Odd had been thinking a lot about being Yumi. There was one specific thought that kept coming back like bad seafood but Odd couldn't decide if he should act on it or not. Now that they were alone together and sitting on the steps to the side entrance of the cafeteria he could try to make a move and gauge Ulrich's reaction. He had a pretty convincing front as a womanizer so maybe he could play it off as being friendly, but no disguise is perfect. Although maybe Yumi's face could be.

"Hey, I've got a great idea!" Odd hoped Ulrich didn't see his gulp. It felt like one of Kiwi's tennis balls was stuck in his throat. "You're always too shy to ask Yumi out, right? Now you can practice on me!"

Please practice on me.

"Odd, that's not a great idea. It's a stupid idea. And anyway, I'm not that crazy about Yumi." Urich's shaking head made the splinter in Odd's heart feel like it was growing into an entire tree branch. He already looked like Yumi, what was it going to take for Ulrich to notice him?

"Yeah right!" He tried again, "Tell me about it, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for you to give it a shot without really sticking your neck out! And this way, I could give you some pointers too!" He hoped Ulrich couldn't hear the slight twinge of desperation in his voice. He had literally become the girl of Ulrich's dreams, and even though this wasn't how he usually pictured Ulrich asking him out, he would take it. Desperate times and all that.

"Pointers? You?" UIrich scoffed.

Odd was a little offended, even if he was gay he had still gotten more than a dozen girls to agree to go out with him. Imagine if he was actually really in love. "Come on, ask me out! I'm waiting!"

Ulrich was interrupted by Sissi's impeccable timing. Every time they went anywhere girls fawned over Ulrich. Odd obviously got why, but that didn't make the competition any less annoying. "Well look who's here, Romeo and Juliet!" Her nasally voice grated on Odd's already shot nerves. He did have to ignore the slight heart flutter he got from he and Ulrich being referred to as one of literature's most famous couples thought.

"Sissi! I can't believe it, what a lamebrain." He covered. He'd been so close. He had almost had enough material for his Ulrich fantasies for the rest of his career at Kadik Academy.

"My dear Ulrich, when will you understand that I am the girl for you?" Sissi flipped her long dark hair snootily. "What do you see in this string bean anyway?" She pointed accusingly.

"At least I don't have the mind of a vegetable!" Odd snapped. Yumi was still his friend and one of the smarter kids he knew, no reason to let her get insulted just because she wasn't here to defend herself. "Give it a rest Sissi! Ulrich and I were made for one another, you got that?" Odd trilled in a poor falsetto imitation of Yumi. He wished desperately that statement could be true. He decided to try his luck and gently place his head on Ulrich's shoulder.

It felt like all of his senses lit up at once. He was simultaneously giddy and terrified. His whole stomach felt like it dropped out of his body into a pit in the ground. It was better than any rollercoaster he'd been on at the nearby amusement park. Ulrich's shirt smelled like fresh detergent and he thought he detected a whiff of cologne. As he wrapped his arms around Ulrich's shoulders he could swear almost all the blood in his body rushed to his head while a choir of those fat baby angels were singing. If he was still in his own body the blood may have gone to other places but he was too wrapped up in the moment to care. He was so careful not to put his full weight on Ulrich, terrified the entire thing was a dream and he might wake at any moment.

When Ulrich leaned into him the sigh that came out of Odd's borrowed body was not acting. He had never felt so at peace and absolutely thrilled at the same time. He forgot about being Yumi, he forgot about the malfunctioning scanners, he even forgot about Sissi for a whole second (or had it been a full hour?) until she opened her mouth.

"Why th-tha-that's-that's disgusting!" Sissi stormed off in a rage, no doubt to take it out on some unsuspecting underclassmen or Herb and Nicholas.

Odd didn't want to move his arms from around Ulrich, wishing the moment could last forever. Being Yumi wasn't so bad if it was like this.

A bright flash went off from beside the two as little Tamiya took a picture of the couple locked in their embrace. Odd hoped his smile wasn't too glaringly obvious on the camera.

"Oh wow the scoop of the year and I got it!" Tamiya exclaimed.

Odd relished the positive attention. He was touching Ulrich and no one (unless you count a brain dead Sissi) was telling him he was a disgusting freak. He smiled, wondering if it was possible to black out from happiness. Ulrich looked shocked and startled but was not pulling away.

Maybe...he does have feelings for me?

Odd turned to face him again, so close he could feel the heat from his cheeks and his warm breath. He was practically sitting on Ulrich's lap now. "Hey, now I see why Sissi's crazy about you!" His mouth was mere inches away from Ulrich's

"Do that one more time, and you're dead!" Ulrich huffed as he stomped away.

The splinter in Odd's heart now felt like a full grown tree had ripped through his chest.