Room 917 [AL/AURA]

[Albert Aldein]

Al tightened his grip on the food cart, wheeling around a cart that contained a huge heaping of deserts and other kinds of mouth-watering viands that he could only dream of feasting on. He walked across the hallway and punched in the up button as he reached the elevator door. He paused to think what his buddy would do if he were in the same situation he was, but he was pretty sure he knew what would happen. He smiled to himself, imagining Dru was there, constantly taking small bites in order to 'test' the food for the hotel patrons. He wanted to do the same, but he knew he couldn't. Aside from the fact that the people in room 917 were complainers, the hotel was covered with surveillance cameras. If he tried anything, a camera would probably catch him in the act.

A loud ding, followed by a voice that said 'ground floor' greeted him as the elevator doors slid wide open. The two people inside immediately made their way out, leaving Al the full capacity of the elevator. He pushed the cart inside, and followed right behind it, pressing the '9' button before watching the doors begin to close.

[Aura Dawning]

"Darling, it's all for the best."

"But I don't want to spend the week here. I'm not even allowed to go outside!"

"Well, maybe if you behave and stop "running away", one of us can escort you on a trip?"

"Escort! I don't need to be escorted, that's what I'm trying to tell you...I'm twenty-two years old, Flora."

"It's far too dangerous...especially to talk to strangers. And with your age and beauty, anything could happen. Now, not another word."

The golden haired woman felt her entire body sag under a heavy sigh as her pleas went unnoticed. If it wasn't the Tower she was holed up in, it was this new hotel. Honestly, she knew the importance of keeping herself safe but why she couldn't go around on her own - in a perfectly good disguise too - was beyond her. It was funny, how someone like herself could be so famous and wealthy, and yet not be able to make her own decisions. What a crummy lifestyle this was turning out to be.

Resting her chin upon her hand as she stared out through the tinted black windows of the limousine, her eyes met with the grand hotel. As Flora began to fuss around, and her four bodyguards exited the vehicle, Aura peeked up in time to catch several camera flashes, the clicking sound reaching her ears. Great, another delightful meeting with the Press.

"Miss Dawning! Miss Dawning, is it true you're engaged to hockey star, Phillip Kingston?"

"Can you tell us at Teen Princess Magazine what your beauty routine is?"

"Is it true that you're pregnant? With twins? And is an imminent wedding on the cards?"

Stepping out of the vehicle to face the onslaught of terrible rumours - most of which she'd heard several times before. It almost made her laugh, really. However she didn't, because she really wasn't in the mood to. Surrounded by her guard, she hurried forwards, her designer heels clicking against the stone steps as they made their way to the hotel, the paparazzi following. Once inside, they headed straight towards an elevator that was closing, one of the bodyguards managing to wrench it open with ease before ushering the popstar inside.

As soon as they had safely entered the elevator, Aura glanced curiously over to the hotel worker standing there with a huge trolley stocked with the finest foods. He was a young man, probably about her own age, she was guessing. As Flora began to argue with Mallory Dagan on her cellphone, Aura smiled at the stranger, trying hard to ignore the sounds - which was quite embarrassing.

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[Albert Aldein]

The bellboy had various thoughts racing across his mind, about the crazy week that he had. His life was usually routinary, so it was a completely overwhelming couple of days for him. His mind was floating, though he could hear faint noises in the background. There were some people shouting in disgust, while others were throwing who-knows-what. He could barely understand what the mumbling was about, even if he was deliberately listening in on the noise.

He let out a wide yawn, catching the elevator doors open through squinted eyes, but thought nothing of it. Instead, he clutched the cart handle and began tapping into the bar vigorously, imitating a rock-and-roll drummer. He earned a couple of stares from these big, muscular guys dressed in blank, and he shrugged them off. What? He was allowed to entertain himself. It took him a while before he realized how packed the elevator actually was. It was no wonder why he suddenly felt all cramped up. There were four men, all dressed in the same thing, one on each corner of the elevator. In the middle stood two women, one was talking quite loudly on her cell phone, while the other, the one closer to him, remained quiet. The girl seemed strangely familiar. Like he had seen her before. He was staring at her when she threw a smile in his direction. That was when he realized why she looked familiar.

It was Aurelia. The Aura Dawning. Al couldn't believe his luck. Of all the people who he could have run into, it was her. He had been a fan of her since she rose to fame, and he was definitely one of her top fans. She was actually very talented, and on top of that, she was gorgeous. Plus, though he would never admit it, Al had a thing for pop stars.

