HvonM: First chapter of CD is why I think we don't see Yumi show her feelings for Ulrich in season 1… well, except for Routine, which is the SWEETEST EPIISODE EVER! Love that episode! (heh heh, sorry. Thank you v. much for the review!)

Angels 'n Dreams: Yeah… I'm a romantic at heart…

Kay: I don't mean to be stereotypical, but it's very hard to escape from Manga in Japan so I though Yumi would have picked it up sooner or later… plus she's always struck me at being good at art. I don't know why.

Otritzi: Mostly soccer in this story… soz. Awkward? You can say that again! ('Awkward'. Yes, yes, no need to take me seriously…)

tehrandomkitten: There are some really good 'how to draw Manga' books out there; I'd be lost without them! Yes, I love fluffiness too. I really don't like the episodes without at least a little bit of romance.

Mousewolf: Ooh, poor you! From what I've gathered, your brother isn't of a kindly disposition towards you, is he? Poor Mouse! And Jérémie didn't actually see them; just sort of glanced on the way in but mostly ignored them.

midnightgoth9: Thank you! I love that line too, and there are some more in here that you might like. I hope you do, at any rate.

Mystic Dragon: Oh, so that's what it is! Thank you for explaining! Yeah, I guess this story is pretty AU, because it isn't really like the episodes we know… yeah, Jérémie had bad timing. So does practically everyone in Code Lyoko. Does anyone remember Chums? I don't know why, but I just though of the Dec and Cat snog interruption scenes…

Boomishkittish: Aw, thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Never really thought of myself as a 'good writer'… it's just something I like doing. I was watching Fawlty Towers and there's an episode where these Germans come to stay and Basil Fawlty (played by John Cleese) keeps saying, 'Don't mention the War!' and that rubbed off on me. Odd's Norwegian? I didn't know that. I always thought he was from either New Zealand or America, and Jérémie was either a Brit or Swedish. And I hate my hair in the morning, so I decided to add something to make Yumi a little more girly. And to get revenge on my hair.

Just me: I'm afraid to say there's a whole story until Odd comes. Soz. But he does come, and that's the main thing, right?

Cyber wombat: I don't know… you just sent me a picture of a wombat once, and wrote 'Mwahahaha! It is not a spider, Alice, it is a wombat, and I am a wombat!' Or something like that, at any rate. Have you done the Drama homework? Because I haven't yet. Oops. (You're just saying it's great so I don't write more in my notebook, ain'tcha? ;-))

Lyoko Lover: I HATE it when Code Lyoko gets cancelled! S4C has done this TWICE. I am thinking of writing an angry letter. Or starting a petition. Anyone with me? (Uncomfortable silence). Oh, fine. But they only showed up to Y Drefn (Routine) which, yes, is a sweet episode, but would it be too much bother to finish the season? S4C, if you're listening, SHOW COD LYOKO AGAIN!

Ulrich S.

'Okay,' Jérémie says. 'What happened?'

'Not a clue,' I answer. Which is true. I know what nearly happened, but I'm not sure what the name is for what did happen. Am I glad Jérémie interrupted? Erm… ask me that later. Maybe it's best if Yumi and me do just stay friends; so many couples break up and then never talk to each other again. Then again, it could be 'meant to be' as my cousin puts it.

Jérémie raises an eyebrow. 'Did you two fight?'

Obviously he hadn't seen us when he entered; otherwise he wouldn't have asked such a stupid question.

My blush increases as I wonder what would have happened if Jérémie had glanced at Yumi and me and our… compromising positions.

'You didn't, did you? Honestly, Yumi is unbelievable sometimes.'

(He can say that again).

'I thought that after what you did yesterday she would have warmed to you…'

'Umm… she has,' I answer. 'We were… umm… talking…'

Jérémie looks confused, then his eyes widen as 'realisation' dawns. 'Oh,' he says. 'Oh. Talking.'

