Chapter 13

To make up for the super short chapter that was Chapter 12, here's a pretty long one. :D Including lots of fun goodness and guest appearance by TOTHEPARK. XD (If you get the reference, I love you. If not, watch Marblehornets).

This chapter starts the ball rolling for many more long chapters, and I'm hoping to keep them at 5k words or more each. That way, when there's updates, you'll all get something really substantial.

ONWARD.

The park was crowded, but not unbearably so. Odd adjusted the bag strap on his shoulder, trying to keep it from slipping off. Louise's concert was going to be this afternoon, and Odd wanted front row seats. As it was, Louise and her band hadn't arrived yet, and wouldn't for another several hours. So Odd decided to just hang out, play some football or Frisbee, or go for a boat ride on the lake. He'd even packed up a small lunch for them to eat if it came to that. They weren't going to be bored today.

Ulrich was walking beside him, just grateful for the pair of shades Odd had lent him. The sun was glaring down with a vengeance, and Ulrich was already dreading the burn. This park was very different from what he'd expected, which was something like the one near his home in France. That one was a small community park, and it hadn't had a lot of funding, so it only had a small garden with a gazebo, a jungle gym, a swing set, and a spattering of trees. It had originally had a sandbox until the city had deemed it "unsafe" and got rid of it.

There was certainly a garden, but it was wide open with several different walkways and a plaza in the center that held the gazebo, much larger than the one Ulrich had known. This park had a designated children's area with swings, a see-saw, a spin-ride, and several contraptions Ulrich had never seen before. There was also a football field and volleyball and tennis courts. There were plenty of trees, making a sort of forested wall around half of the park, and Ulrich could see several paths going through the trees. A lake took up most of a corner of the park, and Ulrich noticed many people on boats in the water. He wasn't really sure where they were going to start, but was very excited to do so.

Odd watched Ulrich inspect the park, a smile on his face. This was a very large park by any standards, and he was sure his Parisian friend had never seen anything like it. Odd had always loved this place, and he and his family had come here often when he'd been younger. He knew this place like the back of his hand and even knew a few secrets most visitors didn't. After all, it was within walking distance of his house, so he didn't need his parents or sisters to drive him there.

Since his mother's accident, Odd had spent hours here, sometimes several days in a row. It was saturated with his mother's presence, filled with her memory. While it hurt to be here, it was also very calming. Regardless, he wanted to share it with Ulrich. It was why they'd come so early and he'd planned to stay late. Turning to his friend, Odd opened his arms wide, gesturing to the entire park.

"Where should we start?"

Ulrich thought long on his answer, and Odd rolled his eyes in amusement. "You know," he scolded, "we've got all day, and we can always come back tomorrow or whenever. So we can do anything."

Ulrich laughed and thought just a little longer, eying everything in the park. Eventually he fell back on the familiar and suggested they play football. Odd, having predicted this, had put the ball on the top of his bag; however, there was already a small group of people playing, so Odd just assumed they could join their game.

They walked toward the football field, and Odd could tell Ulrich was regretting his decision just a bit. Odd gave him a reassuring glance and waved to get the attention of the people playing. "Hey! Hai spazio per altri due?"

"Si! Scegliere una squadra! Siamo irregolari ma." The one who seemed to be in charge shouted and gestured to the guys that were previously playing.

"Che va bene." Odd waved Ulrich over and explained in French. Ulrich wasn't sure he wanted to be separated when he didn't know what was being said, but Odd assured him that the body language was virtually the same. "Besides," he added, "it'll be just like the pros. Imagine you're a pro football player and you're on France's team, going against Italy."

"France lost to Italy this year."

"Well . . . then maybe we can kick your butt."

Ulrich's mood brightened considerably and he actually looked forward to the game. Odd informed the other players that Ulrich was foreign and wouldn't understand most of what was being said. The players insisted they didn't mind.