Okay, man. Contain yourself. Aurelia freakin Dawning smiled at you. Play it cool, play it cool. Quick, throw a smile back. Or wait, does that make me seem like a total tool? What if I don't smile back? Oh, then she'd think I'm a total snob. Shit.

Al took a deep breathe and casually leaned on the elevator wall, crossing his arms as he did so. He flashed a smile back at her and used his other hand to comb through his hair, accidentally hitting one of the bodyguards beside him on the face. The guard grunted, glaring at him.

"Crap. Sorry, man," he fidgeted, quickly apologizing to the man. In his panic, his foot slammed into the edge of the trolley, causing him to grunt in pain rather loudly. "Son of a bit--" The woman on the cellphone slowly spun around to face him, raising judging eyebrows at the bellboy.

Oh, shit.

[Aura Dawning]

Aura raised her brows at the bell-boy as he leaned against the wall of the elevator and attempted to impress her - succeeding only in pissing off her bodyguard, Raoul, by smacking him in the face. A giggle escaped the young woman's lips, which earned her a disapproving stare from Flora, her agent. Hushing up almost immediately, she slipped her hands into the pockets of her smart coat, gazing at the elevator floor - her cheeks hued a delicate shade of pink. When Flora had returned to her argument with Mallory, Aura stole a very small glance up at the bell-boy once more; a slow and mischievious sort of grin lit her features.

That was until he'd kicked the cart and now had everyone glaring at him - with the exception of Aura herself, who had looked away obediently; even although she was longing to laugh and perhaps even say something. Finally, the elevator reached the Seventh Floor - the floor that Aura and her suaree of guards and agents would be staying on - and the two bodyguards nearer the doors had exited first to check the area. Then Flora ushered Aura forwards and out, the remaining bodyguards casting the bell-boy menacing looks before following suit. They had only gone a few paces, Aura's mind overwhelmed with ideas and a sudden urge to do something wild.

Glancing behind her at the elevator doors, which were still open, she bit her lip then seized the moment in a haze of yells and scuffling attempts to prevent her from leaving. She made a quick dash towards the elevator, a cheeky grin intact and giggling to herself, before sliding back inside and pressing all of the buttons at once. The doors closed just as the bodyguards toppled over one another to get to her.

Her heart pounding with excitement, it was only then that she registered the prescence of the young man again. She smiled sheepishly, leaning back against the opposite wall of the elevator and biting her lip, reaching a hand up to tuck a piece of her blonde hair - which had fallen into her eyes - behind her ear.

"I always wanted to do that", she said, her chest rising and falling somewhat quicker than normal.

It was only when she'd said this, however, that the elevator began to grind to a sudden hault, thudding as the lights flickered all around them, causing the girl to cling on to the rail against the wall for support - her eyebrows raised in shock; the elevator had broken down, it seemed. She exchanged glances with the boy, and gulped a little - now she was in big trouble.

[Albert Aldein]

Al grunted in pain once more, no longer caring whether or not they were staring. The frickin cart hurt like a bitch. He looked over to the other occupants, and everyone seemed to suddenly dissolve back into their respective duties. The woman was back on her phone, and the guards were back in their place, arms stiffly placed at their sides. All except for Aurelia. Though she had her face turned against him, he knew she was smirking. Somehow, Al just knew.

A short ding caused the elevator to stop as the number seven lit up in bright orange. Like clockwork, the group made their way outside, as though robots pre-commanded to do what they had to. He wanted to call out to the celebrity, maybe just shout out his name. Or even get another smile, but he faltered. Talk about a wasted opportunity. He was practically bumping elbows with her and he didn't even get an autograph. He sighed as he watched the doors slowly move to a close, when something else happened.

The lady began to shout out slurs, most were hardly recognizable. The guards fumbled on their feet, surprised at what was going on. And Aurelia Dawning. Well, she was running towards Al. He felt a small grin form on his face as he watched the seemingly dainty girl run from her captors, slipping into the narrow space left between the elevator doors. The door shut, drowning out the curses from her agent, just as she had finished running her fingers through all of the elevator buttons. Al couldn't help but laugh. It was very unbecoming of a celebrity to be doing that, and it was quite interesting to see it in action. After all, these were the type of things you only saw on TV, never in real life.

