn't know your mom wrote another book."
The glasses-wearing girl shook her head. "I don't think she published this one. It was in the attic, and it isn't listed with any of her other books."
"Oh? I wonder why." Naomi was puzzled by that but figured that Mrs. Belpois had a good reason for not publishing the book.
Alison shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. But don't tell them I have it! They might take it back or get angry that I took it in the first place." She got up and placed the book in her drawer for safekeeping.
"Sure. I'll keep quiet," Naomi swore with a nod.
Alison nodded. "Good."
"Do you know what it's about?" the ravenette asked.
The pinkette shook her head at the question. "All it says is that it's about a group of five friends who eventually become seven. I couldn't start reading it because Mom was calling me. I didn't want to get caught with the book, so I just shoved it in my duffle bag to read when I got back here."
"Well, let me read it when you're done,"
Naomi said. "It looks interesting."
Alison smiled and agreed with her friend. "Sure."
Before any more words could be exchanged, a small red dog burst through the cracked door. "I didn't think the school allowed dogs," Alison said as she stared down at the small, long-haired breed that was currently sitting in the middle of their room, wagging its long fluffy tail and looking oddly pleased with itself.
"It clearly belongs to someone. It has a collar on," Naomi replied as she slowly slid off the bed and lowered herself down to the dog's level. "Hey there, cutie. Who do you belong to?" she asked slowly, reaching out her hand toward the dog. She was instantly rewarded with a warm lick.
"Good dog. Now stay still so I can look at your collar," Naomi whispered as she reached her hand over to grasp the collar and pull the tag around so that she could see the dog's name and maybe get a number to call. "Jasmine, huh? That's a cute name."
Alison was already pulling out her rose-pink phone covered in a pink and dark blue case. "What's the number —" she started to ask but was cut off by a voice calling out the dog's name.
Ashley wasn't exactly frantic but this was not helping her anxiety right now. Dad's gonna kill me if he finds out about this! Furthermore what if she gets stepped on people don't exactly watch where they're walking or gets accidentally kicked down the stairs or falls through the bars of the railings or someone drops a box on her! "Jasmine, where are you!" she snapped, raising her voice as she looked left and right, trying to figure out where her dog could have run off to after she bolted out while she'd been trying to close the door to her room to lock her dog in. Most of the dorm rooms were closed thankfully but some weren't. She knew the door leading into the girl's hallway wasn't closed because people were still coming in, but not many had boxes with them. Her only saving grace was that her dad wasn't here right now. "Jasmine!" she called again, louder this time, not caring if her dad heard that she had already lost her beloved dog.
Naomi exchanged a look with Alison who tossed her phone on her bed and swapped places with Naomi, carefully petting the dog's head so it didn't decide to bolt.
Naomi walked over to the door and eased it open, taking a moment to look up and down at the shorter girl and her suspiciously wet, violet purple eyes that raised to meet her own. Well, that was easy. "Are you looking for something?" she asked. At the blonde's nod, she continued. "Does it happen to be a small red and fluffy dog?"
"Have you seen her?! She got out when I was closing my door," the blonde said. The words were soft but loud enough to be heard.
Naomi nodded and stepped back from the doorway, holding the door open for her. "She squeezed in through the cracked door," Naomi explained as the blonde practically bolted into the room in the exact same fashion as her dog had. Alison looked up when the owner walked in, and Naomi closed the door to prevent the dog from escaping.
"Thank you." The girl's voice was weak in relief as the petite girl bent down to pick up her dog, who had trotted over to her the second she saw her.
Alison smiled. "You're welcome. I'm Alison Belpois."
With the dog safely secured in her arms, the short girl maneuvered Jasmine so she was being held in one arm with the dog being held to her chest at an angle. Her right hand rested on the dog's chest for more security in keeping the dog where she was, which freed her left arm. "I'm Ashley Della Robbia," she introduced herself. "And you've already met Jasmine."
Naomi introduced herself, "I'm Naomi Ishiyama. What breed is Jasmine?" she asked before she could stop herself.
"Nice to meet you two. She's a long-haired, miniature dachshund," Ashley explained.
"She's very pretty," Naomi said as Alison nodded her head in agreement.
