Author's Note: Sorry, sorry, sorry, but I had to do it again! All I have to say is: starfires biggest fan, guess again! And, Shevie, your wish has been granted in this chapter. Thank you again to all my reviewers; you guys make this worth it! Now, on with the chapter...
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" came the snotty, high-pitched voice of Sissy. She sauntered into view, her long hair billowing behind her in the breeze. She was followed by her cronies, Herb and Nick: both idiots that worshiped the very ground she walked on. They started smirking under their breath. I narrowed my eyes. "What are you doing sneaking around?"
"What are you doing sneaking around, Sissy?" Ulrich cut it, redirecting the question. "Trying to make someone else's life miserable?"
"I could, but not today. I was just wondering what you guys are doing. I saw Odd come out of there a few minutes earlier. What are you guys doing? Having a party? Now all we need is Jeremy to come out of his hiding place." Sissy crossed her arms over her chest and looked triumphant.
"Sissy," I said nicely, "if you would be so kind as to let me through, I won't get angry."
"I don't think so," Sissy said, narrowing her eyes. "I'm not letting this opportunity to bust you to slip by, Yumi."
"Whoops," I said innocently. "I forgot. Its not in your nature to be kind." Sissy made an angry noise and stepped closer to me.
"What are you going to do to us Sissy? Tell your father? Tell Jim?" Ulrich asked, getting very bored. "This is stupid. Let's go, Yumi." He started down the path and I followed. Unfortunately, Sissy followed me.
"Well, Yumi," she spat my name out venomously, "I'll get you one way or another, sometime or another, for one thing or another. I'm the principal's daughter, don't forget."
"Oh, I won't forget, Miss Tattle-Tale."
"Say that again."
"Miss Tattle-Tale."
"You asked for it!" She flew at me with sloppy fists. I blocked them easily, resisting the urge to fight back and punch her in the nose. She screamed in rage and cocked her right hand back for another shot at my face.
Right before she was about to throw it, a hand reached over and grabbed her arm, preventing it from extending. I looked over to see Ben standing there, effortlessly holding Sissy back from smacking me. Sissy fidgeted and swore but he wouldn't let go. Finally she ripped her arm out of his grasp and stomped her foot in rage. "I'll get you!" she screamed in unbridled anger. "I'll get you! Both of you!" After one last pitiful squeal, she stomped off with her nose in the air followed by her cronies.
"Thanks," I said to Ben after she left.
"Sure, anything to stop that witch from making another person's life miserable." He turned to stare after her for a while. "I can't believe she actually tried to hit someone in her anger. Wonder what got into her."
"I dunno," I said innocently but made the mistake of glancing at Ulrich in the process. Instead of sounding innocent, we started laughing hysterically.
Ben turned back and cocked an eyebrow. "Okay. Was there something I missed?"
"You had to have been here five minutes ago," Ulrich said, fighting back the urge to laugh some more. "Who are you anyway?"
I flushed. "Whoops, in all the excitement I forgot to introduce you two." I felt the ice form that came with the awkwardness of introductions. "Ben, this is Ulrich. Ulrich, Ben." They nodded to each other in acknowledgement. But they both did seem a little cold toward each other, as if there really were ice forming. "Um..." I said, trying to say something witty to break the ice. I racked my brain but couldn't think of anything so I just hurried on, "I've got to go." I laughed nervously. "Homework awaits."
"Right, me too," Ben said, looking Ulrich up and down as if sizing him up. I didn't like the look and had to resist the urge of standing in front of Ulrich to protect him from Ben's gaze. "See you." Ben slouched his shoulders and walked off. I breathed out in relief.
"He looked friendly," Ulrich commented as we started for the dorm building. His voice was thick with sarcasm. Suddenly I switched sides in my thinking and stood up to defend Ben.
"You don't even know him!" I practically yelled at him.
"And you do?"
I made an impatient noise in my throat. "You know what? Just shut up!" Heat flared to my cheeks as I ran to the entrance of the dorm building, leaving a stunned Ulrich behind in my dust.