In a Lonely Place

Chapter 2: Disease of the Dancing Cats

Jeremie read over the note again and again, looking for a loophole that didn’t exist. A couple of times he perked up only to drop his head down, shaking it in disgust.

“Pretty shitty, huh?” Odd cracked a small, sarcastic smile at Jeremie’s expression at his curse.

“Yeah, that about sums it up,” Jeremie said after regaining his composure. He sighed in defeat and threw the note aside. He really was the best one to handle this, but it was too late.

“Are you sure we returned to the past at the right time?” Odd asked, grasping at straws.

“Yes.”

“Couldn’t we go back again, change things?”

“No. It was more than this alone.”

Odd jumped off his bed, ready to storm out. Jeremie grabbed on to his arm.

“We might not be able to fix this with the supercomputer, but there are other things that can be done,” Jeremie said.

“Reasoning with the principal didn’t work.”

“Oh.” Jeremie was stunned. “How long have you been keeping this from us? Anything else we need to know?”

Odd exhaled, deeply. He shifted his eyes around, refusing to look at Jeremie. “I knew since the day of our last mission. Before the mission. I was late in getting to the Factory because I was in Delm-ASS’s office pleading my case. Didn’t work.”

“Does your dad know?”

“I haven’t told him, but he could.” Odd was close to crying again. “He might be here tomorrow if the principal told him.”

“And that’s it?”

“That’s it.”

Jeremie was as sullen as Odd at his words. “Do you want me to tell the others?”

“I guess. Generally, though,” Odd sucked in air. “They don’t need to know why. They don’t need to know I’m a failure. I’d rather be seen as an eccentric goof than that.”

“You are not a failure, Odd!”

“Oh sure I am. I could’ve studied more, paid attention, taken school seriously. But I didn’t. And DON’T,” Odd raised his voice as Jeremie was about to interrupt. “Say Lyoko is a good excuse. I know it isn’t as well as you. You guys all pull good grades under the same circumstances.”

“Will you stop beating yourself up?” Jeremie tightened his grip on Odd’s arm as he pulled him back into a sitting position. “You are valuable to me – to all of us! Never think otherwise.”

“Not in Delmas’ eyes.” Odd’s sobs he’d held back finally burst forth. “Not in my Dad’s eyes.” Jeremie could only lamely hug Odd as he went on. “I’m only here because I made a deal. Dad sent me here on one condition – that if I were to show lack of discipline, he’d pull me out of here and send me into the military. I’m headed to boot camp. I know it!”

The picture painted in Jeremie’s mind was not a pretty one. Odd, despite all claims otherwise, was scrawny, not svelte. Could he withstand the rigors of the armed forces? Perhaps, with his Lyoko background. But Odd was also glaringly off-center. He stood out with his attire, hair-do, and antics. They made Odd what he was. In the military, Odd would have to conform. He’d be forced to be another person altogether. Jeremie did not want to see that happen.

Odd’s crying had leveled off, and he used the collar of Jeremie’s turtleneck to wipe his eyes. “Odd…” Jeremie started to form a complaint, but let it slide.

“Hmm…” Odd had heard, and pulled away to look at Jeremie questioningly.

:”Just a bad mental picture is all. You getting conformity beat into you by a drill sergeant,” Jeremie said. Odd burst out in maniacal, shrill laughter that was not at all natural like Odd’s normal laughing.

“OH…me in the military…what a bad dream…” Odd was raving. Jeremie had an urge to hit him again, but only to slap some sense into him. “Ten HUT! HAHAHAHA.” Odd was becoming incoherent.

“Odd, snap out of it!” Odd continued laughing amidst his mumblings. Jeremie reached out and embraced Odd again to no effect. “Will you be quiet already?” Again seeing no change, Jeremie put his face right in front of Odd’s and yelled, “SHUT UP!”

Odd blinked and flapped his mouth like a guppy, inhaling air but forming no words. Jeremie’s eyes shined with unshed tears as he watched Odd try to regain his senses.

“You didn’t have to yell,” Odd finally managed.

“Apparently I did,” Jeremie countered. “Nothing else was working.”

“Y’know, there’s another reason me and the military wouldn’t get along,” Odd sounded strangely calm.

“Besides your physique, clothes, attitude and just plain not wanting to be there?”

Yeah. Bigger than the last problem, definitely.”

“You want me to guess at it?”

Odd looked thoughtful, and Jeremie couldn’t tell what was going on in that scatter-brained head.

“Nah. That’d take too much time. This is much simpler.”

Odd leaned in the last foot of space and pressed his lips assuredly against Jeremie’s. He moved closer to the other boy as he kissed him, touching hips and roaming a hand over his back. Odd’s eyes studied Jeremie’s face – furrowed brow, arched eyebrows, closed eyes. He parted after some moments and stared evenly with the newly-opened green orbs.

“It’s…” Jeremie was at a loss. “A pretty big reason.”