"I kind let out what we had said about him but in harsher terms as we were arguing" Yumi mumbled out.
"Yumi – what did you exactly say?" Jeremie asked.
Yumi looked at him.
"I said I was gonna end up like him because of my parents not caring about me like his did"
"Yumi we only surmised that, and then you go and say that, he's going to hate all of us, no wonder he's avoiding us" Jeremie groaned and leant against the shaded tree.
"Yeah Ulrich is a bit weird 'coz of his parents but we don't tell him that we talk about him to his face Yumi!"
Ulrich decided to walk through them as he couldn't get to his Soccer practise any other way.
As he walked through his 'friends' then all said hello minus Yumi. He didn't reply just carried on through.
"Ulrich, what Yumi said was just in temper, we'd never talk about you behind your back"
"Funny you say that Jer, when I've just been listening to you talking about me" Ulrich said mockingly before walking off towards practise.
Jeremie swore before looking at Odd and telling him to fix it.
"Not this time Jer, I'm not 13 anymore where I can cheer up everyone, I've changed and what you did was wrong, I didn't even know you talked about Ulrich behind his back, what do you say about me then?" Odd replied harshly before walking away in the direction of Ulrich.
"Look Ulrich, I never knew they talked about you and if you were listening the whole time, you'll know I never spoke up once"
Ulrich looked up at him from the grass and nodded.
"We cool then?" Odd asked.
"Yeah, we are" Ulrich assured him.
Ulrich walked into his physics class and as he did and sat down, Jeremie joined him.
"Look Ulrich, I'm sure you talk about us behind our backs"
"Actually, I don't" Ulrich replied
Jeremie looked put out.
"Ulrich – can't you just forgive us?"
Ulrich couldn't believe what he was hearing. He knew that if it was Jeremie that was being talked about that it would be different.
"No I couldn't Jeremie, this time is actually hurt" Ulrich replied.
"Ulrich- we're sorry"
Ulrich looked at him, and looked away.
"With my family, I don't need friends like them too"
Ulrich walked away from a shamefaced Jeremie.
A week later Jeremie could be found walking to Yumi and Sam's dorm. He knocked on the door to which Sam answered. She looked slightly disappointed to him Jeremie there.
"Expecting someone? You know Odd wont turn up until you hook up with someone else to make him jealous" Jeremie told her.
She nodded her head.
"After Yumi?" she asked to which he nodded his reply.
"She's down in the library doing homework"
Jeremie walked down to the library and found Yumi in the darkest corner of the library reading a book.
"You ok?" he asked when she looked up.
She shrugged.
"Tell me"
"It's just that Ulrich told me that my parents divorcing would be better because of no arguing and things like that, which is what caused my explosion and I went home yesterday for the night and the atmosphere was really calm and I enjoyed it better, I just feel guilty"
Jeremie nodded his head.
"Maybe we should all apologise together"
"I tried talking to him today but Sissy got in the way; he didn't even see me"
"Odd sees him every day and night, its not going to be hard"
Yumi thought this through and agreed. They arranged that they would go to the dorm; all four of them and apologise to him.
Yumi was walking back up to her shared dorm when she saw Ulrich near her, on his cell phone.
"I'm sorry Mom, I will try harder. I promise" she heard Ulrich say.
A pause and then:
"I know I'm a failure, you and Dad tell me everyday, I can't forget it"
Yumi gulped as she walked past him. She and Ulrich locked eyes if only for a second.
His eyes were red and puffy and a couple of tears were present down his cheeks and still in his eyes.
Yumi stayed where she was as he ended the call with his mom. After a long silence, Yumi spoke.
"Hi"
He looked at her; tears still strolling down his cheeks.
Her immediate and automatic response meant that she put her arms around him to comfort him.
To her surprise he didn't fight her; he just cried into her shoulder as they sat down on the bench near them.
After a couple of minutes of that; he straightened up and wiped his eyes messily.
"I'm sorry" he said.
"Why are you sorry for?" she asked, genuinely confused.
"For crying; for not talking to any of you; for saying your parents would be better off divorced"
Yumi stopped him there.
"Ok; one, crying is a natural response, it does not make me think any less of you"
"Two, we were wrong to talk about you behind your back, and we were all coming to you to apologise to be honest"
"Three, they are. You were so right, everything is loads better at home; even Hiroki has noticed"
They smiled at each other.
Ulrich wiped his eyes again and stood up.
He offered his hand to Yumi who took it. They didn't let go of each others hands until he dropped her off at her dorm.
"So are we together again?" Yumi asked.
"I'd like that, a lot" Ulrich replied.
Yumi leaned in and kissed him.
"See you tomorrow"
Ulrich nodded.
"Ulrich!" She shouted. "I love you!"
He smiled widely.
"I love you too" he shouted louder.
