♦♣♠♥♠♣♦~CHAPTER 20: CODA~♦♣♠♥♠♣♦

"So, you're going with Jeremy and you're going with Ulrich?" I confirmed with Aelita and Yumi. They both smiled and nodded. We were all in Aelita's room talking, although it had started as a study session it had quickly shifted.

"What what about you? Got a date?" Yumi asked. I shrugged one shoulder with a smile.

"Alright, spill. Who?" Aelita asked eagerly. I smiled and held my hands up.

"Not going to tell. It's a surprise." I said. "If Odd can keep his mouth shut until Friday." I thought to myself.

"No fair." Yumi said. I kind of scoffed/laughed at that.

"Well, to me at least, it seemed pretty obvious who you two were going with." I said.

"Alright. So, what are we going to wear to the dance?" Aelita asked. I smiled.

"I think I know exactly what would work. If we did it, I can guarantee it'll look awesome and our dates won't be able to take their eyes off us. As if they could in the first place." I added. Both Aelita and Yumi laughed.

"Coda, I never knew you could be so...so..." Aelita paused trying to think of the right word.

"Devious?" I suggested, sweetly. Aelita laughed.

"Not quite what I was looking for, but ya." She replied. I smiled at them.

"So, Coda, what's your idea?" Yumi asked.

"It goes like this...." I started.

♦♣♠♥♠♣♦~ODD~♦♣♠♥♠♣♦

"Nice work Jeremy." I said as he, Ulrich and I stepped out of the factory. We had ten minutes to get back to the school for the dance.

"Thanks. I'm still not sure why I agreed to this since you refuse to tell me who your date is." Jeremy muttered. I rolled my eyes and glanced at Ulrich. Even on our world, his samurai outfit from our earlier adventures on Lyoko looked cool. Of course, so did mine and Jeremy's.

I was in my old purple cat outfit, including my gloves. Jeremy had made it so I couldn't fire arrows and Ulrich couldn't draw his sword (there was rope tying it to the sheath) but it was still our Lyoko outfits. Jeremy had gotten one as well.

Jeremy had on dark green pants and black flat boots with a bright green strap around the top. He was wearing dark green gloves folded over with the bright green like his boots, a button-up two sided collared shirt (the right side was dark green with a bright green sleeve and the other was flipped) with long sleeves that he had rolled up to his elbow, and, of course, his green staff the actually looked more like a cane.

We slipped into the sewer entrance, I grabbed my skateboard, and led the way. As I jumped on I shouted "Ya!", as was my custom. Ulrich and Jeremy weren't far behind. The journey didn't take long and we quickly reached the school.

I led the way up. It was dark outside but the school ground were lit up, particularly around the gym. "Alright. I'll be right back. There's something I need to do, but I'll be here before 5:25." I said. I walked off, heading for the school. Ulrich and Jeremy seemed content to wait for the girls at our meeting place: the vending machines.

I, however, had a little surprise planned for Coda, and since she and Aelita were at Yumi's getting ready now was the best time to do it. First, I stopped at my room. I pulled the canister out of my closet before leaving, locking the door behind me. I headed upstairs to Coda's room and, using the spare key she gave me, I entered.

My surprise was new posters. I had redrawn all of Coda's Lyoko pictures (on my own paper) and planned to give them to her as a gift. I hung each one up on top of her other ones, set a picture of the Lyoko Warriors, along with her and Jeremy, on her desk with a letter.

I stepped back, smiled, and nodded. "Ya." I said quietly to myself. I turned and walked out, locking the door behind me. I reached the vending machines with 2 minutes to spare.

"Cutting it kind of close, Odd?" Ulrich asked, tossing his empty soda can into the trash can.

"Well, I got here before they did so it's all good am I right?" I replied. Ulrich shrugged and turned to me, but looked past me. His mouth fell open along with Jeremy's. I turned around and froze.