"Thanks," Ashley replied as she blinked away her unshed tears. Jasmine stayed silent, contently resting her head against her owner's shoulder, as the girl's free hand raised up to pet her on the head and back. The dog sensed that she needed a moment to calm down and get her anxiety in check before it became too obvious to hide.
"Are you okay?" Naomi asked, catching the watery look in Ashley's purple eyes, the same watery look the girl had earlier in the hallway. "We were just about to call the owner," she half-smiled. "This beautiful dog wasn't going anywhere." She was in awe of how obedient the dog was.
The blonde girl's hand froze its movement on Jasmine's back for a second before it resumed stroking the soft dog's fur. "I'm fine," she said, lowering her gaze. She took a deep breath, counting mentally to three before she released it. The breathing exercises helped. "Thank you for being about to call me or one of the other numbers listed. One is to my twin brother who also goes to this school. The other is my dad's, who just got a job here," she explained. At the comment that her dog wasn't going to go anywhere, Ashley couldn't help smiling ruefully. "No, she wouldn't be. I'm allowed to have her."
"Hmm. Your brother wouldn't happen to be Evan Della Robbia, would he?" Naomi couldn't help asking.
"Yes?" Ashley was confused as to how the other girl knew that.
"He's rooming with my older brother, Everett Stern."
"That's convenient," Ashley muttered more to herself than the other girls.
Naomi couldn't help grinning. "It is."
Alison was more curious about why the school allowed Ashley to have the dog in the first place. She wasn't jealous or anything, but she didn't have any pets. It wasn't something she could see the school allowing, or at least it had never been allowed in the two years she'd been living at the school. "Why are you allowed to have Jasmine? I didn't think the school allowed pets."
Ashley froze at the question. A frown crossed her lips and her purple eyes narrowed. She didn't appreciate the question and didn't know why it was any of their business in the first place. Finding Jasmine and keeping her in their dorm and then helping her find her weren't valid reasons for her to spill the truth of her anxiety attacks to near strangers. She was saved from having to answer by a sudden knock on the door.
The two friends gave each other a quick look before Naomi went to open the door. The raven-haired girl expected it to be a teacher or their dorm supervisor, but instead, she saw Alison's parents. "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Belpois," Naomi said, smiling nervously at the couple. She moved back to Ashley so they could enter the room.
"Good afternoon, Girls," Jeremie said as he and his wife stood outside the doorway.
"Thank you again for keeping my dog until I got here," Ashley told them. There were too many people in the room. "I will see you all around," the girl said as she dodged around the two parents and left the room.
"Bye, Ashley," the girls said in unison before turning their eyes back on the two adults.
Aelita looked back at the girl and her dog as she left, then her attention landed on her daughter and her friend. The woman brushed a lock of pink hair behind her shoulder. She had grown it out, and it now resembled her late mother's in length and sort of mimicked her style. "Do you girls plan on skipping lunch?" she asked, her green eyes zeroing in on her daughter.
"No, of course not, Mom. We'll be heading down to the cafeteria soon." Alison was quick to reassure her parents, specifically her mother, who always had to remind her father to eat something or bring him something to eat while he worked because he was too busy to risk leaving his computer due to whatever computer program he was working on. He got sucked up into his work, much like how her mother could be with her stories. Alison was usually the same way when reading a good book.
"Yes, Mrs. Belpois." Naomi was nothing but respectful like her mother taught her to be. She looked at the pink haired woman who wore a short-sleeved, knee length pink dress, matching flats, and a pink floral band around her right wrist. Naomi's eyes looked at Mrs. Belpois before they snapped to the silver clock that was on the nightstand. The pink glowing numbers showed that it was 12:15 PM. She winced, knowing they'd have to hurry if they still wanted food. "Let's go, Allie. We don't want to miss lunch." Naomi grabbed Alison's phone off the bed and pocketed it herself before grabbing Alison by the hook of her elbow to drag her along.
"Bye, Mom! Dad! I'll text you later, and I'll call every weekend!" Alison promised as Naomi herded her out the door that her parents vacated to wait out in the hallway.
Naomi released Alison's arm to allow her to close and lock her door before the girl pocketed the key.
"Naomi, tell your mother we said hello," Aelita said.
"Of course!" Naomi grinned easily as she waved at them as she left with the other two.
