There was darkness all around me. I was sat in a cold, dark room. I could hear the constant, drip, drip, drip, from a hole in the ceiling. It was comforting. I waited for each drip to sound on the concrete floor. It was that that was keeping me from screaming. But then it stopped and I felt it again. I felt their presence. They were waiting for me. Waiting for me to join them. Waiting for me to walk to the door that stood opposite me, bold and intimidating. I knew that once I opened that door, and walked out into whatever lay behind it, I would never return.

"Rose! Rose!" I heard someone's sweet, yet frantic voice yell into my dream. The room began to twist away, like how smoke would when caught in a breeze. The black ran away and gave way to a pair of wide, panicked jade eyes.

"Lissa?" I whispered very quietly. Her hands were gripping tightly onto my shoulders, her nails biting into my bare skin. The thin straps of my top were tangled into her fingers as she stared down at me, fear falling off of her in waves. It almost smothered me.

"Did you have the nightmare again?" she asked me, her voice barely audible.

"I'm fine Liss," I assured her weakly. I wasn't fine, but I didn't want her to worry. She needed to stay calm, she needed to stay calm for both of us.

"Are you sure?" she double-checked. She wasn't buying my lie and I knew it.

"Liss, I'm fine, now go and get changed," I told her firmly. She was my best friend, and I detested lying to her but I had to. It was for her own sake after all.

I watched Lissa cross the room and plop down on her own bed. She began her morning routine of kicking her slippers off and pulling on some fresh socks. She wore pale lilac ones. It must be Monday I thought to myself.

"You need to get dressed too Rose, it's your first day at my school," she reminded me. I could see the excitement and pride in her eyes. She was happy about going to school with me. She was looking forward to today. I wish I could say the same.

Ever since I was little, I had hated rules. They were like a cage and I did anything to rebel against them. There were a few people who understood, or at least tried to understand my aversion to the rules. Even so, they couldn't have stopped the bitches who kicked me out of school after school. I had been to a grand total of eight schools in my time. I know I shouldn't but I feel proud of that number.

But, I'm not to blame for all of this. My parents, or lack of, are. I don't even know my father. Well, I do know he's Turkish, and he's the one who gave me my dark, almost black hair, and my deep brown eyes and tanned skin. I can't actually think of what traits my mother has passed onto me. Feistiness maybe? Anyway, my mother is a bitch. That is all I wish to say for now. She is a bitch who kicked me out of my own home because "She couldn't cope with my reckless behaviour anymore." What a shitty excuse that is! So now I'm here, in my best friend, Vasilisa Dragomir's house. Although I like to call her Lissa. Today is my first day at a new school, Lissa's school, and I was dreading it.

"So Rose, what are you planning on wearing today?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. I closed the en-suite door behind me and silently wished I could run back into the shower and hide there forever.

"Clothes maybe Liss?" I answered sarcastically, grabbing a brush from her desk where she did her make-up and hair. I looked into the mirror that hung on the wall above the desk and groaned as I saw the shadows under my eyes from a long series of sleepless nights.

"Can I help you choose?" she asked, fluttering her eyelashes at me as she ran the brush through her long, silky smooth platinum blonde hair one final time.

I rolled my eyes at her exasperatedly "If you must Lissa," I answered with a heavy sigh. Inside I was secretly relieved she was organising my outfit for me. I knew that if I did it I'd end up going to school in some loose, mucky jeans and a baggy t-shirt that looks two sizes too big. I hadn't cared about what I wore since last year.

I heard Lissa patter over to my side of the room and she delved into my wardrobe. I'm surprised she didn't get lost in all the crap that's in there.

"Rose, you need new clothes!" Lissa exclaimed. Glancing over my shoulder I saw her eyes widen in shock as she took in the poor contents of my 'wardrobe'.

"I know Liss," I answered, absently turning back to the mirror.

"Hmm, so I was think of a sexy yet, casual look, to turn a few heads if you get what I mean," I couldn't be bothered to reply to her trivial chatter about my clothes for the day and I flicked on the hair dryer.

Pretty soon my hair was as dry as a bone and sat in a long, dark waterfall, tumbling down my back.

"Clothes," Lissa shoved a handful of clothes in my face as soon as I had turned round. She had a devious smile on my face and for what could have been the millionth time today, I rolled my eyes.

She had chosen a red tank-top that showed a fairly decent amount of cleavage. I would have normally considered it slutty but with the black skinny jeans that hugged my legs perfectly and a sweet, black hooded jacket. It made me look a little bit less like a slut but certainly showed off my body. Liss then attacked my face with make-up and I ended up with a smoky eyes look that complemented my dark features perfectly. Looking good made me feel a fraction better about the upcoming day.