The boys chose their teams and started the game, which Ulrich quickly took by storm. His team of five was baffled, but quickly recovered, running about and thoroughly enjoying the game. Odd's team of six was just as surprised, but Odd just played like he normally did. Granted, Odd wasn't the best football player, but he knew his friend like no other and to Odd, Ulrich was virtually an open book. The game, tied before, was now severely skewed in Ulrich's team's favor.

Ulrich loved the familiar burn in his muscles as he ran, and embraced the feeling of something he recognized. He was driving the ball toward the goal a third time, having just a little more trouble than usual due to his playing in normal sneakers as opposed to cleats. The opposing team, with Odd in tow, was advancing on him, so he turned his attention away from the goal and toward his own team. One of them was in just the perfect position, and he seemed to understand the look Ulrich was giving him, readying himself for the impact. Ulrich caught the ball under his toes and kicked it up, then passed it with a swift kick from his knee to his teammate. The other boy received it easily and headed for the goal, unimpeded by the other team, who had been more focused on Ulrich. Their third goal was scored.

The game lasted for several minutes longer than a professional one would have, as no one wanted to stop. Ulrich lost himself in the game and celebrated with his new teammates when they won. Odd smiled from the sidelines. The other team members slapped Ulrich on the back with shouts of "Ottimo lavoro!" and, "Tu sei un giocatore straordinario!" Ulrich hadn't the faintest idea of what they were saying, but accepted it as the praise it was.

As the excitement died down, Odd called out good-byes and Ulrich added a wave. They walked toward the garden to sit on a bench and decide their next activity. "Well," Odd said, "you sure looked like you were having fun." He punctuated the sentence with a grin.

"I do enjoy football. It makes me feel like I can actually do something." His tone was wistful, Odd noted, but didn't say anything. Ulrich didn't elaborate.

"Well," Odd started, "what shall we do next? It's only ten, so we've still got quite a while."

"Hmm. . ." Ulrich was eying the paths that peppered the tree line, and Odd knew what he was going to say.

"The trails are all different lengths. There's one that's a mile long and one that's about ten miles long. Then there's a few in between."

If Ulrich was surprised by Odd reading his mind, he didn't say anything. He just nodded in understanding, still thinking.

"If it doesn't matter, I can show you my favorite one," Odd offered, gesturing to the woods.

"Lead the way." Ulrich liked the woods, and often found himself among the thick trees behind the school when he was upset or if something was bothering him. Though he wasn't a very nature-oriented person, the calmness soothed him. Odd led the way to a trail that was flanked by two signs. One read: "tre chilometri"; and the other read: "Attenzione intorno all'acqua". He guessed the meaning of both, as they looked very much like French.

The trail started out rather open, and Ulrich could see other people on trails to the left and right. However, it started narrowing down a little as the trees around them thickened. It was still wide enough to fit three people standing side by side comfortably, but it was just narrow enough to be slightly claustrophobic.

"I've always loved coming to this path, even before I could walk. My parents – my parents used to bring me here when I was just a baby." Ulrich didn't miss the stutter, but didn't bring any unnecessary attention to it either. "There's just something about it that keeps bringing me back."

Ulrich had never pegged Odd as being one for nature and whatnot; he seemed to prefer being indoors to anything else. Rather, he seemed to just be drawn to any place that was filled with people. Ulrich still wasn't sure how they'd become friends like they had, as their personalities were just so radically different. But hey, that's what made things interesting, right?

Odd looked at the trees going passed and occasionally spared a glance for the brunet walking beside him. Ulrich seemed lost in thought, so Odd decided not to break the silence. Thus, they walked without a word, just drinking in the sights around them.

Eventually, Odd found what he'd been watching for. There was a much smaller path that branched off of this one, and it led to an almost magical place. Odd thanked the powers that be that it was a sunny day. It would be all the more beautiful with the sun shining down. He quickly grabbed Ulrich's hand and dragged him down the narrower trail. He ignored any protests in favor of the path Ulrich could barely even see.

"Aren't we going to get lost? You aren't supposed to leave the path!" Despite his complaints, Ulrich did nothing to stop his friend, nor pull his hand away.

