"Yes, and then you walk up to  a tree, and get zapped, and it's overwith. And we'll all cry our little eyes out and say 'poor Aelita, too bad it was just because of a stupid vision.' Then we'll destroy XANA and never think twice about it."

Aelita, Odd, and Ulrich were walking down a hallway in Kadic. Apparently Aelita had had a vision the night before, a dream in which the group never destroyed XANA, that Aelita needed to enter Lyoko as soon as possible. Odd was extremely annoyed, and Ulrich had woken up on the wrong side of the bed. 

"Yes, Odd, but this is a little too serious, what do you think, Ulrich?"

"Oh, he thinks that you shouldn't even go to the factory," said Odd with a big smile,and put an arm around Ulrich's neck.

"I personally think you two should SHUT UP!"

Odd sidled away from Ulrich, and began arguing with Aelita again. They were screaming as a tired Jeremie came up beside them. He was shocked to see how they weren't tired, and how energetic they were compared to him. He had been working on Aelita's anti-virus all night. "What are you three arguing about?"

Odd was , of course, the first to speak, "Aelita started it, she had a vision that she shoud be virtualized!"

"A serious vision, though!"

"THEY WON'T SHUT UP!"

They all started arguing again, and Jeremie drowsily walked to class. He wasn't surprised when they came late. After a good hour of classwork, fifteen minutes before the bell rung, the principal came in. A brown-haired, blue-eyed girl cautiously walking behind him. Aelita took no notice that she looked akwardly at Jeremie.

"Class, this is your new student, Kaitie. She is a very shy girl, let me tell you, so please be as kind as possible. Kaitie, go take a seat."

The new girl walked along the isle, and on the way Sissi stuck her tongue out at her.

"That means you too, Sissi."

Kaitie giggled at the look of distress on Sissi's face.She took a seat two rows behind Jeremie, and quickly began the paper on the desk.

Jeremie walked along the hallway of Kadic, thinking of what score he got on the worksheet. Duh, it's a 100%. I'm way too tired to even be walking around.

Soon Yumi caught up with him, looking more bored than usual.

"What's the matter?" Jeremie asked, and she asked the same back. They told each other about their day. Yumi had a math test, and a science expirement. Jeremie asked her why she was so bored, then.

"It wasn't that fun, Jeremie! I sometimes worry about you, no matter how much of an einstien you are."

"Sorry, I was up all night. I couldn't go to sleep, so I was of course ont he computer."

"You haven't told me something, I can tell."

"Well, we got a new girl in class. She seems nice. Her name's Kaitie."

"Hey, so did I! She has an eight grade reading class, can you believe it?"

"You're kidding?"

"Nope."

They walked back to Jeremie's room together. they saw that Kaitie had the dorm across the hall.

"Hello," Yumi said warmly. She smiled and waved.

"Hi," Kaitie replied glumly. She fumbled with the lock on teh door, ready to put her backpack down and not pick it up for the rest of the night.

"How would you like to come in with us? There's enought room for twelve people," Jeremie asked. Kaitie shrugged and followed them in. She dropped her backpack near the door and stood there. She watched as Jeremie got onto the internet, and felt a longing to check her email. Yumi looked at her strangely.

"What's the matter? You're awfully quiet."

"Sorry, I'm an introvert."

Yumi gave her a strange look, but Jeremie smiled in understanding. They spent the rest of the night chatting, and soon kaitie got to know her firt freinds in Kadic. Soon it was time for Yumi to go home, and Kaitie declared that she should go back and try to open her room door. Soo Jeremie was alone, and after a few hours he was asleep before his head it the pillow. It had been a very busy day.

Jeremie, Aleita, and Kaitie walked along the hallways of Kadic. Jeremie was almmost bursting with desire to ask who had won the argument the previous day. But he didn't dare, knowing that Kaitie would ask a question. She could tell, though, the way Jeremie and Aelita were talking, that they were hiding something important. Nevertheless, she said nothing about it. Jeremie was just talking about programming when they reached Aelita's classroom and bade her goodbye. Kaitie and Jermie walked along in silence. Then Kaitie spoke.

"What class do you have next?" 

"Gym. You?"

"Same."

"OK."

"You know, you, Aelita and Yumi are the first freinds I've ever had."

"Really?" Jeremie looked at her incredulously. He was surprsed to hear such a thing.

"Yeah. People at my old school thought that I was too smart to be anybody's freind. I even made my gifted teacher yell out loud."

"People call me a pure genius."

"Same here."

"Um... let's walk to class together."

"Fine with me."

