It's been what? Forever since I've updated? Yea, School and activities and such are keeping me busy, but I haven't forgotten this story!
XxX
"What now?" Odd asked, leaning against the wall of the hallway, once they had dumped their bags they had gone out to get some groceries and find a place to eat dinner, being early summer the light was fading slowly.
"It's still kinda light out." Yumi offered, glancing out the nearby window at the darkening sky and orange wisps of clouds.
"Why don't we go outside and do something?" Aelita suggested, "We've been inside all day."
"Okay!" Odd agreed enthusiastically, bouncing down the stairs toward the front door.
"Let's go." Ulrich nodded, taking up the rear as the trio followed their overly energetic friend.
They found Odd halfway up a nearby tree.
"Why not hide and seek?" He asked, dropping his body to swing from a low branch.
"Isn't that a game for little kids?" Ulrich asked.
"Sounds perfect." Yumi stated.
"Oh shut up Yumi." Ulrich retorted.
Odd dropped down to the ground, landing in a neat crouch, "I say we play anyway, it's fun right?"
"Yea." Aelita agreed.
"Okay." Ulrich sighed, "Outside, inside, or both?"
"Outside." Yumi said decisively, "Annie, Izzy, and Alice will be going to bed soon and we don't want to keep them up."
"Okay." Aelita agreed, "Who's going to look first?"
The four teens exchanged glances.
"Not it!" Odd screamed.
"Not it!" Aelita chorused.
"Not it!" Yumi added, catching on.
"You people are so mature." Ulrich sighed, leaning against the tree, "I'm counting to twenty-five. One, two, three…"
Odd grinned and scurried away. Yumi took off towards where the cars were parked. Aelita hurried away into the trees that thickened into a forest.
"Four, five, six…"
Odd looked out over the lake, nothing that would hide him, except for the dock, which would only protect him if he hid in the lake itself.
"Seven, eight, nine…"
Yumi grunted as she lowered herself to the ground, carefully inspecting the heights of the vehicles.
"Ten, eleven, twelve…"
Aelita found a tree that looked easy enough to climb not too far into the forest. Grabbing the lowest branch she hoisted herself up.
"Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen…"
Finding no better hiding spot Odd pulled his shirt over his head, kicking off his shoes, stuffing them under a thick bush. He hoped the water wasn't too cold.
"Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen…"
Yumi dragged herself under the car she had determined had the most space between the machinery and the ground. Her shirt collected loose dust, as did her hair, but she could shower after the game, it was outdoors and a little dirt wasn't going to hurt anyone.
"Nineteen, twenty, twenty-one…"
Aelita had found a crook in the tree that provided the perfect seat for her. Now all she had to do was wait.
"Twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four…"
Odd, having left his clothing beneath the bush, was now about waist-deep in chilly lake water. Taking a breath he dunked his head under the water and swam for the dock.
"Twenty-five! Ready or not, here I come!" Ulrich yelled into the air around him. He glanced around a few times before deciding to look in the forested area first, what better place to hide then behind a tree?
Odd came up beneath the dock. It was slimy with algae and seaweed, but it was the perfect hiding spot. He stayed near the edge, not daring to venture too far under the wooden structure for fear of the unknown that dwelled further into the shadows.
Aelita's breath slowed as she saw Ulrich walking nearby, she leaned back against the tree trunk hoping that he wouldn't notice her. No such luck.
"Hi Aelita." Ulrich grinned, looking up at her from the base of the tree she occupied.
"Hi Ulrich." She replied.
"Didn't think I'd notice the big pink growth in the tree?" He asked raising an eyebrow as she clambered to the ground.
"I can dream." She replied.
"Why don't we try looking somewhere else?" Ulrich suggested, "Trees get boring."
"Ok then." Aelita nodded.
The pair walked out of the forest, scanning the lake quickly, but not expecting anything they walked over to better hiding places nearer the lake house. They stood behind the rows of cars, thinking where to look first.
