A/N – Let's hear it for long chapters! WOOHOO! ;) Well, I hope you like it! I spent all too long on this. XD I should probably like, start doing homework before I get involved with this stuff. Arrg. But.... It's so much.... Fun.... Ack. I'm so addicted to fanfic!

Bleh. Well, in any case, here are the responses to the reviews on my last chapter:

The 13th Pearl: Aw, thanks!

Tyler: Haha, thanks buddy. ;)

Aelita Lyoko the 2nd: Well, we shall see if things get better or worse between Jeremie and Aelita. I apologize for not getting into that at all in this chappie, but next chapter will be all about that.

Flying Star: Aha. Have you tried deleting your cookies? I don't know if that's the problem, but, depending on what browser you use, there should be a place where you can go, like Internet Options, to delete your cookies. That might fix it. Maybe.

Thank you for your review! I can't say much though, or else it might give it away. :X

Yeah, I know you have stories of your own. I've probably read at least one, but I'll look at your account today and read all of them and give you some reviews if my dad doesn't kick me off the computer. Heehee.

cat girl: Here you go! I hope you like.

(Um, another little author's note: If you're reading this, I hope you go look at the stories written by all of my wonderful reviewers. I'm sure they would appreciate it! )

Anyhoo, here it is. Please please please PLEASE review. Reviews are wonderful, as all authors on this site know. ;) In return I will try to R&R all of your stories as well. Thanks! And enjoy!


-3-

Yumi's P.O.V.

"Well, I don't know what to think," Odd said, throwing a pebble, and watching as it hit the water below us. We were on the bridge, talking. It was getting sort of dark, too. The boys would have to go back to their dorm soon, so that Jim wouldn't catch them out after curfew.

I was silent. Ulrich was standing next to me.

"Well, is there anything we can do about it?" Ulrich asked.

"I don't know," Odd said. "I just hope Aelita will be ok. And I really hope she and Jeremie will get over each other. Jeremie especially."

"Yeah," Ulrich agreed.

"Oh, I'm sure he will," I said. "He's just stressed. You know how he's been over-working himself to find that anti-virus lately."

"True," commented Ulrich. "But he never yells at anyone. And the fact that he yelled at Aelita suggests that he's really upset by this."

"God knows I would be," I whispered, looking at Ulrich, "If... the one I loved were in danger..." I found myself looking into Ulrich's eyes. I lost myself in them quickly. Our gaze locked, and I felt butterflies in my stomach.

Odd coughed, breaking our trance. I looked away from Ulrich's face, and I felt my cheeks burning. Embarrassed, I looked in Odd's direction with a sheepish smile, that he didn't see anyway, because he was turned around, and was looking at the up at the sky. I couldn't see his face.

For far too long, the only sounds that were heard were birds, and the wind whipping around us.

Out of the blue, Ulrich's cell phone rang. "Oh, oops," Ulrich said, pulling the phone out of his pocket, then pressing a button and putting it to his ear. "Hello? ... uh, yes ma'am ... alright, yeah, I'll be right there." He looked up at us. "I have to go back to the school, Mrs. Hertz wants to see me. Something about a science test." He gave us a look of confusion. Most teachers don't ask to see their students when it was getting as late as it was. He put his phone back in his pocket. "See you 'round Yumi. Later, Odd." He walked up to me and kissed me quickly on the cheek. I blushed, knowing that Odd was present.

Odd, still turned around, lowered his head and mumbled, "Yeah, see ya. I'll be back at the dorm later tonight."

I watched as Ulrich walked away. Slowly, his features became more and more distant.

"Yumi?"

I turned to see Odd stepping towards me.

"Yeah?" I responded.

His eyes dropped to the ground. He paused. ..."Do you love him?"

I took a step backwards, caught off guard by his question. Gathering myself, I said, "Um, why do you ask?"

His eyes were still fixed on the cement of the bridge. After a moment, he said, "Nothing. Just forget it."

"No, Odd, I want to know," I said.

He started to walk away from me. "I said to forget it!" he yelled, without stopping.

