Eventually, he came to her dorm room, the door sliding closed just as he turned the corner. "Aya? Aya?!" Sasa pounded seemingly uselessly on the huge white door into her dorm. He leaned his head against it, seething and nearly in tears at his chance being so ruined...again! And that weird girl, that Megumi, she had something to do with it, he just knew it! The way she looked at her was exactly the look she'd shot him.

But those were just stupid thoughts. After all Megumi was a girl, and Aya was a girl, and stuff like that didn't happen. Megumi wouldn't.... Sasa drew himself back from thinking about that because now it was important to help Aya.

"PLEASE, Aya!" Concern echoed in his words.

Sasa didn't expect the door to immediately open but he grew more nervous each passing moment. Also with each passing moment he put more and more blame on Megumi for causing this. He didn't know how, or why but it was cruel for her to do that.

"Aya... I just want to know your going to be okay. I'll just wait out here, if you need anything just call." Sasa leaned against the wall and settled in for a long wait.

The door slid open slowly, and Aya stood there, her head down as she closed it behind Sasa as she gave him silent permission to enter.

Gingerly he stepped in the door. He was afraid he was going to do something wrong, but he couldn't stand to see Aya suffering like this.

"Can I help" Sasa asked in a voice that should have been coming from a little girl. He was trying to offer her his shoulder if she wanted to cry on it.

Aya shrugged away from Sasa, still teary eyed. She plopped down onto the blue couch and sobbed horribly.

It was hurting Sasa to see Aya like that. He wanted so much to make her feel better.

"It hurt! Why'd she have to do that to me!?"

"Wh..who..."

"That girl! Whoever she was....."

Sasa could see that Aya was badly in need of a hug.

Sasa reached out his hand to Aya again, but she batted it away... "Please, don't.....don't touch me..."

Sasa shook with nervousness. He hadn't been this close to a girl before. He didn't know how to react. His desire to give her a shoulder to cry on or a gentle hug had been rejected. Realizing he might be making her uncomfortable he slowly backed up.

Aya looked up as he backed away in confusion...

"I didn't mean it like that...." she sniffled. "...it's just...I feel funny when people....like y..like you...touch me...."

"Like me?" Sasa blurted....

Aya stood up and threw her hair back....."It's a long story, Sasa...I don't feel like talking about it right now, ok? I just need a little while to myself." Aya took Sasa by the shoulders and...much to his surprise and enjoyment....gave him a light kiss on the cheek! It was a fast, scared kiss to be sure, but one none the less!

Sasa blushed crimson. The look on his face was about the same as a little girl who had just gotten her first kiss. Shyly he looked down to avoid Aya's gaze. He was thinking now that he was never going to wash his cheek again because he wanted Aya's kiss to stay with him forever.

"But you've been so nice to me today....I promise, I'll see you again tonight......"

Sasa obliged as Aya buried her head in one of the couch pillows and went off to sleep. Kiss notwithstanding, why did she act like that? What did that Megumi do to bring THIS out in her? He needed answers, and he needed them soon....

Noa seemed helpful...maybe she could shed some light on this.....

Sasa was off to find Noa when it dawned on him, how much Aya seemed to dislike Noa, and how she hated that room. Sasa knew Aya had suffered more than enough today. He wasn't going to subject her to anything that might upset her more.

Taking that option away he wasn't left with much he could do. He did think about going to Megumi and asking what she had done to Aya. But Sasa didn't really feel like talking to Megumi. In fact, seeing Aya in tears like that, had caused him to develop a strong dislike for Megumi.

As terrible as it felt, all he could do is wait. Sasa went back to his dorm room and tried to think of things that would get the images of the teary eyed Aya from his mind. He lightly touched his cheek where Aya had kissed him.

asa decided to lay low. Upsetting Aya anymore was a risk he didn't want to take, especially since he'd been good enough to at least earn a kiss out of her. And at any rate, she DID promise to see him again.

