6. Sometimes he wonders what would have happened if they had let Sissi in on the secret.
The blow-out over Sissi Delmas is unexpected. Jeremie had seen Ulrich and Sissi around campus previously, he knew they were popular and popular people tended to hang out together. He just hadn't expected the push-back to be so immediate. Judging by Yumi's stricken face after Ulrich had stormed off, Jeremie's pretty sure he wasn't the only one taken by surprise.
"He'll come around," Jeremie tells her.
"Are they actually dating?" Yumi asks Odd. Odd shrugs and takes a bite of the muffin he pulls out of his bag.
"How should I know? We're just roommates." He rolls his eyes and looks up at them both. "Look, it's Ulrich. He'll be fine. I'll talk to him." He picks up his bag and stands, stretching. "Time for class, I'll catch you both later on."
"We all agreed," Jeremie says once Odd's departed.
"I know," Yumi replies. She tucks her hair behind her ears. "I know that," she repeats. "And it's Sissi, but maybe…?"
"If she betrayed us once we can't trust her not to do so again," he states. "Ulrich will realize we're right when he stops to think about it." He catches her expression and sighs. "It'll be okay, Yumi."
/
If he's honest, Jeremie wasn't sure Ulrich would show up the next time he sent out the SOS message. But he does, arriving at the factory minutes before Yumi. It's been three days since they'd suggested Ulrich distance himself from Sissi and he's seen him maybe three times since then, not including the classes they shared. From his conversations with Yumi she'd had a similar experience.
So, he's surprised when Ulrich shows up at his room after the Return. He opens the door and lets Ulrich in, then stands there not sure what exactly to say.
"Sissi is fine," Ulrich says.
"Do you trust her?" Jeremie asks curiously. "Honestly, do you trust her? She didn't even last a full 24 hours before she told Delmas and Jim about the factory."
Ulrich frowns and paces the room. Jeremie sits down in his computer chair and watches the other boy. "What would you do if you were attacked?"
Jeremie picks up one of his pens and fiddles with it. "I would want to put a stop to it," he says. "I'd keep my word."
Ulrich sighs, scrubs a hand over his face and leans against the closed door. "It's not fair to her."
"It won't be for forever," Jeremie says. He gives Ulrich his best pleading look. "Just until we've gotten Aelita out and shut down Lyoko. It should only be a few weeks, maybe a month."
Ulrich gives a faint smile and shakes his head. "That's what Odd said."
"Look, can you say that you can see Sissi Delmas on Lyoko fighting monsters?" Jeremie asks. "If you really care about her, this is the best way to keep her safe and out of trouble."
Ulrich meets his gaze steadily.
"It'll take longer to do this without you."
"One month?"
"At the most," Jeremie agrees.
Ulrich sighs, pushes off from the door, and sits down on the end of Jeremie's bed. "Alright, Jer," he says. Jeremie blinks at the nickname, still not used to it. "I'm in."
. . … . .
Those early days don't allow much time for sleeping. When he does manage to doze off, usually slumped over in his computer chair after talking with Aelita for hours, he wakes from nightmares of someone finding the factory. Of Sissi leading Jim and her father to the door and the Return not working. He dreams of losing Aelita forever.
When a month comes and goes without as much progress as he'd hoped for the materialization program and X.A.N.A.'s attacks picking up speed, he catches Ulrich watching him more and more.
"We could bring in Sissi," Ulrich suggests after another near-miss.
"No," Jeremie replies. He remembers the hopeless feeling of Delmas and Jim calling the authorities, of the supercomputer being dismantled. He can picture Sissi's face as she watches the destruction. "I just need more time."
"It's been a month, Einstein," Odd says. "How close are we?"
"We're getting there," Jeremie replies. He rubs at his temples and stares at the other three. Ulrich's gaze is even and unreadable. "We've got this."
Ulrich shakes his head and exits the supercomputer room. "We're wasting time," he calls over his shoulder. "If there were more of us we could shut down the attacks faster."
"Or be discovered easier!" Jeremie yells back.
. . … . .
"There's Sissi," Odd says hesitantly.
"No," Ulrich and Yumi reply immediately.
Jeremie pauses and looks at the other blonde. He hadn't thought of it, and probably wouldn't have if Odd hadn't suggested it first. The truth is that Sissi would probably be a good choice of a cover in order to get around Jim nosing around. "You're right," he says finally. "We could use this."
"I can't believe you're suggesting this," Ulrich replies, shaking his head. "You were the biggest supporter of ditching Sissi and now you want me to use her?"
