Disclaimer: I don't own the Host.

A/N: So it's the Easter Holidays and I've the next week and a half off school, and I had some free time, and I'm using it to try and get my creativity going again. Hopefully I'll be able to update all of my stories at least once. And yeah, I know, this had been a long time coming - I don't even want to think about how long it has been since I last updated...

What room had Melanie said that Wanda was in? 132, that was it.

I stood outside room 132, my fist raised as if I was going to knock. But I hadn't yet, because I hadn't quite figured out what I was going to say. I barely knew her, had talked to her all of twice (the first time of which it was one-sided and she was unconscious for most of it) and she probably had already forgotten who I was. Just because Melanie remembered didn't mean that Wanda had. Also, she didn't even know my name! We hadn't actually introduced ourselves in the coffee shop, just talked about CCNY and then Melanie had dragged her out of there.

As it turned out, I didn't need to knock on the door.

"Umm, don't hit me?" Wanda greeted as she swung the door open.

I quickly realised that my fist was still raised in the air, and I dropped it down to my side. "Hi," I said awkwardly. Wanda was in jeans and a blouse, but she still looked gorgeous. "I never got to introduce myself the last time - I'm Ian."

"Wanda, now come in, come in," Wanda told me, stepping out of the way, a small smile on her face. "I could use an extra pair of hands."

"What for?" I asked.

"I'm going to dye my hair!" she announced, grabbing a cardboard box off the dresser.

"What?" I asked, my jaw dropping. "Why the hell would you want to do that?" I looked at her, trying to figure out why she would want to deface her beautiful, blonde curls. I couldn't imagine her in any other colour.

"Because... I want to," she said, sticking her tongue out at me like a child.

"And you can't get Melanie to do this girly stuff why?" I asked, reaching my hand out for the dye. Wanda handed it over and I examined the colour examples on the side of the box. "Purple? Really? Isn't that a little extreme?"

"No!" Wanda exclaimed defensively, snatching the box out of my hands. "It's not!"

"Seriously though," I said, sitting on the edge on her, or Melanie's, bed. "Why do you want to dye your hair? And why do you think that I, out of all people, am able to dye hair. I think Jared is more of a safe bet, I bet that his hair is dyed."

Wanda giggled. "Believe it or not, that is Jared's natural colour. No dye, no tan, no teeth whiteners. You know him?"

"Yeah, he's my roommate," I told her. "Only I don't know how much time I'll be spending in that room with Melanie around."

"Don't worry," Wanda grinned. "You're always welcome over here to keep me company. Now, are we going to get cracking?"

"Not until you answer my question that I've asked only about... a million times."

"Fine," Wanda pouted. "Melanie doesn't know that I'm dying my hair because she would go ballistic and throw the dye out the window at some poor passer-by. And I want to dye my hair because... I don't want people to recognise me," she admitted softly.

"Why wouldn't you want that?" I knew that I was being nosy, but still...

"Well, don't act like you don't know about when I was kidnapped by a gang," Wanda answered, her face twisting into a grimace. "All everyone thinks when they look at me is: that poor girl, or they wonder how I even got out alive with Jeb having paid the ransom yet. Some people think I'm a hero who had a few tricks up her sleeves and escaped on her own, but it truth I have no idea how I got out. All I know is that some nice lady found me on the street and brought me to hospital." Wanda looked away from me and I had the feeling that she was trying not to cry. I felt like hugging her, but we didn't know each other, and I didn't know how she would take it.

"Sorry, sorry," Wanda said after awhile, wiping her eyes. "I shouldn't be burdening you with my problems."

I shook my head. "Well, seeing as we are going to be spending a lot of time together from now on because of our lovey dovey roommates, I think that you are allowed to talk to me, besides, we are now, from this moment on, friends." I grabbed the dye from her hands. "And because we are friends, I cannot let you dye your whole head purple, especially for such a reason, seeing as people will recognise your face, and your sister."

Wanda frowned. "I hadn't thought of that..."

"See? This is what I'm here for." I grinned, kicking the dye under the bed. "And it could really jeopardise your course for you - some people are still under the stupid notion that purple hair, and such other colours, spells out trouble."

Wanda looked at me astonished. "I hadn't thought of that either..." Then she hugged me. "Thank you so, so much. I'm glad that Melanie sent you over here, and I'm really glad that I didn't try dying my hair alone."

"You welcome," I answered, smiling.

I felt really happy, something that I hadn't felt in awhile.

I think going to CCNY was the best decision that I ever made.