Chapter II

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Legend: italicized words – character's thoughts

( ) – words inside parenthesis, character's actions

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In Japan, someone's phone is ringing...

Yumi: (noticing that somebody was calling her) Hello, Jeremy?

Jeremy: Hi, Yumi.

Yumi: If you called again to check up on Aelita, don't worry she's fine.

Jeremy: (feeling embarrassed) I am bothersome, am I? But I just want to make sure Aelita is –

Yumi: (cutting him off) Jeremy, you have to trust Aelita and me, you know. You don't have to always fret just because you 're not here with Aelita to protect her. Let me handle your job for now, ok?

Jeremy: Thanks, Yumi. I'd better stop calling you guys more often then.

Yumi: (grins) Yeah, or Aelita might replace you with somebody else who isn't as overprotective as you are. (laughs) Just kidding!

Jeremy: (blushing) Yumi! (he then smiles) Oh, by the way, have you talked to Ulrich?

Yumi: Yes I did, I just called him last night.

Jeremy: Poor him, he has to spend his summer in the school. And worse, he has to spend it with Sissy since she's also staying there in the dorms.

Yumi: What? Sissy?

Suddenly, a mix of dislike and jealousy has brewed inside her.

Yumi: How come Ulrich never told me that he's with her?

Jeremy: Ooops! I thought you knew. Odd told me, but he didn't tell me not to tell you, if Ulrich asked him not to tell you.

Yumi: So all of you guys knew except me! (fuming)

Jeremy: Yumi, don't get mad at me. Trust me, I have nothing to do with this secret. (sensing that she's very upset) I think I need to go now. I'll call you again later. Bye! (hurriedly hanging up)

Yumi: Jeremy, Wait! (hearing the beep sound) Damn! Why didn't you tell me Ulrich? Why did you keep it from me and tell Odd and Jeremy? How can I settle down, now that I am thinking of you and Sissy spending time together this summer? Hold on! Why am I thinking this? Am I jealous? (her heart is beating fast inside her) I don't know. I don't even know his ' true' feelings for me … but all I want to know for now is why he didn't tell me about Sissy. Why, Ulrich?

- - -

Meanwhile, back in school, in the library…Sissy is having a hard time answering the math problems, her tutor gave her. Lucky for her, her tutor, a junior high school boy named Brian, seems to be patient with her slow learning. She stares down on the questions in front of her, her paper was still empty of answers.

Sissy: Geez, I really don't remember how to answer this. How does this go again?

She tries to write down a solution, but she erased it immediately.

Sissy: This is not it!

On the other table, Brian notices the girl's troubled expression suggested by the problems he gave her. He then walks to her.

Brian: It seems I would have to repeat what I taught you earlier. (looking at her blank paper)

Sissy: I give up. I don't know how to answer these. Could you please explain the whole thing again? Heee heee heeee

Brian: (sighs) Alright. But please try to pay attention this time, ok?

Sissy: Ok ok. Just hurry up so I could get out of here already.

She looks through the window.

Sissy: I wonder where Ulrich is right now?

Brian starts to explain again the lesson; he makes sure that she is listening this time by often asking her to repeat what he is saying. She's a bit annoyed by it but she decides to concentrate and listen so she could already finish the whole matter. After thirty minutes of explaining, Brian gives her again the same questions he gave before.

Brian: Let's see now if you've really learned something. Answer them for 15 minutes. While you do that, I am going need to go outside. I'll come back to check on your paper later.

He then leaves.

Sissy: (looking at the previous questions she had) Okay, I think I know this now. Confidently, she then begins to answer.

- - -

Later, as Brian was going back to the library, he notices a boy outside who seems to be expecting someone.

Brian: (looking at the boy) I'm sorry but classes are already over a few days ago. Students are not supposed to be here in the campus anymore.

Ulrich: (staring back) How arrogant. Who is this anyway? (irritated by the boy's cockiness) You seem to look like a student yourself. You're in high school, I bet. Aren't your classes over too?

Brian: I have my reason. I am tutoring somebody here.

Ulrich: I see, he's Sissy's tutor. I thought her tutor could be a lot older than this guy. I am waiting for Sissy. She's inside the library, right?

Brian: Yes, but I don't want you to disturb her right now. If you don't mind, I need to get back inside. Don't worry. I'll tell her that her boyfriend is waiting here.

He slips back in the library.

Ulrich: I am not her boyfriend.

- - -

Brian: Ok Sissy, let me see now your—

He notices that the girl was sleeping, her head on the table.

Brian: Don't tell me you fell asleep while I was gone.

He was going to wake her up when he sees her paper beside her head, the girl's answers are written over it.

Brian: So you did finish all the questions. Let me check then if they're right.

After a few moments, he placed back the paper beside her.

Brian: Nice job, Sissy. I know you really can learn math if you only put your mind to it. I guess we just have to resume our lesson next time. Have a good rest for now.

Sissy: Ulrich…(she says while still in her siesta)

Brian: Ulrich, ehh? She's dreaming about a boy named Ulrich. I bet that's the boy waiting outside.

He silently left the girl.

- - -

As Brian expected, he sees again the boy waiting outside the room.

Ulrich: You again? (coldly saying)

Brian: You can see her now, she's waiting for you inside. You're Ulrich, right?

Ulrich: How did you know my name?

Brian: She told me. Well, sort of. (grinning) Anyway, I have to go.

He begins to walk off but stops suddenly.

