Ulrich's P.O.V

I'm Ulrich Stern. I lost my mother three years ago due to heart cancer. Now a days, I'm called Silent Stern because I never talk to anyone, other then to my crazy roommate Odd, and Jeremie, I never talk.

"Ulrich!" A girls voice called. I knew that voice very well. Sissi, the only girl with hundred of guys after her, and she bothers me the most.

"Get lost Sissi." I yell back. But she keeps coming. She slowed to a stop in front of the bench me and Odd were sitting on.

"If I get lost, you would have to find me Ulrich dear." Sissi said. I hate it when she does that.

"No I wouldn't." I tell her. She scowls at me. I didn't care.

"Leave Sissi, no one wants to deal with you right now." Odd said. I laughed as Sissi pushed him down into the grass.

"I don't care what you say." Sissi said as Odd got to his feet.

"I just wanted to say that I was sorry about what happened to your mom." Sissi tells me. I never liked it when  she brought her up. I was ready to kill her and make sure she never spoke about my mom.

"NEVER talk about my mom!" I yell. She backed away and frowned at me.

"You need to talk about her Ulrich." She said.

"No I don't!" I yell louder. She turns and walks away. I hate her. I walked to me dorm, Odd didn't follow. I guess he knows I need to be alone. As soon as I get to my room I quickly open up the box with the Japanese style pendent that my mom used to own. My grandfather owned a dojo and he tought kendo. The pendent was given to my mom by one of her friends at the dojo, who was Japanese. I knew what the symbols ment, my mom would never let me forget.

A True Worrior is judged not by the size of his blade, but the size of his heart. I read to myself. I loved that phrase. My mom loved it too. As I read the phrase again, Odd walked in.

"You OK buddy?" Odd asked me.

"Yeah." I say. Odd smiles as Kiwi walks over to him begging to be pet. I guess I just needed time to clear my head. I loved my mom.

"Come on! Lets eat." Odd said pulling me out of the dorms to the cafitirea. As soon as we got there we were stopped by Theo.

"Hey Silent Stern. Did you talk yet?" He asked sarcasticly. I wanted to punch him. He and a group of other students laughed.

"He's just a mama's boy!" Another voice said. I knew that one, William Dunbar. I really wanted to leave.

"Leave him alone." Odd said.

"Make us shorty." William challanged as he punched Odd's shoulder.

"Your just angry he's a soccer star and your just a soon to be drop out!" Odd said.

"Oh yeah?" William said as he punched Odd in the stomach. I quickly punched William off of Odd.

"Look! You two never belonged at Kadic!" Theo bellowed.

"Why don't you just run back home to your mothers?" William said. I lost it. I tackled him and he flew and landed on a table.

"We need to get out of here." Odd told me. I nod. We made a break for it, William and his gang after us.

"Get back here!" I here William bellow.

"I'll hold them off." Odd said. "They cann't follow me throught the woods." I nod and run in a deferent direction. It didn't look like any one followed me. I slowed to a walk and hurry to the dorms were I could hide out until things settled down. With I knew would only be a few hours. Jeremie saw me head to my dorm.

"Ulrich, what's going on?" Jeremie asked.

"William and his gang are looking for me and Odd. I was going to wait in my room for a while." I said as I unlocked the door.

"Where's Odd?" He asked me.

"Lossing William and his gang in the woods." I tell him as he follows me into my dorm.

"What did they do?" Jeremie asked.

"Silent Stern, mom jokes, and threaten to kick my but." I said. Jeremie nods.

"Silent Stern cann't be that bad." Jeremie said.

"No it's not. But mom jokes?" I asked.

"I know those hurt." Jeremie said as Odd walked in the door.

"Mission acomplished!" Odd said as he sat down on his bed.

"I'm going for a walk." I said.

"Be careful." Jeremie said.

"Don't worry their still in the woods." Odd said as I walked out.

Yumi's P.O.V

I'm Yumi Ishiyama, also know as Gloomy Yumi. I lost my dad in a car accedent two years ago. My mom was remarried to anouther man, who I hate. He loves to beat me and my little brother, he drinks, and he's never be my father. No matter how badly he wants me to call him "dad" I'll never do it. Yeah, I'll be that stubborn.

"Hey Yumi." Aelita, my best friend said.

"Hey Aelita." I said as we walked to Kadic. She started talking about her weekend. I never felt upset when she told me about her dad, her mom always works and never has time for her family. As we reached Kadic, Sissi was waiting as normal to insult us.

"Well if it isn't Gloomy Yumi and her friend Pinky." Sissi said.

"Cool it Drama Mama." I said. she glared at me. Aelita laughed.

"Well I guess you weren't beat yet with that additude." Sissi said. I glared at her that time.

