Astrid's POV

After that attack we only got the usual attacks from Xana, my skill was improving and we hadn't seen William for a while which was good. At least I thought so.

"If we haven't seen them for this long I'm worried that something's up. He could be power charging for something." Ulrich said as we walked to the factory together, the others were already there but long story short Jim wasn't too happy about having a shoe to the face.

"I get what your saying but that could be good for us too, we can handle all of Xana's attacks but this way we can, or at least I can, fine tune our skills. That way we'll be more prepare for any attack he throws at us." I said, talking with Ulrich was fun but not as much fun as Odd was. We almost always go into some laughing fit, that or we would be quietly talking with each other in a happy mood. Either is fine to me.

"ah forget it, I took a math test earlier my brains already fried." Ulrich said giving up on the discussion as soon as we reached the port hole.

I giggled "I know about that math test I'm in your class genius." I said smiling as we climbed down the ladders.

"ah yes tease the poor tired out Ulrich because he sucks at math, any way you know what Einstein had planned for us anyway?" He asked me, I didn't have a clue.

"nope, He only bothered to text me to "cum 2 factory quicly" " I told him cutting the words short where the abbreviation comes in.

"did he put abbreviations in there?" Ulrich asked, noticing how I said it.

"oh of course not I just felt like putting those in" I said as I tenderly swung down on the ropes. My hand was healing but I was still a little burned there.

We walked over to the elevator and pushed the button, going down I wondered what we were doing. I mean wouldn't Jeremy tell us what we're doing. It doesn't seem urgent else he would have rushed us since we were coming late. Mind thoughts were interrupted when we entered the room and no one was there.

"Where are-" I started to say but was interrupted by confetti poppers and party horns. "What?"

"Happy Birth Day Astrid!" Every one yelled as they came out from hiding, yes I know they're aren't many places to hide, it was dark, don't judge me.

"my birthday?"I said i never really celebrated my birthday when I was young. no one wanted to be my friend and they adults all hated me.

"yeah you know the one day of the year that you just happened to be born. Ring a bell?" Yumi said jokingly.

"We got you presents." Aelita said holding up a few boxes.

"I, thank you." I said dumbly they all looked at me smiling and I realized how great my friends are. I was about to say something when the mood was dampened by.

"Who has birthday parties in a place like this!?" Said a girl stepping out of the elevator. Odd stepped up beside me and I could've sworn some one groaned.

" It's not like she would appreciate it any ways, she's an orphan probably never even had a birthday party." She said, I was about to retort something when I remembered that it was true, I haven't ever had one before.

"stop that Sissi, your not apart of this, how did you even get here?" Ulrich complained, I can see why, she doesn't seem like the ideal person to hang out with.

"Ulrich darling if only you would hang out with me I could show you how to have a real birthday party." She said and regaining my attitude I quickly sneezed.

Every one looked at me as I coughed as well. "Oh I'm so sorry," I said between coughs, "I think i might be allergic to totally not going to happen." The last part said in a serious tone. Every one else started laughing like maniacs.

"keep laughing or I'll tell every one what your afraid of!" She threatened and every body looked at me for what I would say next. I knew this trick and it won't work on me.

"oh no! You know about that!? I've never told anyone about my idontcarephobia!" I said in a mock terror tone, and every started laughing even harder now.

Calming his laughter Ulrich said " Sissi like I said earlier you shouldnt have come now go.

"Ulrich dear I'll only go if you walk me back to my room." Sissi said with a celebratory smile, like she won something. I hate it when people act cocky before they have the right

"You really don't know anything do you?" Yumi said getting as annoyed as everyone else, "your never going to get Ulrich if you keep acting like you are now!"

"if your so popular with him then why aren't you his girl friend, hmm?" Sissi said finally hitting the soar spot I didn't want her to.

"look if you can't say anything nice then you won't make it any where in life." I said desperate to get off the subject of Ulrich and Yumi.

