A Desperate Life
Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko.
Chapter 6: A New Life
It was 9 pm at the Hopper's residence and Jeremie was up. He sat at the edge of the guest bed, his new bed and dangled his swinging feet.
Everything was strange. New house. New home.
Home. Never thought I'd have that. Not after the place I once called home betrayed me, Jeremie thought.
He always felt so stupid now. How could he have believed that sleeping with older men was okay? Touching and allowing himself to be touched by them was normal to him then. Even though he was told that it was fine for years, he felt so dumb now that he believed any of it.
"Odd and Ulrich were lucky in a way," Jeremie whispered.
It's just so lonely here, Jeremie thought.
Jeremie missed Odd and Ulrich. He missed them both very much.
It's just not the same, Jeremie thought.
"Why am I so lonely?" Jeremie asked in a cracked voice.
Tears were now flowing down his face.
"The itsy bitsy spider went up the water…" Jeremie started to sing.
As he sang he had memories of the whorehouse, which he knew as a wonderful home, and Mercy Adoption before he found out the truth. His memories swirled around an Asian boy, his closest friend there. Patrick was a year younger than him and Jeremie had first met Patrick when he was five. Patrick was short for his age and even when Jeremie ran off with Ulrich and Odd, Patrick didn't look a day over nine-years old. Jeremie remembered playing with him. Building Blocks, hide and seek, racing. Singing. Reading. Jeremie loved to read. Sometime Patrick joined him. Jeremie remembered lots of things he did with Patrick. Including the times he kissed him.
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Meanwhile at the Ishiyama residence Yumi smiled nervously at her dad who came to check on her for the fifth time in fifteen minutes.
What does he want? Yumi wondered.
A few minutes later her father came in and turned on the light.
"I know you're not sleeping," Mr. Ishiyama snapped, "get up," he ordered.
Yumi knew she was busted. She just wished she knew for what.
Yumi sat up and quietly awaited her lecture and punishment.
"How come you and Hiroki are so quiet and obedient tonight?" Mr. Ishiyama demanded.
Yumi's eyes widened incredulously.
"This is what you've ordered me to get up about?" Yumi asked incredulously.
"Yes!" Mr. Ishiyama shouted, "I want to know what's going on right now!"
Yumi gulped. Her father was really upset.
"Um," Yumi said as she thought about it, "Mr. Cone left the house," she revealed.
"Yes he left early and Mr. H…" Mr. Ishiyama started to say.
"No he didn't," Yumi interrupted him, "Aelita called him," she revealed.
Mr. Ishiyama's face turned redder than the devil.
"WHAT!" Mr. Ishiyama roared.
"I lied for him to keep him out of trouble," Yumi lied, "I'm very sorry Dad."
Mr. Ishiyama was fuming.
"You're grounded!" Mr. Ishiyama shouted and stormed out.
Yumi fell back on her bed. Her heart beating hard.
"Whoosh," Yumi breathed in relief.
At least I'm just grounded. If my father knew the truth…I'd live to see my next birthday ONLY if I were really lucky, Yumi thought.
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Aelita lay in bed thinking at the place she loved pretty much all her life with her father. It was three, then two, then three again. Three once as in her mom, her dad, then her. Two as in just her and her dad after her mother died. Now it was three again. Three under the same roof. Except this time the third person was a stranger to their house and a boy her own age.
She never had a sibling before. Never thought she would after her mom died. Now she had one who'd take the Hopper's name in a week if her father could wiz through the red tape, the paper work and the authorities like he usually could.
The great Franz Hopper. The inventing revolutionary of France. A great man who France loved. A great man who couldn't make a move without calculating if it be attacked or loved. A great man whose daughter saw the aches brought on by his double bladed fame. A daughter named Aelita Hopper who got extra money doing not only doing little jobs but accepting small bribes in order to earn extra money to give her father so he could spend some actual money undetected. His accounts were watched random audits made. Taxes followed up upon. Demands made on his works by simple people and the government. The great Franz Hopper who was France's brightest star and biggest fear. The irony brought on by the love and fear of his genius was remarkable.
"I wonder how Jeremie feels in a new house?" Aelita wondered, "he seemed to be from indifferent and rude to happy and excited at Yumi's house."
What emotions will my house bring out of him? Aelita wondered.
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It was midnight at the Della Robia mansion where Odd was sleeping in bed next to Frederick Douglas, his cousin.
Frederick was up and looking at his sleeping cousin.
Odd didn't want to sleep alone. He refused to do so no matter which room Frederick showed him. The more luxurious it was the less it seemed that to Odd it mattered. Sleeping alone seemed to scare Odd and Frederick noticed.
By the time Frederick decided to let Odd sleep with him, it was past 10 o' clock.
A grateful Odd now slept soundly.
But tumultuous thoughts kept Frederick up. How was he going to deal with Odd's over attachment to physical company? Especially his company. He had to leave the house at some point. He worked!
"I just hope I can help you out," Frederick whispered to himself, "or God help me," he added.
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Meanwhile at the hotel where the Stern family stayed, everyone was up.
