Code Lyoko: The New Girl (BK 1)

Chapter 54

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Yumi rapped her knuckles gently on the door to Saphire, and now Aelita's, new dorm. She could hear thumps and grunts through the door, indicating someone was inside, and despite receiving no "come on in" or "hold on a minute", Yumi turned the knob and walked in on her own. Inside, with two hands behind and under her, Saphire hovered mid-air, elbows bent and quivering slightly, face reddened, and drenched with sweat. She relaxed onto the palms of her hands and got to her feet. 

Thin wisps of hair were slipping out of her ponytail, the dark tendrils sticking to her neck and collarbone with sweat. Yumi hadn't ever seen Saphire with her hair up; she looked younger with her hair pushed back and her cheeks blooming with heat.

"Greetings, Yumi." She bowed her head, exhaling sharply.

"Yeah. Hi."

Saphire pulled her hair out, letting it cascade down her back, and stretched her arms in front of her, hiding herself away from Yumi's penetrating gaze.

Yumi looked away as Saphire toweled off her sweaty face and began massaging the back of her neck and her shoulders. Yumi couldn't help looking around the state of the dorm. Aelita's side was impeccably clean and neat, whereas Saphire's was covered with torn pages tacked and taped to her walls, books sat piled high in nearly every available space, and next to them were rows of coffee cups, seemingly empty ones that still emitted a rich smell, signifying they were bought and finished quite recently. There was also the fetid smell of...dirt lingering from Saphire's side. It was strange because on the outside, she seemed so put-together even if she had moments here and there where she slipped up emotion-wise.

"So is this how you're preparing for your date with Odd?" Yumi joked, smirking at the thought of someone as uptight and alien as Saphire going on an actual date with someone as flirtatious and immature as Odd. Neither of them were each other's type. Yumi frowned, realizing she didn't actually know what Saphire's type would be. She had already declared early on she had no interest in "Human bodies", her wacko way of stating she wasn't attracted to anyone at Kadic, or Earth, for that matter.

"No," Saphire moved her hair to one side so she could wipe the back of her neck. "Sissi will be helping me prepare for my date with Odd."

Yumi almost burst out laughing.

"Really?" Yumi asked, voice full of mirth. "You're going to her for help?"

Saphire faced Yumi head-on, dropping her arm from her face. Yumi could automatically tell she had struck a minor nerve with her tone and choice of words.

"She has been on plenty of dates. Enough to know the proper attire and etiquette required. She is also free of judgment, unlike yourself. Remind me...how many dates have you been on, Yumi?" Saphire countered.

"Not enough, thanks to X.A.N.A." She remarked bitterly, turning her face away from Saphire's angry eyes.

"Hmm. I wonder whether the blame is solely reserved for X.A.N.A., or if part of it should fall on you as well." Saphire added flippantly, turning around to drape the towel around the back of the door.

"Hold on! What's that supposed to mean?" Yumi glared at Saphire's turned back, cheeks flushing with anger.

A small corner of Saphire's mouth was upturned when she looked back at Yumi.

"Perhaps if you were seen as less intimidating, you would be approached with more proposals."

Yumi sputtered, trying to come up with a sensible argument. She didn't need other proposals; she had...