Doragon no Yōsei (Dragon's Fairy)
by Kaline Reine

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of the characters/settings. This is just a fanfiction story. I don't own any of the OC's in this, they belong to my friend, Mugiwara Luffia. The only exception is Shiori, she's mine.

WARNINGS: This story contains (or may contain) graphic adult content and language, explicit sex scenes, possible violence, gore, cursing, adult themes, etc. I do not censor my writing, but I do my best to warn people about the subject matter and potential subject matter. So if you don't like that kind of thing or can't handle it, then I suggest not reading this story. You have been warned. Also, I know this doesn't follow canon but it doesn't have to, that's why it's a fanfic. And this one is AU, so it has very little to do with canon. xD

This is written for Mugiwara Luffia as a commission. The pairing is Dragon!Sabo x Fairy!Alesha (her lovely OC). Hope you like it! ;D

Chapter 3:

And that was how it all began. It started out perfectly innocent enough. But as time wore on, and the days blurred by, things began to get a bit more intense.

Alesha felt pretty good about the way things were going, now that she'd adjusted to her new classes and gotten her schedule down. She was getting used to dealing with her new teachers, as well as the other students. Over the past week or so, she'd gotten a pretty good idea of what everyone was like. And she was learning the best ways to handle all of these new people.

She was getting along well with her new roommate, Shiori. The two seemed to have a friendly attitude toward one another, and they had become friends. She'd also become friends with Sabo, although their relationship was a bit odd... He was always there for her. She knew he wanted to be a couple, but she wasn't sure about that yet, and she'd made that clear. To her surprise, he didn't seem to push the issue with her too much. She felt like it was sweet, in a way. She made sure to keep everyone at a nice safe distance, until she was more comfortable. It took her a while to get used to new people.

It was Friday, and Alesha was sitting at lunch with her usual small group of friends. It was just her, Shiori, and Devon. But she liked it that way.

They were at lunch now. They'd since relocated to the patio area, where they could eat outside. The tables all had large umbrellas over them to offer a little shade. The young fairy sat perched sideways in her seat. She was currently weaving some black roses into Devon's unruly blonde mane. When she was finished, he would have a circular crown of them for the rest of the day. They were just playing around and she was bored.

Out of nowhere, the group found themselves faced with another person joining them. A tall, muscular blonde dragon sat at their table. He leaned with one elbow on the sleek plastic varnished metal surface, nonchalantly.

'What is he playing at...?' Alesha silently wondered.

"So it's Friday..." Sabo grinned, watching her with his dark eyes.

"Yeah? And?" The fairy continued weaving flower stems into her friend's hair.

"Today is the day the cheerleading squad is having tryouts. Are either of you lovely ladies planning on going?"

"Hold on a minute!" Devon said, moving his head rapidly and messing her up a bit. "What makes you think I'm not trying out? They have male cheerleaders too." It was pretty clear that he was at least half-joking.

"It's just that there are some rumors going around that some new girls were going to try out. That's all."

"Actually," Alesha interjected, sharply. "I'm one of them. I've decided to give it a try."

"That's great!" Sabo's eyes lit up. "I can't wait! I'm going to be there too, so I can cheer you on."

"But cheering will be my job, haha!"

"Hahaha, yeah that's true... Well I just wanted to wish you luck, my lady!"

He stood up to formally bow to her, holding her hand and pressing his lips to the back of it. The instant he made contact, she could feel a shiver surging up her spine. She wasn't sure if it was from disgust or surprise or what... Alesha had never felt anything like that before. She was rendered speechless, even after he let go. All of that... And the only place he'd touched her was her hand.

Sabo walked away. It was like he was making a genuine effort to play it smooth. But all he managed to go was look somewhat goofy in her eyes... He didn't care though, and she knew that.

"I wonder why he even cares..." She said to her friends, once he'd gone.

"You know how us guys are," Devon was quick to explain. "Always eager to see a pretty girl in any kind of uniform... Think about it. If you make the squad, you'll be parading around in one of those skimpy little cheerleader outfits. If that's not every guy's dream come true, I don't know what is!"

"Or m-maybe you're just a pervert..." Shiori added, also half-joking.

Such was the nature of their friendship. There was always lots of teasing to go around. Alesha liked it this way. Everyone was easygoing, but they had their rare moments of seriousness thrown in the mix too.