"I hate you." I said plainly. Aelita never could figure out how I could say what I felt directly. It was easy for me, I never had a problem when it came to people with Sissi.

"Watch it!" Sissi yelled.

"What are you going to do?" I asked.

"Lets just say, everyone in school will know about your father." Sissi said. I didn't want the whole school knowing!

"Leave her alone!" Aelita yelled.

"Drop it, let your friend fend for herself." Sissi said, but I already ran out of sight. I ran all the was to the dorm stairway. That was the only place I liked to sulk. Soon Sissi found me though.

"Gloomy Yumi's running away?" Sissi laughed.

"She could never really keep her cool." Anna Another member of Sissi's group said.

"And she brings a funaral every where she goes." Miley, the third member of Sissi's gang, said. Make funof my clothes will you? Their lucky we're at school, or I'd kill them all.

"Leave her alone." A voice from behind me said. I turned to see a boy with chocolate brown hair. He walkeds up infront of me.

"Ulrich?" Sissi questioned.

"Beat it Sissi." He said again as Sissi and her gang walked away. He turned to me and kneeled down to my eye level.

"You OK?" He asked.

"Yeah." I said.

"I'm Ulrich." He said taking my hand and helping me up.

"Yumi." I said.

"What's Sissi holding over your head?" He asked.

"My dad's death." I said.

"I'm sorry." He said as we started walking.

"It's OK." I said.

"She's useing my mom's death on me." Ulrich said in a quiet voice.

"She finds your weakness, and there's no escaping her." I said. Ulrich laughed a little.

"It's almost fifth period." I hear him say.

"I have music." I tell him.

"You play an insterment?" He asked.

"Guitar and keyboard. A little bit of drums thrown in." I said.

"What's your favorite?" He asked.

"Your going to laugh." A tell him.

"No I wont." He said with a smile.

"Singing." I murmer under my breath.

"What?" He asked.

"Singing." I said a little louder.

"Well I'm not laughing." He pointed out as the bell rang.

"I guess I'll see you after class." I said.

"You can aount on that." I hear him say as I turned the corner to the class room.

Normal P.O.V

Ulrich waited outside Yumi's classroom door. When she came out, Ulrich greeted her like they've know each other for years. They walked around the school into the gym.

"Hey Yumi, I thought you murdered Sissi, you were gone long enough." Aelita said.

"To many people were watching." Yumi said as the two girls laughed.

"I see you two already know each other." Jeremie said.

"Ulrich!" Sissi's voice said.

"Beat it." Ulrich said.

"He said yes!" Sissi sqealed.

"How said yes? The preson you asked if you were a total snob?" Yumi asked sarcasticly. The others laughed.

"No! My father said that the students were aloud to sing during the dance." Sissi put on an evil smile. "And your performing."

"WHAT?!" Yumi asked in a yell.

"You heard me." Sissi said as she walked away.

"Why are you so angry? Your a great singer." Aelita said.

"Yeah, that's in front of you or my little brother. Not in front of the whole school." Yumi pointed out.

"What's the worst that can happen?" Aelita asked.

"I could switch into Japanese." Yumi said.

"You have stage fright?" Odd asked.

"Yeah." Yumi said.

"Just close your eyes during the performance." Jeremie said.

"Yeah Yumi." Aelita said. "And you could rub it in Sissi's face."

"OK." Yumi said.

"Why don't you practice just with us Yu" Before Aelita could finish, Yumi was gone.

"She really cann't sing infront of people can she?" Odd asked.

"I think it has somthing to do with" Aelita trailed off.

"What?" Jeremie asked.

"The only time Yumi sings, is in the graveyard next to her dad's grave." Aelita said.

"Mabe we should look for her." Ulrich said. The gang walked over into the woods when they heard the sound of a country guitar. Aelita motioned them to follow her into a bush near where Yumi was singing.

"I miss you

I miss your smile

And I still shead a tear

Every once in a while

and even though we're different now

your still here some how

my heart wont let you go

And I need you to know

I miss you

Sha la la la la

I miss you"

Aelita started to clap making the others clap as well. Yumi jumped at the sound at first.

"See you can sing very well, you just need to close your eyes on stage." Ulrich said.

"And rub Sissi's face in it!" Odd said.

Yumi stared home eary, she had to babysit Hiroki, her little brother.

"YUMI!" She heard someone call her name. She turned to see Ulrich.

"Hey Ulrich." She said as she waited for him to catch up.

"Hey Yumi, um I was wondering if, um, you wanted to, um, go to the dance with me?" Ulrich asked nervously.

"I'd like that." Yumi said. Ulrich smiled.

"Great! I'll see you tomarrow at six then." Ulrich said. Tomarrow was sunday and they had no school. Everyone was using the time to get ready for the dance.

