Standing on a table in front of the crowded cafeteria was a young pale, blue eyed girl with wild curling blonde hair with red streaks. Her white shirt with black and red stripped sleeves seemed to clash with her red Scottish kilt and black combat boots. Everyone in the cafeteria was staring at the girl who so obviously stood out. The girl just smiled at the crowd as she pushed a button on a bulky black boom box.

A majestic melody soon filled the entire room. When the beat began the girl had begun to dance. "When it's only me and the music I leave the world behind. When it's only me and the music I am free, I am poetry in motion. When it's only me and the music…" The melody continued until it abruptly stopped. The girl looked down to see a brown haired man looking at her with great annoyance.

"What do you think you're doing?" Jim, the gym teacher, asked.

"I was dancing thank you very much." The girl answered in a matter-of-fact voice.

The cafeteria erupted with laughter as Jim looked taken aback. "I suppose you can just dance your way into the principals office then. Come here you." He said as he grabbed her by the ear.

"Yeow!" The girl yelped as Jim dragged her off the table and out of the cafeteria, "Let me go!"

"What a freak!" Sissy laughed, "Not to mention fashion-challenged. I mean, what was that all about?"

Odd, who was passing by Sissy's table with his breakfast, rolled his eyes as he sat down with his friends Jeremy, Ulrich, and Yumi.

"As much as I hate to say it, Sissy does have some what of a point. It was pretty random." Ulrich said as he shoveled his breakfast into his mouth.

"I don't know," Odd said, "I thought it was kind of cool. I mean, who around here would actually have the guts to do that? Let alone do that on their first day."

"It's her first day?" Yumi asked, looking at Odd.

"I guess." He replied, "I haven't seen her around before."

"I think Odd's right," Aelita said, "I haven't seen her before either."

"It's weird…" Jeremy said, "I think I've seen that girl somewhere before."

"Really..?" Odd looked at Jeremy.

"Yeah, but I'm not sure where…" Jeremy looked up at the ceiling for a moment.

"Odd..!" Jim snapped as he stormed up to the blonde boy.

"Hi Jim…" Odd grinned sheepishly.

"Hi yourself, you're coming with me to the principal's office!" Jim sneered

"What'd I do?" Odd asked defensively.

"Your dog was found this morning." Jim said as he dragged Odd out of the cafeteria.

"I'm going, I'm going!" Odd groaned as he sunk down in the end chair of five seats lined against the wall.

He sighed as he stared at the ground. He couldn't believe that after all this time Jim finally found Kiwi. He sighed again before noticing who was sitting on the other end of the seats. It was the blonde girl that was dancing on the table. She was slouching in the chair with her arms crossed as she tapped her elbow.

"Hey I know you." Odd said as he looked at the girl.

"Huh?" The girl looked back at him, taking a small pair of earphones out of her ears, "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"Weren't you the girl dancing on the table, like ten minutes ago?" Odd asked

"The one and only," The girl chuckled as she dug through her bag.

Odd laughed as he watched her pull her hair back with a pink ribbon, "It's your first day isn't it?"

"Is it that obvious?" The girl asked

"No, I just haven't seen you around much is all."

"That's cause I got here last night." She laughed, "I think it's safe to say everyone knows why I'm here, but what brings you to the principals?"

"Well," Odd lowered his voice as he moved to the seat next to her, "I snuck my dog here. They aren't allowed in the school."

"Really..?"

Odd nodded. The girl just smiled at him, "Don't worry about it."

"Huh?" Odd stared at her

"My name's Dakota." The girl smiled and stuck her hand out.

"I'm Odd." Odd smiled and shook her hand, "So where are you from Dakota?"

"I'm from the states." She explained as she leaned back.

"America?" Odd looked at her with a mild look of surprise.

"Yup…" Dakota smiled.

"What's it like there?" Odd asked.

"Eh," Dakota shrugged, "hot in the summer, cold in the winter."

Odd laughed and Dakota smiled again as the principal stepped out of his office. "Miss Dakota, will you enter my office?"

"Got to go," Dakota said with a smile, "and don't worry Odd."

Dakota winked at him before going into the office…

What was half an hour seemed to pass as if it were three hours; Odd stared at the ceiling with a bored, vacant expression a crossed his face until Dakota emerged from the principal's office with a small dog in her arms.

