I lay in on my bed, the darkness of the night engulfing me. I let it, enjoying the quiet and temporary peace of the night. Then I smiled, emitting my joy and happiness from that single smile.

I relived that moment, that wonderful moment in which Ulrich asked me to the homecoming dance. And I could see again the relief and joy on his face when I said yes. He left shortly after but I didn't care. My smile stretched to cover a sense of triumph. Sissy was no match for me.

I sat up and stared out the window. The stars were out, twinkling their small amount of warmth and light down from the heavens. I reached underneath my bed and pulled out my duffel bag. Then I reached into that and pulled out the glowing blue crystal. It made a pocket of blue light in my cupped hands and it lighted patches of walls and ceiling in the otherwise dark room. I turned it around and around, studying the intricate cuts in it. It was long in shape, long and thin, and it fit just right into my palm.

Suddenly, a scraping of footsteps could be heard just outside my door. I froze, the hand holding the crystal closing over it. The footsteps got louder as they passed right outside my door (I thought I heard a muffled sound too) and then receded in noise as they walked away. I could tell from when they got closer that there was more than one person sneaking around at night. Quickly, I grabbed my shoes and slipped them on, adjusting my plaid pajama pants around them. I slipped the crystal into the pocket of my pajama pants. The flannel covered the glow until it gave off no more light than a dying ember. On cat's paws, I glided out of my room, closing the door softly behind me. Then I played the spy as I trailed after the sound.

I followed it outside, making sure to always keep a fair distance between the mysterious noise and me. The night wind was chilly and I wish I had had enough common sense to grab a jacket before I came sneaking out here. To late now, I thought and proceeded carefully, now watchful for Jim and for the source of the noise.

But it seemed I'd lost track of it. I looked around nervously, the pitch dark only lit up a bit by a half moon. The wind blew my short hair into my face and I brushed at it annoyingly. Once I got my vision clear again, I saw two figures close together faintly outlined in the moonlight. I silently ran to behind a building and looked around the corner, squinting to try and see them better.

Finally I made out one figure. Sissy, with her long hair and her skirt over her pants as some lame fashion statement. She appeared to be talking, waving her hands around in emphasis. I leaned out farther and squinted even more to make out the second figure.

Then I stepped back and gasped loudly just as the two figures' heads touched in the darkness in an unmistakable kiss. I recognized the second figure's body posture, the slight slouch with his hands always in his pockets, his hair always spiked a bit in the front.

It was Ulrich.

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In the wave of shock, rage, and jealousy that came over me, I forgot for a millisecond that sounds are louder than they really are in the silence. So you could imagine my horror when I remembered that critical fact right after I let out my anguished gasp. I watched as Ulrich's figure suddenly straightened up and looked in my direction. I started backing up as he started advancing. I heard him call my name. I turned to run, then thought better of it. He would be sure to see a black figure flitting back to the building of the dorms, especially since now he would be looking extra hard and then he would know for sure I had been spying. So instead, I reached for my better alternative. My crystal.

It turned out to be about the same as making a break for the dorms. My brilliant idea was shattered when I took it out and it let off its piercing blue glow. I watched as it spread in a great aura around me, making me stand in a very, very visible spotlight. Ulrich called me again, his voice much closer than before.

In my panic, I slipped the crystal over my neck, looked up and spread my arms. I soared gently into the air. I took spot of a nearby tree and quickly flew over and settled in it. Once balanced in my crouched position in a crook of the trunk and a branch, I used a hand to close off the blue light from the crystal, balancing my position with the other. The night plunged into darkness again, but this time it seemed darker as my blue light abruptly went out.

"Yumi?" said Ulrich's voice. He had rounded the bend of the building. I felt myself tremble but forced myself to remain calm. My hand tightened around the crystal. I heard Sissy's voice faintly, calling Ulrich's name but it soon stopped as she inevitably gave up. Ulrich stopped in place and waited a couple of minutes in the gloom. Unsure of what he was doing, I remained in my position as well, starting to get cramped, uncomfortable, and cold. Finally he moved, bending down and fiddling with his shoe. When he straightened up again, he was holding his yellow crystal in front of him like a lantern. Damn, I thought. He was smart enough to bring his own crystal too.

Fortunately the pool of light generated from his crystal didn't quite reach me. I breathed out a slow sigh of relief.

Suddenly, a squirrel scampered from the base of the trunk of the tree in which I was hiding into Ulrich's pool of light. Unfortunately, it made such a loud noise in the unchanging silence that I was startled. I started to rock back in the tree. I reached out with both hands to grab anything that would keep me from falling.

Blue light spilled from the crystal, as if I had been keeping it hostage all this time and finally it was set free (and in a way it was true). It poured out, illuminating the whole tree. Shocked for the second time in a minute, both of my hands flew to cover the crystal. Bad move. I hadn't quite regained my balance yet to do such a thing. With a loud crash and a painful thump, I fell out of the tree into the bushes nearby.