Cyber Love

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The clouds blocked the red sun, and only a dim stream of scarlet light shone through into the classroom. The shrill wind flew across the empty schoolyard, picking up dead orange leaves, and thrusting them into the air, letting it sail across the vast, gray sky.

Students who were near me were almost asleep. Their arm propped against their head, and a companion hitting them over the head with the textbook was only a minor attempt to keep himself or herself awake in such a boring environment. Their eyes fluttered open and shut again and again.

"And your homework is a five-page essay talking about how cells transfer from the female body to the-"

DING! DING!

My eyes fluttered wide, and I sighed with relief. I grabbed my forest green backpack from the rickety wooden chair I currently occupied, threw it over my shoulder, and walked out with Odd in tow.

"Oh god!" he rolled his eyes. "Really, Mrs. Herve has a disgusting mind."

"Yeah, a lot of teachers in this school do," I answered, as I almost tripped over my own feet. I was tired, and I was glad that our last class was over. We were free to go up to our dorms, collapse on our beds, clutch our pillow, and sleep with no annoying voice telling you that you had a lunch detention the next day because you fell asleep in front of her very "important" class.

As soon as Odd and I reached our dorm, I belly-flopped onto the sturdy bed with huge force.

"Hey Ulrich, I'm going to go downstairs and eat. Okay?" Odd questioned, rubbing his growling stomach hungrily.

"Yeah, sure." I mumbled, waving him off with my face sinking into the soft blank pillow.

As soon as the door closed, I bended back and retrieved my laptop, which was under my bed. I opened it and turned it on. I got it for Christmas from my parents- latest technology, they had assured me, one of the fastest new laptops affordable. It had become one of my hobbies to go on random chat-rooms and talk to random people, who didn't know of my status and popularity.

You see, I'm not boasting, but, yeah. I'm popular. Girls crowd around me; guys want to be my friend. You know, that type of thing. Sure, it does get annoying, but you learn to live with it. But when I'm online as an anonymous person, no one knows that I'm THE Ulrich Stern, the wealthy, most popular guy in school, that has stupid, annoying girls coo, and make sick comments about you as if you're not even there, and obnoxious flirting that can make any person barf.

This kind of popularity isn't fun. Believe me. But thankfully, I've found my real, best friends among that crowd of worshippers. Odd, the usual comedian and class clown, who always fails each test, and only dreams about having a wedding with a giant cake with lots of chocolate frosting, while staying as skinny as a toothpick. And of course, Jeremie, the class Einstein, who knows everything, isn't the most popular guy in school either. Everyone thinks popular people must have popular friends. Not all the time. My friends aren't popular, but they're still the best all the same.

Well, anyway, in about thirty seconds, the laptop was all set. My default blue wallpaper showed emotionlessly in the background. I clicked the Internet Explorer icon, and in less than a second, the entire window was up and running. I minimized it and then clicked the Instant Messenger icon. In a few seconds, that program was also up and running. Jeremie was online, but away, as usual. Something about tearing apart a computer and looking at its components for the 14th time this week. Really, what's so exciting about the inside of a computer!

gLaMrGrL19: ULRICH DEAR! Just to let you know, I'm free this Saturday, so I'll see you at the movies!
lyokowarrior8: Who wants a loser like you to sit next to them babbling during a movie? Not me. Good-bye, Sissy.

I signed off. I named my screen name after my favorite video game, Lyoko. It was definitely the best. I was a brown-haired samurai that looked fairly like me. I was always him. Always. I had a major crush on the black-haired character though. She's absolutely gorgeous. Too bad no one at school looked like her- except this one popular girl- Yumi. I doubt she even knows about it though.

I went on a chat room specifically for Lyoko talk. Only a few people were on today, since they were usually eating dinner at this time or something. There were usually a million people here, talking away about how hot the characters were. Who cared about that? The game concepts were brilliant. The X.A.N.A. thing sure was strange though. Black gas? There was also a big squid-looking monster that wanted to suck up Alisha's memory. Genius!

silentnightmares: Uh, anyone there?

