Junkpile

                                    

                                          
The daylight floated into the room, and the birds sang happily. Sissi opened her eyes and stretched her back in her nice warm bed. Memories of yesterday plastered a smile on her face. Odd nearly choking on Shepherd's pie, Ulrich and Jeremie having an arm-wrestling contest which Ulrich won, and Yumi and Sissi sharing feelings about how the boys were so 'boyish'. All in all, yesterday left her room a little brighter. But the urge to tinker scratched at her brain, and she knew just the place to find some parts. Jumping to her feet, Sissi quickly did some squats and ran in place. Ever since the bus accident, her legs were tender, so she had to keep them in shape to prevent any sudden collapse. Next, she got dressed, grabbed her cane, and walked out of her room. Today was a happy Sunday, and most people would be sleeping in bed.

                          
Most people.
                          
Sissi walked loosely to the boys' hallway, arms swinging freely and smile spreading wider by the moment. Then she knocked on Jeremie's door. "Come in." As Sissi stepped inside, she immediately saw Yumi lying on the bed and reading a book. Her eyes widened a tad.
                          
"Hey, Yumi. What are you doing here so early?"
                          
"I was going to hang out with Odd and Ulrich, but they're still sleeping in. And I know Odd snores so loud that I couldn't talk to Ulrich any way," Yumi smiled. Grinning back, Sissi walked over to Jeremie's desk.
                          
"And you?"
                          
"I'm working on a kind of... program. It's for someone I know," Jeremie explained.
                          
"This person wouldn't be Aelita, would it?" Sissi smirked. Jeremie and Yumi bolted their eyes open.
                          
"Uhhh no, no, no! It's for a different person altogether. Something that we geniuses do from time to time, not that you're not a smart person it's just-"
                          
"Relax, Einstein," Sissi rolled her eyes with an irritated huff, "I could overhear your conversations with Aelita, okay?"
                          
"And what have you heard?" Yumi's tone practically growled, even though it was smooth. Sissi coolly shrugged her shoulders.
                          
"Nothing really, just 'Oh Aelita, Oh Aelita you're in my dreams and-"
                          
"SHHH!" Jeremie clamped her mouth shut with his hand. Yumi and Sissi struggled not to laugh.
                          
"It's kind of hard to go to the bathroom without hearing it." Throwing her weight on her cane, Sissi smirked at the blushing boy's pale face.
                          
"Uh... yeah."
                          
"So Jeremie's girl - I mean, pen pal is hush-hush?" Yumi and Jeremie nodded. "Okay, I won't talk. By the way, I need your help. I need to find some equipment for my project."
                          
"What sort of equipment?" Jeremie asked.
                          
Mountains of rubble and metal obscured the view of the blue sky. Twisted iron laid among wires, threads, and white piping. The metallic smell and taste populated the air, and the towering hallways of stacked trucks and cars silently wheezed. The front entrance was only guarded by a sleepy fat watchman. To get to the hallway of trucks, they had to climb a gradual mound of metal. The three of them wore heavy-duty tarnished boots and thick gloves to prevent punctures. They also donned special suits to keep their clothes clean. Yumi watched as the Dragon Queen grazed over her mound, carefully picking out trinkets and springs. A slight grin graced Sissi's face while she roamed the metallic grass. "How can you get over the smell?" Yumi asked.
                          
"Haven't you been through worse?" Sissi asked.
                          
"What's that supposed to mean?"
                          
"Well, she's technically right," Jeremie interjected to Yumi, "We have been through the sewers a lot." Yumi tilted her head and shrugged her shoulders. "What are we looking for, Sissi?"