"What do you know about life? For most of yours you had none." Sissi said finally crossing my line. "It's no wonder your parents hate you."

"Hey stop trying to pull every body into your gloom!" Odd said stepping in front of me as if to protect me. My knight, with his purple shirts.

"Your crossing the line and I'm not talking the one you normally cross." Yumi said also stepping towards Sissi. My friend with her great advice.

"try leaving us alone for once." Jeremy said, my friend with a great heart.

"You don't effect who we'll be or what we will grow to do." Aelita said stepping up along with Odd and Yumi, my friend with a loving aura.

"This is the last time I will put up with you." Ulrich said, the last one to step up, is my friend with burning loyalty.

"hmmph! I can only imagine why Astrid's mom would want to drop dead, the people she hangs out with are losers without style." Sissi said while going up on the elevator. what does she mean by dropping dead.

"Wait what do you mean by see why she would drop dead?" I asked before the elevator door closed.

Just as they were closing Sissi smiled seeing she had interested me, "Don't forget my daddy is the principle, I can have access to any students personal information if I wanted!" She said as the door closed and she went up and instead of feeling joyful I was shocked. I never even bothered to figure out who my mother was, they always looked at me with pity saying i had been tossed out.

Jeremy suddenly walked over to the computer and typed for a few minutes while we all stood there in silence. Soon enough he turned to me and said, "I was able to find your mom on here and it's true, she died a few years after you were born. I'm sorry"

I just stood there in silence thought for a few seconds, noticing that every one was looking at me, but not saying anything until finally I said, "Who cares any way, I had never planned to contact her anyway. I was always told I was cast out by the adults at the orphanage, so why should I care about what happens to a random person?" but even as I said it I know it wasn't true. Cold tears fell from my eyes and hit the ground, not even bothering to hide it.

Then Odd came over and wrapped his arms around me. "It's okay to cry and be sad about it. We are your friends and we will support you. Just try to feel better soon before I start to miss your smile." He said and looking at him my tears dried and I nodded.

Smiling "Thanks Odd." was all I could say in this moment of weakness, cushioned by friends.

"hey we still have your birth day party, you want to keep going?" Yumi asked and I looked up at her and nodded. And with that we went on with the party. I can honestly say it's the best party I've ever had, since it is my first. It was fun and I got a drawing pad, so,e colored pencils, around $20, and a cool electric blue jacket.

"thanks I really love these." I said sitting on the floor looking at the gifts.

"it's no problem, Sissi was right, in a way, we wanted to make this a special first birthday party with us." Aelita said smiling warmly at me. They understood and they were even trying to make the pain of never having one before better. I looked at all of them smiling and laughing, Odd with a smudge of cake on his cheek.

I walked up to him and used my thumb to wipe it up, then I turned to the others and said, "I would go through my child hood again plenty of times, as long as I can be your friends."

Then every one came up and we had a group hug. Well more of a... Huddle? I dont care I, just so happy to be here. We stayed for a little while longer but around nine we decided to go back to our dorms, and Yumi had to explain to her parents why she was late.

"Actually me, Ulrich, and Jeremy need to pick something up from Mrs. Hurts class, you two can go back together." Aelita said suspiciously, I'm think something is up. Because just as we were walking away I caught Odd flashing a smile to the others. We kept walking for a few minutes, chatting but not really going to our dorms.

Finally when we reached some benches he turned to me and said "I have a special present from me to give you, I'm not sure if you'll like it and it might not be you type but- here" he said handing me a small packet and if I'm not imagining to blushing at little.

Odd's POV

I was so nervous when I gave her the gift. I had gotten her a silver locket with a picket of both me and her hanging out a few weeks ago, and on the other side their was a picture of the whole team. There was a small sapphire on the front of the locket, which was the only part of it the was pure anything. my grandmother gave it to me when I sent an email to her asking for advice on what to get her.

