Ok here it is chapter two and thanks to everyone that reviewed, you guys are lovely. Constructive critism is always appreciated especially on characterisation as I am trying really hard to keep them in character.
By the way Mason is alive and well in this story just in case you get confused by having mentions of him in the story. I like to think he was just knocked out instead of killed.
Rose POV
I spent the rest of the day on tenterhooks, waiting to be called into Kirova's office for questioning. I knew I would be, it was just a matter of time and the waiting was hell. If you asked me what I was supposed to be learning or even who was teaching it I honestly couldn't have told you. To make matters worse Dimitri was going to great effort to avoid me as much as possible which in my opinion made him look guilty as sin.
It was 5th period by time someone came to get me. It was a Guardian, an Irish guy whom I vaguely recognised and I think his name was Ciaran. Not someone I knew particularly well which I supposed was a good thing because he didn't try to make conversation on the way to Kirova's office.
Dimitri was already there when I went in; he was sitting in a chair in front of the desk looking like he would rather be anywhere else in the world. I took the seat next to him, trying to look as though I had no idea what was going on. He wasn't supposed to have told me about why the guy, whom I now realised, had been from the school board, had been there and had actually told me, in one of his shocking moments of not avoiding me, to deny all knowledge of what we were accused of.
Kirova sat down behind her desk and regarded us with a serious expression.
"Rose, I'm assuming you don't know why you're here?" She gave Dimitri a questioning glance to which he simply shook his head.
"Right, okay, well it's quite serious. We have received a rather worrying report from one of your fellow students about something that allegedly happened during one of your training sessions."
I struggled to keep an innocent expression on my face despite the fact that my heart was hammering in my chest and quickly laced my fingers together to hide their shaking.
She was waiting; apparently hoping one of us would react in some way. When neither of us did she continued.
"The student informed us that he saw you kissing." She hesitated slightly to let that bombshell hit fully before dropping the next one.
"He also claims that it looked as though you were being pressured by Guardian Belikov."
I let my mouth drop open in feigned shock and stared at her before turning to Dimitri.
"Is this what that guy was talking about this morning?! About accusations?" I deserved an Oscar for that performance I really did; and Dimitri looked suitably harassed as he replied in the affirmative and muttered something about pushy students never dropping the subject.
I was just starting to wonder if we might actually get away with this, thanks, of course, to my awesome acting skills, when Kirova asked Dimitri if he minded stepping outside for a moment.
He left without argument, not that he could have really protested anyway and Kirova turned to face me.
"Rose, I really have to ask you. Has Guardian Belikov, at any point kissed you or pressured you to kiss him?"
"No!" I almost shouted it.
"Has he ever tried to touch you or asked you to touch him?"
"Yes, he asked me to give him a blowjob in the supply room cos he's into younger girls." Her mouth dropped open and I looked at her in disgust.
"God, No. He would never do anything like that!" I shouted, unable to believe she had taken my sarcasm seriously even for a second.
"Rose, this is not a joking matter. You must tell me the truth!"
I stared back at her. "No, he never kissed me or pressured me or touched me in any way."
She sighed. "Fine, you can go back to class. Send Guardian Belikov in on your way out."
I got up and left quickly trying not to let her see how much I was shaking.
Dimitri got up as I came out and caught me by the shoulders. He didn't say anything but looked concerned.
"She wants to talk to you." I told him keeping my voice steady.
He gave me a reassuring smile and squeezed my shoulders before stepping past me into the office.
"Go to class." He called over his shoulder.
Needless to say I didn't go back to class. It was pretty much the last thing I wanted to do. There weren't many places I could go really though, not if I didn't want to get stopped and asked why I wasn't in class having my brain rotted learning algebra. I ended up going back to my dorm and climbing out the window to sit on the flat roof above it. I knew Dimitri would find me there pretty easily if he wanted to and right now he was the only person I wanted to be able to find me.
I wasn't out there long before he tracked me down. The roof was pretty much the only place you could get any privacy at St Vlads and I had mentioned it to him before. He negotiated the slippery tile easily and came to sit next to me.
"Are you alright?" He asked quietly.
I managed a weak smile. "I just wish I knew who it was. Then I could pound some sense into them. How could anyone think you would...?"
"Even if it didn't look like you were being pressured I'd still be in a lot of trouble. I'm seven years older than you, Rose. At 17 years old that's a big gap. I'm in a position of trust as your mentor and I'm abusing it."
He sounded so angry and self loathing that I reached out and grabbed his hand.
"Don't. You aren't abusing anything, least of all me." I forced a grin. "If I remember right if was me that practically raped you anyway."
That got a small smile out of him. "I didn't exactly put up a fight to remember, did I?"
We both laughed a little then grew serious again.
"I'm sorry, Comrade."
"For what?"
"Getting you into this whole shitty situation. You never wanted this."
He gave a surprised chuckle. "I thought we established that day that I most certainly did want this. Though I could live without the threat of a lawsuit."
I felt tears welling up and quickly wiped at the traitorous drops of moisture before he could see them. I felt an arm slide around my shoulders pulling me against the sweater that I had been trying very hard not to notice the fit of all day. I leaned into his chest and pressed my cheek into the soft wool, trying to calm down a little before I burst into tears and embarrassed myself. After a few seconds my breathing evened out and tears stopped threatening.
Dimitri tightened his hold for a second and then let go.
"Come on." He said, getting up. "Let's get down from here. We've been up here too long as it is and getting caught hiding out on a roof isn't going to help my case."
We went down the same way he came up which was through a classroom window and slipped out into the corridor while it was clear. I felt an irrepressible urge to laugh at ourselves sneaking around like ninjas. My laughter was abruptly cut short however by Alberta's sharp voice behind us.
"Rose Hathaway, why are you out of class?"
I swore.
Well that's it for this chapter. Hope it didn't disappoint too badly. Please review and tell me your opinions.
