Chapter One- A Friend

Odd walked over to the normal breakfast table and sat down rather happy. Aelita looked up and stared at him.

“What’s up?” Aelita asked, Odd smirked and waved a black notebook in his hand with a flower design in one corner. Aelita’s eyes widened as the others did, the last time they saw the design it was on Yumi’s diary.

“Odd, is that Yumi’s diary?” Ulrich asked Odd looked over at him and put on the table.

“Yeah, Hiroki helped me steal it from her, it cost me ten bucks, so I’m not giving it back until I read it.” Odd said stubbornly as Aelita took the notebook and looked at it.

“Odd, this belongs to Yumi.” Aelita said. “It’s wrong to look at it.”

“Come one, she has been acting weird lately.” Odd wasn’t wrong, Yumi had been acting differently. It all started last Friday, Yumi had gone home late because of a Xana attack and promised she would call during the weekend, but no one heard from her all weekend. On Monday, she came to school wearing her combat boots, black jean caprise, a white T-shirt with a black jacket over it, and some kind of necklace similar to Naruto’s in “Naruto” She had really been avoiding the gang too, no one could get close to her, if someone tried to talk, she would tune them out, and she was performing rather stiff and carelessly in gymnastics, track, and Silat practice sessions, which was very much not like Yumi at all. Aelita had tried to talk to her, but Yumi was always in a bad mood and never talked to her. And on Wednesday Yumi had yelled at Aelita for asking her what was wrong. Now it was Thursday, and Aelita knew she couldn’t go into the weekend with Yumi like this.

“No Odd, I’ll return it too her.” Aelita said and got up and headed to the woods where Yumi normally spend her time. Yumi however wasn’t there as the bell rang Aelita shoved the book in her backpack and headed to class hoping she could get the diary back to Yumi and solve a few problems. Aelita stared at the notebook all through class, as class ended, Aelita got to her room and cracked the book open, the neat, tomboyish, handwriting filled the pages. Aelita knew what she was doing was wrong and would make her like Odd, but that wasn’t always a bad thing. Aelita read one of the pages quietly.

Aelita’s eyes filled with tears, her black haired friend, so cold and numb from what she has to face. Aelita had looked to Yumi like an older sister, so why would Yumi be so mad at everyone? Aelita flipped the page.

Suicide. The word stuck out on the page. Suicide. Aelita couldn’t face losing her friend this way. Suicide. The word seemed to haunt Aelita, the though of Yumi killing herself was too much as tears streaked Aelita’s face, she wouldn’t imagine Yumi being dead. Yumi was the only other girl that Aelita thought of as family. Suicide. The word make Aelita shiver.

“Yumi, don’t do it.” Aelita whispered as if Yumi could hear her. “Don’t commit suicide.” Aelita flipped to the last page.

Aelita looked at the clock, 3:40 pm. Twenty minutes, she had twenty minutes to find Yumi and convince her not to commit suicide. She shoved the book in her backpack and ran off to find her depressed friend.

Aelita ran through the school looking for her friend. When she was half way to the gym, she remembered that Odd had band practice planned for this afternoon. She rushed to the gym where she luckily found Yumi alive on stage getting ready to rehurse. Aelita sat quietly over in the corner.

"God broke the mold,
When she made this one I know
He’s breathtaking but so much more
He walks in the room, your lungs close
Making you never want to breathe again
His Girlfriend has got so much dough
So much ice her neck and wrist froze
Is she faithful to him? Hell no
But he chose to be with her, baby

Tell me is the money worth your soul
Tell me what’s the reason that you hold on
When you know that girl has a whole wall of ‘em just like you
And boy you’re just way too fine
Gotta be treated as one of a kind
Boy use your mind
Don’t be just another dime

Because

I can’t take
Seeing you with her
‘Cuz I know exactly what you’ll be,
In her gallery
It’s just not fair
And it’s tearing me apart
You’re just another priceless work of art
In her gallery"

Aelita remembered what she had read in the diary about Ulrich dating Sissi, Yumi had to be the one who wrote that, no one else could possibley think of that.

