Code Lyoko: The New Girl (BK 1)

Chapter 43

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Saphire spent the next three days alone.

To the best of her abilities.

She didn't have any mind-numbing classes to sit through the following two days since it was the weekend, and Monday had been some holiday Saphire hadn't bothered to think about, so she was left alone by Jim and the teachers.

Members of the group and some students kept getting in her way though. Both Jeremie and Aelita had taken turns knocking on Saphire's door in the morning and night of each day she spent out of their sight. Ulrich and Odd had yet to approach her, and Saphire knew Yumi wouldn't make a single attempt, but it still hurt to know she was only cared for by her sister and a Human who was only curious in her abilities and intelligence, and didn't want to lose out on any of it.

Her safe haven in the library had been taken from her. When Saphire tried to go in on Sunday morning to finally work on her science paper, she found the door being guarded by a puffy-faced Magali with a sneering girl next to her. Saphire recognized her as the girl who had helped Magali off the floor after Saphire had attacked her.

"You go in there, and you're not coming out in one piece." She snarled at Saphire. "And don't think we're scared of you. We have safety in numbers, so you better watch your back!" She was brave enough to lean her face in close to Saphire's, barking her words straight into Saphire's ear.

Magali tried to give her angry eyes too, but they filled up with tears pretty quickly when Saphire stared back, unflinchingly, never breaking eye contact.

"That's enough, Claire." She reached her hand over and grabbed the other girl's elbow, tugging her back. "Let's go."

"What, I'm not afraid of this-!" She broke off abruptly. Hot air flowed out her mouth instead of words. Both girls stood frozen, eyes locked with Saphire's.

Saphire had been waiting patiently for the girls to get on with their tirade and move out of her way. She realized with a jolt that her Other Side must have been controlling them now; fueled by their belittlement and threats, her Other Side had sprung to life, ready to mess with the pathetic little Humans' minds. She blinked quickly, fighting her mind for control. The girls, thankfully, were pulled out of their trance.

Claire's mouth opened and closed a few times, but still, no words came out. She seemed to have forgotten what she was going on about, but the angry look on her face remained. She looked between Saphire's wary, worn down face and Magali's still fearful expression, and grabbed her elbow before pushing the library doors open and huffing away inside. Saphire backed away and ran out of the area before anyone else could lock eyes with her and cause the Other Side to come out and latch onto them.

Saphire checked her eyes meticulously after that, looking into a small hand vision every few minutes, making sure the Other Side kept away. She scrubbed at her eyelids until they felt raw and red, burning at the outer edges and in her inner corneas. It didn't help. Saphire knew what made the Other Side come out: anger, instigation, cruelty. Saphire had dealt with it her whole life and before the Other Side joined her, she would just curl up into a ball and cry over how unfair everything was. The Other Side hated that. She wanted to curl up her fists and spill blood, not tears.

Avoiding people wasn't a perfect solution, though. Being alone, feeling sorry for herself, hating her life, it only angered her more. Sure, on Lyoko, it had taken Saphire a while to earn the respect she so rightfully deserved, but it never made her feel so broken down and unwanted, and her kind truly was unwanted on Lyoko.