An Entry from Ulrich's Diary
By: Majinbuttercup
Warnings: None really.
Rating: G
Comments and critiques welcome!
Ulrich pulled the warm wet washcloth from his forehead and set it down next to him on the desk. It had done nothing to alleviate his headache, nor had the ice pack he had tried before that. He looked over to his friend's bed, at the little dog sleeping peacefully on top of it, thankful that it was not yipping around noisily as it often did. Odd was not due back for another hour or so. Sighing, Ulrich grabbed a couple of pills and a glass of water and downed them, hoping that sleep would claim him quickly. He reached for his diary, a green battered book with unlined pages, hidden behind his favorite paperback novels on his shelf. He knew that Odd had figured out his hiding place, but, out of an unspoken respect for his privacy, had never read it. With a quiet yawn, he flipped through the pages looking for the next empty sheet, walking over to his bed as he did so. He rubbed his throbbing forehead and lay down before beginning to write. He did not put in a date, as always. The most he had ever done to keep track of the passage of time was to mark the beginning of a new year.
Dear Diary:
I have such a headache. I hate them. I think Odd's the only one who's figured out just how often I get them. Yumi always thinks I'm pondering something whenever I scrunch my forehead. Sometimes I am. Not usually though.
It's so weird. Headaches seem to unblock my thoughts, somehow, at least the minor ones do. Usually, if my headache's too bad I don't write anything, and if I don't have one, my entry is all about Yumi, or how annoyed I was at Sissy that day, or how pissed I am that Odd shot that last monster on Lyoko. Nothing of real importance. Odd would probably call headaches my muse or something.
Odd's not here right now, of which I'm grateful. I like the quiet. When he gets home, if I haven't fallen asleep yet, he'll tell me all about his date. "It's not a date!" he'll say. It's just shopping, dinner, and a movie between two cousins. Except they're not cousins. So, since it's the same sort of stuff he does on dates, it's a date. Especially since Aelita never pays for anything. Odd won't let her. She told me she always brings money, but he won't let her pay. He's lucky his parents are so gullible. If I was "spending all of my money on art supplies" my parents would expect results. His believe him when he says everything is just too personal to share. He hardly ever does anything more than draw lately. And that certainly doesn't cost as much as he claims it does. Not that Aelita doesn't have money.
Jeremie found a key to a safety deposit box in one of her dad's diaries, and there was plenty of money inside. And Jeremie has the school's records believing she's paid in full. If they ever did an audit, she'd be in trouble.
But that's not my problem.
Yumi was so grouchy today. She's cranky a lot of the time, but it was worse today. I'd write what I think it may have been, but somehow she'd know, even without reading this, and pound me. I just know it. Plus, she was hanging out with William again. I don't know what she sees in him. I don't think he respects her. He just likes the way she looks. Everyone likes the way she looks. She's just so oblivious she doesn't realize it. I've even seen Jeremie admiring her.
Yumi never realizes, of course. She just figures like everyone else in this school that he'll end up with Aelita. Aelita never really got a say in this, it was just kind of expected of her, from the first time she was materialized; before she was materialized. Kind of like everyone figures I'll end up with Yumi. Just because that's the way it's going to be.
She's sick of it. I can tell. I was training her today, and she told me how tired she is of the nickname Mrs. Einstein. Nobody really realizes just how often those two fight. It's worse than me and Yumi sometimes. Jeremie doesn't really understand why she wants to do the things she does. That's why she hangs out so much with Odd. He doesn't care. If she wants to go running around barefoot in the rain, just to feel the water between her toes, he doesn't care.
I think Odd figures that Aelita will finally dump Jeremie for being such a stick in the mud, and they'll end up together. I don't think so. Humans are weird creatures. We don't like to do what's expected of us. If you expect something of people, they tend to do just the opposite, just to show that they aren't being controlled. I don't think Aelita will stay with Jeremie. He would never admit it, but I think he liked her better when she was still a computer program. He could imagine himself as some kind of knight in shining armor and she some princess he had to rescue. Hell, Odd probably felt the same way. It'd explain where the name came from. Now, she's a thinking, breathing person. She does things the way she wants, and fights him tooth and nail when he tells her it's stupid. She probably won't end up with Odd either. Yeah, he doesn't try to stop her, whenever she has any kind of whim. But, still, he's kind of her expected second choice.
Who knows, maybe she'll pick me.
Maybe she'll pick some guy she doesn't even know yet.
Maybe Yumi will decide that we really are just good friends, and go to William completely. Maybe it'd be better if she did.
I get so tired of her crap sometimes.
She's beautiful. She's smart. She's resourceful. She means a whole hell of a lot to me.
She's also a whiny bitch at times. She's moody, and entirely too proud. She's a tease. She dangles me on the end of a rope, and it's almost like she finds it amusing. Like she figures I'll always be there, waiting, hoping she'll finally notice me.
Aelita can be a lot of fun. She doesn't really hold back. If she realizes she wants something, she goes for it. You always know where you stand with her. It's kind of refreshing. Plus, she's hot as hell. I noticed it while we were training. I really wanted to flip her, just so I could pretend to accidentally land on her. I've done it with Yumi tons of times. She can't actually believe it's an accident. I've been training for too long to make mistakes like that. She thinks that when she flips and lands on me that I haven't planned it that way. But, I did. Maybe some time I should flip Aelita. Just because I can. See if she figures out how to do it too. I certainly wouldn't stop her.
So what's going to happen? How should I know? People defy expectations all the time. Besides, the nighttime Acetaminophen I got from the nurse is finally starting to work, and I noticed Kiwi's ears perk up. Odd must be coming. I guess I'll leave it off for tonight.
Odd turned the lock on the door as quietly as possible, in case his roommate had already gone to sleep. He snickered when he saw Ulrich, with his head on his pillow, breathing lightly, pen still in hand and diary still open next to him, slightly stuck under one of his arms. He reached down to pet his excited dog, and walked over to his friend. He took the pen from his hand and the diary out from under him and put it back in its rightful place. He pulled an extra blanket from the closet and laid it over his friend, before heading out into the hallway to get ready for bed, pulling the door closed behind him and turning off the light. Ulrich grinned in the dark, rubbed his still throbbing forehead, and snuggled farther down in his covers. By the time his roommate had returned, he was asleep.
--Owari--