Standing there was Coda, Yumi, and Aelita, all in their original Lyoko outfits, even Coda. Yumi's outfit was more or less the same, she even had her fan, but Aelita's was a little different. Her pink cardigan and skirt had melted together to form a dress. Her skirt was a little longer as well.

I really only glanced at them, but most of my attention was on Coda. She was wearing a short-sleeved purple turtleneck dress that ended about mid-thigh. She had on silver no-tip gloves that reached all the way past her elbows, a silver bag on her hip exactly like her other silver one, and black shorts on underneath her dress. She had on purple stockings that went to just past her knee and black knee-high boots with silver bands criss-crossing down on both feet, only they were flipped so when she put her legs together they formed 'X's and diamonds.

"Wow." Ulrich muttered, staring at Yumi. She had her dark pink fan up, covering her mouth and nose, Aelita was smiling brightly at Jeremy (showing teeth and all), and Coda had her hands behind her back. At first she simply had a smiled but after a second she started laughing and gave me a bright opened mouthed smile.

"You guys look..." Ulrich trailed off, still unable to take his eyes off Yumi.

"Earth to Ulrich." I waved my hand in front of his face and he flinched back. I looked over the girls again. "Looks like we weren't the only ones who decided to do a Lyoko themed outfit." I said.

"Yes, well, it was Coda's idea. She also gave us our outfits." Aelita said. I nodded and smiled at her.

"Cool. Well, ready?" I offered Coda a hand and she took it.

"So, Odd's your date?" Aelita asked, taking Jeremy's offered arm.

"Why are you all so surprised?" Coda asked, confused. I laughed.

"Anyway, Aelita's mixing so we'd better hurry up and get inside." Jeremy said. He and Aelita led the way with Ulrich and Yumi behind them. Coda and I shared a smiled before I pulled her towards the gym as well.

"Coda, I'll make sure tonight is the best." I promised. Coda smiled.

"So far." She added. I simply pulled her inside, right as Aelita started mixing.

♦♣♠♥♠♣♦~JIM MORALES~♦♣♠♥♠♣♦

I'd stopped hearing Stone's mixing songs about five minutes ago. I'd gone out to search the woods for any students attempting to run off. I hadn't been searching for long when I heard music. I followed it, since I was to far away from the school to be able to hear and I wanted to know where it came from.

It's source turned out to be Jones. She wasn't breaking any rules, just dancing. She moved with the music that seemed to be coming from her in a dance I'd never seen before, although it did seem familiar at the same time.

Her silver hair glittered in the moonlight and for a split second I saw another girl dancing to the same song, also with silver hair up in pigtails, dancing in a purple dress. She was young, only 3 or 4 years old, but even so she reminded me of Jones. The only thing was I didn't know who she was.

I watched Jones dance for a little bit when I saw her approaching the edge of the meadow. There was a small, maybe 5 foot drop on the other side. Jones had her eyes closed and didn't seem to realize it was there. I ran out of my spot in the woods. "Jones, look out!" I said. She paused, her hands above her head, but she was to close to the edge to stop and fell.

I grabbed her hand and yanked her back, falling down as I did. Jones took a few breathes before looking at me. "Thank you, Mr. ..." She paused, not remembering my name.

"Jim. Just Jim." I said. She smiled.

"Alright." She and I both got up and she dusted off her dress.

"Jones, what were you doing out here in the woods anyway?" I asked.

"Dancing. I ... well I feel better dancing alone in the moonlight." She explained.

"Alright. Head back to the school. I'm sure your friends will be worried about you." I shooed her off. Jones ran to the woods edge before she stopped.

"Jim..." She turned to look at me. She paused before smiling. "Thanks." She turned and ran off. I watched her go and I got a feeling that this wasn't the first time she'd left like this. Only, I'd never been alone with her before.

♦♣♠♥♠♣♦♦♣♠♥♠♣♦~End~♦♣♠♥♠♣♦♦♣♠♥♠♣♦

AN: This is the equivalent of the end of season 1. I'll be posting season 2 in a little bit (though contrary to how it was before, it will be its own story). Hope you liked this story!