 _____________________________________________________________________________

After all their classes of the day, they met up with Yumi and Ulrich. Jeremie introduced her to Ulrich, and they all walked to their dorms. Yumi went home. Around 8:00, Kaitie knocked on Jeremie's door, hoping that he was still awake. He answered the door, a smile on his face.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure why not. I just finished this program to-"

Jeremie's eyes widened. I might as well die right here and now, he thought to himself. He had almost forgotten she wasn't one of them.

"Uh... well... I, Um..."

"You've been hiding something from me all day! I, for one, am one of the ost loyal and trustworthy people you could meet."

For the first time that day, they made eye contact. A sudden jolt ran through Kaitie, and Jeremie was all she could see. Before she knew it, he was more cute than the average boy. Behind his eyes she could see a life full of daring, risks, and danger. She wanted no more than  to know his secret and all about him, no matter how much it would change her life. Then she snapped back to reality when he spoke, and she took in his voice, wanting to soak in it.

"I promise, sincerely, Kaitie, I will for sure one day tell you. I wish I could tell you," he closed his eyes, and felt the tears burning behind them, "I wish I could tell everyone, but this secret is too fragile for anyone to know. I need permission from the others."

"And I promise I will prove to be trustworthy. I will do anything for you, and anyone else in your group. You are the first freind I ever had in my life. I want to prove you can tell me your secret."

"I promise. I will."

When Kaitie saw the sadness on his face, she wanted nothing more than to kiss him on the cheek, tell him there was nothing to worry for. But she withdrew herself and left the room.

That night she had a dream.

And Jeremie was the only person in it. 

Total darkness. A scene of the school, Kadic, appears. Here comes Jeremie, and who is that holding his hand? It isn't me. It is that new girl, Kaitie. Why would Jeremie like her? This must be a dream! They are coming up to me, I must talk to them.

"Jeremie, what are you doing with that girl?"

"What are you talking about, I never went out with you!"

"But we've kissed, how many times!"

Kaitie speaks, "Jeremie, why is she arguing with you?"

"But I want to know... why are you with her Jeremie?"

"Sorry, do I know you?"

Jeremie fades away, Kaitie with him. I jump up and try to grab them. My fingers pass right through. What is going on? My dreams are never like this, no matter what! Don't I usually control my dreams? This is absurd! I hope I wake up soon!

Total darkness.

Scene of sunset fades in. I am sitting next to Jeremie, his hand is on mine. Kaitie comes up behind us. This is antoher dream, what is going on!

Kaitie speaks, "Jeremie, why are you with that pink haired girl?"

I jump up, speak, "Now it's you who got dumped! That's what you get for messing with my dreams!"

Jeremie jumps up, he doesn't have his glasses on, "I have been sitting with Aelita this whole time? Come on Kaitie, let's go."

They walk away. I scream.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

_____________________________________________________________________________

Aelita sat up. It had been three days since she had met Kaitie, and two days before she had been having such dreams. Nothing yet had been such a horror in her life besides XANA. She got out of bed and tried to go see Jeremie, but for the fifth night she didn't want to relive her dream. What if that girl was in there with him? No, for five nights in a row she had been going to Ulrich.

Soon he'll think I like him, she thought as she knocked on his dorm door.

For the fifth night.

In a row.  

Jeremie woke up the next morning with the weigh of guilt on his shoulders. He still couldn't believe himself and how he had almost given away the most valuable secret in the world. Then Kaitie's beautiful face appeared in his mind, and he gasped. He hadn't realized it, but he liked her. A lot.

Ulrich burst in, Odd following with an exasperated look on his face.

"But it's been five nights in a row!"

"You can't be upset because of a week!"

'What's up, Ulrich?" Jeremie asked, "What's been going on for five nights?"

Ulrich sighed, "Every night this week Aelita's been coming into our room to tell me about these dreams she's been having. She doesn't want to tell you 'cause  she doesn't want to relive her dreams."

"What are her dreams?"

"She told me and Odd not to tell you, it's too embarrasing for her."

"And," said Odd, butting in with a huge smile on his face. he opened his arms wide, "that's why he's been a big crankypants for the past few days. Isn't it wonderful?"

Jeremie shook his head in impatience. It was becoming too much for him.

"Um... you know that new girl, Kaitie?"

They both nodded.

"Well, she came into my room yesterday and I almost let it slip...."

"No..." Odd gasped, "you're kidding! Now she'll be asking us for the rest of our lives!"

Sissi whizzed the door open, her face angry.

