Yumi let him lead, stiffening as he fell into a frenzied pattern that more of a hop than a dance. But, then again, that was Odd. od, she'd missed him. His goofy grin quickly dissipated her inhibitions, but she stayed alert as she scanned the room for Ulrich.
"Where is he, Odd?" She asked, allowing him to dip her. He frowned as he pulled her back up.
"What, no hello?"He asked. Yumi rolled her eyes, but smiled.
"Hello, Odd." She replied. His grin returned. They crossed the dance floor while Odd studied her, ignoring her question.
"You've changed quite a bit, Yumi." Odd stated. There was a pregnant silence before he tried a new approach to engage her in conversation. "So what have you been doing with your life?" Yumi closed her eyes. She knew she shouldn't have come.
"I've . . . been in the entertainment industry. Just kind of puttering around, you know. Not universally famous yet. How about you?" Yumi asked, attempting to change the subject. She hated half-truths.
"What kind of entertainment?" Odd prodded, spinning her. The pause gave her time to think. When he pulled her back, she had made an answer.
"Um, performance . . . But it's nothing really big. Like I said, the world doesn't know my name so far!" She giggled nervously. Odd raised an eyebrow, but let it drop. Not long after, the song ended and Yumi tried to dart back to Harley. Her stomach jumped to her throat as she realized he was following.
"Come on, sweet feet, I wasn't done yet. We hadn't finished cutting the rug." The blonde man protested. Yumi turned back to him hesitantly as Harley's cell went off. She could hear him answer it behind her as she tried to deal with Odd. The quicker she could avoid him, the lower the chance that she would run into Ulrich. She didn't want to send him away, God knows how much she'd missed him, but everything would be less complicated if he wasn't around.
"I can't. It's been great to see you, Odd, but for reasons I can't explain, you should go." Odd frowned, understanding, but put out nonetheless.
"Ulrich was really hoping to see you, Yumi." He informed her. She grimaced.
"I know, Odd, and if things were different, I'd want to see him too, it's just-." Yumi was cut off as Harley stood with a distraught face and handed her the phone.
"Jude." He offered in an urgent tone. Eyes widening, Yumi grabbed the phone.
"Lyle? Lyle, what's wrong with him? The ER? You took him to the emergency room?" She was nearly in hysterics. Harley touched her arm and she was suddenly aware of the people around her staring blatantly at her peculiar antics and quieted her voice.
"He's vomiting blood, Yumi, I didn't know what to do." Lyle cried, pacing the length of the curtain inside the ER.
"No," Yumi assured him, her voice cracking, "You did the right thing. We'll be right there." Slapping the phone shut, she grabbed her coat. Harley led her out, pulling her by her hand as he shoved through the crowd with his wide shoulders. As they approached the door, she locked eyes with a stranger she'd bumped.
Suddenly she realized he wasn't a stranger at all. If it wasn't for Harley, she wouldn't have been able to move. There he was. After all these lonely days, there he was, standing right next to her. She couldn't believe it. He hadn't changed at all. She knew then that if she had the choice, she would've thrown herself into his arms. But at the moment, Jude was the only person in her mind.
"Yumi!" Ulrich shouted, following after her. "Where are you going?" He asked. He couldn't believe she was leaving when he'd just found her again. He had so much to talk about with her, so many questions, and so much hope that maybe . . .
It was then he noticed the handsome man grasping her hand and leading her away. A knot formed in his stomach. Had he already lost her before she was found?
"My son's sick. I have to go." She replied, torn between the need to see her son and the need to talk to Ulrich. Jude won out, her motherly instincts refusing to let her act otherwise. He needed her; Ulrich could wait.
"When will I see you again?" He asked. Yumi took in a shuddering breath as Harley punched the elevator button. She wracked her brain for a neutral location. She spoke the first thing that came to mind.
"Tomorrow. The old park. At nine. Stand by the lamppost." The door opened and Harley stepped inside, waiting impatiently for his date to finish.
"If I don't come . . . something bad has happened." Thoroughly bewildered, Ulrich watched the elevator doors close, allowing Yumi to disappear once again. He ran a hand through his stiff hair, letting the fohawk be damned. He stayed staring at the closed elevator until Jeremie found him.
"Night's over." Ulrich declared, noting he knew Jeremie was there without looking at him. Jeremie nodded.
"I'll tell Helena you left." He offered. Nodding, Ulrich threw the door open to the stairs. He needed something to take his mind off of what had just happened. He paused before the door closed.
"Did you see her?" He asked; making sure he wasn't purely delusional. Jeremie's lips thinned as he nodded. Ulrich wouldn't let tonight go. He knew that as he recognized the determined expression on his friend's face.
"She was beautiful, Ulrich." He replied, shrugging his shoulders. Ulrich studied his face apprehensively and then sighed.
"Yeah she is." The door closed behind him with a resounding thud. He wasn't seen again the rest of the night. He knew what lamppost she meant and he was going to wait there all night. He had to see her again.
Meanwhile, across town, Yumi was filled with fear at the possible diagnoses of her son. There was little to console her with as she, Harley, and Lyle prepared to stay the night, waiting to be told what was wrong with her little boy. It was as if the world had stopped and everything was dependent on the health of her son. Brushing his beautiful black hair back with her hand, she rocked him as he cried; all the while forcing back the tears in her eyes that threatened to fall along with his.