"Odd I, I love it!" She said looking at me with that cute smile on her face, but some how I don't think it was the special necklace that was the cause the perfect smile on her face. It seemed to me that it was the fact that I gave it to her at all. " Hey Odd can I tell you something?" she asked with a cute blush on her face. This whole time I had Known I had a little on mine but I was hoping she wouldn't notice.

"you can ask me anything." I said with a warm smile on my face. " in fact I need to ask you something too. But you can go first."

" okay, I was wondering if, would you..." she looked a little blustered like it was hard to get out this last part. I nodded encouragingly and she kept going, "go on a date with me?"

The words shocked me out of my skin. The same question I was going to ask her just came out her mouth. My face was tingling and my hesitation seemed to scare her.

"If not it's okay, I can understand I mean-" she said looking embarrassed but I interrupted her.

" No Astrid I was going to ask you the same thing. I was just so nervous I just didn't know how to tell you. I would love to go on a date with you." I said quickly smiling as if my heart would burst, seeing her face only made me want to smile harder. her eyes lit back up and her smile was legendary. I only hope her smile will stay like this forever. Actually I just hope she doesn't find out about the other girls in our grade. I thought abOut that with a sudden sink of my heart. I didn't let it show to Astrid but I thought about it as we chatted. What would she think if she found out? She would think that dating and hurting that many girls would be awful. Although most of them I didn't hurt, they broke up with me.

"So I'll see you tomorrow." Astrid said smiling at me. somehow we had made it back to the dorm quicker than I had thought. I wished her a good night and headed back to my dorm. Now all I have to do is think of a special date for us to go on.

Astrid's POV

Aelita came back to the dorm around the time that I did so I wonde. What could have taken so long. The one thing that I had forgotten to do was ask Jeremy what my mother's name was.

"hey what's up?" Aelita asked when she got back only a few minutes after I did.

" Nothing Odd gave me this necklace though, I don't suppose you guys knew about this did you?" I said smiling as I fingered the treasure from Odd. This will always be more special to me than anything else, I vowed. Except maybe a wedding ring. At the thought I giggle then turned to look at Aelita as she answered my question.

"we were there for about a half an hour to an hour and he just asked us to let you two be alone on the way back. We had almost forgotten when the time came. I'm glad you like it, it's pretty." She said looking at it happily, maybe even a little longingly too.

" Don't worry, I'm sure Jeremy will give something special too." I said teasingly and she laughed and through a pillow at me. With that we had an all out war. until someone came around to ask what we were doing. Laughing crazily we stood their putting our room back together. After we had finished that and taken a shower we decided to hit the sack.

" Good night." I said yawning, but not ready to go to sleep yet.

" Good night." She said back, the poor thing had been yawning like a sloth for thirty minutes. As soon as we turned off the lights she was out. I however pulled our my laptop and messaged Jeremy hoping he was still awake

you awake?

yeah doing some research on Germany.

school project?

yeah

anyway do you remember what my mothers name was?

yeah it was Mary Hax. Why?

i just wanted to do a little research on her, to figure out who she was.

okay just don't keep yourself up about this, whats important is you have a family with us now okay?

thanks Jeremy, Ill always remember that

good, night

night

After that our messaging concluded and I looked up a little about my mother. As soon as I was about to give up hope something happened. The screen flickered and then the whole thing powered down leaving me in the dark.

"just great" I muttered to myself, I could've sworn it had nearly full battery I charge it every night. The screen flickered again, I nearly screemed as the Xana symbol appeared on my lap top. Scrambling out of bed I rush over to Aelita and wake her up.

"what is it?" She said groggily being woken up at 12:00am isn't fun, I know that.

" Look at my laptop" I said pointing towards the bewitched laptop that now had the computery-like smoke coming from it.

"Oh no! Quick call Odd and Ulrich, I'll call Jeremy." Aelita said as she quickly dialed jeremies number and got out of bed, retreating as far away as we could from the laptop and at the same time keeping an eye one it we called the guys.