A.N. “ The second part of Hazed has the same general warnings “ it’s dark. Less violence but more language within. I do not own Code Lyoko. And the dedication goes out to Rodrincubus at Lyokofreak. Sorry for forgetting you in chapter 1.
Nearly the whole school body had assembled in the auditorium for the funeral. The casket containing William’s body was closed, at the request of his family. They sat in the front row, with the faculty behind them and students filling the rest of the seat. Everyone wore black. For Yumi, this was nothing unusual. Other members of the group were having a harder time adjusting.
“This is so not me,” Odd complained. “I can be somber and still have my quirks. It’s not fair.” Odd knew a change of clothes would be in order, but when he had been told to take the purple spot in his hair out by order of the principal, he’d fought tooth and nail and failed to keep it. So he sat, hair flattened down and all blonde.
Aelita could do nothing for her pink hair, but she was in a black dress, as was Yumi. The boys had donned suits ties. No one was comfortable, despite being almost in the back of the auditorium. That, too, had caused debate. They wanted to show support for William, but it might’ve been a risk, so they hung back.
A hush fell over everyone assembled as a man got up to the podium. He spoke of William as creative, kind, a go-getter. To the gang, no words could ever capture what William was all about. William often could not come up with the words himself, so what made this man an authority on him?
The gang lost interest as more people came up and heaped praise on the dearly departed. Odd shuffled his feet, and Aelita looked lost. Ulrich was whispering very quietly to Yumi, and Jeremie stared off into space. They all internally wanted the same thing “ to have this over with.
So, when the end finally came, and the hearse came to take William to his burial place, only then did the gang finally drop the seriousness. They relaxed in their normal spot, chatting and smiling amicably for the first time since the incident. That all stopped when Sissi strode around the corner.
“Pretty chirpy, aren’t you guys?” she said, inclining her head as if confused. “A friend of yours, if I’m not mistaken, was just memorialized. Shouldn’t you be gripped by sadness or something?”
“No more than you, Sissi,” Ulrich said. “And you don’t seem that woebegone either.”
“Oh, but I am,” Sissi’s toying tone was lost as she went on. “William’s death was a great tragedy.”
“We feel the same way, Sissi,” Aelita said. “We all will miss him greatly.”
“But not for my reasons,” Sissi said.
“Don’t tell me you were fawning after him as well,” Yumi was incredulous. “I thought that was reserved for Ulrich.”
“You know damn well what I mean!” Sissi growled. “Don’t play dumb, and don’t go thinking I am, either.”
“We don’t think you’re dumb,” Odd started. Sissi nearly smiled at him until he opened his mouth again. “We know you are!” The gang busted up laughing, and Sissi scowled. That made Odd laugh harder. Sissi, in turn, backhanded him.
“You need to feel some of the pain you put him through, you freaks,” Sissi bit out. Ulrich jumped up to restrain her while Yumi took a look at the bruise on Odd’s face.
“Whatever drove William to do what he did, I don’t think any of us can truly feel that pain,” Ulrich said. Aelita nodded, while Odd tried to hide the hurt in his eyes as Yumi steadied him.
“Sure you could,” Sissi said logically. “You just…”
“STOP!” Jeremie interrupted, glaring at Sissi. “We continue this in private.” The group looked momentarily stunned as they filed inside. Sissi alone had a triumphant smile on her face.
xxxx
Once sequestered in Jeremie’s room, a hush fell. Sissi had seemed so proud just a moment ago, but looked now as if she were having second thoughts. Jeremie grasped upon this at once.
“OK, spill,” he said in a commanding tone. Sissi bowed her head and muttered something about William swearing her to secrecy. “And what does that matter now that he’s not here? We all have questions we’d like answered, I’m sure. It’s a little give and take on both sides. So, start giving.”
“What do you want me to tell you that you don’t already know?” Sissi tried to escape her predicament again, but Jeremie wouldn’t stand for it. He looked ready to go on a tirade, but Ulrich stepped in.
“Please. It’s for the best if you tell us what you were going to outside.” Ulrich looked over at Jeremie with questioning in his eyes. Jeremie’s widened in response, and Ulrich turned his attention that way. “You knew, but we obviously didn’t. Are you holding out on us?”
Jeremie looked stunned. “Not in that way, I assure you. I stopped Sissi from divulging important information outside that I felt she might have known.”