'Not like that!' I gabble, waving my hands in front of my face. 'Jérémie, it isn't…'

Jérémie chuckles. 'I don't really care. So long as you two aren't at each other's throats… in a bad way.'

He's evil.

'Honestly, I'm glad. It's about time Yumi learnt that not every guy in the universe who wants to kiss her is only doing so to prove himself to his friends.'

Could I go even redder?

Jérémie places his bag on his bed and opens it, pulling his laptop out. 'Fancy playing Fatal Glory?' he asks nonchalantly.

I agree immediately, glad of any distraction.

'Oh, by the way,' he says, 'football tryouts on Saturday.'

'Thanks,' I say, 'but I play soccer.'

Jérémie rolls his eyes. 'Football, soccer. Tomato, tomaedo. Same thing. The tryouts are tomorrow, after school. I'm sure Yumi'll come to give you her support.'

Okay, I'll admit it: I thump him.

Saturday. The last few days have been extremely… different. I guess you could call them uncomfortable in some ways. Whenever Jérémie wandered off to Computer Club or something, leaving me and Yumi alone, we said barely three words to each other and looked fixedly at the wall, both of us as red as tomatoes (or tomaedos…). Our conversations seem to work better if Jérémie's there, even if he doesn't say anything.

But I'm not going to think about that. Today are the soccer tryouts. I've changed into shorts and a T-shirt and I'm stretching at the edge of the soccer pitch. A few students have wandered over to watch the tryouts; no, I haven't checked to see if Yumi is one of them. I need to concentrate, okay? And not on her.

I've found out that Jim is the soccer coach. He keeps giving me funny looks, then glancing at the stands behind me. He probably still thinks Yumi's blackmailing me or something.

Someone puts a hand on my shoulder. I jump and turn around.

Jérémie's taken a seat in the bottom tier of the stands, right behind me. He's put his bag next to him, and there's a reddish brown bag on his other side. Yumi's. She's come over to talk to me before the tryouts. 'Good luck,' she whispers.

I nod a thank-you and turn back to face the pitch. Well, there goes my concentration. I'll be lucky if I can remember what I had for breakfast now.

A black haired boy who I remember seeing on the bus smiles nervously at me. 'Any good at soccer?' he asks.

'I'm okay,' I say modestly. 'I was the captain of the team back at my old school.'

The boy laughs. 'I'm crap,' he says, 'but I thought I'd give it a go. My name's Julian, by the way.'

'Ulrich,' I say.

'Yeah, I know. You're the one who broke James's nose.'

Amazing how quickly gossip spreads.

Julian leans in closer to me. 'Is it true that Yumi's your girlfriend?'

'Pardon?' Aargh, panic attack. 'No, no. We're friends.'

'Oh,' Julian says. Maybe he was hoping for something else to add to the gossip column of the Kadic Gazette. 'So why'd you bash James?'

'He shouldn't have been hassling her.'

'Oh, okay.'

'Ul-riiiiiiich!' someone trills.

'Oh, no,' I groan, and try and hide behind Julian.

Sissi comes prancing towards me, once again flanked by Captain Gormless and his assistant, Acne Boy.

'Ulrich, dear,' she says, fluttering her eyelashes so much I'm surprised she can still see, 'you didn't tell me you were interested in soccer.'

'Umm… you didn't ask…'

Sissi laughs in an extremely irritating way. 'Oh, come now,' she says sweetly. 'You should have told me. You see, I'm the head cheerleader, and I have no doubt you'll be fabulous at soccer…'

'Slut,' someone behind me mutters. I'll be very surprised if it's Jérémie.

'… so I just came to show me my new cheer!'

Someone shoot me now.

Sissi smiles like a plastic doll and stands in front of me with her hands on her hips. 'Ready? Okay!

'U, he's gonna beat ya!

L, you are the Loser!

R, he is a Romeo…'

I glance at Yumi. She's staring at Sissi and her eye's twitching. I don't think that's a sign that she's about to start handing out ice cream and cookies.