"SHUT UP! NOBODY CAN GET ANY SLEEP AROUND HERE!" she slammed the door close.

"Oh, that's just what my sock said in my dream last night when I put it on," said Odd, "and it sounded exactly like Sissi!"

Jeremie shook his head in annoyance.

"Come on, it's a saturday, let's go down and eat breakfast. I wonder, can I tell her?"

"What did she say?" Ulrich asked.

"Well, she said she was more trustworthy than anyone we'll ever meet. And that I'm the first freind she ever had."

"I don't really care," Odd said, "let's just go eat!"

It was about after dinner, and Jeremie, once again, was working on Aelita's anti-virus. He typed away, and clicked a few icons to try the program out. It was supposed to search Aelita inside-out for the virus and near-destroy XANA at the same time. He was in the middle of the search program when he heard a snarling outside of his room. He didn't want to take his eyes off the computer screen, so he said nothing. A few minutes later, he heard a screaming outside the door, and Kaitie burst in, slamming the door behind her. Jeremie jumped up and she backed against him. He felt something warm on his wrist, and to his horror it was covered in blood.

Jeremie grabbed Kaitie by the shoulders and whirled her around. A giant scratch was traced from the middle of her chest to the top of her stomach. Jeremie shoved her on his bed.

"Stay there!"

He threw one of his drawers open and pulled out a few clean shirts. he then wrapped it around Kaitie's torso and secured the makeshift cast with some tape he found laying around.

"What went on out there?" he asked, and it took Kaitie time to speak.

"A-a giant... r-rabbit."

"What?"

He inched his door open, and sure enough he saw the familiar mark in black rabbit eyes, and he slammed the door shut in XANA's face. He whispered the virus' name under his breath.

"What's going on?" Kaitie asked, and she felt that she was about to learn the big secret. To pass time, Jeremie answered and told her all about XANA and Aelita and Franz Hopper. And soon the snorting of XANA died away in the hallway and they were free to go.

The duo tiptoed past the sleeping vermin, afraid to wake the virus. The first stop afterwards was Aelita's room. After she was awake and ready to go, they readied Ulrich and Odd. Aelita called Yumi and they were all at the factory. Then, on the elevator, Ulrich mentioned something about Kaitie.

"She should make some use of herself. Jeremie, whenwe go back in time we could use some help," he suggested. Jeremie nodded in agreement. They all did. Kaitie didn't like the way they all stared at her, and shrank into the shadows. "What do you mean?"

Jeremie smiled warmly, "I could teach you everything I know about Lyoko. You would be a perfect replacement." A promise she woud never remember.

"Yeah," said Odd, "but how could she remember everything when we do go back in time?"

"I'll program it into her," Jeremie said hopefully, "just like I did all of you."

That night Jeremie showed her things she would never remember. She had a scab that would never come into her life again, even though it would wellbe a scar. Nad before she knew it, Jeremie said five unforgettable words. Another tower had been de-activated.

"Return to the past now."

"NO Aelita, you can't go into Lyoko."

Odd and Ulrich were walking together to class, and Odd had said that just as Aelita walked up. SHe smiled.

"How did you know I was going to ask that?"

"Oh just a feeling."

They all laughed. Jeremie walked up, tired like he was that same morning. He smiled to see them in a changed mood for the second time around that day. THen he turned serious.

"So, final vote."

"Aye."

"Whatever."

"Why not?"

"I'm fine with it," Yumi caught up with them.

"Alright," said Jeremie, "at lunch?"

"At lunch."

Yumi walked on, and Jeremie, Aelita, Ulrich and Odd walked into the classroom to meet Kaitie for the second time.

_____________________________________________________________________________

 At lunch they all sat down at the same table. Kaitie was looking for a seat, and Jeremie offered for her to sit with them.

"Sure, why not?"

During lunch, the group asked her many questions, including if virtual worlds meant anything to her, if she worked on computers at all, and if she had any freinds yet. She seemed interested in any computer-made thing, programmed games when she was bored, and she had a grade average of 95.87 (of course the group told her theirs.).

Jeremie told her that she was officially part of the group, and would explain her about what it meant over time. He told her to meet him in his room Sunday. After lunch she went went to her dorm to program another game. Soon she would be fighting evil, and didn't even know it.

This is the conclusion of The New Girl, part of the series To Understand. Go to the series section to see it. After this I will take a break and work on another story.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sunday morning Kaitie went to Jeremie's dorm. He showed her how to work the tower scan, and told her about XANA. Later he put the Lyoko connection on both her laptop and her dorm computer. She would be a great addition to the group.