/Author's note: The chapter's name is actually Grumpy cat teacher but since the title didn't allow strikethrough, I put it in brackets./

William felt more eager to finish the school day than he usually did. He understood that refilling the rift between him and Cassandra would not happen in one day, not even in one month. He could only hope that one year would be enough. That had been what it had taken to become a friend of hers, even though it had been very hard.

"Who do you think you are? Some sort of a popstar? Leave me alone, I don't want to hang out with you!"

At least Cassandra had not yelled that or anything like it at him on Lyoko yet. It was a good sign. William was hopeful about that there may be some sort of a base from which to go on with Cassandra after all. But being the complex and secretive human the girl was, William knew he could be entirely wrong.

After the last lesson

Jeremy had sent a text message to William earlier; the younger boy had one lesson less than William did, so he could go to the factory first and let William come there on his own. At least he already knew his way to the factory inside the sewers already, even when he did not know his way around those sewers otherwise. Yet, at least.

The supercomputer felt unreal even now. It was like a dream or a movie he was acting in. Maybe this actually is a movie. But I don't see any cameras, William mused as he walked into the lab, looking around the walls. Well, except for that security camera there.
"William. Are you ready to go to Lyoko now?" Jeremy asked.
"Yeah," William answered. Cassandra's window was not on the screen.
"Then head to the scanners," Jeremy told.
"Ok." William returned to the elevator and went down to the lower floor. Then he walked to the scanner. Now he heard Jeremy's voice, "Transfer William. Scanner William. Virtualization."

After the yellow of the scanner he found himself hovering in a blue place; it was the Arena. He dropped down on his feet, yet he did not see Cassandra.

A hand took his arm and adjusted it and the position of his sword.
"Now it should be easier to carry," Cassandra's voice said, now next to him. The sword was between them, so William did not see her face.

Cassandra's hand lingered on his arm. But then the walls stopped and the corridor opened up.
"You have two minutes to use the key," Jeremy told.
"Let's go," Cassandra said and started to run to the corridor. William followed her. This time the room looked like a maze.
"I found the key! It's on the other side of the room," Jeremy said.
"Any info on how to get there?" William asked.
"Turn left and you'll get there," Jeremy informed. "Hurry! The room isn't big!"
"Come on," Cassandra said and went on. Remembering yesterday, William quickly followed.

Then they saw the key.
"Ten seconds! Hurry up!" Jeremy shouted.

A wall came and blocked them from the key.
"No!" Cassandra shouted and punched the new wall.
"Time's up!" Jeremy said.
"What happens now? Is it game over?" William asked. Cassandra moved to his side.
"The room will change now, since we failed to use the key. Jeremy, what are your protocols for this scenario?" the girl said.
"We can abort this and materialize William. You, too, Cassandra," Jeremy answered.
"What? Abort? Come on, no!" William shouted.
"That could be for the best," Cassandra said as she looked at the moving walls around her. This was the claustrophobic feeling she had almost forgotten during her time on Lyoko.
"Is this really that bad?" William asked.
"This is very dangerous, William. Are you still stupid enough to underestimate X.A.N.A.?" Cassandra snapped. The walls were moving more rabidly. "Jeremy, get William out of here. I am not taking the risk."
"But Cass, I won't learn anything if I just get away!" William protested.
"Now you listen to me!" Cassandra yelled and took a strong grip from his shoulders, making sure they faced each other. Cassandra's furious face was closer to his than what was comfortable. "The Scyphozoa tried to get you yesterday. Now we are in a fully hazardous area. I am not risking that it gets you this time if we get separated! We don't know what it wants from you and I am not willing to find out!"

A rumble caused the walls to sway from side to side. There was a way out.
"Well if you want to 'learn' something, let's get going!" Cassandra murmured and let go of his shoulders, taking hold of his left arm instead.

The walls started to fall on them.
"Run, run, run!" Cassandra yelled.
"William, you have to come back! This is too dangerous!" Jeremy yelled.
"We can get through this!" William shouted back.
"Who are you to say? You barely even know what's going on!" Cassandra shouted. She dodged a wall, letting go of William. Then she rushed back to him.
"Go, go, go, go!" she yelled.
"William! I will materialize you right now!" Jeremy shouted. "William! Do you copy?"