Jeremie shook his head in disbelief as he watched his daughter and her best friend take off in a hurry, reminding him of all the times his friends used to do. He adjusted his black framed glasses and moved closer to his wife.
Aelita watched the kids disappear behind the corner. Her mind wandered back to Ashley Della Robbia as she left. She blushed when she felt Jeremie lean down to her level, feeling his blue suit brushing against her arm and felt his breath tickle her ear.
"You owe me five bucks," he whispered softly.
She didn't even need to see him to know that he was grinning smugly at her. She grumbled under her breath before slipping her hand into her pocket to pull out a crumpled five dollar bill before she put it in his hand.
"Thank you, my angel," he said before pocketing the money and grabbing her hand before she could pull it away. Aelita didn't pull her hand away and instead threaded her fingers through his, letting Jeremie lead them out of the dormitory building.
1:20 PM
The hallways of Kadic Academy were mostly empty as Principal Elisabeth 'Sissi' Dunbar walked quietly with her husband and daughter. As the family made their way to the gymnasium for orientation, every bad and nervous thought she was having was met harshly with the click and clatter of her red high heels echoing off the porcelain tiled floors. Her long black hair swayed left and right against the mid-back of her black and white dress. Sissi glanced down at her golden watch on her left wrist and released a sigh as she relaxed her arm back at her side, her fingers brushing against William's for the fifth time already.
"Are we going to be late?" Melodia asked. She bit her lip as her bronze eyes glanced up at her adoptive parents to the right of her. She was starting her first year at the school. While she was dreading the first week, she didn't want to make a bad first impression by being late.
"No, Dia," Sissi said as she looked over at her daughter and smiled, though it didn't reach her brown eyes. "I'm not looking forward to giving a speech." It wasn't mostly a lie. She hated to give speeches and hold large meetings or gatherings with students, parents, or school staff. What really bothered her was the idea of this being the last year for students to attend Kadic, and she wanted to make everything great and memorable as possible for everyone. William knew a lot about the issues the school was having, but their daughter didn't need to know until it was necessary and actually affecting her.
"Oh," Melodia said. She wondered what her mother had to be nervous about, but she figured if she had to give a speech then she would be feeling the same way or much worse. "You look really pretty today, Mom." It wasn't a lie. Her mom's long black hair was curled, bouncing as she walked, and her layered hair framed her face. Most of the time compliments made her mom feel better. "And you, too, Dad," she added, eyeing his blue business suit. While he appeared to be dressed for work, she was grateful he didn't have to go to the office today or tomorrow.
"Thank you, Dia," Sissi told her daughter, hoping she didn't sound too disconnected while she was caught up in her thoughts. She appreciated what her daughter was doing, but it hadn't helped.
William scratched his cheek, he still didn't take compliments very well. "Thank you, kiddo." He was better at giving compliments than taking them. "You look beautiful, Dia."
"Thanks," Melodia said shyly. Heat rose in her cheeks at the compliment from her father and her mother's smile in agreement.
William took hold of his wife's pinkie and laced his fingers with hers, keeping her from straying more to the right as she walked deep in thought. She met his blue eyes for the briefest of seconds and gave him a light smile before looking forward again. He knew exactly what she was thinking, but there wasn't much for him to say here with their daughter right beside him. "You'll figure it out like you always do," he told his wife softly like he'd done several times before. "You're going to do just fine."
Sissi gave William's hand a light squeeze. "Thank you."
Out of the corner of his eye, William caught his daughter staring at them with a smile on her face. "And you," he started, wrapping his free arm around Melodia's shoulders, "you're not going to be late or have anything to worry about this year." While actual classes wouldn't go on today, he knew how important it was to be there for his wife and their adoptive daughter of three years. He wouldn't miss her first day as a freshman for the world. "You're at a different part of the school building than you were last year but nothing else has changed."
"After you have signed up for electives, we'll do a tour of your classes so you'll know where to go," Sissi said. "It doesn't take long for the office to print out the official schedules for the students."
"Right," Melodia said, nearly rolling her eyes at her father's comment. "That will make me feel a little better." The fifteen-year-old didn't let most changes affect her, but she still struggled at times. At the sudden stop at the gymnasium doors, Melodia did her best to keep her nervousness hidden. The gym was already loud with students and music.
Sissi released her husband's hand and looked at her watch again. "Dia, go ahead and get a seat. I will be in there momentarily."