He felt a blush rise in his cheeks as the star acknowledged his presence. He smiled back at her, unable to contain his laughter as she mentioned having wanted to do that. She was prettier up close. She had a more natural look, as opposed to how he usually saw her. Al liked it. It was at that moment when the elevator suddenly shook, a loud creaking sound from the vents of the elevator suggesting that it had jammed altogether. The boy quickly grabbed on the railing at the side of the wall to keep from falling, before turning to the girl.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, once things became more steady. Al wiped his hands on his pants before extending an arm to help Aurelia stand up straight. He looked up at the surveillance camera and waved for assistance, but there was no response from anywhere. He sighed. "Looks like we'll be stuck here for a bit. But at least we won't starve, eh?" He let out another laugh, raising one of the meal tray covers and grabbing a cupcake out of the pile.

Al smiled before looking up at the ceiling and mouthing 'thanks'. It was a horrible situation he was in, but he had to learn to make the best out of it. "My name's Albert, by the way. But you can call me Al."

[Aura Dawning]

Aura winced a little, the flickering of the light causing a slight headache before it dimmed somewhat eerily. She reached out instinctively to hold onto the young man's hand in a bid to stand properly, thinking nothing of it at first and watching as he attempted to summon for help via the surveillance camera. Nothing. Finally realising that she was still holding onto his arm, Aura let go immediately, cheeks pink again and stowing her hands into her jacket pockets.

"I'm...sorry. I guess I jammed it, how thoughtless of me", she sighed, feeling slightly guilty - but not wholly. She only felt sorry for holding him back from his work.

After all, the alternative for her was being trapped in a boring hotel room with the same old faces for the rest of the afternoon. At least here, she had some fresh company; unless he turned out to be one of those axe-murderers or rapists that Flora often harped on about like an old maid. Eyeing him carefully and noticing the sudden rise of color in his face, she definitely didn't get that impression whatsoever.

She felt herself smile brightly in response and watched with a raised eyebrow as he helped himself to one of the cupcakes on the cart. He certainly didn't seem afraid of getting into trouble for that. Still, why should he? They were trapped, in an elevator, with a big trolley laden with delicious foods; how convenient.

"Al...got it", she repeated, taking it in and grinning her approval. She bit down on her lower lip, assuming that he probably knew who she was anyway. So instead of a full blown introduction, she simply gave a little wiggle of her fingers. "I'm Aura."

She hesitated, then extended a hand out to the trolley - casting a swift glance to the surveillance camera just to be sure - before choosing a cupcake with baby pink frosting ontop. She took a small bite and felt the sweet taste against her lips, almost melting in awe, her eyes rolling back slightly and a huge smile upon her face. Then, realising that this might have been a very odd reaction to eating a cupcake, she flushed and avoided his gaze.

"I...I'm not usually allowed to eat sweet things", she explained, then grimaced slightly. "They have too many calories."

It was true; this was the first sugar-filled snack she had eaten in goodness knows how long; things like that weren't in her "diet plan." If Mallory ever found out, she'd probably cut a bitch. So Aura was going to enjoy it.

[Albert Aldein]

Al didn't notice the blush in Aura's cheek as he pulled her up. He was too caught up in the fact that he was stuck in an elevator with singing sensation Aurelia Dawning! He had never met anyone famous before. Sure, he's seen some celebrities from afar, but never actually met them. But now was an entirely different thing. He had hoped that the elevator wouldn't be running for a while, at least until after he gets himself an autograph and a few minutes of conversation with her.

"Hah, don't worry about it. Happens to the best of us!" he replied rather a bit over-enthusiastically, only realizing it to be such after he had already said it. He smiled at her, hoping that she didn't think of him as some weirdo she had to be stuck with for a while. Thankfully, that didn't seem to be the case. In fact, contrary to what the tabloids mention, Aura was a pretty sweet girl, not that he believed the tabloids anyway, but yeah. The way the press talk about her, it just seems so different than how she was acting right now. She was rather calm, respectfully, and sincere. She even bothered acknowledging a bellboy like himself.

He watched as she looked at him, eyebrows raised. He didn't blame her. Surely it was weird seeing one of the hotel employees snacking on someone else's food. It wasn't exactly 'living up to five-star hotel standards', but he didn't care. The guests in room 907 would probably send them back anyway, seeing as some of the icing had dripped off of the cupcake. He rolled his eyes just thinking about it. "Don't worry. I'm allowed to get some," he reassured her, even though it wasn't entirely true.