"He’s so confused
He knows he deserves more
Someone who will love and adore
But her money’s hard to ignore
He really doesn’t know what to do
Boy it’s just a matter of time
Before she finds another more fine
After she’s done dulling your shine
You’re out the door and she’s through with you

Tell me is the money worth your soul
Tell me what’s the reason that you hold on
When you know that girl has a whole wall of ‘em just like you
And boy you’re just way too fine
Gotta be treated as one of a kind
Boy use your mind
Don’t be just another dime

I can’t take
Seeing you with her
‘Cuz I know exactly what you’ll be,
In her gallery
It’s just not fair
And it’s tearing me apart
You’re just another priceless work of art
In her gallery"

Aelita now knew why Yumi had planned to wait until after the band practice, because she was wanted to tell Ulrich he loved her through music. Aelita new if Ulrich didn't get that, she was sure to slap him a tell him how much Yumi loves him and how much he's killing her by dating Sissi.

"You’re a masterpiece
I know that she
Can’t appreciate your beauty
Don’t let her cheapen you
She don’t see you like i do
Beautiful not just for show
Time that someone let you know

I can’t take
Seeing you with her
‘Cuz I know exactly what you’ll be
In her gallery
It’s just not fair
And it’s tearing me apart
You’re just another priceless work of art

I can’t take
Seeing you with her
‘Cuz I know exactly what you’ll be
In her gallery
It’s just not fair
And it’s tearing me apart
You’re just another priceless work of art
In her gallery
In her gallery"

Aelita forced herself not to cry, she clapped as the song ended. Sissi walked on stage and hugged Ulrich.

"That was so great Ulrich!" Sissi said. Yumi frowed and waited for Ulrich to say something.

"Thanks, but Yumi was the one who wrote it." Ulrich started. "It was really good, where did you come up with it?"

"Like you will ever get it." Yumi said coldly and walked off stage Aelita stormed up and pushed Sissi aside.

"She was singing about you." Aelita said. "Don't you get it, Yumi loves you."

"How do you know?" Ulrich asked.

"I took Odd's aproch, I read her diary. She said she loved you in her diary, she said something about her parents divorce, and she said that she was thinking about suicide!" Aelita said. "She said so many things about being hurt and she can't go on any longer with her parents divorce! She can't take any more hurt and she want to die instead of watching."

"WHAT?!?!" Odd, Ulrich, and Jeremie asked at the same time.

"You all heard me!" Aelita said about to cry. "She wants to die!" Ulrich stood up and started out looking for Yumi. Aelita saw her talking to Hiroki and stayed hidden.

"There, Hiroki, it doesn't look bad at all." Yumi was saying in a sisterly tone as she put a container of cover-up in her pocket.

"Wow, it really works! Wait, so what do you really look like?" Hiroki asked with a smile.

"Very funny." Yumi said sarcasticly. "Anyway, like I said, you didn't desurve that."

"Yeah I did, he wasn't happy with my grades and I could've done better." Hiroki said.

"No Hiroki." Yumi said sternly. "You didn't. He had a bad day. At least after today I wont have to deal with him."

"Your really going to fake suicide?" Hiroki asked.

"I have too, you heard him. If we're not their to keep an eye on him, he'll kill someone." Yumi said. "And, um, Hiroki, At first it wont seem so fake."

"No Yumi, you didn't take that kunai with you. Did you?" Hiroki asked as Yumi nodded. "Are you crazy, that will really count as suicide, you'll hurt yourself."

"And that's better then being beat. I'm sorry Hiroki, but it's the only way." Yumi said. "Though"

"NO." Hiroki said hitting her hand. "I already lost my mom, I'm never going to loose my sister." Aelita watched Hiroki walk away. Yumi bit down on her hand nervously. She normally did that when she was really nervous. Aelita noticed blood drip down her hand.

"Yumi. . ." Aelita's gentle voice said, Yumi turned and looked at her. "What's going on?" Yumi stepped back.

"Nothing." Yumi lied.

"You where biting your hand." Aelita said. "What's wrong."

