hey guys! this is my new story! :3 i got the idea for this while listening to 'clarity' by zedd, hence the title ^.^
that being said, i am not entirely happy with the title, so if anyone has any suggestions for me, pop it in your review and i'll draw them out of a hat or pick my fave, whichever works for me at the time ;)
okay, i love you all and hope you like this!
xx! Madii
Rose POV
"You ready Hathaway?" Mason asked from beside me, we where making our way down to the front gates, where a bus would be waiting to take us to our surprise destination, every year the seniors where taken on a month long holiday, to give us a small taste of freedom before we dedicated out lives to the Moroi, or got dragged into the tangled web of politics if you where a Moroi.
"Absolutely! A whole month rooming with Lissa, exploring the resort, swimming, it's going to be awesome. Who are you rooming with?"
"Eddie" he grinned.
We finally made it to the bus, standing in line with Mason, waiting to get on the bus, I could feel that Lissa was already boarded, the plan on the trip was that you roomed with who you sat with on the bus, and it was a seven hour bus ride. This trip would defiantly take my mind off Dimitri, after the events in the cabin, he had avoided me for a week, before finally telling me that no matter how we feel about each other, we couldn't be together until I graduated, and even then we would have to wait a few months before we became public.
Mason's face grew sympathetic as we boarded the bus, looking at two people sitting near the back of the bus. Anger and sadness shot threw me at the sight of the two, it was Lissa, and once again she had ditched me for Christian, but this time particularly hurt, because we had been planning this since we where 12.
"Are you okay, Rose?" Adrian asked, surprising me.
"I'm fine." I said, my words clipped.
My eyes searched for another place to sit, the only free space was next to Dimitri, who was sitting opposite Lissa. Brilliant. Not only did I have to sit next to the guy I was in a complicated semi-relationship with, but I also had to put up with Lissa and Christian's snogging the entire time. I forced a fake smile on my face, and threw my bag over my shoulder.
"Hey Comrade, mind if I join you?" he looked up from his tattered western, eyes wondering down my body slightly, I had planned on sitting next to Lissa, so I had dressed in short cut off daisy dukes and a loose half top. He got up out of his seat and motioned for me to sit.
"I take it you'd like the window seat?" he smiled
"Of course!" I scoffed, "wouldn't want it to go to waste, now would we?"
I sat down pulling the doona I had packed for the ride around me, it was warm outside, but knowing the Moroi, they would complain about it being too hot and the air conditioner would be blasted at full capacity. It was always best to come prepared.
Adrian was behind me and Mason was in front, it made me curious as to why Dimitri had sat here.
"They wanted the guardians to spread out around the bus to make sure nothing... illicit happens." Dimitri clarified, I heard Adrian snort from behind me muttering something about Dimitri being a 'cradle robber.'
"Who are you rooming with?" I asked.
"Don't know yet, whoever comes and fills this seat I guess. I thought you where with Lissa."
"She ditched me for Christian... again." I said, not particularly caring whether she heard me or not, from the thoughts I could feel through the bond, she didn't, she also completely forgot about us sharing a room. Urgh. Adrian's face turned sour, he knew about how stressed mine and Dimitri's friendship was at the moment.
"Again? You mean she's done this before?"
"Yup, every time I make planes with her to hang out she ditches me because he wants to show her something or whatever."
"So she doesn't know about...?" he gestured between Dimitri and I.
"As I said, that would require her to actually speak to me."
"Ivashkov knows?" Dimitri asked, our conversation peaking his interest.
"He figured it out whilst stalking me back at the ski lodge, and has done good on his word of not telling anyone." he nodded, his hand slowly making its way towards mine, to cover it up I rearranged my doona so that it covered the two of us.
"Have you talked to her about how you're feeling?"
"Yeah, back at the ski lodge, she spouted some shit about how it 'takes two to fix that' and has probably forgotten that conversation by now."
