Through every hardship

Chapter Five: Another one down

By: Michi-Hikari

Ulrich stood beside his other teammates, trying to keep a passive face as Coach Kenyon started to call out the members of the new soccer junior varsity team. Theo and Mike got in, but Jason didn't. Theo sent Ulrich a look of spite. He hated the fact that Sissy liked Ulrich more than him.

Coach looked at Ulrich in the eye. "You and your friend Odd are your star forwards, okay?"

"Okay," said Ulrich, feeling a little disappointed that he wasn't in varsity, but at least he got in the team, right?

Speaking of the team's new star forwards, Odd came by…skipping??

"Dude!!" Ulrich hissed, as Odd came to a stop beside him. "Do not skip!! It brings down your macho points."

"But I feel really happy!!" Odd protested with a smile.

"You don't need to show everyone that!!"

"Did we get in varsity?" Odd asked, switching the subject quickly to a topic Ulrich would love.

"Uhh….no, but we're the team's star forwards." Ulrich, seeing Odd's smile turn upside down, added quickly, "But Coach also said that we can be varsity substitutes."

"Substitutes?" Odd growled.

"Yeah, but, whoa, man… feeling moody today?"

"Nooo." Odd growled, glaring at Ulrich irritably.

"Hey, hey…" Ulrich threw up his hands as though to fend off Odd's piercing glower. "Just an observation."

"Observe no more." Odd told him haughtily.

Ulrich just stared after him as he strode off.

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Yumi and Aelita had gotten lots of catcalls as they walked through the school. Feeling the blush in her cheeks, Yumi had tried to ignore the appraising glances. Aelita, meanwhile, had just giggled.

When Jason ran past, Yumi's hand shot out and grabbed his arm. She knew that he wanted to try out of soccer, and sought to know if soccer tryouts were over.

"Jason." Yumi started. "About soc…"

Jason looked her up and down, and smiled at her slyly. "Looking good, Ishiyami." He drawled.

Disgusted, Yumi dropped his arm and leaned away from him.

"Playing hard to get?" Jason asked with a raised eyebrow. He looked her over once again. "Trying to make an impression on me, huh? Well, it worked."

"Don't flatter yourself." Yumi said, her head high and her back straight. "You're setting yourself up for a high fall."

Aelita laughed, and took her place beside Yumi. "Ooh… embarrassed, are we now, Jason?"

"Never mind, Aelita." Yumi said. "We can't be seen around such filth."

Yumi marched away, with Aelita beside her. Both matched paces exactly, like sisters.

Jason's eyes followed Yumi as she left. Emily walked up to him and said, "Shot down by the Sensual Sisters, huh?"

"Hard," Jason agreed. "But it was worth it."

When Yumi finally disappeared in the distance, Jason turned to fix his dark blue eyes on Emily. He smiled. "Yumi is so cute when she'd embarrassed and slash or mad."

"Whatever." Emily sighed. "As if you stand a chance with Yumi, or Aelita, even."

"Hey, there's a reason they're called the Sensual Sisters. We boys don't drool over them just for nothing, you know." He snapped his fingers. "Hey, wanna help me get with Yumi? I'll have so much fun…"

"Err…" Emily hit Jason over the head. "Pervert. When I tell Ulrich…"

"Wait…. I was just kidding!!! Emily!! EMILY!!"

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Zack opened the door to his dorm and locked it behind him. He strode over to the closet and opened it. Tallia looked up at him with emotionless eyes.

"Are you ready?" Zack's face had sharpened back into its hard, but handsome features.

"Have been." Tallia answered.

"Alright, then. You know what to do." Saying so, Zack bent over and untied Tallia. She stood up, stretched and turned to leave.

"Wait," Zack said. "Don't forget to act like…. her. It should work better then."

"Whatever you say, master."

"And be sure to check at the factory, first. He might have figured out what had happened by this time. He is the genius of the group, after all."

"Of course, master."