"This is why this path is my favorite! None of the others have anything near as awesome!" Odd didn't slow down, and expertly dodged the twigs grabbing for his clothing and the roots trying to trip him. Ulrich was a little less graceful, but balanced enough to recover whenever he almost tripped. He was putting every ounce of trust in his friend, and though he was a little nervous, he had to admit it was exciting.

Odd stopped suddenly and Ulrich almost ran into him. "Let's see . . ." he looked around and stepped into the shrubbery. He let go of Ulrich's hand and disappeared for a few minutes. Ulrich would never admit it, but being alone in those few moments was terrifying. Odd came back quickly enough, though, but he didn't have the bag any longer. "I just stashed it away. It was getting too heavy. Let's keep going."

He didn't take Ulrich's hand this time, and the boy had to admit that he missed the warmth already. Ulrich just followed behind his friend obediently until Odd stopped him again. This time, he turned with a flourish, a wide grin on his face. "Are you excited?" he asked quickly.

"Sure." Odd's grin fell and he crossed his arms stubbornly.

"Not good enough. I didn't come all this way for a 'sure'."

Ulrich laughed. "Okay, okay, I'm excited."

"How excited?"

"So much so I just can't contain myself."

"Oh, I guess that's good enough." Odd sighed dramatically. "But next time I expect more energy from you." His smile returned and he took Ulrich's hand, leading him slowly through a very small trail. Ulrich was faintly aware of the sound of trickling water, and despite himself, he really was curious. It wasn't long before the trees opened up to the most story-book type place Ulrich had ever seen.

It looked straight out of a fairytale, and Ulrich couldn't look away. A little pond with a weeping willow brushing its surface was off to the side of the small clearing, reeds growing tall around it. Wildflowers grew in abundance and a family of little brown rabbits was happily munching on them. It wasn't very large, perhaps only ten meters in any direction, and it felt thoroughly secluded. The tree canopy broke to reveal the bright blue sky. Odd walked into the small space, tugging a gaping Ulrich behind him.

"This is where I always run to when I'm down. It feels magical." He looked away, a blush coloring his face. "I wanted to share it with you; it's my secret place."

Touched, Ulrich was struck speechless. It was hard to imagine Odd ever being upset about anything, especially before the accident. But he could see how this place would be calming. You couldn't even hear the people on the trail they'd left anymore. He looked at his friend, a sudden influx of emotions overtaking him and taking his breath away. Odd, his best friend, the one who always made him smile, the one he told all of his secrets to . . . in that one moment of clarity, he realized he knew so very little about his closest companion. He knew his favorite colors, but who didn't? He knew the kind of music he listened to . . . again, common knowledge. What secrets, barring this new one, could Ulrich claim to know? Hell, he didn't even know why Odd decided to transfer schools. Yeah, he'd asked a few days ago, but now he recognized the answer as complete bull. Or at least only a half truth. Odd knew everything about him, down to the things that Ulrich could easily claim he didn't even know about himself.

It just never occurred to Ulrich that Odd could have secrets. He just didn't seem the type to hide anything. He grew up in the perfect environment: loving and understanding parents, sisters that treated him like a celebrity, and absolute freedom. Everything Ulrich wished he had. But . . . when he thought about it, there were a million things Odd never talked about. Ulrich knew his family, sure, and had heard a story or two about his childhood, but Odd had never gone into detail about his family, or anything that they ever did together. Hell, until a few months ago, Ulrich hadn't even known Odd had siblings. Odd was an island; the kind of person that is perfectly at home in a crowd of people, but never really there.

What had changed? Was it the sudden event of his mother's accident? Had the trauma of it broken his walls? That could be, but it wasn't until literally just today that Odd decided to spill some secrets.

He looked, really looked at Odd's face. His green eyes were distant as he gazed into the water in front of them. There was a small, almost sad smile on his face, and he was absently pulling blades of grass from the earth around his knees. He just looked so alone in that moment, so lonely. Ulrich felt he should do something, but was at a loss as to what.

