A Crack in Confidence
Her hair fizzled into split ends because she hadn't washed it in a week. Her blouse, wrinkled and unwashed, went unnoticed by her red-rimmed eyes. Wrestling to balance studying and code-cracking took a toll on her. And fighting with her computer only made things worse. "Come on, you stupid thing, work!" Of course, the computer felt insulted by its owner's command and gave a non-functioning blue screen as an equivalent middle finger. "Stupid piece of junk," Sissi growled, crawling under her desk to the motherboard. She snipped some wires and cables when she instantly bumped her head from a knock at the door. "Of all the cruddy-C...coming!" Fumbling to her feet, she grabbed her cane and walked to the door. After a week, the weakness in her legs was all but gone, but she kept the cane around just in case of... emergencies. Opening the door, Sissi's father stood with his hands behind his back. The worried look behind those wireframe glasses told Sissi all she needed to know. "Daddy?"
"Sissi, you're going to be late for class if you don't get ready. Do your legs feel well? I can give you another week if-"
"Daddy no! I've been reading books all day. I need to get back. I need something else to do… Or I could always have something expensive to keep me busy," Sissi grinned. The little she-devil still got it. Covering his cough, Mr. Delmas slowly nodded and regained composure. Then he noticed the CDs and cables scattered on the floor.
"It seems like you've already found something to do with your hands," He gestured to her mess. "But I suppose continuing with your schoolwork will prevent any further messy business."
"Hehehe," Sissi chuckled nervously before a sudden yip sounded from a room beneath her. Kiwi!
"Is that a dog?"
"Uh? Oh no, it's probably just a video game about dogs. I saw some of the boys have a Tomogunchi." The exaggerated grin on Sissi's face caused the principal to rub his chin. "They must have left it on."
"Hmm, well, I supposed it's nothing. Just please be careful." With that, he left. Sissi breathed relief into her lungs but glared at the floor as the barking started up again.
Later on, in the cafeteria, Ulrich griped to his blonde counterpart about the same problem that Sissi was having. "By the way Odd, your dog keeps shedding on my bed."
"Oh, what's the big deal about two or three hairs," He answered.
"Two or three?! With all the hair he sheds, I could knit you a sweater!" Yumi and Jeremie sniggered as Sissi walked to the table with a tray of food in one hand and the cane in another.
"I'm sorry, did I hear something about a dog?" She said very innocently at first, "That's interesting, I really adore dogs, but they're not supposed to be on school property, or at least that's what my dad says."
"What do you want Sissi?" Yumi asked.
"Kiwi was yapping when daddy came to check on me. Odd, make sure the dog doesn't get caught. But I covered for him. You owe me."
"Whew, that's a relief! Thanks, Sissi, I owe you big time," Odd sighed and stuffed more food into his mouth. Sissi spun her eyes and placed her tray on their table, leaning on the cane while she amusingly watched Odd consume food. Jeremie glimpsed at the cane, and, noticing him fixing his glasses, Sissi tittered at his wordless curiosity.
"My legs are fine, but I use the cane in case of emergencies."
"Like what?" Jeremie asked.
"You never know when some weirdo might get bright ideas, but enough about Odd."
"HA HA HA HA HA HA!" Ulrich slapped the table and held his stomach while Odd fumed quietly.
"I was wondering if I could talk to you, Jeremie," Sissi smiled widely. "I overheard you talking to a girl. She sounds nice."
"Ah, well, I-"
"Listen, Sissi," Yumi interrupted, lifting her glass cup, "It's none of your business. Leave Jeremie and his friend alone."
"I was just asking."
"Just stay out of it-"
Suddenly, the cup in her hand shattered into pieces, shocking everyone at the table with small cuts etched into her hand. Maybe this isn't the right time to talk to her. Sissi stood up and shuffled her tray over to Odd. "Here, Odd, I'm not hungry anymore. I'll talk to you later, Jeremie." She glanced back over her shoulder before leaving the mess hall.
Ulrich took Yumi to the infirmary. "There you go, that should be enough," said the nurse.
"It's so weird. I wasn't squeezing it that hard. I guess it was more fragile than I thought."