Listlessy, he fired up the room's PC, hoping that something on there could at least take his mind off how upset that girl was...

"C'mon, control yourself...you've only been here a day, and already you're cracking up....." he muttered to himself as it booted up. Much to his delight, the PC was loaded down quite a bit with goodies he could never utilize on his comp at home.

Still, even the hours of time he spent playing DOOM III wasn't enough. He remembered her wail of pain at Megumi's advances or whatever they were....

Sasa really hated her for what she had done to Aya. There was a problem in that he didn't know what she had done to Aya. But he did know one thing, whatever it was she had done she had stared at both him and Aya. If she had to stare to do that thing then Sasa could stop her. It was fairly simple, he would just direct the light that would normally enter her eyes to dim to the point of nonexistance. Effectively he would blind her. With no light hitting her optic nerve she could never see anyone to screw with anyone.

As yet another Demon wailed a death cry from Sasa's polygon graphic'ed shotgun, he heard a pounding on his door. It was quite harsh, but not really angry sounding. Also, as the digital beast collapsed in a crimson spray, a Window's reminder suddenly popped into being, reminding him about class that would begin at 10 AM tommorow....great, looks like school was a fate even Project Orpheus subjects couldn't escape....

And as it always did, the excessive game playing made Sasa a skosh tired and he tried to fight the sleepiness that came upon him. Blinking, he heard a knock at the door. It was soft, gentle rapping, and he thought it might be Aya coming back to talk to him. He smiled and asked who it was, but it was only a small whimper and sob. Obviously, she was stil upset, but she at least felt enough about Sasa to come to him...

"Hey, c'mon in...you oka..." Sasa stood there stunned as he saw Aya....a bloodied Aya.....a cord tied around her neck and a length of cloth tied around her mouth. Indeed, she was crying and whimpering as the towering and evil figure of Megumi stood over her, holding the cord taut as she let the limp girl falter like a sack of rocks. Before she could react, the towering Meg shoved Aya effortlessly onto the couch and reached behind her back, yanking out of thin air a beppin' type school uniform...

"Sorry, girly boy....you just ventured into an outing you can't accomplish....Aya don't date freaks, you know...." She giggled evily and yanked her up by the neck cord and made her watch as several hands appeared from behind the couch and held Sasa down. He heard several voices, the drunk woman, Ms. Kanamemi, his father, even a few of his old schoolmates as the cruel girl started to tear off his clothes in favor of the junior HS girl's uniform....

Sasa struggled in vain as the only time the hands released him was to slide some feminine attire over his body. "There there sweetheart you need a bra, you wouldn't want the boys thinking your a slut now would you?" Megumi chuckled as she watched Sasa fighting against the bra and panties they were slipping on his body.

The next wave of humiliation came as they put the cute little fuku sailor uniform on him. The white blouse with the navy stripes was bad but Sasa was chilled to see those hands reaching out and sliding that short skirt up his legs.

With one hand Megumi gripped Sasa gently by the chin, her long nails painted bright red, a nail on her other hand ran across his uniform scratching at his left nipple. "The boys are just going to *love* you. I'll bet they make a woman out of you in no time."

Sasa screamed flailing agaist the grip but nearly jumped out of his seat again as another knock was heard on the door....

"Yo....ummmm.....Sasa, right?" The voice said..."...could you let me in already!? I gotta ask ya somethin..."

It sounded vaguely like that drunk woman he saw in Aya's room earlier that day...what could SHE want?

Wiping the sweat of his brow and shakily making his way to the door he didn't want to talk to this woman, but he wanted to go next door and check on Aya. Still to get to Aya he didn't have any choice but to talk to the drunk lady he had seen before.

Sasa opened the door.

Wiping the sweat of his brow and shakily making his way to the door he didn't want to talk to this woman, but he wanted to go next door and check on Aya. Still to get to Aya he didn't have any choice but to talk to the drunk lady he had seen before.