Well, Ulrich thought to himself, didn't I say I was going to go with my feelings? What do I want to do right now? If I just stop thinking, what would I do? So he did that. Let all of his thoughts go and just acted. He threw himself into the fairytale unfolding all around him. He followed his feelings and did what he wanted.

And found himself with his arms around his best friend. Odd's small frame fit perfectly in his arms, and he was just the prefect height to wrap his arms around his waist comfortably. Eyes firmly shut, Ulrich didn't see Odd's reaction, but he could feel his thin arms, slowly, thoughtfully, snake their way around his own waist. He could feel his breath as the blond buried his face in his neck. Even he and Yumi had never embraced this intimately before, but he convinced himself that he was just hugging Odd—his best friend—who looked like he needed a hug most of the time these days.

Odd was at a complete loss for words, but he figured words didn't have a place here anyway. As it was, he was trying to calm his chaotic heartbeat. Ulrich had hugged him before, but never this closely. And he'd seen his fair share of embraces, as far as making out with girls all over the school, but this was entirely different. This was almost foreign, and yet perfectly right.

Not sure if he should press his luck, Odd eventually decided to lay his head in the crook of Ulrich's neck and let out the breath he'd been holding. The feel of Ulrich's hands on the small of his back was heaven, and Odd wished this moment would never end.

But like all good things, the moment did come to a close. After only a few minutes that felt like hours, Ulrich withdrew his arms and Odd hurriedly did the same. It was awkward for only a few seconds but it passed as both boy dissolved into laughter.

They fell back into the soft, green grass and lost themselves in their own world. They didn't leave the clearing until the sun was well passed the crown of the sky. Their hands were linked, but neither boy really seemed to notice, even swinging their arms on occasion. They only let go when Odd had to get their bag and again when they left the trail.

A glance at his phone showed Odd not only that it was now two in the afternoon, but that he had apparently missed a call from Jeremie. A quick glance at Ulrich's phone said the same. Some things would never change.

Ulrich decided to call him back from his own phone, and they sat on a bench, the phone on speaker.

"What the heck were you two doing that neither of you could answer your phones?" The words were scolding, but the tone was light.

"Sorry, Einstein," Odd supplied, "we were distracted." He laughed in his care-free way. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Actually, I just had a sort of surprise for you two. It's on its way through the mail this very moment and should reach you tomorrow afternoon. Are you guys busy next Monday?" Jeremie's tone took on its business-like sound.

"Monday?" It was currently Sunday, so one week from tomorrow. "I don't think we were planning anything. Nothing concrete anyway. Though we were thinking about going to the city on Tuesday." Odd mused, and Ulrich remembered the conversation that had taken place a few nights ago.

"Well, I heard on the radio that the Subdigitals were having a concert in Ancona on Monday. They had a giveaway for three tickets and I thought you might like to go."

"Are you gonna say what I think you're gonna say?" Even Ulrich was excited. He'd never been to a real, professional concert before, and the Subdigitals were his number-one favorite band.

"Yup. The little trivia questions were easy so I thought I'd be the awesome friend I am and won them for you."

"Dude! You are the most awesome friend ever! I'm going to give you the biggest hug you've ever seen the next time I see you!" Odd punched the air, and Ulrich shared his excitement. How perfect that this fit almost seamlessly into their plans.

"No need to thank me. You deserve it for everything you do. Both of you. Listen, I've got to go; Aelita and I are going shopping with my dad. See you!"

"See you, Jeremie!" The two said it in unison as Ulrich snapped his phone shut.

Jeremie ended the call and stowed his phone in his pocket. Just as he was grabbing his wallet there was a knock at his door. He opened it to reveal his father's smiling face. "You ready son?"

"Yeah, I just gotta grab my bag." Despite the super-computer being shut down, Jeremie couldn't shake the need to take his laptop with him everywhere he went. He slid the strap over his shoulder and followed his dad to the car, where Aelita was waiting. She was more into this shopping trip than he was, because they were on the hunt for swimwear first and foremost. Aelita's only bathing suit was the one she had for school, and Jeremie's dad insisted she get at least one other. The man seemed to truly enjoy having a "daughter" to spoil.

