AN: I don't have much to say this time, just thanks for the review and I'll try to get my next chapter up as soon as possible. Oh yeah, just in case you couldn't tell, this is a diary entry of Yumi's. As always, read, review, and enjoy.

Monday, March 5

What a way to start the week! First my boyfriend hurts me, then at the dance he forbids me to talk to my best friend. After all that, a tree branch falls on me and I wake up in the hospital with Ulrich. Now the principal wants to talk to me and he's probably going to -yell at me for not being in school today and Ulrich will be in trouble too. I think I should probably go back and start at the beginning.

---Saturday morning---

Imagine my deligh- I mean surprise when I woke up in Ulrich's arms. Then, when he kissed me... I don't know how to describe the feeling... I guess it's kind of like when we were in the tower with Aelita and stepped off the platform to be transported to another region. As soon as my feet left the platform and I started falling, my heart raced and, though I tried to look calm on the outside, inside a whirlwind of emotions touched me briefly, then settled on exhilaration. For the remainder of the kiss, I floated, gently settling back down to Earth as I broke off the kiss.

I don't know what made me want to kiss him... Well, I do, but I know I shouldn't be feeling this feeling...

After Odd saw us kissing and Ulrich and I separated, I checked my cell phone and found a text message from Theo. "Meet me in the park - alone." It felt like my heart had stopped... I was afraid he'd be angry, though; he had every right to be. I wasn't worried about him breaking up with me, in fact I wish he had. I just had this bad feeling about meeting him there. I should have listened to it.

When I got to the park, the first thing Theo did was insult and yell at me. That I could take, but not what came next. He hit me. Then he grabbed onto my arm. I would have fought back, but I was so surprised by what had happened that I couldn't defend myself.

(AN: This is a bit of a flashback, but she's still recording it in her diary.)

Theo had seemed so nice in the beginning.. Sure, he liked Sissi, but he still wasn't all that bad... I guess that's why I chose him when I wanted someone who'd make Ulrich jealous. That and he looked a bit like Ulrich. His hairstyle and clothes are different, but their faces are similar. And, if you look closely, you can see they both have the same distant, almost sad, look in their eyes. This is what drew me to Ulrich in the beginning.

The first time I saw Ulrich was when I made my first trip to the park after moving here. If the wind hadn't tousled his hair as I walked up, I doubt I would have seen him at all, for he was sitting motionlessly on the far side of a wooden bench, staring at the fountain. Each of the eight stone paths converged at the circular area around the fountain, and, just behind each intersection of paths, sat a wooden bench. The brown-haired boy sat on the second bench to my left and I was given only a profile shot of him. His head was tilted down and eyes closed; it was almost as if he was asleep. With his hands in his pockets and shoulders slumped, he was drawn into himself. Or at least, that's how it seemed. I broke the hold he had on me and continued my trip to the fountain. Stopping at its raised rim, I admired its beauty. Three tiers overflowed with crystalline water, constantly replaced by the jets of water shooting into the air from the top tier. I laid my hands on the stone rim and a pleasant coolness seeped into my hands. I'm not exactly sure what happened next. I heard someone yell "Watch out!" but the warning came too late. Something - or someone - hit me in the small of my back, sending me face forward into the water. Compared to the warm air I had just left, the water was icy. My legs hung over the rim and my hands floundered in the water as I sought the bottom so I could push my head above water. I need not have bothered, though, for a strong arm wrapped itself around my waist and pulled me back to my feet. My wide eyes recognized the brown-haired boy and my face heated when I realized our closeness and felt his arm still around my waist. My face heated even more when I noticed how my soaked clothes clung to my body. I barely heard him when he asked me if I was ok. I wasn't ok; I was embarrassed! Then a blond boy dressed in purple walked up to us with a small dog tucked under his arm and a sheepish grin on his face. He explained that the dog had gotten loose and knocked me over accidentally in his excitement. After that, the introductions began and the rest is history.

Now, every time I look in Ulrich's eyes, I can still see the hidden sadness they hold. It hurts to see him hold this suffering inside, and I feel the urge to help him and hold him until all the pain is gone.

When we first met Theo, pain was fresh in his eyes. He tried to hide it with smiles, jokes, and confidence, but I saw past it. But, instead of liking him like I do Ulrich, I almost pity Theo. I feel obligated to be there for him and help him, but nothing more - I think.

(AN: End flashback)

Ok, back to what I was talking about before... After I didn't fight back, Theo threatened my friends and I. He said that if I fought back or told anyone, he'd hurt them and kill me. I wasn't afraid for my own life; I've been in danger so much because of X.A.N.A. that it doesn't really matter anymore. Rather, I was afraid of what Theo could - and would - do to them if I disobeyed. He was going to punish me further, but he heard another couple coming down our path and he left me. I guess I was in shock for a while afterwards.. Everything I did felt mechanical.

On the walk to the dance, it was like my mind unfroze. I started thinking of ways to see Ulrich and get away from Theo. Then I came up with a plan to tell Theo that I promised Ulrich, Odd, and Jeremy each a dance. I never did find Ulrich. He was the one I wanted to dance with the most.

Then, when I went back to Theo after dancing with Odd, Theo told me I was supposed to stay away from Ulrich. Jealousy. It'll probably be the thing that kills me..

Anyway, after I left the dance, I remember running, then pain, then nothing until I woke up in the hospital. I have never felt so helpless. When I awoke, Ulrich filled me in on the stuff I had missed. I wanted to be strong. I wanted to be able to take it in stride. But, most of all, I wanted to go back to a time before all this had happened. I wanted to be Yumi, a single member of the Lyoko gang. For a while, I was able to forget about Theo and all the bad things that had happened. Then Theo came back while Ulrich was gone. He said he was sorry for what had happened before and promised to make it up to me. I felt sorry for him... What if it was just a one-time thing? I was ready to trust him again when Ulrich walked in and overheard Theo telling me not to be around Ulrich. Then things went downhill, and I had to make a choice. Even though Theo's my boyfriend, I knew I shouldn't let him rule my life so I sided with Ulrich. After that, the rest is a blur. My mom's calling me now so I have to go eat supper. She's been watching me really close now. Maybe I'll write more later.

Yumi snapped the blue-green diary shut and tucked it in her bookbag before she slowly made her way downstairs. In another room a few blocks away, another blue-green notebook opened and another life unfolded.

AN: I haven't started the next chapter yet so there's no spoiler, sorry. It will be a journal entry from Ulrich, though. Please review before you leave, thanks!