"Alright," Melodia said. She gave her mother and father a quick hug.
"We'll see you at 3:30," William told her with a reassuring smile.
Melodia nodded at her parents, then she opened the door. The noises were even louder, no longer being muffled in the halls. As she walked inside, students were running around, sitting on the bleachers, or gathering with their friends along the walls. A few teachers were also gathered with students, but the teen couldn't tell if it was because they were in trouble or simply catching up.
While she walked along the gym floor, most of the bleachers were full of students. There were a few empty seats here and there, but none of them seemed right. She didn't want to go near the top and walk in between students. As she continued walking further down, she caught a spot where there were some empty seats near the front row. The students looked older than her, and they were lost in conversation. Deciding it was the best she could do, she found the courage and walked up to the fourth row and sat down next to a pink-haired girl.
Alison blinked when she saw someone sit down beside her out of the corner of her eye. She certainly didn't mind. She knew it wasn't easy to find open seats in this large of a crowd. She would have been lost without Naomi to pull her along to the one of the front rows. Alison was seated next to Naomi. Seated in front of the three girls were Everett, Evan, and Ashley. Alison had seen the shorter blonde girl pull out a purple cat mask from her pocket and put it on, covering her mouth and nose. Alison didn't ask, because she didn't want to put the shorter girl in a tight spot, remembering the glare Ashley had given her earlier. Instead the pinkette turned to the new girl beside her. "Hi. I'm Alison Belpois," she introduced, holding out her hand for the other girl to shake if she wished.
"Hi," Melodia said nervously. She looked at the offered hand and took it. "I'm Melodia Dunbar." She gave Alison's hand a gentle shake and quickly released it. Her fingers fiddled with her necklace, a hollow star with a treble heart hanging inside, that rested above the scoop of her navy blue tank top over her pebble-blue sweater. "It's nice to meet you."
Alison smiled, her eyes lighting up behind her glasses as the girl took her hand. "Likewise. Dunbar . . . You wouldn't happen to be related to Principal Elisabeth Dunbar and William Dunbar, would you?" She couldn't help her curiosity. "Uhh, you don't have to answer that if you don't want to," she added, waving her hands in an awkward dismissal as she remembered what Naomi told her about her curiosity and how it could sometimes come off as too probing.
"Uh, yeah." Melodia flushed red. "They are my parents," she added, though she wasn't sure why.
"That's cool." Alison sighed, relieved that she hadn't struck a nerve with the younger girl.
Ashley had her right leg crossed at the top of her knee and pulled out her smaller sketchbook that she had kept underneath her arm with a pencil tucked behind her ear. The shorter girl was currently busy sketching out the scene that had played out in the dorm room that was a few doors down from her own. It was the scene that had happened before she had been alerted to where her beloved Jasmine was. She could picture it so easily; the two girls crowded around her dog petting her. She wasn't paying attention to the conversation going on around her. She was too lost in the zone to pay attention to it.
Evan easily looked over his sister's shoulder at the sketch she was working on. "Did you show them Jasmine?" he asked.
Purple eyes flickered up to his face before dropping down again. "Something like that," she confirmed, voice muffled from the mask she wore.
There was a story there, Evan just knew it, but he knew he wouldn't get an answer out of her here and certainly not with so many people around. He'd ask her later.
Everett shifted to the right and looked up at his sister sitting behind him and his roommate. "Do these things always start late?"
Naomi pouted when she couldn't see past Evan's bulk to see what Ashley was drawing. It was almost comical to see that the two standing side by side and even more mind boggling that they were twins to boot. Her mother wasn't going to believe this when she told her. Brown eyes landed on Everett who she could lock eyes with now that he wasn't towering above her. She shrugged. "It depends, but usually they start right on time."
"Right," Everett grumbled as he caught sight of the clock on the back wall. The orientation was already ten minutes late.
"So, is this your friend you've told me about?" he asked, glancing at the girl next to his sister.
Naomi rolled her eyes at his grumbling. "Yes." She nodded. The black haired girl gestured to the pink haired girl sitting beside her. "This is Alison Belpois." She grinned. grinned. "Ali, this is my older brother, Everett Stern."
"It's nice to finally meet you, Everett. Naomi hasn't stopped talking about you." Alison sent Naomi a sly look as she said the last bit.
