Kamusta Na (how are you?). I'm sorry that I haven't updated my stories in such a long time, but I'll try to get them in as soon as I possibly can. If you thought I forgot about you all, I DID NOT. When I FINALLY logged in I think it was on March 19, I reread all of the comments and felt so guilty for not finishing this story. So, I'll try to get this story done and my other one best I can. I'm sorry and I hope you continue to read my stories. Love ya! =)

-Nicole and Jamie

(your apologetic authors)

Ulrich.

I woke up early in the morning. It was still pretty cold out, but I knew I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. So, I changed into sweats and grabbed one of my sweaters with my name on the back. I fastened my shoes and ran out the door of my house with my cell phone and house key.

I ran all the way to the beach which wasn't that far from where I lived. Only about a mile away. The ocean waves were relaxing as I ran on the beach. My feet sank into the sand, but I was used to it. The fog made it hard to see more than 10 feet away.

My skin was uncomfortably moist. It made my hair stick to my face and neck. I tried to wipe it off with my sweater, but it didn't help. I just left it alone.

After only 5 minutes of running, the fog began to clear up. I could see the ocean and the houses along the beach. What I hadn't expect to see was someone laying in the sand, completely wet. The person almost looked....dead. I ran as fast as my feet could carry me to the person. I knelt beside, which what I finally recognized as a girl, and found her still breathing. I sighed in relief.

The girl looked oddly familiar. Like I knew her from somewhere, but I just couldn't put a name to it. I turned her cheek to face me, but dropped it as soon as the name came to my head. It was Yumi.

I fell backwards when I figured it out. My heart beating faster and faster every passing second.

What was she doing here? Why was she all wet? Did she run all the way here? I thought.

I knew she lived no where near here. It would be impossible for her to run all the way here by herself. No matter how good she thought she was at running before. I'm not a stalker. I just remembered her…I guess. She looked so peaceful as she slept. I couldn't help but smile.

Wait. What the hell? I couldn't be smiling at her. She back stabbed me. How could she leave me and ignore me for so long? Why should I care about her? She never cared about me. She left me by myself when I was hassled by those damn jocks and horny chicks. She didn't help me out when I needed her most. She didn't help me when she knew I loved her more than anything in the world. Didn't she know I cared for her so much that it hurt to be away for more than a second. I needed her in my life. Why didn't she realize that?

I know I've been a jerk to her and her friends, but why is it that everyone chose to side with her and not see that it's her fault that a jerk is what I've become because of her. It's because everyone see's her as the victim and me as the big bad bully. That makes me so mad.

But, when I look at her in her sleep, she doesn't look like an evil person that likes to make people seem horrible. I should know that she was too nice for her own good. Too quiet, too. I mean I was her best friend before.

I reached out to feel her face. I haven't seen her since I last made fun of Amber and her boyfriend. By the way, I really should apologize for that. Plus, everything else I've done to them. Her face felt warm underneath my palm. Actually, it was much hotter than it should have been. I felt my own forehead and compared it to hers. She had a raging fever.

I began to panic. My house was too far to carry her and so was her house. Then, I remembered Amber's house were somewhere near here. Maybe that's where she had come from. I, carefully, slid my arms under her neck and knees. I lifted her up and began to run to Amber's house. Amber's house wasn't as far as I had expected, but I made it.

I rang her doorbell and cursed at them for not answer quickly. Amber sighed and pressed the phone she was holding to her chest. Amber moved to the side and allowed me entrance. I found a couch in the living room and laid Yumi on it. I felt her forehead again. It was still warmer than usual.

"No, Aelita. I found her. Come back to the house now. Kay, bye," Amber hung up her phone and set it on the coffee table. "Where did you find her, Ulrich?"

I still sat beside Yumi, holding on to her hand, "I found her on the beach. She was just laying in the sand. Could you get a large bowl filled with hot water, a towel, and a blanket? I think Yumi has a fever."

Amber gasped and ran out of the room, hopefully to find the supplies I had asked for. I ripped off my own sweater and tried to dry her off. She needed a new set of dry clothes, I could tell. But, was I going have to change her? No. Amber was here so she could do it instead of me. Thank God.

Amber came back into the room with another woman following her. She looked to be in her early twenties. She held a bowl filled with warm water and a towel on her arm. Amber held a large blanket with dry clothes. How did she know? I sure didn't tell her.

"Ulrich, you can go now. We can handle things from here," Amber sat on her legs beside Yumi and dipped the towel in the bowl.

I really didn't want to leave Yumi just yet. She wasn't in any danger of dying, but I just wanted to make sure she was okay before I left. Besides, I missed her.

"I can't leave her. Not just yet," I whispered, dead serious.

"Fine, but just get out of the room for a moment," Amber got up and pushed me out of the living room, closing the doors behind me.