Everyone except Mr. French who was asleep in his own room on a different floor.
"So they raped you in this place?" Mr. Stern asked slowly.
"Yes," Ulrich responded, "you already said you were suspicious after the photo sent to the Della Robia family about Odd also had a letter mentioning that his captors had 'fun' with him sexually," he said.
"But I hoped you didn't go through the same thing," Mr. Stern said, "bastards!" he shouted angrily.
"Dad we're at a hotel," Ulrich said immediately.
"I don't give…" Mr. Stern started but stopped.
"David!" Mrs. Ophelia Stern cried incredulously.
"Sorry," Mr. Stern apologized, "just, how come you went a year on the outside without calling me?" he asked.
"There were too many risks," Ulrich told him for the billionth time.
"But with Mr. Hopper they disappeared?" Mr. Hopper demanded.
"Mr. Hopper made me believe that it was safe enough for me to contact you with him there," Ulrich told him, "if it weren't for him I'd still be roaming the streets with Odd and Jeremie."
"Streets," Mr. Stern said, "I have wonderful homes and you had to roam the streets," he said and it was obvious that he was angry.
"I'm sorry Dad," Ulrich said, "if I could've…" he tried to explain.
"I'm not mad at you!" Mr. Stern exploded frightening Ulrich, "I mean, I just don't understand someone so fortunate so meant for a good life," he said, "could be sucked up into the sex trade."
"I was just among the unlucky Dad," Ulrich said simply.
"How can you be so calm?" Mr. Stern asked incredulously.
"I usually get mad," Ulrich admitted, "almost every customer who came in had to take me by force," he said and Mrs. Ophelia Stern gasped in horror, "I had my life ruined, my childhood stolen by those worthless shitheads for the face that kids like me can make them a large amount of money," he said angrily, "I didn't want to be raped," he said in a teary voice that was cracking, "I just wanted to get home faster," he said and broke down in tears.
"Ulrich," Mr. Stern said softly and Ulrich quickly turned and grabbed unto him, "my poor dear Ulrich," he said and stroked his son's hair, "it's all right, it's all right," he comforted his son as he rocked him back and fort, "Shhhh."
Ulrich hugged him even tighter.
"What happened wasn't your fault okay," Mr. Stern said as he racked Ulrich gently, "you have to believe that," he told Ulrich.
"I'm so very sorry," Ulrich said.
Ulrich eventually calmed down and Mr. Stern only had to gently stoke Ulrich's hair. Ulrich now lay against father's side and Mr. Stern stroked Ulrich's hair with one hand and gently rubbed Ulrich's shoulder with the other.
"It's okay," Mr. Stern told Ulrich, "everything will be okay now," he told Ulrich.
"Once when I kept saying no, they took me to a room with a candle and…" Ulrich started to say.
"They burned you?" Mrs. Ophelia Stern interrupted incredulously, "where!"
Ulrich gulped. He had slightly forgotten that she was there.
"Below my right thigh," Ulrich told her.
"Oh my God," Mrs. Ophelia Stern distraught and started crying, "how could they do this to a little boy?" she asked really upset.
"Ophelia," Mr. Stern said unable to say anything else.
Ophelia moved closer and hugged Ulrich tightly.
"I'm so sorry they hurt you," Mrs. Ophelia Stern tearfully, "you're a wonderful child," she said, "no one like you, no little child, no teen, no adult deserves such awful treatment," she said emotionally.
"You're very emphatic," Ulrich observed.
Mrs. Ophelia Stern froze.
"Um, I learned that word from Jeremie," Ulrich said quickly after noticing the silence.
"No one's ever said that after first meeting me," Mrs. Ophelia Stern said in awe, "how did you know?" she asked.
Ulrich was now blushing heavily.
"I… I guessed?" Ulrich said unsure.
"No," Mrs. Ophelia Stern said and shook her head, "you felt something," she stated, "something that told you I took your feelings of pain and anguish very deeply," she said.
Ulrich started to feel worried. He didn't understand anything she was saying.
"Ophelia has an innate feeling of pain and remorse over things of this world," Mr. Stern said further confusing Ulrich, "she's very emotional and cries when she sees homeless kids commercials," he added quickly.
Ulrich understood that.
"It's not that simple David," Mrs. Ophelia Stern said in an annoyed tone.
"He understands that better," Mr. Stern said slowly with a shrug.
Mrs. Ophelia Stern let loose a huge sigh.
"I'm so sorry about what's happened to you," Mrs. Ophelia Stern said to Ulrich and stroked his hair.
"Thank you," Ulrich said and leaned in closely against her.
"We'll ensure no one harms you again Ulrich," Mr. Stern declared, "you're safe now," he told Ulrich.
Ulrich looked at his father and smiled.
I wish I could believe that Dad, Ulrich thought, I really wish I could believe that.
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Unfortunately I wasn't able to have access to Internet for a while so I wasn't able to update from last week (lack of money made me internet less from January 24th 2007). I'm updating with chapter now and hopefully I'll complete ch7 by next week (it's kinda long). Thank you for reviewing and welcome new reviewers.