A week later Lily was dragging Yumi to the mall.

"We'll have fun!" Lily gushed. "I never had an all girl mall trip before! Theo never trusted me to spend money wisely so he always came. Can you believe that? Me spending my money not wisely? What is he talking about? Ooh! Look a bobble head of a sun! I have to have it! Wait here, Yumi, no wait, come on!" Yumi rolled her eyes at Lily's craziness as she was pulled into a store and had to wait while Lily bought a sun bobble head. Who makes this stuff anyway? Yumi wondered with a sigh. Oh well, her money, Theo can come along next time. "You're right, Theo's probably coming along next time." Lily said sheepishly, easily reading Yumi's mind.

"Didn't your mom ever come along on your shopping trips?" Yumi asked as the duo left the bobble head store.

"Not really. Mom really took after her heritage, she loved making things and didn't see why we should buy something when she could make it. A little simplistic in her ways, but I loved her. I miss her." Lily sobered and stared at her shoes. Yumi regretted the question, and reached out to touch the other girl's shoulders.

"Sorry Lil." Yumi spoke gently, waiting for the black cloud of despair to roll away.

"Yeah. Well, come on! I'm going to change your look completely!" Lily declared, dragging Yumi toward a brightly lit store with bright colors everywhere. Looking over her shoulder, Yumi watched her usual clothing store, Gothics, get smaller and smaller as she was jerked into whatever store Lily was exclaiming about. "Arepostles!" Lily explained as she noticed her partner in shopping looking about confused. "We can't change your look completely, gotta have something of you left over, jeans, definitely jeans. But that shirt..." Lily mused, circling Yumi as she glanced over her newest model. Shaking her head with an unreadable expression, Lily dove through a stack of shirts. "Black just won't work. Black hair, pink shirt? Yellow? Ripped jeans or faded jeans?" After digging a few more minutes Lily brought up faded blue jeans and a yellow shirt with pink hearts.

"Uh..." Yumi gaped, taking in the outfit before her.

"Try this on!" Lily commanded, pushing Yumi toward a dressing room.

"What?" Yumi asked blankly.

"Try it on!" Lily gushed, looking oh so happy. "Yellow works great with black hair." Lily insisted, pushing Yumi into the changing room. "Trust me, I know."

An hour later the duo stepped outside the mall clutching shopping bags from a trillion different stores, or so it seemed to Yumi.

"Was that so bad?" Lily asked smiling.

"Not so bad." Yumi allowed, smiling back. Again, Yumi wondered how she had become friends with the sunshiney girl.

"Lily Blast!" A voice called behind us, and turning Yumi saw a kid from Starts approaching them quickly. Quick wasn't the word to describe Starts fastest track member, Mike Cooper, maybe animated, alert, purposeful, spirited, or zealous, but quick wasn't the word to describe the runner. His brown hair looked even shorter than normal, his brown eyes were narrowed, and a firm frown graced his features. Even wearing a Gap hoodie and faded blue jeans, he was still one of the hottest boys at Starts College Prep School. Yumi still didn't get why her mother had made her swap schools, but what was done had been done.

"What do you want, Mike?" Yumi demanded, knowing from reputation the guy was a hot head, bully, and did whatever it took to get what he wanted.

"Do I know you?" Lily asked confused.

"Mike Cooper." He said simply. "You went to Mountain League Elite High School, right?"

"Yep, MLEHS. Last year we were the cross country and track champs in all of Europe. Pretty high honor." Lily replied with a humble grin. "What about it?"

"You were the runner that stopped us from going to Nationals." Mike said frankly. "You beat me at the 400 meter dash and broke almost every record there in no time at all, so what's a champion like you doing at boring old Starts Prep?"

"Mike, I do not need to tell you my personal life, now do I? I suggest you shut up, or I might just tell your little secret. I'm sure Yumi would be happy to know how you beat her at the 500 meter dash last year." Lily said simply, her black eyes narrowing and glittering dangerously. Suddenly the clear blue sky was covered in dark, black clouds. A slight electric charge pulsed through the air, and a huge lightning bolt zipped down towards them, missing the teens by mere inches. "No." Yumi heard Lily whisper, and just as suddenly as the event occurred the sky was clearing and only a broken statue was left to tell of the incident.

"Freaky." Mike whispered, shaking off the almost accident. "Anyway, if you're going to be at our school, you better join the track team. First time in 20 years Starts didn't win the championship, all because of a girl." Still speaking, Mike walked away, shooting a wary glance at the broken statue that had been standing a few moments ago.