Brian: Oh I forgot, Please tell Elisabeth that our next meeting will be on Friday. (finally leaving)

Completely annoyed, he gets inside the library.

Ulrich: Let me remind myself again, what am I doing here?

- - -

The girl is still sleeping when Ulrich saw her.

Ulrich: She's waiting…huh? (remembering what Brian told him earlier) I better not disturb her then, she seems very tired from what she did today.

He took off his jacket and placed it over her shoulders.

She stirs up, slowly waking up.

Ulrich: Sissy.

She opens her eyes to see him looking at her.

Sissy: Ulrich? Have I been sleeping? (looking around the library) Where is Brian?

Ulrich: Brian. So that's him. He just left. He told me to tell you that he'll tutor you again on Friday.

Noticing someone's jacket on her shoulders, she realizes it's Ulrich's.

Sissy: I was sleeping, was I? (handing back the jacket to him.) Thanks. (blushing)

Ulrich: I wasn't sure if I should wake you up.

Unexpectedly, he was shy about it. He tries to look away.

Sissy: Were you waiting for me? (eager to know. hoping he is)

Ulrich: I don't know how to answer this. Why did I wait for her? Come on Ulrich, say something. It's getting late, you shouldn't go back to the dorms by yourself.

He didn't want her to think something else, getting her hopes up.

Sissy: He was just being nice. Maybe he thinks he has to be, to make up for what had happened earlier. Thank you. I didn't know you could be such a gentleman, Ulrich dear. (teasing him)

Ulrich: (blushes) Why did you even bother? (telling himself)

He then started to walk off, leaving her behind.

Sissy: Ey, Wait up!

She hurriedly puts her things back inside her bag and tries to catch up.

Sissy: Wait, Ulrich!

When the two had left, suddenly books were knocked out of the shelves in the library, as if something unseen did it.

- - - - - -

Sissy's POV

Naturally, I should be talking right now. Speaking about anything to say to him. Just something. But I can't seem to think of anything to talk about. Honestly, I don't care. Silence is ok with me. I just want to savor this moment with him. I guess, this being all-nice and kind, is working out. (she smiles inwardly)

The two have been walking from the school and back to the dorms for 5 minutes.

Ulrich's POV

This silence is killing me. Since we left the library, she hadn't spoken a word. Was she waiting for me to start the conversation now? She always has something to talk about, why be quiet now? What is she thinking right now? This feels so awkward and weird.

Ulrich: Uh..So…your tutor is kind of young. I thought he'd be older, like a teacher. I can't think of anything else to say, but I'm kind of curious about her tutor. I don't know why, maybe I'm just annoyed by him.

Sissy: a..Huh? (the silence was broken) Oh, you're talking about Brian, my tutor. He is a junior high school student. My daddy knows his parents. He's a straight A student so he was asked by my dad to tutor me this summer.

Ulrich: What is he tutoring you?

Sissy: Math, my least favorite subject. (grunting)

Ulrich: (giggles) I think you hate all subjects. You flunk all of them.

Sissy: You're mean! You don't do well yourself too. (snapping back, and then giggling herself)

Ulrich: but I'm still better than you. (grins)

Sissy: Hmph!

A minute of silence envelops them again.

Ulrich: Here we go again. Quiet. Is she still annoyed by what I just said? I was only joking.

Sissy: Hmmm, Ulrich? I really want to know the truth. Why did you wait for me back there?

She's looking at him seriously.

Sissy: Was it because you wanted to make up for what had happened earlier?

He's taken aback by her sudden question. He wishes he could avoid the subject but he hesitates.

Ulrich: I better give in… I guess, part of it was to pay back for what you did for me…

Sissy: What's the other part?

Ulrich: Since we're going to be together this entire summer, I guess, we practically have to look out for each other. And…be friends.

Unexpectedly, the girl hugged the boy.

Sissy: Oh, Ulrich! I have been waiting for so long, for this. I'm so glad you think of me as your friend.

Ulrich: Ey Sissy. Wait! (trying to break free from her arms, his face was red all over)

Sissy: (pulling away from him) Those are the nicest things anybody has ever said and done for me.

Ulrich: Well, don't think anything else. I have no choice anyway. (he pretends to be cool)

Sissy: Alright.

She smiles, her heart is singing.

Sissy: I can't believe he said we'd be friends! Maybe, just maybe…there is still hope for me in his heart too.

- - -

In the meantime, Jeremy checks on again his computer for any signs of Xana attacks. Just like Ulrich, he has been wondering why Xana hasn't plotted anything bad this time.

Jeremy: (looking into Lyoko, he currently scans the Desert region for any activated towers) Nothing here either. All towers seem normal. I better check the other area.

As he was about to change the sequence, all of a sudden, a tower from the desert has activated. The Xana signal alarms.

Jeremy: An attack! I bet Xana is doing something here in the real world too. I better call the other guys for back up.

He was going to dial Ulrich's number when the signal stopped; the tower, which had been activated, has suddenly stabilized.

Jeremy: (canceling the call) What was that?

He checks on again the tower and the others but sees nothing disturbing.

Jeremy: Didn't Xana send an attack earlier, or was I only imagining things?

To be continued…

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Author's Note: Phew! That's it for now. I hope you have enjoyed reading this. Please let me know what you think. I think there are two or three chapters left for this fanfic. As you can see, there are many things to be resolved here. I haven't decided how I'll finish this but I have been thinking of three options. I guess you'll just have to find out. Many many thanks again for the reviews I received in the first part. It means a lot to me to continue on.