The night of the dance. Yumi had the worst case of stage fright before she got on stage. Aelita, Odd, and Ulrich had the music she wanted for the song saved on a record that Aelita could play, Aelita was the DJ. Ulrich had told her a hundred times to just keep her eyes closed and she would be fine.

"Yumi Ishiyama, your on after Sissi." Jim said. Yumi new Sissi was performing now, so she would be up soon.

"You OK Yumi?" Ulrich asked.

"No." Yumi said.

"You can do this." Ulrich tells her. "Have you ever had a good luck charm to help you?"

"No." Yumi said nearly laughing. "Only a few words my mom used to tell me."

"What words?" Ulrich asked.

"They were ingraved on a pendent, she gave to one of her friends three years ago. I remember exactly what it said. A true worrior is judged not by the size of his blade" Yumi began.

"But the size of his heart." Ulrich finished. Yumi was shocked.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Yumi asked.

"My mom has a pendent like that." Ulrich said. "It's in Japanese."

"That's normal, all Japanese pendents are in Japanese. My mom had that on costem made by my uncle." Yumi said.

"White gold with red symbols?" Ulrich asked.

"Yeah." Yumi said.

"Is it possible were talking about the same pendent here?" Ulrich said.

"I don't know, mabe." Yumi said.

"Well, good luck." Ulrich said leaning over and quickly kissing her on the lips.

"Yumi Ishiyama, your up." Jim called. As soon as Yumi got on stage she closed her eyes and waited for her starting point in the song.

"You make me feel out of my element
Like I'm walkin' on broken glass
Like my worlds spinnin' in slow motion
And you're movin' too fast

[Chorus]
Were you right, was I wrong
Were you weak, was I strong, yeah
Both of us broken
Caught in a moment
We lived and we loved
And we hurt and we jumped, yeah
But the planets all aligned
When you looked into my eyes
And just like that
The chemicals react
The chemicals react

You make me feel out of my element
Like I'm drifting out to the sea
Like the tides pullin' me in deeper
Makin' it harder to breathe

We cannot deny, how we feel inside
We cannot deny

[Chorus]
Were you right, was I wrong
Were you weak, was I strong, yeah
Both of us broken
Caught in a moment
We lived and we loved
And we hurt and we jumped, yeah
But the planets all aligned
When you looked into my eyes
And just like that
The chemicals react
The chemicals react

Kaleidoscope of colors
Turning hopes on fire, sun is burning
Shining down on both of us
Don’t let us lose it (don’t let us lose it...)

[Chorus]
Were you right, was I wrong
Were you weak, was I strong, yeah
Both of us broken
Caught in a moment
We lived and we loved
And we hurt and we jumped, yeah

We lived
We loved
We hurt
We jumped
We're right
We're wrong
We're weak
We're strong
We lived to love

But the planets all aligned
When you looked into my eyes
And just like that
Watch the chemicals react
And just like that
The chemicals react
(The chemicals react)"

As the crowd applaud, Yumi opened her eyes and took a bow. As she walked off stage Aelita hugged her friend.

"You did it Yumi." Aelita cheered.

"I'm going to go rub it in Sissi's face." Odd said.

"Wait for me." Aelita called and followed.

"Hey, I've got to get this on tape!" Jeremie said following the group with his video camra.

"Come on." Ulrich said pulling Yumi into the dorms. Ulrich unlocked his room door and let Yumi in. Yumi took a seat on his bed as Ulrich retrived the pendent.

"Found it." Ulrich said as he sat down on the bed next to Yumi with the pendent in his hand. Yumi looked at it and turned it on the side and opened in. Ulrich never new it could open up. Inside was a picture of Yumi's mom and Ulrich's mom in Ulrich's grandfather's dojo.

"Wow." Ulrich whispered.

"I know." Yumi said. The two looked at the picture for a long time.

"Come on." Ulrich said leading Yumi into the peaceful woods outside of Kadic. Ulrich and Yumi sat near an old tree. Ulrich jumped when he heared barking. Soon a black and brown shiba inu came running near Yumi.

"Hey Dojo." Yumi said petting the small dog.

"That's your dog?" Ulrich asked.

"Yeah, Dojo." Yumi said as the dog started jumping around Ulrich's legs.

"Cute little guy." Ulrich said. "Like his owner." Yumi blushed. The two talked for hours.

"It's 10:30, want me to walk you home?" Ulrich asked.

"Ok." Yumi said as they started down the street with Dojo running around them. As they reached the Ishiyama house Dojo sat by the gate.

"See you tomarrow Yumi." Ulrich said as he stared back.

"Your forgetting something." Yumi said. Ulrich spun around.

"What?" Ulrich asked. Yumi leaned over, wrapping her arms around his neck, and kissed him. Ulrich kissed back and wrapped his arms around her waist.