"You look great, anyway, I figured you wouldn't want to eat so that's why we are running later than usual," she was perfectly right. My stomach was doing back-flips. I did not feel like eating right now.

"Don't you want to eat?" I asked her.

"I'm nervous too," she confessed quietly. I frowned at her slightly. Why would she have any excuse to be nervous? She had been going to this school for what seemed like forever. Then it clicked.

"Christian's getting a lift today isn't he?" I smiled at her. Christian was Lissa's boyfriend. To be honest, I didn't like him all that much, not because he's a dick or anything, it's because we're too alike, and I can't handle my own medicine. He's also Andre's best friend. Andre is Lissa's big brother. He's also like a big brother to me. Lissa wants us to get together but I find the thought of it rather revolting. He's very handsome but he's like a brother to me, I could never see him in any other way than that.

"Dimitri is also coming along apparently," Lissa told me, slicking another layer of lip-gloss onto her pink lips.

"Is he Andre's other friend?" I asked. His name rang a bell.

"Yeah, he's the weird one who you never see, but he's so hot it's unbelievable!" she exclaimed.

"Hmm, should I tell Christian that?" I mused thoughtfully, just to tease her.

"No way! I love Christian, besides, Dimitri is so not my type, he's so anti-social!" Lissa groaned. I could tell she didn't really think much of Dimitri, or maybe she just didn't know him that well. He sounded like the complete opposite to myself, quiet, anti-social, reserved, I'm the opposite of each one of those things and proud of it.

I heard a car horn sound outside and I hurried over to the window. I pushed open the curtains and placed my face to the glass. It was just turning spring so turning warmer and the sun was out. At least the weather was being kind to me. I looked down at Andre's blue Honda FRV and saw him glaring up at me impatiently. I gave him a sweet wave before backing away from the window and turning to Lissa.

"Let's go."

Me and Lissa bundled into the front of the car as it had three seats in the front and the back. It was Andre's little baby. He would murder anybody who hurt it. His father bought it for him a month ago. That reminded me of how generous and also rich, the Dragomir's were. Mrs Dragomir didn't even have to work because Mr Dragomir was paid so well. It wasn't the same with my parents. Well, my father could be a billionaire for all I know but my mother's job as a body guard didn't pay her as much as she would like. Still, I got none of that money, instead I fed off of the Dragomir's generosity.

"Guys, it's Rose's first day so go easy on her," Andre warned once me and Lissa were both buckled up.

"Oh, Rose, this is Dimitri Belikov," Andre announced, pointing to the back of the car. I glanced round to where Andre pointed to see the most gorgeous guy I have ever laid eyes on.

Lissa's simple explanation of hot was the biggest understatement of the year, no, make that the decade. He wore a tight fitting black t-shirt and I could see all his muscles underneath it and the bulging arm muscles. He wasn't bulky with his muscularity, but every inch of his body was muscle. His face was even more amazing. He was beautiful. His eyes were a dark, rich brown. It was like staring into a pool of melted chocolate. I wanted to dive straight in and get myself lost in there. His skin was tanned like my own and he had shoulder length brown hair pulled into a loose ponytail round at his neck. A few strands still rebelled against the ponytail and fell around his gorgeous face, framing it perfectly. He was a god.

"Hello Rose, it's good to meet you," he said with a smile. I couldn't help but notice the faint Russian accent laced into his words. My heart did a double back-flip. An accent, my greatest weakness.

"And you," I croaked out nervously before quickly turning round in my seat. I could feel my whole face heat up with embarrassment and I looked down at my hands that sat loosely in my lap. I felt Lissa's eyes on me and I could see out of the corner of my eye the small smirk on her lips.

"Don't say a word," I murmured to her, to quiet for anybody else to hear I hoped. With a satisfied cough she turned to look out of the window and we began going down the driveway slowly before pulling out onto the road and racing to school.

It took us five minutes to do a usually ten minute journey. Andre was a safe, good driver, but fast. He had good car control and brilliant reflexes but he could get you anywhere in half the time of any other driver.

We pulled up into the car park and I felt my stomach flip over. Lissa grabbed my hand and smiled at me reassuringly. I smiled at her shakily. I may have a vicious attitude but deep down I was a shy person. It shouldn't scared me after my past but started any new school made me tense and nervous. I heard everybody else spill out of the car but Lissa remained with me.

"Leave it all in the car," she advised, and with that, I stepped out, ready to begin the war with my new school.