"H-Hi Aura," he stammered. He watched her as she slowly took a cupcake from the tray and bit on it, seemingly enjoying the little pastry. He let out a laugh, enjoying the scene unfolding before him. It was cute, in an innocent sort of way. Like a kid opening a present on Christmas day. As though she could read his mind, she immediately answered the questions running through his head.

"Well, I don't think they should be able to tell you what you can or can't eat. I mean, it's your body. Why should they tell you what to do, right?" Al suggested. He didn't really want to suggest rebellion from her strict routine or whatever it was. He just really isn't a fan of people telling others what to do. He smiled back at her before opening another tray, containing some cream puffs. "Try some. I'm not gonna tell your manager." He shrugged at her, smiling innocently before taking another bite out of the cupcake.

[Aura Dawning]

Aura smiled graciously as he dismissed the fact that they were now stuck here for however long it would take for the hotel staff to have the elevator up and running again. She allowed herself to slide down the wall, sitting on the floor in a rather casual fashion - being sure to cover her exposed legs with the hem of her dress in a ladylike fashion. She clutched onto the little cupcake, gazing up at the grinning boy and almost laughing at the over-enthusiastic note in his voice. She found it charming - a fan, she presumed. Or at least, someone who recognized her from television.

"I suppose this isn't so bad. At least you get to skive off work and eat dessert with me", she concluded, justifying her actions and wearing that same, mischievious little grin as before. "Unless of course, you do like your job?"

Running her finger delicately through the sugary icing, before licking it off, she listened as he questioned the strict regiment her agents set aroud her - particularly in regards to her diet - and felt a little ashamed all of a sudden. He had such a valid point, but if only things were that simply; to maintain her standard of living, and her career, she had to do whatever the record company boss said. And anyone who was familiar with Mallory Dagan from Forbidden Records, knew that she was a complete and utter headcase. She'd been known for her harsh temper and ways of getting anyone who defied her into serious trouble. She could ruin lives with just a click of her fingers. The agents had warned her.

"Try telling that to my boss", she murmered, her expression falling so that she appeared weary and helpless in comparison to the bright and bubbly Aura he was probably used to seeing in magazines or on TV. "If I get too fat or too old, or even too single, then I'm done."

She eyed the tray of Creme Puffs he was now waving under her nose temptingly, peering up into Al's warm brown eyes and feeling a little comforted when he said he wouldn't tell. She nodded, then extended her hand and took one of the treats, taking another small and curious bite, that same orgasmic rush making her eyes roll. Embarrassed, she blushed but laughed a little; a soft tinkle of a laugh.

"Thank you."

[Albert Aldein]

Al watched Aura as she scuttled down to the ground, his mouth still stuffed with dessert. She looked like a little girl, seeing as how she positioned herself. Not childish, but rather, innocent. Like the harsh realities of life have yet to tarnish her. Well, why would they? She lived the life.

It took Al by surprise when she spoke again. He knew she wasn't like those stuck up celebrities, the ones who felt like they were too good to talk to normal people, but she didn't expect her to be so...sincere. "Well, that's true. I mean, it could be worse. We could be stuck down in a cave somewhere. Or a prison cell. Or in a castle guarded by a giant dragon," Al let out a laugh. He couldn't believe it. He was having an actual conversation with Aurelia Dawning. It was just mind blowing. "It's not that I don't like my job. I just know I could do so much more, you know?"

He listened to her talk about her strict regime and her boss and he could hear the regret in her voice. Maybe not regret, but there was a certain melancholic tune in it. He knew he had to ask. "How about you? You don't seem too enthusiastic about your job? Don't worry. Even if you get old and fat, I'd still listen to your music!"

Al pulled out a small white cloth from the bottom of the trolley and set it down rather messily on the elevator floor. Not like anyone would have cared, anyway. All he had to do was tell them he just didn't want Ms. Dawning's clothes to get all dirty. But he didn't stop there. Al took out a basket with fresh rolls on them and placed it on top of the tablecloth, but not before grabbing one for himself. He broke the roll into two, steam oozing out of the dough, before taking a seat in front of the girl. He took a savage bite, a little confused at the question he threw at her. "Thanks for what?"