"Sometimes in war you have to get your hands dirty."
"Do you hear yourself?" Ulrich demands.
"Ulrich has a point," Yumi states.
"And so does Einstein," Odd replies. He taps his foot on the bleachers.
"This is insane," Ulrich snaps.
"Look, we need a distraction and you were the genius who decided to get detention," Jeremie retorts.
He isn't proud of it, he'd like to think he's a decent person who doesn't take advantage of others. But it's not like Sissi has stopped following Ulrich around like a dejected puppy in the months since they found Lyoko. And, well, if she's going to make it easy…why not take advantage of it?
"I didn't decide-"
"Sissi likes you and it isn't a secret. Play it up some in order to get out of detention tonight."
"This is wrong," Yumi repeats. She looks at Ulrich. "You aren't seriously considering this, are you?"
"Sissi doesn't oversee detention, that's Jim. And I am not cozying up to Jim."
"We all know Sissi will complain to Delmas and Delmas will have Jim let you off for good behavior. Come on, we need all of us for the test tonight."
Ulrich glares. "Fine," he agrees. "But just this one time."
"Of course," Jeremie agrees, relieved. Jeremie knows he's lying even as he agrees. Judging by Ulrich's stormy expression he does too, but neither of them call him on it. Jeremie swallows and pulls his coat tighter around him. "We can even do a Return so she doesn't remember."
"Because that makes this better," Ulrich replies.
. . … . .
He comes to accept that he and Ulrich will never agree on including Sissi or not. Sissi is still a bully, makes Aelita's life hell when she's first materialized. He still remembers her banging on his doors, tears in her eyes, after one of Sissi's snide comments. When he sees Ulrich speaking with her between classes later that day, he doesn't understand how he can still be on friendly terms with her.
It's the same behavior she's exhibited over the past year, with nothing changing. Even if she would be useful, and he'll admit that having the headmaster's daughter on their side would be useful, she wouldn't fit with the group.
/
"It would figure that Odd Della Robbia would have a cousin as weird as he is."
Jeremie pauses mid-reach for a programming textbook, caught off guard by the voices. Usually the library has cleared out in anticipation of supper and he hadn't been expecting anyone else to be in the stacks.
"What do you mean?" another voice asks.
"Aelita, haven't you seen her? The girl looks like she just got off the shuttle from planet loony."
"The one with the pink hair, right?"
"That's the one."
He recognizes the voices now. Marie-Therese Renoit and Lydia Hawthorne, two girls in his year that can usually be seen cozying up to Sissi. He frowns and lets his hand drop, peering through the gaps in the books to see them on the other side of the bookcase.
"She's not that bad, Marie," Lydia says. "A bit simple, maybe."
"The girl is a nutcase," Marie-Therese laughs. "She didn't know how to use shampoo, remember? And today she was out there dancing around in the rain like a toddler."
"Talking about Aelita Stones, are we?" Sissi's voice rings out.
Jeremie sees her approach the other two girls and grits his teeth.
"Of course, who else?" Marie-Therese asks. "My bet is she's escaped from some nut house, not Norway or wherever."
"You know," Sissi drawls, "it's not nice to talk about others behind their backs."
"Please, weren't you just making fun of her for not knowing about foundation this morning?" Lydia asks.
"That's the difference," Sissi states. "If I don't like someone I tell them to their face, I don't sneak around whispering behind their backs like a couple of common nitwits. It's in especially poor taste to do so when your own records don't speak too highly of yourselves."
"What are you talking about?" Lydia questions, voice suspicious.
"Whatever, you don't know anything," Marie-Therese snaps. She pushes past the other girl and Sissi steps out of her way, tossing her hair over her shoulder.
"Oh, please, like it's any secret that you were caught on your knees with Luca Millefeuille, Marie-Therese. Nearly expelled for that incident, weren't you? Daddy made a big donation to the school board to keep you here. Poor Luca's parents couldn't make the same donation though, could they?"
"You're a piece of work, Delmas."
"Yes, but everyone knows that already. How about you, do they know about you? Or are you just as two-faced with them?"
"What do you want?" Lydia asks.
"You keep your mouths shut about Aelita Stones," she says firmly.
"Why do you even care about the little twerp?"
"Doesn't matter, does it? Remember, I have the headmaster's ear. I'd hate to have to report another incident."
"Go to hell," Marie-Therese growls.
Jeremie waits as the two girls storm out of the stacks. Once they're gone he rounds the bookcase and sees Sissi casually leaning against the opposite one, filing her nails. She doesn't look surprised to see him, just lifts an eyebrow curiously.