"Fragile? We're not talking about crystal glass here. Cheap plastic is more like it. Anyways, I know what to expect when I get you mad," Ulrich smiled charmingly. Yumi tucked her hair back and returned the smile. Their hands entangled together and when they noticed, a pink tint swirled into their white cheeks, a dance of feelings fluttered in their stomachs, and they shyly glanced away from each other.
Ulrich suddenly stood up and wandered to the window, avoiding her eyes. Change the subject, think of anything else. "By the way, what was with the harsh treatment you gave Sissi?" No! Not that one! Idiot!
"She's trying to find out about Aelita and Lyoko. I'm sure of it," Yumi said, tightening her unwounded fist.
"Still, that doesn't mean that she's going to. I think she's doing better."
Yumi crossed her arms, "Sure, you would say that."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Before she could say anything, Ulrich's phone chimed. "Hello, Jeremie? Aelita's hair? What's that? Okay, we'll be there."
"OH, COME ON!" Sissi shouted at the beeping red computer. "WHY! You have enough RAM power. You know you can do this; you just don't like me!" Her computer beeped violently in return. "ARGGHH!" She slammed her fist on the table and dropped her head on the keyboard. Gripping and spinning the tips of her hair, Sissi's boiling rage slowly settled inside her. She blew an air of defeat. "I give up. I'm done. I can't do this." The air hung still for a moment. It's none of your business. Leave Jeremie and his friend alone. Yumi's words turned the mental gears in her head while the sun poured into the room. "I know why she doesn't trust me, but why does she have to be so against it?" Sissi's brain ran wild with theories, but each one brought her back to the past mistakes she made. "I'm just trying to help."
Was she? She thought about it. As long as she didn't get in their way and helped them where she could, she didn't have to search for information about XANA. Why am I really doing this? She shook her head, grabbed her cane, and speedily walked out of her room and down the hall. She couldn't avoid the question looming over her head. That question kept knocking at her mind's door, doggedly pounding at the wooden frame until she would answer. Suddenly, she heard a familiar yipping and frowned. "Odd has to keep that mutt quiet. Daddy's going to hear if-"
Out of the blue, pieces of the ceiling started to fall. Sissi rolled out of the way as the pieces clattered to the ground. A large hole stood in its wake. Freezing, Sissi panted hard from the shock and gulped. "Daddy!"
Later on, everyone crowded around to hear what Sissi witnessed. "I told you, it was just a crack. Just be careful and try to stay away from the building for now." She saw nods and heard murmurs; they believed her. Sissi almost forgot how much of an influencer she was. "Just be ready to leave the place soon." As the crowd dispersed, Sissi looked at the ground as she mindlessly walked over to Ulrich, Yumi, and Odd.
"You seem a little edgy, Sissi. What? The sky falling got your nerves rattled," Yumi mused. Sissi kept her eyes on the ground, frowning.
"No, I don't like this. Something is going on, and I think it has to do with some kind of frequency."
"What do you mean?" Ulrich asked.
"First, Yumi gets the strength of Hercules with the cup. Then, from what I heard, your dog broke the glass-"
"He didn't break it. It just… shattered!" Odd corrected.
"And now the ceiling is falling. Some kind of sonic wave is causing this."
"How do you know?"
"One, Kiwi barks each time something happens. Two, my computer has sensitive pieces in it, sound-sensitive pieces, and I've been trying to run a program that was working fine until today."
"You're into computers? Since when?"
"I had a lot of time in the hospital."
"Yeah, but you don't become a 'Jeremie' over two weeks, even with books." Sissi was about to answer Yumi, but she stopped herself.
Truthfully, she said, "I…I don't know. I wouldn't say I'm up to Jeremie's speed... I don't know how I'm suddenly this tech-savvy." And she couldn't ask them. Otherwise, they would get suspicious. Sissi shook her head. "For now, just be ready to get out of school at a moment's notice."
"Well, I have class. See you guys later. Keep me posted," Yumi said, glancing at Sissi before leaving.
"When is she going to trust me?" she asked Ulrich.
"It doesn't come overnight. Besides, why are you so worried about Yumi?"
Silence, for a long moment. "Nothing." She glanced back at the ground and walked away, "Remember, make sure that everyone's out of the school at a moment's notice, alright?"
"Got it!" Ulrich watched her leave, then looked back in the direction Yumi left.
