2: The Other
Janika decided to follow Tanzi and confront her about the whole thing, but Odd was with her. She finally gave up the ghost and forced herself to face them in the cafeteria.
She spoke quietly, surrounded by chatting people in the lunchroom. "How do you know about Lyoko?"
Tanzi looked bashful as she was stuffing a spoonful of Jell-O into her mouth. "Actually, I've been going there ever since I got here. It's really cool, don't you think? I've never even played a game that sensational! Talk about keen. Whew!"
The dark-haired girl was in Odd's face. "What's this all about?"
He looked up from his cupcake, a trifle apprehensive. "Well…I don't want to say anything without the gang here to back me up. I'd rather let them explain it."
"But it was your idea, Odd," Tanzi said a bit too sweetly as she leaned against him. "You grabbed me and dragged me to the factory. Jeremie was all flipping out and you shoved me into the scanner after a two-minute explanation. I thought I was going to die or something, but as soon as I got there…whoa! I've never felt so alive!"
She bounced up and down on the chair to emphasize her point. Odd laughed and Janika seethed. "That's wonderful. Excuse me."
With a stony face, she left the cafeteria. She hadn't found out anything. As soon as she'd closed the door behind her, the dark-haired girl fled.
The sky was turning dark and it had started to sprinkle. She found a place to sit and watched the rain come down in torrents. A large oak hardly provided shelter, but she barely noticed her clothes getting soaked through.
Someone touched her arm and she whirled around, ready to let off a stinging remark. "If you think—Ulrich?" Janika tried to recover herself. "I wasn't expecting you."
The taller boy nodded. "Welcome back. Odd said you disappeared an hour ago. We've been waiting for you for twenty minutes. I figured I knew where you might be."
Janika stared up at the tree. "Yeah. You knew I'd be at the very place where I wait for Odd after school. Tell me why he didn't think about it."
"Odd has a life too." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Just come talk to Tanz. I know you're hiding because she's there."
"Who is she? What business does she have here?"
Ulrich shrugged. "We've been getting to know her recently. I really think she's a good addition to the team. If it hadn't been for her, Aelita never would have shut down the tower."
"What exactly happened?"
"Aelita was being attacked and we got there to help her out. Unfortunately we all got devirtualized. Odd ran back to the school and grabbed the first person he saw."
"Tanzi," Janika said bitterly. "Then she was virtualized and saved the day. I heard that part from the horse's mouth. She's not friends with Millie and Tamiya, is she?"
"She's already been interviewed, Janika. Give it a rest and come on inside before you catch a cold. You're drenched." He guided her back toward the dorms, being sure to keep a good grip on her shoulder. She might bolt at any moment.
"Jere!" Tanz called as she nearly ran into them on her way out of the building. "Oh it's you, Janika." She looked slightly disappointed. "I thought Jere was with you, Ulrich. I just wanted to say Odd and I are going out for a while, so bye!" The other skipped away without a backward glance.
"What the heck was that about?" Janika asked Ulrich.
"Tanz and Odd have been going out since Odd took her to Lyoko." He looked her in the eyes, "And yes, she really was that hyper before she met Odd."
"That is too scary for words. Like she's loaded on sugar all the time or something." The dark-haired girl turned to him smugly. "Well I don't have to talk to her now, do I?"
"Later, my friend, later." Ulrich patted her shoulder and left. "I'll go find Jeremie."
Later that night Janika was staring into the bathroom mirror. Plain. No makeup or anything. Not even pierced ears. Just plain. She sighed and washed her hands. The door opened and the short girl saw Tanzi's reflection.
"Nika, do you hate me? If Odd is yours I can give him up." She hoped Janika didn't have any claims, but if she did, Tanz was willing to let go for the sake of Aelita. "I'll hand him over if it will help your friendship and save Aelita."
"No, Odd isn't mine, and he wasn't taken before you showed up. I don't know what Aelita has to do with anything, but it's all okay." She raised her eyes to the ceiling and stared grimly at it. "What dorm are you in?"
"541," she replied letting her hair down and inspecting it shrewdly in the mirror.
"Oh bummer," Janika muttered under her breath. "Mine is 542."
"Why is that so bad?" Tanzi wondered as she ran a comb through her long curly tresses.
"Wha-?" Janika coughed.
"I heard you. You kinda suck at keeping your voice down." Without another look in Tanzi's direction Janika ran out of the room. "What did I say?" She shrugged and finished up her hair.
Quetions about Tanzi or Janika should be refered to either Dellimas or One of Nika's stories.