They met Yumi and her mom at the strip mall where all the clothing stores could be found. Yumi's mother wouldn't be buying new swimwear, but Yumi would; she was growing out of her previous suit.

As everyone got out of their cars, Aelita, Yumi and Jeremie rushed to the front. "Did you tell Odd and Ulrich about the concert?" Yumi was so excited she worried she may explode.

"Yes, and they were very eager to accept. They still have no idea that we're going to be there."

"Awesome. I just can't wait!" They stopped at the lady's swimwear and looked around. It was just as Yumi found a cute green two-piece for Aelita that she remembered something important. "Jeremie!" She kept her voice low, but it was nearly frantic. "What about Odd's family? Aelita's supposed to be Odd's cousin! That's what I told my parents!"

"You're right," Aelita added. "Perhaps we should call Odd and tell them after all . . ."

"No, I'm sure everything will be fine." Jeremie surprised them both. "If his family is anything like he is, which we can all guess is the case, we shouldn't have any problem."

"But we have no way of knowing that. Remember, they denied knowing her when Delmas asked that one time."

"I trust Odd. He's very good at thinking on his toes."

The girls weren't sure how to react to Jeremie's attitude: Jeremie was usually the last to trust anyone with secrets, let alone adults.

"If you say so," Aelita said slowly.

"But if this backfires, it's on you." Yumi punctuated her pseudo-threat with a finger jab in Jeremie's direction. The blond smiled and held up his right hand in a reassuring way.

The sun was getting low, hovering just above the tree line. Odd was pulling incessantly on Ulrich's arm, all but dragging his taller friend to the gazebo garden. Louise and the rest of the family plus the band were due any minute, and Odd wanted to get there before they did.

They sat on one of the low benches around the inside of the small structure. It was only a few more minutes before the Della Robbias showed, along with four teens that Ulrich didn't recognize. They had to be Louise's band. Odd and Ulrich helped set everything up and then took their seats on a bench not ten feet away from the gazebo.

The family folded in around them, and Ulrich was caught off guard when he felt a large hand drop casually on his left shoulder. Odd was on his right, but it was much too big to be his. Ulrich slowly looked further to his right to find that Odd's dad had his arm around both of them, and his other arm around the twins on his right. The man really was massive. For a moment, Ulrich marveled at the welcoming nature of this family. Odd laughed softly at Ulrich's confusion, and snaked his own lithe arm behind Ulrich's back and around his waist, giving him a playful hug. However, when the music started and Elisabeth took a seat on Ulrich's left, everything just fell into place.

Here Ulrich was, literally in the middle of a family he had just met two weeks ago, and they had already broken every unspoken Stern rule of personal space. Strangely enough, Ulrich couldn't say he was upset. Even if the initial touch or closeness caught him off guard, he had to say he appreciated, even welcomed the sentiment.

Although he much preferred the arm around his waist to the one around his shoulders.

A/N: Things are going somewhere! I bet you're all excited. :3 There will be a bit of a time jump in the next chapter, as I don't have any serious events going on between now and the trip to Ancona. I may start the next chapter with a little random tidbit, but it should mostly be about getting ready for the trip and ultimately, the "reunion" as I call it. :D Yumi will be thrown into the mix, along with the all-knowing Aelita. XD This'll be fun.

There will be NO Yumi bashing in this story. I may have mentioned this before, but I admire her character; however, I don't think her and Ulrich would make a very stable couple. They're like two stubborn mules. Cute together and all, but always butting heads and not really being all that productive. XD

Hai spazio per altri due: Do you have room for two more?

Si! Scegliere una squadra! Siamo irregolari ma: Yes! Pick a team! We're uneven though.

Che va bene: That's okay

Ottimo lavoro!: Great job!

Tu sei un giocatore straordinario!: You're an excellent player!