Chapter 15

Recap: So Aelita went to try to get adopted after she and Yumi snuck out to Lyoko. Jeremie canceled their date to the dance, which horrified Aelita. Today is Friday, the dance. What's wrong?

(A/N: Okay so… The adoption thing was totally weird and totally off topic but I just HAD to add it. It adds twists and it keeps the story going. Sometimes stupid things are added to make a story better… Wow that sounds weird… Anyways, thanks for all the reviews: They always keep me writing! Remember: Italics mean that person is thinking!)

"What are you talking about, Ulrich?" Jeremie asked after Ulrich told Jeremie the news on Aelita.

"I'm serious!"

"You can't be. Why would she?" Jeremie asked.

"You…"

"Me? I didn't do anything that would… Oh...the dance…" Jeremie said quietly.

"Yeah…" Ulrich added.

"How could you?" Yumi asked, walking in and giving a slight scare to the guys.

"Could I?" Ulrich asked.

"No. Jeremie. You just sent my best friend out the door."

"It wasn't on purpose, Yumi." Ulrich said, standing up for Jeremie.

"You didn't have to do it though, Jer. You could've went to the dance still. You could've even stopped her. But did you? Let me answer that for you: No."

"She put the whole world in danger!" Jeremie shouted.

"Oh, c'mon…" Yumi rolled her eyes.

"Okay. Jeremie: Shut up. Yumi:…Shut up." Ulrich laughed.

"Hey! Jerk." Yumi said with a laugh.

"Yumi, she did. X.A.N.A could take over any time and… I can't take that risk." Jeremie announced.

"Well, well. Hey, smart stuff." Yumi said. "You forgot one thing. Deactivating towers." Jeremie's eyes widened. Suddenly…

"Aelita! Aelita!" Jeremie yelled running down the hall. She was already at the principal's office. Jeremie booked it and got there within minutes. That was the fastest he's ever run. Huffing and gasping for air, he shot out, "Aelita… You can't… Go…" Aelita turned around.

"Wanna bet?" She said in a snotty like tone.

"Aelita… Please…" He turned to look at Mr. Delmas, who was quite confused. "Mr. Delmas… Sir, may I please speak to her for a moment?" Mr. Delmas nodded and Jeremie pulled Aelita aside. "One word." He paused. "Lyoko."

"One word. Family." She said firmly. "Family comes first."

"And I bet you want to live too." Jeremie replied.

"Huh?" Aelita asked.

"X.A.N.A. If we don't deactivate towers… Who knows what he'll do to the Earth." Aelita sighed.

"Jeremie… I want a family." Aelita cried. "I want a sibling to fight with, I want to be yelled at. I want someone to tell me to do my homework. I… I just want a life."

"And you have one. It's all here. Yumi, Ulrich, Odd, you and I are all family. We fight with each other; we yell at each other, we tell each other to do our homework… Well, Ulrich doesn't but…Oh well. But c'mon, get real. Your life is here. With your family. Hey, think of it this way. You know how they say the mother brings you to this Earth?" Aelita nodded. "Well, who brought you to this Earth?" Aelita smiled.

"You, mommy dearest." Aelita joked.

"Yep. Well, will you look at that! I am your family." Jeremie said with a big grin. "What's that? Oh… Aelita… Is that a… a… a smile?" Aelita rolled her eyes. "Oh c'mon. You're not getting adopted. You're staying here, and not leaving."

"No way…"

"Way." Jeremie said weirdly.

"Well, if I do stay…" Aelita said with a disgusted look on her face. "You have to promise to never say that again." Jeremie laughed.

"Promise."

"Good… 'Cause that was really freaky." Aelita laughed. Jeremie rolled his eyes.

"Ok ok… Now, go tell Mr. Delmas this instant!" Jeremie yelled, joking about the 'being yelled at' thing. Aelita smirked and walked to Mr. Delmas.

"Mr. Delmas," Aelita said. He looked up.

"Yes, Miss. Stone?" He asked.

"I don't want to be adopted. I'll be okay here."

"Well, we're glad to have you stay." Mr. Delmas said with a smile. He nodded towards the door and waved. She waved back and walked out. Jeremie grinned and walked over to her.

"Staying?" She nodded. He grinned as big as his mouth could stretch. He put his arm around her shoulder as they walked. Aelita looked away (Like Yuma would!). Jeremie pulled his arm back and put his hands in his pocket. For about the next 5 minutes, they were both silent.

"Uh, Aelita?"

"Yeah?" She asked.

"Uh… about the dance thing…" Jeremie said.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I have my date and you have yours." Aelita said confidently.

"Huh?" Jeremie asked.

"Well, of course I got a date there. Don't you? I thought Yumi was going to talk me out of this adoption thing. Then you came instead. I was never getting adopted, unless nobody came to talk me out of it. So I planned on going to the dance. When you broke it off with me, I still wanted to go. I wanted the guy I liked to ask me, and look! He did!" Aelita announced with a little smile.

"Um, guy… you like?" Jeremie asked. "I thought that was me…"

"Yeah! You know him. Brett Sanders. You know, from Biology class."

"Oh… Yeah, I remember him." Jeremie said, with a disappointed sound in his voice.

"Who's the lucky one you're going with?" Aelita asked, at this awkward moment.

"Uh… I'm not sure you know her." Jeremie lied. He had nobody.

"Well, what's her name? I might know her!" Aelita asked. (A/N: I thought Aelita was being very rude! Poor Jer…)

"Uh, no. You don't know her, I'm positive." Jeremie lied again. "Nobody!"

"Oh c'mon, Jer! Who?" She asked. They were walking past Jeremie's room.

"Nobody." He said quickly, and he walked inside his room and shut the door.

"…" Aelita fell silent. "Jeremie… C'mon. Open up."

"Aelita!" It was Yumi. She ran up to her and started wagging her finger at her and yelling. "Don't you EVER scare me like that again! Do you hear me young lady?" Aelita smiled. She was acting like her mom. "Your punishment is you have to play truth or dare with us in Ulrich's room! Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am sir!" Aelita said. Yumi rolled her eyes and took her to the room. She ran back to get Jeremie. She knocked on the door.

"Uh, I'm busy!" Jeremie said.

"Oh, c'mon Jer, it's Yumi. We're going to play a game in Ulrich's room. Come play!"

"No… I uh… Can't." Jeremie said.

"Jeremie? What's wrong? You sound like your crying." Yumi asked.

"Come in and shut the door behind you…" Yumi did and saw Jeremie, with a red and puffy face.

"Je… Jeremie…What happened?" Yumi asked. She had never seen him like this; she had never seen him cry.

"It's Aelita… I thought she liked me!" Jeremie turned around so that Yumi couldn't see him sob. (A/N: AWW! POOR JEREMIE!)

"Jeremie, she does!" Yumi said putting an arm on his shoulder.

"No she doesn't. She never liked me. It was always Brett!" Jeremie said.

"Oh… Brett Sanders… Guess ya didn't know." Yumi said.

"Ya think?" Jeremie yelled.

"Listen, Jer. She moved on… I think you should too. I know a lot of girls who would want to go to that dance with you." Jeremie looked up.

"Really?"

"Yeah! You got to be more positive, Jer! Now c'mon, let's go play a game." Yumi said. He started to follow her.

"Wait." Yumi turned around. Jeremie ran into the bathroom. Yumi heard the faucet run and then he came out with his hair soaking wet.

"What was that for?" Yumi asked.

"I didn't cry. I took a shower and I got soap in my eyes. That's why my eyes are red." Jeremie said with a smile.

"Your good." Yumi smiled. "C'mon lets go."