"Stupid girl" Adrian practically growled, looking poisonously in her direction, where she was cuddled up to Christian, "Don't defend her Rose, you always try to be the best friend you can possibly be, you do everything for her, in a month you'll be laying down your life for her, and she cant close her legs and drag herself away from her boyfriend long enough to notice that your aura is different, because I know that only Belikov here knows you enough to be able to tell when you're upset even when you don't show it, but the girl can see auras, I can see the pain in yours when I'm so drunk I cant walk straight. So no, I am not going to play nice with her until she wakes up and realises how much pain you're in currently, and that she plays a part in that." I lent over the back of the seat and touched his face.
"I'm fine Adrian, okay? Please don't worry, you know I don't like it when you get riled up like that, it hurts you. It doesn't matter how much pain I'm in; they come first."
"That's bullshit! Dhampir's have feelings too! I can see them in their auras! And aura's are feelings!"
"Sadly that's not the way our society works" Dimitri spoke, Eddie and Mason where watching our conversation, "Our only role is to keep them safe, some Dhampir's cant handle the stress and that is when you get blood whores and rouges. The Moroi think that it is our own choice when we do things like that, but it is their fault that the Guardian numbers are dropping, they expect too much of us, and don't give us nearly enough in return. They think that their payment to us is to keep our race going, but many of us want us to end, because we don't want to watch out child get enslaved by them. There are some Moroi who realise how much we sacrifice for them, we give up family and friends and relationships, because we are too scared to get attached to anyone, because there is always the chance that we wont be alive for much longer, because we're always living in fear, not knowing when we wake up that today will be our last or not, we are trained to be stoic because otherwise the pressure would be enough to drive you insane." Dimitri had let his mask drop during his rant, starting off clam and slowly getting more and more emotional, his voice broke at one point when he mentioned relationships.
"They might think that slavery ended long ago, but it's still going, every Dhampir on this bus is an example of that." I squeezed his hand trying to lend him some of my strength, something that he did for me every day, just by being there, we may not be able to be together right now, but we knew what we felt about each other, and was all that mattered. Mason and Eddie looked shocked, they had never seen Dimitri display this much emotion, I knew that it was purely because I was here, he never would have done it otherwise, he may have a lot of self control, but when it came to me, it could crumble down in three words or less.
"I need to make a phone call." Adrian stated.
"We're stopping in another hour and a half." Dimitri replied.
"I am going to call the council and call a meeting for when I come back, so that I can talk to my aunt about creating more rights for Dhampirs." he said, smiling proudly.
"What kind of rights?" Eddie asked, curious.
"Well, for one, I am going to propose that they destroy that stupid law that says that Dhampirs cant be together," at Mason and Eddies confused gaze he continued "As stupid as it is, yes, that is an actual law, not just a taboo, and I am good friends with a Dhampir who is in love with another, and I hate seeing them hurt like this. I also think that they should be allowed to raise their children, if they want to, and still be guardians." Adrian's voice was alight with passion, I had never seen him or any other Moroi get this riled up about Dhampir rights, even Lissa, who wanted to change the laws to give us more rights, couldn't bring herself to face the condemnation of the other royals. The four continued their heated discussion, even Dimitri getting exited about the chance of laws changing for us, and in a bold display of affection, he even had his arm around my waist, as though we where a real couple, even if it where hidden by the doona, leaning into him, I slowly fell asleep, something that had been hard for me to do lately, as Lissa's sex life was as active as ever.
I laughed softly as I imagined the irony of our friendship, everyone believed that she was the angel out of us all, the perfect church going virgin, and I was the ill-mannered temptress slut. If only everyone knew that Lissa threw her chastity ring away long ago, when we where fifteen, and mine was resting on a leather tie around Dimitri's neck, I had given it to him during the cabin events.
"Roza... Roza... Roza!"
"Urgh. What do you want Comrade?"
"we're about to stop for lunch." I shot up, oh thank god, food!