A wall was collapsing on their way out of the chaos. William pushed his sword to support it so that Cassandra could get away. She took a strong grip from his arm and dragged him through with such an amount of force he was not prepared to. The wall collapsed as William got his sword with him. The wall collapsed, but the two Lyoko Warriors were clear.

"William! Cassandra! Do you copy?" Jeremy shouted. "Hey! Answer me!"
"We're fine, Jeremy. We got away," William answered.
"No, we are not. We're stuck on a hazardous zone full of X.A.N.A.'s traps," Cassandra snapped. "If there is not a way out, this is not a place for any sort of practice... unless one practices getting into greater deal of trouble than they should!"
"That is not fair, Cass," William noted.
"Am I know as a fair person?" Cassandra asked.
"Well..." William tried to figure out the answer. He did not want to give the answer he had in his mind.
"I take that as a 'no'," Cassandra said and looked around herself. "Jeremy? Do you see a way out of here?"
"The way back to the Arena is still open. You can go there," Jeremy informed.
"Then let's go," Cassandra said, started to walk there and gripped William's arm, earning a "Hey!" as she tugged him harshly with her.

The corridor rumbled.
"Come on! We must hurry!" Cassandra shouted and her pace changed to running. William hurried with her; after all, as the girl had his arm in a grip stronger than pliers. He could not get his arm free.

The corridor closed up behind them, but they made it to the Arena. It was silent, and nothing moved around them.
"It quieted down then. We're safe," Cassandra noted. Then she realized that she was keeping her hold and let go of William. The boy wondered why it did not actually hurt even though her hand had held tightly like pincers.
"Ok, I guess we can stay here," he noted. "No traps... right?"
"That's true," Cassandra noted. "The first thing you must have gotten right this time here."
"Cass, why are you like that?" William asked. The vile words hurt him.

Cassandra turned her head to look into his eyes, expressionless aside from faint hostility. She did not say anything.
"Cass," William said. "Answer me, please."
"You know the answer," Cassandra muttered. "Sorry."

Somewhere inside William knew that "sorry" was half-hearted at most, but he did not say it aloud. From the solemn tone William understood what was behind the nasty behavior of hers.

It was the same thing as always.

"Now, since we're here, let's begin that lesson. At first, your grip needs a couple of tweaks..." Cassandra begun.

William listened intently and did everything he could to comprehend the things. He knew that as long as he did his best, Cassandra would have less reasons to get frustrated and unkind.

As the hours passed by, William realized one thing: he had made Cassandra realize something. Something that gave her reason to bottle up her frustration and impatience which William had seen never before.

Instead of unleashing them at him, Cassandra made them dissolve inside and in the immediate air surrounding her.

At some point William noticed that Cassandra had closed her eyes.
"Cass? Is everything ok?" William asked, putting his sword back to his shoulder the way Cassandra had instructed him to; it was easier indeed to carry it, even though the change was small.
"I just miss the swordplay club. I'm basically stuck here with no one to teach me," Cassandra sighed.
"But you could return back to Earth," William reminded her.
"In theory, yes. But can I go back safely, without any trouble with school?" Cassanda asked him. Her voice became quiet as she got to the end of the sentence. It became so low that Jeremy could not make out the words. Then her voice became a whisper, "I don't think I can avoid my parents there."
"If its X.A.N.A. that worries you, Cassandra, you could come to study here at Kadic. I could make some faked documents for you like I did for Aelita when she was materialized so you could transfer here easily," Jeremy informed.
"I'd be found anyways," Cassandra muttered, but only William heard it.
"Cass," he started, but Cassandra snapped, "Do you want to continue with this crash course? We don't have much time left in this afternoon."

The deep insecurity had resurfaced, but just like always, it had abruptly disappeared back under the unkind face.

William knew he had fully bypassed this once. But he had no idea if he could do it again. Or how he could do it.

/Code Lyoko (c) Moonscoop, Cassandra Delorien, Riverain and the rest of its original characters (c) Me/