I ran up to him, walking by his side, trying to keep up with his fast pace. "Okay, yes, I love him. Now tell me why you asked!"

He turned sharply, looking into my eyes. Then he simply whispered, "Leave me alone." After he said this, he continued to stare at me for a moment, as if making sure that his words had gotten through to me. Then he started walking away again.

I didn't follow. Instead, I simply called out his name. He responded with a dismissing backwards wave of his hand.

Confused, I watched him until he was out of sight. Then I started walking home too.

I treaded along slowly, watching as the bare branches of trees swayed in the soft gusts of gentle night air. Street lights were beginning to switch on, and they stood firmly in the ground, staining the darkness with luminous splotches. I pondered Odds actions all the while. Nothing made sense. But as the dark shadows of the dimming world closed around me, and nighttime became more and more apparent, my mind became too swamped with thoughts, questions, and feelings, that I couldn't stand it any longer. Taking in a breath of the crisp night air, that had the autumnal hint of bonfires upon its scent, I tried my hardest to clear my thoughts.

Soon, I could see my house in plain sight.

As I reached it, I opened the door, got inside, said 'hello' to my mother and father, and raced upstairs.

As I walked down the hall, I could hear the faint sound of a girl crying. Opening the door to the room I share with Aelita, I found her sitting in the corner, her back to me, weeping softly.

-------------------------

Meanwhile...

Odd's P.O.V.

I paced across the school grounds, finally reaching the door that leads into the wing of the building where our dorms are. I walked along the hallway angrily, pushing past everyone in my way.

"Why are you jealous?" asked a voice in my head.

"I'm not," I told it.

"Pfft, yeah right. Dude, you SO are," the Voice said, snickering.

"I AM NOT!" I screamed, out loud on accident. Several students stopped what they were doing to give me strange looks. I felt the tingling hot sensation of a blush on my face, but I continued down the hallway anyway.

"Okay, whatever dude. But if you won't admit that you like Yumi, then I don't want to hear you complaining about how she's with Ulrich instead of you anymore," said The Voice.

"I can't tell her. She's dating my best friend already! It's just wrong for me to like her!" I said to the Voice.

"So? She's hot, and you know it. You've liked her ever since that time when you were in the infirmary!"

Images raced across my mind. I remembered that time so vividly.

In a flashback, I remembered her holding my hand after I had been injured when something went wrong in Lyoko. I saw her face; it was passionate, sweet, and loving. I had been so foolish to think that she liked me, and that the warm eyes and smile she used belonged to me only. I see it every day when she's with Ulrich. But she never looks at me with it anymore. I realized then how much I miss that look.

"Alright, what do I have to do to get her back?" I asked The Voice. At the same time, I unlocked the door to Ulrich's and my room, which was unoccupied and dark. I stepped inside, and switched on a light.

"Eliminate Ulrich, of course," it said.

"I can't do that! He's my best friend!"

"Look, do you want Yumi or not?" it asked.

"Leave me alone!" I yelled at it, this time in my head instead of out loud.

"Okay, fine, whatever...But I know a way to get her back!" the Voice called.

Angry, I pushed the voice out of my mind. I placed both hands over my head. "Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" I said, my eyes squeezed shut. Then I opened them, and took a deep breath. "Man, was I just talking to myself?" I thought.

I looked over at my unmade bed, the sheets thrown on the floor and Kiwi lying peacefully in the middle of the mess. I must be really tired, I realized.

I walked over to my bed, and lay down on it, after Kiwi got up and moved. As soon as I settled down, he sat on my chest and licked my face. "You're lucky, Kiwi. You don't have to think about the same things humans do." I scratched him behind his ears, and he fell asleep.

I'm sorry, Yumi...I should never have said those things...I thought to her, as my eyes closed and I, too, fell into a deep sleep. I never even heard Ulrich when he came back that night.

-------------------------

Meanwhile...

Aelita's P.O.V.