'I, we all adore him…'

I hold up my hands. 'Yes, Sissi, that's lovely,' I say, 'but can you please leave me to warm up?'

'Ha ha,' Yumi says behind me in a somewhat triumphant voice.

Sissi looks annoyed for perhaps a moment or two, then smiles brightly. 'Of course, Ulrich dear. I'll be rooting for you!'

She waves with her fingers in a completely bimbo fashion before not so much turning as spinning away. She heads to the seats behind me, finds Yumi and Jérémie there, and has to settle with sitting in the tier behind my two friends.

Just when I think I've rid myself of one female, another turns up.

A girl with bright red hair and wearing a long green coat comes running towards me, closely followed by an Asian boy carrying a silver camcorder. The girl stops, tidies her hair, and fixes a big smile on her face.

'Ready?' she asks.

'In five,' the guy says. 'Two, three, four…go.'

'Hello,' the girl says brightly, 'this is Christy Solovieff, reporting to you from Kadic for Kadic News 27. I'm here today at the tryouts for the junior soccer team, bringing you the latest news as it happens. Here with me now is one of the many hopefuls, Ulrich Stern, who in the space of a few short days has already made quite a name for himself.'

She turns to me, still with a smile the size of Australia plastered across her face. 'So, Ulrich,' she says, 'why do you want to join the Kadic Junior Soccer Team?'

I take a step backwards from the mike she's thrust at me. 'Erm… I like soccer…'

Christy smiles at the camera again. 'Don't we all?' she says with a fake laugh. 'Is it true that your ball skills broke the nose of James Moriarty, last year's soccer captain?'

He was? Oh, shit.

'Umm… that was an accident.'

'Of course it was, Ulrich,' Christy says with a huge wink at the camera. 'We believe you.'

'Umm, thanks.'

Christy looks behind me. 'Am I right in thinking that here comes James now?'

'Really?' She's right as well. He looks a lot smaller without his hoodie, but when he catches sight of me his expression is one of pure fury.

I step out of camera shot and stand with my back to the tiers of seats. Yumi's stood up and is standing as close to me as she can. Aw, she's worried. SO AM I!

James stands in front of me. His nose is plastered with white. I prepare myself for a punch, but instead he holds out his hand. 'You is goo' a' aimin',' he said. 'Goo' luck.'

I gingerly take his hand.

He lets go almost immediately and says, with a smile of pure evil, 'Course, goo' aim do not tha' you is goin' ta be goo' on the pitch. We will see.'

Yumi puts a hand on my shoulder. 'He won't dare hurt you,' she says. 'If he does, he will never have any kids.'

Her confidence is encouraging. I just wish she wasn't shaking so much.

James must have heard her, because he turns around to talk to me. 'Oh, I is no gonna hur' ya ye'. Bu' you's be'er watch out… you an' your li'le girlfriend.'

Yumi tries to lunge at him and nearly makes me fall over. James guffaws and struts off.

Jérémie appears beside Yumi. 'Are you going to write your will now,' he says pleasantly, 'or later?'

'Shut up, Jérémie,' Yumi says. 'Ulrich, don't let him worry you. He's all talk. Just ignore him. He's too stupid to do anything.'

'I don't need to let him worry me. He's doing that anyway,' I say glumly.

Yumi tries to come up with another encouraging line, fails, and deflates a bit. 'Maybe it would've been better if you hadn't kicked the ball,' she says unhappily. 'Maybe you should have just sat with Sissi in the first place, and I would've stayed the loner in the corner.'

I take her hand and turn to face her. 'You don't mean that,' I say softly. 'And even if I could go back in time, I wouldn't change anything that's happened. Well,' I add, 'except perhaps my aunt's wedding… that was a disaster…'

Yumi smiles at me and wipes her eyes with her sleeve. 'Thank you.'

'That's the spirit!' Jérémie cries, punching the air. 'Show them what you can do, Ulrich!'

Yumi pushes me forward gently. I square my shoulders, and the tryouts begin.