Sasa opened the door. Bab's walked in (instead of stumbled) and closed it behind her. She actually looked fairly sober....

"Listen...ummm....Sasa. I tried to get in to talk to Aya...but she's like...REALLY wierded out and not letting anyone inside for some reason..."

Sasa was at least relieved to hear that Aya was responding, and not all bound up like in his nightmare.

She leaned on him and slapped the infamous spiked Scope bottle in his hands...

For a moment Sasa wondered if she wanted him to take a drink, and considering the nightmare he had just had, he was serhously tempted.

"...and I gotta stash this so I don't caught with THIS in my locker. If I did...well, WHEW! It ain't gonna be pretty! Can ya do me a favor and keep this thing overnight for me?"

"uh..okay ... " Sasa was thinking about bribing her already, but since Babs seemed to be Aya's friend that might not be necessary.

"You said that Aya was REALLY weirded out... " Sasa didn't know who Babs was, but she was a grown up so maybe she could do something.

"I think I know how that happened. See, Aya was teaching how to play raquetball, and then this new girl name Megumi came along... I think she's got a weird power, you know like I do... anyway I started feeling all strange... and I think so did Aya... next thing I knew Aya screamed and ran." Sasa hoped Babs would be angry at Megumi.

"I followed Aya and she was all upset and everything... I thought about telling someone but I didn't think Aya was up to speaking to Ms.Kanamemi." Actually Sasa thought that Aya disliked Noa, but he wasn't going to tell Babs about that, it might not be common knowledge.

"Could you, maybe ask Megumi what she did to Aya ..." Sasa nervously added "It would be nice if she didn't do it again, because it really hurt Aya ..."

"and it was too sad seeing her crying like that." Sasa looked up at Babs. The feelings he was developing for Aya were right there in his eyes for Babs to see.

"I'll save this for you." Sasa cradled the Scope bottle. He figured Babs would get his point. If she protected Aya then he would protect her secret.

Gradually he decided that what would be best would be to wait, outside her door. If he heard any noise from inside he would knock or listen to see if it sounded like she needed help. Sasa knew it would look stupid to anyone who might see him there sitting in the hall beside Aya's door, but that wasn't important because he needed to know that she was alright. And, Sasa was going to wait until she made an appearance or gave him some sign that she needed his help. Sasa sat down just to the right of Aya's door and waited quietly in the hallway.

The minutes passed....

Very little people, mercifully, saw Sasa leaning against the door, sighing and hoping for a sign. Soon, he even had to sit at one point. He felt like some heartbroken boyfriend begging his best girl for forgiveness....yeah, if only more of that were true. At least if it WAS Sasa's fault, he'd know what to apologize for. Here, we was a little more helpless, and had to comfort the damage that another girl did to her.

Sasa was very near to giving up after 45 minutes passed and not so much as a peep came from the room. Then his chance arose. A small thump came from the inside, and he heard her cry out a little in pain.

"Aya" Sasa quickly stood up and started knocking on the door.

A minute passed, then the door slid open. Aya, much to his relief wasn't a beat up strapped body, but instead was the same girl he was playing raquetball with. Her hair was very mussed up and dark circles were painfully obvious under her eyes. She had changed out of her gym clothes into a loose fitting dirty pair of jeans and a long blue t-shirt. The look seemed to totally hide her figure in every aspect.

Sasa was relieved to see that she wasn't hurt, but she still didn't look well. Maybe later he would think about how disappointing it was not seeing her in that cute tennis outfit, but for now he was happy just to be seeing her at all.

Aya said nothing but allowed Sasa entry. The place, which before had looked casual, was now spotless and in perfect order, even down to the stack of CD's.

"I'm ok now, Sasa.....I just needed a good cry."

Sasa looked around. Since when did crying include house cleaning? It was kind of strange.

Without prompting, She poured a glass of Sprite for him and sat down on the same couch, just two feet away from him.

"I'm sorry if I worried you like that. It really looked worse than it actually was. She just...you know...touched a nerve..."

