Face Down by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
I. Am. Ecstatic. With this story. A one day write and amazing all the while. *Brushes knuckles on shoulder*
Fight. School. Study. Exam. Lunch. Fight. Again.
That's all their lives ever consisted of. Expectations to the ever threat of dying painfully in never before ways thought of. Valentines day was a bust. Too jealous to admit the poem was for Yumi until at the brink of death and for her to act all lovey dovey with William in front of Ulrich only proved how much they weren't ready for each other.
But the thought of Yumi even lighting up to that traitor was sickening to his stomach. Ulrich shuddered. That image was too horrific.
There goes Yumi again. I have to talk to her. And of course she walked right passed him and merely waved. That's how its been for the last two months. Waves, fighting, getting caught by Jim and he took the blame for them skipping class so she wouldn't have to explain it to her parents. Yumi thanked him the next day and gave him a peck on the cheek but it was just a friendly peck.
Right then William walked up to them and asked if they were ever going back to Lyoko and bring him along. Ulrich felt impeccable, a kiss on the cheek from Yumi yet he knew its true gesture still was more lip contact than what William was going to get. He tested his waters. And he drowned miserably.
"Why don't you get lost William. No ones ever gonna need you around here."
"Why are you all still on him from what happened. Yeah he got himself trapped but its not like he could help what happened after words." Yumi stood up for him. Ulrich fumed. How could she be standing up for this jerk?
"Oh. Yeah, he could have done something. Like thrown himself into the Digital Sea instead of working for Xana. Anyone on Xana's side is the enemy. Future or past." Ulrich pushed William away. "Get out of here."
"Ulrich!" Yumi tried to push them apart.
"No Ulrich's right. I could have tried harder."
"At least you were trying." Yumi said as if to say you see! "Its you Ulrich who need to try to get past your hate." She said.
"No. Xana could be using him now. He's been brain washed!"
"Now you know that's not true!" William said side stepping Yumi and finally stepping up for himself. "I wanted to fight the good guys fight."
"You wanted to play warrior and you got burned then flung around like a computer chipped robot boy."
"Ulrich that's enough."
"I'm trying to fight back your trust and I keep getting blown off," William glanced quickly at Yumi. Ulrich freezed, he knew it, William was gonna try to grab her and zap him then take of to the scanner room. He grabbed Williams arm and right hooked I'm over his shoulder and they both sprawled on the grass. Now the whole school knew they were at it.
But William didn't punch him back. A new tactic. They're clever making us look like the bad guys. Not today Xana. Ulrich aimed for his face. If he could jog the brain and eyes Xana would lose temporary control. William however, knew Ulrich better than he could want to tell and dodged his punch. He turned his cheek to the side and then pushed his feet from underneath him and jungle gymed Ulrich on to his back and dropped him. Ulrich landed on his arm rolling over in pain. The crowd at first chanting them on now looked at Ulrich and whispered with curious looks on their faces. Yumi pushed her way through intending to jump between them again. But neither boy made a move.
William huffed a breath of air then extended his arm. Ulrich managed with his other arm and attempted to swipe William's away. "Come on man. Quit pushing everyone away who's trying to get close to you. I'm trying to help you."
"You have an ulterior motive. You can't get close, I won't allow it."
William rolled his eyes. "And quit talking like that." His arm was still there for the grab. Ulrich looked at him then his outstretched hand. He took it, and hefted himself up. William pulled him toward him before he could move and whispered in his ear. "I know what I'm fighting for. But you need to stop a pointless argument and stop beating around the bush. You're going to lose her and not for the reason you think it is."
"What?" He was thoroughly confused.
"I saw the way she looked at you. You're breaking her without touching her." Suddenly the flashback of William glancing at Yumi and Ulrich mentally pictured remembering Yumi going for Ulrich to hold him back but then Ulrich sent him and William to the ground.
Ulrich let go of their hands but William was the one to drop them and he walked off through the crowd. Yumi touched his shoulder, he lifted it of his shoulder gently and said, "I'm ok." He gave one of his reassuring smiles and walked off. That's when Yumi finally pushed through the circle and went to Ulrich.
"Ulrich that was unreasonable."
"I wasn't trying for-"
"Just stop talking. You're out of control. I've finally had enough." Yumi stormed off the crowd dispersing at that exact moment.
