After their little talk, Joey actually did as her mother had said and attempted to be a little nicer to Adrian. She knew that Mela wouldn't have told her to do so for nothing. This apparent 'rough break-up' he'd been through must have been quite a big deal.
Plus it actually made her quite curious. From what she knew of Adrian, he was the heart-breaker. Not the other way around. But then maybe she didn't really know Adrian at all. She hadn't seen him for six whole years - people could grow up a lot in that time. Sure, he still aggravated the hell out of her, but maybe her childhood grudge was still clouding her opinion and that was making his annoying habits appear ten-fold.
Or maybe Adrian was still just Adrian. Joey was sure that at least some of his ability to infuriate her was all him. Annoyingly, she knew that this was something that only time would tell. And she really didn't need to be reminded about how much time she still had to spend with him.
So she used the remainder of her free Sunday asking around some of the Moroi at the Court, trying to find out more about the inner-workings of Adrian Ivashkov elsewhere. She at least wanted to know more about this last break-up of his. Then she could gage just how much nicer she had to be towards him.
Not many of the Moroi she asked really knew much about the break-up, however. All Joey was able to learn was that Adrian had been really quite into his last girlfriend, whoever she was, but she'd then ended up cheating on him. Ouch.
That already helped things make a little more sense. Joey wasn't really one for long-term relationships, but she still agreed that cheating was a low, inexcusable move - no matter what excuses the culprit tried to give for it. If you were committing yourself to one person, then that was the key right there. One person.
Joey had never suffered such a thing personally, but she definitely remembered when her friend and band mate Anya's boyfriend had cheated on her. She was sure that the boyfriend remembered it well too. Joey had taught him his lesson by knocking two of his fillings out.
The only thing now was that, having seen first-hand how sucky the results of cheating could be for the other person, Joey understood what Mela had meant about Adrian's rough break-up. So now she felt she was gonna have to be pretty damn nice to him. At least for a while anyway. Goddamn.
And what was even worse was that it didn't take Adrian very long to notice.
"So, Hatchet," he announced only a couple of days into the week. "Let's address this recent change of heart you've been having."
"I don't know what you're talking about," said Joey loftily. "And how many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?"
"You may want to keep on counting," replied Adrian, amused. "And there's no need to be coy. I know that you've been extra nice to me this week and I've already figured out what you're trying to do."
"Really now?" Joey was sure that he wasn't smart enough for that. What kind of crazy Adrian theory was she going to get for this one?
"It really wasn't all that difficult. It's easy to tell that you got jealous over that incident with Antonia on Sunday, so now you're trying to find a way into my pants too."
"What?" Joey spluttered. "Oh, you are so barking up the wrong tree!"
"It's okay, Hatchet. You don't need to try so hard," Adrian assured her. "I'm happy to give us a shot if you are."
"Try anything and I'll stake you in that empty, black cavern you call a heart," Joey threatened.
Adrian grinned. "See, you don't need to be nice to me. The threats turn me on much more."
Joey gritted her teeth, attempting to remind herself why hitting him wouldn't be the best idea. So much for trying to be nice to him. "Don't worry; that's all the nice you're ever gonna get."
Adrian just looked even more amused. "So tell me... Why were you acting nice? I can already tell that's not your usual method of doing things."
"What; are you saying I'm not nice?" asked Joey, avoiding the question.
Adrian grinned again. "I'm sure you could be if you wanted to. Which brings me back to my point of how you so obviously have some ulterior motive behind it on this occasion."
Geez, he was a lot more perceptive than she gave him credit for. Hell would freeze over before she told him her real reasoning. Time to invent something else. "I just thought if I buttered you up a little that you might be inclined to go, oh, I don't know... outside. Y'know, where there's actually life and people and something to do other than look at these four damn walls."
It was actually a pretty good - not to mention truthful - excuse. One day a week out of this room just wasn't enough. Joey was certain that if Adrian didn't decide to get out more during her field training, then she was going to go insane. She didn't know how he could stand it.
"Hmm, I suppose that could be doable," said Adrian, pretending to look thoughtful. "How about we go down to the gardens and make it a date?"
"It is not a date," said Joey hotly, though she was pleased both that Adrian was actually going along with her idea and that he hadn't suspected it wasn't her real reason for being nice to him. "This is my job, remember? It's for protection."
"Well, forgive me if I'm wrong, but protection is generally what most dates require," Adrian pointed out, very tongue in cheek.
Joey just scowled. "One more innuendo and I'll be the one you need protecting from."
In spite of Adrian's suggestive comments and Joey's repeated threats in response to them, they did go down to the gardens. Joey was thrilled. Although Adrian had kinda hit the nail on the head that the gardens were quite a romantic location - particularly at this time of night - Joey was just glad to be outdoors. It was easy to tell that she couldn't afford to be picky.
Plus who knew? This could actually be the perfect spot for a very different kind of action to what Adrian had been hinting at. The bushes and the shadows cast by the dim lighting would provide excellent cover for any possible attackers - especially ones that were dressed all in black.
Every sound, smell and sign of movement pricked at Joey's senses. The last few days had been pretty dull, but now she'd slipped back into high alert mode. This was more like it. For all she knew, she was expecting too much and her fake Strigoi attackers would miss out on this brilliant opportunity. But even so, there was still a much higher chance of something exciting happening out here than back in Adrian's room.
Even Adrian could see the change in her stance. He sat down on one of the benches where Joey had eaten her takeout the other night. "Come on, Hatchet. Forget all this guardian nonsense and just sit down."
"You do realise that this 'guardian nonsense' is the only reason I'm here, right?" Joey pointed out, gesturing air quotes with her free hand. Her other hand was already gripping her practice stake. Just in case.
"Please. We all know you jumped at the chance when they suggested me as your charge," Adrian grinned.
"Yeah, I jumped," Joey agreed. "Straight out the nearest window, that is."
Adrian chuckled. "See, now this is much more entertaining than you just trying to be nice to me."
Yeah, she really was failing on that. It had only been a few days and she'd already broken her nice streak several times over. Maybe Adrian was right - maybe she was only nice when she wanted to be. Though it wasn't like she could help it when Adrian was just so, so frustrating all the time.
But either way, that didn't change the reason why Joey had been trying to be nice in the first place. She guessed she could at least put up with the simpler things. So she reluctantly sat down beside him, like he'd asked.
"Wow, did you actually just listen to one of my suggestions?" said Adrian, feigning a look of amazement.
"Sometimes I have lapses in sanity," replied Joey. "Don't get used to it."
"But I want to. Especially since, now that you've sat down, my next suggestion is going to be that I put my arm around you and then you..."
"Try it and I'll break your arm," Joey threatened, cutting him off.
Adrian laughed. "Ouch. The flower has thorns."
Joey gave him a withering look. "Please don't start spouting off any 'roses are red, violets are blue' crap or I really will have to break something."
Weirdly, that threat seemed to actually hit home and an odd look crossed Adrian's face for a moment. It was quickly replaced by his trademark smirk before Joey had the chance to comment. "Aww, really? But I know some really good ones."
"No thanks," said Joey, making a face. "I don't care for poetry at the best of times - particularly when guys use it for cringingly bad chat-up lines."
"What; you don't like chat-up lines?" Adrian looked amused.
"Definitely not."
"But some are hilarious! Trust me, I know some great ones."
Joey just gave him another condescending look. "I have never heard a chat-up line that's good or funny. They're just unoriginal and way cheesy."
"I bet I can think of at least one that'll make you laugh," Adrian insisted.
"I really bet you can't," Joey disagreed.
"Hang on, did I just hear a wager proposal in there?" Adrian grinned.
"You actually want to make this into a real bet?" Joey raised her eyebrows. "What's in it for me?"
"If you win, then I promise I won't make another suggestive comment in your presence," Adrian decided.
Joey's eyebrows rose even higher. She was certain that pigs would fly before that happened, but it certainly sounded like a nice thought. "And, god forbid, if you win?"
"Hmm. If I can come up with a chat-up line that actually makes you laugh, then..." Adrian cast around for an idea. His eyes suddenly gleamed, making Joey think that she wasn't going to like what was coming. "If I win, then you have to take me up on said chat-up line."
Joey frowned, definitely not liking the sound of that. "What do you mean exactly?"
"Say I amuse you with a chat-up line revolving around... me getting into your pants, for instance," said Adrian innocently. "Then that means I can get into your pants."
Joey pulled a face again. "Ew."
"Careful, Hatchet. You might actually hurt my feelings," said Adrian, pretending to pout.
Joey rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. If you even have feelings."
"There, you've gone and done it now," said Adrian dramatically, clutching his chest as though she'd physically hurt him.
Joey gave him a shove. "Quit being such an idiot."
"Ow, hey, didn't anyone ever tell you that violence isn't always the answer?" Adrian protested jokingly.
"They tried, but I never listened," replied Joey. She couldn't quite stop herself from grinning at that.
"I'll bet you didn't," Adrian smiled back. "So... Are you feeling brave enough to accept the wager? Or are you scared that my charm will win you over?"
"Yeah, keep on wishing." Joey really did hate chat-up lines - she was certain that there was no way Adrian could think up one she would appreciate. Plus she was dying to prove him wrong. "And you're on. Are you sure you're up for the challenge?"
Adrian grinned widely, actually showing his fangs. Moroi generally perfected the art of hiding them when smiling so that they could go undetected around humans. Joey had never seen Adrian smile like that before - no good was sure to come from it. She felt a little like she should start running for the hills.
"Prepare to lose, Hatchet," said Adrian, still grinning like a jack-o lantern. "In fact, I already have one prepared."
"Oh, great. 'Here's one I made earlier'," Joey grumbled. "Go on then, I suppose."
"Alright then. My magic watch tells me you're not wearing any underwear," said Adrian, indicating the designer watch on his wrist. Joey just stared at him stonily. "Come on, don't leave me high and dry. You need to at least let me do it properly. Answer how you would if some guy said that to you in a bar."
"Okay. I'd say 'think again, douche bag'," replied Joey.
Adrian tapped the face of his watch theatrically. "Hmm, it must be an hour fast then." He looked back up at Joey, who still wasn't impressed. "Oh come on, that one's gold!"
"It's really, really not," Joey disagreed. "A magic watch? That's pathetic."
"You have no sense of imagination," said Adrian, shaking his head. "Fine, how about this one..."
"Can we please keep it to one a day?" Joey interjected. "I'm sure I'll lose brain cells if I have to hear them constantly."
Adrian gave her an amused smile. "Alright then, one a day it is. That just gives me more time to think of even better ones."
"Yeah, good luck with that," Joey muttered.
"Okay, so if you don't like chat-up lines, then what does it take for a guy to get your attention?" asked Adrian.
"Let's see... They have to be non-annoying, for a start," said Joey pointedly.
"Come on, I'm being serious now. You must take some guys up on their attempts at seduction - you can't just be ice queen all the time," Adrian pointed out.
Joey hesitated. "Well, firstly, they have to be able to start a conversation without using a cheesy line."
"Guess I'll never stand a chance then," Adrian joked lightly. "What else?"
"Common interests help, obviously," said Joey with a shrug. "I dunno... Having an interest in music is good. Having an interest in eighties music is even better."
That same strange look from before passed over Adrian's face again. He didn't compose himself quite as quickly. "Eighties music, huh?" he repeated in an odd tone.
"Yeah, eighties. Something wrong with that?" Joey prompted. She definitely hadn't imagined his expression this time.
"Nothing at all - just not my style," replied Adrian casually. A little too casually.
Joey felt annoyed. He was so obviously lying. "What? Did your last girlfriend like eighties music; is that it?"
Adrian looked like she'd just slapped him. He clearly hadn't expected her to bring that up. "No, but the guy she cheated on me with did," he said coolly.
Joey instantly felt bad. So much for trying to be nice to him. He wouldn't tell her one thing, so she'd decided to be a bitch and had gone and hit him with the one topic he clearly didn't like thinking about. Why would he be obligated to tell her things anyway? It wasn't like they were friends or anything. Way to go, Jo.
"Okay, look, I'm sorry," she started. "I didn't mean to..."
Wham. She didn't get any further, because a fist suddenly collided with the side of her face, knocking her clean off the back of the bench. She was completely caught off guard, her head momentarily reeling. It clearly wasn't Adrian who had hit her. But then...
Joey scrambled to her feet just as a figure in black streaked past her eye line, grabbing Adrian by the collar and dragging him up off the bench. Shit. Guardians were supposed to protect their Moroi at all costs. If she didn't do something fast, then the test was all over.
"I don't think so!" Joey growled, springing across the bench and in between them, pushing the attacker away with all the strength she could muster.
It wasn't enough to make a real impact - having to hurdle the bench had cost some of her momentum - but she was at least able to get in between her charge and the supposed Strigoi. Right where any good guardian was supposed to be.
It also gave her the chance to see just who the attacker was. Leon Michaelis. Aw, crap. He was one of the most renowned guardians within the Court and he already looked down on Joey as it was. She could not let this one go badly. She had to beat him,
But the fact that she'd been caught so unaware was making her act desperately in order to redeem herself, which in turn, made her movements sloppy. Sloppy when compared to Leon's perfectly honed fighting abilities anyway. He was dodging most of her punches and the ones that she did manage to land didn't seem to have an effect. This was clearly what she got for being a bitch.
Joey ducked one of Leon's fists, but then took another blow to the face, on the side that was already smarting from where he'd knocked her off the bench. It wasn't like when she'd been fighting against Ray Hawthorne and had been running on too much adrenaline to notice the pain. She could definitely feel it this time. She knew she was losing.
As Joey staggered back from the hit, Leon took the opportunity to make another advance on Adrian, who had wisely stayed away from all of the flying fists. Joey went for a last resort move and threw herself at Leon, the practice stake ready in her hand.
Leon had clearly been ready for it. He turned and grabbed her arm with the stake in a vice-like grip. In the same movement, he carried on round and threw her aside, using the momentum from her leap to flip her over. She landed hard on her back on the dusty ground, all the breath whooshing out of her.
She hadn't even managed to get back onto her feet when Leon seized Adrian for real this time, one arm around his throat to emphasise his point. Joey couldn't even register Adrian's idiotic comment about liking it rough but Leon not being his type. All she could hear was the ringing in her ears. She'd lost.
"You see this?" Leon put his other hand on Adrian's head and bent him forward so that Joey could see his face. She was still on her knees in the dirt. "Your charge is dead! And you just failed your job as a guardian."
Joey didn't say anything. For once in her life, she didn't know what to say. She didn't even want to look Adrian in the face, but she didn't want to give Leon the excuse of not being able to accept how this would have gone down if it had been a real attack. Leon was right. Adrian would have been dead and Joey's name would have been disgraced.
And to make her feel worse, Adrian's startling green eyes actually looked sympathetic. Even if he was currently being used as a doll. Sympathy wasn't what Joey needed right now. She didn't deserve it. She wouldn't have ever thought it possible before now, but she could have really done with one of Adrian's snarky comments instead.
When Joey still didn't say anything, Leon released Adrian. "You must always be on guard. One slip and this is what happens," he said coldly, scrutinising her through icy blue eyes. "You have failed this round of your field training. Try harder next time."
He stalked off without a backward glance. Only then did Joey finally pull herself to her feet. "Sorry," she mumbled at Adrian.
"For letting me 'die'? Don't worry, Hatchet; I'm still alive and kicking," assured Adrian brightly, though he was still rubbing his throat. Apparently ,Joey wasn't the only one who Leon had been rough with. "I've gotta say though; I'd have been much more impressed if that Hana woman had been the one staging the attack. Then I might have been tripping you onto the floor myself."
Joey rolled her eyes, trying to brush the worst of the dust off her clothes. "Hilarious."
"Want me to give you a hand with that?" Adrian offered suggestively.
"Let me think about that... Err, no." Maybe she'd been too quick in asking for Adrian's humour. "Listen, do you mind if we go back to the room so I can get changed?"
"Sure," said Adrian with a shrug. "It's the least I can do after you fought so valiantly to protect me. I always knew you cared deep down."
"What are you talking about? I did terribly," Joey pointed out. She still felt miserable about how the fight had gone down. She didn't even bother acknowledging Adrian's 'caring' comment.
"It still looked good to me - I could never do any of that, even if I tried. I'm a lover; not a fighter after all," said Adrian. "If it had been the other way round, I'd have told him 'sure, take her; just don't hurt my face'."
Joey couldn't help but laugh at that, in spite of herself. She was sure that Adrian was just joking, but she wouldn't have put it past him. "I'd expect no less."
"So who was that guy anyway?" asked Adrian, as they started walking back. "Is he always that friendly or is it just you he has a problem with?"
"Just me," Joey sighed. "He's one of the best guardians here and he worked really hard to get where he is. So you could say he doesn't like how I squandered my position by dropping out of the academy."
Adrian shook his head theatrically. "Everyone's a critic."
When they got back to his room, Adrian shut and locked the door behind them. Joey raised her eyebrows. Adrian never bothered locking the door. "What? Are you intending to keep me as some kind of sexual prisoner? Because that ain't happening."
Adrian gave her an amused smile. "Hey, you suggested it, not me... And actually, I was just hoping to deter anymore hard-ass Strigoi from interrupting."
It was Joey's turn to look amused. "You realise a locked door wouldn't slow them down in the slightest, right?"
"Well, I was thinking of making it an even bigger gesture by building a whole barricade, but I don't like trying to move heavy things," said Adrian.
Joey felt the urge to laugh again. Geez, that fight really had messed with her if she was finding Adrian's remarks amusing. "Well, thanks for the gesture, I guess."
"Plus I'm starting to feel a little breathless from being so heavily involved in the action earlier," Adrian added dramatically, massaging his throat again and feigning a pathetic cough.
"Please. He barely even touched you," Joey pointed out. "How about I strangle you for real so you can see the difference?"
"Hmm. I wouldn't say I'm not adventurous, but I'm not sure that's a fetish I want to explore," Adrian teased.
"I may appreciate you being nice to me, but I'm still not above kicking you."
"I think I'll pass," Adrian decided. "I saw you kicking that guy. It looked like it would have hurt if he hadn't been going all Roboguardian."
Joey laughed. At least that comment had real humour in it. "Hey, did you know they're remaking that?"
"Roboguardian?"
"No, Robocop, you idiot."
"No way. But the original was so badass..."
"The new one looks even better."
"Huh. I'll have to check it out."
A strangely awkward silence fell. Probably due to the realisation that they'd just been having a normal conversation for once, Joey thought. Either way, she reluctantly took the opportunity to say what she'd been wanting to say. "So, um, I really am sorry about being a bitch earlier."
Adrian's smile never wavered. "That's alright. I'm guessing being a bitch comes quite naturally to you."
"Yeah, okay, don't push it," replied Joey, back to being grumbly. "Look, I'm gonna quickly go and get changed. You up to guarding the door for a minute?"
"I promise you'll hear me screaming if anyone tries to break in," said Adrian with a mock solemn look on his face.
Joey rolled her eyes again, grabbing the first clothes of hers that she could find. "Very manly of you."
She used the en suite to quickly get changed. The clothes that she'd grabbed turned out to be a pair of low-riding jeans that revealed the top line of her thong, along with a backless halter-neck top that showed a lot of her bra. That was definitely too much underwear to be showing around Adrian Ivashkov, but she didn't want to change again. After what had happened today, she felt even more uneasy not having her charge in sight. She'd just have to grin and bear it. And maybe kick Adrian in the teeth if he got too inappropriate.
Sure enough, Adrian whistled once she'd gone back into the room and he'd gotten a good look at her. "Heeeyyy, sexy lady!" he sang teasingly.
Joey responded with the best stony face she could manage. "Please tell me you are not singing Gangnam Style."
"Of course I am. It's a classic."
"I can think of a lot of things it is and classic isn't one of them. Sing one more word and I will stake you right where you stand," Joey warned.
"After all that fighting and doing ten whole days of your field training, you'd throw it all away just because of me singing one song?" Adrian asked, bemused.
"You'd better believe it. And trust me; it would be worth it."