"Now everyone, we're stopping for lunch, I expect you all back in two hours, please remain in groups of at least three." Alberta announced, I laughed at the look on sparky's face when he realised that Lissa would try to drag me along to be the awkward third wheel, too bad for her I wasn't going to play that game.
"wanna group? My shout" Adrian said, smiling at us, the four of us nodded, considering we where all Dhampirs that was a dangerous offer, I let the others off in front of me, insisting that I'd catch up.
"Hey Rose!" Lissa yelled, jogging up to me, dragging Christian by the hand behind her.
"Want to join us for lunch?"
"Sorry, I have plans with some people." I halfheartedly pointed towards where Adrian, Mase and Eddie where waiting, she pouted.
"Oh."
"You're slowing us down Rose, Mason's getting impatient." a deep voice rumbled from behind me, voice unusually teasing for being in such a public setting, sadly Lissa picked up on that.
"You're joining them? I wasn't aware that we had to be accompanied by guardians." Dimitri looked slightly annoyed at Lissa, not that he'd ever voice that of course, she was, after all, his charge, and because of that she was confused as to why she wouldn't be going with her.
"You don't." he said shortly.
"Comrade here made friends on the bus ride." I smiled, loving that my friends got along with him.
"Aren't you older than us?"
"I'm twenty-four, that's only seven years, and Adrian is an old friend." Lissa looked at him, taking in his features, she had always assumed that he was older, by at least four years, but now in the sun, she noticed how much younger he looked when carefree. She also noticed how close he was standing to me, and how she was sure that the only times that she had seen him so laid back and relaxed was around me, having spied on a couple of out practice sessions and witnessed our dry commentary and witty remarks.
"You're welcome to join us, Princess." he said formally, luckily I was the only one who could tell he was hoping she would decline, and the slight drop when she accepted, he walked quickly over to Adrian, a grimace on his face as he noticed who we where pulling behind.
We ended up at an IHOP, we all crowded into a large booth, and I found myself between Mason and Dimitri, which was good, because I knew that they would let me steal things off their plate. Adrian pulled a spiral bound note book from Mason's bag, laying it on the table and opening it to a page full of scribbled notes, he slid it over to me.
"Thought you might want to see?"
"You took notes?"
"Yup, while you where sleeping, you know since this helps you, the least you could do would be stay awake."
"I was tired, and it's not my fault that Dimitri's shoulder is super comfy!" they all laughed at me, except the 'happy couple' who continued to look lost.
"I must be getting fat then." he joked, lifting his shirt up, as though checking if he had put on weight since last night, "Nope, I think I'm still good." oh god, even sitting down his abs where perfect.
"You're such a dork!"
"Hey! He's not a dork, he's fucking awesome!" Mason exclaimed, leaning over to high five the dork in question, I scoffed.
"He's awesome?! I'm sorry, but have you met the guy?"
"You're just mad that he loves me more than you" Dimitri poked his tongue out at me, before grinning madly at Masons shout of 'Hell yeah, I do!"
"Pffft! You, Dimitri Belikov, are a dork, a giant duster wearing, cowboy loving, mamma's boy dork!"
"And yet, he's still hotter than Ivashkov!" Eddie said, we ignored him and Adrian's protests, too caught up in our own bickering.
"I still think you're jealous that you cant get anyone as hot as me" he winked, we both knew that this was bullshit, I just couldn't wait until I officially graduated and he finally admits his feelings with out me having to have my life put on the line in order to do so.
"Dimitri" I said with a straight face, voice slightly raised, "You're twenty-four years old, and you listen to 80's music, you where born in 1989! you literally had one year of that shit! You're just as bad as those damn 'Only 90's kids will get this' posts that the twelvies do! Because their too stupid to realise that they're 12, its 2013, they where born in 2001."
"what? Like you?"
"I was born in 1995, you blundering oaf."
"Whoops, my mistake, you must just act like a 'twelvie'"
"At least I can get some, unlike you, who's probably never been laid"
"I'm sorry, have you seen this?" he pointed to his body, I scoffed.