"Everything." Yumi said and ran off.

Yumi hurried home as fast as her legs would carry her. As soon as she got home her father was on the couch, empty beer cans on the glass coffee table. She walked in quietly, but soon her father was up and looking at her.

"Yumi, where have you been?!" Her father yelled angirly getting up and walking over to her with his fist clenched. Yumi winced as her dad punched her making her slam her back against the wall.

"I was at school." Yumi said weakly getting up and walking near the table picking up the beer cans and throwing them in the trash.

"Don't turn your back on me." Her father warned as Yumi felt something heavy slam into her mid-back sending her flying into the glass coffee table.

Jeremie, Odd, Ulrich, and Aelita where in Odd and Ulrich's dorm. Aelita told them about the original plan being for Yumi to fake suicide for some reason, but since nothing happened that day. It all seemed OK for now.

"I don't get it. Why would Yumi fake suicide?" Odd asked.

"I don't know, I may have over looked something that she wrote in her diary." Aelita said. "Hiroki must have been part of it though, why else would he help Odd get Yumi's diary."

"I wonder what's going on with her." Ulrich said. Aelita looked at him.

"She really likes you, Ulrich." Aelita said.

"I know that now, but what am I supposed to do now?" Ulrich asked.

"Break up with Sissi." Odd said. "If it was me in your position where I had to choose between Yumi and Sissi, I would choose Yumi. No that I like her as more then a friend, just in general, I would choose Yumi over Sissi."

"Everyone would." Jeremie said.

"I deep down so really like Yumi back, but it seems wrong to break up with Sissi like that. I really like Yumi, I do." Ulrich said.

"This is different, Yumi needs you. Sissi would never do suicide for you, like Yumi said in her song. Your only a part of Sissi's Gallery. Sissi can always find another guy, she has hundreds of guys after her." Aelita said. "Yumi wont go after guys like Sissi will."

"Maybe we should head over to Yumi's." Ulrich said.

"Or you could and we could stay out until you and Yumi work this out." Aelita said. Ulrich nodded and walked out the door and headed to the Ishiyama household.

Meanwhile Yumi's father had gone to bed, leaving Yumi on the floor near the broken coffee table. Her back hurt, and she had a big deep cut down her leg along with a few other cuts. She heard the knock on the door, but she couldn't pull herself up.

"Yumi? You there?" Ulrich's voice asked. He opened the door and saw Yumi on the floor. "Yumi! Are you OK?"

"What are you doing here?" Yumi demanded.

"Looking for you, look Aelita told me you liked me." Ulrich said kneeling down next to her. "What happened?"

"My dad happend." Yumi said as she saw the confused look on Ulrich's face. "He did this, he was drunk and he had a bad bay, so he beat me." Ulrich's jaw dropped.

"Where is he now?" Ulrich asked.

"Asleep. Don't worry, when he sleeps drunk, he sleeps like he's dead." Yumi said. "Hiroki is up in his room asleep."

"And your dad left you on the floor? Why didn't you get up and leave?" Ulrich asked.

"My back hurts too much to move, he hit me with something hard, and my leg hurts." Yumi said. Ulrich looked to the corner where he could see a hammer laying on the floor.

"So you where going to sleep on the floor?" Ulrich asked. "You can't do that, plus it's freezing in here." He saw Yumi shiver and tried to help her up.

"Forget it, I can't stand up." Yumi said. Ulrich decided to take a different aproch. He picked her up bridle style and layed her on the couch. Yumi turned to lay on her side facing Ulrich.

"Lay on your stomach, I want to check that he did to your back." Ulrich said as Yumi slid out of her jacket, Ulrich murmured a few German curse words as he noticed her arms were bruised with oozing cuts. "What did he do to you?"

"Beat me." Yumi said coldly as she layed on her back. Ulrich moved her T-shirt up enough to see the dark purple greenish bruise on her back. Yumi yipped as Ulrich touched the bruise.

"Sorry." Ulrich said as he ran he hand gentley down her spine across the bruise. "Good thing you didn't break anything."

