Sleepover

Yumi: Well, now it's your turn, Kadic boys: what new do you have?
Ulrich: It seems we're going back to class on Monday.
Yumi: Aww.
Jeremie: It's about time, isn't it?
Odd: I can't be mad to be back to school. I've never even been to a single class, so I don't know what to expect.
Ulrich: I assure you that next time we go back to class, your grief's gonna echo on Kadic's hallways.
Yumi: I wanna see your face when you remember Mrs Hertz' classes.
Jeremie: C'mon, let's not exaggerate! It's not that awful, is it?
Aelita: Not even I remember school with such high expectations. Except for math class, maybe.
Yumi: Hey, what about Sissi? Have you had any problems with her these days?
Ulrich: Nothing for now; just today she intercepted us before we went out of Kadic.
Odd: That's right. She approached without henchmen and didn't cause much trouble.
Jeremie: Curious. What did she want?
Ulrich: She wanted to know where we were going.
Yumi: And did you tell her?
Ulrich: Yeah… We didn't give you your address, though.
Yumi: It's okay. Maybe she got tired of giving us a headache.
Ulrich: I hope you're right.
Yumi: Anyway, we have a whole night ahead of us. What do you wanna start with?
Odd: Ooh, how about a game of Truth or Dare?

A generalized "Uhh…" is heard within the living room. The rest look at each other.

Odd: Not big fans of Truth or Dare, I see…
Jeremie: I guess it's just not my type of game.
Ulrich: The fact we don't play it is part of the reason I hang out with you guys.
Odd: (laughs) Ha ha ha! Well, in any case, it might be too early for something like that, right?
Jeremie: Yeah, a couple of years too early.
Ulrich: Do you have any videogames?
Yumi: Only a small console, but it's not multiplayer. Besides, Aelita wouldn't be able to play.
Jeremie: Maybe we can enable it to Aelita, but doing so would make the console vulnerable to a XANA infection.
Yumi: What we do have is: Some jigsaw puzzles, a couple of board games, a Go board, a Dungeons and Dragons set (though I have no idea how to play), and some videotapes with movies and series.
Jeremie: That Go board sounds good. Anyone for a Go championship?
Odd: Hmm, now I'm suspecting that it's one of those highy intellectual games where Jeremie and Aelita would win every time.
Ulrich: Yumi, what games do you have on the console you mentioned?
Yumi: Hmm, there's Meteorites, Legend of the Stone Hero, Tetris…
Ulrich: I have an idea: if Aelita doesn't mind not participating in a Meteorites score draft, we could have both that and a Go tournament.
Aelita: I'm in, but only if you let me watch the Meteorites games while I'm not playing Go.
Yumi: That sounds good enough! Let's do that then.

Transition montage. Two of the kids play Go, while the rest take turns to play in the console. At a moment, Yumi's mom arrives with a bowl of Senbei. Aelita teaches Odd how to play Go when it's their match's turn, and Yumi teaches Ulrich when it's their turn. In exchange, Odd and Ulrich teach Jeremie and Yumi to play Meteorites, also explaining Aelita how it works. Aelita's opponent in Go moves her pieces according to her instructions. They decide that the Meteorites tournament will end when the last Go match ends. The scores of the former increase rapidly as the turns follow one after another. Ulrich and Odd are obliterated in Go, although the former wins against the latter. As the afternoon passes, it becomes more and more evident than these two will be the champions in Meteorites.

Final statistics (as recorded by Jeremie):

Go placements:

Aelita: 4 victories

Jeremie: 3 victories

Yumi: 2 victories

Ulrich: 1 victory

Odd: 0 victories

Meteorites placements:

Odd: 15,403 points

Ulrich: 15,285 points

Yumi: 11,713 points

Jeremie: 10,940 points

Jeremie: Those are the final results.
Ulrich: Damn, I was close.
Odd: Better luck next time, buddy!
Yumi: Hey, our placement order in both games are inverted from each other! Without considering Aelita, of course.
Aelita: (defiant) You'd better, because I assure you I'd put up a fight in Meteorites I'd been able.
Odd: Oh, so that's how it is! Jeremie, materialize her soon so she can give credit to her words!
Jeremie: That's a good motivation, don't you think, Aelita?
Aelita: (giggles) It is, indeed.
Yumi: Well, guys, what do you wanna do now?

Just now, the sun starts dancing between the city buildings.

Odd: I think the time for the movie has come, hasn't it?
Ulrich: Good idea. What does the rest think?
Jeremie: All good for me. Girls?
Aelita: Fine with me.
Yumi: Agreed. Although, I think it we should order a pizza before settling ourselves. We're all out of senbei.
Ulrich: Odd ate most of them.
Odd: Maybe, but I don't feel full yet. Besides, I'd never say no to a pizza.
Jeremie: It's a good idea, count me in.
Ulrich: Go ahead.