"What about you, Shiori?" The voodoo demon inquired. "Are you going with her this afternoon?"

"S-sorry... I'd really love to show my support, Alesha-chan... It's just..." She blushed furiously. "I really don't l-like cheerleading, I mean I could n-never get up there in front of all of those people."

The Valkyrie hid her face with the long azure sleeves of her sweater. It was obvious that it made her very nervous, just thinking about it.

"Awww, come on!" Devon insisted. "You could at least give it a shot! What's the worst that could happen?"

"I c-could just never do anything like that... I'm way too shy..." She sunk further into her sweater.

"That's okay. You should just do something you enjoy and relax. I'll be fine anyway." Alesha just smiled, radiant and hopeful. Maybe everything would turn out okay.

"Good luck..." Shiori's face peeped out from her cover, grateful for her friend's understanding.

"Thanks, I'll need it."

The more the day dragged on, the more nervous Alesha became. She wasn't normally shy at all. She'd been fine, until she'd found out that Sabo was going to be there too. She could pull off her routine in front of the other girls with no problem. But it would be another thing altogether when he would be watching her the entire time.

'Why am I so worried about this? I shouldn't even care!' She was irritated with herself.

There was no way to put it off any longer. All of her classes were over for the day. The little pink fairy made her way out of Shanks' History class, trudging slowly in the direction of the Gym...

Alesha loved cheering people on. If there was anything she could do to make others happy, she usually did it. She'd decided to go through with tryouts because she loved the positive energy they had there and genuinely thought she'd be a good fit for it. But more than that, she had an underlying desire to put those snobby girls in their place. It seemed like it was about time someone did that. She'd heard from the other students at her school that they had a reputation for not being very nice.

The gutsy fairy was more than ready to tackle this today. She was wearing one of her favorite outfits. It consisted of a bright blue shirt with a dramatic dark blue mini skirt and matching tights. She wanted to make sure the colors would make her iced pink wings stand out more. She sported two fuzzy pink leg warmers strapped just below each knee. When she was bored in class, she'd woven little blue bows into them to make everything match. She was determined to win a spot on the team.

She brushed through the crowd, as she made her way into the Gym. The first thing she saw were students shuffling around everywhere. Most were going up into the bleachers. She didn't see Sabo and his friends anywhere. It was almost a relief, very nearly... But part of her was a little disappointed too.

Guilt washed over her in waves... 'Why am I thinking about this right now?!' She hit herself in the head, in an attempt to bring herself back to her senses.

"Careful how hard you do that," An arrogant feminine voice spoke from right behind her. "You might give yourself brain damage... Oh, wait."

Alesha spun around in a heartbeat. It was the harpy, Monet... She just stared her down with those cold golden eyes. Her tone had been mocking and condescending. She wasn't being friendly or welcoming at all. Typical cheerleader.

The fairy shrugged it off, walking into the center of the Gym where the judges' table was placed. There was a sign-in sheet placed there. She didn't even respond to her jeering. The other girl was only trying to unnerve her. She signed her name quickly, before anyone could stop her. She was eager to get it over with now. Many others were scrambling for it, but she'd gotten her name down. She followed the multicolored homemade paper signs that were taped everywhere to find the section she was supposed to sit in while she waited for her name to be called.

Once everyone had settled down, she spotted a certain blonde in the crowd... There he was, sitting next to Ace and Luffy. She'd recognize that familiar form anywhere. His yellow and black wings were folded behind his back, like his brothers'. They were looking all around, as if they were searching for someone or something. Sabo's tail swished back and forth anxiously. Alesha felt her own wings beginning to flutter, as if to match the feeling in her stomach.

'Is this what they call... butterflies? Am I actually nervous?'

They wasted no time at all. The captain of the cheerleading squad, the large-chested naga who had been so rude to her and her friends last week, was calling off names from the list. The girls went in the order they'd signed up. It made Alesha even more thankful that she'd just gone for it. She hadn't been first, but at least she wasn't last. She wanted to get this over with already.

She had to watch the other girls try out for the team first. Some of them bombed it, while others did amazing. A few wowed the cheerleaders in charge enough to be recruited onto the team on the spot. The judges sat at a table near one end of the Gym. It was draped in a red tablecloth with lots of silvery star and moon accents hanging from it.

When she saw who the judges were though... That was when she really got upset. They were the same ones she'd run into in between classes on the first day of school when she was walking to History class with Devon and Shiori. She approached the naga, the harpy, and the panther with dread and hesitation.

