Episode 2: "Special Delivery"

Aelita sat quietly at the gang's usual table in the lunchroom. It was early for anyone to be there breakfast just started. Aelita was unable to sleep last night, nightmares dominating her mind. She hadn't had nightmares since the Warriors "killed" X.A.N.A. the first time, but now she was beginning to have them again. It had been a week since the specter attacked and X.A.N.A. has been quiet since, but Aelita was constantly thinking of her father. 'If X.A.N.A. survived, is it possible that my father survived too?' She thought many nights in between nightmares.

The silence was broken as Odd and Ulrich walked into the lunchroom, Odd yelling something about how he was starving and needed food now.

"Oh, Rosa," Odd said with a most charming smile, "shall I compare the to a flower bearing a similar name? You are more beautiful and and radiant than the sun, a true..."

"Please just give him extra food so he'll shut up."

"Thank you, Odd." Rosa said, dumping a double helping of hash browns on his plate, her cheeks flushed as she did so.

"Odd, what wouldn't you do for food?" Ulrich asked, already knowing the answer.

"I would do anything for food Ulrich."

"Like go out with Sissi?" Ulrich said, laughing hysterically,

"Some things are forbidden in all circumstances, and that's one of them." Odd said, joining in the laughter.

"Hello Ulrich dear," Sissi said in what Ulrich thought was the most annoying voice imaginable, "maybe you would like to sit with me today?"

"Sorry Sissi, but Odd and I have a lot to discuss, don't we Odd?"

"You're on your own here buddy." Odd said with a snicker.

"Come on Ulrich, let's go eat." Sissi violently grabbed Ulrich by the arm and dragged him off to a table in the back of the quickly filling cafeteria.

"What happened there?" Aelita asked Odd as he sat down across from her.

"Oh, nothing. Just a predator finally having caught it's pray." Aelita laughed for a second, taken aback by Odd's excellently placed joke.

"Where's Jeremy?" Aelita asked, wanting to talk to him about her nightmares and concerns about her father.

"He's back in his room working on his computer. He's back in his 'must kill X.A.N.A.' mode. I don't think he slept last night."

'That makes two of us' Aelita thought. "Thanks Odd, I think I'll go check up on him before classes start."

Aelita left Odd to devour his food alone and walked out the door. As she made her way to the boys dormitory she continued to think about her father.

—

*knock* *knock*

"Jeremy, you in there?"

"Come in." Jeremy answered. You could feel the tiredness in his voice.

Aelita walked into his room and closed the door behind her. Jeremy's face was illuminated by the bright monitor in front of him.

"Hey Aelita, what's up." Jeremy said this without even diverting his eyes from the screen.

"How's work going?"

"I just don't understand. X.A.N.A. was gone, without a trace for months, then all of a sudden he comes back. I just don't get it." The way Jeremy said this made Aelita think Jeremy was disappointed in himself, which honestly he was. It was his program that he used to kill X.A.N.A., and it didn't work. This mentally was a major blow to Jeremy, but he wouldn't let it show. He was good at keeping his feelings bottled up like that.

"Just relax Jeremy, we have dealt with X.A.N.A. before, we can fight again. Just take a break, maybe we can go see a movie after school. Does that sound good?"

"Yeah, it sounds great Aelita." Jeremy said, finally turning to face her with a smile. They both looked at each other for a few seconds before he turned to his computer monitor. "I think class is about to start, we should get going."

As Jeremy began to stand up out of his chair, Aelita moved in and kissed him on the cheek saying, "Relax Jeremy, we will get through this." With that, she walked out of the room and off to class.

Jeremy was left alone in his room, his body felt like jello from the kiss. After about 30 seconds of just standing there in romantic shock he too went off to class.

—

"Hey Ulrich," Odd spoke to Ulrich across their lab table in Ms. Hertz room, "what's the answer to question 5?"

"Be quiet Odd, Ms. Hertz will hear you." Ulrich replied.

"Come on man, I need some help. I have no idea what cell mitosis is or what that green stuff in called."

"Odd, is there something you would like to share with the class?" Ms. Hertz said, directing her gaze upon Odd as though her eyes were daggers piercing through him. He looked the part as well, showing surprise at having her call him out on his conversation.

"No Ma'am." Odd replied reluctantly, like a dog who had betrayed his/her master.

"Well, I do. It's your grade, Mr. Della Robbia. Any idea what it it?"

"A 100%?" Odd knew the correct answer, but at this point wanted to make something funny if not desperate out of this.

"If only you were that lucky Odd. For talking during one of my tests you will get a heaping plate of zeros, with a side order of detention." The class burst out laughing as Odd slouched in his chair.

"Everyone settle down and finish your tests." The class quickly regained it's previous composure and resumed taking their tests.

"Mr. Della Robbia, please hand me your test. For the rest of class you can copy definitions from the textbook. I want at least thirty words by the end of the period." Odd reluctantly got up, this took a tad bit of strength as he had fallen deep into his chair while Ms. Hertz was speaking, and handed her his test. Ulrich's expression upon Odd's return was a sympathetic one, not the 'I'm so sorry for you' type of sympathy, but the kind sympathy where you tell a friend they messed up and help them get back on their feet.

Over the next hour Odd copied everything from acid to asexual reproduction. He hoped that by working so diligently over the last hour and getting 37 words defined, 7 more than were asked of him at minimum, hoping he would catch a break on getting detention.

*Ring* *Ring*

As the bell rang signaling the end of this class period, the last of the day, all the students got up out of their seats, most going out in the hall discussing what they were going to do tonight, it being Saturday, while a small group stayed behind to discuss a few questions about the test with Ms. Hertz.

Odd moved swiftly to her desk, trying to be the first person to approach her.

"I finished the definitions Ms. Hertz, I know you told me to only do 30, but I decided to do just a few more." Odd could have easily fooled anyone who didn't know him well that he was a diligent worker who loved to please people, but Ms. Hertz had known Odd for what felt like too long to her, allowing her along with most of the other teachers to see past his phony personality.

"Thank you Odd, and for all the extra work you put in, I think you deserve this." She said smiling, handing Odd a small slip of paper.

Odd looked down at the paper which read: "Detention Slip. Student: ODD DELLA ROBBIA
Teacher: SUZANNE HERTZ
Time: 4:30 P.M. - 6:30 P.M."

"Aww man..." Odd left the room, turning back only to look at the clock hanging along the back wall. It read '3:45 P.M.'. He again groaned in dissatisfaction with his current situation.

"First a zero then I have to miss lunch, this is outrageous." Odd persisted to himself as he walked down the stairs and out of the Science Building.

Wow guys, a total of over 200 views in 4 days! You guys are amazing, so I made this chapter just a bit longer as a gift for your efforts. Please review about anything you liked it didn't like so far.