8. Her first kiss is with Odd, but they don't count it.
"I have a plan," Odd says. "I need you for it to work."
She follows him into the elevator. She can feel her heart beat fast in her chest, like a mouse or a hummingbird. It's the first time, the first real time, she's being used as a distraction in the real world. Odd steps closer to her, his hand reaches out and catches hers. His fingers are warm, the fingertips rough with unexpected callouses.
"What's the plan?" she asks.
He's looking at her and there's something uncertain in his green eyes, hidden behind the usual amusement and bravado. His hand tightens on her as his other hand reaches up, brushes stray strands of hair from her sweat-dampened skin.
"Odd?"
"Don't hate me, okay, Princess?"
He leans in, presses his lips to hers. She's shocked. She raises a hand to press into his shoulder, to push him away, to pull back and ask him what he's thinking. Her mind is whirring and it takes her a moment to realize it isn't her thoughts she's hearing, isn't her pulse beating staccato in her ears, but the begrudging slide of old elevator doors.
She gasps, or the onlookers gasp, or maybe the air as the elevator car settles into place. Something gasps.
Odd's fingers are gentle on her cheek, his thumb rubs against the hand he's caught by their sides. Her fingers press into his shoulder, press and catch on the fabric of his shirt. She kisses back, soft and tentative and so blindingly, blisteringly confused about the whole thing.
Her thoughts are still racing, her pulse is still thrumming beneath her skin, her eyes closed and she doesn't know when they did that. Odd steps back, fingers sliding away from her skin until they're a respectable distance apart. He looks out the open elevator doors, across the empty factory floor.
"I think they bought it," he says, voice soft. He doesn't look at her. "We're good."
She isn't sure if he's talking about Herve and Nick or him and her. She reaches up while his back is turned, presses cold fingers to warm lips. The whole thing had taken a few seconds, maybe a minute. It feels like an eternity has slipped by.
"Odd," she says, voice soft. She twists her fingers into the hem of her sweater to keep from reaching out.
"We're good," he repeats. He tosses a careless smile over his shoulder at her as he punches the elevator buttons. "C'mon, let's go kick XANA's digital ass."
. . … . .
Kadic Couple Scandal?
By Milly Solovieff
They say love is in the air, and that certainly seems to be the case at Kadic Academy. While the school is always a hotbed of romantic tension, Kadic's favorite cousins, prankster Odd Della Robbia and new student Aelita Stones, seem to have become significantly closer in their time here. While this reporter has striven to remain objective and unbiased, the circumstances have definitely had a polarizing effect on Kadic's student body once the rumors started.
"It isn't a rumor," Herve Pichon reports. "Nick and I saw them with our own eyes."
Pichon is, of course, referring to the incident he and fellow classmate, Nicholas Poliakoff reportedly witnessed Tuesday evening. According to Pichon's account, the pair grew suspicious of Della Robbia and Stones sneaking away.
"We followed them to this creepy abandoned factory," Poliakoff explains. "I thought they would be planning a new prank. Seems the place you'd plan something like that."
Instead, the pair report they found the cousins engaged in a heated make-out session within the factory. "It was disgusting," Pichon states. "They're related!"
"I mean, Aelita's hot. I can get it. Not that I'd kiss my cousin. But Therese doesn't look like Aelita so," one unnamed source from the school relayed.
"Della Robbia's always been a freak, it'd figure his cousin would be too," Sissi Delmas said when questioned on the rumors.
When approached for comment, Stones denied the claims, saying she's never been to a factory. Della Robbia was laughing too hard to respond.
. . … . .
"He's not here."
Aelita looks up, not guiltily, at the voice. The hallway is mostly deserted, the student body either taking in the last good bit of sun outside or studying for their upcoming exams. Ulrich approaches from the stairs, hands stuffed into his pockets and face unreadable.
"Detention," he adds.
Aelita doesn't flush, but she feels heat at the tips of her ears. "I know," she says. "I wasn't…I was looking for you."
Ulrich's eyebrows raise as he unlocks the door and holds it open for her. She steps in, flicking on a light and hovering like those first days after her materialization. She isn't sure what's shifted, but something has.
"What's up?" he asks. He busies himself filling Kiwi's bowl with kibble. Aelita sits on Ulrich's bed.
"Can you teach me how to fight?"
Ulrich pauses, the silence heavy between them. Finally, he turns and looks at her. Kiwi sits at his feet, tongue lolling and tail thumping impatiently, but he ignores the little dog. He crosses his arms, studies her with a curious tilt to his head.
"Someone bothering you?"
She remains silent, unsure how to answer.
"Aelita," he says. He sets Kiwi's bowl on the ground, crosses the room slowly and sinks onto the bed next to her. "Have you mentioned it to Yumi? To Jer?"
"Jeremie…He's been weird."