“And how did you know this?” Yumi asked.
“He must’ve seen us,” Sissi breathed.
“Doing what?” Odd finally had a reason to smirk. Sissi blushed in response, but it was of anger, not embarrassment.
“Don’t you get any ideas, cat boy!” she shrieked, then covered her mouth. The group turned as one to her.
“Run that one by me again?” Odd asked, serious for once.
“You heard what I said,” she bit out.
“So I was right,” Jeremie concluded. “And wrong.”
“You’re losing us, Einstein,” Ulrich deadpanned.
“I saw William and Sissi outside while eating lunch in my room,” Jeremie said. “So I was right in my hunch about Sissi, but wrong about William and his resolve. From what Sissi let slip, I can gather William lost his cool and sought some advice from someone he felt he could trust at the time.”
“And that meant Sissi?” Aelita tried to keep the incredulity out of her voice.
“You have a problem with that?” Sissi sneered. “Yeah, he talked to me. Pretty unbelievable stuff, too. But, we’re here for a reason, aren’t we? That unbelievable stuff, right?”
“Pretty much,” Jeremie conceded. “How much did he tell you?”
“Well, he told me that you guys wanted him to fight this evil thing, and he sounded really worried that he wouldn’t come back,” she started.
“Did you believe him?” Yumi asked.
“With you guys, I never really know.” Sissi sighed. “You’re always up to something, some prank. And the way William was talking, it sounded like you were at it again.”
“Did whatever he said sound that crazy?” Odd asked.
“You’re one to talk about crazy,” Sissi said. “But yeah, he mentioned possession and monsters and made it all sound like a big virtual reality game. If that’s what you all have been doing, I’m going to be disappointed.”
“Well, sorry to say, but…” Ulrich began, but was cut off by Aelita and Jeremie together. They pulled him aside, while the remainder of those in the room rolled their eyes.
“She doesn’t really know,” Jeremie hissed. “Why tell her?”
“I dunno, ‘cause she deserves to know how he really died?” Ulrich whispered back.
“But she thinks she knows,” Aelita said. “That’s all that matters.”
“But she’ll still be suspicious,” Ulrich intoned.
“And always will be. Now drop it,” Jeremie turned around and stared eye-to-eye with Sissi.
“So, William told you he was off to fight some virtual possessed monsters and was worried about coming back?” Sissi nodded. “There’s your answer. He probably was waxing poetic about the demons in his head.”
“But, then why would he…” Sissi began.
“We may never know,” Aelita said.
“But, in the lunchroom…” Sissi said. “You said…”
“What we said is inconsequential,” Yumi interrupted. “Can’t you take what you’ve been told at face value and leave it be?”
“But that’s not fair,” Sissi protested.
“That isn’t the issue here,” Ulrich said. “Have we sated your interest for now?”
“I suppose,” Sissi mumbled.
“There’s just one thing I’m unclear on,” Jeremie began. “I saw William talking to you, but why did he pick you, out of everyone, to confide in during his darkest time?”
“That’s what he swore me to secrecy about, even more so than the crazy monster thing,” Sissi looked defiant. “As if I’m going to break his trust now.”
“”I guess that’s your choice, but whatever he told you could provide us all some answers,” Jeremie looked over his glasses at the principal’s daughter.
“Common interests. That’s it,” Sissi said.
“So, what, you both go jelly-legged when Ulrich’s around?” Odd grinned and winked at Sissi.
“You insensitive…” Sissi stormed out of the room in a huff. The other occupants watched her go, curious yet relieved.
“It could’ve gone worse,” Aelita began.
“I, for one, feel the attack on my character was totally unwarranted,” Odd tried his best to look pious, but his demeanor would not allow it to look convincing.
“In all seriousness,” Yumi started, looking over to Odd. “We know now our trust has been broken once. Can we really risk it being broken again?”
“It could be worse for us if Sissi starts spreading misinformation rather than the truth around campus,” Jeremie said.
“So, should we really tell her?” Aelita asked.
Ulrich looked ready to say something, but he too turned and left the room. If the rest of the group was going to waffle over this decision, he’d just make it himself.
Hazed by Stonecreek
Author's Chapter Notes:
Second chapter now up. Sissi's suspicions are revealed to the gang, who take it in different ways.