Rain.

It stunk.

Especially because I, Andrew, walk to school every freakin day.

Yeah, stinks to me. Uh-huh.

Also, it stinks because the only one who talks to me at lunch is William, aka Squirell Boy.

Not even Brianna, the one I liked ever since we met in Pre-K.

Yep, and I don't even know why. It's all a mystery.

I ran through the cafeteria doors, barely in time for breakfast. I went through the line and got a bagel. William flagged me down before I could sit where I wanted to.

I passed Kazuya's table, and glanced at Bri. Jake was next to her, whispering in her ear. She laughed, saw me, and patted the seat next to her.

I ignored it, because true friends don't cancel out one another. I slid into the chair next to William.

We began to talk about RuneScape, the newest fad. Jake slowly approached us. To me, he asked, "Hey, Andrew, you don't mind if I-"

"Buy my stuff on the Rune? No prob. What do you want to buy?"

"I was going to ask if you would mind if I asked Brianna out."

My mouth dropped, and I was pretty sure William's did too. I stood up. "Mind? Of COURSE I mind! I wanted to ask her out!"

Jake snorted. "Well, you'd better do it soon. Cause, if you don't, I will."

I gulped, then nodded.

When he returned later on, Yumi was not with him. He then offered a walk to Bri, and when she got up, I did as well. I followed them stealthily to the hall. Jake gestured to a janitor's closet.

"Sir, I got one of them. Who next?"

I paled. Why was he calling her 'sir'?

"Go for the other Japanese one. It'll keep them from helping their friends stop us!" she replied. That wasn't her voice, though.

They meant Kaz. I needed to warn him. But, when would he listen to me?

Brianna turned to me. She pointed. In the man's voice, the words, "Do anything and you die" came out of her mouth.

I gulped, then nodded. She and Jake returned to the cafeteria. I heard a muffled "No!" come from the closet.

I josteled the door open. Yumi tumbled out. She began to cough.

I helped her stand up. She smiled. "We...Need...Go...AVCO...Emily..." she mumbled. I realized what she was saying.

We made our way into the cafeteria, and thank the Lord Jake and Brianna weren't there. I leaned over near Emily's ear. "We need to go."

She turned her head, looking me in the eye. "What do you...Oh, let's go." she agreed.

The three of us made our way out to the park. "We need Kazuya, don't we Yumi?" Emily asked.

Yumi shook her head. "I can't go in this condition, so I'll take his position."

I was lost. I just helped Yumi to a manhole, and led her down. She motioned for me to take a skateboard, so I did.

After a few minutes of jumps and grinds, we were at another ladder. Again, I helped Yumi up it.

We ended up in Avco, the abandoned factory across Stratford. The three of us entered the elevator.

After a few seconds, Yumi got out. Then, after another five second period, Emily and I got out. I glanced up at the pillars in front of us.

Ready guys? A disembodied Yumi voice asked.

Emily got in a pillar, so I did, too. "Yep! We're ready!" Emily called.

Scanner, Emily, Scanner, Andrew.

I gulped as the doors closd in front of me. I closed my eyes.

Transfer, Emily. Transfer, Andrew. Virtualization.

I felt a sharp jostling. Upon opening eyes, I saw that I was in a forest with a purple haired girl. For some reason, she reminded me of Emily. Then Yumi's voice blasted in above us.

Is  he there, Em?

"Yeah, he's fine, just a little shooken up, Yumi." replied the girl next to me.

She was Emily.

That got me going. I stood up, rather clumisily, and spotted orange on me. I looked down.

I was wearing a blue version of a Xiaolin Monk's outfit. My hands were covered in ice, but I didn't feel any tingling, or any cold, either.

I turned my hand over, closer to my face. It was made of ice, alright.

The wierd thing was, though, that no other part of my skin that was showing was coated in ice.

I looked at Emily, then to the air, I said, "Yumi-I think-can you tell me why my hands are coated with ice?"

I didn't need an answer. As I asked the question, I had pointed at a tree. Now, it looked like something straight out of the Swarkovski collection. "N-N-Nevermind..." I stuttered, shocked.

Emily, however, was fine. "Can we have veichles, Yumi?" she asked.

There was no vocal reply, but instead, a motor-unicycle and a levitating scooter appeared in front of us. Emily got on the scooter-thing, so I got on the remaining veichle.

We drove off in the direction the veichles had been facing, only to see three block-shaped-things coming at us. I formed a spear in my hand, half-frantically, and threw it at the block in the middle. It hit the eye-like-symbol in the center of the creature, and it blew up.

 I repeated this several times, until they were all destroyed.

Emily and I continued on, and came to a pillar with an eerie red aura. A squid came out from behiind it.

Andrew, you have to focus and freeze it solid! came Yumi's words of 'encouragement'.

I did, and it worked. Emily ran into the pillar. Yumi, in partial celebration, called,

Return to the past NOW!

I remembered getting lunch already, and everything. I was standing, looking at Brianna's seat at Kaz's table. I went over for a moment. "Brianna, can I talk to you a moment?" I asked.

 She nodded, and stood. I led her to the vacant side of the cafeteria. She sat on a table. "What's up?" she asked me.

I looked in her eyes. "I went to Lyoko-"

"That's great!"

"-But, it was because of you."

She looked startled.

"Bri, there was only one activated tower, but you and Jake were acting weird. What's wrong?"

She had tears welling in her eyes. "Can you keep a secret?"

I nodded. "Of course."

She patted the table room next to her. I sat obediently. "What is it, Brianna?"

She choked back tears. "Xana"

"What about him?"

"He's in my head. And I can't think straight."

I gulped. Our enemy was posessing Brianna. I faced her, holding her shoulders firmly. "Brianna, it's fine. It'll all be okay. Don't worry." I reassured her.

She nodded. "I sure hope so."

She wrapped me in a hug, and I turned red. "Thank you, Andrew." she whispered.