"He's just confused." Ulrich pauses, scrubs a hand over the back of his neck. "We're all a little confused."
"It was just a prank," she says. "I didn't realize it'd change things."
Ulrich sighs, shakes his head. "After school tomorrow, meet me by the gym. We'll find somewhere to practice."
"Thank you."
Ulrich hums, bumps their shoulders together and Aelita relaxes into him.
. . … . . .
"You're avoiding me," she says.
Jeremie's shoulders tense, but he doesn't jump. She suspects he'd watched her approach on the cameras. He doesn't turn from the computer monitor, but his fingers stall on the keys. "I haven't," he says.
She scoffs, enters the supercomputer room and hovers near her usual spot. Jeremie's shoulders are still tight, still raised. His fingers rest on the keys, his eyes won't meet hers. "You're doing it right now," she murmurs. "Jeremie."
He sighs, sits back in the chair. He still doesn't look at her, only pulls his glasses off and rubs against his eyes. The motion is almost vicious, a hard press of his palms to his eyes as though trying to scrub something away.
"I'm not," he says, voice earnest if subdued.
She sinks into her usual seat, reaches out to place her palm against his shoulder. She feels him relax beneath her hand. "We kept the secret safe," she says.
"I know," he replies. He leans back, head against the chair and eyes gazing up at the shadowed rafters. "It was a stupid plan," he adds, voice brittle.
Aelita knows this, realizes this now. "We didn't have time to come up with a better one," she counters. "Herve and Nick…No one will believe them."
Jeremie does glance at her then, head lolling against the headrest. "And you?"
She frowns, confusion plain on her face. "Me?"
"You and Odd…are you two…?"
She laughs, loud and sudden in the quiet room. Jeremie raises one eyebrow at her. His face looks so young, she thinks, without his glasses. "No," she says. "Odd is my cousin."
Jeremie eyes her speculatively. There's a slight squint to his expression as he tries to keep her face in focus. "For now," he agrees.
The words send a shiver down her spine. Her hand tightens on his shoulder. "For always," she comments, voice firmer than she believes. "We're family."
Jeremie hums, turns back to the screen and reaches for his glasses. "I'm glad you're here," he says, shifting the conversation effortlessly away from the scandal spreading through Kadic's halls. "What do you think of this bit of coding here?"
Aelita lets her hand fall away, feeling oddly bereft. She leans forward, chin resting on her hand as she studies the code Jeremie points to. The rumors will fade, she knows that. She's been topside long enough to know that something new will take its place soon enough. She can't shake the image of Jeremie's tense shoulders from her mind.
. . … . .
She's sitting in the Commons, sandwiched between Yumi and Odd on worn-out bean bags and fingers wrapped around a cooling cup of hot chocolate. Half the school is piled into the makeshift common area, playing games or chatting near overtaxed radiators, anything to stay out of the cold winter air. Jeremie's at a robotics meeting and Ulrich's stuck braving the frosty air at practice.
"Don't you two look cozy?" Sissi coos. Aelita feels Odd stiffen next to her, body bristling like Kiwi's does when he spies a squirrel or stray cat. It draws Aelita's attention more than Sissi's words.
"Freaks," Herve pretend-coughs. He exchanges a grin with Nicholas.
"What?" Aelita questions, brows drawn together.
"Sissi, do us all a favor and get lost," Yumi comments, voice wry.
Sissi's eyes flash and she sets her magazine aside. Aelita can feel the air change, can feel the shift as their classmates' eyes are drawn to their corner. "Was I addressing you, Ishiyama?"
Odd leans forward, all easy lines and loose hands. It's a pose Aelita recognizes from Lyoko, from right before he fights with one of XANA's monsters. His smile is razor sharp and it looks foreign on his face, sends a shiver down Aelita's spine.
"Feeling a bit frosty, Ice Queen?" he asks. "I'm sure Herve wouldn't mind cuddling up to you to keep you warm."
The other boy's face turns scarlet. Sissi barely spares him a glance, eyes sliding from Odd to Aelita and back. "Drop dead, Della Robbia," she says, voice sweet as cough syrup.
"You first," Odd counters.
Aelita rolls her eyes, fingers tight on her forgotten cup. "Odd," she warns, voice low.
"Better listen to Princess," Herve mocks, voice nasty.
Yumi lunges across Aelita, knocking the hand holding the cup, as she grabs Odd by the back of the shirt. Odd's glare could cut stone, could probably take out a megatank as efficiently as one of his laser arrows. Aelita yelps as warm hot chocolate spills over her tights and pools in the back of her boots. Herve flings himself back, knocking into Nick and the two boys fall to the ground in a tangle of limbs and chair legs.
"Come on," Yumi states, voice steady. She hauls Odd to his feet, fingers twisted into his shirt. Her other hand grabs Aelita by her wrist. "Let's wait for the boys somewhere more civilized."
