Note: I appreciate the reviews people! Just keep writing them!
Disclaimer: For the fourth time, I don't own Code: Lyoko. If you're tired of seeing this, too bad. I don't feel like being sued today.
The Shadowed PathFrom inside the plane, the ground seemed to crawl past. Aelita marveled at how the land ten thousand feet below seemed to be a huge patchwork quilt, each farm representing a square. However, her contemplative state was quickly shattered by Odd's voice.
"Aelita, can you pass the in-flight catalog?"
Aelita passed the magazine over to Odd, then smiled at Jeremie. "So, what do you think America will be like?"
"I've been busy trying to figure out who this "liason" could be. It seems pretty convenient that we don't get to even see a picture of him until we're there. I—"
"I hope that whoever he is, he has a large refrigerator," Odd interrupted, "filled with soda and ice cream. I'm starving."
"Odd, you've had four sodas already, and we're only halfway there. Honestly, can't you ever think about anything but food?" Yumi interjected. She had been subdued throughout most of the trip, in a state of quiet reflection. Aelita could guess that she was thinking about Ulrich. Aelita knew that they had been very close friends, on the verge of becoming something more, when fate pulled Ulrich away.
Aelita had tried to console her, as had Odd and Jeremie, but she still was constantly reminded of when Ulrich had been there.
However, Aelita was pleased to see Yumi smile as Odd started ripping small pieces out of the magazine, chewing them up, and throwing them at Sissi. Aelita then joined Yumi in laughing hysterically as Odd was hit over the head with Sissi's purse.
Somehow, Aelita knew that this was only the first of good things to come…
Eight Hours Later
Yumi stumbled off the plane, having trouble adjusting to suddenly having to walk after 17 hours of sitting.
Odd reached out a hand to steady her, and she accepted it gratefully. "Thanks, Odd. Now let's get our baggage and find our bus."
"And then we eat, right?"
Yumi smacked Odd across the back of the head.
The Next Day
"Well guys, today's the day we meet our exchange families and this mysterious coordinator." An impromptu meeting was being held in the hotel room shared by Odd and Jeremie.
"I don't think XANA's behind this," Yumi finally spoke after an uncomfortable silence.
"Why not?" Odd inquired.
"Think about it. If it was XANA, he could have crashed the plane over the Atlantic and gotten rid of us then and there. There are hundreds of ways he could have disposed of us during the trip, and nothing happened."
"Yes, but what if he's trying to lure us into a false sense of security?" Odd wondered.
"XANA has proved to us over and over again that he has no subtlety. If he was going to do something, it would have already happened," Jeremie added his voice to the argument.
A sharp rapping noise at the door made them all turn. "Guys, meet in the lobby in five minutes to find out your assigned exchange family."
"I hope all of our exchange families live near each other," Odd grimaced, "What if we end up on opposite sides of town?"
"Odd, even if that does happen, we are going to the same school," Aelita pointed out.
"Oh yeah…"
Ten Minutes Later
"All of our houses are within a block of each other," Jeremie noted as the group walked to the bus.
"Great, now we're all going to have to buy earplugs to drown out Odd's snoring," Aelita laughed.
Odd turned bright red, "You know, I never got this kind of abuse when Ulrich—" He quickly stopped after seeing what affect Ulrich's name had on Yumi.
"Okay, students, you get two hours to meet your exchange families, then we meet at the school at three o' clock. Any questions?" The escort had a difficult time being heard over the conversation in the bus.
On the trip to their new houses, Aelita and Jeremie were debating Einstein's theory of relativity, while Odd and Yumi plotted pranks to use on Sissi.
"Okay, would pudding in the hair work?"
"Nah, her hair's so greasy, the pudding would just slide off. Maybe hot sauce in her chocolate milk?"
"Knowing her, she'd probably like it!" Yumi giggled.
Two Hours and Thirty Minutes Later
"Guys, this is it. Be on your guard. We still don't know who this person actually is," Yumi instructed.
"Or even if it is a person…" Odd muttered under his breath.
The door to the school conference room opened, revealing a long table with name cards to show where people were supposed to sit. There was also one large chair at the end, facing away from the door. Yumi sat at the end of the table on the right, Sissi in a mirroring position on the left.
"Come on in," a male voice said from the end of the table.
After everyone had taken their seats, the chair slowly swiveled to face the students.
Yumi and Sissi leapt to their feet and screamed at the top of their lungs.
(End Chapter)
(A/N) Ooh. I'm mean. See that little button below the next line? If three people click on it, you get a new chapter! It's that simple.
PS: How's that for longer chapters?