Despite wanting to help Aya he could already feel his excitement growing at being so close to the pretty girl. Gently he chewed on his bottom lip and asked, "touched a nerve...how?"

Aya looked down slightly, and he almost thought she was going to cry again, but she didn't. "It was bad feelings, Sasa. Good girls don't get...get like that.....and I try to be one..."

Sasa looked at her, flabbergasted, but Aya simply looked back up...

"I'm sorry...I shouldn't dump that on you. You don't really need to suffer by hearing me talk about stuff like that. You've been too good to me...." Aya slid herself a little closer and wrapped her arms around Sasa. The hug wasn't brief or casual, it was TIGHT!

The next thing she said nearly blew a gasket.....

"And you know something...you ARE kind of cute..... " she whispered into his ear right before she released.

Sasa felt very warm. He knew he was blushing, but he didn't realize just how much he looked like a cute little girl when he did that and that tight feeling was happening again in his chest.

As good as he felt, there was still something strange about what Aya said about her reactions to that Megumi girl's black magic. Almost preprogrammed, or something...

Sasa only began to puzzle out that Megumi might have done exactly the same thing to Aya that she had done to him. That was why Aya was upset! Megumi had upset her by making Aya desire her in a sexual way. Sasa got really angry with Megumi. This fed off the dream he had had. This would have been as bad as someone messing with his mind to make him like boys!

Sasa needed to do something. He needed to make sure that Aya didn't blame herself for those lesbian feelings that Megumi had forced on her.

"Aya..." Sasa gulped "That girl made me feel attracted to her..." Sasa blushed just a bit "And I think she did the same thing to you... please don't blame yourself for those feelings. It was *her* fault."

"You don't like girls in that way! It was wrong for her to try to make you believe you would want to be with a girl like that." The irony of what Sasa was saying never crossed his mind. But, Aya of course saw that this boy who looked exactly like a girl was trying to convince her that she wasn't a lesbian, and she had just called this very feminine boy cute.

"I know I don't...I really don't feel that way..that way about anyone....but I shouldn't have let it get to me like that, I was weak......please, don't think less of me for that. It's just that this place scares me enough as it is...."

Sasa wanted to interrupt and tell her that he didn't think any less of her, he thought she was great! But, he could see that she wasn't finished talking so he kept quiet.

She sighed and gingerly took the bottle from Sasa's grip, looking at it like some kind of trinket.

"Kind of like seeing the boogieman when you're little. Always there's something in the closet waiting to get you. You'd think that at our age we'd quit being afraid of it. But it seems that the monsters in your room just get more and more realistic."

Somewhere along the way Sasa knew that he lost track of what Aya was talking about. She coiled around Sasa again, resting her head on his shoulders. There was no kiss, but clearly she was feeling so much more relaxed in his presence. She circled the bottle of Vodka around and poured it into the waiting pair of plastic cups. She smirked and handed one to him as she sat up again.

"Y'know...I think we could use a little of this after today....."

Sasa didn't think he needed any. The feeling of being in Aya's arms was intoxicating enough for him. But he figured that he should at least keep Aya from having to drink alone, so he gingerly picked up the plastic cup. Tears nearly came to his eyes as the smell entered his nose. He took the smallest possible sip, and even that was way too much for him.

Aya took her cup and downed the contents in one gulp, looking a little flustered and shocked. No wonder Babs took this stuff slowly, it tasted like ignited gasoline. But there was no denying it's sedating effects, as she quickly leaned back and closed her eyes, leaning against her newfound confidant as she slowly drifted to sleep...the nightmare would go on, she knew, but maybe now she had at least a warm place to come to occasionally....

Sasa also felt his eyes fluttering as he set his eyes on Aya, finally a little relaxed. Yes, the alcohol had something to do with it, but there was no denying that she at least felt safe near him.

The TV began to show another movie on it's station as they both faded to sleep..."Escape from the Planet of the Apes", it seemed.....