Kadic Academy Kids

THE BIG GESTURE

(The photo I added above is one of T's outfits)

Odd Della Robbia Kadic Academy ninth-grade student

"You don't know how to ride a bike?" Yumi asked with a slight chuckle, I sat up straight, the corners of my mouth curling into a smile.
"Tovah, you can drive a car but yet you can't ride a bike?" I asked. "No! It's just never really come up okay?" She laughed putting her hands up.
"I don't think it's a skill you actually need, it's not like reading or anything. I mean, I can ride a skateboard and roller blades so why bother?" She asked.
"It's like a milestone," Jeremy shook his head. "I thought your dad got you a bike?" He asked. "He did and tried for five minutes to teach me and then got annoyed and donated it," she shrugged.
"You know, it's just like normal stuff every dad does," she explained as if we had all been through the same experience.
"No..." Yumi shook her head and leaned on Tovah's shoulder.
"Not really at all. My mom and dad taught me how to ride a bike when I was six, I remember I fell and scraped my knee and wanted to quit and they told me to just get back up and keep pedaling," she reminisced.
"Yeah, my dad taught me, it was the best day, we rode together to the ice cream shop in town afterward," Jeremy smiled.
"I know how to do it, I don't remember learning how but I just know," Aelita explained.
"Yeah, my dad taught me, so did all of my sisters, I got one of my sister's old bikes as a hand me down,"
"you really should learn," Ulrich shook his head, "it's an important skill to have. My nanny taught me when I was little," he laughed, we all looked at T who seemed to be getting increasingly frustrated with our stories about bike riding.
Tovah moved out from under Yumi's arm and crossed her arms looking at us.
"so what, I can't ride a bike! You guys have some big gaps too!" She pointed out, we looked at each other confused. "Like Jeremy, you can't throw," she started, "I asked you to throw me the keys to my dorm at the factory and you threw them one foot in front of you, into a grate! I had to get new ones! Did your father never play catch with you?" She waved her hands in the air and we all chuckled a bit at the story, but she wasn't done, not by a long shot.
"and Odd, when you don't know the words to a song you make them up! If you don't know them, just don't sing! I had potato cat omelet girl stuck in my head for a week!" She put her head in her hands, "what it was catchy!" I defended myself.
"yeah and my dad wasn't a catch pl-" she cut him off.
"Aelita, you think slapstick comedy is funny! This isn't the 1920s, why do you laugh at that? Even Odd doesn't laugh at that kind of humor," she explained, Aelita raised her hand weakly.
"It's just funny when the guy like steps on the rake..." I put Aelita's hand back down on her lap.
"not the time," I whispered.
"Ulrich, you don't knock! I have to be on high alert when taking a nap because you'll just burst in, why do you do that?" She groaned.
"I knock," he said looking around at us. "No," we all said at the same time.
"And you never finish books," she added. "And Yumi, you never return things you borrow," Yumi sat down on the bench.
"yeah, I still have your hairdryer," she smiled awkwardly.
Tovah turned on her heel and walked away, "oh and Jeremy, you always correct us! We call you Mr. Actually!" She smirked before stomping away. He slumped back in his seat.
"I'm thinking this is more than about not knowing how to ride a bike," Ulrich sighed. "I'll go talk to her.
"no let her calm down for a while, she's just going to tell you off more if you go bother her," Jeremy said standing up.
"Yeah, we shouldn't pick at her for a little bit,"

Lunchtime.

Aelita Stones Kadic Academy Ninth grade student

"Should we go and find her?" Ulrich asked as he tapped his spoon against his yogurt lid rhythmically.
"She's your girlfriend, why don't you go find her?" Yumi asked biting into her carrot.
"Was I supposed to?" He asked sitting his spoon down and raising an eyebrow, Yumi shook her head smiling at his question.
"Ulrich you never make any grand gestures, you should have gone after her and tried to cheer her up," she suggested. "But Jeremy said to leave her alone," he added.
"but, but, but," I added leaning my elbows on the table, "you know the reason you guys are so on and off is that you need to put in more effort, go find her and see what's wrong," I smiled, thinking of my imperfect relationship with Jeremy and how I had liked him and how now I didn't know where we stood.
Ulrich nodded with a big smile as if he had a grand idea.
"I think I know what I'm going to do, thanks guys, I'll text you guys later," he said turning towards the door and hurrying off. I waved as he left and looked up to see Jeremy and Odd walk in looking at Ulrich walk by with a bright smile, they sat down at our table, and Odd looked over at me as I sat in deep thought, "Princess, earth to Princess? What are you thinking about over there?" he asked waving his hands in my face to get my attention. I sat up to look at him and shook my head, "Oh, I'm just thinking of something Ulrich said," I got to my feet grabbing my tray and walking out of the cafeteria on a mission. "Bye..." Odd said meekly as I walked away quickly. I had to go do what I was afraid of.