Authors Note:
Hi all, so I haven't gotten any reviews for my last chapter but I still wanted to publish the next chapter. :) I am writing the chapters as I go along so I'm not entirely sure where the story is headed. I just know little things that I want to happen to the characters and where I want them to end up. But things in between all of that just kind of come out as I am typing up each chapter. I would really love to know what you think of the story because it is a fair bit different from the original VA storyline. Although it is set after Frostbite they are all 18 and were only a few months away from graduating from ST Vlad's and becoming Guardians so yeah.. :) If certain things aren't the same as the book, review and ask me about it, because it may be intentional or it may be a mistake, so that if it is a mistake I can fix it. :) Also I would appreciate if you could let me know about any spelling or punctuation mistakes that I have missed.. I like things to be correct that's why I proof read everything like a million times before I publish them! :) Sorry for the long and boring Authors note. :D - Raechel :)
Chapter Two:
I was working out in the gym, yet again, trying to dissolve my pent up frustration at the nightmare that had once again crept itself into my mind last night. I had woken up with a sickly feeling in my stomach, like a ball of darkness and anger that wouldn't dissipate. After my workout, however, it had disappeared completely, much to my liking. It was 6am and I still had two hours before classes started, so I decided to go the the Academy's library. I knew that in order to leave the Academy, I would have to fill out a specific form, giving myself permission to drop out before graduating. I was Eighteen after all. I no longer needed parental consent for any of my decision making, not that I would've even been able to get it, considering that I hardly ever saw my mother. Janine Hathaway and I never had a real mother-daughter relationship, I always resented her for abandoning me, but lately we had actually come to a sort of understanding. I didn't dare think about how she would react to my leaving St Vlad's.
After rummaging through book after book, I finally found the one I was looking for. It was a book of forms, forms for everything. Permission slips for excursions, injury and incident forms and sick leave forms. I shuffled through the pages trying to find the one form I actually needed. After several minutes, I came across the form that read 'Permission of leave form'. It wasn't anything fancy, it was basically a form that students filled out if they were going away for a while and needed permission to be able to stop studying for that period of time. It was the only form that came close to what I needed. The only difference was that I wouldn't be returning to complete my studies. I walked over to the photo-copier, book in hand and made five copies of the form, just to be safe. I wanted them to know that I was 100% serious about leaving.
Classes had ended and Eddie, Christian, Mia and I decided to hang out in the courtyard. We weren't doing much, just mucking around acting like idiots like we usually did. I hadn't even realised that the leave forms had been sticking out of my bag until Christian snatched them up and exclaimed, "What the hell is this, Hathaway?" Everyone's attention was now on Christian and what on Earth he could be talking about.
"Christian stop, that's none of your business!" I yelled back at him. I wasn't ready to have that conversation with my friends. Not yet.
"None of my business? It's all of our business, Rose.. Since when are you leaving the Academy? For how long? Where are you going? And what about graduation?" Question after question he flew at me and I didn't really know how to answer him. I had planned on talking to each of my friends separately. Not with all of them looking at me with hurt, confused expressions. In the end, I decided there really was no avoiding there curious stares and questions. I let out a deep sigh and told them what I was planning on doing.
"Look, this wasn't exactly the way I was hoping you guys would find out, but what ever. I'm leaving the Academy... For good, as in I'm not coming back to graduate. I don't want to graduate anymore. I don't want to become a Guardian for those people. After Mason's... After what happened, I just don't think I can go on to defend the people that didn't give a shit about my best friend. I'm really sorry I haven't told any of you, I didn't really know how to." I was almost out of breath, I had talked so quickly. All of my friends just looked at me, dumbfounded. They were all trying to process what I had said.
"Rose... You can't just up and leave, there is no way the school would allow it." Eddie replied, trying to be considerate and reasonable. I could tell it was killing him that I wanted to leave.
"I'm Eighteen, Eddie. They can't force me to stay, if I hand them the form, signed and all, they won't have a choice." Eddie looked back at me with a defeated expression, he knew I was right.
"But what about us?" Mia asked, upset. "You can't just leave us, we're your friends, Rose." Mia was on the verge of either crying or yelling. I couldn't tell which.
"I know, but I have been thinking about this for the last two months. I've been fighting with myself trying to decide what the right thing to do is and to be honest, I still don't know what that is. I can't stay here and become a Guardian who doesn't believe in what she's doing. I would become a liability. Leaving you is not something I've taken lightly, I love you guys. But I need to do this... For me." Tears started forming in my eyes as I took in the gutted looks on my friends faces. What I didn't expect to hear, was what came out of Christian Ozera's mouth.
"Well then I'm coming with you." He stated matter-of-factly. I looked at him, shocked.
"Christian, I can't let you do that. We will be outside the wards, with next to no protection. I'll only have one stake, I can't protect you from whats out there."
