Hey people, this chapter is dedicated to Amaherst. I don't know if Amaherst even reads this story, I don't think so. For all those who don't know, Amaherst put up three oneshots in two days, all of which are awesome. Totally my inspiration to write/update.

I'm actually surprised at how quickly some of you hated Avery. Last chapter, I made it so she made a mistake. Everyone does it. This chapter will explain some of the reasoning, but not all. That's being saved for later. If you are totally perfect, and have never made any mistake EVER, than I give you full right to bash Avery and everyone else on the planet. If not, then please don't. I got two flames on the last chapter, both calling Avery a bitch (one was even spelled wrong). For all those who didn't immediately shun Avery and decide that once she hurt Odd you would give up on her, thanks to you. You all get my great thanks.

Sorry if it sounds like i'm ranting (even though I basically am) I just don't like it when mean people call nice people a bitch. One time a jerk did it to the real Avery (the one that I know) and I almost hit him. She definitely did not deserve that.

I have talked WAAAAY too much, so I'm going to get on with the story. This is probably the chapter you all have been waiting for/expecting. Trust me. I doubt anything in this will be much of a surprise.

(Ulrich P.O.V.)

After PE gets out I quickly find Avery, she's leaning against the wall outside the gym. She actually seemed to be waiting for me.

"Hi Ulrich." She says when I get close enough.

"Hey Avery. You already know what I'm going to say, don't you?"

"I-I think so."

"Okay, take a guess."

"I'm playing with Odd's emotions."

"Wow. You got it exactly."

"And before you say anything, I'd like to say sorry."

"Wait, what?" I ask, doing a double take. Most people don't just right out say sorry.

"I'm sorry. I went to far."

"Wow, what brought about this sudden change of heart?"

"Odd's reaction today. He… he did a little bit more than I thought he would."

"What were you expecting him to do?"

"Uh…." I think I just realized something.

"You like him, don't you?" She stares at me with wide eyes.

"What makes you think that?"

"Oh, I don't know. Just the fact that you always seem to be around him. The fact that you let him keep your dorm key. That your always teasing him, always laughing with him."

"So? Does that mean we can't be just good friends?"

"It could. But Jeremie said the same thing about Aelita, and now they're together. I said the same thing about Yumi, and we ended up going out. It's a natural habit, to deny that you love someone."

"Well… uh…." She's speechless. This is one of the only times she's been unable to come up with a response.

"Do you love him or not?"

"Uh… no. I don't Ulrich. I don't know what your talking about." Her voice starts shaking a little bit, so I go in farther.

"Okay, prove it. Show me something, something that shows you don't love Odd."

"I-I can't. I just can't Ulrich." I see tears well up in her eyes and know I went too far. She sinks down against the wall and cries. I kneel next to her.

"Avery, denying it wont help. You can deny it all you want, but if you still feel the same inside, it won't help." She hugs me and starts to cry into my shoulder. I put my arm around her carefully, trying not to look like we're sharing a too intimate moment. If Yumi or Odd were to walk up right now, it would not be a pretty scene.

"I-I can't Ulrich. I can't love Odd. I just can't."

"Why not?"

"I-I can't tell you."

"Avery, look at me." She refuses, so I lift up her chin until she's looking straight at me.

"Do you love Odd or don't you? I don't care if you shouldn't or whatever. Do you love him or not?" She looks at me and shudders.

"Yes. Yes I do. But I can't, it just can't be like this!" She looks down again and cries.

It's a good thing school is over.

"Don't cry Avery, it will be okay. I'm not going to ask, it's not my business. Let's go back to your room now." She nods, so I help her stand up and walk back with her to her room.

Everyone gives us strange looks along the way, but I ignore them. I can't blame them though. Not to brag or anything, but I seem to be the most popular guy in school, mostly because of Sissi. Walking along with a new girl who's crying has got to look pretty weird. When we get to her room, I set her down on her bed.

"I'll see you at dinner, okay?"

"Okay… and Ulrich?"

"Yah?"

"Please don't tell Odd." I smile.

"I won't."

"Thanks Ulrich, you're a great friend."

"I'm only a great friend because I have great friends. See you later." I lock her door and walk outside.

I walk around the school, looking for Odd. Big mistake. As soon as I enter the courtyard, I'm besieged by a multitude of people, all girls.

"Ulrich? How could you do this?"

"Why Ulrich?"

"She's not even pretty!"

"You would do so much better with me!"

"How could you pick the new girl?" I put up my hands to tell them to shut up. Doesn't work.

"Shut up!" That got their attention. "I am NOT going out with Avery!" One girl I don't even recognize speaks up.

"Then why were you walking with her?"

"Because she's my friend! Is that illegal?"

"Why was she crying?" Some other girl pipes up.

"That's none of your business."

"She looked really comfortable with you…." Everyone is ganging up against me.

"That's because I've known her for longer than almost anyone else here."

"Did she ask you out and you rejected her?" I'm beginning to get a little peeved.

