(Hi, a note from the Author, I have decided that I'm going to make Tovah and gang ninth graders, so they are freshmen from here on out. So Yumi and William are tenth graders. But I'm lazy so I'm not going to go back and change all of the POV things, but it's not a new year. I just want them to be a tad older. )
Tovah Pressman Kadic Academy: Ninth Grade Student
I was able to put pressure on my ankle, with the assistance of crutches of course. I hadn't truly had a "normal" day at Kadic Academy since I'd gotten here, there had been monsters, kissing, XANA, and fractured ankles. I was looking forward to just going to all of my classes without my phone buzzing. I was making a reputation for myself without even knowing it yet. The boys and some girls thought I was a bit...how you say, "flirty," I think I'm just friendly. But if I'm going to survive I need to make more friends than just Yumi, Ulrich, Odd, Aelita, and Jeremy, you can't survive on bread alone. So I was going to branch out and talk to more people. Well, besides Nicholas, my science partner. Starting with a dark-haired boy, seemed easy enough, it practically fell into my lap. I dropped one of my books on the way to class when he came and picked it up for me, "here, I guess crutches and textbooks don't match," he laughed slipping it into my backpack.
"No, not really," I smiled.
"You're kinda new aren't you?"
"I guess, I mean how long will I be new?"
"Three months?"
"Is that a fact?" I giggled.
"More an estimated guess,"
"I'm Tovah."
"I'm William,"
"Nice to meet you, what grade are you?"
"Sophomore, you?"
"Freshman," I nodded, he seemed very confident. "So why do you say three months? Were you the new kid?" I asked as we walked down the hall.
"Yes, and I guess my 'newness' has rubbed off after three months," he smiled.
"Where are you from?"
"I was living in Africa with my parents, but the school I was going to closed down. Which is fine with me, you know, an all-girls school," I shrugged. "But originally, France,"
"Oh nice," he smiled. "What class are you off to?"
"Music, but I guess it's not all that bad, I like my art classes and well, everything that isn't math really," I looked over at him and then saw Yumi walking towards us.
"Hi, Yumi!" I said as she stopped looking at both of us.
"I see you met William. I hope he hasn't tried anything," she giggled.
"No! I've been nothing but a gentleman! I swear!" He crossed his heart.
"Very," I agreed. "Well I have to get to class," I said. "See you two around, I suppose,"
One friend down, hopefully, I can score another. Meanwhile, Ulrich and Odd aren't speaking on account of me. But maybe since it's my first day back in the classroom, they'll be polite.
Aelita Stones Kadic Academy: Ninth Grade Student
"You two are seriously giving me a headache!" Jeremy sighed before taking a bite of croissant. "Can't you two just go five minutes without arguing!"
"Yes, seriously, you two are supposed to be best friends so just kiss and make up," I stirred my tea and looked at Odd, "you both messed up, so neither of you are right anyway. She's not into you Odd and she's not into Ulrich either," I shrugged. "So please, she's coming back to class today, so be civil..." I stood up grabbing my bag and started off to music class, not my favorite as it usually was a little boring, but rather boring than tedious.
I sat next to Tovah and was very glad to see her back in class.
"How's your ankle?"
"Such a mama bird," she patted my hand. "It's fine, I'll tell you if I need to go to the infirmary," she nodded.
"Faking for attention I see!" Sissi said knocking T's crutches over. Tovah just rolled her eyes and ignored her, leaning her head on the desk.
"Maybe that's why I saw William fawning over her earlier, tossing her books on the ground. A real drama queen if you ask me." She said leaning over to Herb and Nicholas.
"Sissi. Shut up, you sound dumber than usual," I said crossing my arms in defense of my friend.
She sunk into her seat, looking embarrassed. Class droned on and then free period came. Sweet freedom.
Odd Della Robbia Kadic Academy: Ninth Grade Student
I shot out of my seat and followed behind Tovah after the bell.
"Hey, Spacegirl, where are you off to?" I asked. "I can carry your bag if you want to." I offered, but she pulled away.
"No thanks. Odd why don't you go make a pact with Ulrich, you're pretty good at that," she said starting to walk away.
"Hey." I said walking after her, "I just did it cause Ulrich liked you too. Plus, you kissed him! So I should be mad at you,"
"You should be mad at me?"
"Hypothetically..."
"It was a life or death situation! I like...I mean liked someone else, but I'm taking a break from dating at the moment," she started "I hope we can be friends, good friends, that's all,"
"You're using my words against me!"
"You left me in the woods!"
"I was upset!"
"Well Ulrich saved me, maybe I should ask him to the dance,"
"It's a boys choice dance, that's breaking the rules,"
"I'm a modern-day woman the rules don't apply!"
"This is why Jeremy said you're red Zone!"
"Red Zone? What does that mean?"
"Like off-limits. Like we aren't allowed to touch,"
"Hmm." She thought for a moment. "Now I really want to disobey Jeremy. It's my favorite past time." She said biting her lip.
"What? I thought you were mad at me,"
"I am. But I'm still mad at Jeremy. Meet me in the shed after class," she said, "and don't tell anyone, it's a secret!" She whispered.
Naturally, I had to tell someone.
Bzzz bzzz
"Hello?" Aelita whispered as she answered the phone in the library
"Who is it?" Jeremy asked
"Odd, I'm gonna go answer this. I'll be back," she went outside the library to see me. "Odd!" She gasped. "What do you need?"
"Tovah wants to meet me in a shed after class."
"Okay? And the bad news, I thought you liked her?"
"What if everyone finds out? She told me not to tell,"
"Why are you telling me?"
"You're not everyone, will you meet me in the courtyard?" I asked.