"It still hurts." Yumi said reminding him his hand was still on the bruise.

"Sorry." Ulrich said as he stood up. "I'll be right back." He promised as he walked into the kitchen. He filled one of the bowls with warm water with a clean wash cloth and reach up to the cabnit and took down a roll of bandages. He hurried back to Yumi laying on the couch.

"This may sting a little." Ulrich warned as he started to clean out the oozing cuts on her arms. Yumi yipped slightly as he cleaned out the cuts. He neatly wrapped the cuts. "Sit up." He said helping her get into a sitting position. He started to clean out the cut on her leg.

"Why are doing this?" Yumi asked.

"Because, I really like you." Ulrich said.

"You sure have a funny way of showing it." Yumi said as the warm water stung her leg.

"Yumi, I only went out with Sissi because I thought you where in love with William." Ulrich said as he wrapped her leg, hearing her yip. "Too tight?"

"No, it just stings you know." Yumi said as she winced at the pain in her leg.

"All done, you can lay back down." Ulrich said as she layed down. He rested the warm cloth on the bruise on her back. "Keep that on your back." He said as her stood up and got a blanket out of the closet and put in over her body.

"Thanks." Yumi said. Ulrich smiled and looked at the bruise on her cheek.

"Did he hit you?" Ulrich asked.

"Yes." Yumi said. She took the warm cloth off her back and dipped it in the bowl of warm water and rang it out. She whipped in over her face, Ulrich looked confused at first as she cleaned off her face revieling a scar across her face. Ulrich took his finger and traced the deep scar across her face, starting from her cheek bone, across the bridge of her nose, to her other cheek bone.

"If he touches you one more time, I swear I'll kill him." Ulrich said tracing the scar again across her beautiful face. "How long has this been going on?"

"A while." Yumi said as Ulrich's finger went down her cheek. "Please don't tell anyone, if you do me and Hiroki can kiss Kadic good-bye."

"Don't worry, I wont tell." Ulrich promised. "I would do anythink to make sure you stayed here with me." Ulrich turned red once he relized what he had said. Yumi saw that and brought him to her lips catching him in a kiss. He didn't respond at first and then kissed back. Yumi pulled him on top of her as the kiss became deeper. Ulrich ended the kiss as the need for air became to great. He looked down at Yumi.

"You don't want to leave me do you?" Ulrich asked.

"No." Yumi said as she looked over at the Japanese style clock that said 10:46 pm. Yumi looked back up at Ulrich. "Do you want to lay down?" Yumi asked turning red.

"A-are, y-you sure?" Ulrich asked not wanting to rush things. Yumi nodded scooting over making room for Ulrich. Ulrich took off his shoes and jacket and layed beside her gently wrapping his arms around her perfect waist as she lightly wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Good-night Ulrich." Yumi whispered as she closed her eyes.

"Good-night Yumi."

Ulrich woke up and looked at Yumi, who was sleeping soundly. He looked over to the clock that read 5:30 am on it. He shook Yumi gently to wake her up.

"Hmm?" Yumi looked up at him and layed her head back on his chest. "Five more minutes." She begged closing her eyes. Ulrich ran a hand through her hair.

"Time to get up, I don't want Jim to find out I'm not in my dorm, and I'm sure your dad will beat you big time if he thinks we did anything." Ulrich said. Yumi looked back up at him. Ulrich kissed her forehead and stood up, helping Yumi up and lightly kissing her lips. Yumi hugged him after the kiss but pulled away when she remembered something.

"What about Sissi?" Yumi asked.

"I'll take care of her." Ulrich said as he pulled on his shoes.

"I'll get changed and meet you at the school." Yumi said as Ulrich headed out the door.

Ulrich reached his dorm, showered, and changed. Odd walked in from taking Kiwi for a walk. A thought ran through his head, he left his jacket at Yumi's. He had a few other jackets just like it, but what if Sissi caught Yumi walking into the school yard, carrying his jacket trying to do something good and give it back.

"What's wrong buddy?" Odd asked.

