"We're here! The Groudon dorms!" Dawn yelped, which made May jump. The three girls entered the dorms and immediately went to the elevator.

"So, what floor is your dorm room on?" Misty glanced towards May as she spoke.

May inspected her key chain with the number on it, "It's on the 6th floor."

"Cool, you're on the same floor as us. What number?"

"Um….it says 628…"

Suddenly Dawn screeched and hugged May, making May jump up in surprise and instinctively push Dawn off.

"Wha-what's wrong?!"

Dawn jumped up and down, holding May's shoulders, "We're roommates! 628 is my dorm room! And Misty and Leaf are right across from us, in dorm 629! Come on, I'll show you!" Before May could protest, Dawn grabbed her wrist tightly, sprinting off to the end of the hallway. Misty rolled her eyes before smiling and running after the very giddy bluenette and the skeptical brunette.

"Dawn! Let go! You're hurting m-" May screamed.

"No time! I need to show you the dorm room!" Dawn yelled back. Misty rolled her eyes, again, at her friend's antics, while other people, currently settled in their rooms, opened their doors to see all the commotion. They all glanced at the three running girls, most looking quite annoyed and slamming their doors immediately.

However, two doors stayed open, those being from rooms 626 and 627. In each room, there were two boys. In room 626, there was a boy with chartreuse-colored hair and emerald green eyes, looking curiously at the three girls. He instantly recognized the bluenette and the redhead, but the brunette was quite new. He almost called out to them until his roommate walked and slammed the door, disgruntled by the noise. The other boy was a purple-headed boy with onyx-colored eyes. Unlike the other boy, he was much more quiet and serious, and did not like too much noise.

But, we'll get back to them later.

In room 627, a boy with raven hair, messy and unkempt under a red and white hat, opened the door quietly to see what the commotion was about. His dark brown eyes widened at the sight. He saw two of his friends, Dawn and Misty, running with an unfamiliar brunette with a red bandana. He saw how bewildered the girl looked, and focused on all of them before his roommate startled him.

"Ahh! Gary Oak!" Ash puffed up his cheeks slightly and sent a glare to his roommate, a slightly taller boy with auburn hair all spiked up. This "Gary" had dark viridian eyes and a mischievous smile on his face, chuckling after scaring his roommate and close friend.

"Aww, c'mon Ashy-boy! Don't tell me it wasn't funny!" Gary exclaimed. Ash silently turned away again and looked out his door, staring at the three girls with a face of confusion and marvel.

"Ashy-boy? What's wrong with you? You look like you're at an all-you-can-ea-" Gary's words were interrupted as he looked out the dorm room to see a redhead, bluenette, and unfamiliar brunette in front of dorm 428. He instantly recognized Misty and Dawn, but couldn't with the other girl. The realization clicked in his head, and he went outside to find out what this girl's name was. Ash tailed right behind him, wanting to know who this girl was and what she was doing.

"Hey ladies!" Gary greeted the girls in a friendly tone. Misty's and Dawn's eyes lit up at seeing their friend, while May shuffled her feet around and hummed a familiar song. She stared at the ground with her shining blue eyes, shy of these unfamiliar people. She barely knew Misty and Dawn, and seeing other people made her anxious.

"Hi Gary! How was your summer?" Dawn immediately struck up a conversation with the spiky-haired individual, and the two were chatting away like they spent every minute of summer together. They eventually got onto the topic of Gary Oak's grandfather, the one and only famous Professor Samuel Oak, and May noticed how Gary's smile slightly faltered. However, she chose to remain quiet on it, while Dawn remained oblivious to the change in expression.

Meanwhile, Misty slid over closer to the raven-haired boy named Ash, and the two started to quietly talk amongst themselves. May looked over and smiled at both pairs….until she head a loud THUD!. She backed away, only to see an angry Misty with a mallet looming over her head, and Ash on the ground, unconscious with a bump on his head.

"WHY YOU LITTLE-I'M GONNA KILL FOR SAYING THAT, ASH KETCHUM!" Misty sounded incredibly angry. Gary and Dawn noticed and held her back while Ash slowly woke up, sat up, and backed away from the hot-headed girl. He cowered in fear.

This was certainly a sight for May. So that boy must be Ash. And spikehead over there must be Gary….

