Code Lyoko: The New Girl (BK 1)

Chapter 29

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After asking another stray body in the hallway — a kind Human girl — about the whereabouts of Hervé Pichon, Saphire found herself redirected to the Science department.

Jean, the librarian, had been kind enough to help Saphire "borrow" the yearbook and take it with her on her mission. As Jean went through the steps of scanning the barcode sticker on the back of the book, explaining the process the entire time, not because Saphire had asked, but because she was excited enough to do it on her own, Saphire thought of what to gift Jean. It was probably a weird thing to bring up to her considering they just had their first conversation since Saphire started at Kadic a few days ago.

Back on Lyoko, gifting friends and loved ones was a common practice. Whenever she made a new friend or helper, Saphire would seek out their interests or passions and then find them a trinket or resource they required but hadn't asked for. Even if it was an uncommon or strange practice on Earth, Jean deserved something for her unconditional kindness.

Saphire stood outside the door to the Science department for a few seconds before going in. Her mind was preoccupied with the image in the book. She found herself opening it back up to the image, taking her time to get to the designated page. She peered down at the picture of her long-lost father. It was strange seeing him this way. She paged to the students' section, finding him under "S".

His smiling face was haunting. He had no scruffy beard, his hair was nicely trimmed and pushed back off his face. Looking at him, no could ever imagine that in a few years, he'd be furrier, meaner, madder. It was weird to think it knowing what she did about him, but he looked almost handsome. It made sense what her mother might have seen in him: strong jawline, striking blue eyes, a charming smile. And his achievements, he had so many. Science fair prizes — medals, trophies — high grades, he made the honor's list every year, he was voted most likely to succeed.

Saphire never got to know this young, seventeen-year-old Waldo Schaeffer who had so much going for him and had so much to look forward to.

Instead, she received the overlooked, overwhelmed failure that hated life, hated Earth, hated her.

Saphire closed the book before her brain could take her down a rather blurry and cluttered memory lane. She placed her hand on the doorknob and pushed the door in. It made a loud creaking noise that echoed through the room and caught the eyes of the three students; all male, all sporting thin spectacles and collared shirts in plain colors.

Hervé narrowed his eyes when he spotted her but Saphire pretended she hadn't noticed him.

Let him come to you. She decided.

Jeremie had mentioned the Science department to her before. It was a place for all Science majors or researchers to come in and use the resources, books, computers, and old papers. Like the library was for Saphire, the Science department was Jeremie's safe haven.

Hopefully, he wouldn't be around to catch her snooping through. Though she knew he had a class on the other side of Kadic. Saphire remembered his and the rest of the groups' schedules from when they helped created her own schedule. Saphire's memory never ceased to amaze her. On one hand, she could remember little inconspicuous details of things she learned or was told to memorize; on the other, if you asked her a question about her past, her childhood, or to recall an important memory, the best she could give you were spotty, probably inaccurate pieces of a puzzle that made no sense to her.

Saphire knew she wasn't blending in at all as she walked past the faces of the dazed Human boys and over to a shelf lined with thick brown books. Saphire had spent most of her life being gawked at, whispered about; none of it really bothered her anymore.