"Odd, do you ever think that Yumi might be right about Sissi? That she's trying to get involved with Lyoko and XANA?"
"Come on, Ulrich. She doesn't even seem worried about that. She can keep a secret; we've seen her. Otherwise, she would have ratted out Kiwi. Maybe she's just turning over a new leaf."
"It's kind of hard for a bad tree to turn a new leaf, Odd."
"What do you think about it? Forgetting everything Yumi's said, what do you think?" Odd asked. Ulrich huffed and sagged his shoulders.
"I don't know. On the one hand, Sissi's been helpful with the attacks recently, and she hasn't bothered us much. On the other hand, this might just be a fake 'good Sissi' so she can get close to us and-"
"That last one isn't you. That's Yumi in your head. What do you think?"
Ulrich threw his hands up and exclaimed, "I don't know, alright! Part of me just doesn't want Yumi and Sissi fighting! Sissi has been great so far ever since she had that bus accident. Maybe she's changed."
"Only time will tell," Odd shrugged as the school bell rang.
As the moments passed by, Sissi tapped her finger on her desk, looking at the headset for Jeremie's bug. Her hand floated between the headset and her chest. She groaned at the pulling force of her conscience and finally threw her head back. "I can't do this. If I do… I just want," She paused to sigh. "Yumi's right not to trust me. I should just give this up. Besides, they defeated XANA without me. They can do it again." Looking at the ceiling, Sissi shook her head then started working on her next project until she heard her father on the intercom.
"Attention! Due to the danger of a structural accident, please evacuate the building calmly and leave the immediate area, no one will be permitted to enter the building until further notice."
"XANA." Sissi grabbed her cane and ran for the exit. "I have to make sure everyone is out. It's hero time!" Though she smiled, a hard pit of worry and shame sat in her upset stomach when she finally left the building. "The world is still in danger. I'm going to learn about Lyoko, XANA, and Aelita no matter what the others think of me, and I'm going to help them." She declared and hobbled along down the front stairs.
She stopped for a moment, looking at the ground. She ran the words in her head again and again, and the mysterious reason for her actions threw its cloak away. "What they think of me." Her shoulders sagged and her head dropped to the ground. She sluggishly walked away from the building, trapped in the stormy waters of her brain.
Suddenly, the earth quaked, knocking Sissi to the ground. Some students helped her to her feet and ran with her to refuge.
Yumi got the call from Ulrich about XANA. She ran to the schoolyard but stopped when she saw the massive crack in the school building. A monstrous line filled with concrete, metal, and broken glass stood right down the middle of the dormitory. "What happened here?" She asked the principal's daughter. Sissi's eyes streamed with tears, but her teeth gritted like a savage wolf while her fists clenched harder than an Anaconda. Yumi's head jerked back, cautious of her next move.
"Odd, he's stuck inside with Milly and Tamiya," Sissi pounded her cane on the ground, "And I can't do anything to help them! I'm useless here!"
"It's okay, Sissi. They're going to be fine. I promise." Sissi saw the reassuring smile but could see deep devils of fear in Yumi's eyes. She grabbed Yumi by the hand and spoke in a low hoarse voice.
"Yumi, whatever you do, do it quickly. Please." Yumi nodded and raced for the factory.
Ten frightening minutes passed before the building started to sink into the ground. "Come on, guys," Sissi groaned, clutching her cane. Then in a flash, the bubble of light behind her appeared like a glowing angel of safety. She smiled, brushing her hair back, "Took them long enough."
Sissi was in her room, tapping her finger on the desk, and looked at the blank computer screen. She leaned back in her chair, folded her arms behind her head, and stared at the ceiling. "You better not fall on me again," She muttered jokeless. She had a melting pot of emotions steaming inside, but the question was how to prepare the dish. This was the reality that the Lyoko warriors had to go through. The images of the attack flashed through her head like violent war photos. "What am I going to do?" Eyes drifted to her cane, standing on the corner of her desk. Gazing intently, she grabbed its woody length, grazed her hand on its smooth surface, and sighed onto it, declaring, "I'm not going to be helpless again. I'm going to help them fight XANA, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to bring Aelita back." Out the window, she looked at the birds swiftly playing in the air and children laughing and chatting in the schoolyard. "I want to live in a world without danger."
Continued...