"If you were hiding here, where would you hide?" Ulrich asked.
"Umm… Somewhere unexpected." Aelita replied, "Not in a bush or behind a tree."
"Hmmm…" Ulrich mused, dropping down so that he rested on his toes and hands, like he was doing a push-up. He peered under the cars.
Yumi saw this and grinned, though remained silent.
"Hi Yumi." Ulrich smiled, standing up he walked over to help her get to her feet as she hauled herself from under the parked vehicle.
"Where's Odd?" She asked.
"I don't know." Aelita said, "Knowing him it's some genius place that we'll never find."
"Where would nobody look?" Yumi asked, brushing dirt from her shirt.
The trio thought silently for a moment, before looking at each other in sudden realization.
"The lake." They said in unison, taking off towards the lake. The only logical place to hide in the lake was the dock; there were no other good hiding places.
"Aren't the poles normally stationary?" Ulrich murmured.
"Yes." Aelita replied.
"Normally not so blonde either." Yumi added.
"Odd!" Ulrich shouted out, hurrying down the dock with Yumi and Aelita close behind, "I found you!"
"I was wondering how long it would take you." Odd replied, "It's cold in here."
"You can come out now buddy." Ulrich said, leaning down and offering his hand.
"Could, uh, somebody get my clothes for me first?" Odd asked uncertainly, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink though the water and seaweed hid most of his body from view.
"Uh…" Yumi stuttered, "Where are they?"
"In the bush over there." Odd replied.
"Aelita, you go." Yumi said.
"Why?" Aelita whined.
"He's you're boyfriend." Yumi stated, "I don't want to go finding his clothes, and you're better at it than I am."
"Nuh-uh!" Aelita retorted, before the full meaning of Yumi's sentence sank in, "Um, I mean, well, not that I've had to, you know, because…" She backpedaled.
"Don't worry Princess," Ulrich reassured the pink haired girl, "Yumi can't find her clothes if she doesn't put them there."
"Right, I'll just go get Odd's clothes then." Aelita said, pink faced she scurried off to retrieve said clothing.
"I don't even want to know how you know that Ulrich." Odd stated.
"I don't want to know how little you are wearing." Yumi stated.
"Well, what do you think I'm wearing?" Odd asked.
"Well, my guess would be that you're in you're birthday suit." Ulrich stated.
"Yea, I'm trying not to think about it." Yumi said.
"You're trying not to think about me naked but you have no problem filling my head with thoughts of you and Ulrich hunting for clothing?" Odd gaped.
"Odd! I don't know why you would think about that." Yumi huffed.
"You think about me naked!" Odd retorted, just as Aelita came back with his clothing.
"Well, it's good to know people think about Odd naked." She stated.
"It's not just you Aelita, we all get those mental images from time to time." Ulrich said.
"You know what?" Yumi said, "I think I'm going to go and have a shower, I'll see you guys later."
"Lita, there's a towel in the trunk of my dad's car, it should be open, can you go grab it please?" Ulrich asked.
"Sure." She nodded, hurrying off down the dock.
Odd smiled, "Great hiding spot huh?"
"Sure." Ulrich said, "Next time, let's try something with clothes on eh?"
"Yes sir." Odd said, "It may be less cold that way."
"Maybe." Ulrich agreed.
The two stayed in silence for a few moments before Aelita came back, bearing a forest green towel. Ulrich hoisted Odd onto the dock where he was promptly presented with said towel.
"No more hide and seek." Ulrich stated.
"Sounds good." Aelita said.
"Not for today anyway." Odd agreed, now fully clothed he wrapped the towel around his shoulders for warmth.
"Let's go inside so Odd can warm up a bit, it's getting late anyway." Aelita suggested.
"Sounds like a good idea." Ulrich said, "Let's go."
XxX
Thanks to Kiwi for beta reading this for me!