"What secret do you have on him?" Yumi asked curiously.

"Oh, he was taking steroids last year to break some record. Caught him in the act last year and now I'm using it as ammo against him." Lily replied mischievously.

"I will never figure you out Lily Blast." Yumi responded rolling her eyes.

"No one ever does." Lily replied, flashing a secretive smile.

"Yumi!" A familiar voice called behind them. Yumi was sure she'd seen an annoyed look pass over Lily's features before the cheerful mask was back in place smiling. Brushing it off as her imagination, Yumi turned towards the pink haired girl coming their way.

"Aelita!" Yumi exclaimed, giving her old friend a hug. "It's so good to she you!"

"I'm guessing you know each other?" Lily laughed. "Hi, I'm Lily, and you're Aelita right?"

"Yep." Aelita replied happily. "Aelita Stones. Yumi and I used to go to the same school."

"Stones?" Lily asked. Something seemed to pass through her head for a second. "You look more like a Hopper than a Stones." Immediately, Aelita froze upon hearing her old name.

"No, Aelita Stones." She murmured, emphasizing the last name. Yumi's friend had been a Stone's for a while now.

"Aelita!" Another familiar voice called out, and Yumi's old friends came into view. "Yumi!" Jeremy exclaimed. "It's been ages since we saw you!"

"And who's the pretty girl with you?" Odd asked, stepping towards Lily.

"The pretty girl can speak for herself." Lily replied sweetly. "Lily Blast, I just transferred to Yumi's school. You?"

"I'm Odd."

"Funny name, cat-boy." Lily replied, taking a step backwards.

"What?" Odd whispered, scrambling for something to say. Something was different about Lily. Yumi thought. Something was definitely up.

"Nothing." Lily murmured as Ulrich walked towards the group.

"Hey Ulrich." Yumi grinned, giving him a quick kiss.

"Hey Yumi!" Ulrich exclaimed in surprise. "I haven't seen you in awhile, where've you been?"

"Starts is a little more strict than Kadic was, and Starts gives a ton of homework. I never find a chance to get away! And my parents are giving me a curfew now too..."

"Tough luck. Who's the girl?" Ulrich asked after noticing Lily.

"Why does everyone ask that?" Lily asked exasperated.

"Ulrich!" Yumi reproached, whacking him in the arm.

"Sorry! Sorry! I'm Ulrich, and who are you?" Ulrich asked immediately, rubbing his sore arm. Yumi sure could hit. Ulrich grumbled.

"I'm Lily Blast, nice to meet you." She replied, shaking his hand with a smile.

"You took Yumi shopping" Aelita asked after noticing all the bags. "How'd you get Yumi anywhere besides Gothics?" Mentioning Yumi's all time favorite store, she looked back longingly towards the mall and sighed. Oh well.

"Started at the other end and avoided the place like the plague." Lily laughed. "Yumi, I gotta go. My brother's here to pick me up for practice." Lily spoke, pointing at a black car to the side of them with her head.

"What kind of practice?" Odd asked curious.

"I've got 4 hours of Tae Kwon Do, Juditzu, Karate, and Tai Chi to get through." Lily replied collecting all her bags. "See you later, Yumi. Nice meeting you guys!" She called walking away.

"Wait!" Ulrich called out. "What belt are you?"

"3rd degree black in all of them!" Lily shouted, stuffing bags in the trunk of Theo's car. "Bye!" She called as she hopped in and the Blast twins drove away.

"I don't like her." Odd said the minute she was gone.

"Me too." Aelita seconded.

"She definitely knows something." Jeremy agreed quietly.

"What do you mean?" Ulrich asked, going to sit on a bench and pull Yumi into his lap.

"She knew my last name. She called me a Hopper." Aelita murmured.

"She called me 'cat-boy'. Like when we were back on Lyoko." The group fell silent, each remembering their time as Lyoko warriors.

"Does she know about Lyoko, Yumi?" Ulrich asked calmly.

"I don't think so, guys. She just transferred to Starts College Prep School, so I really doubt it."

"Just in case, watch her Yumi." Jeremy said, and then the gang headed their separate ways.

~(0)~

Yumi watched Lily for the next month, but her friend never revealed knowing anything about the animated world of Lyoko. In that same time, Lily almost always kept Yumi from meeting her old friends, but since Yumi had no way of connecting the two, she guessed it was just pure coincidence. In that month, Lily became Yumi's best friend, and Yumi Lily's best friend as well. And also, in that month Lily was more of a friend to Yumi than any of her old friends had ever been.

Including Ulrich.