"Welcome," Alvida greeted her, casually. "Please stand on that mat in the center and you can begin whenever you're ready."

"Okay... What do I do?" She was still a little unsure. The rules hadn't been clear at all.

"Just show us what you can do." Monet, the harpy, replied with a sweet smile. It made her sick to even look at it, knowing how fake it actually was...

"Aren't you supposed to post a list with the winners later? Like tomorrow or something?" This was a clear attempt at taking at least some of the pressure off. It didn't work.

"That is so high school!" Alvida giggled, her sharp fangs gleaming in the light of their school's Gymnasium.

"We don't believe in bothering with pointlessssss formalitiesss like that," Boa Hancock explained, rifling through some papers on the table and pretending to be busy. "We'll jussst tell you right here and now if you've made the cut or not. Do your ssstuff."

"Or forfeit," The black panther girl added. "It's up to you."

As the pink fairy approached the designated mat in the center of the enormous room, there were many other faces she recognized in the crowd. Some friends, others she'd only met once or twice, but all eyes were on her. It was unnerving...

Taking a deep breath, Alesha resolved to do her best, no matter what. Stretching a bit, she poised herself into the correct position. She began to recite the school's familiar chant, from memory. Everything was going well. Every motion she pulled off appeared to impress the crowd, despite the fact that the judges' faces remained stoic. Her sparkling patterned wings assisted her in pulling off each maneuver as if she were a pro. She handled herself exceptionally well, and she really seemed to have the crowd going.

Everything went silent. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, her adrenaline really pumping. It was now or never.

'Now I understand why they allow other people to come to these things,' She thought, retreating to her own mind for comfort. 'The crowd helps the judges decide if someone is good enough. If we can't even get this small crowd excited, then we have no hope at all...'

Alesha began to pull off one of the most difficult moves she could. For one brief moment, she could have sworn that she saw admiration in the captain's snake-like eyes... She was in the air, graceful and fluid. Mere moments later, she came crashing down, harder than a reality check.

"Oh my god!" Monet squawked, one of her wings folding around her to cover her mouth in a coy manner. "She fell on her fat butt! Hahahahaha!"

Alesha's face was very pale, it was as if all the color had drained from her complexion. She was humiliated. And in front of all these people... She was mortified!

That was the moment she realized that it was even worse than she'd thought. During that last maneuver, her hat had come off... Her treasured white hat with the cute little brown bear ears and buttons on it was gone. She saw it, lying beside her on the mat. Her horns and antennas were exposed to the crowd, each antennae wobbling just in front of her face like two unsightly orbs.

Everyone gawked at her. No one here had seen her without her hat on before. She was even careful not to remove it around Shiori. She was in the habit of turning her lamp off and lying down in bed before she would even think of removing her hat... And most nights she slept in it, just to be safe. Her unusual features were something that she had always been teased for, and she was very sensitive about it.

'Oh no!' The crestfallen fairy thought. 'I hope they don't say anything... Maybe they won't even notice?'

"I can't believe it! How stupid!" Alvida agreed, pursing her red-stained lips before pointing to the girl's head. "And oh my, look at those unsightly things! Goodness, what a freak!"

"Looks like somebody's 'horny'..." The harpy just could not contain herself. She collapsed in a fit of feathered giggles.

"And those antennas are the worst! Was one of her parents a fly or an alien or something?" The dark haired she-cat's remarks were cutting into her, like knives... "You look simply ridiculous, ahahaha!"

"Aaaaand you're dissssqualified!" The scornful naga regarded her with narrowed eyes. She rose from her seat, towering over her and using her long tail to raise herself up. The haughty cheerleader captain pointed a single accusing finger downward at her, to amplify her shame. "I've never seen anyone sssscrew up a landing so badly... You should be ashamed! You'll never be a cheerleader!"

All of the girls stood there, cackling and looking down on her. Alesha didn't know what to do. Everyone had just seen her make a complete idiot of herself. And as if that weren't bad enough, she definitely didn't make the team.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Hancock continued to scold her. "Get out of here! Go on... Go back to your dorm or wherever it is you losers stay... Get out of my sssssight!"

Sabo's rage knew no bounds. College cheerleading squads were supposed to be more mature than high school squads!

"You've got a lot of room to talk!" There was a deep, low rumbling growl from somewhere within the audience. "Leave her alone, you bitches!"