Finally, Tallia left, and Zack leaned back against his chair and sighed happily.

"Humans are so much more bearablewhen they're under my control."

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Odd's mood was still very bad. He had snapped at everyone who came his way, and everyone who came his way had stared and whispered behind his back.

"What is wrong with him?"

"Do you think he got in a fight?"

"Odd? In a fight? I don't think so."

"Maybe he didn't get in the soccer team. I heard tryouts were today."

"That's not possible too. He's a really good player; and he plays with Ulrich. Anyone who plays soccer with Ulrich should be good."

"Well, yes, but…"

Finally, Odd had to swivel on the spot and yell at them to shut up, and their mouths clamped shut instantly. When Odd yells at you with a huge scowl, you listen.

Breathing heavily, he started looking for Jeremie. He knew something was wrong with him, and he was sure Jeremie would know what.

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Jeremie was far from where Odd was. He was well beyond the school and wasat the park on his way to the underground sewers that led to the factory.

He looked around carefully, and was about to open the manhole cover, when he heard singing. The voice was familiar, kind of like Aelita's. A smile grew in Jeremie's face. He pushed the bushes away and saw a pink head. Immediately thinking that it was Aelita, Jeremie snuck up to her, and suddenly threw his arms around her. The girl shrieked, and when she turned, Jeremie saw that she was not Aelita at all.

"Jeremie!!" Tallia cried out faintly. She was clutching her ankle, which was bent at an odd angle, like it was sprained or broken. Jeremie quickly leapt back, red.

"Sorry, sorry." He apologized. "I thought you were someone else."

"That's okay." Tallia smiled at him shyly, and Jeremie was surprised by how much Tallia looked like Aelita when she was not screaming at some boy to stop trying to pick her up.

Jeremie looked away quickly. A weird feeling had begun to fall upon him, a feeling that Jeremie felt only around Aelita. "Uh… need some help?"

"Yes." Tallia's voice was soft and inviting, but laden with pain. "I…I just wanted to find a type of flower…. azaleas…. for my flower collection…"

Jeremie's eyebrow had gone up, and somehow doubted that Tallia would have a flower collection.

"…but then, a tree root…. tripped…." Tallia sobbed louder. "It hurts," she wailed.

Jeremie sighed, and then bent down beside her. "I'm no expert," he told her, "But I'm pretty sure it's broken."

Tallia looked horrified. Jeremie immediately threw his hands up, leaning back fearfully. "I-I'll try to make a temporary splint…"

Jeremie stood up, and looked around. He looked around for a smooth, sturdy branch and picked up a stick. He then dug his hand in his pocket for his handkerchief. He walked back to Tallia and held the stick beside her ankle. Then he wrapped the handkerchief tightly around both the branch and her ankle, and tied it.

"Can you stand now?" He asked. Tallia pushed herself up, and wobbled. She fell over, and would have hit the ground hard if Jeremie hadn't leapt forward, and caught her.

Jeremie caught his breath, feeling his head spin. Tallia was wearing a perfume: captivating, entrancing…

"Thank you." Tallia smiled at him shyly, snapping him out of his reverie.

"Wha- um… yeah, sure." Jeremie said, surprised. "Here, I'll help you…"

Jeremie put an arm around Tallia's waist, and helped her up. Together, they trotted towards the school. Jeremie, whistling softly in his head, was so out of it that he didn't see Tallia smile malevolently at his back.

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Michi-Hikari: Oo Whoa… what is Zack and Tallia up to? Review if you wanna find out!!!

And THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed!! Thank you VERY much!! I'll try to update soon if enough people review!! Does anyone have any suggestions to what happens next? I already have a general idea of what's going to happen…. But wouldn't it be fun if random stuff happens in the story, too? Have fun reading!!

P.S. DO NOT WORRY, YUMI & ULRICH FANS!!! They'll be together in the next chapter!!! Can't wait to see how Ulrich's going to react at how Yumi looks like!!!