Guess who's back to writing?!
Update: I notice some grammar errors and the whole chapter somewhat lacking, so I updated
Ulrich smirked as he chuckled a little right before the movie started. He looks at his companion.
"You sure you won't be scared, princess?" He teased.
The film that they picked is a horror movie that is said to be scariest one of the year. The whole Lyoko Warriors once went to the theaters before and like right now, they picked a horror movie. They barely watched a quarter of the film before being told to leave the theatres due to Aelita's screams of terror.
Aelita pouts a little as she gave him a little glare. She wanted to argue, but the movie just started. She slurps down her soda to cool down her anger and threw a small handful of popcorn at him. Ulrich blocked the popped kernels as he chuckled before enjoying the movie.
"I have to say Aelita, I'm impressed." Ulrich continued to tease as they got out of the theater before proceeding to the local mall. "You got scared for a couple of scenes, but at least you didn't scream like last time."
Now that they were no longer in theaters, Aelita could now talk back.
"The monsters from the film were not that scary." She defended herself.
"Right because the Kankrelats back on Lyoko were pretty scary," Ulrich said sarcastically which made the pinkette blush madly.
"I was never scared of them!"
The male brunette continued to chuckle, "Said the girl who hid behind a rock while I was fighting them."
Aelita gave him a glare before walking ahead of him in the mall.
Ulrich felt kind of stupid as Odd for teasing her like that, but who could blame him? He really does not want to make Aelita whom he saw keep giving him that look. That look of pity. That look makes him feel weak and he does not like being weak. Also, the last thing he wants is anyone worrying about him.
He then notices that Aelita walked a little faster than him. He quickly jogs forward to catch up to her, but he slowed down when he saw her walked into a music store. He was about to join her, but stopped himself from doing so and decided that maybe he should give her some time to calm down from the teasing.
The young man walked around the mall a bit before finding what he was looking for.
A diamond store.
Getting something for the peeved princess might help with apologizing for the teasing. Jewelry is a girl's best friend, after all.
If there were not so many people in the jewelry store right now, Ulrich would be face-palming himself right now.
He underestimated the monetary value of diamonds. No way he can pay for anything in this store with his allowance. He could save his weekly allowance just to save enough to buy the least expensive diamond in this store, but by that time, he would already be in college.
If he got into college, that is. He wondered if he can even get into a college that any of his friends are planning on going.
Odd? Unlikely considering their different interest in future careers.
Jeremie? The only thing the young athlete can do with a computer is to send emails and do some printing.
Yumi? ... He shakes his head to get rid of her from his mind.
Aelita? Well, she has amazing skills with computers and music. She will certainly go places in the future with either choice, especially with the backing of the SubDigitals supporting her skills. According to her, she wanted to go to a college first before deciding to become a musical idol. A college that has courses on music. Since he can play the piano and a couple of other classical instruments, which is all thanks to his father, perhaps that maybe he can join her.
It would be nice if he went to the same college as her.
"Is there anything I can help you with, young man?" A female employee approached him, snapping Ulrich out of his thoughts.
He did not make eye contact with her, his eyes remained on the diamonds on display, but his mind was somewhere else. Nor did he respond to her.
Silence.
It made the employee a bit sheepish, especially considering how muscular-looking the young teen was, so she continued with a question.
"Is it for a special girl?" She asked with a genuine smile.
Ulrich would have objected to that claim if there was not some truth to her words. Aelita is a special girl, after all.
"Yeah, I guess you can say that, but it's not what you think." He informed her. "She's sorta mad at me, so I thought of buying her something as an apology. Although I don't think I can buy anything here."
If it was any other employee from this diamond store, they would have politely asked him to leave while hiding some disgust, but the young female employee understood his problem. Her smile remained on her face. With her hand, she gestures to a store that can be seen outside through the window.
"I think you'll find what you need over there." Looking over where she was talking about, he saw an accessory store. "It's pretty popular with the girls. My niece always goes there."
He took her word for it. Giving her a nod in thanks, he left the store with the young woman smiling at his retreating form to give him good luck.
After what felt like an hour, Aelita looked up from the music CD she was looking over to see where Ulrich was but soon noticed that he was not even in the store.
"Ulrich?" She called out, waiting to see if he was hidden behind some racks. Dread grew in the pit of her stomach to realize that she alone. Did she just leave behind the only friend she has left without knowing? Hurrying, she gathered what she decided to buy, which was quite a lot since she needed new material.
When she was given the price, she pulled out her pink purse when a hand full of cash slammed on the counter.
"That should cover it all." She heard his familiar voice from behind her back. "Aelita, you can keep the change."
"What?" She turned to him in surprise, "but-!"
It was too late. The cashier already took the cash and handed her the receipt and change, which was a lot more than a couple of dollar bills and loose change. Turns out he gave the cashier more than enough.
It was basically an allowance. While she was counting, Ulrich took the plastic bags full of CDs.
Ulrich looked up at a clock that mounted on the wall.
"Come on, our bus will be leaving soon," Ulrich said as he started to lead the way out.
The pinkette was still in a stupor from the amount of money that it took her a while before she came back to her senses.
"Ulrich! Wait up!"