Another montage. Yumi calls from the living room's telephone, while Jeremie sets up the audiovisual implements. They decide to watch the series Odin's Space Raiders. They watch the first two chapters before the pizza arrives. They watch two more afterwards; the last one finishes accompanied by Odd's snoring.

Once the chapter finishes, Yumi goes out of the room and comes back with some pillows. She throws one of them at Odd, who wakes up startled. Yumi throws another one at Jeremie, whose glasses almost fall off. Both boys throw the pillows back at Yumi, who then hits Ulrich with one of them. Chaos unfolds after this and a proper pillow fight starts among the kids.

Aelita watches from her screen, laughing from time to time. Then, she sighs and stands up from her seat, and heads to the cabin in Lyoko.

CONSOLE
IN: ctime 1
OUT: Changing illumination to night state.

Lyoko darkens notoriously, simulating a night environment. A starred sky that's evidently painted raises instead of the bluish sunny sky that usually lights over Lyoko.

Jeremie suddenly remembers Aelita and goes back to his computer. Odd forfeits the fight pleading that he wants to sleep.

Jeremie: Aelita! Are you okay?
Aelita: Yeah, Jeremie, I'm okay.

Yumi and Ulrich keep hitting each other with pillows. Odd takes out his sleeping implements from his backpack and settles at a corner of the room. Jeremie disconnects the speakers and instead connects a pair of headphones that then puts on his ears.

Jeremie: Are you sure you're okay?
Aelita: (looks away for a second) I mean… I'm really happy that I could participate in this occasion. It's been really fun so far and it's gone marvelously. It's just…
Jeremie: What?
Aelita: Well, I can't be there with you, and that makes me sad. It's great to be able to share with you given my current condition… but it still isn't the same as being there present in the flesh.
Jeremie: (comprehensive) Oh, I get it. I'm really sorry, Aelita.
Aelita: No no, please! On the contrary, I'm extremely thankful that you guys have given me the chance to join. It was something I needed, honestly.
Jeremie: (giggles somewhat) Okay, okay.

Jeremie looks away from the laptop. His eyes become moistened. He looks at Odd, snoring again in the corner; he looks at Yumi and Ulrich, now tired, laughing as they try to land their last hits on each other.

Jeremie: Aelita, would you like some company?
Aelita: How so? I'm already in company.
Jeremie: I have this crazy idea of going to the factory right now.
Aelita: What? No, no, Jeremie, it's not necessary. Enjoy with the rest.
Jeremie: I'm perfectly in the mood to go there; besides, it looks like this is ending, actually.
Aelita: …But isn't it dangerous to go out on the street at night?
Jeremie: Not in this town, no. It's pretty safe.

Aelita thinks for a while. Jeremie gets hit by an unexpected pillow. At the other side of the room, Yumi and Ulrich look at him and grin.

Aelita: Okay, come if you want.
Jeremie: Okay, I'm going. Hey, guys!

Yumi and Ulrich look at him once more.

Jeremie: I'll shut down my laptop. Say goodbye to Aelita.
Yumi: Bye, Aelita! I hope you can share with us in person next time.

Ulrich only waves his hand. Aelita mumbles something, but only Jeremie can hear it.

Jeremie: She says thank you for everything and that she had a great time.
Yumi: I'm glad! Rest well, Aelita!

Aelita waves one last time and Jeremie closes his laptop. Then, he unplugs all the cables.

Jeremie: Guys, I won't be staying here tonight.
Yumi: What? Why?
Jeremie: I spoke to Aelita… and she still feels alone, despite all of this. I want to go to the factory to keep her company for a while.
Yumi: Oh! Okay… Does she know?
Jeremie: Yeah.
Yumi: Okay then, I'll open the door for you.
Jeremie: Thanks, Yumi. By the way, if you could go to the factory tomorrow, it'd be great.
Yumi: For sure! I had the get-together I always wanted at my place; tomorrow will be the moment of accompanying someone who needs it.
Ulrich: Not bad, Jeremie: from being unable to trust her to go join her on your own will.
Jeremie: (chortles) I guess things change, don't they?

Yumi and Ulrich follow Jeremie as he puts on his shoes and heads to the exit. He takes his scooter, which lies next to the front door's stairs, and leaves. Yumi closes the door and the two kids go to the living room once again.

- END OF CHAPTER 20 -

Author's note: There are a few references in this one. The most obvious ones are Dungeons and Dragons, Tetris, and Asteroids. There's also a hint to the series Oban Star Racers. The pillow fight is also a reference to one of the images that appear during Garage Kids' credits.