There wasn't much time to even register what was happening. A yellow speckled dragon was fighting his way through the crowd in the bleachers. It looked like the two other dragons on either side of him were trying to hold him back, but it did little good. He broke out of their hold, and rushed into the middle of the Gym, his wings carrying him swiftly. At first Ace and Luffy held out some hope that he was just going to check on his fallen friend. Instead, they could only watch on in horror as the true dragon in him was unleashed...

Sabo was a ball of fury, as he unleashed his fiery wrath upon the cheerleaders. Alvida and Monet were the first to back away, cowering behind the buxom beauty who represented the entire squad. The dragon released a breath of fire right beside her, which she definitely felt. But the naga was not to be intimidated so easily.

"Gggrrrrrrrr!" He growled, his voice deep and fierce.

He picked up a set of pompoms, and set about the task of rapidly destroying them. He could have easily burned them, but the mighty dragon needed a way he could really take out his anger. He began to shred them, angrily tearing apart the long red and black streamers, ripping them into tiny pieces. He dispersed them over the frightened girls like some kind of impromptu confetti.

"What do you think you're doing?" Hancock did a hair flip, rolling her eyes as she got up.

"You have no right! No right at all to do what you've done! Do you realize that she could've been hurt? Or is that too confusing to sink into that empty piggish head of yours?!"

"Whoa..." Monet murmured, backing away a bit more.

When the angry dragon's flames almost reached them, the girls squealed in fright and dove under the table. Nothing was safe. The tablecloth was on fire and it was quickly spreading. They had to get out. He slammed his fist down on it for emphasis, further terrifying the three girls.

Alesha was barely on her feet, her wings helping to carry her. She began to levitate off the ground, due to running so fast. She was out of there like lightning! At first she'd considered helping them, but in all honesty... They got whatever they deserved. She wanted no part of being anywhere near these people anymore. Now that they'd seen her secret, they would never let her live it down. She'd never hear the end of the constant teasing...

This was the same problem she had endured at her previous school and she couldn't deal with it again. She'd been doing so good, she'd been so careful to hide her extra features from everyone, so cautious about always wearing her hat and never taking it off... She'd left it behind now, no longer caring whether she had it or not. Everyone had already seen how much of a freak she was, so it didn't matter anymore.

The other students were confused, for the most part. Not everyone fully understood what had just happened. There were some of them getting into various arguments and hitting each other, and still others who decided to join in the fight. Chaos rapidly ensued. People were coming a little closer and starting to crowd around them, but they gave them lots of room. No one wanted to be caught in the crossfire between a dragon and a naga.

A certain neko boy, with one red ear and the other blue, was making a go of it and stealing from everyone while they were all distracted. He went through people's bags and rummaged through some of their pockets while they were distracted too. He made out like a bandit that day. Alex sat back and counted his ill-gotten gains with a smug grin, his tail curled up into a pleasant 'S' shape.

Ace and Luffy had swooped down to the center of the Gym a few minutes after Sabo had. They'd only exchanged looks with one another, both knowing full well what they had to do. It only took them seconds to reach him.

"We're here for ya, pal!" Luffy patted his brother on the back, noticing the way all of his muscles were now rigid and tense.

"I don't need help!" Sabo turned, shooting him a death glare. "Get your hand off of me. I will show these fucking assholes that they can't do this!"

"Hey, calm down..." His brother tried to tell him.

"No! It isn't right! They didn't have to make fun of her like that! And Alesha, she... She's... She deserves another chance!"

Sabo grabbed the snake girl by her neck, and in only a moment's notice, had her pinned against one of the Gym's cement walls. She was writhing in pain and struggled to try to wrap her tail around his legs, in an effort to bring him down from behind. But she was no match for him. The snarling dragon lashed out at her tail with his, effectively blocking her attempted attack.

"Aaahgh!" She tried to scream, but choked at the end. His large fist was squeezing her windpipe, threatening to crush it. "Ple-ease! L-let me... go-aaghhh..."

He squeezed a little harder, but then relented a bit. He didn't want to lose control of himself and kill anyone... But it was clear that these girls had stepped over a very clear boundary of his.

"From now on... No one messes with the fairy girl! Got it?!"

"Sabo," Ace warned him sternly. "Please let her go... We don't need this to escalate any further. Everyone can see what you're doing. People are afraid enough of us as it is!"

