Welcome to Chapter 12! It's might freak some people out. It's also going to have a lot of emotion and personal experience mixed in but you'll have to deal with it if you decide to keep reading! Anyway blah, blah journey, blah, blah, dark mind. BLAH! And to those of you who know me outside of my computer you will see a bit of me reflecting through…

Aelita and Yumi reached the typical suburban home and they smiled as they walked up the concrete steps. Both were still furious with the boys who had greatly disregarded them, they felt dishonored, like they meant nothing in the eyes of their friends. When the girls walked in they could hear Yumi's mother on the phone. They giggled a little as they made constant jokes about their friends that they would treasure forever.

"Yumi, now might not be the best time to have friends over," her mother tried to say as politely as she could. Her eyes were red as were her cheeks. She looked as if she had been crying, but no one knew why.

"But mom! Aelita is here to help me get over the stupid boys!" Yumi said in protest. Yumi looked at Aelita hoping her mom would understand, but her complaints fell on deaf ears.

"Yumi darling any other time would be great. Don't get me wrong Aelita we love having you over but right now just isn't a good time." Mrs. Ishiyama said looking at Yumi hoping she too would understand. Her eyes, though red and inflamed had a certain emotion locked within them. It was a sort of sadness that Yumi had never seen before.

"Um… ok mom. I guess I'll just walk Aelita back to the school and make sure she gets back ok?" Yumi said finally giving in. She would comply with her mother's needs but she would not let XANA ruin another part of her day and allow him an open target Aelita. Her mother nodded as they duo walked out the door they had just come in.

"Sorry Aelita. I'll fill you in on the details tomorrow I guess seeing as how I don't know what's wrong right now." Yumi said as they made their way back to the school.

Yumi quickly walked back after dropping off Aelita to go and comfort her mother. She walked in the door to be swallowed up in a sea of tissues.

"Mom?" Yumi asked, "Dad?" Yumi was hoping someone would answer her before the salty, tear-filled, napkins suffocated her.

"Your father isn't here." Mrs. Ishiyama said as she came down stairs. Her eyes looked the same as before.

"Did you fight again? Where is he? Is he ok? Are you ok? Mom what happened?" Yumi started to anxious. Her parents often fought and the normally weren't very good at hiding it but it normally took a few days.

"Relax Yumi! Your father is fine, he's in Tokyo, visiting grandma and grand…" The woman's sobs interfered with her ability to complete the last word. It's as if she would choke on the syllables alone.

"Mom it's ok. Just tell me what happened. How are Grandma and Grandpa?" Yumi asked as she pushed past the tissues to put a comforting arm around her mother's shoulder. A few more sobs were heard before she could speak.

"Yumi, your grandfather," She hesitated, "He wasn't feeling well recently and we didn't want to tell you or Hiroki. But now it's too late, Yumi he's gone." Yumi looked at her mother in disbelief. She was hoping her mother would come out at any time and just yell, "Got You!" But it never came. She longed so badly to hear the words, "Your Grandfather is fine." But they never came either. Yumi was devastated. She had always been so close to him, and now he was gone. He was no longer there to help her tie her shoes like he did when she was little. He couldn't read to her anymore. No longer would he listen to her sing and compliment her after singing the same song millions of times.

Yumi ran up to her room. She collapsed on her bed and let the tears fall from her eyes. She so wanted to be happy, she was being selfish. He needed to go at the moment he did and Yumi was glad that he would now be happy. But still she yearned for him to be there to watch her graduate. She was selfish but she didn't care. At the moment nothing mattered to her, and she couldn't stand to talk to anyone. She didn't want sympathy and her friends were no help at the moment either.

A gentle knock at the door was followed by a voice so soothing to Yumi she was jerked out of her sulking.

"Yumi. I know you're really angry with me, and I know you don't really want to forgive me right now but I still wanted to say that I'm sorry. You may not care but I really care about you Yumi. I'm sorry about your grandfather as well. Yumi, I-I'm sorry." Ulrich's voice rang out over the empty room. She smiled at how easily he would swallow his pride for her. He would do anything for her, but was she willing to do the same?

MWAHAHAHAHA! I love to leave people on cliffs! It's so fun plus it leaves me with something to write about. And for those of you who know, Toodles, today as of July 22, 2006. Is still alive, he's no longer kicking but he's alive. But we don't know how long. Anyway be on the look out for Chapter 13!