"No, we're not dating!"

"So you're not dating her?"

"No! I just said that!" I should have told them about Yumi. Immediately I get about a billion offers to be with this girl or that. Believe it or not, they actually get into a fight over me. Trust me, having fifteen girls fighting over you is not as cool as it sounds. Luckily, I manage to slip out of the group and run off before Jim comes over. I need to find somewhere to think. So I go to my usual place, my tree in the park. I run through the courtyard (far away from the dissipating fight) and into the forest. I reach my tree and tiredly lay against the trunk.

"Hey Ulrich, what happened to you?" I look around but there's no one in sight.

"Who's there?" I ask tentatively.

"Look up genius." I look up and see my favorite purple-clad friend sitting on a low branch. I scowl.

"Another brawl."

"With who?"

"Actually, I wasn't a part of it."

"Ah, another chick fight?"

"Yup. This one was the weirdest though. I'll bet you ten bucks you've dated most of those girls."

"I'm going to ignore that last comment and ask what the weird part was."

"Ah, nothing." He stands up and leans over on the branch.

"Tell me before I land on you."

"Okay okay! Everyone thought I was going out with Avery. Jeez, you don't have to threaten me."

"So… I take it that means you're not going out with her? Especially not secretly behind Yumi's back?"

"Absolutely not. Don't worry, Avery told me why you got so pissed during Gym."

"Ulrich, I-"

"Apology accepted. Don't worry about it. I would have been pissed if Yumi did the same thing to me."

"Good. But you have the right to be pissed if you think your girlfriend is cheating on you."

"Ah, whatever. Don't worry about it. Everyone in the gang now knows you want to go out with Avery."

"Yah, well, they also know that she doesn't like me."

"And most everyone thinks that she does. Just give it some time Odd, maybe her feelings will change." I can't help but smile now that I know the truth. Even if I don't know the reason behind it. True to my word, I will not tell him about what Avery said. I'll leave that to her. I'm just going to have a talk with her later.

"Mm, maybe."

"Oh Ulrich dear, there you are!" I spot Sissi walking over to me.

Don't I ever get one day without her bugging me?

"What do you want now Sissi? Did you come to claim victory from that little scuffle over there?" I point towards the school.

"Yah right, I'm too mature to be involved in something like that. I just came to tell you that I heard some rumors flying around today."

"Like what?"

"Like oh, you have been planning to ask me out for a while. That you've just been playing hard to get."

"And what makes you think any of those are true? I mean they're rumors for crying out loud!"

"Yes, but everyone also knows that rumors usually have a basis in fact."

"First, that's legends. Legends usually have a basis is fact. But do you want the truth? The truth about how much I love you?"

"Th-the truth? Do you really love me?"

"Yah, I love you just about as much as I do Odd's snoring. In fact, they're both so fucking annoying that I want to strangle the person responsible sometimes." Sissi looks really taken aback.

"Do you really mean that?"

"Uh, yah, or else I wouldn't have said it. Now just go away." I say and look away.

"I'll go away when Odd drops out of the sky!" She yells at me. Right on cue, Odd hops out of the tree and lands beside me.

"There you go. Now go away." She looks dumbfounded, so we just walk past her. I turn around to look at her again, she has a large cut on the back of her neck.

So she was a part of the fight!

I point this out to Odd and we both laugh as Sissi's pathetic attempt to make me her boyfriend.

"I swear, she's getting worse and worse at this." I mention to Odd.

"Oh yah. Even stealing your diary and blackmailing you with it was better than this. At least that one worked for a while."

"She needs some new ideas."

"Careful Ulrich, you sound like you want to go out with her."

"Oh no way. It's just really fun to smash all her ideas into little tiny bits. Come on Odd, we have homework to do." I say. We both head back to our room, still joking about Sissi and her failures.

See what I mean? I mean, come on. How many of you were surprised at what Avery said? I doubt very many of you. I'll bet your wondering why Avery said she couldn't love him though. Review with any ideas you might have, i'd love to see (and of course not laugh) at them. I already know what it is, I just want to see how many of you think along the same lines as me.

Someone in a review, I can't remember who, explained to me something about how I was wrong last chapter about the answer when Mrs. Hertz asked Ulrich that one question. He tried to explain it to me... but I didn't understand a word of it. Sorry. Please, just go easy on the guy who's failing science. And English. Yes, I know i'm pathetic.

If anyone spots something like that, where i'm totally wrong about something, please don't hesitate to point it out to me and if possible explain what the right thing is. I usually will do something completely wrong and not even know it. I don't pay attention in science, i'm kind of like Odd. I pride myself on the fact that I have never fallen asleep in science, no matter how tired I am.

I would like everyone to review and tell me if I did good on this chapter. rate me 1-10, ten being good. Be serious, but not generous.

Wow, I am doing a lot of commentary this chapter... so i'm going to shut up and let you get on with the rest of your more important lives. As promised, a quote or two:

352. What you call stupidity, I call selective understanding.

342. If all the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting?