Vasilisa was lead away, while Rose and I went to a guidance counsellor to determine what classes she would be in. It didn't take long only about five minutes. We were walking out of the room when we were joined by Alberta. We walked Rose to her first class so we knew that she actually went. The only person who seems to have no faith in Rose is Kirova she seems to think that Rose would leave again or take the day off.

When we got to the Gym they were setting up, but when they saw Rose behind Alberta and I everyone stopped and started to stare at her like they had done in the cafeteria. She was looking at all of them then saw someone she knew, looked at him and gave him a huge grin.

''Hey, Mason, wipe the drool off your face. If your going to think about me naked, do it in your own time.''

They started to laugh, and Mason stopped staring and gave her a grin. Mason Ashford had red hair that went everywhere and freckles. I looked over at Rose for a moment, I wouldn't have thought someone like Mason would have been her type. Wait. Why do I care? She can date whoever she wants. Suddenly I was pissed off I wasn't sure why exactly.

''This is my time, Hathaway. I'm leading today's session.''

''Oh yeah?'' She resorted. ''Huh. Well, I guess this is a good time to think about me naked, then.''

''It's always a good time tot think about you naked,'' Added Eddie Castile, I'm guessing another friend of Rose's. I shook my head and walked away.

''глупо роговой подростков'' I said under my breath and walked out of the gym. (Translation: Stupid horny teenagers)

Walking down the hall. Guardian Chase stopped me. I hardly noticed him which for a Dhampir is like not seeing a Strigoi, but I was thinking about Rose. Ever since I met her I've been thinking about her a lot. She's driving me crazy!

''Belikov!,'' I looked up at him coming away from my thoughts.''Kirova said that your off duty for an hour but you need to be in Rose Hathaway's second period.''

''Okay. Thanks Chase.'' I walked away from him not hearing what he was saying to me.

Once I got to my room I sat on my bed took off my duster and picked up my western novel from my table. I lay down looked at the time and realised I only had half an hour to relax a little bit before I had to be in Rose's next class. Once I got sucked in to the book and pulled away from it long enough to look at the time I realised that I only had 5 minutes to get to Rose's next class. So I put my book mark in my book pulled my duster on and looked at Rose's schedule and ran out of the door.

I arrived just in time for the class to start. I walked in and saw Rose sitting down. Stan Alto was looking down at her. He was older than me but I was much taller. And today he looked very pissed off while he was looking at Rose.

''What's this? No one told me we had a guest speaker here today. Rose Hathaway. What a privilege! How very generous of you to take time out of your busy schedule and share your knowledge with us.'' I saw that she was blushing and although she didn't say it, her face was telling him to fuck off. Stan started laughing and gesturing her to stand up.

''Well come on, come on. Don't just sit there! Come up to the front so you can help me lecture the class.'' She went down in her seat obviously embarrassed. I felt sorry for her she had only been back a couple of hours and some teachers were already giving her a hard time.

''You don't really mean- '' The smile went off his face.

''I mean exactly what I say, Hathaway. Go to the front of the class.''

The class was silent to scared to laugh in case they pissed off Alto.

She evidently stood up trying not to show her embarrassment, but I could see right through her. She got to the front of the class facing her classmates, gave them a bold look and looked around the room. Her friend's giving some sympathetic smiles. I kept my face blank when she stared in my direction not wanting her to see that I felt sorry for her.

''So, Hathaway,'' He said a bit to cheerfully if you ask me, and walked to the front where Rose was standing. ''Enlighten us about your protective techniques.''

''My.. techniques?''

''Of course. Because presumably you must have had some sort of plan the rest of us couldn't understand when you took an underage royal Moroi out of the Academy and exposed her to constant Strigoi threats.''

''We never ran in to any Strigoi,'' Rose stiffly said.

''Obviously,'' He said with a laugh. ''I already figured that out, seeing as your still alive.''

Rose didn't say anything for a while so Stan started pacing in front of her and he spoke, again.

''So what'd you do? How'd you make sure she stayed safe? Did you avoid going out at night?''

''Sometimes''

''Sometimes.'' He repeated in a high pitched voice making her answer look stupid. I thought it was a stupid answer. It was a stupid question as well, though. ''Well then I suppose you slept during the day and stayed on guard at night.''

''Er.. no.''

''No? But that's the one of the first things mentioned in the chapter of solo guarding. Oh, wait you wouldn't know you weren't here.'' Rose looked like she wanted to punch him in the face and tell him to fuck off and leave her alone. But she didn't which looked very hard for her to do.

''I watched the area whenever we went out,'' She said wanting to defend herself.

Oh? Well, that's something. Did you use Carnegie's Quadrant Surveillance Method or the Rotational Survey?''

She didn't say anything he cheeks going a little bit more red.

''Ah. I'm guessing you used the Hathaway Glance- Around- When- You- Remember- To Method.''

In her face you could see she was getting angrier and angrier .

''No!'' She said angrily. ''That's not true. I watched her. She's still alive, isn't she?''

He walked up to her right in her face her looking like he was going to slap her I kept fidgeting and Alberta looked at me and I shaking my head. I wanted to punch him. I felt like I needed to protect Rose. Not only that but I wanted to.

''Because you got lucky.''

''Strigoi aren't lurking around every corner out there,'' She shot back. It's not like what we've been taught. It's safer than you guys make it sound.''

''Safer? Safer? We are at war with the Strigoi !'' He yelled at Rose.

''One of them could walk right up to you and snap your pretty little neck before you even noticed him- and he'd barley break a sweat doing it. You may have more strength than a Moroi or human, but you are nothing, nothing, compared to a Strigoi. They are deadly, and they are powerful. And do you know what makes them more powerful?''

I hated the way we was talking to Rose. I wanted to snap his neck. Wait. Wait. What the hell am I saying. Why the hell would I stick up for her? But I felt a very strong connection to her since I met her. I quickly turned my face blank when she turned towards Alberta and I's direction not wanting her to see that I felt even the slightest bit sorry for her.

''Moroi blood,'' She whispered, so silently even for a Dhampir I could only just hear her.

''What was that? Stan asked loudly. ''I didn't catch that?''

She turned to him quickly facing him. ''Moroi blood! Moroi blood makes them stronger.''

He nodded and took a few steps back from her.

''Yes. It does. It makes them stronger and harder to destroy. They'll kill and drink from a human or Dhampir, but they want Moroi blood more than anything else. They seek. They've turned to the dark side to gain immortality, and they want to do whatever they can to keep that immortality. Desperate Strigoi have attacked Moroi in public. Groups of Strigoi have raided Academy's just like this one/ There are Strigoi who have lived for thousands of years and fed off generations or Moroi. They're almost impossible to kill. And that is why Moroi numbers are dropping. They aren't strong enough- even with Guardians- to protect themselves. Some Moroi don't even see the point in running any more and are simply turning themselves in to the Strigoi by choice. And as the Moroi disappear..

''…so do the Dhampirs,'' Rose finished.

''Well,'' He said licking his lips. ''It looks like you learned something after all. Now we'll have to see if you can learn enough to pass this class and qualify for your field experience next semester.''

Rose spent the rest of the class in her seat silently. All I kept doing for the rest of the lesson was think about Rose. I know stupid right? It's like she has a hold of me and I can't let go. I've only known her less than twenty four hours for god sake!

Finally 2 lessons later it was lunch. I watched Rose get beat up in her last class as well. I gathered she didn't do any sports while she was away or she would have been more prepared for a fight. I started to walk beside her wanting her to talk first.

''I suppose you saw what happened in Stan's class?''

''Yes.'' I said as blankly as possible.

''And you don't think that was unfair?'' Well, of course I did but I wasn't going to tell her that.

''Was he right? Do you think you were fully prepared to protect Vasilisa?''

She looked down at the ground. ''I kept her alive,'' She mumbled.

''How did you do fighting against your class mates today?'' I knew the question was unfair but hey, tough love right? She said nothing. Then again I didn't expect her to.

''If you can't fight them- ''

''Yeah, yeah, I know,'' She snapped at me. I slowed down my walking to match hers.

''You're strong and fast by nature. You just need to keep yourself trained didn't you play any sports while you were gone?'' I already knew the answer but wanted to ask anyway.

''Sure,'' She shrugged. ''Now and then.''

''You didn't join any teams?''

''To much work. If I wanted to practice that much, I would of stayed here.''

I gave her an exasperated look. ''You'll never be able to really protect the princess if you don't hone your skills. You'll always be lacking.'' I was trying to make her see that the princess was in danger if she was lacked the training she needed.

''I'll be able to protect her,'' She said fiercely.

''You have no guarantees of being assigned to her, you know- for your field experience or after you graduate.'' I knew my voice was low and unapologetic. I needed the lowest voice possible so she would understand what I was saying to her.

''No one wants to waste the bond- but no one's going to give her an inadequate guardian either. If you want to be with her you need to work for it. You have your lessons. You have me. Use us or don't. You're an ideal choice to guard Vasilisa when you both graduate- if you don't prove your worthy I hope you will.''

''Lissa, call her Lissa,'' She said. It was like she wasn't listening to a single word I just said to her no matter how important it was. If she wasn't going to listen to me then I wasn't going to talk to her. Looking at her for another second I walked away without saying another word.

As I was walking back to my room my mind switched from Rose to my family. Oh, how I missed them. My three sisters Karolina, Sonya and Viktoria. My mother Olena and my grandmother Yeva.

I really wanted to go and see them all in Russia. I was at my door opened it and fell asleep on the couch. I dreamt of my family and I had a... girlfriend? She turned around and a saw that it was.. Rose?

Sorry I know I haven't wrote in a while I'll try to get the chapters up on time but it was my birthday and stuff. :P

Good? Bad? REVIEW! :)

-Chloe