Naomi's cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "No I haven't!"
"Don't believe a word. She really hasn't," Alison teased.
Naomi groaned, burying her reddened face in her hands. "Why am I friends with you again?"
Everett laughed and smiled at his sister's friend. "It's nice to meet you, too. Naomi has told me a little about you," he said as he offered his hand to the pink-haired girl, Alison.
Alison gave the brunette a sweet smile. "Only good things I hope," she said as she took his hand in hers and gave it a shake.
"Mostly," Everett grinned as he released his hand. Before anything else could be said or done, Evan nudged his arm with an elbow. He faced forward and saw a tall teen dressed in a white shirt and denim jeans accompanied with a black leather jacket. The teen was searching for a spot to sit. "Here," he told the teen as he and Evan started to scoot down some to make room.
"Thanks," Lars said. He was surprised by the kind notion, but he was relieved to have a place to sit. The gymnasium was already growing quiet as Principal Dunbar made her way to the microphone, and he didn't want to be a straggler.
"Good afternoon, students and staff! Welcome to another amazing year at Kadic Academy," Principal Dunbar started. "We have a lot to offer you all this year. No class, elective, or athletic activity is too big or too small . . ."
Naomi's eyes darted to the mask-wearing girl that was hidden behind her much taller brother. "I'm glad we didn't go to lunch on time, we would have missed that adorable dog and who knows what would have happened if we hadn't stayed as long as we did."
"Agreed. She'd likely still be looking for Jasmine right now. Who knows, that small dog could have easily gotten hurt." Alison was quick to add in her two cents.
"We have hired several new teachers to help out with the variety of classes," Principal Dunbar said. She gestured to the teachers sitting on the right side of the gym. As she began to clap, the rest of school followed suit. "Now, as I begin to read off the names of the new teachers and the class, elective, or sport they will be involved in, please wait to applaud at the end. "Thank you . . ."
"You LOST Jasmine!?" Evan whispered in horror as he nudged his sister in the gut with his elbow to get her attention.
Ashley hissed at him as she stopped drawing to avoid messing up her work. "Not on purpose! She bolted out the door as I was closing it!"
"Dad's gonna kill you!"
"Not if he doesn't find out about it!"
"Miss Moira Bryant; School Nurse. Mr. David Collins; Swimming. Mr. Odd Della Robbia; Art. Mrs. Rebbeca Hanks; Biology." As Principal Dunbar continued reading off the list, a few random students would cheer or clap. "Miss Olivia Livingston; Home Economics . . ."
At the mention of a new home economics teacher, Melodia wondered if she would end up with the new teacher or someone different. She barely caught sight of the new teacher waving as her name was announced.
"Mrs. Teressa Reyes; Spanish. Mr. Antonio Russo; Marine Biology. Mr. Ulrich Stern; Pencak Silat. And lastly, Mrs. Jolene Thomas; French. Let's give them a warm welcome," Principal Dunbar said, turning and clapping towards the new teachers. "Now, if there are any electives you were unaware of or sport you are interested in, there are sign-up sheets located on the wall behind me. There is plenty of room for everyone, so do not hesitate . . ."
Naomi's eyes widened as she heard her dad's name being called. She narrowed her eyes at her brother, her hands curling into tight fists as she struggled with her emotions. She only hesitated long enough to make sure she was actually aiming at her brother before she swung her fist as hard as she could at his arm. "How. Could. You!" She didn't dare raise her voice because of the fact that they were in public. Her voice was angry, masking how hurt and upset she really was about the revelation.
"Ouch!" Everett said harshly. His left hand automatically cupped the side of his upper right arm from his sister's punch. "What?" he snapped, but he quickly realized what Naomi meant. "I was going to tell you." He turned and his green eyes met her brown ones.
Her clenched fists trembled as she glared at him. She couldn't mask the hurt that was shown in her eyes. ". . . you better have been," she muttered back only loud enough for him to hear.
"You know how we are about Mom and Dad," he whispered softly. "It wasn't the right time. I'm sorry you found out that way."
"I know," she whispered, wishing things were different. She could only nod in agreement. She couldn't trust her voice anymore. Naomi could feel Alison's eyes on her. They were going to have a long talk about this later, which she felt dreadful and relieved that it was something that she'd have to deal with.