Looking at the sight before her again, May tried to hold in her laughter. An angry girl with fiery eyes loomed over a boy who was cowering in fear, while their two friends held her back. It was almost like a book.

May finally exploded and started laughing loudly. It wasn't a shrill, ear-piercing laugh. No, it was a loud, but melodious laugh, one that seemed contagious. Misty's expression softened suddenly, realizing how much she thought she embarrassed herself. She blushed and looked away, while Ash slowly looked up at the bandana-girl. Gary and Dawn couldn't take it anymore, and started chuckling along with her. The other two snapped out of their states.

"HEY! What's so funny?!" They both yelled at the other three laughing their butts off. They wouldn't stop and instead laughed harder, seemingly at the foolishness of the situation. Ash and Misty glared at them. If looks could kill, they'd be dead over 100 times. (If that makes sense lol)

They just couldn't stop, couldn't stop at all. It was all a joke, all a joke to May at least.

"I-it's j-just that…." Dawn was trying to explain as her laughter died down.

"Y-you guys are like best f-friends! B-but she d-doesn't know that!" Gary wiped a tear from his eye as he clutched his stomach.

"It l-looked pretty ridiculous!" Dawn burst into giggles.

"Uhhh….." Ash sputtered and couldn't make any words, just looking confused. Misty was glaring daggers at them once again.

"If you don't shut up, I'll bring my mallet out on you….." she stated in an eerie voice. At once, Dawn and Gary clamped hands over each others' mouths. They stood there, frozen and pale over the girl's threat.

However, May hadn't heard the girl's threat. Misty loomed over the girl's head with her mallet raised and her eyes shone a brilliant cerulean, sparkling with rage. However, something held her back before she could slam the mallet into her head. And no, it wasn't a hand.

May looked up at the mallet with curious but worried eyes. Her face softened and she looked directly into Misty's aqua eyes. Her own sapphire eyes seemed to say, 'Please don't.' Misty's face changed into one that looked concerned, like a mother realizing she was about to hurt her child. She dropped the mallet beside her and looked down. Is she ashamed? May thought.

Then, May looked at her and started giggling again. The others looked at her, perplexed.

Misty asked her, "Are you okay?"

May couldn't stop laughing for a second, until she managed to sputter out, "I c-can't believe you f-f-fell for t-that! AHAHAHAHA!" May burst into shrieks before quickly composing herself, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Ahh, sorry about that! But you know you don't have to be ashamed of that, right? I won't laugh at you again," May stated as she put her hands on Misty's shoulders.

Everyone started to smile at May, before Ash suddenly asked her, "Hey, what's your name?"

May glanced over at the boy with the Pikachu on his shoulder and kindly answered, "My name is May. May Maple."

Everyone was silent for a moment, until Ash greeted himself in a loud tone, greeting, "Hi! I'm Ash Ketchum, and this is my partner Pikachu!" He pointed to his yellow buddy on his shoulder.

"Pika!" The cute electric mouse exclaimed.

Gary cleared his throat. "I'm Gary Oak." May's eyes widened. "Yes, OAK. As in professor Oak's grandson. Now I ask you May, what is a fair maiden like you doing here? I know you were accepted….but why did you apply?"

May notably stiffened and bit on her bottom lip, averting her eyes away from the spikehead. "Uh…..uh…" she couldn't say anything.

Dawn interrupted, "That's fine, May. You don't have to say anything, WHATSOEVER." Dawn glared pointedly at Gary while saying so, as he held up his hands in surrender. "Anyway, why don't we go check out your dorm room? I'm sure you have a lot of stuff to move in, and it's probably waiting downstairs!"

May let out a breath of relief, but looked at her questioningly. "But wait, don't we have school soon?"

Gary answered her question, stating, "It's the first day back-or here for your case-so the principal likes to give everyone a day to meet up with friends, teachers, and settle in."

"But wait, she asked me to meet her today since she said school was starting."

Gary chuckled a bit at the girl's cluelessness. "She probably just said that so you wouldn't have to go get everything tomorrow. Now why don't Ashy-boy, Misty and I grab your stuff from downstairs while Dawn shows you your room?"

"HEY!" Ash turned around, but Gary was already at the elevator, waving cheekily at him. Ash turned and ran to him, not wanting to be a step behind. Misty glanced over apologetically and walked quietly to the elevator, leaving Dawn and May alone.

