Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko. Guh. Also, before you read on, I'm warning you, this story is femslash. As in, girl/girl romance (sort of). Also, if you're a hardcore YumixUlrich fan, then I'd hit the back button right now, dear, because you're not gonna like this much.
"Miss Ishiyama!"
Yumi flinched. This time she was screwed. When her parents found out about this, they'd ground her forever, and that would mean she'd be seeing a lot less of Lyoko, Jeremie, Aelita, Odd, and Ulrich. Especially Ulrich... Her parents would have her under constant surveillance. Remorse and dread consumed her; she stared at her feet to avoid the principal's scornful gaze.
"What I don't understand is what made you lose your temper. I never thought any of your no-good friends, especially you, would be capable of such a reckless act of violence against a fellow student. I'm sorry, Yumi, but I'm afraid something as serious as this constitutes an expulsion. I'm afraid you'll have to call your parents."
"But..."
"Miss Ishiyama, do not make this any worse for yourself than it already is. Now pick up that phone and dial your parents, or I'll do it for you."
Yumi sighed and embraced defeat. She reached for the phone, lifting it off the receiver and bringing it to her ear. She listened to the dial tone for a second, nerving herself up for what she was about to do when a voice from the doorway filled her with hope.
"Daddy," Sissi crooned, "I need to talk to you about Yumi."
The principal frowned at his daughter. "Sissi, sweetie, Daddy's very busy with important business right now."
Sissi did not back down. Adding more sugar to her voice, she simpered, "But Daddy, it's about what happened between Yumi and Herve. I was there; I saw it happen."
The principal sighed. "Very well then, have a seat next to Miss Ishiyama and you can explain everything to me while she has a nice chat with her parents."
Yumi felt the dread welling up inside her again as Sissi interrupted. "I don't think that will be necessary, Daddy," she remarked. "What happened in the hallway tonight was no fault of Yumi's." She glanced at Yumi, relishing her expression: bewildered, but hopeful. "You see, Herve provoked her. He taunted her about her friends and about her obvious interest in Ulrich-"
Yumi opened her mouth to protest, but she shut it again, knowing not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Sissi stifled a giggle and continued with her story. "Anyhow, Yumi was obviously getting very upset. Her friends tried to restrain her, but Herve insulted them, too, and that was the last straw for poor Yumi here. Honestly, Daddy, I would have done the same thing in her situation."
The principal stroked his beard in thought. "Well... I suppose we can let Yumi off with just a month's detention."
"Thank you, sir," Yumi said breathlessly, still shocked by Sissi's compassion. She looked over at Sissi, who looked thoroughly pleased with herself.
"We'll have to have a little chat with Herve as well... in the meantime, you two are free to go." He busied himself with some paperwork as Yumi and Sissi turned to leave.
"What was that all about?" insisted Yumi as soon as they were out of earshot of the principal.
Sissi smiled smugly and remarked, "It was nothing. It's not your fault that Herve is a dick." Her smile disappeared at the mention of his name.
"I thought you two were friends?" Yumi asked, puzzled. She'd never say anything like that about one of her friends, and she certainly wouldn't let them take the blame for someone else's mistake, especially if it was her rival.
She shrugged. "We've never really been that close. He's kind of a jerk sometimes. He talks shit about you and your friends a lot, and it really bothers me. Nick is too stupid to think for himself, so he just laughs and nods his head. It gets really old after awhile. I just tune it out, usually."
"But what made you want to help me? We're not exactly the best of friends. And there's that whole thing with Ulrich..." she stared at the ground as she walked, feeling her cheeks flush. To her surprise, Sissi chuckled.
"Ulrich... let's just say I've given up on him." She laughed dryly and paused for a moment. "Yumi, can I trust you? I know we aren't exactly friends, but I need to tell someone I can trust, and, well, my friends aren't very good to me, and..." she trailed off.
"Sure, Sissi."
Sissi whirled around and clasped Yumi's hands in her own, fixing her with her beseeching gaze. "You can't tell anyone, okay? You promise?"
Yumi nodded. "Close your eyes," said Sissi, the note of distress gone from her voice. Curious, Yumi obeyed. She felt herself drawn closer into Sissi's warm embrace. The scent of her perfume was enticing and the feeling of her lips unforgettable. Yumi's eyes snapped open as she broke off the kiss and pulled away in shock.
"Sissi..."
"Look... I... I'm sorry, it's just that I've wanted to do that for a long time. Promise you won't tell anyone?"
Yumi nodded slowly. "Your secret's safe with me, Sissi."
"And nothing's changed between us?"
Yumi nodded again. Sissi turned and headed off towards her room. "Goodnight, Yumi," she called.