"Why do you care about Aelita?" he asks finally. "You've made her life a living hell."
Sissi lifts a shoulder, looking bored. "I don't. I just hate people who talk behind others' backs." She pushes off of the bookcase.
"If you're doing this because of Ulrich-"
"Believe it or not, not everything I do revolves around Ulrich Stern." She brushes past him on her way out. "You should tell your girlfriend to cool it, it's not just those two talking."
. . … . .
Jeremie never comes to like Sissi.
He tolerates her, and he even finds some of the things she says amusing, but he can't say he likes her as a person. He doesn't understand why Aelita starts hanging out with her more, particularly once Yumi leaves. If she wants a female friend there are plenty of other options than Sissi Delmas.
She isn't terrible though, and she can hold her own against Odd. It makes him wonder what would've happened if things had been different, if she hadn't been the first to be attacked. He doesn't think he would've survived the love quadrangle that would've formed eventually, but he would've appreciated someone who could shut Odd down.
He doesn't mention it to Ulrich, the resentment is still there even years later. Jeremie doesn't understand it, but he thinks he maybe gets it. He looks around the hotel room, at the motley crew assembled after graduation.
Ulrich and Odd are arguing over where to go for dinner. It involves exaggerated hand gestures and facial expressions on Odd's part and deadpan sarcasm from Ulrich's side. Aelita is recording it on her phone, laughing at the faces Odd pulls.
"Just bribe him with sex to get your way," Sissi calls over. She and Yumi have been seated at the small table making small talk over Paris and life after Kadic.
Yumi looks surprised before she grins. "Who are you talking to?" she asks.
"Does it matter?" Sissi replies, shrugging. "They'll get what they want and we'll get peace and quiet."
Jeremie shakes his head, chuckling at the startled looks on Ulrich and Odd's faces. He's kind of glad Aelita's recording it. "Just wait until we're not here," Jeremie says. "I don't need to walk in on you two again."
"You never mentioned that," Aelita says, turning to look over her shoulder at him.
"Again?" Sissi asks, eyebrow raised. "Oh, do tell."
"Hey now!" Odd protests. He bounds over, arm slung tightly over Jeremie's shoulders. "We don't want to force Jeremie to relive anything he doesn't want to. Gotta keep our Einstein happy."
"Let's just go with Odd's choice," Ulrich says. "Pizza sounds easy." He looks over at Yumi and gives her a smile. "It'll be tradition."
"Alright, food time," Yumi announces. "I'd like to eat before catching the train back. You can interrogate Jeremie over pizza."
He isn't sure how he ends up walking next to Ulrich when they leave the hotel, trailing a few paces behind the others. Ulrich's face is still faintly flushed and he's watching the others in front of them. Jeremie clears his throat and waits until he catches Ulrich looking in his direction before speaking.
"I still stand by what I said back then," he says. "Sissi couldn't be trusted." Jeremie adjusts his glasses, feels Ulrich still staring at him. He doesn't return the look, focused on where Sissi is pestering Odd while Yumi and Aelita laugh at their antics.
"I was never upset at not having her on Lyoko," Ulrich says finally.
"I know, I'm sorry," Jeremie replies. "I didn't get it then, but I wouldn't like it if someone told me not to speak to you all. Even Odd." He catches Ulrich's smile. "For what it's worth we couldn't have done some of it without her assistance."
"We could've," Ulrich replies. His answer is quick and easy, hardly any thought behind it. Jeremie does look at him then but Ulrich doesn't elaborate. "Why now?"
"Everything changes tomorrow," Jeremie replies. He slips his hands in his pockets as they cross the street to the pizzeria. "And anyway, she isn't that bad when she's acting human."
Ulrich laughs hard enough for the others to turn around from where they've gathered by the door. Yumi looks started, glancing between Jeremie and Ulrich. Odd has a smile on his face, eyebrows raised as he studies Ulrich. Sissi's smiling as well, but it's a smaller more genuine one that Jeremie isn't as familiar with. Aelita looks at them quizzically as they approach.
"She has her moments," Ulrich agrees.
They enter the restaurant and take their seats. Sitting around the table, watching the way the antics, Jeremie can't help but notice how Sissi does fit. He doesn't like her, really. And he doesn't necessarily trust her to be anything but what she is. But he finds that he is smiling at her snide comments and the friendly barbs she and Odd toss back and forth. He glances at Yumi and sees that she's even smiling and shaking her head occasionally.
It's enough to make him wonder if things would've changed if they'd included her earlier.