My smile faltered as I watch the retreating back of my best friend. Turning, I walked back to my bed glad for the small amount of time I had to myself. Sighing, I pulled out my diskman and put in one of the mix cds I had made, trying to relax before I was expected to one again preform.
My name is Odd. In regards to my name, I have heard all the jokes out there, and made a few of them myself. However, I must tell you that it isn't always as easy at you may think to always be the comic relief and the hyper fun one. Mind you, I'm not complaining about my job, I'm just saying that sometimes it gets to be a bit hard.
Hearing the usual techno stream out of the headphones, I groan as I realize the music just doesn't quite fit my mood. Hitting the stop button, I pulled out another set of cds, sorting through it for just the right one. I grinned to myself as I pulled a copy of the Somewhere in Time soundtrack out from it's hiding place. Yumi and the other guys would have teased me to no ends had she found out about it, but I didn't care. It was great for times like these when I decided I wanted to be as realistic as the rest of them. Putting it in the stereo Ulrich and I shared, I hummed to the now familiar music.
Locking the door to make sure I wasn't disturbed, I let the last of my tension go from my body. Pulling out my brush, I ran it through my hair, dis-lodging it from it's pointed. After I had run it through enough times, my hair fell to it's natural state. Glancing in the mirror, I wondered briefly what everyone would think if "the crazy class clown" were to walk out of his dorm with his golden blond hair resting just above his shoulders, rather than trying to reach the sky. I also wondered what my crush would think...
Shaking my head, I sat down in front of my bed, pulling various items out from the drawers under it. Lighting the incent, I stuck it in the well worn hole of my burner, breathing in it's relaxing scent. Closing my eyes, I got into the locus position, and started to do some basic breathing exercises, trying to calm my overworked mind. Finally feeling my whole self relax, I let my mind wander back to the mission I had recently completed, feeling ashamed and annoyance for some of the things I had done, and pride in others.
I mentally shook my head as I realized that I had yet again allowed myself to be the comic relief, despite the fact that I was in no condition. I had also been the first to go through the pain of returning from Lyoko because I just had to make Aelita laugh by having the new monster chase my tail. I had nearly fallen off the side of the cliff because of that stupid thing, and thus was in no condition to be able to help the rest of the gang getting the princess of our digital world to her castle.
I didn't know why it was that I had even insisted on being the example to cheer up my most innocent friend. Most likely because of the way I felt for her. I didn't love her, or even think of her that way, because I knew she was completely Jeremie's, even if I had wanted it to be otherwise. No, I thought of her more as a kid sister to protect and take care of. Just like she looked out for the rest of us. Her and Jeremie both.
Actually, the two geniuses had gone on a double with Ulrich and Yumi, allowing me this little bit of time to un-wind and be myself on every level. I had been of course invited to go with them, but declined, even after Yumi had offered to see if Sam had wanted to join me. I didn't really want to go on another date with Sam after the trouble she had gotten me into, and I doubt that our small group would appreciate my inviting my true crush with us.
In my mind's eye, I could see her clearly. I had been most impressed when "for Ulrich" she had posed as Yumi. My heart skipped a beat as I remembered that for the split second of while she had been saying she was doing it for him, her eyes had actually been locked with my own. She had looked beautiful then, her dark black hair left lose from the usual gobs of product she would put into it. However, she was never to know that every jest I sent her way and every comment I made to her was meant as my small way of showing her how deeply I cared.
Glancing at the clock, I groaned inwardly as I realized that Ulrich would be back soon. Putting out my incent, I stopped the cd, and put everything back into it's hiding place. Pulling out my gel, I worked it through my hair with well practiced ease, forcing them to return to their usual state. Checking myself over in the mirror, I plastered my trademark smile on my face, and got ready to go back to the performance I had volunteered to play, silent reminding myself why it was that I was, well, Odd.