"What are you doing?" I snapped.

"I'm stopping you from hurting Hope more than what you already have!" Samantha growled.

"I've never hurt Hope!" I growled back, "I never would and never will!"

"Liar…" Samantha hissed.

I felt something hit me hard in the gut. I saw Samantha's fist return to her side as I fell to my knees, coughing up blood. She kicked my chin, knocking me on my back.

"I'm warning you once Odd. Stay away from Hope."

I saw her boots walk passed me as I tried to get up, but I just fell back onto the ground and stay there until Ulrich comes.

"I can't believe her!" Yumi exclaimed as she handed me a small bag of ice.

I put the ice on my chin as I watched my friends. We were at Yumi's house now.

"Samantha had no right to hit you." Ulrich said from the chair in the living room.

"Exactly," Yumi said, "you were only worried about Hope."

I just sighed as I buried myself in the corner of the couch. I knew something was wrong with Hope, and it hurt knowing she wouldn't come to me when she needed help.

"Are you alright Odd?" Jeremy asked as he looked at me.

"I guess." I replied grimly.

"I know you're really bummed about what's going on now, but I found out how Hope and all of them are getting into Lyoko." Jeremy said with a half smile.

"How?" Ulrich and Yumi said at once.

"I'm not sure how," Jeremy began, "but they're able to go through a computer."

"What makes you think that?" I asked

"Well you remember when Aelita wouldn't tell me what was going on?" Jeremy asked, "I was talking to her a few hours ago and she told me that there have been some weird openings that just seem to come out of thin air. Those opening are what lead all of them to Lyoko."

"So then that answers how they got there… but how come they think Xana's the good guy?" Ulrich asked.

There was a long silence between all of us.

"I'm not sure." Jeremy finally said.

I felt like some one was ripping my heart up, very slowly. I set the ice down and muttered, "I'll see you guys later," before I walked out the door. It had started to rain while we were inside, I could feel the cold autumn drops hit me as I walked down the street. I didn't care. I realize how hard it was for me to care about things when I knew Hope wouldn't talk to me. Why was I letting myself get so worked up over her? I hardly knew her and now…

I broke off in a run back to the dorms as tears began to rush down my cheeks. I turned the corner and crashed into some one. When I looked, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was a girl with fiery red hair and when she looked up I saw light blue eyes.

"Hope?" I muttered

"Excuse me?" the girl said.

"Hope!" I threw my arms around her without thinking.

"Get off of me you freak!" The girl snapped as she pushed me away and ran.

I grabbed my head as I began to shake. I shook my head as I felt my back against a cold brick wall. I looked up at the sky as I staggered forward. Then I saw it; down the street, there was Hope's old house. The same house where I had first found her cutting herself while she cried because her mothers Sue and Ellen wanted her to be gay; I stared at the house as tears rolled down my cheeks.

"I love you Hope!" I shouted, "I love you! Please! Just…Just talk to me again! I want you! I want to be with you again Hope!"

There was no answer. Instead a tile from the roof of the little house fell off. I sighed and slowly walked back to my dorm.

When I got into the room I saw my cell phone sitting on my pillow. I patted my pockets and realize that it was in fact my cell. I looked at it and saw the text window was open and in it was written, meet me at the dock Hopeful

My heart skipped a beat. I read the message twice before running out the door.

"Where are you going?" Ulrich said as I ran passed him.

"I'll explain later." I called over my shoulder.

It was getting dark outside as I ran down to the docks. But there she was, her hair wasn't black anymore, it was the same fiery red it was when we met, and her sapphire eyes were shimmering with tears.

"Hope!" I called as I ran down the dock.

"Odd…" She muttered when I got to her.

I wanted to hold her so badly…

"Odd!" Hope cried as she threw herself against me and clung to me as she cried.

"It's okay Hope." I said as I held her close to me. "I'm not going to let you go Hope. I… I love you, I do."

The next thing I knew I was in Hope's room in her new house. The house was bigger then her old one and her room was the attic. We climbed the stairs on the side of the house into her room. We were both cold, but her room was so warm compared to outside.

"Where's your dad?" I asked Hope as she shut the door behind her

"He went out of town for the week. So yeah, the whole house is mine for the week." She explained as she wrung her wet hair out. "I'm going to get a shower; I'll be back in a few minutes. Stay up here though, my step mom's asleep down stairs."

"Alright..." I said as I sat down in a chair.

"Hey Odd..?" Hope said half an hour later, before coming into her room.

"Yeah..?" I replied

"How much did you say you loved me?" She asked in an almost shy voice.

"I love you Hope, I'd do anything for you! Hell, I'd do anything to be with you."

"Close your eyes…" She said as I heard the door creek open.

There was a pause, and then I felt something warm against my lips. I put my arms around her, but was surprised at what I felt. When I opened my eyes I knew I would never forget that night…