"I, er, left my jacket at Yumi's." Ulrich said as a smile crept across Odd's face. "What if Sissi catches her giving it back?" Odd's smile disapeared.

"You better break the news to Sissi that it's over." Odd said. As soon as Odd and Ulrich got to the school yard it was too late, Yumi had Ulrich's jacket folded under her arm and Sissi looked like she was going to slap her silly.

"What are you doing with my Ulrich's jacket you tramp!" Sissi asked. Yumi had an innocent look on her face.

"Giving it back." Yumi said. Sissi kicked her bad leg catching her off gaurd.

"Tramp! Stay away from Ulrich." Sissi yelled. Yumi looked Sissi in the eye.

"Ulrich can decide on his own. All I'm doing is returning his jacket." Yumi said controling her anger. Ulrich and Odd ran up to the situation.

"Sissi leave her alone." Ulrich said.

"Yeah, Yumi didn't do anything." Odd joined in. "She's not a tramp, she just wanted to give Ulrich his jacket back.

"What happend that he had to take it off in the first place?" Sissi questioned. Ulrich gently took his jacket back from Yumi and turned back to Sissi.

"I'm sorry Sissi, but, it's over." Ulrich said before being slapped by Sissi.

"Your going to go for a tramp instead of me?" Sissi asked.

"Their are hundreds of boys who'll go out with you, but none of them are me." Ulrich said. Sissi passed Ulrich and walked over to Yumi pushing her back.

"I will prove that your a tramp and Ulrich will be mine. You can count on that Ishiyama." Sissi said as she walked off.

A week had gone by, no sign of Sissi. The group headed down to the pool for a last swim before is got too cold. Yumi had faked a note from her dad saying she hurt her leg and couldn't swim. So she watched as Jim taught the other students.

"I can't believe Yumi faked a note from her dad." Odd said.

"She said since he was drunk, his handwriting sucks, so all she had to do was write a sloppy note." Ulrich said.

"She still looks depressed." Aelita said.

"Don't worry, Aelita, she'll heal." Jeremie said. Aelita looked back up at Yumi sitting on the side staring into space. She wished she could believe Jeremie, but Yumi seemed so sad and withdrawn.

"OK, we'll start out with a few laps around the pool." Jim said. "Darn, forgot my whistle, no one move." Jim walked out of the pool area to retreive the whistle. Sissi walked up to Yumi.

"Well, Ishiyama, for a tough girl, I wouldn't think you would hid from gym class. That's lower then me." Sissi said. "Everyone knows I'm not low."

"Hell's not as low as you." Yumi snorted at her.

"Well, don't we have a temper." Sissi said. "I guess Ulrich likes you out of fear."

"And you have to blackmail to get a date. Your turn." Yumi said.

"I don't wear a Hellfire sceme." Sissi pointed out.

"Cat fight." One of the boys in Yumi's class announced.

"Hellfire's back and red, Baka*, at least I have the brains to know that." Yumi said.

"Stand up and say that!" Sissi challenged. Yumi stood up and looked at Sissi.

"Wanna repeat that?" Yumi asked.

"What are you gonna do? Punch me? Go ahead, take a shot! My father will have you expelled faster then you can say 'sorry' hear me?" Sissi said.

"Sissi, I'm too mature to get into a fist fight with someone who has no chance of winning." Yumi said.

"What did you say?" Sissi asked Yumi lightly backed up as Sissi came forward.

"Don't make me repeat that, you have ears." Yumi said.

"I hope you can swim." Sissi said.

"Why?" Yumi asked confused. Sissi shoved her sending her into the swimming pool. Yumi grabbed her wrist and Sissi came down with her. Ulrich and Odd walked over to the edge of the pool. Yumi wasn't wearing a bathing suit, and as Ulrich remembers, used cover-up to hide the scar on her face.
The Scar
Ulrich thought that if the scar was revieled, People would give Yumi a bad rep. Or Sissi would say Yumi's dad beat her and that's how she got the scar. Sissi must have planned this go get proof of Yumi getting beat. Yumi climbed out of the pool and covered her scar with her hand. Sissi come out after.

