Breaking the News

Friday, September 14

Dear Diary,

Something strange is going on today with Jeremy, Odd, and everyone else at school. I've tried to find what but no one will give me a straight answer. It's almost like they don't want me to find out or to find out on my own. Either way, it's really starting to bug me!

Well, I have another date with Theo tonight. I can't wait! He promised something special. I hope that nothing bad will happen during the date. I would hate to have to repeat his surprise, knowing what it was, and have to act surprised all over again. That is the only problem with our time reversal program.

Yumi

As Yumi replaced her journal under her mattress, her mother entered her room. A bundle of clean clothes were in her arms and she glanced at Yumi. A warm smile welcomed her into the room while she placed her daughter's clothes on the dresser.

"Your father and I are going out for the night," Mrs. Ishiyama said as she headed for the door. "I want you in bed at ten if we aren't back by then."

"Yes, Mom," Yumi said as she glanced at her watch. 4:36 p.m. It was almost time for her to meet Theo in the park.

Picking herself off her bed, Yumi stuffed her phone and a ten-dollar bill into her pocket. Walking with her mother down to the door, Yumi locked it as they left. Her father was already in the car and waiting. As she walked down the driveway and toward the park, her parent's car backed out and drove away.

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Ulrich sat quietly high up in a tree in the park. Below him was Jeremy with his laptop sitting with his back to the tree trunk. He ignored all around him as he worked on his computer. Sissi stood as close to Ulrich as she could and was trying to sweet-talk him into dating her. Odd was dancing energetically around the tree as he sang to the song in his ears. Sissi's gang stood slightly apart and looked quite bored. The only one missing was Yumi, and Ulrich readily scanned the park for her.

Then he saw her. Yumi was dressed in her favorite black jeans and shirt. With her raven hair flapping and waving in the wind, Yumi walked calmly down the path that was nearby them. She was exactly as Ulrich remembered, well almost...she was much more beautiful to him now than ever before.

Without a conscious decision, Ulrich leaned back and slid off the tree limb he'd been sitting on. Flipping in mid-air, he landed lightly on his feet in front of a slightly startled Sissi. Ignoring her, Ulrich walked up to the path that Yumi was walking on and waited patiently. With each step that she took, Ulrich felt his heart start to beat faster and his face turned a shade darker.

Yumi saw him and stopped walking when she reached him. Her eyes were wide with surprise and her jaw was hanging open a touch. A small smile pulled at Ulrich's lips as he took a step forward, closing the distance between them. He could no longer see or hear anyone other than the owner of his heart.

"Hello, Yumi," he said quietly. The first words that he'd spoken since he'd been back. Ulrich looked as though he were in a dream as he spoke. "I've missed you."

At hearing his voice, Yumi smiled brightly. "Ulrich, you're back! You've been gone for quite awhile. I've waited a long time to do this."

Fast as lightning, Yumi's hand flew up and slapped Ulrich's left cheek. The force of the slap snapped his head to the side. He didn't cry out, despite the numbing sting and resounding snap. Slowly he looked back at Yumi with a hurt and saddened look in his eyes. In Yumi's face he no longer saw the happiness he'd always imagined she'd show when he came back. Instead, her eyes were narrowed in anger.

"That was for leaving," Yumi hissed.

A slap to his right cheek tossed Ulrich's head to the left. Again no sound came from Ulrich except for a quiet sigh.

"That was for making me and Odd be the only ones against Xana," she hissed.

Another slap to his left cheek seemed to ring throughout the park clearing. With his cheeks reddening and becoming steadily numb, Ulrich looked back at Yumi for an explanation of the latest attack.

"And that was for me," Yumi said as she crossed her arms. "Now leave me alone. I don't ever what to see you again. I wish you were dead!"

Shoving him away from her, Yumi continued walking down the path. Before she'd gone too far, Ulrich said in a voice that implied indifference. "Be careful what you wish for...you might get it, Yumi."

Walking back to the tree, Ulrich pulled himself back up to the branch he'd been sitting on previously. If the weather would react to human emotions, the worst thunderstorm of the millennium wouldn't have been able to compare to the tsunami of sadness that washed over Ulrich. However, Sissi's weather pattern would've been an eon of sunny days with gentle breezes.

"Ulrich dear," Sissi began again. "Will you come down here so we can talk?"

"Persistent, aren't we?" Jeremy asked with aggravation. Sissi's whining voice was really starting to distract him from his work. He could only imagine how Ulrich could it endure it with a relatively level head.

Then Sissi did something quite odd. Instead of an arrogant reply or quick-witted comeback that promised revenge, Sissi flashed Jeremy a genuine smile of appreciation. "Yes," she said happily. "And loyal, like my dear Ulrich."

Returning her attention to Ulrich, she continued, "Two things that I love about my Ulrich are his persistence and loyalty. He stayed loyal to Yumi while she backstabbed him by dating Theo as soon as he left."

The truth in her words bore into Ulrich like a hot knife through butter. He turned his face in an attempt to try to focus on something other than Sissi's depressing facts. Sissi continued her ongoing speech of how Yumi didn't deserve him as a friend and how Ulrich and herself were meant for each other. Her half-truths and twisted fantasies quickly began to erode Ulrich's newfound patience and resilience, and deepen his despair.

Then a gift from heaven was given unto Ulrich: the song in Odd's CD player ended. Listening to Sissi's speech between the interlude for the next song, Odd saw what effect she was having on Ulrich despite his best efforts to remain indifferent externally. The song started and Odd smiled mischievously as an idea came to his mind.

Dancing over to Sissi, Odd grasped her hands and started twirling and dancing with her to the rhythm of the song. Struggling to free herself from Odd, Sissi yelled at him and for help. Nicholas and Herb were on the scene in an instant and fought to free Sissi from Odd's dancing clutches, and failing miserably. The whole scene was ridiculously hilarious and saved Ulrich from the depression he was falling into. Temporarily.