Author's Note: Please be patient, mornstar! I know you're probably thinking that I'm a mindless idiot just writing at whatever catches my fancy but I do have a plan! Its all in my head and all these chapters are leading up to the climax, so just bare with me. Also, excuse me, Son of Xana, about messing up your sole purpose in life! :0) (By the way, how do you juggle?? I can't do it for the life of me!) A thousand thanks to my readers and reviewers. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

I was flipping through my history book, trying to find something important on the section we were studying so I could write about it when a knock came. I pushed away from my desk, reluctant from pulling away from my studies. I didn't like to study but once I started, I didn't like to be disturbed. It broke off my concentration. I opened the door to find Ulrich standing there, all of his school books in his arms. He looked a bit embarrassed. "You mind if I study here with you?" he asked shyly.

"Sure," I said, opening the door wider for him to get through, "but you know that boys aren't allowed in girls' dorms. I mean, look what happened to me last time when Jim busted me."

"Yeah I know, but I can't stand it over there with Odd."

"Yeah? What's he doing this time?"

"Playing with his stupid, yappy dog. That dog will kill me someday with its loud barking."

"What about Jeremy?"

Ulrich smiled and started a great imitation of Jeremy. "Oh Aelita! How are you doing today? Oh Aelita, I missed you so much!"

I laughed. "Thought so." Suddenly, I became more self-conscious. "Well...I can scoot over and you can have a half of my desk."

"Perfect," he said, dumping his math, science, and history book onto my desk with a loud thump. I winced. "Sorry," he added quickly, shifting them over to the right more. He grabbed a stool nearby and sat down next to me and opened his history book. I turned my eyes back to mine.

I know I said before that my concentration breaks if I get interrupted in the middle of my studying, but this time I truly couldn't get back on the academic track. My head was spinning and my cheeks felt as if they were having a heatstroke. I flipped a page of my history book absentmindedly, but my college-ruled paper remained blank and my pencil remained untouched. I tried reading a paragraph and I did so but when I finished the paragraph I realized that my mind hadn't gotten a single word it had said. I let my short black hair fall out from behind my ear to shield my face slightly from Ulrich, but took a quick peek at him before doing so. At least he was working fine. He was scribbling away on his college-ruled paper, his pencil working rapidly. I just sat there and tried to look productive.

Finally when I forced myself to stop thinking altogether and just read my history book I realized I had flipped way past the pages we were on in class. Hurriedly, I flipped back and found the pages again. Then I wrote my name, the date, and the period of the class on the top right hand corner of the paper and wrote the heading on the top line. I considered it a good start to actually doing something.

I made progress. I gradually figured out what I was supposed to be writing about again and flipped to that section. Then I began reading. The words finally penetrated my brain and made sense. Slowly, I began to let myself think again, but only to think about what to write. And slowly I composed my paragraph.

Suddenly, the door flew open. "Yumi! I...why Ulrich! What are you doing here?" I snapped my head up in dread.

Ulrich was already reacting to the intruder. "Sissy, what an unpleasant surprise," he grumbled. "Why don't you leave us alone and go play with your geeky friends?"

"Nice day to you too, Ulrich," she said flirtatiously. "Now would you mind telling me how you two ended up together in the same room?" I didn't like the way she said that.

"Actually," I said, seething with anger. "I do mind because it's none of your business."

"Oh, now I really want to know. What are you hiding?" She walked farther into my room. I stood up.

"Get out," I said in a dangerously low tone. She sneered.

"Or what?" she asked playfully. I almost pounced on her. "Anyway," she said, twirling a strand of her long black hair. "I just wanted both of you to know that the homecoming dance is coming up." She then turned and stared straight at Ulrich. "And I'm still free." She smiled indulgingly.

"Nice fun fact," I snarled. "But may I remind you that I'm a girl and I'm not going to be interested in your offer."

"No," Sissy said, "of course not you. But someone else in the room might want to take advantage of the situation." We both looked at Ulrich. Ulrich looked around the room in turn.

"Nope, don't see anyone else," he said bluntly and then stood up and started pushing Sissy toward the door. "Now, if you're finished advertising yourself you may leave." Sissy started to say something else, but with a great shove, Ulrich pushed her out the door and slammed it shut in her face. I felt my cheeks light up with heat again. "Now that she's disposed of, I can continue with my homework," he said causally. He settled into his seat again and bent over his book. The silence settled as well.

Finally, I broke the silence. "She knew you would be here for some reason. That's why she took this moment to pretend she wanted to talk to me." I had never turned back to face my desk. I just sat and stared at the closed door.

Ulrich stopped scribbling and looked up. "Yeah, I know. She's my stalker. And she's a really annoying stalker at that."

"Yes, and she's out to make my life miserable."

"I'm sorry. She's out to make my life a living hell."

"Yes, I can tell. But she likes you. There's a reason to her madness. But me? She just thinks it's a fun thing to make fun of me and wishes to make it a national sport. I mean, I make fun of her in return, but that's to give her a taste of her own medicine." I stopped abruptly. "And I have no clue why I'm telling you all this. I'm like Jeremy when he pours all his problems out to me about Aelita and blah blah blah. Half the time I don't even listen."

"I'm listening."

I could feel myself blushing. I lowered my head and my hair brushed over my face, hiding it. "You don't have to. But thanks."

"No problem." There was no sarcasm in his voice as he said it this time. "Is there anything else you would like to tell me?"

"No," I said, shaking my head quickly. "I'm done blubbering."

"Okay," he said and there was an awkward silence for a while.

Finally Ulrich broke the silence. "Yumi, I...um...have something to ask you."

I forced myself to look at him and smile. I felt butterflies in my stomach. "Ask away."

"Okay," he stopped and thought for a while, and then smiled at me nervously. Then he took a deep breath. "Want to go to the homecoming dance with me?"