Oh diary, I am so unhappy. I can't believe how stupid I am. Jeremie yelled at me today because I didn't tell him about my virus sooner. I can't believe I didn't tell him. He said I could be dead. Sometimes I wish I were, actually. Jeremie told me about something called a spirit today too. I wonder if I have one, diary? If I were to die, would I go somewhere else, leaving my body? I sometimes wish to go somewhere else – somewhere where there is no pain or unhappiness. I wonder if Jeremie would miss me or not if I went away. I'll bet he wouldn't. I should go downstairs right now, and get one of Yumi's mother's kitchen knives and slit my wrists!

I attempted, with the sleeve of my sweater, to wipe away the wet spots that were being created by the tears falling on the pages of my diary. I failed, as it is very hard to dry paper with one's sleeve, as I had just discovered.

Sitting in the corner of the room Yumi shares with me, with my back to the door, I sniffled, and then picked up my pen again and, it was about to touch the paper of the small black book when I heard the door open behind me. I placed the book back in my pocket before turning around to see who was entering.

"Aelita?" Yumi said, walking over to the corner I was in, where she squatted down beside me.

I sniffled again. "Hi, Yumi," I said.

"You ok? You wanna talk?" she asked.

I shook my head. "Just give me some time. I'll be alright," I told her, my voice trembling. I had tried my hardest to make it seem as though I was no longer crying.

Yumi looked unconvinced. "Aelita..." She sighed. "Aelita, look at me."

Slowly, I turned my head upwards. As soon as I looked into her eyes, I felt a lump growing in my throat and had to look down at the floor again, fearing that I'd start crying harder in front of her.

"Aelita," she said, laughing. "Come on, look up at me!"

I giggled too, but then my laughter turned into tears. "Oh Yumi!" I said, breaking down and hugging my friend sadly. "I've made a terrible mistake!"

"It's ok, Aelita. You can tell me," Yumi said.

"Yumi, I..." my words were choked with sobs. "I feel that Jeremie is right, I...I could be dead right now..." I let more tears stream down my face and run down onto Yumi's shoulder. "I feel horrible about this whole thing. I..." I didn't know whether to say the next words or not. "I feel almost as though I wish I had never sent out that S.O.S. call for Jeremie to get."

"Aelita..." Yumi said, holding me at arm's length, to study my face with an intense look in her eyes.

"He has given me so much, Yumi. And I haven't given him anything in return. And now I think he hates me for what I've done!" I yelled, a little too loud.

"Oh come on, Aelita. Jeremie could never hate you. And I know you don't wish that. Just think about all of the good times we've spent together! Think about all of the people you have come to know, and the life you've lived here with us! Without you, Jeremie would be incomplete. He needs you, Aelita! We all need you." Yumi said. "And about your fight today, it's no big deal, really. He's just a little stressed right now, is all," she said with a reassuring smile. "Go see him tomorrow. You'll get things all cleared up! I promise. It will all be fine."

"You really think so?" I said, sniffling and wiping the wetness from my face.

"I really do," Yumi said. Her kind, optimistic words and warm facial expression made me feel a lot better.

"Oh, thank you, Yumi! Yes, I will go to see him tomorrow. And it will all be okay," I said, my voice no longer suffocated with misery.

She grinned, and stood up. "Go get yourself cleaned up, ok? And then I suggest getting some sleep. It's been a long day, and I know I'm tired." She yawned.

I nodded, and got onto my feet. As I walked to the bathroom, I felt happy, but butterflies were still in my stomach; as I knew that tomorrow I'd have to face my lover the next day.

I walked into the bathroom. Feeling a familiar shape shift around by my side, I reached into my hidden pocket and brought out my small black diary. Flipping through its pages, I found my most recent entry.

I read it once.

And then read it once more.

Then, as quietly as I could, I tore it out of the book. Crumpling the sheet of paper up, I placed it in the trash can, burying it beneath some tissues.


A/N: Phew! That took me a long time to write. oO; Well, anyway, it's good to hear Aelita isn't thinking about suicide anymore, huh? But don't think things are only going to get better, the next chapter will only force the characters to face more drama.

(Reminds everyone to review again, and then laughs at herself for being such a review whore.)