"Kiwi..!" Odd muttered

"You may go Odd." The principal said, "Miss Dakota explained that the dog was hers."

Odd stared at the blonde girl for a moment before she added, "Come on, you expect me to leave my woof all alone in America?" She hugged Kiwi who barked and licked her gleefully in the face. Dakota laughed and smiled at Odd.

"What did you saw the dogs name was?" The principal asked

"Um…" A nervous look spread across Dakota's face as she glanced at Odd

"Kiwi…" Odd mouthed.

Dakota smiled, "Why, his name is Kiwi sir."

She lifted Kiwi up so he was face to face with the principal. Dakota's beaming look of pride turned to curiosity she heard the sound of something drizzling. A look of shock crossed Odd, Dakota, and the principal's face when they realized Kiwi was piddling on the principal.

---

"So what happened?" Ulrich asked as odd sat next to him in class.

"Well," Odd said, "Jim found Kiwi."

"What?" Ulrich asked in shock.

"Uh-huh," Odd nodded, "But Dakota told the principal Kiwi was her dog and she brought him here from America."

"Dakota..?" Ulrich looked at Odd in confusment, "America?"

With a nod, Odd explained everything that had happened that morning, "…then Kiwi peed on the principal."

Ulrich chuckled, "So this Dakota girl really said Kiwi was hers?"

"Yeah… I think she's still in the principal's office though. I feel kind of bad letting her take the blame…"Odd admitted.

"Ulrich, Odd," Mrs. Hertz barked, "Perhaps you two can give us the answer?"

Both boys looked at each other as if hopping to find an answer. As Mrs. Hertz opened her mouth the door abruptly opened.

"Is this Mrs. Hertz class?" A girl's voice said from the hall

"Oh, you must be the new student." Hertz replied, "Class, I'd like you to meet your new classmate—" A blonde curly haired girl walked into the room, "—Amber Dakota."

The blonde girl smiled at the room, "Call me Dakota."

"Why don't you find yourself a seat and your neighbor will explain what we're doing." Mrs. Hertz said as she returned to her lecture.

Dakota's eyes scanned the room in search of an empty seat. Her eyes fell upon Odd, who was waving and pointing at a seat in front of him.

"How'd it go?" Odd asked as Dakota sat down.

"I got detention." She smirked

"What?" Odd asked in astonishment

"Yup," Dakota replied with an almost smug tone, "but hey, you get to keep your dog here."

"What?" Odd exclaimed; half surprised, half disbelieving.

"You heard me," Dakota beamed, "And the little guy can run around campus as long as one of us is there to watch him and clean up after him."

Odd hissed in excitement, "What?"

"What," Dakota looked at Odd with a blank expression, "are you a defective owl?"

Odd blushed as Ulrich snickered; Odd looked at Dakota, "I can't believe you did all that for me, I mean, we hardly know each other."

"So this is the girl you were talking about?" Ulrich asked.

"Ah, so you're talkin' about me eh?" Dakota grinned.

"Well I…" Odd found himself very tongue tied at the moment.

Dakota just smiled, "Don't worry about it."

During lunch, Odd, Ulrich, Yumi, Jeremy, and Aelita were in Dakota's Dorm room helping her unpack.

"This room is too…belch." Dakota said as she stared at the white walls and bare bed.

She looked around the room as her new friends began opening boxes, "Hey Ulrich, come help me move this, will you?"

By the time lunch was over, the bed, wardrobe, and desk had been moved into different spots and the walls were covered in pictures, drawings, and posters.

"Aha! I knew I packed it!" Dakota beamed as she pulled a large, fluffy blanket out of a box.

The blanket was covered in all kinds of different designs, swirls and colors.

The bell rang as she threw the blanket onto the bed in the center of the room, "You guys go on without me," Dakota said, "I'll catch up after school."

"Okay, see you later." Odd smiled as he and the others left the room.

Dakota hummed happily to herself until her door suddenly snapped shut. Dakota jumped as her heart began to race as a sudden terror ran through her. She stared at the door as she the room seemed to grow colder.

"Who's there..?" Dakota demanded.

A burning sensation suddenly covered her forehead as she collapsed to her knees. Tears of pain began to run down her cheeks as a symbol began to glow on the center of her forehead. The symbol matched the markings on Xana's creatures. Dakota curled up defenselessly, shaking; as black smoke surrounded her while images of crab like creatures fired lasers at her.