No answer from anyone in the group. I decided to at least answer, it was only polite, right? Besides, there was nothing else to do. Meatballs and gravy wasn't exactly my choice of meal.

lyokowarrior8: Yep, I'm here.
silentnightmares: Where IS everyone? There's usually a million people that completely ignore you and have nasty thoughts about everything.
lyokowarrior8: Dinner?
silentnightmares: Oh, right.
lyokowarrior8: So, uh, what do you think of the game concept thing?
silentnightmares: It's weird, but I most definitely like it.
lyokowarrior8: Favorite character?
silentnightmares: Yoshi. Good technique, nice fans. I don't just like her because she's pretty.
lyokowarrior8: Yeah. I have a gigantic crush on her. She seems a lot better than anyone else at school.
silentnightmares: Yeah, same with Ricky. Every guy at school flirts with me. It gets annoying.
(A/N: I'm sorry for the weird name. I was going to do Olrick, but that was even worse, and way too similar.)

lyokowarrior8: You're too popular for comfort too?
silentnightmares: mm-hmm. Not fun.
lyokowarrior8: You're telling me. This girl at school always assumes I love her, and is so obnoxious. She just comes up to me and tells me right in front of my face that we're going to kiss during it. I can't even stand being in the same school with her!
silentnightmares: No, guys are worse. They're complete perverts.
lyokowarrior8: Not all guys! I'm not!
silentnightmares: You're an exception.

And the night shifted from Lyoko talk to school talk- or rather, complaints. Useless chatter, but we got to know each other. It went pretty well, if you ask me. We're planning to meet again, more personally this time, on Instant Messenger, since chat rooms have a billion people there.

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I stared at the computer and sighed. I signed off my silentnightmares screen name. It was a strange screen name, I admit, but I couldn't think of anything else. I got to the point where I was desperate.

I met a guy "named" lyokowarrior8. He was pretty nice, I guess. He's a nice change from the perverts in our school. He was someone I could talk to. Too bad we didn't know each other. Even if it was only cyber chat, it was still good. At least I could talk to someone besides Aelita anyway.

And with that statement said, uh, thought, I have to meet Aelita, to help her plan for her date with Jeremie. Really, he was so nice to her, it made me feel so happy for her to have finally found a guy that suited her. Nice and brainy. Just right for Aelita. Even though Aelita was pretty popular, she was going to date a nerd, or in nicer terms, someone lower than her on the social pyramid. But they seemed so perfect together.

I went to her dorm, which was fairly close to mine, and knocked on the door. "It's Yumi."

"Come in."

I despised pink, the color she adored. Burgundy hair and pink highlights, pink shirts, and blue jeans. Well at least that was blue. Since they were going to sneak out and take a lovely evening stroll around the park, and then go to a little café for drinks and snacks, we picked out something casual, while I was trying my hardest not to get sick in the process.

"Here," I handed it to her, with my fingers barely touching the pink fabric of the long-sleeve, tight pink shirt, "This looks good on you."

"How about this?" she held up a spaghetti-strap.

"No way. It gets chilly in the evening-" I stopped short and grinned mischievously, "EUREKA!" written all over my face. "But all the more reason he'll give you his coat!"

"Mmm, but what if I freeze and die before he does that?"

"Believe me. He's such a mama's boy; he'd most definitely give it to you, being so concerned."

"Mmkay. How about I wear the T-shirt instead?" Aelita reached in and plucked a pink shirt from the millions of pink clothes in her large closet. Being the daughter of a famous and successful scientist, she was fairly wealthy with much clothes, and a bigger dorm than a lot of people. Coincidentally, Jeremie was also fairly rich. Where do you think he got all that high-tech stuff? His father was some computer guy or an engineer, very well known, supposedly. Well-known enough for them to be rich.

"Sure. Everything in here looks good on you."

Aelita squeezed into her pink t-shirt on top of her usual tank top she wore to sleep. She had on her sleepwear as a result of napping.

"I just got these faded jeans a few days ago," the burgundy-haired girl grinned giddily as she presented it to me. It had a fashionable black belt.

"Black belt, eh?" I raised an eyebrow, and just giggled.

"Yeah, haiii-yah!" she tried to do a karate pose, but just fumbled over.

"Oh yeah, you sure have a black belt." I rolled my eyes and helped her up. "It looks good."

She slipped on the jeans on top of her pinstriped boxers. She zipped it up, adjusted her belt, and grabbed the nearest comb. She handed it to me. It was the usual routine when we had a date. All my dates had been retarded, so I hadn't gone on a date ever since the Theo Incident. I don't want to talk about it.

I brushed her hair, making her silky hair shine even more vibrantly than it had before. I grabbed a pink rubber band, and combed her hair with my fingers- it was faster. I sucked at this hair stuff, but I've gotten better, since Aelita couldn't do her hair by herself- and she's been on several dates the past month.