"Thanks, Sissi, she called back. "I owe you one."
She laughed and replied, "Don't worry, I think we're even."
"Miss Ishiyama!"
Yumi flinched. This time she was screwed. When her parents found out about this, they'd ground her forever, and that would mean she'd be seeing a lot less of Lyoko, Jeremie, Aelita, Odd, and Ulrich. Especially Ulrich... Her parents would have her under constant surveillance. Remorse and dread consumed her; she stared at her feet to avoid the principal's scornful gaze.
"What I don't understand is what made you lose your temper. I never thought any of your no-good friends, especially you, would be capable of such a reckless act of violence against a fellow student. I'm sorry, Yumi, but I'm afraid something as serious as this constitutes an expulsion. I'm afraid you'll have to call your parents."
"But..."
"Miss Ishiyama, do not make this any worse for yourself than it already is. Now pick up that phone and dial your parents, or I'll do it for you."
Yumi sighed and embraced defeat. She reached for the phone, lifting it off the receiver and bringing it to her ear. She listened to the dial tone for a second, nerving herself up for what she was about to do when a voice from the doorway filled her with hope.
"Daddy," Sissi crooned, "I need to talk to you about Yumi."
The principal frowned at his daughter. "Sissi, sweetie, Daddy's very busy with important business right now."
Sissi did not back down. Adding more sugar to her voice, she simpered, "But Daddy, it's about what happened between Yumi and Herve. I was there; I saw it happen."
The principal sighed. "Very well then, have a seat next to Miss Ishiyama and you can explain everything to me while she has a nice chat with her parents."
Yumi felt the dread welling up inside her again as Sissi interrupted. "I don't think that will be necessary, Daddy," she remarked. "What happened in the hallway tonight was no fault of Yumi's." She glanced at Yumi, relishing her expression: bewildered, but hopeful. "You see, Herve provoked her. He taunted her about her friends and about her obvious interest in Ulrich-"
Yumi opened her mouth to protest, but she shut it again, knowing not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Sissi stifled a giggle and continued with her story. "Anyhow, Yumi was obviously getting very upset. Her friends tried to restrain her, but Herve insulted them, too, and that was the last straw for poor Yumi here. Honestly, Daddy, I would have done the same thing in her situation."
The principal stroked his beard in thought. "Well... I suppose we can let Yumi off with just a month's detention."
"Thank you, sir," Yumi said breathlessly, still shocked by Sissi's compassion. She looked over at Sissi, who looked thoroughly pleased with herself.
"We'll have to have a little chat with Herve as well... in the meantime, you two are free to go." He busied himself with some paperwork as Yumi and Sissi turned to leave.
"What was that all about?" insisted Yumi as soon as they were out of earshot of the principal.
Sissi smiled smugly and remarked, "It was nothing. It's not your fault that Herve is a dick." Her smile disappeared at the mention of his name.
"I thought you two were friends?" Yumi asked, puzzled. She'd never say anything like that about one of her friends, and she certainly wouldn't let them take the blame for someone else's mistake, especially if it was her rival.
She shrugged. "We've never really been that close. He's kind of a jerk sometimes. He talks shit about you and your friends a lot, and it really bothers me. Nick is too stupid to think for himself, so he just laughs and nods his head. It gets really old after awhile. I just tune it out, usually."
"But what made you want to help me? We're not exactly the best of friends. And there's that whole thing with Ulrich..." she stared at the ground as she walked, feeling her cheeks flush. To her surprise, Sissi chuckled.
"Ulrich... let's just say I've given up on him." She laughed dryly and paused for a moment. "Yumi, can I trust you? I know we aren't exactly friends, but I need to tell someone I can trust, and, well, my friends aren't very good to me, and..." she trailed off.
"Sure, Sissi."
Sissi whirled around and clasped Yumi's hands in her own, fixing her with her beseeching gaze. "You can't tell anyone, okay? You promise?"
Yumi nodded. "Close your eyes," said Sissi, the note of distress gone from her voice. Curious, Yumi obeyed. She felt herself drawn closer into Sissi's warm embrace. The scent of her perfume was enticing and the feeling of her lips unforgettable. Yumi's eyes snapped open as she broke off the kiss and pulled away in shock.
"Sissi..."
"Look... I... I'm sorry, it's just that I've wanted to do that for a long time. Promise you won't tell anyone?"
Yumi nodded slowly. "Your secret's safe with me, Sissi."
"And nothing's changed between us?"
Yumi nodded again. Sissi turned and headed off towards her room. "Goodnight, Yumi," she called.
"Thanks, Sissi, she called back. "I owe you one."
She laughed and replied, "Don't worry, I think we're even."