Let me know what you think about this. It's something I wrote for a Reading Report. This is one of the reasons I haven't been updating. I have to do a whole bunch of projects just for one project, which is due on Tuesday, mind you. HELP ME! D: Anyways, I'll be updating Love Sucks shortly. Hopefully by next weekend. A;long with other stories. HOPEFULLY. So, yeah, hope you like this story. REVIEWS PLEASE! :D THEY MAKE ME SMILE! And, trust me, I don't do much of that anymore.. :/ Well, cyuu3

And ENJOY!

Before Vampire Academy

Ever since leaving the Academy, life has been so much easier. It's just me and Vasilisa; I mean Lissa day in and day out. What is better than living with your best friend?

"Rose, have you started your homework yet?" Lissa looked back at me lazing on the bed, already knowing the answer.

No, I hadn't started it. We may have left the Academy but Lissa still insisted that we enrol in local high schools. Schools don't hold any knowledge, which is either beneficial or interesting to me. I normally tried not to do my work and freak out later, just before it's due. I felt her worry through our bond. It always troubled her when I left my work till the last minute.

"Fine, I'll get started." I sighed heavily and went to fetch my bag.

After wearily bringing my bag over to the table and laying out my papers I tried to get to work. I mostly stared out the window while Lissa shot me dirty looks. A quick movement caught my eye from down in the street below. What could have moved that fast?

I got up and opened the window and searched for the blur that I had seen. At first there was not a thing in sight and then I saw the bushes shake. It looked like a large dog sniffing by bushes by the front door. Only it wasn't a dog it was a blood hound.

I jerked back from the window and slammed it close. Grabbing the already filled back pack, I went back to get Lissa. It's a good thing Lissa had thought of this, it was so much easier to run when you didn't have to hurriedly pack.

I grabbed Lissa's arm and pulled her toward the door. "It's time to leave," feeling her confusion; I whispered our dilemma "There is blood hound outside the front of the building. In that instant fear flooded to me through the bond almost over powering but she grabbed my hand and raced with me to the fire escape.

We flew down the stairs and went down a back road lines with driveways. We had to get to moving water and cross it, quickly. Relief washed over me as I heard the roar of the stream that went through the park.

We turned into an old deserted parking lot, and sped up for the last hundred meters to the comforting water. That's when I noticed the hound behind us had gained a couple friends. Turning my head back to check, I confirmed that three giant dogs were behind us.

"Rose" I heard Lissa's worried voice gasp. Panic rolled through our bond making my head snap forward to find the cause of this emotion. I gasped, just before the river there was ten foot chain fence. I ran into it gripping it desperately with my hands and shook.

Lissa screamed and I turned to face the blood hounds. Pulling Lissa I picked up a piece of pipe that was by my foot. Lissa held her head high and paid no attention to the tears escaping from her eyes.

The first dog lunged at me and I swung the pipe like a baseball bat. I made a connection with his middle but I don't know what happened to it because the other hounds had started to come after me. I tried to make the pipe connect as many times as I could.

I was doing pretty well when two of the hounds lunged at me from opposite directions. I hit the one on the left, however sharp teeth sunk into my right arm. I screamed and watched as the dog released me to get a better grip.

With my left arm I raised the pipe and brought it crashing down on the hound's head. The crack was deafening, but my arm was released. I looked around assessing the situation as it now stood. Two hounds lay unconscious but alive and the third was growling as me.

"Lissa, run and don't look back," it was the perfect time for her to escape. I could easily keep this last hound focused on me while Lissa made her escape. I don't think I would make it if the other two got up again with this arm but as long as Lissa was alright; I had done my job.

Keeping my eyes on the hound, I felt to see if Lissa was a safe distance away. "Run already, I'll find you when I get out of this," Lissa hadn't moved from her spot.

"No, just run with me. That dog is on the defensive not the offensive. Please," she tugged at my arm and began to pull me along with her. My eyes never left the hound and it never moved to close the steadily growing distance between us.

Finally I turned my head forward so Lissa and I could up the pace. Lissa stopped suddenly and fear once again flowed through the bond. Had she heard more hounds following us?

"What's wrong? Come on we need to distance ourselves," I reached for Lissa's hand absently with my right arm. Then I crumpled to my knees and gasped, as the unbearable pain flooded through my arm.

"How badly hurt are you?" Lissa's sweet voice demanded me. Her hands fluttered around the bit marks coated with blood. "ohhh. This is entirely my fault. What can I do to help you?" she looked down still keeping her hands around the wound.

I stared in amazement as slowly the bleeding stopping and the skin closed up. My arm had healed before my eyes like magic. I moved my arm and felt none of the pain. I moved toward Lissa, who had started to let the tears drop freely, and put my arms around her.

"It's okay, it's okay. I am not hurt anymore," she looked up at me and her eyes bugged at the sight of my healed arm. I pulled her to her feet with my right to prove that it was alright. I still had no idea how it had healed but I was thankful for it.

"What do you think could have happen? My arm feels are good as new." I looked back at Lissa and caught her, just as she fell.

When Lissa woke up, she and I smiled at each other. "Rest well?" I asked, feeling very tired. Unlike her, I hadn't gotten any sort of sleep. I was too worried about her.

"Yeah, but you look like you're ready to pass out," she replied, sitting up and lookng at me.

I pointed to the suitcases that sat against the rooms door. "I was packing. We should go, seeing as how they sent Psi-hounds after us. Who knows what they'll send next. Do you have enough money to buy airplane tickets? It's the quickest way. Sorry, but looks like we'll need more money."

"Yeah, I have most of it on me." She looked around. "Do we have aspirin?"

"Yeah, it's still in the bathroom. Should we take it?"

"Yeah, I've got a headache. So, until it goes away completely, I'm gonna need it."

"Alright. Well, hurry and help me pack what we can of our clothes. We'll buy more, if we need any, when we get there."

"Where, exactly?" She asked, poking her head out the bathroom door.

"Portland," I said. "Portland, Maine." I looked over my shoulder. "We've yet to be there and it's far enough away from Illinois."

"So did that just pop into your head or did you plan ahead?"

"Planned ahead. Wanna hear it?"

"Sure."

"Portland, hopefully we can stay for awhile. Los Angelas, which would only be temporary. Sparks, Nevada. Kissimee, Florida. Seattle, Washington. Moorestown, New Jersey. And so on. I think we're set for the next few runaway spots." I smiled as she laughed.

"And what if I don't want to go to any of those places?"

"Tough luck."

"Tough love."

We both laughed as we shrugged on our coats. We grabbed the two suitcases and a duffle bag before walking out of the room, checking out and into a taxi waiting downstairs. We had to pay the driver extra to drive off on the couple who was waiting for us.

As we watched the cars and buildings pass by, I couldn't help but feel sad. Another move from another amazing city. "Bye Chicago," I whispered, only low enough for Lissa's Moroi ears to here. I saw her head nod in the reflection against the window.

After awhile, I dozed off.