"You know…" she tapped her chin with her slender finger.

"Uh-huh?" I continued to tie the top part of her shoulder-length hair in a ponytail, leaving the rest of her hair down. I wanted to make it perfect for her perfect date.

"You really should go out with Ulrich."

I almost dropped my brush. "What the hell!" I gasped. "What would make you say that!"

"You two look so cute together. He's so muscular and well built, and you have a black belt, and just- oh my god. It's good that even though you're so tall, he's a bit taller. But really, you'd make the "it" couple of the year."

"Hah!" I chuckled and shook my head at Aelita's hilarious antics. "Sure, Aelita. That's the best joke I've heard yet. Please, he doesn't care about me. We barely know each other. Sure, he's hot, but he'd never notice someone like me. For all I know, he loves Sissy. We're stretched out. We're completely far apart, Aelita. And he's the one that nearly gave me a concussion at soccer remember? Aelita, I'm not interested… I strongly dislike that kid."

"I wasn't joking!" she started to protest. "You loser, I'm telling you the truth. Uh, hello! You're the most popular girl in school. You're gorgeous! Do you notice how many guys eye you, flirt with you, and ask you out! Of course he's noticed you! Look at yourself; you could be a model for all I know! And he hates Sissy. You don't get around much, do you? Anyway, it was an accident!"

"I'm not pretty, I'm not gorgeous, I'm not a model, and maybe he's acting and doesn't want her to know he loves Sissy. Oh yeah, sure, it was an accident. He was practically aiming for my head!"

"PFFT. At least go for a study-date! Oh my god. He's too shy to ask anyone out, and apparently, he hates all girls who flirt with him. And you're the only one, besides me, that doesn't! You two would be perfect for each other! At least give it some sort of shot! And besides, the Theo Incident happened a while ago! Give another man a try, will you?"

Silence.

"What about William?"

"Ewww. Who likes William! He can go get Sissy. Two freaks stuck together." I was pissed to the point where I felt like cursing. I didn't mind when she tried matchmaking. But when she did it with me, I felt like barfing and lashing out at her verbally and physically.

"I guess, but you and Ulrich would still look good together."

I ignored her. "Done! Your hair looks perfect."

She looked into the mirror. "Hmm, your best one yet." She then reached into her heart-shaped jewelry box her father had given her for her birthday. She retrieved an exotic pair of feather earrings, in which she had made by herself. She put it on, and grabbed her cell phone and wallet, then tucked it safely into her jean pockets. She didn't wear a pocketbook, saying it was useless for her to carry one when she had two suitable pockets to put her two main necessities in.

She turned around suddenly and glared at me. "I'm not letting you go so soon." She warned me. "Someday, you two will get together, and you'll be the one thanking me."

I rolled my eyes. "Sure, sure." I held out my arm, and she took it, as I escorted her out of her room. Her sandals made a soft swishing sound on the floor.

We sneaked into the boys' dorm and rushed to Room 187. When we went there, Aelita knocked rapidly on the door.

"Come in!" he shouted.

I opened the door and Aelita stepped in.

"Uh- h-hey, Aelita!" Jeremie stuttered, smiling nervously. Aelita giggled, and took his arm. Two other boys were in the room- Odd… and Ulrich. She bent down and whispered in Odd's ear. Ulrich was just staring at the T.V. screen, playing a video game. He didn't notice Aelita was whispering in his best friend's ear.

Odd nodded, and grinned. Aelita and Jeremie strutted out of the room. I heard Jeremie ask with a mixed voice of jealousy and anxiousness, "What was that all about?" Her voice was too low for me to hear, and they were getting away farther and farther. I sighed.

"I better uh, get going." I said, as I reached for the doorknob.

"Wait, uh, we have chips!" Odd cried out.

"What kind?"

"BBQ."

"Mm, I'll have one, but then I'm leaving." My mouth watered at the thought of BBQ chips.

"And I'll be going now," Odd scurried out, and closed the door. I heard a click.

"Wait- what just happened?" Ulrich stood up, the control still in his hand. "What happened!"

"Your best friend just locked us inside." I told him grimly. I was stuck here with "him", he who almost gave me a nearly fatal concussion. You have no idea how hard that guy kicks. Really, all he cares about is soccer, soccer, soccer. What a loser.

I glared at the window and hissed, "I hate you Aelita."

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