"I didn't..." Hancock began to cry, collapsing into a heap on the floor, her serpentine tail curling around her body protectively. "I didn't mean to... I didn't know. I... I'm sorry..."

"Don't bother. It's not your place to apologize to me. Say that to the one you've wronged."

Monet came out from under the scorched table, fuming. "We have done nothing wrong! She didn't make the team because she isn't good enough. She didn't stick her landing, therefore she is just not cheerleader material. I demand you leave at once!"

"Never!" Sabo hissed, his eyes beginning to almost glow with pure white hot rage. "Not until you apologize to Alesha!"

"That's not going to happen. You need to go." Alvida was backing her up, adding in her two cents from a relatively safe distance away. "She isn't even here anymore."

"Just go," Ace told him, in an annoyed tone, placing one hand on his hip. "We'll handle it from here."

The other dragon looked around him, at all the chaos and devastation he'd just caused. He had really lost control this time, and he knew it. Now everyone was staring at him. Apparently they all knew of his feelings for the enchanting fairy girl.

...Not that it mattered any. He would need to explain this somehow, but there was only one thing on his mind at the moment. He picked up the little hat she'd left behind and ran in the same direction she had gone.

His brothers sighed, knowing this wasn't their mess to clean up, but also knowing that they would have to. They quietly started cleaning up the remnants of the broken tables and chairs. They put them into a pile. Luffy scrambled to pick up the charred remains of the once beautiful tablecloth, while Ace pulled over a big garbage can and began tossing random debris into it.

Everyone else had already cleared out. The cheerleading squad had put the rest of the tryouts on hold until tomorrow. They couldn't continue any further, given the circumstances. The three cheerleaders in charge left, their shoulders slumped and their heads hung in bitter defeat. The rest of the crowd soon followed suit. No one wanted to hang around or linger after a fight that bad.

"I'm glad Shiori-chan isn't here to see this." Luffy mentioned, remembering Alesha's shy roommate.

Ace turned away sharply. "Y-yeah... Me too. It's better if she doesn't see this. She'd be so upset." He shook his head. "At least no one was seriously injured. Let's just go find Sabo and see if he's alright, okay?"

"Yeah." He nodded.

The two remaining dragon brothers also left the Gym.

Alesha had to get out of there. She had no other choice... She hadn't really thought about her destination, the only thing that had been on her panicked mind was getting away. The young fairy let herself outside, into the sunshine. There was a big garden that was owned by the college and she found herself in the center of it. Radiant flowers grew from everywhere, butterflies fluttered around, and the tall hedges shielded her from view. And best of all, there was no one around. It was perfect.

She sat on a small white bench in a secluded corner of the garden where no one could see her. She used the red striped armwarmer that adorned her left arm to wipe away her tears. Alesha hated crying. She wished she never had to do it. People could be so cruel. It had really hurt her to be treated like a freak and called all those names again.

She reached up to fling one of the dangling orbs that danced before her face, emitting a faint glow. In the daytime, it was barely even noticeable. But the other students had easily notice her extra horns and long antennas.

"Alesha?" A voice called her name. It sounded like Sabo's. "Alesha-chan? Are you out here?"

It sounded like he was alone, which made her feel slightly more comfortable. The last thing she wanted was to have to deal with a bunch of people right now.

She wanted to call out to him, but she had no idea what to say. "Um..." She faintly muttered. "I'm here..."

"Oh!" The dragon rounded one corner and finally spotted her, curled up on a bench. "There you are! I finally found you, I-"

He noticed something was wrong. Tears leaked from her beautiful brown eyes and streaked down her angelic face... Sabo couldn't hold himself back anymore. He ran over to her and wrapped himself around her, hugging her close and shielding her with his wings. The fairy let out a small squeak when she found herself suddenly engulfed in the hug. She hoped she wasn't blushing...

"I'm just so glad you're okay!" Sabo himself was almost crying. "Please don't cry! I promise I'll fix it, I'll find some way to make it better, I'll-"

"Look, it's okay, just calm down..." Alesha said, hating that this was even a big deal. "What happened was stupid and I'd just like to forget about it."

"Those girls really got what was coming to them. I scared them, I got them back for you after you left. I'd do anything for you, okay? Anything at all. Just name it. I'll crush anyone who gets in your way."