"Well, well, Miss Ishiyama has something to hide." Sissi said. Yumi stood up.

"No, I just banged my nose as you tryed to KILL ME!" Yumi said. Her other hand came over her nose as if it was bleeding.

"I told you that you where going to pay for taking my man." Sissi said.

"I'm going to the nurse, and then I'm coming after you." Yumi said as she walked out.

"Aww I'm soo scared. Yumi's coming after me." Sissi said sarcasticly. "So Ulrich, how 'bout a kiss."

"Never." Ulrich said. "After you being a jerk to Yumi, God I never thought I would be saying that, I would never go out you."

Yumi had placed a new layer of Cover-up on the scar on her face. As she walked out of the bathroom she noticed Milly, with a notepad waiting for her.

Damn the press are here. Yumi thought as Milly walked toward her.

"Well, Yumi, our readers want to know, what do you have in store for Sissi?" Milly asked.

"Well, lets just say she's going to wish she never messed with me." Yumi said trying to get away by walking down the hall, Milly followed her with more questions.

"So why did you say your nose was bleeding when their was no blood in the pool?" Milly asked.

"I never said my nose was bleeding." Yumi said.

"You did say you banged it."

"So?"

"When you bang your nose it bleeds." Milly said.

"Milly, I didn't have a bloody nose when I walked out of the pool area." Yumi said.

"If there's no bruise, and no blood, how do we know you really banged it?" Milly said.

"Take my word for it." Yumi said.

"So, why do you think Sissi hates you so much?" Milly asked.

"I don't really know, I thought it was because Ulrich liked me and not her, but even after she started dateing Ulrich she hated me. I guess I really don't know why she hates me. I kinda thought it was out of jealousy." Yumi said.

"What?" Milly said.

"Well, Jeremie says Sissi lost her mom and that she thought Ulrich was the only thing in her life. I used to feel bad for her, but she never showed me any support after my parents devorced, and I tried to help her but she would never let me. She never really gave me any chance, if she did, who knows we might have been friends. But then things would be way different then they are now." Yumi said.

"What a scoop." Milly said.

"Your not going to tell the school Sissi's mom died are you?" Yumi asked.

"Why not, you would get your revenge, and Sissi would be finished." Milly said.

"If you print that story, you'll never make it to the eighth grade. I sware Milly, you can't do that." Yumi said. Milly frowned.

"Watch me." Milly said stubbornly and Yumi lifted her by her hoodie.

"Don't print that story." Yumi said. She hated being like this to younger kids, but she really had no choise.

"OK, on one condition." Milly said.

"I'm listening." Yumi said.

"You tell me if Hiroki likes me." Milly said. Yumi nearly laughed.

"He does." Yumi said. Milly smiled and walked away.

Too easy. Yumi thought as she walked away.

"Hey Yumes." Ulrich called as he walked over to her. "Your in a better mood today."

"Yeah, my dad's getting help." Yumi said. "I am going to have to board at the school for a while, he doesn't want to hurt me anymore. And he got a little advise from my mom, she said if he didn't start acting like a parent, she was going to take me and Hiroki away. I guess he got the massage."

"So he loves you and Hiroki more then drinking." Ulrich said.

"Right." Yumi said. "I guess it's for the best, I mean if me and Hiroki where in Japan, I couldn't be here to fight against XANA."

"What would you be more worried about, me or XANA." Ulrich asked.

"You." Yumi said.

"So do the rest of the gang know your staying?" Ulrich asked.

"Are you kidding? Aelita ran as fast as she could to the office to ask if I could bunk with her." Yumi said. "Besides, Sissi would have missed me if I moved." Yumi said sarcasticlly.

"I would miss you more." Ulrich said kissing her. As he pulled away he hugged her and whispered in her ear. "If you moved I'd have to date the witch of Kadic."

"Ulrich, that's mean." Yumi said.

"I know, but it's true, you think so too." Ulrich pointed out.

"Yeah, thinking it, not saying it." Yumi said.

"The good news, your staying, weather you want to of not." Ulrich said playfully.