A brief and quick drabble on what our favourite duo were like before running away.
Told from the one and only blue-eyed recluse, Christian Ozera.
Rose Hathaway and Lissa Dragomir ruled this ST. Vladimirs. There was no two ways about it. Even someone as much of an outsider as me knew that.
Vasilissa is the Queen who rules with grace and poise. She was friends with everybody and treated everybody with respect, but Rose, she ruled like a King, using fear and favours to get what she wanted, but was still completely faithful and loyal to her Queen. Being a King in no way lessened Rose's value as a girl though, she was beautiful, just as Lissa was. Being polar opposites of each other in looks complimented them and made seem even prettier. The two were an unstoppable force. Mixing both girls together would have gotten you the perfect girl.
On the rare occasions that I did happen to go to a party – which was very rare – I couldn't help but watch the two of them together. They were having the time of their lives.
I wasn't watching them in a creepy stalker way, but I usually faded into the background, people forgetting I was even there. But the girls, they always drew attention no matter what they were doing. You couldn't help but sit up and take notice.
Over the last couple of years, I'd had a handful of small conversations with Rose, usually when she was sloshed out of her brain. I'd never once spoken to Lissa though and I don't think that was ever destined to change, just like two thirds of the school, she didn't know I existed.
Rose had never been outright hostile to me and I appreciated it. I remember at a party the last week of term about a month ago, I had been picking at some food when she stumbled over. I watched her scan the food on offer. "Ah man, have all the donuts gone already, I only got like.. five," she said, sounding sad and slightly slurred. I remember laughing. Everyone knew of Rose's weakness for the sugary treats. As it went, I was holding the last one in my hand. I tapped on her shoulder and she quickly spun to face me.
"Do you want the last one, Rose?" She looked me up and down in predatory kind of way and I squirmed inside. Then she smiled and turned into a flirty drunk girl.
"Why thank-you kind sir," she said as she took the donut from my hands. "As a token of my gratitude, here's my, uh.. shoe? No I need that.. ahah, my dollar store ring," she said as she swayed a little, pulling a plain silver coloured band off her finger.
I followed along; nobody denied Rose Hathaway. "Thanks," I said. She smiled at me then turned to face where everyone was dancing, swaying to the music while eating her donut.
After a few minutes Rose turned back to me and took a step closer to me, even going so far as to place a hand on my arm as she leant towards my ear. "Ozera, right?" She looked back at me and I nodded. "Do me a favour, Ozera and escort a lady to get some fresh air?"
It took me by surprise. I knew she was drunk, but being seen leaving a party with Rose Hathaway usually resulted into all sorts of rumours. I doubt she wanted that to happen with someone like me, but she stood there waiting expectantly, so I obliged and held up my arm to her.
She seem to take it gratefully and looked over her shoulder once more to where Lissa was dancing with her boyfriend, I think the guys name was Aaron. Although no one stared right out us as we passed through the door, it was a sure bet that at least one person was sober enough to notice.
Heading down the steps, Rose held on tighter and I tried steadying her as best as I could. When we finally reached the outdoors, she took in a long breath holding it for a second before releasing.
There were a few couples spaced out along the wall. Most were making out and I think the furthest pair was arguing. Rose pulled me passed them and then sank down the wall, pulling me with her.
We sat for a while in silence; I didn't know what to say to a girl like Rose. Luckily she broke the silence.
"I don't know what all the fuss is about you, you don't seem very scary to me."
"Thanks," I reply as we're both looking straight on. Again we lapse into silence and neither of us feels the need to fill it so we just sit there. It's almost companionable.
A short time later we can see the sun getting ready to rise and she jumps up, holding a hand out to me.
"Well, Ozera.. it's been interesting. Thanks for being a gentleman and not trying it on with me and for staying with me, but if you'll excuse me, I have a best friend upstairs who's going to need me to carry her shoes and then hold her hair as she throws up. Catch you later." She leaves with wink and a fist bump.
One week later, Lissa and Rose were in a car crash that killed both Lissa's parents and her brother.
The entire academy felt for them.
Lissa stepped down as Queen B and became quiet and paranoid. Rose then became a tyrant King, biting off the head of anyone who dared even look at Lissa wrong, and getting into more fights than ever. Within three weeks, they were gone, abandoning their kingdom and disappearing from right under everyone's noses.
In those three weeks, apart from classes, I'd only seen the girls a few times. Lissa seemed to withdraw into herself and Rose became very vigilant, watching people and scoping out the places they went. Went you were an outcast like me you learned to read situations and pick up on things that other people didn't usually see.
There was an unsavoury incident I'd accidently stumbled across one night walking back to my dorm after a late night feeding. A bunch of people were partying next to the dorms, just inside the tree line of the woods that surrounded the academy and I could see a couple laying together on the grass out in the open. "Listen, I said make me forget, not take me I'm yours." I heard as I walked passed them. It sounded like Rose, but I couldn't be too sure because I was still a little way away. There seemed to be some sort of argument after that though and bits drifted over to me. Something about someone getting 'handsy' or something like that. Then there was shouting. I turn towards the couple and saw the guy straddling the girl. She was shouting something about not touching her but he didn't budge. I deliberated walking over, usually my presence scared off people, but as it turns out, I didn't need to because within seconds the couple had swapped positions. He said something derogatory and quick as a flash her fist went hurtling towards him in a succession of quick jabs.
I knew by then it was Rose, no other girl picked fights in the open and with guys too.
She was walking my way with her eyes on the ground while the guy behind shouted profanities at her back. When Rose saw me she stopped. "You didn't see anything," she says before walking right passed me, eyes back on the ground.
The last time I saw Lissa was the night she ran. We both happened to skip class, though it was halfway through the lesson when she appeared. I was just sitting in one of the back pews of the chapel when Lissa walked by without noticing me and then slipped through a door I'd never noticed before, I remember being surprised at seeing her cut class. When class was finally finishing and I could hear people leaving their classrooms, I was then intrigued when I stood up to see Rose taking long confident strides in my direction. She strode passed me without comment and down the central isle. "Come out Lissa, I know you're here somewhere. This is it Liss, now or never."
The last thing I heard before I left was Lissa's quite reply. "You said you wouldn't do that, Rose."
Of course, rumours had spread like wildfire. No one had ever successfully ran away from St. Vlads before.
Where ever they were, I hoped it was better than here and I wished them luck.