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[Aura Dawning]

Finishing the dainty sweet, Aura could already feel her guilt beginning to return. She pursed her lips, brows rising as he turned her own question back onto her. So the miserable reality of her "awesome" lifestyle really was beginning to take it's toll on her? Not that the golden-haired girl was surprised; she had just thought that she'd been better at hiding it. Well, in a way, she was good at pretending - particularly on camera. It was so much easier to put up a front then, compared to now; this was candid. She was having a genuine conversation with another human being, without presenting herself in that awful, false manner. Somehow, it was a little easier to talk freely, especially without her entire workforce bearing down upon her and pressuring her. Even if he was a stranger, perhaps that's what she needed all along? Someone who wouldn't judge her.

"I guess a lot of famous people say this, but it really isn't an easy job. Your whole life is out there for everyone to see", she sighed softly, wrapping her arms snuggly around her knees in a self-comforting way. "And yeah, this is the price we pay for following this path, but there are days when I feel like I could just run away or fake my own death or something, y'know? They expect so much...and I feel trapped almost 90% of the time."

She stopped talking, feeling bad for piling this on him; what did he care about the woes of being in the spotlight? To him, she was probably just another Pop Princess, whining because she doesn't know which flash car to buy next or how many diamonds she'll wear to the next red carpet event. Wrapping the half-eaten cupcake in it's casing, she abandoned it - no longer hungry.

"Thank you...for saying that you won't tell", she responded to his confusion. "And for just, listening I guess."

[Albert Aldein]

Al took another bite of the bread, still feeling the warmth as he bit into it. It was ironic how he works to serve other people things he could never afford. So, in times like these, he didn't seem to second think maximizing the opportunity. He finished the roll, helping himself to another one, before looking at the celebrity in front of him, noticing her deep in thought. He had often found himself having moments like she was, just taking the time to think through things. Al could have guessed a million reasons why she seemed so lost, but he never would have expected to hear what he had heard.

Well, this wouldn't be the first time he would hear someone not entirely enjoying the fame and glamour of their life. A flashback of his previous encounter with Tinsley played in his head. Maybe it was true. Maybe fame was over-hyped. Somehow, listening to the singer's story, he felt rather blessed, in a weird and demented sort of way. Sure, he sometimes had to sleep through freezing nights and empty stomachs, but he was free to be himself. He never felt like he was missing out on his life because of 'must-dos' and 'should-bes'.

"That's tough. I dunno how that feels, but I know what it's like to just want to disappear. Even just for a few days. Just to take a break from your life." Al let out a sigh, empathizing with Aurelia. "But you know, expectations of others? Screw 'em. As long as you don't break your expectations from yourself, you're all good. Better letting themself down that letting yourself down, right?"

He wasn't sure whether or not he should be telling her such things, after all, they live extremely different lives. And someone in her position...well, probably doesn't have the luxury he does. But heck, if she wasn't entirely happy with it, then it wasn't worth doing. At least, that's what Al believed.

"Are you kidding? The only thing that I'm telling anyone is that I got to eat with Miss Aurelia Dawning!" Al let out a laugh, before throwing a sincere smile in her direction. "You're welcome."

"So..." he began, standing up from the elevator floor. He stretched his arms, a couple of soft cracks echoing in the silence of the box. "You ready to get out of here?"

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[Aura Dawning]

Aura listened as he reassured her that she wasn't the only person who felt trapped by their life. True, Aura had no idea what kind of life the bellboy led; all she knew was that it was probably far more exciting than hers. Of course, he would more than likely say the same thing about hers. After all, being a huge popstar meant travelling the world and having a shitload of money to flash around. Plus, the events she had been to, and performing in front of millions? She had to admit, it was probably the best part of her job. Her fans meant the world to her and performing on stage provided her with enough enthusiasm to keep going on with things. It was only life backstage that wasn't as fun. If it had been, then she would've had nothing to complain about. It was the routines; being prevented from doing her own thing whenever she felt like it. That was the real trouble.

She couldn't see whomever she chose to see without there being some kind of big scandal surrounding her. Her record had to be clean, or she'd be out. A huge part of her didn't care so much, but then, where would she go? Her family never bothered about her - they'd signed her over to the record company and run off to enjoy their share of the cake. Didn't they care how their daughter was feeling? Obviously not. They didn't even see her; they gave up all parental rights the day they sold her out.

Aura jolted back to the present time, laughing a little sheepishly as Al made a fuss about meeting her, her cheeks pink. He was the first real, nice person she had ever spoken to. It was a pity that the lights in the elevator got brighter and the thing started to move again, signalling that it was up and running - she was enjoying his company. Slipping to her feet, she nodded.