Aelita can feel the eyes following them as Yumi marches them out of the Commons, her boots squelching loudly in her burning ears. Odd complains, loudly, the entire way back to the dorms.
. . … . .
Beaumont catches her after lunch. She'd had to run back to the dorms to get a notebook she'd forgotten and hadn't been paying attention to where she was going. She throws the door open, ready to fly down the front steps, and instead runs face-first into Beaumont.
"What's the rush?" he questions, taking a step back. His hands come up, grip her shoulders as though to steady her.
"Sorry, don't want to be late for Hertz."
Beaumont doesn't release her. His grip tightens slightly, then falls away. His hands trail over her bare arms. They leave goosebumps in the warmth of the sun. "Wouldn't want that, would we?"
"Excuse me."
"Hey, come on, we've got loads of time. Why not talk for a bit?"
"I'm going to be late."
"Hertz won't care. I hear she adores you."
Aelita frowns at him. "What do you want to talk about?"
Beaumont offers her an easy smile. It'd be perfect, she thinks, aside from the slight chip in one of his bottom teeth. For some reason it's the chip that makes her smile in return. "How 'bout I walk you to class?" he asks.
"Won't you be late?"
"It'll be worth it."
Aelita doesn't believe him, not fully, but she doesn't protest when he falls into step with her either. "So," she says, "what did you want to talk about?"
"How do you feel about movies?"
She turns her face up to him, eyebrows raised. "In a general sense or a commentary on societal issues?"
His laugh is warm honey. It makes goosebumps prickle on her arms despite the warm sunshine. "General sense, definitely."
She lifts an arm in a shrug. "They're fun," she replies.
"I bet you're a Disney girl, huh?"
"Sci-fi, actually."
"Really? Well, aren't you full of surprises, Miss Stones."
She's about to respond when she hears her name. She looks up as Ulrich materializes at her side, arm thrown over her shoulders. "Hey, Ai," he says, pulling her down the hallway. "Jer was wondering where you'd disappeared to."
He leads her up the stairs, talking about the test he hasn't studied for. Aelita glances back, sees Beaumont staring after them with a deep crease between his forehead and his mouth set in a thin line. His face smooths when he catches her eye, mouth widening into that easy smile again.
. . … . .
"Who was your first kiss?" Aelita asks, voice curious.
Yumi hums, reaches for a handful of popcorn. "His name was Kaito. It was back in Japan."
Aelita glances at her in surprise. Yumi doesn't often talk about her time in Japan and Aelita has never pressed. "And, did your foot pop?" she asks, gesturing to the film on the screen.
Yumi laughs, shoulders shaking. "I think first kisses are a bit too hyped up," she says. She falls back into the sofa cushions and half-turns to face Aelita. "Movies and TV, they make it out to be this magical, transcendent, foot-popping event…the reality is usually spit-slick lips and sweaty palms." Yumi offers her a wry smile and Aelita can't help but return it.
"Guess that isn't as fun to show on screen."
"Probably not. Also, usually some kind of processed food breath."
Aelita's grin slips free and she laughs.
"It really was terrible," Yumi comments, voice serious, later when the credits roll. "But it felt magical at the time. It was the first, but it's got to be better with practice."
Aelita snorts. "By that logic, Odd must be an expert."
Yumi levels a contemplative look at her. "Maybe," she agrees.
. . … . .
"Have to admit, I thought it was Della Robbia you had something going on with, but looks like I was wrong."
Aelita looks up from where she's waiting for Ulrich outside the locker rooms. "What?"
Beaumont smiles, all sharp teeth and flat eyes. She can feel him assessing her and the goosebumps raise on her arms. "Should've known Sissi's goons were idiots."
Aelita crosses her arms, frowning. "I'm not following."
Beaumont steps closer, leans in until she's pressed against the sun-warmed wall of the gymnasium. "You know, if you're looking for a good time, I bet I'm more fun than Stern."
"Ulrich is my friend."
"Sure," he agrees, smile easy and sharp. "But if you're looking for a good dose of vitamin D, I can help you with that."
Aelita's eyebrows knit together. "What?" she repeats.
Beaumont doesn't get a chance to respond. Suddenly he's being wrenched back and she can see Ulrich, face thunderous, pulling him away. Beaumont stumbles, feet sliding on the polished wood floors. "Leave her alone," Ulrich states.
"Oh, come on, Stern. I'm sure we can share, aren't we teammates?"
The fight is quick and dirty. Aelita watches as Ulrich slams his fist into Beaumont's face, blood coating his hand and spraying from the crunch of broken cartilage. Beaumont hollers, shoving Ulrich back into the gym wall. Aelita ducks out of the way, screams at them to stop, and dances away from flailing limbs and sickening thuds.