I nudged her as we sat back, she flipped through a journal in her lap and I looked down into it, "what're you writing? A book?" She shook her head smiling, "No, not a book, what would I even write about? My year on earth?" I shrugged and looked down at my watch. "Well, it could be anything! Who knows," I paused and then looked at the library door, "So what is she like, you know, as a roommate?" I asked. Aelita tilted her head and closed her journal turning to look at me, "I mean, she's quiet, quieter than she is during the day, but I think that's just been both of us lately. Between all the attacks and her ankle. but anyway, are you going to ask her the dance?" Aelita looked back at the library, she shivered as the cold autumn breeze brushed against her skin "Cold, princess?" I smiled, "A little," I thought about her question and tapped my chin. "Well, what if she actually likes Ulrich?" I asked. "Well, you'll never know if she likes you unless you ask, chicken. Come on, the class is about to start. So much for studying."
We both headed off to physics and I stared at the back of Tovahs head the entire class, it's exhausting, you know, puppy love. The way her dark brown hair fell to her lower back, her pale skin, her lips coated with lipgloss always, her freckles, it was even cute her nerdy glasses. After class Tovah turned and winked at me before getting up and walking towards the shed. I waited for a minute or two and started after her, but as I was walking I was stopped by Ulrich. "Hey, I was wondering if we could talk about the other day," I stopped in my tracks and looked at Ulrich, then the shed, "I guess, I mean it's not like I need to be somewhere." I bit my lip and looked forward. "Well, I think we both went a little crazy with the 'competition', I mean I shouldn't have lied and said I never kissed anyone." I shrugged and looked down at my feet, "I mean, I guess I put you in that situation." I admitted. Ulrich crossed his arms, "Do you want to bury the hatchet and go hang out in the rec-room?" I was stuck between a rock and a hard place, my best friend and I had made up, but the girl I liked was waiting for me...in a shed. "I'd love to Ulrich, but you know I was meeting with this foreign girl. I am really over Tovah, I don't really like short girls with glasses. So I was meeting this girl named Marisol...so I am going to have to call a raincheck." Ulrich looked at me suspiciously, "So, what you're saying is that you don't care if I flirt with Tovah?" I shook my head and bit my lip, "No, I don't mind at all, nope, not at all, not a bit..." Ulrich smiled not realizing how phony I sounded, "Oh cool!"
I went to the shed and slyly slid in, "Hello?" Tovah walked toward me and took my hand, "I'm glad you're here." she said pulling me closer. "I'm not mad at you, any more that is," we moved to sit on two apple crates and I sat extra close. "I have been thinking and..." she traced the lines on my palm, wow, she really knew how to drive a guy mad! "What is it?" I asked eagerly. "I haven't been here long and I don't want a boyfriend, not yet that is. But if you wanted to you could think about asking me to that dance." she shrugged. "Oh, that's not what I expected," I mumbled. "What did you expect?" she asked. "Well, I was hoping to kiss you," She giggled and looked over at me, "High expectations I see, close your eyes." This was it! What I was waiting for and what I had wanted a kiss from the new girl. But a minute later I heard the door closing. Oh, the chase.
Ulrich Stern Kadic Academy: Ninth Grade student
I wandered the campus looking for Tovah, I was excited, I had a clean slate! I saw her walking down the path back into school and I stopped in front of her, "Hey, I was looking for you," I smiled. "Me? Why want to have your first kiss again?" she asked rolling her eyes. "No, I wanted to tell you I was sorry, things have been rocky between us and that's my fault. I wanted to kiss you and I should have just been honest about how I felt about you instead of lying. I...like you and I want to be friends and I can't be your friend if I'm lying to you." Tovah sighed and looked up at me, "Well, I suppose I can forgive you," she said cracking a smile. "So, do you wanna hangout maybe?" I asked as we started walking towards the dorms, "Sure, you can come to my room Aelita and Jeremy are in his room working on the Skid,"
We made it up to her room and she propped up her ankle, "So, is it feeling better?" I asked, "Oh tons, the nurse said soon I can walk without crutches which would be amazing." she smiled. "So what do your parents do?" I asked "They are in the doctors without borders program, they're both kind of hippies. The total opposite of Jeremy's parents. Just kidding, they're psychos." She laughed to herself. "I've heard a lot about you and Yumi, you two seem cute together, why aren't you together?" She asked. I rubbed the back of my neck and bit my lip, "Well, we're just good friends and that's all." she laid back on her bed and rolled over to look at me, "what about us, are we good friends?" she asked. I got up from Aelitas bed and moved to sit on Tovah's next to her, she sat up and looked at me, "What're you doing?" she asked as I took her hand in mine. "Ulrich..." She whispered leaning in, she kissed me and pulled back smiling softly. "you're cute." she said bopping my nose, "But Ulrich, I don't want anything serious. I just got here and..." I cut her off and kissed her again, I don't know, I just couldn't help it! Luckily she kissed me back too. She tasted like cherry chapstick. I pulled her closer by her waist and we kissed a little more, she eventually pulled away. "Ulrich, don't you think the others will be mad?" she asked, "About what?" I asked. "Us kissing, I mean I like kissing you, but they're not going to like it." I shook my head as she spoke. "then we won't tell them. It'll be our secret." I didn't know how I felt about that, I wondered if I wanted to tell everyone. But I couldn't. Tovah leaned in and gave me one more kiss. "Isn't it nice that there hasn't been a XANA alert this week?" she asked changing the subject. she leaned back on the wall and stared at me, "What?" I giggled. "I just like looking at you," she said nudging me.
the week ended and there was no XANA attack, it was a normal week, full of normal days. Just full of normal things.