"Rose, if there is anyone I would trust with my life out in the real world, it would be either you or Eddie, you guys are the best Guardians in this place, and you aren't even technically Guardians yet. I'm not letting you go out there on your own. Plus, you know I have been training. I know how to handle myself and how to use my magic to fight. I can look after myself. I won't take no for an answer, I'm coming with you and that's that." Christian said with a defiant tone. He was just as stubborn as I could be, which is why I knew fighting him on this would be pointless. I sighed and nodded at him before handing him one of the forms. He had a huge grin on his face, I think he was mainly happy to get out of that place, he hated it just as much as I did.
Mia and Eddie glanced at each other, not knowing what to do. I saw the decision being made in their eyes, they were coming with me as well. I smiled at my friends and handed them each a form as well. They took it without hesitation and we all started filling out our forms.
"Not that I'm having second thoughts or anything, but where exactly are we going to go.. And what are we going to do?" Eddie asked questionably. Always the organised and responsible one he was.
"Well, I had heard about a group of Dhampirs in Siberia that weren't 'promised' but were still killing Strigoi. They hunt them actually, taking the fight to them. That's where I was planning on going when I left, but now that you guys are coming with me, we don't have to. It was kind of far-fetched anyway." I looked at their faces and knew that they would want to do exactly what I had just told them I would've done.
"Well that sounds good to me," Christian chimed in. "So when exactly are we leaving? Today? Tomorrow? Next week?" Christian was joking around but I could tell they were all curious as to when we would walk out the Academy's gates forever.
"We leave tomorrow morning before classes start. So tonight, pack your things. But only the necessities." I held my gaze with Mia, knowing that she would want to take every nick-nack she ever bought. We wouldn't have room for all of that. My friends nodded in agreement and before we parted ways to go say goodbye to our lives at St Vlad's, I told them to meet outside the administration building at 7am.
I took one last look around the room I knew as my only home and started walking out towards the administration building. Eddie caught up to me and matched my pace as we walked in silence together. I don't think either of us knew what to say. All he did was take my hand in his and give it a reassuring squeeze. I squeezed back as I realised just how amazing Eddie was. I never could've asked for a better friend in my life. When we got to the building Christian and Mia were already there. Christian looked excited where as Mia looked like a nervous wreck.
"Are you sure you guys want to do this? This is your last chance to back out." I told my friends.
Mia walked up to me, putting her arms around me, giving me a hug as she whispered into my ear, "We're with you. No matter what." I was touched by her determination and her kindness, I really did have the best friends a girl could hope for.
We walked in to the building and up to the desk where a woman sat typing away at her computer. She noticed us walk in and eyed us wearily. She recognized all of us, me especially. We all handed her our forms and stood quietly as she read over them, a shocked expression grew on her face as she went through them. She looked up at us, still bewildered.
"What is this?" She asked abruptly. I merely smiled at her.
"We are all dropping out of St Vladimir's Academy. We are all Eighteen and have filled out the necessary forms. I'm sorry, but you can't really stop us." I wasn't sorry at all. I was determined. The lady knew she had no choice.
"I think I should call the Headmistress. Wait here please." We sat down and waited patiently as asked and a few minutes later Headmistress Kirova walked in. She looked angry.
"Rose, what is the meaning of this?"
"Good morning Headmistress. Me and my friends are dropping out. So if you don't mind, can we please get this sorted?" I wasn't giving in to her intimidating look, I was on a mission and I'd be damned if I was going to give up now. Kirova looked down at me with a cautious expression on her face. She took a look at my friends and turned her attention back to me.
"You're forcing them into leaving as well? They don't have to follow you where ever you go! Why would you do this, Rose?" Kirova wasn't yelling, but she was raising her voice to an authoritative tone. Before I could even speak I was cut off by Eddie.
"Excuse me, Headmistress. But Christian, Mia and I have minds of our own. We chose to leave of our own accord. Rose didn't force us into anything. If anything she didn't want us to come with her because she was afraid for our safety. Look, I understand that this is a bit confusing, but you can't understand why we are doing this, so I'm not going to try and explain it. We simply don't want, nor do we have to, be here anymore. We aren't breaking any rules and we are doing this the legal way, so can you please just process our forms so we can leave?" Kirova was a little shocked at Eddie's statement, as was I. He sounded like an adult, rather then the boy I grew up with.
"Do your families know about this?" Kirova was grasping at straws now. She was desperate.
"With all do respect, Headmistress. It's not their business anymore. We are all Eighteen. It is our decision and our parents opinions won't change that." Christian was trying very hard to not sound frustrated but he wanted to get the hell out of there. His patience was wearing thin. Kirova reluctantly agreed as she nodded to the receptionist to process our paperwork. After the receptionist signed and stamped different forms for us, she told us to show them to the Guardians at the front gate when we left. She glared at us all with a disapproving look as we walked out the door.
When we handed the paperwork to the Guardians at the gate they looked at us in disbelief. They knew they didn't have a say in the matter so they opened the gates for us. The four of us walked out those gates for the last time and started our way down the long road. I forced myself not to look back.
