Chapter 4
The next few weeks went by fairly uneventfully. I spent the majority of my time with Lissa, and Christian by default. It had been impossible to find private time to spend with Dimitri. Between Alberta monitoring our trainings and being scrutinized by both staff and students whenever out in public together, Dimitri and I could not catch a break. Somehow news that Dimitri and I had been accused of having a fling had spread like wildfire across the school. Everyone knew that we had been found innocent for the time being, but that didn't stop people from spreading rumors about me. I was used to being in the middle of the spotlight. Rumors that I was with Dimitri were much easier to deal with than the Jesse and Ralf rumors from earlier in the year. However, Dimitri was definitely not used of being talked about, and he did not like it at all. And it wasn't like I could comfort him since we couldn't spend time alone! Everything was just so frustrating.
In response to the rumors, I had told all my friends, including Lissa that it was true that we had been called into Kirova's, but that we weren't having an affair. Adrian smirked at me knowingly while I lied to my other friends. They bought my story since they honestly couldn't envision Dimitri's control faltering enough to get involved with me.
Eddie however was also a problem. Between knowing that I cheated on Mason and that I had been accused of having an affair with Dimitri, he had put two and two together. He had been angry, but surprisingly, not so much at me.
"He is your teacher! How could he do this? I'm going to beat the shit out of him for this!" He had yelled. I remember stifling a laugh. As if Eddie could beat up Dimitri.
I felt really bad about lying to the rest of my friends about Dimitri. But having so many people know about my secret is too dangerous. If Lissa knows, then Christian will know as well. It's not that I don't trust Lissa, it's just that it's too risky to tell her.
"Ready to go?" Asked Lissa. All of the senior novices and moroi were going to be paired up today to kick off the first day of the field experience. I would be paired up with Lissa, but most moroi and dhampirs were nervous about who they would be partnered with.
We made our way down to the assembly and took our seats. Dimitri was standing up at the front with a group of guardians. I caught his eye, and gave him a quick smile. He returned the smile with the expression in his eyes. I wish I could just run up to him and kiss him, and then have him hold me for the rest of the assembly. But of course that's never going to happen.
The assembly began a few minutes later when Kirova stepped up to the microphone. "Welcome everyone. Your results on the field test will directly impact your lives after graduation. Your marks on this test are very important, so you must take this very seriously. The field test is not a vacation!" And with that she handed the microphone to Alberta. So much for a warm welcoming.
"I have a list of your assignments in my hands. Before I read them out, I must emphasize that your assignments are not negotiable. Novices, you will either guard who you have been assigned, or you will fail to graduate." Murmurs filled the room, but quickly quieted down when Alberta spoke once more and began reading out the assignments. She read in alphabetical order of the moroi which meant that Lissa would be called fairly shortly.
"Vasillissa Dragomir," She announced. Lissa stood up slowly and graciously walked up to the front. "You will be guarded by Eddie Castile."
What did she just say? In the distance, I could see Eddie hesitantly stand up to take his place with Lissa. What the hell? This must be some kind of mistake. If Eddie is guarding Lissa, then who am I guarding? And why wouldn't I be guarding Lissa? We have a bond for god's sake. I felt Lissa's surprise through the bond as well.
"Christian Ozera," She announced much later on. "Mason Ashford will be guarding you." I breathed out a sigh of relief. Guarding Christian would have been a nightmare. I probably would have killed him instead of protecting him. He's not that bad I guess, but he is extremely annoying.
I waited and waited, but my name wasn't getting called. I was the last novice to be called, and a surge of rage rushed through me when I realized who the only senior moroi left was.
"Jesse Zeklos, you will be guarded by Rosemarie Hathaway."
Jesse smirked at me as I stood up. I restrained the urge to punch him. Not assigning me to Lissa was one thing, but assigning me to Jesse was another. I can't guard him. I will actually kill him.
After the assembly was concluded, I stormed up to Dimitri and Alberta.
"How could you do this to me?" I yelled. "Why aren't I guarding Lissa?"
"You will benefit from guarding someone that you aren't bonded to." Alberta replied.
"But Jesse? You assigned me to Jesse fucking Zeklos!" I exclaimed.
"Rose!" chastised Dimitri. "You are out of line!" His eyes were cold, and he clearly wasn't impressed by my behaviour.
"I'm not out of line! You are for assigning him to me!" I yelled back.
"Your assignment is not negotiable Rose, I thought I had made myself very clear earlier." Alberta stated firmly. I groaned and stormed off towards Jesse.
"I'm not really that bad, at least you have something nice to look at for the next six weeks by guarding me." Jesse smirked.
I glared at him. "Do you actually think you have a shot with me or something?"
He cockily grinned. "You won't be able to resist me."
"Oh, yes I will." I replied, getting even more angry.