Dawn finally spoke up. "Now that they're gone, why don't you check out your new room?" May simply nodded as she fumbled with the key to her room. She dropped it twice, her nerves getting the best of her. Why am I letting a stupid door get in the way? I've learned how to use a key. May thought that to herself, as she finally managed to shove the key in.

The door opened with a little click, and May stepped inside her new room. Or so she thought.

The room had light pink walls, with floral patterned curtains and blankets, a white desk with a laptop and books on it, and a closet that was opened. Filled with tons and tons of pink clothes.

"Uhhhhh, I thought this was my room…." May looked at Dawn.

"No silly! Your room is the next door over. I kept the stuff from last year in here." May looked at her, slightly appalled. "No no no! I washed it before you got here! Trust me, everything is clean! I got here yesterday!"

"Um….okay!" May said uncertainly as she opened the door to HER bedroom. She gasped at the sight of it.

The walls were already painted red, but everything else was empty. She saw an empty mattress and closet, whereas the whole room lacked what she usually had.

"Well, I guess I don't have to paint the walls!" May said cheerily. Dawn opened her mouth to speak, when someone knocked her door.

"Can we come in?" Misty's muffled voice came through the door. Dawn walked over and opened it. What she saw was definitely an interesting sight.

Misty was carrying two bags, filled with music and coordinating items. She looked perfectly fine, not even breaking a sweat with Pikachu perched on her shoulder.

Gary and Ash? They were lying on the floor, above the heap of suitcases-not that there were many. They were blushing furiously from carrying the suitcases on their backs and panting heavily. Of course, it wasn't that much work.

Dawn placed her hands on her hips. "C'mon! You guys are wimps!"

May exclaimed, "Yeah! There's still more stuff downstairs that you need to get!" Ash and Gary looked mortified and shouted at the same time.

"THERE'S MORE?!" The girls covered their ears after the shrill yells.

"Yes, there is. Now, why don't we come down and get everything and we can start setting up the room? After that, we need to go shopping to see if May wants anything else," Dawn explained. Ash and Gary's eyes dilated to the size of pinpoints.

"Sh-shopping? With girls?" Gary finally said. Ash just stood there, gulping.

"Yes Gary. Shopping. Now help us out!" Dawn replied.

The 5 of them walked down and grabbed the rest of May's stuff. Most of her possessions were for school work, but some were either for the dorm room or for her own usage.

May was hanging up and folding her clothes in the closet, Dawn was making the bed, Misty was adding the rose red curtains to May's windows, and Ash and Gary were setting up the brown desk May had. Once they finished getting the basic necessities, including a mini-fridge, they started putting pictures, trophies, and other small items that May brought with her. Gary was about to touch something in another suitcase when May rushed over and slapped his hand away.

"DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING IN HERE!" she said with hostility. Everyone in the room looked at her with alarm and curiosity.

"Why? What's in there?" Gary asked bluntly.

May cleared her throat. "Sorry, it's just that this has stuff that I don't like anyone touching. My bandanas, piano, and some other stuff….." Gary was about to protest, but May glared at him, looking incredibly fierce. He backed off.

To clear the awkward silence, Misty spoke up. "So May, do you want to get anything else?"

May looked at her. "No, I think I have everything I need in here. If you don't mind though, I would like to set up my keyboard. It's easier for me to do it alone."

They all quietly nodded and left the room. Dawn gave a worried glance, which May countered with a reassuring smile. Once her door was closed, May went to that sacred bag.

She took everything out and set them neatly. Well, except for that keyboard. She didn't know what to do with it, and just sat there. Pondering, she supposed. She finally set it up in the corner of her room, right next to her closet. It was no grand piano for certain, but it was all she had.

As if on cue, she set her fingers on the ivory keys.

(The Sound of Rain-BigRicePiano)

It made her feel safe. Nothing could touch her.

But….what's missing? She thought.

She continued to play her heart out, not hearing her roommate return. She didn't care. She drowned everything out in the slow melodies of everything.

Her sorrows.

Her pain.

Herself.

She was free here. Right?

Woo, so that was a lot longer than the previous chapter. I promise I'll get into POVs soon! Just give it some time, I'm thinking of how the story will go as I write. Hope you enjoy!