Code Lyoko: The New Girl (BK 1)

Chapter 58

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"And, I just want you to know," Claire smiled and placed a hand on Saphire's. Saphire frowned and looked down at it, wishing she would remove it. "both Magali and I are so happy for you and Odd."

Saphire wanted to laugh.

Seeing the look on her face, Claire nodded and backtracked. "I mean, of course, Magali was a little upset at first, all things considered. But both of us have taken the time to really look deep inside our hearts and think about how wrong we were and how childish our behaviors were, all for some guy who," Claire's smile stretched even wider. "we can clearly see only has eyes for you."

Saphire fought off the urge to scoff. She didn't want to accidentally reveal the truth about Odd and where his eyes really wanted to be: on free food.

"Right. Sure." Saphire responded, feeling as skeptical as she sounded.

"You look...gorgeous, by the way." Claire was definitely forcing the words out, nearly gagging on the compliments. "Odd sure is lucky." She finally moved her hand away to pull out her phone and check the time.

"Definitely lucky to have escaped the grips of someone who never deserved him."

The words were out of Saphire's mouth before she even had time to process them. She watched the fake smile slide off of Claire's face and wondered what her reaction would be.

"Of course." Claire's voice was hard. "Magali realizes that now."

The air was tense between them. Saphire broke her gaze from Claire to look around. The halls were relatively empty; most of the girls were just returning from their last classes of the day and heading back to their dorms to freshen up before dinner. Some of the girls looked over at Saphire, giving her a look up and down, before turning back to their friends to whisper. Saphire wondered if she could ever be in a position where she wasn't always gossiped about.

If Claire was hoping to spoil Saphire's already souring mood before her date with Odd, she wasn't going to allow her that satisfaction.

"If that's all..." Saphire started to step backward.

Claire gave her a weird smile. She raised two fingers and waved them in the air. "Toodle-loo. Have all the fun. Do tell us all about it after."

Saphire waited until she had turned around to make the weirded-out face that was growing by the second as Claire tried to convince Saphire she truly was pleased with Odd's new choice. Moving towards her door, she felt her heart drop and her blood turn icy cold when she found the door ajar and through the cracks, she could see a dark blob leaning over her bed. She didn't need to see her own reflection to know that her eyes had glazed over, the ocean blue losing its bright hue, going completely gray. She could tell from the grip on the doorknob and from the dark edge in her voice that the Other Side was here, and she was ready to exact all the anger and humiliation she had faced at the hands of the gossipy girls, Sissi, Magali, and Claire all on the latest victim.

Saphire slid into the room coolly and closed the door behind her. The sound of the lock clicking in place made the figure in her room jump.

"Hello, Yumi." Saphire greeted, advancing towards her. "Let's have a talk. Shall we?"

Yumi's face was in shock, her mouth forming a surprised 'O' at having been caught. She looked between the burnt book on the bed and Saphire's blazing eyes. Yumi stepped backward and fell onto the bed, sitting next to the splayed-out pages she had obviously intended to photograph with the cell phone she kept clutched tightly in her hand. Saphire never broke eye contact, no longer feeling scared or worried about Yumi revealing her secrets to the rest of the group, because now...now it wasn't Saphire present in the room. It was a fearless, manipulative, and much more powerful version, and she knew just how to keep Yumi shushed up for good.