He shrugged it off, keeping his cool for the time being. But Jesse is not used of rejection, and is not going to take very kindly to it when he realizes that I am being serious. Why does he even think I would hook up with him again after everything that happened last time?
"I'm hungry, I'm going to go eat." Jesse said.
I groaned. "Let me get changed first," I told him, wanting to get out of my novice attire.
"Nah, I'm hungry now." He replied. "And remember, I come first."
"That must be why Mia had such a terrible time when she hooked up with you!" I exclaimed with mock enthusiasm.
His cheeks turned red with anger. "You know that's not what I meant. Any girl would be freaking lucky to get me in bed."
"Well Mia told me that you had a small dick that you didn't know how to use, and that you had the stamina of an old man." Yes, it was a petty comment, and no, Mia had never told me those things, but insulting Jesse's masculinity seems like the easiest way of pissing him off.
Jesse got even angrier, and simply walked off towards the cafeteria. I followed him, unable to believe that Dimitri would actually be a part of assigning me to Jesse.
After getting my food, I sucked in a breath before sitting down next to him, Ralf, and a guy named Ryan who had been assigned to Ralf.
Five minutes into listening to Jesse and Ralf talk disgustingly about Camille and Carly, I spotted Dimitri. I stormed towards him, expecting some kind of explanation.
"Why would you do this?" I asked him, my voice not holding the anger from earlier, but still filled with frustration.
"It wasn't my choice." He replied coldly. "Alberta has a point though. It's important for you to know how to guard moroi without sharing a bond with them. It is quite unfortunate that you were assigned to Jesse though," he sneered the name. It was clear that he wasn't very happy about my assignment either.
"You will get through the six weeks," Dimitri said, his eyes turning back into the kind ones that I love seeing. "You're strong, you can deal with Zeklos."
"If you could only hear the things he says," I muttered as I turned to join Jesse again for dinner. As I sat down, a few moroi and dhampir girls looked at me with clear pangs of envy. If only they knew what a jerk Jesse truly was.
"She will be so drunk she won't be able to help but sleep with me!" Exclaimed Ralf just as I sat down. Him and Jesse exchanged a high five.
"Because date rape is clearly the only way that you will ever get laid," I replied to Ralf.
He sneered. "I don't think a blood-whore is in the position to be talking right now."
"At least I have never had to trick or take advantage of anyone to have my way with them." I replied back.
Jesse and him both gave me a nasty look before returning to their conversation. Oh god, this is going to be a really long six weeks.
Night rolled around and I let out a sigh of a relief since we weren't required to watch over our moroi at night.
"You got a pretty bad assignment, huh?" Said Eddie as I walked into the novice common room. I was surprised he was speaking to me.
"Pretty bad is quite an understatement," I replied.
"How's Belikov?" He asked.
"I don't know because I never actually spend time alone with him," I replied.
"Good," he responded. He may be mad at me, but I am still like his younger sister that he feels obligated to protect.
"I'm sorry about Lissa though, I didn't mean-" I cut him off.
"It's not your fault. If anyone aside from me had to be assigned from her, you would be my first choice. Take care of her Eddie."
He smiled genuinely at me. "Of course I will."
Of course at that moment, Mason walked into the common room, ruining my conversation with Eddie.
"So you're talking to her again?" Mason asked Eddie.
"She's my friend still." Eddie replied. "She was one of your best friends also."
I saw something flash in Mason's eyes, but it passed quickly. "Well she ruined it."
"God Mason, are you ever going to forgive me or are you going to keep acting like an ass?" I exclaimed.
He shrugged and walked off. I groaned.
"He will come around, eventually." Eddie said. "You just hurt him really badly."
"That doesn't give him the right to act the way he is." I replied.
"If Belikov cheated on you, can you honestly say that you would act any nicer?" Eddie asked.
"I would probably beat the shit out of him," I replied. Eddie grinned when I mimicked his earlier words. But getting serious once more, his expression sobered.
"You would be heart broken, devastated, and angry. Mason is going through all of that. Just try to see this all from his perspective." Eddie was kind of accurate, I mean, I would be torn if Dimitri betrayed me.
"I guess. I still don't forgive him for reporting Dimitri and I though."
"But one day, maybe you will." Eddie said. "I'm going to go to sleep. Goodnight Rose."
"Goodnight Eddie," I replied.
I walked up to my room, glad that Eddie was at least talking to me again, but mainly pissed about being assigned to Jesse. I eventually resolved to ignore him as much as I could, and to only make contact with him when necessary.
What do you think about Rose's field test assignment? How do you think things are going to go between her and Jesse? What about Mason?
Sorry for the short chapter, the next one will be a lot longer, and I will start developing the plot a bit more as well. And I promise to include more Dimitri in the next chapter as well!
Please review your thoughts!
