Code Lyoko: The New Girl (BK 1)

Chapter 32

Thank you for reading and voting!

It was hard for Saphire to concentrate in her History class. She found herself tapping her fingers on her desk and glancing at the clock on the wall every two minutes. Usually, she enjoyed learning about what life in France was like ages before she was born, but now that she had learned details about her own history, Saphire's brain couldn't hold onto any of the lessons on imperial kings or battles to free the land.

While Mr. Fumet droned on, Saphire concocted a battle plan of her own. She jotted down ideas, crossed out ones that would take too long or cause too much trouble. She created a backup plan, then three more. It wasn't the getting off campus part that worried her, it was how she was going to make it past Aelita and the rest of the group undetected that made things difficult.

She gritted her teeth, wishing the group would have just complied with her wish and joined her. It wasn't like she had asked to go by herself so she could party it up and lose all her inhibitions; she wanted it to be a group hangout so they could all relax and get to know each other better. Outside of being Lyoko Warriors, Saphire had no idea what the rest of the group was like and thanks to their heavy class schedule, there wasn't much time to get to know them. Even more so since Saphire preferred the quiet library over the packed and frenzied cafeteria.

By the time the bell rang, Saphire had a concrete plan down. The first step would be dodging Jeremie, who was already making his way over to her, weaving in between tables and bodies rushing to get out of class and on with their day.

"Hey, Saphire." Mathias cut in front of Jeremie on his way out the door. "you going to Theo's party? I'm heading there now to help set up, we can walk over together if you want."

Saphire was stuck on how to answer him. She looked from Mathias' kind face to Jeremie, who stood silently behind him. How easy it would have been to say yes, and go with him, she just had to open her mouth and say the word. But she couldn't. Because she wasn't allowed to. Because she wasn't normal, and could never be so.

Back on Lyoko, there hadn't been a single soul who was able to tell Saphire what to do. She was her own person - despite not being one of them - and she did as she pleased when she pleased. But things were different on Earth. She would have to abide by the rules of those who believed to know better than her.

Saphire swallowed back her growing anger and focused her eyes on Mathias.

"No. I am not feeling too well. I will be heading back to my dorm for an early bedtime."

"Oh, bummer." Mathias frowned. "It's all cool, Theo's has these parties all the time. Next time, huh?" He shot a friendly smile at her and headed off. "Hey, feel better soon! I'll have a drink in your name." He added from the doorway, raising his arm in mock cheers.

Saphire tried to hide the sorrow so clearly etched on her face from Jeremie. She took her time gathering her things into her bag.

"Hey there," He greeted her softly.

"Hi, Jeremie." She smiled.

"How, uh, how's your day been?"

Saphire stilled slightly as she recalled how most of her day was spent learning things about her life ("There is nothing normal about you"; "Hopper has no children"; "really thought escaping to Switzerland would keep enemies off his back") - things that broke her already broken heart.

"Not bad." She answered, wrapping her bag strap around her shoulder. The familiar feel of the yearbook pressing against her thigh no longer felt as comforting as it had before. 

It wasn't a direct lie. Compared to most of the other tragedies she had faced in her life both on Lyoko and Earth, these recent discoveries really weren't as bad.