He was serious. It was like he wasn't really listening to her. She sighed, gently prying herself away from his embrace and going over to the other side of the small patch of lush garden. She began to pace a bit. Her hands idly played with a large white flower that she was drawn to.

"It's alright. Thanks for checking on me. I'm feeling a little better now, so-"

"Can I say something?" He cut her off. She nodded. "You have the most beautiful antennas I have ever seen. They're nothing to be ashamed of! They're really cute."

Alesha could feel what was left of her heart just melt in that instant... She tried not to look at him, but found herself turning around to face him anyway. She didn't move, so he took a single step forward. She contemplated backing away, but decided against it. Her feet firmly planted on the ground, she looked up at the dragon, noticing for the first time just how tall he was.

With no warning at all, he pressed his lips against hers, insistently. Tingles started where their flesh touched and slowly spread throughout her body. She felt her wings lifting her up. She was floating just inches off the ground, and couldn't help it. She felt herself reciprocating it a little, but she held herself back.

"Wow..." She breathed, when he finally did break the kiss. There was nothing else she could say.

"I... I've never lost control like that before..." Sabo panted, and then stopped. "I'm struggling with myself. To make myself stop... I have to go before I mess things up even more. Sorry, I'm sorry..."

Alesha didn't know which way was up anymore... First this guy was ragingly angry, then he was calm, and then he was complimenting her and stealing a kiss, in broad daylight! Then he was backing away and trying to leave her alone again. It was really confusing. She wasn't sure what she should do now. She just looked at him, her head tilting sideways. She blinked. He watched her, waiting for a reaction.

'Don'tfreakoutaboutthekiss, don'tfreakoutaboutthekiss, don'tfreakoutaboutthekiss...'

"It was sweet of you to say what you did..." Tactfully, she was changing the subject. "About my antennas and horns, I mean. They're just a normal part of being a fairy, and maybe it's because my kind is so rare, but people have always made fun of me for them."

"That's not right. They look cute. They're not a defect at all! If anything, it just makes you all the more perfect. ...But this is cute too." He held up her hat, and gave it back to her. "You really don't need it though."

Alesha took the cap and put it on, tucking away her long antennas and using it to hide her fairy horns too. She carefully placed her cotton candy pink strands around it in strategic places, to help hide it even better and ensure that it would stay in place. She still couldn't bring herself to smile, but she was grateful.

"I still feel more comfortable with it on," She told Sabo. "Thanks for bringing it to me."

"No problem, don't even mention it. Hey, wanna grab some ice cream or something? You had a horrible experience but you shouldn't let that ruin your whole day."

"Thanks, but I need to hide from the public eye for a bit. I'm sure people will give me enough crap about it when Monday rolls around."

"They'd better not. I'll break anyone's face who says a negative word to you about it." He began to panic again. Sabo wasn't thinking rationally. "I'll... I'll stop them. Just tell me who does it, okay? You have to tell me if anyone says anything. Promise me?!"

He grabbed her forearm, this time with a strong grip.

"Okay, jeez..." Alesha said what she needed to in order to make him stop.

Sabo let go of her and moved away, even more ashamed. "Sorry... Sorry! I'd better go too. I'll walk you back to your dorm, alright?"

"Err, that's okay, I-"

"You have to let me," He told her sternly. "I just need to make sure you're okay, that's all."

"Well alright. But then you need to go find your brothers. I'm sure they're worried about you too."

"Right. I'll do that. Of course."

Sabo seemed to relax and calm down, now that she'd agreed to allow him to walk her home. She noticed that no one they passed on the way said anything to her. There were people staring at them, and sometimes she heard the occasional whispers from the other students, but no one was laughing at her. She wondered what Sabo could have done that would make everyone react this way...

They made it back to her dorm room with no trouble.

"Thanks for everything. I'll see you around, okay?"

"Okay... Bye." He smiled, being as polite as he possibly could.

He made no effort to actually move, however. He was still staring at her as she closed the door. Alesha waited. Several seconds passed, and finally she heard him turn and walk away.

"So? H-how did it go?" Shiori had been reading a book, but she quickly perked up when she noticed her roommate coming in.

"I bombed it. Didn't make the cut..."

"That's t-too bad. Maybe next time?"

"Yeah, maybe..." Alesha sighed, as she collapsed onto a heap of bedcover. She pulled the covers over her head, concealing herself from the world. She just wanted to relax and not think about it anymore.