"Pu-lease! I've seen better bodies on a five year old!"
"What? So you're a paedophile now?"
"I believe that would be your job, cradle robber." Adrian piped up, causing Lissa to chock on her drink, both Dimitri and I glared at his, but we crafted it to look like a mocking glare, rather than a 'keep your mouth shut, Ivashkov' glare, scaring off the servers as they came to deliver our food.
"Rose, Adrian! You can't speak to him like that! He's a guardian, show him some respect!" Lissa chastised. Urgh. I seriously couldn't believe her! She was sitting here, lecturing me on respect when she had just disregarded a five year promise without a second thought, leaving me to room with my mentor, the very same mentor I was in a very complicated, very illegal, on and off relationship. Not that she knew that, and even though we're not 'on' at the moment, I may be turning eighteen in a couple of days-something I was sure Lissa had forgotten, because I couldn't find a single train of thought in her head regarding it—but I had yet to graduate officially, and with the way things where going with Lissa and I, I didn't particularly want to be her Guardian, maybe I'd apply to be Adrian's, or one for court or an academy.
"It's fine, Princess, this is usual for the three of us." Dimitri said, Ignored her looks an started to eat.
"These are some really good points! Have you booked an audience yet?" I said to Adrian, skimming over the page of notes written in what I could tell to be Dimitri's miniature script.
"The Monday after we get back, Tatiana wishes to review it more with us before taking it to the council."
"what where you guys debating about?" Lissa asked, genuinely curious, and slightly hurt that she hadn't been involved, especially if it was big enough to take to court.
"Dhampir rights." Mason said, his words clipped towards her, he didn't know the exact reason, but he knew that both me and Adrian where pissed off at her at the moment, he thought that it was purely due to her ditching me, which he thought was a pretty shit thing to do, I'm just not too sure if he's still think so highly of me if he knew about me and Dimitri.
"What are you looking to change?"
"Their social standing, I'm sick of standing around and watching Moroi treat them like slaves, I want them to become a respected part of the community, to be able to have choices, I want to expand the land at court to include a village for Dhampir woman to raise their children if that's what they choose to do, I want to remove the taboo over Dhampirs having relationships, whether with Moroi or other Dhampirs. I also want to expand the council to include Dhampirs, it's not right that Royals with sticks up their asses make the decisions for other races and people." Adrian explained, with the same passion he's been harboring all day, I noticed how Mason caught the glance Adrian sent Dimitri and I's way, the same glance everyone else missed. Fuck. Because this trip couldn't get any more complicated.
"I didn't know you where so passionate about this Adrian." she said.
"There are a lot of things you don't know, Cousin, things I wish I didn't know, I know everyone sitting here's secrets." that shook her.
"Are you physic now?"
"No, people just come to me to talk, or cry."
"About everyone here?"
"Apart from you and Christian, yes, I believe that's what I said."
"Even Guardian Belikov? Rose?"
"especially those two."
"You're lying" she spat "Rose doesn't have any secrets."
"Bull shit. Everyone has secrets."
"No, not Rose, right Rose?"
"Actually," I started, annoyed she had forgotten "I do have one, remember?" I discretely looked down at my crotch and met her eyes, realization flooded through her, remembering that I was a virgin, well as far as her knowledge went I was, Adrian and Dimitri where the only ones who knew different, but I guess that he was so used to the rumors about me that it was hard to remember that I wasn't a slut.
It wasn't until we reached our next stop that I noticed that something was wrong with Mason, and even then it wasn't until he approached me and asked to talk, leading me away from the bus.
"Rose... can I ask you something? And you'll tell the truth, no matter what"
"What's going on Mase? You're scaring me?" he stared me straight in the face.
"Is there something going on between you and Dimitri?"
uh o! whats gonna happen there! Masies picked up on a little secret! sneaky little guy!
i know that Dimitri's a little OOC in this, but in my mind he's always more relaxed around Rose, lets his guard slip and socializes !
please leave a review telling me what you think :)
kisses! xx