I sighed and sat on the foot of the stairs, head in my hands. This was a bad way to start a morning.

I heard someone opening the front door. I stood up. Aelita and two other boys much younger than her followed behind her. One of them, with black hair and resembled Yumi looked at me and glared. I remembered him. He was Yumi's little brother, Hiroki. We used to play soccer almost every day at their house.

He walked up to me and shouted, "What have you done to my sister, you jerk?!! Get out of here!! I hate you!"

He was kicking and throwing punches me. Aelita grabbed him from behind, pulling him away.

"Sorry, Ulrich. We were just really worried about Yumi. We didn't see her since, um, yesterday," Aelita looked away, as if she was hiding something else. Why would she need to hide something from me?

I rubbed my neck, nervously and started for the door, "Yeah. It's okay. Well, I better go, I guess. Yumi's in the room with Amber. She's being taking cared of so you don't have to worry anymore."

"You better worry about your pretty little face if my sister is hurt. I'll KILL you!" Hiroki retorted, ripping out of Aelita's grasp and punched me in the face. Aelita gasped and apologized once more.

"It was all right," I told her.

I knew I deserved that punch. Not for the reason he did it, but for not being there for his sister. If she wanted to, she would have come to me for any problems she had. She trusted me with them. I just couldn't get over the fact she left me, though. I can't let that go….

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Yumi.

I woke up and everything was fuzzy. My head ached, horribly. I lift the back of my hand to feel my forehead, but something wet and soft touched my hand instead. I grabbed it, staring at it for awhile. I placed it on the table beside a bowl surrounded by drops of water.

Slowly, I sat up, making the room spin. I closed my eyes and waited for everything to stop moving. It didn't take very long.

I searched around my surroundings, figuring out where I was. I was in Amber's living room. My clothes had changed to shorts and a tank top.

Clarice had her head on the coffee table, using her arms as pillows. Her eyes were red around them. Her beautiful black hair strayed and stuck to her clear face. She was obviously tired.

How did I get here? I remembered I was running on the beach and it was pouring hard. I was sad about something. Then, I remember nothing else. It's all a blank wall.

"Oh, Yumi!" Amber gasps as she enters the room.

She looked the same as Clarice: disheveled, bothered, and worn out. Amber rushed to my side and dipped the towel in the bowl of water. She twisted the water out of the towel and folded it.

"Lay down, Yumi. You still need to rest," Amber pleaded with me. I didn't budge.

"Why are you so worried about me? I'm fine now," I kicked my feet out from beneath the blanket and rose to my feet.

Amber shot up to help me if I was about to fall. I pushed her hands away with one hand and held my forehead with the other. My headache had returned and it was being a major pain.

"Yumi, you really should listen to me. Sit down and rest a bit more," Amber tugged on my arm.

I snapped my arm away from her, harshly. Immediately, I felt guilt rush through me as Amber turned away hiding her tears.

"Amber," I sighed, "look, I'm perfectly fine. You don't have to worry about me, all right?"

Amber still didn't face me, "Ulrich found you. On the beach."

I stared at her back, my eye brows scrunched up. Ulrich found me on the beach? What was he doing on the beach anyways? He lives a mile away from here. Did he actually go running all the way here? Is he that nuts?

'oh' was all that came out of my mouth.

This time she turned around. Tears ran down her cheeks.

"Were you at the beach all night? You know how worried sick I was? I called every freaking guy I knew to make sure none of them did anything to you! I almost called the police, but Aelita knocked me out of it. You don't know how I felt when I couldn't find you since last night," Amber yelled at me, crying at the same time.

"Amber, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worried about anything. I was just.....overwhelmed with something," my eyes wandered off.

She sniffled," What kind of things? What's making you do that kind of thing?"

"You don't have to worry all right. I'm fine now."

"Right. You're fine. But, what about the next time this happens and I can't find you at all? What do you think I'm going to think? Hmm?" Amber stared at me for the longest time.

I didn't know how to respond without letting her know that she was right. That if I do happen to make that happen again, she would be worried. I knew I would be worried about her if she disappeared and I couldn't find her. I'd be crying my eyes out.

"I don't want you to be stressed out by anything that isn't your problem. I can handle myself. You of all people should know that. Aelita too," I said.

"Yumi?" Hiroki stood by the door frame, standing in pajama pants and a plan T-shirt. His hair was disheveled and lay atop his head.

I faked a smile to hide the resentful fact that Amber and I were fighting, "Hey, Hiroki. Are you all right?"

He nodded, sleepily, "I was worried about you."

I glanced over to Amber, who was hugging herself as if to herself from falling apart.

"I'm fine. Everything's fine now," I told him, wrapping my arms around him. I hope I added in my thoughts.

All right. I know this one is really short, but I'll try to make them longer later on in the story. At the moment, I gotta work on homework so peace out!