"It was great meeting you, Al", she said sincerely, giving a warm smile and rummaging around in her pocket before pulling out a business card and extending it towards him. "I'll be here for about a week, if...well, if you'd like to maybe help me get away from my agents...maybe do something, sometime?"

It was only then that a small "ping" noise sounded and the elevator doors opened up. Aura stepped out, giving him a brief wave as she headed down the corridor and off to meet her fate. As she took on board Al's words of wisdom, she had a feeling that she would be telling Flora and the others to back off when she got to the hotel room - walking with a slight spring in her step now.

[Albert Aldein]

For a while, Aura was silent, and Al knew that she was in deep thought. He wasn't all that surprised, to be honest. Aura never looked like the dumb blonde type, and he was sure that she was thinking about things going on in her life. After all, what else was there to think about? Especially from a girl who didn't seem all too pleased about what she does. He then began to wonder if he was the same way, drifting off from real life situations when he got invested in things he was thinking about. He caught the glow in her cheeks this time around, and Al couldn't help but smile back at her.

Al moved next to the elevator buttons and opened the small panel there, pressing a bunch of seemingly random buttons. They had been trapped in the elevator for around half an hour before Al realized where exactly they were. They were inside one of the older elevators of the building, and this wouldn't be the first time that it stopped in the middle of its movement. Luckily, he knew how to fix it, easily. But of course, he had to wait for the opportune time to do so. After all, how often would he be trapped in a place with the super star? Might as well maximize the opportunity. As he keyed in a couple more buttons, he topped it off with a punch at the grid, causing the lights to come on. Just like clockwork, the elevator slowly began moving again.

"Oh, shit. You're serious?" It was all Al could really say. After all, what do you say to something like that? A famous celebrity gives you her card and subtly asks to hang out again soon! He couldn't just reply any normal reply. He didn't want to sound too lame or giddy about it, but he didn't want to seem indifferent to it either. He let out a nervous laugh-turned-snort as he accepted the card from her, picking it up and looking at it, unable to believe that this was actually happening. "Definitely. Ill run into you again soon and we'll sneak out."

And just like any fairytale, Al's had to end. The door slowly began to open and he watched as Aura stepped outside, waving at him. He smiled back, waving happily at her, watching her figure slowly disappear as the elevator door shut. He then leaned against the wall, unable to support himself. He looked down again at the card he was holding, hoping that this wasn't some dream.

"Aura Dawning," he repeated to himself, his whole aura lighting up as he continued to gaze at the small piece of cardboard. The food tray never made it to Room 917.

[Albert Aldein]

For a while, Aura was silent, and Al knew that she was in deep thought. He wasn't all that surprised, to be honest. Aura never looked like the dumb blonde type, and he was sure that she was thinking about things going on in her life. After all, what else was there to think about? Especially from a girl who didn't seem all too pleased about what she does. He then began to wonder if he was the same way, drifting off from real life situations when he got invested in things he was thinking about. He caught the glow in her cheeks this time around, and Al couldn't help but smile back at her.

Al moved next to the elevator buttons and opened the small panel there, pressing a bunch of seemingly random buttons. They had been trapped in the elevator for around half an hour before Al realized where exactly they were. They were inside one of the older elevators of the building, and this wouldn't be the first time that it stopped in the middle of its movement. Luckily, he knew how to fix it, easily. But of course, he had to wait for the opportune time to do so. After all, how often would he be trapped in a place with the super star? Might as well maximize the opportunity. As he keyed in a couple more buttons, he topped it off with a punch at the grid, causing the lights to come on. Just like clockwork, the elevator slowly began moving again.

"Oh, shit. You're serious?" It was all Al could really say. After all, what do you say to something like that? A famous celebrity gives you her card and subtly asks to hang out again soon! He couldn't just reply any normal reply. He didn't want to sound too lame or giddy about it, but he didn't want to seem indifferent to it either. He let out a nervous laugh-turned-snort as he accepted the card from her, picking it up and looking at it, unable to believe that this was actually happening. "Definitely. Ill run into you again soon and we'll sneak out."

And just like any fairytale, Al's had to end. The door slowly began to open and he watched as Aura stepped outside, waving at him. He smiled back, waving happily at her, watching her figure slowly disappear as the elevator door shut. He then leaned against the wall, unable to support himself. He looked down again at the card he was holding, hoping that this wasn't some dream.

"Aura Dawning," he repeated to himself, his whole aura lighting up as he continued to gaze at the small piece of cardboard. The food tray never made it to Room 917.

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