The bus ride back to Kadic Academy was quiet. Almost literally with the two young teens being the only passengers inside the public transportation save for the driver. Other than the engine of the bus roaring and the sound of the outside traffic, it was eerily quiet for Aelita. She occasionally looks at her companion, who was sitting beside her and has her bag full of musical CDs on his lap. His eyes were closed, but she can he was fully awake since he seems to be glaring.
Ulrich has yet to say a word even after they left the bus or when they entered campus grounds. She has that look on his face before. She can tell that he has a lot in his mind. What happened while they were separated at the mall?
It was when they were at the stairs to the dorm rooms that he finally talked.
"Here." He handed over the plastic bag. Once she took it, he proceeds to walk up the stairs. After a couple of steps, he stopped mid halfway up the stairs when he did not hear her footsteps.
Looking down at her, he saw her head was down, her hair covering her eyes, and despite being up the stairs, he can tell she has a crestfallen look. Her hands barely holding onto the plastic bag, which is almost touching the ground.
"Aelita..." He called out and would have continued, but did not know what to say next.
A moment later, she spoke. Her voice almost devoid of emotions, save for desperation and sadness.
"Ulrich... we're still friends, right?" Her voice trembled a bit.
Her question spooked him.
"What? Of course, we are." He firmly claims as he immediately started walking down the stairs before settling on the third step.
"Then... why have you been silent to me all of the sudden?" Her eyes not leaving the ground.
Silent and reserved. Just like with Jeremie yesterday. Is she going to losing her remaining friend?
"Just...some personal problems of mine. Okay?" He hesitated to answer her question fully.
It was the wrong reply. She understands that he barely opens up his personal feelings to anyone, but one would think he would make an exception with a close friend. Now did she think about it, did Ulrich even consider her his friend? Looking back, Ulrich probably only stuck around due to the dangers of XANA, being the first one to tell Jeremie to shut down the supercomputer, along with her stuck in the virtual world, and because Yumi was part of the group that kept the secret of the factory. He only helped and protected her because she was needed to stop XANA's attacks. Now that the virus was gone, what is his reason to be around her anymore? (1)
Aelita looks at the ground for a bit longer before going up the steps herself, passing by Ulrich wordlessly without looking at him.
Ulrich sighed as he said loudly, "I was worried about my future." His words stopped Aelita.
"Your future?" She asked, turning to him.
"To be specific: college," He continued. "My grades are improving, but..."
"But...?" She beckons him to continue as she steps down so that she was at eye level with him.
"...I'm worried that I might not go the same college as any of you."
Aelita's eyes widened, making her green iris more prominent.
His worries surprised Aelita, but it soon relieved her own worries. Her opened shocked mouth morphed into a smile. Her hand reached up to settle on his shoulder.
"You don't have to worry about that for quite a while, Ulrich." She assures him. "We still have a couple of years before we graduate, and I'll make sure we both graduate together and go to the same college."
She will really make sure of that. Even if she has to resort to some overnight cram sessions. She is not losing the friend that she practically has left after a war with that evil virus.
Her words touch him deeply. He returned her smile.
"Is that a tutoring offer?"
Aelita giggled, "Of course it, silly. Tomorrow, after class, at the library." She said with finality in her tone.
"Alright, Ms. Stones." He joked at her.
They both laughed at his little jest before they started heading back to their respective dorm room, side by side with each other. Before Aelita continued to go up the stairs, she stopped Ulrich at the double doors to the boys' dorm rooms.
She hugged him, quite tightly
"Thanks for spending the day with me, Ulrich."
He returned the hug while patting her back lightly. They stayed like that for a good five minutes before separating and telling each other that they will see each other for dinner at the cafeteria.
Aelita settled the plastic bag on her bed before taking off her jacket and throwing it over her desk chair. After a long bus ride, she gave her back a satisfying stretched before letting herself fall backward on her bed, landing right beside the shopping bag.
Her smile never leaving her face. She was so glad Ulrich spent the day with her, which told her that he was still her friend and he desires to go to the same college as her if he had the opportunity to. He is every bit as a samurai as he was on Lyoko. Very loyal.
Her mind flashes to all the times she witnesses Ulrich fought on Lyoko. The times he jumped in front of her without hesitation to protect her from lasers with his swords or with his own virtual body as a shield. To seeing him zip around the four sectors of Lyoko with his super-speed to fight of XANA's monsters. To riding behind him on his personal vehicle.
She giggled at herself, thinking of herself as a foolish imbecile to doubt Ulrich like that. He was loyal to his friends to the end. Staying with them despite all those times fighting XANA interfered with his schoolwork, making his grades almost bad as Poliakoff. She really has to help him with that.
After lying down for a bit, she turned her attention to the shopping bag, intending to organize her musical CDs by genre, but that was postponed when she found a small wrapped gift box. She was surprised to finding something like this out of nowhere before eagerness filled her mind as she enthusiastically shredded the paper wrap.
After the last piece of paper was shredded, all that was left was a small box with a lid. She lifted the lid and was surprised at what was under it.
A clip-on earring. And it looked so much like the one her Lyoko avatar used to have before being upgraded.
There was only one person who would buy something like this and had the time to place it inside her shopping bag.
"Thank you, Ulrich."
(1): Not that any of these are true. It's just her negative thoughts on her point of view with the current