Jim is the one who appears and separates the two boys. One hand grips tightly to each boy's arm and he glowers darkly at both of them, chest heaving. "Enough!" he roars. "You can explain to the headmaster."
. . … . .
"You know what I don't get, Nick?" Herve asks, loud enough to be overheard by the surrounding tables. Aelita keeps her head down, but she sees the way Yumi and Odd lift their heads. She waits for Madame Martin to come shush them.
"What?" Nick asks. It's clear by his tone that he isn't particularly interested.
"Why Princess? I have plenty of cousins and I've never called them Princess."
"Probably because they won't associate with you," Odd chirps pleasantly.
"Or maybe because I'm not screwing-"
"Dude!" Aelita looks up to see the group of students on the other side of Herve's table have been listening as well. Emily and Ethan and Will sit together, history textbooks piled up across the table. Ethan is staring at Herve, disgust on his face. "Dude," he says again, "what the hell is wrong with you?"
"I know what I saw!"
"You have issues," Yumi says, voice toneless.
"Worse than Della Robbia," Emily adds. Will snorts, but Aelita can feel him watching them with too-calculating eyes.
"Whatever," Herve mutters darkly, head bending back to the book in front of him.
"Y'know," Nick comments a few minutes later, once the silence has descended again, "my sister always calls me pumpkin-head, maybe it's like that?"
. . … . .
The rumors about her and Odd fade.
They're replaced with a report on Ulrich and Beaumont's fight. With a piece on Emily Leduc dumping an entire bowl of punch on a boy's head at an art show. With news of Lea and Theo being caught by Jim in a surprise room inspection. With commentary on Odd's latest round of pranks. With bets on Ulrich-and-Yumi or Yumi-and-Will or Ulrich-and-Emily…
Aelita skims each report as they come out. She cuts a few, saves them in a notebook to look back on and laugh at later.
She doesn't mind being old news.
. . … . .
"Aelita," Claire says. There's a sharp glint in her eyes as she leans forward on the beanbag chair.
Aelita shifts on her own, fingers wrapped around a cup of hot chocolate. "Truth," she says, not liking the look in Claire's eye.
Claire exchanges a look with Michelle, seated to her right. Her smile looks wicked in the fluorescent lighting of the Commons. "Who was your first kiss?"
"How primary school can you get, Claire, really?" Odd drawls. He's sprawled out on the floor next to her, but there's that tension she's always associated with fights on Lyoko.
Claire's smile widens. "Oh, c'mon. Your group's always seemed…tight."
Aelita rolls her eyes, feels her face flush. She plucks at a stray thread. "I haven't had one," she says, voice steady.
Michelle snorts. "Really?"
"Really," she agrees, shrugging.
. . … . .
"Do you ever think about…?"
"No," Odd says, voice quick and succinct.
They're sprawled on her bed, Odd's hands steady as he paints her fingernails a garish orange. Aelita runs the fingers of her other hand over Florian's fake fur and stares at Odd's bowed head. He doesn't look up at her, doesn't falter.
"You don't even know what I was going to say."
"I can guess."
Aelita's frown deepens. "Really, so if I was to say, do you ever think about releasing slugs in Sissi's room?"
"That would be animal cruelty. Not even a slug deserves to face Sissi."
Aelita rolls her eyes and Odd sits back, capping the bottle of polish carefully. "You're my cousin," he says, voice firm. "I don't think about it."
"But you knew what I was referring to regardless."
Odd sighs, runs a hand through his hair. It barely moves from all the gel he's plastered on it. "Yeah," he says. When he looks up, his eyes are haunted. "It was a stupid idea, Princess. Everyone else has forgotten it."
She catches her bottom lip between her teeth. "And if I wasn't your cousin?"
"It would still be a stupid idea."
Aelita weighs his words, weighs the rumors and the comments and her own thoughts. She taps the fingers of her left hand against Florian's forehead. Odd lifts her right hand, lightly blows across the orange paint coating her fingernails.
"It was my first kiss," she admits, finally. She doesn't know what possesses her to say it. She watches Odd flinch. "It wasn't bad, all things considered."
"It wasn't your first kiss. You said so yourself."
"Odd-"
"It wasn't." He looks up, her right hand still held lightly in his grasp. His eyes are more earnest than she remembers ever seeing them. "It was a ploy, a trick, a distraction. A first kiss isn't any of those things, Aelita. It's nerves and excitement and liking someone. It was a kiss, but it wasn't a first kiss."
"Semantics," she counters.
"Truth," he replies. He releases her hand. "Trust me, I've had a lot of first kisses."
She hums, weighs his words. "Yumi did say there should've been more bad breath."
Odd snorts, bites his lip to keep from smiling, and finally gives into a fit of laughter. "Sorry to disappoint."