Ulrich sighed and knocked his forehead against the column in the outside hall. He tried making it up to her by sneaking into the Super Computer Lab and they watched Attack on Titan on the holosphere. Of course he knew nothing on how to make a DVD work on the high tech, Aelita eventually helped him set it up; Yumi knew. But she still accepted the apology. And yet in some way still hadn't forgiven him all the way. She hardly talked him, on missions half the time she paired up with Odd or Aelita making him the short of the third. And at school it was short come by's, that was it.
But today would be different. He didn't know how but she would finally forgive him. He pepped himself up and traced his steps back around the column and paused. A sphere of energy was flying right at Yumi and she wasn't looking she was laughing with Aeltia, neither knew what was happening. He dashed toward them, racing the energy blast towards his friends. He wasn't going to make it. He was too slow. He willed his mind to make him as fast as he was on Lyoko. Super Sprint. Super Sprint. Just do it! Damn it all!
"Aelita! Yumi!" They turned towards him but to him they looked like they were in slow mo. Maybe he could warn them and they could move out of the way in time. "Look out!" Too late. The sphere was right in front of them. He jumped the last few feet, he landed on them both, they all went tumbling and fell. The … Frisbee landed in the tree branch. But to Ulrich his hyperactive mind still saw it as a giant hole in the branched the energy sphere made.
Yumi and Aelita coughed and looked up to see who had attacked them. "Ulrich? Hi. Isn't tag done with less force and um when we all want to play?" Aelita greeted him. Ulrich smiled sheepish and helped them up. Yumi dusted herself off then looked at him from a side ways glance. "What was that for?"
"The sphere!" He blurt, he didn't mean to blurt it. "It was coming right at you two. You didn't see it?"
"What sphere?"
"Hey Yumi. Did you catch it this time or did the ants steal it again?" William jogged over laughing, he caught Ulrich's eye.
All Yumi did was sigh. She didn't even get the chance to say it... in her mind she was screaming "Alvin!"
Ulrich cut off her sigh. "What's he doing here?" Not even going to mention his name.
Yumi was already picking up the dislodged frisbee, "maybe if you came to a meeting once in a while instead of coming to put off your anger at all of us then you would know we considered William joining us again. And before you even say it, no he's not your replacement."
"What do you mean skipping meetings? I've been to everyone of them." Already forgot about the replacement issue, she already knew this argument hand front and back.
"No you haven't. You've been avoiding them."
"Like you've been avoiding me?" Low burn, had to be done.
Now Yumi was furious. "What! You've been avoiding me! Every time I try to talk to you its 'not know Yumi' or 'I can't talk now, I have to think about stuff' or 'fight now chit chat later' only there's never any later."
Ulrich winced. He could be wrong, maybe. He would isolate himself from people and since he was always a loner he never thought of himself ignoring her. He just thought she brushed him off every time he came up to her.
You're losing her...
No. He did show up to the meetings. At least once or twice. Ok. Definitely the first meeting then he kind have been slacking off and not really going out to Lyoko except when there was an absolute emergency knowing she would be there. But he didn't-
...without touching her.
Ulrich winced. Those words. Those few words echoing in his mind finally starting to make since. Gradually making his his thoughts weigh like a heavy boulder rolling on the edge of a cliff.
"Listen Ulrich. Your welcome back to the real world when you stop snapping at all of us for whatever's going on inside of that head of yours but for now; a week, that's Jeromie's orders. Your off duty for a week. Last time you almost dropped Aelita into the Digital Sea and we couldn't get you to respond, your eyes were in a daze. We thought Xana had taken over you but you snapped out of it and stormed off." She sighed.
No. A sigh wasn't good. A sigh...from those lips...
Yumi... I don't know what came over me... his mind reached out but his hand flexed then went limp by his side.
"We're not punishing you. Its just a week." She turned followed by Aelita with a sorrily pat on his shoulder and William without another glance, not to tease or otherwise started to walk away from him.
"But Ulrich."
Ulrich turned so quickly he almost tripped over himself.
"Please stop punishing me. I've had enough of this on off stance. You know where to find me."
Inspiration struck for a new pair for a songfic. In my opinion I am brilliant, of course I am, I couldn't be anything else. Skulduggery's ego couldn't measure up to mine but even that ego of his would surpass the Eiffel Tower 10x :)
PPS You do not know how many times I played this song on repeat but neither do I ;)
PPPS I have another songfic for Terrance in Tinkerbell and Maximum Ride. The only hint Ill give: T: Everything you want and M: Super girl
PPPPS For the person who reviewed on Angel and the S.M. Story "Where's Val" on chappie ….looking... 3 That story is coming up soon, be on the look out ;)
NEW PPPPPS This is the first story or maybe second I officially went back to edit. Stupid keyboard...