The next day in math Hope had a big bruise on the side of her face. It was so big that her left eye was swollen and only half open.

"What happened?" I asked as I sat in the seat behind her

"Hey you're in my seat." The guy that sat in front of me barked.

"Then take mine!" I barked louder.

I looked back at Hope as the guy grumbled and took my seat, "What happened?"

"It's nothing." Hope said.

"Hope your eye's almost swollen shut." I said, "Don't tell me it's nothing, what happened?"

Hope chuckled, "That's so like you."

"What?" I asked

"To be all…. Protective."

I looked down.

"It's nice." Hope smiled at me.

"Was it Xan?" I asked.

"Was what Xan?" Hope looked at me for a moment.

"Did he…. Did he hit you?" I finally asked

"Do you honestly think I would let a guy hit me and let him get away with it?" She asked as she suddenly looked angry.

"You let Tom call you…. Names..." I said as I looked in her eyes.

Hope looked like she was about to burst into tears.

"I'm fine." She muttered as she turned her back to me.

Hope ignored me for the rest of the day. I felt so awful! Hope wouldn't talk to me at all; she wouldn't even look at me.

"Forget her." Yumi said, "If she wants to be like that then you don't need her."

"It's not that easy Yumi." I muttered

"Odd," She looked at me as I sat on Ulrich's bed in the dorm, "You can do better."

"What do you mean?" I asked as I looked up at her.

"Hope's just been trouble for you hasn't she? You deserve some one better that that." Yumi said.

"What are you saying?" I asked, keeping my eyes on her.

"I mean you deserve some one that actually loves you, not some girl that can't make up her mind."

"Hope does love me." I said, even though I wasn't sure anymore.

"If she does why is she with Xan? And why did she and her friends just leave after we came over to them?"

"I don't know…." I rubbed my arm, "Maybe they had something they had to do."

"Odd…" Yumi sighed, "You can do a lot better then Hope Kane."

"Are you saying she isn't good enough for me?" I asked, feeling a twinge of anger.

"To be blunt, yeah, I am." Yumi look a little annoyed with me, but hey, I'm not the one saying anything about the person she cares about now am I?

"You don't even know Hope!" I snapped a little louder than I meant to.

"One, if she's hanging out with Samantha she can't be good news; two, I'm only trying to help you; and three, don't yell at me!" Yumi growled.

"How do you know what Hope's like?" I asked as I stood up

"How do you? You only knew her for a few days!"

"How's telling me the girl I love is unworthy of me helping?"

"You deserve better!" Yumi stood up and shouted

"And I did not yell at you!" I shouted

"Yes you are!" Yumi stormed out of the room.

I climbed up to my bed buried my face in my pillow. I don't think I've had a day worse than this. Hope hates me, Yumi's mad at me, and Hope won't tell me what's wrong when I know she's hurting! I sat up and punched my pillow as tears started to stream down my face.

Later that night Jeremy was talking to Aelita who was having him listen to some girls' song from America.

Have you ever been in love, been in love so bad

You'd do anything to make them understand?

Have you ever had some one steal your heart away

You'd do anything to make them feel the same.

Have you ever searched for words that get you in the heart

But you don't know what to say and you don't know where to start?

Have you ever loved somebody so much it makes you cry?

Have you ever needed someone so bad you can't sleep at night?

Have you ever tried to find the words but they don't come out right?

Have you ever….Have you ever…

I gripped my pillow as tears began to run down my face again. I wanted Hope so bad, not sexually or anything, I just wanted to be able to say…. I wanted to say that she was my girlfriend and that I was able to hold her close to me… I buried my face in my pillow so no one would hear me.

Saturday afternoon Xana tried attacking again. Yumi, Ulrich, and me were in Lyoko and were almost to the tower when we saw five people we never thought would be there. Needless to say, my heart broke more when I saw Hope standing with the people in front of the tower.