She Didn’t Deserve It
Chapter One – Gabrielle Aynor
“Today
we are conducting an experiment on the dangers of Ammonia. Because we are going
to have a few experiments with the Ammonia in, I shall show you what it could
do in dangerous amounts,” Mrs. Hertz taught the class. She measured some water
in a beaker and put a small garden weed inside.
“Ugh!” The whole class covered their noses as
tears formed in their eyes. The smell stung their noses and it made it very
hard to breathe.
“Ammonia,”
Mrs. Hertz coughed as she corked the beaker that held a few plants inside.
“Watch it…” The plants were fine for a short period of time, but then they
seemed to wilt more and more. “Who can tell me why this is happening?” Odd, to
everyone’s amazement, raised his hand. “Yes, Odd?”
“The
stuff is nasty!” He looked at it in disgust.
“Can
anyone else tell me?” The teacher surveyed the class. Jeremie
raised his hand. “Yes, Jeremie?”
“Ammonia
is reducing the capturing of oxygen. Even though plants take in carbon dioxide,
they still need to find it in the air and the Ammonia is taking it all away,” Jeremie answered.
“Thank
you,” Mrs. Hertz smiled. “If it is taken in large quantities, we can die, which
is why I am showing before hand, that this is not a chemical to be played
around with.”
“I
am not looking forward to be working with that stuff,” Ulrich stood in the long
line to get to the water fountain after class was over. His mouth was really
dry, as well as his throat.
“You
know, we could always get water bottles in the cafeteria…” Jeremie
rolled her eyes. “
“They
have probably run out,” Odd muttered, gloomily as they headed to the cafeteria.
-~-
“I
understand some of you had science class already, so you may all have water bottles
and juice boxes in here. First off, however, is I have been notified that we
will have a new student joining us today. I believe she will be coming to join
us halfway through today’s class. Get into groups of two and work on page 347.
I expect it to be handed in at the end of class,” Their Math teacher announced
and sat in his desk.
“I’ll
be your partner, Ulrich, you don’t need ask me,” Sissy took a seat next to
him.
“Actually,
He is my partner,” Jeremie glared.
“Hmph!” Sissy stuck her nose in the air and left.
“Thanks,”
Ulrich sniggered. Near the end of class, Jeremie had
already finished and was watching the clock, right above the door. The door
opened and a very short, red-haired girl walked in, hugging her books and
retreated to the back, looking to the ground. She was wearing a green
turtleneck, and a skirt that went a few inches below the knee.
“Odd,
I think that’s the new girl…” Jeremie pointed back.
“She
seems afraid,” Odd stared back. “Maybe she is working for X.A.N.A!”
“No,
I don’t think so. She would be more evil. Maybe like Sissy, for example!”
Ulrich joined in the conversation.
“Oh,
Gabrielle, I didn’t see you come in!” The teacher stood up, and hurried to the
back corner. “Class, this is Gabrielle Aynor. Gabrielle, do you want to say a
few things about yourself?” The girl shook her head, not even looking up.
“Sissy, would you show her around today?”
“Wait!”
Jeremie raised his hand. Ulrich and Odd stared at
him. “I have already been asked to do that, Ma’am.”
“Oh, Oh, Alright. Thank you, Jeremie,” The
teacher looked taken back for a second but then took her seat in her desk.
“What
was that for?” Odd glared. “What if Xana attacks? We
can’t let her know about Lyoko.”
“She
looked like she was afraid of Sissy,” Jeremie
shrugged.
“She
looks afraid of everything,” Ulrich pointed out.
-~-
“Do
you have lunch next?” Yumi asked as the class ended.
Gabi nodded, looking at her with sad eyes.
“What’s
wrong?” Ulrich asked suspiciously, behind Yumi. There
wasn’t an answer from her.
“Here,
I’ll show you to the cafeteria, c’mon,” Jeremie
sighed and that’s where they headed. They sat down at an empty table. “So,
where are you from?” Gabi pushed back her chair and ran from the room, tearful.
“Do
you think its homesickness?” Yumi asked.
“She
must have really loved her old home then,” Jeremie
raised both eyebrows in surprise.
“I’ll
see if she is off to do work for X.A.N.A,” Odd said.
“Fat
chance she does. I mean, look at her,” Ulrich pointed out. “She
looks merely depressed or something.”
“Can’t
hurt, can it?” Odd smirked and walked out after her. He found her alone
outside, near some of the rose bushes, tears running down her cheeks.
“Woah, woah, what’s wrong?” Odd
quickly sat next to her. Gabi made a move to get up, but he grabbed her arm
before she could. She looked at him fearfully. “Sorry, but seriously, are you
homesick?” She shook her head, her shoulders bobbing from silent sobs. She
reached into her crème-colored bag and pulled out a notebook-sized chalk board,
and fingered a piece of chalk. In small letters, she wrote the words: ‘I can’t speak’.
“Ohh…” Odd looked at the board in shock. That made sense.
Gabi fingered her turtleneck sweater’s neck, and rolled it down a few centimeters.
There was a pink line cutting across it, from a previous cut or stab. Gabi
covered her face and shed even more tears.
“It’s
okay, please stop crying…” Odd muttered. Gabi didn’t and then Odd put his arm
around her shoulders, but she had quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and
cried on his shoulder. Odd froze in shock, but patted her on the back all the
same. After about 5 minutes, she pulled away and wrote more words.
‘I’m sorry about that.’ She wiped her tears away and began to pack her
chalkboard back into her bag.
“Where
are you going?” Odd asked. She looked at him, confused. “If you don’t want to
go inside, then I can bring some food outside. I mean, you have to eat.”
She
numbly nodded and watched as he got up and went back into the Cafeteria. He
came back with his tray, stock piled with a bunch of sweets and a few sodas.
“Help
yourself,” He opened a chocolate bar and slowly ate it. “When did it happen?”
Gabi held up 4 fingers.
“Four
months?” He asked and she nodded she took a few chips from a small bag and
nibbled on them, looking at her feet. “So what exactly happened?”
She
shook her head swiftly. Before Lunch had ended, Odd had gotten Gabrielle Aynor
to smile.
<<<Previous Chapter